SHAFTWAXER

Let the beatings begin.

It’s the wonderful time of year where I begin to contemplate the premise of hibernating in my apartment for days at a time, cowering in the corner, fondling my golden ring, and eating a raw fish or two. At some point, I manage to avoid the whole raw fish bit, but I do indeed hibernate, basking in the warm and comforting glow or my computer monitor.

It’s writing season.

While everybody else is excited and stoked about the fantastic weather outside, I instead opt to burrow closer to my computer and write music and drill for the little ones all over the country. And almost every year I swear that I’m going to get started earlier. Did I live up to my promise this year? A little. I started earlier, but not quite as early as I would have liked. One good thing that came out of the complete anal raping from the state and federal government and their respective tax codes is that I finally have put together a database and spreadsheet system on my computer to keep track of things like mileage, expenses, billing dates, and the whole mess. I should have been doing this long ago. It’s annoying, it’s tedious, it’s monotonous, but damn if it doesn’t make life so much more organized and easy at the end of the calendar year.

I’m legitimately excited about some of the shows that I’m doing this season. There is a show that I was not looking forward to, but the more that we are talking about it, the better it gets. Then there is a show that I have been wanting to do for at least 7 years. I’m finally going to have the chance to do it, music and drill. It’s great when these things work out.

I’m not working for quite as many people as I was last year, but I think I’m doing more for the groups that I am working with. In the end, it about evens out. Ideally, I would be doing a drill or 2 more. I’m already eyeing different parts of the country for my next full frontal assault of mailing and shameless self promotion.

It’s amazing. Now that I’m really thinking about it, this really is a “job”. It’s “work”. The people who seem to think that I don’t really do anything are quite wrong. Now that I have records, receipts, and data to back it up, I do a lot more than I originally thought.

I wonder if knowing that makes it any less fun…?

So they elected a new pope an hour ago…

Meh…

While we should offer the new pope the benefit of the doubt, his previous statements and stances taken on issues are worth looking at in terms of the direction that 1.1 billion member Catholic church will be taking over the next few years. The new pope follows the conservative, hard-line doctrines of the church very prominently, which if you boil it down essentially means it’s my way or the highway. And that’s where I further separate myself from the religion I was raised in.

There has been an ongoing discussion about what they are calling cafeteria Catholics, also a a phenomena that seems to be most prevalent in the United States. These are members of the church who like some parts of the doctrine but do not agree with the rest. The church is essentially saying it’s all or nothing now. Sorry. I can’t get behind that, especially when all or nothing includes (but is not limited to):

• turning a blind eye towards priests abusing and destroying children’s lives
• classifying women as second class citizens by not allowing them to be priests
• not allowing priests to marry and then expecting them to know something about families and how to counsel them (pedophilia is not counseling by the way)
• supporting the horrifically fucking stupid concept that abstinence only sex education works (condoms are bad, we need you to fuck like bunnies because WE NEED THE NUMBERS! Don’t worry about AIDS, WE NEED BODIES IN THE PEWS DAMN IT!!!)
• homosexuals are really bad, horrible people… unless they choose to be a priest.

Like I said, maybe he will be willing to listen and be open-minded.

I doubt it.

Well, how about a stupid diversion. Somebody else I know did this and threw it on their site, so I figured why not. I had an extra 5 minutes of my life to piss away.

The Online Dating Personality Quiz at Dating Diversions:

I normally don’t completely do a whole-sale cut and paste of somebody else’s work, but it’s so good, I have to preserve it. Get the real thing here on the Morning Sedition blog.

Many of you may know that the Rev. Jerry Falwell is in critical condition with his second bout of viral pneumonia in five weeks. Granted, any time you mention Jerry Falwell, one feels compelled to denounce the hateful, violent rhetoric he has engaged in for the past 40 years and point out the money he’s made off the intolerance of others, but that will have to be saved for another time. Out of respect for another human being who is critically ill, we devote the remainder of today’s blog entry to Reverend Falwell, in his own words:

On 9-11:
“I put all the blame legally and morally on the actions of the terrorist, [but America’s] secular and anti-Christian environment left us open to our Lord’s [decision] not to protect. When a nation deserts God and expels God from the culture … the result is not good… The abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad. I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way — all of them who have tried to secularize America — I point the finger in their face and say, ‘You helped this happen.’” – 9/13/01, on The 700 Club with Pat Robertson

On homosexuality:
“Militant homosexuals are plotting a dangerously different future for America… Militant homosexuals plan to take over both major political parties. Militant homosexuals plan to force every major American corporation to set official policies giving them favored job status . . . to pass laws forcing churches and Christian schools to hire homosexuals and lesbians even if they flaunt their life style.” – Washington Post, 9/27/84

On separation of church and state:
“The idea that religion and politics don’t mix was invented by the Devil to keep Christians from running their own country.” – NYTimes, 5/25/86

On segregation:
“The true Negro does not want integration. He realizes his potential is far better among his own race. Who then is propagating this terrible thing? First of all, we see the hand of Moscow in the background . . .” – 1958 sermon

Clearly, this is a man that is full of love in his heart. We can only hope for his speedy recovery.

I had the opportunity to be around two specific kinds of people this weekend. One was an entirely pleasant surprise. One was a disgusting bag of shit.

I had a conversation this weekend that was completely unexpected. I was expecting to have this conversation at some point, but i wasn’t aware that it was going to be this weekend. The right questions were asked in exactly the right order, and I wasn’t going to lie, so I went into it. I had a difficult discussion with somebody, but we were both thoughtful and grown up enough to understand that while we were unhappy with some things that happened, we were able to present them in a way that wasn’t personal or accusatory. I explained my perception, what I wasn’t happy with, my rationale, and how it all made me feel. He did the same. We walked out better people with a better understanding.

Then there are the petty shit heads. Just a further affirmation as to why I’m making some of the choices I am. Thank you for helping cement what was at one time a difficult decision.

It’s a no brainer.