Another installment of this and that

[cleolinda]

First two topics: fundraising and activism. If you get past those, I promise, there are updates about Lost and baking and a TV news crew in a toy store and [things].



Fundraising: Our most recent semi-tally from yesterday is $1904. This is not including donations that were mentioned only in the private poll; I'm going to have to print that list off and check it against the comments (because some people didn't enter their gifts in the poll, and other people are just anonymous/LJ-less and couldn't use the poll at all) and come up with a more accurate total, which will have the benefit of being bigger, if nothing else. At this point, we're going with "anyone who heard about this on FW or any LJ," and anything else I may have said earlier ("only my LJ") is outdated. I'm basically viewing this as a journaling phenomenon, so any donation you made because of posts that have been made by anyone this past week counts.

If you'd like to send something by mail (check, money order, etc.), there's info on the "Help and Donations" page at 4christina.org. ari_o also has a post up about getting a special Christmas present for Jillian (sapphireisle), Christina's daughter who brought all of this to our attention in the first place. I think they're about halfway to their goal at this point.

Speaking of which, Christina has now started her own journal at sapphsmum.

---

Gay book-banning: In the middle of my whole "Do we draw attention to the problem, or would that make it worse?" dilemma, several of y'all sent me links to an interview in the Guardian (.co.uk--so basically, most of Britain, if not Europe, is aware of what's going on now) with Rep. Allen:

What should we do with US classics like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof or The Color Purple? "Dig a hole," Gerald Allen recommends, "and dump them in it." Don't laugh. Gerald Allen's book-burying opinions are not a joke.

Earlier this week, Allen got a call from Washington. He will be meeting with President Bush on Monday. I asked him if this was his first invitation to the White House. "Oh no," he laughs. "It's my fifth meeting with Mr Bush."

Bush is interested in Allen's opinions because Allen is an elected Republican representative in the Alabama state legislature. He is Bush's base. Last week, Bush's base introduced a bill that would ban the use of state funds to purchase any books or other materials that "promote homosexuality". Allen does not want taxpayers' money to support "positive depictions of homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle". That's why Tennessee Williams and Alice Walker have got to go.

I ask Allen what prompted this bill. Was one of his children exposed to something in school that he considered inappropriate? Did he see some flamingly gay book displayed prominently at the public library?

No, nothing like that. "It was election day," he explains. Last month, "14 states passed referendums defining marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman". Exit polls asked people what they considered the most important issue, and "moral values in this country" were "the top of the list".

Traditional family values are under attack," Allen informs me. They've been under attack "for the last 40 years". The enemy, this time, is not al-Qaida. The axis of evil is "Hollywood, the music industry". We have an obligation to "save society from moral destruction". We have to prevent liberal libarians and trendy teachers from "re-engineering society's fabric in the minds of our children". We have to "protect Alabamians".

I ask him, again, for specific examples. Although heterosexuals are apparently an endangered species in Alabama, and although Allen is a local politician who lives a couple miles from my house [Oh, God, I'm so sorry], he can't produce any local examples. "Go on the internet," he recommends. "Some time when you've got a week to spare," he jokes, "just go on the internet. You'll see."

Actually, I go on the internet every day. But I'm obviously searching for different things. [Snerk.] For Allen, the web is just the largest repository in history of urban myths. The internet is even better than the Bible when it comes to spreading unverifiable, unrefutable stories. And urban myths are political realities.

[...]

Next March the Alabama Shakespeare festival will be performing a new production of As You Like It, and its famous scene of a man wooing another man. The Alabama Shakespeare Festival is also the State Theatre of Alabama. Would Allen's bill cut off state funding for Shakespeare?

"Well," he begins, after a pause, "the current draft of the bill does not address how that is going to be handled. I expect details like that to be worked out at the committee stage. Literature like Shakespeare and Hammet [sic] could be left alone." Could be. Not "would be".

[...]

"Dig a hole," Gerald Allen recommends, "and dump them in it."

Of course, Allen was talking about books. He was just talking about books. He never said anything about pink triangles.

You know, what with the five visits to President Bush, I'm starting to give the whole "We fellow legislators think Allen's an ass and we would never pass this bill" thing I'm hearing a little less weight.

(Hammet. HAMMET.)

So I have a few more people I'm going to try to email. As far as I know, I'm still going to the HRC meeting next week--I had to make my family reschedule a birthday dinner for it, but now the dinner will be on my actual birthday, so no harm no foul. I haven't tried to rally y'all to a specific effort or campaign yet because we're still in the planning stage, really, but after New Year's, I should have something for us to move forward on as a group, whoever's interested.

---

Mmm, Poppycock.

My God, it's only 5 pm and already it's pitch black outside.

---

I just remembered something--on Lost, at the little hospital board meeting/hearing thing, didn't someone address Jack's father as "Christian"? And isn't Jack's last name Shepard/Shepherd however you want to spell it? So Jack's father's name is... Christian Shepherd? Subtle, guys. (IMDB gives his name as "Dr. Shephard.")

I would also like to add that I thought Evangeline Lilly was fab in the Long Distance Losing-of-the-Shit event. That doesn't mean that I don't also, after the fact, see humor in it.

Almost done with the latest batch of icons.

---

Mom and Sister Girl are downstairs doing the Christmas baking--so far they have two batches of Mom's famous fudge and a countertop's worth of white chocolate haystacks. Unfortunately, they're making the Chex Mix as I "speak," and now's a good a time as ever to mention this, but... I loathe Chex Mix. I like plain Chex cereal. You know, for kids with milk. But the smell of Chex Mix, store-bought or homemade, just makes me physically ill. I think it's the garlic butter whatever they put on it. And now the whole house reeks of it. Ew.

Anyway. This morning we mailed off Vladimir's Second Present--the [thing]--and a package to Sister Girl's boyfriend in Afghanistan. We were supposed to go out to breakfast, Mom and I, but that didn't so much work out--THAT'S what I wanted to tell you guys! I can't believe I forgot about this, because this is huge. We were going to breakfast by ourselves because my stepfather was having to clean out his office, because he's been really, really unhappy as a glorified paper shredder/"office manager" for about two or three years now, and desperately seeking a new job, and he finally GOT ONE. He used to head up a non-profit organization, but he left that so he could move from Anniston to marry Mom and live down here. The new job seemed good at the time, like they always do, but... well, I knew it was a bad situation by the time I was hearing stories about the drug-dealing IT guy they couldn't fire because he had his fingers in all their technological pies and could screw them over at a moment's notice. Yeah. So now, after almost getting many, many jobs, his health deteriorating under the stress, he's finally found a new position as... the head of a non-profit organization, which is perfect. This is why I say I believe that everything happens for a reason--if he'd gotten one of the previous jobs, he wouldn't have been available for the perfect one. So, after much angst and stress from the entire family, all is well. Whew.

(Mom told me Friday night--they seriously want him to start Monday morning, because they are crazy. Mom and I had given them up for lost at this late date--that he'd finally gotten the call offering the job, and I just blurted out, "That's the best fucking Christmas present ever." And she just grinned and said, "Yeah, I KNOW.")

So. No breakfast, because the weather was turning ugly and Mom didn't want to "waste" time at a restaurant when we could be buying the week's groceries and mailing packages and making fudge. After the post office, we went to Smith's, an awesome little variety store run by (believe it or not) my preschool music teacher. I don't know why, but a Fox 6 news crew had set up camp in the toy section in the back, so I didn't get to go drool over dolls like I usually do. It was crowded as all hell anyway, so we were lucky to get out of there with some cards, a roll of wrapping paper, and our lives. Then we came back home and I went back to sleep. I don't know what's wrong with me, but that exam-paper double whammy two days ago seems to have wiped me out. I think I'm catching up, though.

Am hungry again. Why am I so hungry all the time? Oh, that's right... because I've been sleeping through meals.

Desperately need to work on the book. Did (finally!) think of a good way to do Galadriel's opening speech in FOTR, so that's something.

Comments

[zahavah.livejournal.com]

i read that article a few days ago... um, horrifying. at the same time, though, the reporter obviously has a bias and i have to wonder if any/all of those quotes were taken out of context. you never know. maybe i just give people too much credit.

Christian Shepherd? Subtle, guys. almost as subtle as John Locke and the french woman's name being Rousseau.

[quizzicalsphinx.livejournal.com]

I can't stand the smell of Chex Mix baking. It makes me physically ill. I had to be rude and leave a friend's party for an hour when he started making it. The weird thing is, I could still smell it just by thinking about the smell.

Re: Allen--the Common Man poll seems to think the book-dumping is a Really Bad Idea, and I tend to trust the Common Man polls in Alabama. This guy could well end up the next Roy Moore, which is really more than he deserves.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

THANK YOU I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE.

Where're the Common Man polls? I hadn't heard of those.

[ipomoea.livejournal.com]

You know, what with the five visits to President Bush, I'm starting to give the whole "We fellow legislators think Allen's an ass and we would never pass this bill" thing I'm hearing a little less weight.

Maybe the rest of the legislators are just smarter than Our Fearless Leader. *snerk*

[quizzicalsphinx.livejournal.com]

Not a real poll. The Common Man polls is basically just me bringing the subject up to random persons--customers, relatives, and the like. You don't get much more common than my eighty-seven year old father-in-law.

I'm smelling them now . . . . ::shudders::

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Ahhhh, figuratively speaking. I was imagining some useful sidebar in USAToday or something.

The reason I tend not to rely on that kind of thing is--I figure I don't necessarily come into contact with enough people that disagree with me or think totally differently. You may be around a big enough variety of people for it to work.

[decor-noctis.livejournal.com]

That whole book banning thing is just unbelievable. I just...it ...*tears hair and lets out a strangled cry* And HAMMET?! HAMMET?! ARGH!!!! NO-ONE and I MEAN NO-ONE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO BAN SHAKESPEARE!!!

[barrelgoddess.livejournal.com]

I would also like to add that I thought Evangeline Lilly was fab in the Long Distance Losing-of-the-Shit event. That doesn't mean that I don't also, after the fact, see humor in it.

I feel exactly the same way. XD

The Bush visits disturb the heck out of me too, let me tell you. I would be doing something about that crap too, if there was anything I could conceivably do. *is in California* I support you all the way from afar, though. :>

[http://users.livejournal.com/_waterlilies/]

That's awesome about your dad Cleo. :D

I totally feel you on the Chex Mix thing... unless you count the Peanut Lover's Chex Mix. I don't know WHY I like it, but I do. I've hated Chex Mix with a flaming passion since I was five, but all of the sudden, my mom hands me a bag of this stuff and I eat it and then ask her to buy more. It seems to be one of those "Eat it every day for a week and then never again" things, though.

Why am I so hungry all the time? Oh, that's right... because I've been sleeping through meals. Because I've been trying to get that stupid comic tutorial to work all day.

[butindreams.livejournal.com]

My question is why is his name Christian Shephard?? What's the connection there? a DRUNK Christian shepherd? What is that saying, exactly?

weirdos.

[singing-badly.livejournal.com]

I can't seem to resist the poppycock.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

For real. It's glaringly obvious without even *meaning* anything. "And lo, Moses got into the homebrew again..."

[andromeda-77.livejournal.com]

After the post office, we went to Smith's, an awesome little variety store run by (believe it or not) my preschool music teacher
Good God, I'm tired. I'm reading along and thought that the above sentence was going to end with "run by elves."

I think it had something to do with you mentioning fudge. Which made me think E.L. Fudge cookies. Which made me think of little elves in trees. Which...yadda yadda... *boggle*

K, so that was random.

Must. Get. Sleep.

[butindreams.livejournal.com]

hehe, yeah. I still haven't quite wrapped my head around the Locke and Rousseau references either, mostly because I don't know enough about Locke and Rousseau (the real ones...although I don't know much about the characters either...)

[brenah.livejournal.com]

Thats great news about your Step-Dad's new job, congrats to him!

And yeah, the 'Christian Shepard' deal...I missed that the first time, then I about freaked out, but when I was talking to my Mom after we had both re-watched the ep, she said the line was 'one last question' but it was said fast or something...I'll have to pull my tape out *one* more time I think, cause I just wouldn't put it past that group.

Man, how I wish I had photoshop. I would SOOO make a 'Hang in There, Baby' icon with Charlie...did I mention I'm mean? :)

[kyranjaye.livejournal.com]

I caught the "Christian," and thought it was a weird name for someone of his generation, but did not put it together with Jack's last name... that is a bit um, obvious.

Congrats to your stepdad - and good luck. Christmas/winter is a crazy month for most nonprofits, what with the holiday charity-giving and a lot of folks trying to get their donations in before tax time. He's going to have his work cut out for him, particularly if they've been without a director for a while. Nonetheless, it's a fabulous Christmas present, and I really hope it works out well. :)

[sennical.livejournal.com]

I love Smith's. I'd go there when I was four and get lost in all the knick knack aisles.

[foresthouse.livejournal.com]

1. So Jack's father's name is... Christian Shepherd?

And you know his middle name is, like, "Good."

2. Chex Mix? Not so much. But PUPPY CHOW!!!! (you know, the chocolate and PB stuff? That stuff is da shit.

3. Congrats to your stepdad. That's great!

4. You know those camera crews were just sneaking around trying to find the famous Cleo.

5. HAMMET!!! OMG *dead from laughing*

[illmantrim.livejournal.com]

yayyys on fundraising!@ yayyys on yer Stepdad!!

eeks and oh bloody heck on the idiot who walks like a senator....

4Christina.org update

[nore-fortuna.livejournal.com]

Hi Cleolinda,

I wanted to let everyone (including yourself) know that I have been feeling better today. I've spent today answering emails and updating Mum's fundraiser website.

We got the Angels page updated, if your (speaking to all) is: not on the list, repeated, or spelled wrong please let me (Mum's mailbox is getting near the bust point) know by email and I'll get it fixed.

We have also added a page called Verification with different documents to proof actual costs, income, and Mayo Clinic information.

Plus Mum has giving two goodies from wealth of talents. One is a photograph taken last week during the first snowfall of the season, it is now a Holiday Card for everyone... located on the main page of the fundraiser website.

The second goodie is a vampire poem she wrote two years ago for a friend, this poem is located on her LJ sapphsmum.

One last thing before I close out, Mum is very sick so she won't be answering much email, if any... until she sees the doctor Monday.

Thanks again to everyone who has helped... it's a wonderful thing!

--Sapph

Re: 4Christina.org update

[nore-fortuna.livejournal.com]

Oh my brain is leaking out my ears...

I'm sorry I totally forgot!

Congrats on your stepdad's new job!!!

[edda.livejournal.com]

I want to chop Captain Anti-Gay Asshat into Chex Mix and make white chocolate haystacks out of him. Really, I do.

YAY! for Papa's brand new bag.

Poppycock is crack with nuts.

[piratesorka.livejournal.com]

Mmmmmm Chex mix...that and my clam dip are two of my favorite flavors of Christmas...How werid is that? Oh and throw in some rumballs too if ya would eh?
Its offical, I'm werid.

But I'm very sorry you are not a lover of the One True Mix.

[highlystrung.livejournal.com]

That article just made me feel sick.

But: 'The internet is even better than the Bible when it comes to spreading unverifiable, unrefutable stories.' is the best line! XD

[rectpropagation.livejournal.com]

Gerald Allen: I lose faith in humanity not because people like him exist but because people like him are placed in positions of power.

I'm starting to give the whole "We fellow legislators think Allen's an ass and we would never pass this bill" thing I'm hearing a little less weight.

Never believe the, "Oh, it's never going to happen." That always comes right before it does.

I worry when I hear that Bush likes someone's idea (like the 'Max Tax') because it could mean he'll do it even if they don't.

Congratulations on your dad getting that job. It is so cool that he'll be doing something he likes.

Last episode of Lost I saw was the one with Mira Furlan in it. I was all like, "OMG it's Delenn!"

[ari-o.livejournal.com]

just so you know - iPod ordered. goal met!

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Awesome!

[sfmarty.livejournal.com]

read this article. I thinkit is relevant.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/12/13/DDG79AA71B1.DTL

[annevo.livejournal.com]

I just have to say I love that icon!