No Sympathy for the Devils

Via Crooks&Liars comes this story of Georgia inmates staging a “strike” and demanding ”getting paid for their work, better nutrition, better medical care and more educational opportunities.”

While I’m certainly against “cruel & unusual punishment,” taking away their cigarettes and not paying union dues for laundry labor is a far cry from having to pound rocks on the chain gang 18 hours a day.  These are not the cream of society, they are people convicted of crimes against society.  Prison is supposed to be punishment, not a model for a new society. 

OT: The commenters on the C&L article really need to get a grip on their comparisons to “Slave Labor.”  Slaves have no rights, if you recall, and could be murdered by their masters without recourse, without cause.  These prisoners made a choice at one time or another that earned them the title of criminal.  These prisoners committed crimes (cause) and have been through the trial process (their path to recourse, should they be innocent).  If they were slaves they’d be hung or shot or worse simply for being “uppity.”  Slaves never had a choice, or a chance to redeem themselves through conduct, free education, training, etc. 

Taking away cigarettes isn’t cruel & unusual.  Burning the name of your crime onto your forehead with lit cigarettes, like a permanent “Scarlet Letter,” now that would be more like it.

Get Carter

As if we needed proof that people are idiots . . . well, here it is.

I don’t really know who Heidi Carter is, but put that name on yourwebsite and watch the traffic jump a bit from all the pervs out there. 

You know who you are.

While I like extra traffic as much as any guy (write your joke in here), I would prefer that it come because of something interesting or just maybe insightful that I wrote.  However, one extra comment on this blog post where I did just the smallest scratchings of an investigation, and now my email has become perv central. 

The only one-handed emails I want sent to me better be from Keanu Reeves.  (I get a pass.)  Not married men.  And two of the emails are supposedly from Ms. Carter herself. 

National Coming Out Day

Tomorrow.  October 11th, 2007. 

DO IT.  COME OUT.  THE WEIGHT YOU HAVE ON YOUR SHOULDERS RIGHT NOW WILL BE GONE. 

Sure, other problems will arise . . . but having to lie every day and keep all the little lies up to support the big lie . . .that will be over.  And that’s a big deal. 

(Oh yeah, shameless attempt at free airline tickets: There’s still time to vote for me, too!)

You WILL Submit!!

The Washington Blade is requesting your Coming Out stories in time for October11th, National Coming Out Day.  I submitted mine (curse words redacted and it should be up tomorrow, hopefully)–which is no big deal because it’s been on the net in one form or another for about 3 years now–and highly suggest you send in yours.  Everyone’s experience is different, yet just as valid and potentially helpful to someone out there who’s still in the closet and needs some reassurance.  Share your story and help build someone up. 

Did I mention:

The two stories with the highest ratings will each win one round trip airfare ticket to anywhere in the continental United States courtesy of Orbitz! Contest will end on Octber 9th and winners will be notified through verified e-mail.

Two tickets would be better, ya know . . . so, yeah . . . read mine and rate it a big ol’ 5.  lol

THE CONTEST ENDS OCTOBER 9TH!!!  THAT’S NEXT TUESDAY!!!  VOTE EARLY AND OFTEN!!!  IT’LL TAKE 24 HOURS FOR YOUR STORY TO APPEAR ON THE SITE!!!  SO GO BACK TOMORROW AND VOTE FOR ME!!!  (So shameless.) *chuckle* 

Thanks.

How About Basic Math?

Yesterday I had to go to Walmart for some laundry detergent and bleach.  Grabbing a large bottle of each from the shelves, I brought them up to the counter to pay.  As the young lady behind the counter scanned them and moved them to the bagging area, she let out a small “ugh,” indicating how heavy the bottles were. 

“Yeah,” I offhandedly remarked, “I got the big bottle of bleach to balance out the detergent.  One in each hand, you know.” 

She looked at the labels on the bottles and remarked, “this one says more ounces than the other one.” 

Me: “Well, those are volume, not weight.” 

Her: “Well, I never took chemistry.”

I held my laughter until the parking lot.