"Little Britain's Big Swim" written by James on estrip.org

10/07/08 10:41 - 42ºF - ID#45974

Little Britain's Big Swim

Howdy,

I saw an enjoyable documentary yesterday in which David Williams of British Comedy troupe Little Britain prepares himself for nine months, while on tour, to swim the English Channel for charity.

Permalink: Little_Britain_s_Big_Swim.html
Words: 39
Location: Buffalo, NY

10/06/08 08:35 - 54ºF - ID#45969

A Man of Impeccable Character

What happened to John McCain?

With people I have serious disagreements with, I try not to assume that because there are disagreements that the person is entirely bad. Particularly with politics I try to see people in the GOP in the best of lights possible. John McCain was such a person before this election. Perhaps this was due to the fact he was from distant Arizona and his activities were under less scrutiny in the New York universe. But he has lost it.

It seems that now that his campaign has been derailed by selecting the most incompetent possible vice-presidential candidate, John and Sarah are just going for character attacks. After all, they barely lied their way through the debates so why not just attack the man himself?

What happened?

Permalink: A_Man_of_Impeccable_Character.html
Words: 132
Location: Buffalo, NY

10/06/08 06:59 - 54ºF - ID#45967

work rant

I am discovering that our datebase system at work is beyond fucked up. My guess is that 40% of the information is incorrect because it has not been updated in a decade. This is good, because I can fix it. But it is bad because people are going to be mighty angry. Both shooting the messenger and defending their hiring choices.

If only the last person who did fundraising was around. She is so amazingly awesome we could knock this problem out in a week.

Permalink: work_rant.html
Words: 84
Location: Buffalo, NY

10/06/08 02:28 - 55ºF - ID#45964

Drink

Over the weekend my brother and father wanted to get beer, and certanitly wasn't going to stop them. In fact, I went and got it for them.

My brother told me "get I C Lite". Now, I don't drink lite beers. If I want a beer I will have a beer, and if I want water I will have water. None of this in-between nonsense. When I looked at him like he had just recommended the feces on the menu he said "oh... fine. Get whatever you want" and looked saddened, like I didn't respect his opinions on such things.

As it turns out, I should have no respect for his opinions. Oh, I was told of surprising, good taste. At the grocery store I found a case. It looked pretty wretched, but I didn't want to disappoint. It is also brewed in Pittsburgh, which seems like a town that knows its beer.

The moral of this story is, never take alcohol advice from a man who loves jagger-bombs.

On a side note. Two people who volunteered on the campaign are dropping off cookies! I love them. They are the finest people on the planet.

metalpeter writes at 07:26:56 10/06/08 - Comment #39749: I admit I don't like beer. But don't give up there are so many kinds. Some companies (Pete's Wicked, Samuel Adams) make lots of different kinds and then come out with the seasons like Winter Brew as an example. I once saw (yes in my wilson farms days) a beer made from Poatoes (think it was out near St. Patrick's day and I don't think a single six pack got sold, but could be wrong about this).

james writes at 04:27:46 10/06/08 - Comment #39736: I am sad to see such little support for an estrip brewery outing. ^_^

LET"S GO!

jason writes at 04:25:55 10/06/08 - Comment #39735: Flying Bison has some good brews. I don't know if you can buy it in the store yet, but you can get a six-pack of Blizzard Bock at the brewery, and it's a very tasty beer. They also have a Barleywine style of beer called "The Herc" that is something like 9 percent, although the Barleywine beers aren't my #1 choice. I've done the tour before and the owner is a really cool guy who is passionate about crafting top quality beer.

heidi writes at 04:21:07 10/06/08 - Comment #39734: I'm up for an estrip adventure to flying bison!

drew writes at 03:24:24 10/06/08 - Comment #39727: Pittsburgh invented the beer/whiskey combo, which is even better.

And everything from Penn Brewery is great.

We should have an estrip outing to flying bison brewery. They offer a free class on the first sat of every month.

jason writes at 03:16:44 10/06/08 - Comment #39726: Ouch! You got tricked into ordering Iron Shitty! Lol @ Janelle describing it as "pee-pee" but she's absolutely right. Here's a tip - don't shit on IC when you're at a Pittsburgh Pirates game.

Pittsburgh has a really good brewery/German restaurant called Penn Brewery. I've tried the Penn Pilsner and the Penn Gold, both were very good. I wonder what their wheat beers are like?

I know you've been curious about the world of beer, (e:James) and I've failed our community by not sharing in the (shameful) variety of brews I've tried this year. If you never believe anything else I say, trust me when I say there are winter beers out there that do the job, although bourbon is tough to beat. I think I'll make a post later with my latest faves.

james writes at 02:42:15 10/06/08 - Comment #39721: I did see what looked like a ton of micro-brew made in Pgh at a generic grocery store. So I am sure the town has plenty of quality offerings.

But it is getting cold now. Time to put away the beer and pull our the wine and whiskey (not at the same time).

janelle writes at 02:37:15 10/06/08 - Comment #39720: OMG, you drank Iron City beer! I won't even be in the same room as that stuff because it smells like pee-pee. I refuse to kiss my husband until 24 hours has passed after him drinking it.

I'm so sorry you had to experience the worse that Pgh has to offer.

Permalink: Drink.html
Words: 195
Location: Buffalo, NY

10/05/08 06:44 - 56ºF - ID#45949

Magus.

On a happier note

I am playing my favorite video game on a Super Nintendo Emulator. Chrono Trigger is just as awesome as I remember it.... now if only I can remember how to travel through time in the right sequence to get the best ending.

Permalink: Magus_.html
Words: 46
Location: Buffalo, NY

10/05/08 04:41 - 59ºF - ID#45946

GHA!

I love seeing my folks, I really do. They are both Republican and single issue voters with regard to abortion. Which makes me sad.

John McCain isn't a bad guy. At least he wasn't before this campaign. In 2000 my plan was to vote for him if he got the nomination, but he was a different guy back then. He very well could have turned into the same guy we see now, but who knows.

The deal breaker has been Palin. Someone who is so grossly under-qualified, incompetent, and has no grasp of real issues has no place on a ticket like this. It is blatant pandering and it diminishes the ticket. And so, I have no respect for anyone who defends her position on that ticket or John McCain for selecting her.

But, for the love of my parents, my tongue is bleeding from biting it so much. Only 29 more days.

kisses.

P.S. I also love them because it brings me back to old dramas to play out with them. Like now. It is so silly that I can laugh at myself for falling into them and being so angry at the same time.

Permalink: GHA_.html
Words: 195
Location: Buffalo, NY

10/04/08 11:38 - 50ºF - ID#45935

I love my mom....

... but if she introduces (e:jim) as my "friend" one more time so her Catholic buddies wont think I have committed the sin of sodomy I am going to sodomize a reliquary.

For someone who just went through chemo she looks fantastic though! go mom go!

Permalink: I_love_my_mom_.html
Words: 46
Location: Buffalo, NY

10/03/08 09:32 - 49ºF - ID#45924

West Virginia?

I am meeting my parents at my youngest brother's college in that part of the world where Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia all cluster fuck. I am really excited to see my brother, as he is in the middle of his first semester at school. But this trip also makes me a little sad.

It is outside of Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh has an Ikea
Pittsburgh has a Trader Joe's

Pittsburgh is more economically viable to have these things. And Buffalo does not.

Man...

Permalink: West_Virginia_.html
Words: 82
Location: Buffalo, NY

10/03/08 09:04 - 45ºF - ID#45913

VP Debate Note

John Edwards always seemed like he was doing a preacher impression. Last VP debate I saw I clearly remember John looking into the camera with that dura-flame fire in his eyes and said marriage is between a man and a woman and that is that so there end of discussion. Preachers, when saying things like that, bug the shit out of me.

Last night was a different story. Joe Biden got the question about same-sex couple rights. He knocked it out of the park for me. No difference between a het couple and a homo-awesome couple.

Sarah skirted the question by talking about marriage and god and stuff, ignoring the issue entirely. But since she changed the topic to marriage, the next question was "Do you support same-sex marriage". And that is when things got interesting.

Joe said no, he and Obama do not support it. But the way he framed it was so different from what Edwards had said four years ago and he said it in a way that fixes the biggest problem with the discourse of same-sex marriage. He framed it was the government must make the two equal in terms of rights. Gay marriage is a religious thing and the government wont force a church to do anything.

Many people, including many homosexuals, do not understand that the marriage debate has two components: civil marriage and religious marriage. We only care about civil marriage, as churches can perform marriages if they are so enlightened. The other side only talk about the sanctity of their religious marriage. Joe Biden isn't even talking about that and the differences between civil unions and gay marriage are inconsequential in terms of a first step towards marriage equality.

How the discourse has changed in four years. While it is far from perfect (perfection would be no marriage at all. Am I right guys? Am I right?) it dismantles the GOP argument pretty well from a rhetorical stand point.

kisses,

-James

tinypliny writes at 09:35:11 10/03/08 - Comment #39640: Extending that concept further, I would avoid saying "couples" as well. This is not a flippant comment. For me, death is so real and life feels so short that any man-made ridiculous impediment toward achieving happiness seems like an inhumane thing to do - as bad or even worse than racism and other societal evils. If people want to live as a family, there can be no greater joy than allowing them to achieve that harmony in their lives.

Religious and/or short-sighted legal arguments forcibly erecting barriers towards happiness seem so cruel, hypocritical and petty to me. :/

metalpeter writes at 07:38:18 10/03/08 - Comment #39631: I wish I could have stayed awake for that part. Hey it was could and I need a blanket so out I went. So since I didn't hear what they said I can't comment on that. But there is a difference between state marriages and ones done in a church. If I have heard correctly Canada legaly says there is a difference and because of that if someone in a church won't Marry you they don't have to and they can't be forced or sued for it. I also don't think it should be called "Gay Marriage" . This is going to sound like a joke but I'm serious. Why can't two life mates get married. There are often times when friends are like family where two people are like brothers or cousins and are really tight or when one old person takes care of someone who is less old. If these two people got hitched they would get rights that they normaly wouldn't get. Currently it is a state issue but I think it needs to be a national issue really and here is why. What if two people are in love and they get married in Boston well then one of the couples company closes or movies to Chicago so they both move, Well in that state the Marriage isn't recognized but then would they have rights and legal protection for things they took care of in boston. See how confussing it gets. But see if there was some federal law that said States had to recognize marriage rights given in other states then that would really help. The other issue is, is same sex divorce legal where marriage is? Not everyone stays together for ever.

tinypliny writes at 06:36:15 10/03/08 - Comment #39625: "I don't know how you can separate the civil right from the civil benefits! I don't know how you can be for one, against the other, and still be thought of as friendly to the cause. Someone please help me with this."

You cannot. I agree. I don't interpret what Biden said as being any favourable to gay-rights that what Palin babbled about. See below.

jason writes at 05:28:41 10/03/08 - Comment #39622: I have a feeling I'm going to regret the effort, but I'd like to add a few things.

I've actually tried to make an argument similar to Biden's before to some people, and it was summarily rejected. Why? Because "separate but equal" is a relic from a time gone by, and we need not look to the past for an answer. I am sympathetic to that idea. I wonder how prevalent that view is. Maybe some of you can fill in the blanks for me?

Then again, politicians can say whatever they want, especially if they don't actually have to take action that has any effect on the problem, and they don't have to answer for themselves. Biden voted YES on the DOMA, so presumably he's deferring to the states. He can say whatever the hell he wants when he won't have to deliver, and he doesn't strike me as a states rights kind of guy.

In fact, I'm more libereal than Biden is on this. I don't know how you can separate the civil right from the civil benefits! I don't know how you can be for one, against the other, and still be thought of as friendly to the cause. Someone please help me with this. I know that when I made the argument before I was made to feel like I was definitely anti-gay. It actually made me more liberal on the topic.

tinypliny writes at 01:22:06 10/03/08 - Comment #39616: Alright, I don't see why its so tough to be clear on this issue. I don't like both their answers.

Biden first: You support equal rights for all couples but won't support marriage because it has a religious edge? So religiously, you are uncomfortable with giving all couples equal rights? Or as you phrased it, you won't be forcing the church to reconsider their stuffy position.

Don't you think religion and spiritual beliefs are a right in themselves? If you cannot guarantee them, don't go about saying that you will give all couples equal rights. That is a white lie.

(e:James), you bring up the two faces of marriage - civil and religious. But marriage is an artificial construct. We were not born to marry, we were born to reproduce. So marriage is an artificial non-biological construct with its roots in law and religion. I think the essence of marriage is to allow couples to have legal rights AS WELL AS the spiritual well-being in the knowledge that their partnership is recognized and celebrated by the society as a whole. If one or the other facet of this construct is missing for some couples, in my opinion, they are being given a raw deal. The church-state non-involvement is a perfect excuse for clothing your real hypocritical opinions.

An ideal situation would be to take away all and any significance attached to the church/temple performed facet of marriage. Make it mandatory that every couple need to have a legal registered marriage in a court such as the lease for your flat or the deed for your house. If you are rich and can afford to spend the money or simply want to get your family together for the event, by all means, have your wedding ceremony at the Church/temple/wherever, in addition to the legal registration. With time, this practice will ensure that the "religious" component gradually loses any significance whatsoever and marriage will simply be a legal contract (which it is, right now but not many are comfortable accepting the idea).

Palin second: You are confused PR-driven soul. If you believe that religiously you can't agree to Gay marriage let alone rights, just say so. No one is going to be surprised (as many have already pointed out) or even care.

joshua writes at 10:56:38 10/03/08 - Comment #39610: To be honest both of them creeped me out last night.

james writes at 10:52:25 10/03/08 - Comment #39609: Yes. There were no real surprises in terms of policy last night. Even though there was half a team of mavericks on stage.

joshua writes at 10:50:05 10/03/08 - Comment #39608: Right, but what I'm saying is that I'm pretty sure you knew that before the debate anyway.

james writes at 10:47:00 10/03/08 - Comment #39606: Despite her rambling answer I figured it out. ^_^

joshua writes at 10:41:32 10/03/08 - Comment #39604: She doesn't support gay marriage. I'm pretty sure y'all knew that.

james writes at 10:15:50 10/03/08 - Comment #39601: Ya, Palin avoided the question. She tried to talk about religious marriage and rights. She was trying to have it both ways. Yes, I think everyone has rights, how tolerant of me. But don't worry guys, I don't think they deserve rights or anything. So when she was done puking buzz words Gwen Ifill said "good, so you both agree".

And that was magic.

dcoffee writes at 10:08:51 10/03/08 - Comment #39600: Biden was unequivocal about the civil rights guarantees of the constitution. I didn't even understand what Palin was talking about. She has a gay friend or something. I'm glad Biden was so direct about everything.

Permalink: VP_Debate_Note.html
Words: 329
Location: Buffalo, NY

10/02/08 12:56 - 53ºF - ID#45893

Dina Martinia

It is October and I am listening to the Dina Martina Christmas album. It is the funniest album of holiday music since Motorheads.

And who is this Dina Martina you may ask?

Why, only the finest drag performer.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Permalink: Dina_Martinia.html
Words: 50
Location: Buffalo, NY