Weekend Wrap-up
 

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Saturday was UMB’s 34th birthday. We spent most of the day lounging around the house. We finally got dressed and left the house around 7. Grabbed some sushi with my aunt Celeste and went to the movies.

Stranger Than Fiction was great. I’m not a Will Ferrell fan. I don’t know why, but something about him irritates me greatly. However, he was actually *acting* in this movie.. not just making stupid faces. The premise of the movie is that Will’s character discovers that he is actually the hero of a novel being written by Emma Thompson’s character. He hears her voice narrating his life, and becomes quite concerned when she announces that “Little does he know the simple act of changing the time on his watch would lead to his imminent death.”

Rounding out the cast are Dustin Hoffman as a professor of literature that Will consults about the story, Maggie Gyllenhaal, the love interest, and Queen Latifah as Emma’s assistant (a role that could have been fleshed out a bit more).

The acting was great, especially Emma. Maggie Gyllenhaal is almost as cute as her brother, Jake. Dustin Hoffman was excellent as usual. The story follows a surprising arc and was quite satisfying for a Saturday night.

Sunday was spent at rehearsal with Retro Rock It and catching up on the Star Wars marathon that Cinemax was playing. All six movies one after the other. The original three were SO much better than the newer ones. I know that I’m not making some crazy statement here, since it’s a pretty widely held opinion, but it was driven home this weekend. The originals had such a great playfulness and lots of jokes and comedic moments that were definitely lacking from Episodes 1-3. Just think about Yoda’s character in those movies versus the smart-ass wisecracks he makes in A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back.

I’ve been continuing down the path of the random NaBloPoMo sites that pop up. I’ve ran across a few good ones, and one that pissed me off and caused me to leave some really snarky comments.

The blog “Tammy Talks Alot” has a post, “Go Andy Rooney” that cuts and pastes one of those creepy hate-filled “Go America Rah Rah” missives of intolerance, bigotry, ethno-centrism, anti-gun control, and the rest of the Republican Agenda. Tammy claims to only be bothered by “a couple of the statements” but fails to tell us which statements are offensive.

The email claims to be a recent transcript of an Andy Rooney broadcast on CBS. I have a lot of trouble believing that CBS (or any other network, save Fox News) would allow any journalist or editorialist to make statements like:

I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a phobia, it is an opinion.

I have the right NOT to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird, or tick me off.

When 70% of the people who get arrested are black, in cities where 70% of the population is black, that is not racial profiling, it is the Law of Probability.

Can you imagine the can of Jack Your Shit Up that would get opened by the ACLU or the complaints to the FCC if that happened?*

So I managed to make it to the end of the post, where I found THIS little nugget of wisdom:

It is said that 86% of Americans believe in God. Therefore I have a very hard time understanding why there is such a problem in having In God We Trust on our money and having God in the Pledge of Allegiance. Why dont we just tell the 14% to Shut Up and BE QUIET!!!

I have so many problems with this I can’t even begin to list them all, but I’ll make a stab at it. I think the statistic is actually closer to 58% of Americans believe in God. 41% regularly attend church services (I think for the sake of this discussion we’re speaking of the Christian God and Christian Religious services).

Let’s skip my issues of the money and Pledge of Allegiance and go straight to telling the “minority” to shut up and be quiet…

Excuse me!? I realize that the past 6 years have been really fucked up, but as I remember correctly, the whole point of our government set up is that not only that the majority rules, but that the minority has the right to protest and make persuasive arguments. That we shouldn’t ignore those who think differently or believe different things, or HOLD DIFFERENT VALUES than us.

I certainly hope that with last week’s overthrow of the Republican Regime we can begin centering this country back in the middle, where we’re supposed to be.

I left the following comment on Tammy’s site. I’m guessing she will probably delete it, which is mostly why I decided to write this post.

I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.

The great thing about Darwin’s Theory, you don’t have to believe in it for the rest of the world to evolve past you.

I only hope your kids will grow up to see what a narrow minded point of view these statements are.

* If you have some proof that these statements were indeed made by Andy Rooney on any broadcast station, please send it to me. I have a letter to write.

19 Responses to “Weekend Wrap-up”
 

so, what present did you settle on for umb??

hellohahanarf wrote on November 13th, 2006 at 7:15 am

 
 

Too bad you just personified exactly what you claimed, here in this post, that you detested! Detested apparently about me and my post…

You passed judgment on another person without really knowing anything about them. Just because I posted what ..another person said on national prime-time TV… doesn’t mean you could possibly know anything about me as a person. Let alone know my thoughts, opinions or beliefs.

Sounds pretty intolerant, bigoted, ethno-centrict…. If you ask me…

Ohh and for your FYI. I didn’t delete your comment…another assumption you made about me that’s incorrect.

Tammy wrote on November 13th, 2006 at 9:09 am

 
 

[...] My last post about Andy Rooney seems to have gotten some BIG attention. Another blogger has decided that I’m close minded and that my children will obviously suffer being raised from such a person like me… Ohh Boohoo. [...]

 

Bianca wrote on November 13th, 2006 at 9:29 am

 
 

Hellohahanarf - As we are pretty broke at the moment, I told him he’d just have to wait a bit for his gift. I made sure he had a ‘good time’, though.

Tammy - I believe you’re trying to tell me I’m a hypocrite. I’m not. Your blog is your creation, YOU are personally responsible for the content. If you post the transcript or the opinion of someone else on your site without also qualifying and discussing the opinions that you agree or disagree with, you leave your readers with no other choice but to assume that you are endorsing the sentiment.

You say yourself that you “found yourself saying Hell Yeah!” as you read it. You go on to say, “I do think all of it needed to be said and I am really glad someone besides the average Joe finally said something like this.”

Sounds like a ringing endorsement to me.

Therefore, I don’t believe I’m passing a hasty judgment. I will fully admit to being intolerant of bigots, homophobes, and idiots who try to argue about ethno-centrism without understanding what it means.

Wow, you didn’t delete the comment! I’m so totally wrong about you! ::rolls eyes::

Bianca - thanks for the link. I was just too tired to find the Snopes link last night. I was at least of sound enough mind to know there was NO way it was a transcript from any TV Show.

jester wrote on November 13th, 2006 at 5:10 pm

 
 

Well I’m not a bigot nor am I homophobic. Simply because you ASSUME to know where I stand doesn’t make me any of the things you’ve alleged. I have lots of friends and acquaintances who are of all races, creeds and colors. I have family of varied races as well. And two of my closest family members and 1 of my closest friends are GAY… So again you’ve jumped to an incorrect assumption.
Jumping to assumptions automatically makes you exactly what your complaining about..a hypocrite, judgmental, bigoted and so on. Before you go pointing fingers at others and telling them what they should or shouldn’t think and say… Take a long hard look in the mirror.

Tammy wrote on November 13th, 2006 at 5:21 pm

 
 

Tammy - You are making my argument for me. You posted that racist homophobic diatribe without any comment or dissenting opinion. You left your readers NO choice but “assume” that you believe and agree with the original author.

If you have truly have “lots of friends” who are so varied, and you have such close friends and family that are gay, then you should call them and apologize for perpetuating the very ideas that have left them feeling like second class citizens. You did them a great disservice.

If I were your gay friend and you posted that, I would never speak to you again. I certainly don’t see them rushing to your defense.

jester wrote on November 13th, 2006 at 5:52 pm

 
 

Funny you could say that without knowing me or my opinions, lol. Typical attitude from someone who’s always on the defense. And I can now see why. You’re gay. Cool. Too bad we had to meet through a Vail of your paranoid views and accusations. If you stopped jud0ging me for seconds and actually took a few minutes to get to know me you’d see I’m not a bad person nor and I racist and all that jazz but instead you’re doing to me exactly what you DONT want others to do to you!

Sad really!

Tammy wrote on November 13th, 2006 at 7:57 pm

 
 

Tammy,

You have made no attempt to help us get to know you then to attack back at jester. And of course what you say on your blog. So I think Jester is very well justified in what he is saying. Your post endorses what is written unless you say otherwise. Which I have not seen you do.

And just to let you in on a little secret having gay friends is not conclusive evidence that you have any empathy when it comes to gay issues or gays in general. It means you are stuck with the family you were born into and it means that you a friend who is gay. In my case I have many friends and family that are Mormon. I love then all, but I know they are sick in the head for believing that shit. I am not tolerant of their beliefs even though I am friends of with them. It doesn’t mean that I don’t like them as people. I would suggest maybe you could make a better argument for your tolerance of gays than you have gay friends.

topncal wrote on November 13th, 2006 at 8:17 pm

 
 

Well obviously you’re a friend of Jester’s so I can see why you make the comments that you do.. But I want to point out one little correction and that is that I have attempted to point out my opinions and views. Specifically to point out my views on this topic…but obviously I did so at my blog. Feel free to hop on over and see.

As for telling you more about me personally I wasn’t aware that you or Jester wanted to know more about me. Here’s one thing about me you obviously don’t know and that’s that I do have empathy for many. Homosexuals included. But I don’t see them like others do either. In my eyes we’re all people. Normal people. I don’t look at people and divide them out as blacks, gays, and so on. I said Hey there’s Joe and Sam… Not Hey there’s that black guy and gay girl. I guess the point I am making here is I don’t see what there is to be “tolerant” of really. They’re all people…just like me. No more important or less important them I am.

In my opinion to state that I’m “tolerant” of someone else or someone else’s views would be the same as saying I’m superior to them. That my views are right that their’s are wrong.. But I’m dealing with it. That’s not how I think.

Tammy wrote on November 13th, 2006 at 8:46 pm

 
 

Tammy, Since your last post became much more civil I started writing a very nice civil response to you. But as you sugested I went and read more of your blog. Very specifally your post Clearing the Air. After reading your post I think Jester is very justified in everything he said. Most of your points show you to be very narrow minded.

You said

Who ever made this statement hit the nail on the head. Im sorry if others disagree but its the truth. If someone attempted to air Shows/Channels specifically for whites only. They be shot down in 5 seconds flat theyd never make it to the editing room floor. And why? Because theyd be called racist. So can someone explain to be why BET isnt racist? But a channel labeled WET would be? Seems to me that theyre both equally discriminatory.

Darlin’ we have pleantly of white networks. They are NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox News, SpikeTV, Lifetime, should I go on or are you getting the point. Just because CSI has one token black man on it doesn’t make the show any less targeted to whites.

Next you say

Boy Scouts is for boys and Girl Scouts is for girls. Whats the problem?

The problem is that the girl scout program sucks. It is out of touch with the modern girl. When I received my Eagle Scout award I had a friend who received her Gold Award from the girlscouts. The requirements for her award did little to prepare her for the real world. It did teach her how to be a good little house wife. We spent many afternoons talking about the differences in the two programs. She often felt that she would have been more prepared had she been allowed in the Boy Scouts.

Not everyone who disagrees with homosexuality is homophobic. We know LOTS of people who are gay. A few of them disagree completely with heterosexuality. Does that mean theyre heterophobic?! NO! It means they disagree. Its no different then any other things in life. People are allowed to agree and disagree without being deemed racist or somthingphobic!!

First just using the term Homosexuality is bigoted. Homosexuality was a term used to define a mental illness in the DSM. It was removed because being gay was determined not to be a sickness. Secondly disagreeing with being gay is a bigoted opinion. It would be the same as saying your disagree with being black. You can disagree with actions by members of the gay community, or thing gay marriage is wrong. That would be an opinion. But disagreeing with gayness is not.

I have the right NOT to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird, or tick me off. Im not sure why this statement tends to piss people off so badly when so many people live this way each day. The majority of people in America Hell in the world Pull away from anything they find different or weird. So why is this so surprising? And why does it cause such an uproar when its actually said. I think the honestly is refreshing.

This is one of the first things you said that is right. You do have the right to be an intolerant bigot. And I have the right to think poorly of you because you are.

When 70% of the people who get arrested are black, in cities where 70% of the population is black, that is not racial profiling, it is the Law of Probability. This is a statement of fact. Again its sad but Im not sure why it causes so much emotion when its said out loud. The same could be said about any city or race. In my old city the majority of the population was white And the majority of the people who were arrested were white Should we call the news crews and scream racial profiling??? NO! We should instead stop breaking the law DUH!

I live in white gentrified community. The place where all the up and coming families want to raise their kids. Recently I was driving down the main street when 4 cars made an illegal right turn. Three of the cars had white drivers, and the forth was a black driver in a Land Rover. A very expensive car. There were 10 police waiting to catch people making the illegal turn. They only pulled over the black driver. And let the 3 white ones go. Why only pull over the black driver. He clearly looked as if he belonged in our community. He drove a much nicer car than I did. Unfortunately even here in liberal California Driving While Black is still a crime.

topncal wrote on November 13th, 2006 at 9:57 pm

 
 

So… drama! Wow, too lazy to read the crazy but I have stumbled onto your blog after you commented on mine.
I pretty much failed geography in middle school so excuse my complete lack of knowledge in that area. My subconcious dream self doesn’t care about the fact that montana is not in the middle of the country. It only wants to scare me with Snakes in a Car!
Have fun with your little tiff here and I hope my blog wasn’t super boring!

Sarah wrote on November 13th, 2006 at 10:33 pm

 
 

coughcoughbigotcoughcough

othurme wrote on November 13th, 2006 at 10:35 pm

 
 

I think I feel a sneeze coming on………..AHHHHHHHH CHOOOOOOracist

othurme wrote on November 13th, 2006 at 10:36 pm

 
 

If you pull my finger this is what comes out….:::Tammy:::

othurme wrote on November 13th, 2006 at 10:37 pm

 
 

[...] Jester over on his blog created a great conversation with a blogger named Tammy in his post Weekend Wrap-up. Basically Tammy posted some bigoted statements that were credited to Andy Rooney. She posted the statements and stated that she agreed with them. Jester called her on it. Some of the quotes are such. I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a phobia, it is an opinion. [...]

Dan Nowak » Heated conversation at Jestertunes wrote on November 14th, 2006 at 12:09 am

 
 

Huh. I didn’t know that about the word homosexual(ity). I’ve always used it, thinking it was perfectly PC.

Bianca wrote on November 14th, 2006 at 6:11 am

 
 

Hey Bianca -

I’ve never had a problem with the term. Technically it’s latin, so really who cares… and you’re not a doctor trying to diagnose me with a mental deficiency… I don’t think topncal even has a real problem with the term, he was just picking at her.

You know the old joke, “What’s the definition of a homosexual? It’s the fag that just came back into the room.”

If you don’t know me, call me gay, homo, homosexual, or queer. If you know me, you can call me whatever you want, faggot included… just be prepared, cause I probably have words for you too. :)

jester wrote on November 14th, 2006 at 6:21 am

 
 

[...] For proof, check out the exchanges with Tammy, Ted, and the latest with Kristarella. [...]

Jestertunes » That Guy wrote on December 4th, 2006 at 4:53 am

 

Say something already!