A Cabin Getaway For Every Season

I hope you all have a fun weekend planned.  We surprised Betty (Mom) by putting her in the car this morning and driving her to the cabin for the weekend in Dubuque, Iowa, that we’ve visited in the past.  She just arrived in the Quad Cities yesterday and now we’re overlooking the bluffs of the Mississippi River.

I really want to get some relaxing in since this is my last getaway until the middle of August!!  I thought vacation season would be never-ending after our week in Spirit Lake, Iowa, the week of Memorial Day.  Well, technically, vacation will be never-ending when I match the correct six lottery numbers in one drawing!

With this visit, Ray and I have now been to cabin in each of the four seasons.  It’s a delightful little inexpensive getaway.

Our first visit was back in December 2009, one week before Christmas.  It was so peaceful roaming the snow-covered trails in the woods, looking for deer tracks (we didn’t see many since I believe there was hunting going on), and taking some fun holiday-themed pictures.

Our second visit, in October 2010, gave us a chance to see the changing of the leaves and this was Gretel’s first visit.  We also checked out the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium.

A good time was had by all, even when Gretel wanted a piggy back ride while Miss ABBA led the way 16 feet ahead of us on her leash.  Broken pavement sent me sprawling and luckily, quick thinking on my behalf kept Gretel from hitting the pavement.  And, Miss ABBA just looked back and thought, “we’re on a walk, why are you two on the ground?”

We didn’t visit the cabin in 2011, but just three months ago, Ray and I came here over St. Patrick’s Day weekend and there sure wasn’t too much green.  It was also the first time we’d been to the cabin without Miss ABBA and it was weird walking the trails and not having the golden gathering sticks!

So, now we’re here in what we’re going to call our summer visit.  Technically, us weather people call June 1st through August 30th, “meteorological summer”.

Have a great weekend.

Anthony

“Peeps’ Friday ’80s Flashbacks”‏

It’s Friday again and time to get motivated for the weekend and here’s a great way to do that.  I’m flashing back to the 1980s with three more of my favorite songs!  Have a great weekend.

“Always Something There To Remind Me”  — Naked Eyes

The English duo, Naked Eyes, hit the Billboard Hot 100 four times between 1982-1984 and as much as I kept up with the charts, I only recall the first two of their hits.  In 1982, they had their biggest hit (#8) with “Always Something There To Remind Me”.  That was followed up with the #11 smash, “Promises, Promises” in 1983.  And, their other two top 40 hits, “When the Lights Go Out” and “(What) In The Name of Love”, peaked at #37 and #39, respectively.

“She Drives Me Crazy” — Fine Young Cannibals

Roland Gift headed up the English band, Fine Young Cannibals, in the late-1980s and the group had three top 40 entries on the Hot 100.

The first two, from 1989, “She Drives Me Crazy” and “Good Thing”, both topped the charts.  They also just missed out on the top ten with the third as “Don’t Look Back” peaked at #11.  The group also had another big smash on the Billboard Dance charts, “I’m Not The Man I Used To Be” that peaked at #8 on that chart, but it didn’t crack the top 40 on the Hot 100.

“Don’t Dream It’s Over” — Crowded House

The Australian band, Crowded House, scored only two top 40 hits on American radio in the mid-1980s.  The first, “Don’t Dream It’s Over” peaked at #2 in 1986 and that was followed the next year with the #7 smash, “Something So Strong”.

Drummer Peter Jones, who worked with the band in the 1990s,  recently died and another drummer, Paul Hester, died in 2005.

Anthony

Your Apology Really Doesn’t Mean That Much to Me

I try very hard not to say anything that I will have to apologize for.  In a heated discussion or argument, we often say mean and hurtful things and while you can say you’re sorry, the words you said still sting.  However, no matter how mad I get, there are certain words that would never spew from my mouth.  I would never use the “N-word” or these “F-words”, “fag” or “faggot”.  I wanted to clarify there because I could very well use the other four-lettered “f-word”.  I know!  What a potty mouth!

Remember Pastor Worley from that North Carolina church that suggested putting gays and lesbians behind an electric fence and drop them some food in and eventually they would die out?  Well, he is a vile and disgusting man.  The only thing about him that I would remotely find human about his “inhumane” comments is the fact that he doesn’t disgrace the LGBT community with an apology.  Or, at least, I haven’t seen one if he has apologized.  (I did a Google search and there was a post that teased a “so-called” apology, but it had been deleted and wouldn’t open!)

While the church is a good place to get people riled up against the “gays”, another place that is pretty homophobic and one that would seem so much more accepting and sympathetic to its fellow gay men and lesbians is Hollywood and the entertainment business.

ISAIAH WASHINGTON

Remember back in October of 2006 when “Grey’s Anatomy” actor Isaiah Washington (Dr. Preston Burke) got into a scuffle with fellow actor Patrick Dempsey (Dr. Derek Shepherd, “McDreamy”).  Not only did this argument reportedly end with Washington grabbing Dempsey by the throat, but he outed another actor on the series by shouting, “I’m not your little faggot like [T.R. Knight].”

In the damage-control press junket afterwards, Washington admitted to saying “a lot of things I’m not really proud of.”   Washington went on, “”I said several bad words (to Dempsey).  There’s no way you’re going to treat me like the B-word, the P-word or the F-word.”

In his defense, Washington claims that the “f-word” was only used as “somebody who is being weak” and was not meant as an anti-gay slur and said he never directed the word to Knight who came out as gay after the incident.

Washington has since said, “”I am not homophobic – in no way, shape or form.”

This whole sordid affair resurfaced three months later at the Golden Globe awards when Washington claimed he never called Knight a “faggot”, yet it was heard by many people.  Washington’s contract for the series was not renewed in the summer of 2007.

TRACY MORGAN

Last summer at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, comedian and “30 Rock” star Tracy Morgan, while doing his “funny” comedy routine, went on a rant that being gay is a choice because God doesn’t make mistakes.

To get laughs, allegedly, Morgan spewed that his son “better talk to me like a man and not in a gay voice or I’ll pull out a knife and stab that little n-gger to death.”

Kevin Rogers, who described himself as a big fan of Morgan’s, was in the audience that night and was shocked and appalled at the comedian and wrote on his Facebook page, “Why I No Longer ‘Like’  Tracy Morgan – A Must Read”.

Rogers posted this:  “”I have very thick skin when it comes to humor; I can dish and I can take.  What I can’t take is when Mr. Morgan took it upon himself to mention about how he feels all this gay shit was crazy and that women are a gift from God and that ‘Born this Way’ is bulls-it, gay is a choice, and the reason he knows this is exactly because ‘God don’t make no mistakes’ (referring to God not making someone gay cause that would be a mistake).  He said that there is no way a woman could love and have sexual desire for another woman, that’s just a woman pretending because she hates a f–king man.  He took time to visit the bullshit of this bullying stuff and informed us that the gays needed to quit being pussies and not be whining about something as insignificant as bullying.”

Rogers continued is his post about the comedian, “He said if his son that was gay he better come home and talk to him like a man and not [he mimicked a gay, high pitched voice] or he would pull out a knife and stab that little N (one word I refuse to use) to death. …  Tracy then said he didn’t f–king care if he pissed off some gays, because if they can take a f–king d-ck up their a–… they can take a f–king joke.”  And, Rogers concludes that Morgan “was truly filled with some hate towards us.”

Of course, Morgan and his handlers got to work to control the damage with this statement, “I want to apologize to my fans and the gay & lesbian community for my choice of words at my recent stand-up act in Nashville. I’m not a hateful person and don’t condone any kind of violence against others. While I am an equal opportunity jokester, and my friends know what is in my heart, even in a comedy club this clearly went too far and was not funny in any context.”

Morgan went so far as to meet Rogers in Nashville in a meeting by GLAAD, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

The bottom line is that I don’t personally know Washington or Morgan.  I don’t know what they “really” think of gay people.  I know that when Washington gets mad, he calls people “faggot”.  I know that Morgan thinks it’s funny to mock gay people and joke about killing them.  Real funny!  I’m still laughing. — not!

I’m sure if someone watching the news when I’m doing the weather makes a derogatory comment to their buddy about me, and not my performance, I’d bet that he or she really means it.

I know as kids we learned that “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”.  That may be true for some, but most of us have feelings and hateful words and rhetoric sting.  Maybe these people should really have had their mouths washed out with soap as kids!

Anthony

Rambling Mind and Random Thoughts

MY RANDOM THOUGHTS

It’s bright and early Wednesday and I’m doing “Good Morning Quad Cities” and “News 8 at 11”.  This means I was wide awake at 2 a.m.  Okay, maybe I wasn’t wide awake until the Diet Sunkist kicked in.  The nice thing about this shift is that my work day will be over at noon and I can start another five-day mini-vacation.  I’m really excited because Betty, “Mom”, is coming to visit us and we have a surprise for her.  I know she doesn’t have computer access now in Kansas, but I won’t take a chance of spoiling the surprise.

Some of my posts recently have been deep, so today it’s time to have a little fun and let the mind wander and flip channels and talk about this and that.

SWIMMING ANYONE?

After a couple of pleasant days in the Quad Cities it’s going to be hot this weekend, so why not take a dip in the pool.  I think Gretel, Ray, and I need to visit my sister’s apartment this summer and enjoy her pool.  Here’s a swimming blooper from Miss ABBA last summer at Betty’s house in Ohio.  All the poor dog wanted was the ball.  This is priceless.

Maybe this was the reason?  Seriously, don’t call ASCPA or PETA, she was only taste testing!  🙂

DIET & EXERCISE

Even with all of the wonderful and less than diet-friendly foods we ate when we visited Ray’s parents in Spirit Lake, Iowa, last week, we’re having great success with our healthy eating and exercise routine thanks mostly to myfitnesspal.com.  Since Christmas, Ray has lost 20 pounds and I’ve lost 18 pounds.  He has about 16 more to go and I have 5.  After that, the key will be to maintain that weight through the end of the year.

We both have our 30-year high school reunions, our trips to Houston, Texas, seeing Madonna in Las Vegas, and the Christmas Caribbean cruise coming up.  We’ll have many opportunities to indulge in naughty food between events and still get back on track.

THE WAIT IS OVER FOR THE MIDDLE EAST, BUT NOT FOR ME!

Speaking of Madonna in Vegas for my birthday, her “MDNA Tour” kicked off last week in Tel Aviv, Israel, and the reviews are phenomenal.  And, I wasn’t able to avoid the crappy video from cell phones and cameras on YouTube.  I’ve already been checking it out and even with poor quality, I’m so very excited to see the show and sad that it’s still four months away!

Here’s what Hazel Ward of AFP wrote of the tour kick-off, “Dark Catholic imagery was spliced with blood, guts and guns as Madonna burst onto the stage at Tel Aviv’s Ramat Gan stadium late on Thursday to kick off her hotly-anticipated MDNA world tour of some 30 countries.”

And, of course, the tour is already causing controversy.  If you’re not familiar with her concerts, there’s always one video montage that makes people think and this one is no different.  The interlude to “Nobody Knows Me” has the leader of the French National Front party, Marine Le Pen, ticked off.  The party has long been associated with and accused of racism and in the video, there’s an image of Le Pen with a swastika on her forehead.

Le Pen shot back at Madonna, “We understand how old singers who need to get people talking about them go to such extremes.  If she does that in France, we will be waiting.”  Madonna is probably shaking in her sexy majorette boots, I’m sure!

Here’s a cool video of  “Like A Prayer” shot in Tel Aviv, Israel.

CHANNELING JULIA CHILD

Since the Madonna show is months away, I must live in the current.  I have no travel planned for July, so I’m going to attempt to make a cheesecake for the first time from scratch.  Two Christmases ago, I asked Santa for cheesecake springform pans and got five.  So, it’s time to get in the kitchen and put on my best Julia Child hat and make a cheesecake.  I have the flavors narrowed down to lemon, cranberry-orange, butter pecan, banana split, or turtle.  From this picture, you can see which one I’m leaning toward!

A SHORT POLITICAL THOUGHT OR TWO!

This may not come as a surprise to you, but it’s 100% official.

And, why not just be optimistic and think ahead to 2016.

MUSIC SOUNDS BETTER WITH….

“Timebomb” by Kylie Minogue is my new favorite song and video and while I know it most likely will not be played on American radio,  I’m bummed that it won’t be included on “The Best of Kylie Minogue”  CD/DVD that comes out June 19th.

“Call Me Maybe”, my favorite new find three months ago, still rocks my world!

POPCORN & MOVIES ARE PART OF A HEALTHY DIET, RIGHT?

I’m back to food again.  I get to indulge in movie theater popcorn five times in June and July.  How’s that for dieting??

I’m very excited for “Rock of Ages” (June 15) and “Magic Mike” (June 29).

Three others that I want to see are  “Abraham Lincoln:  Vampire Hunter” (June 22, but I’m going to wait and see this one when it goes to our second-run theater), “The Amazing Spider Man” (July 3, Andrew Garfield is so adorable, but there’s something about the creepy, ravenous 9-foot “Lizard” that I can’t wait to see!) and “The Dark Knight Rises” (July 20).

FATHER’S DAY

And, Father’s Day comes early from JC Penney and their new advertisement.  You mean there really are families with two dads just like in “The Family Book” by Todd Parr?  Don’t tell some people in Erie, Illinois that!

Have a great day.

Peeps

Using My Voice To Touch Lives Other Than Talking About Weather

My job as a television meteorologist, while more public than some jobs, does not make it any more important than some of the other jobs that I’ve had in my life or your job:  clerk, waiter, or bartender.  When people use the “celebrity” word when talking to me, I quickly say that I don’t believe in that mindset.  My job just happens to be in the public eye.

(P.S.  This picture is from the 1980s at Murray State University!)

While I am usually pretty vocal in my thoughts and beliefs on my Facebook page and in my blog, I still have to be careful of what I say.  While none of my views would ever make it into my weathercast or affecting my forecasting ability, people can refuse to watch me because of them.

I love being a weather forecaster.  I love the television performance part of my science and I wouldn’t want to be a private forecaster.  However, I don’t do it for the glory.   But, with that being said, I would be lying if I said, I don’t care what people say.  If people didn’t have something to say about you or your performance, then the bottom line is that they probably aren’t watching you.

I always reply to emails when I get them at the station (and I try to do that on Facebook and my blog).  Like any other subject, there’s always two sides.  Before I really get into the topic of my blog today, here are some of the emails or public forum comments that have been said to and about me in the past:

* Letter to the station in Lubbock, Texas, (1997):  “there are plenty of people who are angry at your substandard investigative reporting”

* Email from retired USMC Major Eric K. (August 2006):  “I was very disappointed in your forecast….I do know that if a Marine Corps weather specialist would miss a forecast by so much they would find themselves forecasting weather in Alaska.  So, keep working on it.  You will get better.”

* QC Media Review Message Board (March 2007):  “Anthony is fine but lacks spark.”

* Email from Kevin M. (December 2007): “I think Anthony is by far the coolest weather man, and I hope I can meet him one day.  I wish I had his hair.”

* WQAD Message Board (2008):  “Anthony is fun to watch, definitely better looking and doesn’t fake smile like…”

And, years ago, readers of “The River Cities Reader” voted me the #3 best local weather forecaster.

With that being said, this blog isn’t a fishing expedition for compliments.  Those statements are there to show how different people are and that when someone says something, good or bad, about my performance, my views, or about me, I appreciate the comments and that your views are important to me.

Again, I love being a meteorologist and I would love for everyone to watch me and love me.  But, I know that would be living in a fantasy world.

Outside of television, I also have a voice.   I have other interests and I am very passionate about other topics:  equality, specifically marriage equality, all rights and more specifically gay rights and human rights, fundraising for those need a voice, people with HIV or AIDS, to be precise.

Like those letters, emails, and comments that I’ve saved in my television career, I’ve gotten emails about my advocacy work.  Without giving away who these are from, I’ll delete a few specific references and share a couple with you.  I am very touched that people care about what I have to say and look to me for guidance.  This is why I do what I do and why I stand up for what I believe in.  As I always say, we don’t have to agree, we just have to voice our views with respect.  Without respect, there will never be a resolution or common ground.

* Facebook private message, September 2011:

“Hi Anthony. I know we have never met but I am in a position and I am not sure what to do! I have an amazing son named xxx (every mother’s statement). I have learned that he has been portraying himself as a female on the internet and having very explicit conversations with guys about sex. Of course, I learned the guy he was talking to is from xxx, Texas and is 33. Took care of that!  Now, I am sure you are wondering what kind of nutcase I am but I do not know what to do. We have xxx in counseling for his xxx and I can talk to him about that but I am trying to figure out how to reiterate to xxx how much I love him and it is ok if he likes boys……Counselors only talk books and what you should do but I need guidance from someone that may know what xxx is feeling. I am sorry if this is making you uncomfortable but I don’t know what to so and do not want my son to suffer emotionally. He is a huge Lady Gaga fan and always like to listen to Born This Way. I have told him many times, every person is different and that’s what makes the world go round. Any advise would be much appreciated, even if it is reading material or websites. You are a GEM! Thank you! A mom in need of help!”

It took me a couple of days to respond to this message.  I am not a clinical psychologist and I know my Dr. Wahl’s Intro to Psychology class at Murray State back in the 1980s doesn’t make me qualified.  However, living real life did teach me enough to respond.  After a few more correspondences with the woman, who I now call a dear friend since we’ve met in person several times, to get more information, here was my response:

“I thought about this last night and I woke up thinking about it. I appreciate that you put your trust in me to provide some insight. Yes, I agree that counselors talk book and not real people talk. With that being said, take what I say with a grain of salt. I’ve had one psychology and one human sexuality course in college, so from an educational standpoint, I’m not qualified. From real life, more so.

While there is other information that would be useful, such as (1) what is the relationship between xxx and his stepdad, (2) did your ex act this way toward xxx before the xxx chat incident, (3) does xxx get bullied at school, etc., I’ll move forward.

The biggest thing that you have going for you is your love and concern for xxx. That has to be upfront and never taken for granted. You are his rock even though he may be distant or sad. No matter what others think or do, he needs to know without a doubt that Mom is there for him. Additionally, you’re doing the right thing by reaching out to educate yourself.

My father was an alcoholic and he was very abusive not only to me, but my mother and my sister. He didn’t discriminate in his hate. In school, I only had two kids that picked on me. One picked on everyone, so I guess one that had a target for me. It was never physical, just verbal.

With xxx’s love for Lady Gaga, he knows about being different and being an outcast to people. I think that’s a good thing. He knows he’s not alone now. You should continue talking with him about things, not just this, but show that you’re on his side. He will have to be the one to accept that and share.

I’m sure in this day and age (it was much different in 1978 for me), xxx already knows if he’s gay, bi, or straight. I don’t know what your views on sex are, but it sounds like he already is well versed in what he wants to do or has read about. While you might say, “you don’t have to rush into sex with boys or girls”, we both know that is not a reality. We were young once. However, if he chooses to have sex: protection, protection, protection. This is tough because it involves a teenager. You don’t want to push him into it, but you can’t be blind to what you are already know is going on in his thought process. Legal reasons aside, he should be pursuing that (when he does) with someone around his age and not an adult. That is a result of the wonderful multimedia world we live in.

About your ex husband not wanting him around the younger girl, that is absurd if you really think that xxx is gay. Your ex needs to educate himself to know that most people that molest children are straight. Gay men or boys usually don’t fondle or molest little girls. That’s not 100%, but there’s clinical evidence to prove that it’s usually straight men that molest children of the opposite sex.

Finally, you don’t think that xxx would think of taking his own life, do you? While I wouldn’t want to think of that and I know you wouldn’t, please make sure he knows that isn’t an option. I hope he isn’t that sad.

Talking and affirmation is the way to go on this one. I know I’ve rambled on, but I wanted to touch on as much as possible.

For a gay boy, it does get better. There will be idiots in every walk of life. Some say nothing and some do.

xxx, I wish you the very best and please don’t hesitate to ask any questions you may have. Remember, this is my heart and brain talking without an educational background in human psychology or human sexuality.”

We continued to correspond and I’ve met this woman and her family at public events and they are a wonderful family.  That story and talking with her made me realize there are many people out there that are scared and need a voice and who knows, I may be that voice.

And, I want to share one more correspondence from a straight man and father of two little boys.  This came to me in early May after the Amendment 1 vote in North Carolina when voters there basically did away with any rights for gay people and their relationships.

“Hey Anthony:

I read your status yesterday and I wanted to say more but I didn’t want to create at long debate on your page. I am disappointed in the results of the vote in NC yesterday. I could not imagine how you feel when things like this are brought into the spot light. I know we have never met in person but I think you are a very strong person and a great advocate. You seem to live your life completely opposite of the way people try to portray gay people in the media. I honestly don’t know why it is even an issue to debate, every time I find myself in such a debate I always ask- “ How does the way another person live their life affect me” and I have never got an intelligent response. As a father I look at my sons and think about the future. All I want for them is to be happy and healthy no matter what they decide to do in life. I often wish people that say they are against gay marriage would actually stop and think, What if that was my son, daughter, brother, or sister.
I am sure things have not been easy on you. I grew up in xxx, what used to be a small narrow minded community. It is amazing how things have changed here and thanks to people like you there is a lot less “hateful” people around. It was kind of funny- I am a xxx in xxx and at our last meeting gay marriage was brought up after the meeting. I took my typical “ I don’t care what people do because it does not concern me” Anyway, I had a room full of 70-80 year old men laughing, I broke the ice the by saying- You know maybe gay men do have it right, ever notice that they all look young and is shape? I said it’s because they don’t have women to deal with. Sorry for the long email- basically just wanted to say keep your chin up and not everyone things like NC. Thanks for being a friend.”

I’ve written a long blog, I know, and I have to jump on the treadmill and get ready for work.  The point of all of this is that I love my job as a television meteorologist, but I also know I have to use my voice to advocate for the better of all people and not the majority.

And, when you say something to me, good or bad, I remember and make note of it. 🙂

Anthony

Erie School Board Diversity Controversy Goes National

Almost two weeks ago, before any local television coverage, I blogged about the Erie School District, in Whiteside County, Illinois, about 30 miles outside the Quad Cities, and its school board’s decision to stop using anti-bullying and family diversity material from GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.

This story has now gone national with stories on “The Huffington Post” and “The New Civil Rights Movement” and I’ve been contacted by several national organizations and writers.

That story was viewed almost 1,600 times by people very passionately explaining why they’re not happy with the school board for making the decision and others commending the school board because they don’t want the school to tell kids that some families have two dads or two moms.  Some of those opposing the GLSEN material want to teach their kids diversity (or the lack of diversity) at home and some just don’t want to admit that many families are non-traditional.  Not every family has a mommy and a daddy at home.

The bottom line is that blog entry gave people who are opposed to GLSEN and are happy with the school board’s decision an avenue to express their views.  Here is that link if you want to comment on that particular part of the story.

https://anthonypeoples.wordpress.com/2012/05/22/the-erie-school-district-illinois-needs-to-address-bullying/

This may come across as crass, but opposing comments are not welcome on this particular blog entry.  Why?  Because the blog entry you’re reading now is not in support of the five Erie School Board members that opposed the GLSEN material or Superintendent Bradley Cox.  So, in all fairness, comment on the earlier link if you’re opposed to GLSEN.  This is in support of “The Family Book”, tolerance, and diversity of all families.

The purpose here is to share a video from the author of “The Family Book”, Todd Parr, talking about the book that is being banned by the Erie School District and a plea from a 2010 graduate of Erie High School to sign his petition to have the school district to reverse the ban on GLSEN materials and LGBT-inclusive lessons.  This is someone who went to school in Erie and knows first hand what is needed in not just Erie, but all schools.

“My name is Sean Leeds and I grew up in the Erie Community Unit School District in Erie, IL. Perhaps one day my children will go to school in Erie as well, except the Superintendent and School Board recently made it clear that my non-traditional family may not be accepted there….”

Here is the link for you to read the rest of Sean’s story and to sign the petition:

http://www.change.org/petitions/erie-community-unit-school-district-reverse-the-ban-on-glsen-materials-and-lgbt-inclusive-lessons

Here, author Todd Parr talks about the controversy and his book:

Please take a moment to sign Sean’s petition.

Schools being inclusive of all students and families starts with one person and then another and another.  Thank you.

Anthony

They Said What??? Madonna, Michele Obama, Elton John, & Another Crazy Pastor

MADONNA

(opening her new tour in Tel Aviv, Israel):  “As you know, the Middle East and all the conflict that occurs here and have been occurring for thousands of years, they have to stop.  You can’t be a fan of mine and not want peace in the world.  So start today — every single one of you, if there is peace here in the Middle East, there can be peace in the whole world.”

FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA

“For Barack and me, it really comes down to the values of fairness and equality that we want to pass down to our girls. I mean, these are basic values that kids learn at a very young age and that we encourage them to apply in all areas of their lives. And in a country where we teach our children that everyone is equal under the law, discriminating against same-sex couples just isn’t right. So it’s as simple as that. … We’re proud to have your support.”

KANSAS PASTOR CURTIS KNAPP

(early last week on killing gays):  “They should be put to death. That’s what happened in Israel. That’s why homosexuality wouldn’t have grown in Israel. It tends to limit conversions. It tends to limit people coming out of the closet. — ‘Oh, so you’re saying we should go out and start killing them, no?’ — I’m saying the government should. They won’t but they should.”

(later in the week clarifying his comments):  “We punish pedophilia. We punish incest. We punish polygamy and various things. It’s only homosexuality that is lifted out as an exemption.”

CNN ANCHOR ASHLEIGH BANFIELD

(misspeaking while trying to discredit Knapp): “homosexuality is a lifestyle choice by people — it is voluntary.”

QUEEN LATIFAH

(about coming out at a Long Beach gay pride parade in May):  “That definitely wasn’t the case. I’ve never dealt with the question of my personal life in public. It’s just not gonna happen.”

(about her LGBT following): “I know that the most important thing and the only thing I have to give is love.  When people are going through hatred and bullying, the biggest thing to fight that is love. So that’s all I encouraged my audience to do that night: to share their light and share their love. Period.”

ELTON JOHN

(on Lady Gaga’s non-stop touring):  “She is frail, and she doesn’t eat when she should do, and she’s a girl, and it’s tougher for a girl. She works really hard. She will be in Denmark one night and Saudi Arabia the next. I know how tiny she is and I do worry about her, yes.”

Anthony

Peace, Pride, & Love: The Basics in Life

“As you know, the Middle East and all the conflict that occurs here and have been occurring for thousands of years, they have to stop. You can’t be a fan of mine and not want peace in the world. So start today — every single one of you, if there is peace here in the Middle East, there can be peace in the whole world.”

That was Madonna Thursday night kicking off her “MDNA Tour” in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Like Madonna, I think we all can get along if we leave hate and intolerance out of the equation.  We all bleed the same color regardless of who we support in politics, who or how we pray, and who we love.

Happy Pride America!

Like Madonna, if you don’t want peace and you don’t like LGBT people, you can’t really like me.

Miss ABBA attended many Pride events and was happy.  She didn’t care if the person was straight, gay, or lesbian, as long as they showed her love and respect.  We all could learn from that.

Peace, love, and understanding to all of you, my friends.

Anthony

Today’s Church Lesson — Hate

It’s Sunday and some of you went to church Saturday night and some of you went this morning.  Since I wasn’t there with you, I don’t know how welcoming your sermon was or if it was one that called for the condemnation of sinners.

I remember being forced to go to church as a child by my mother.  While I knew I was different even then, The First Assembly of God Church in Mayfield, Kentucky, didn’t scare me because of that.  I didn’t know what gay meant as a small kid.

However, I do know that all of the talk of the rapture and waking up to find members of your family gone and all of the emphasis on the book of Revelations didn’t just scare the hell out of me, it scared me away from church.

But, it never turned me away from praying to God almighty.  I still pray to this date.  I’m very grateful for what the Lord has provided for me.

I always knew I was gay.  I didn’t choose this “alternative lifestyle”.  I didn’t hope or pray to be this different and have people spew hate and ridicule toward my fellow brothers and sisters.  I don’t recall an anti-gay sermon from Brother Carey Puckett, but I can’t say that there wasn’t one because I was not a religious church-goer.

I know that there are many Christians out there that really believe that God should be the only one that judges on Earth, as in heaven, and God loves all of his children and that he didn’t make mistakes.

Many advancements have been made over the past few years in people’s perception of people in the LGBT (lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender) community.  Many states allow those couples to get married or have civil unions, some states allow those Americans to adopt children in a caring and loving home, and many states still have a lot of room for improvement.

We even have a sitting president that believes that same-sex couples should have the same rights as any other Americans to marry.  Two days ago, President Barack Obama proclaimed June “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride” month, by saying, “I call upon the people of the United States to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists, and to celebrate the great diversity of the American people.”

President Obama even asked Americans to celebrate the everyday hero, people in the LGBT community!  “As we celebrate LGBT Pride month, we remember the activists and advocates who refused to be treated like second-class citizens. People like Jean Manford and Harvey Milk, who marched and protested and believed in a better future. But we also remember the unsung heroes. The millions of LGBT Americans for whom everyday acts required extraordinary courage. The young people who came out as gay or transgender to their parents not knowing what to expect. The two moms or two dads who went to an open house or PTA meeting not knowing how they would be received. The couple that got married even if their bosses or neighbors wouldn’t approve, at least not right away.  Most of these heroes didn’t set out to make history, but that’s exactly what they did.  Bit by bit, step by step they bent the arc of the moral universe toward justice.”

That should be enough with Pride flags flying on this weekend that the Quad Cities are celebrating diversity with its two-day Pride festivities.  But, sadly, there’s plenty of hate coming from the pulpits.

In North Carolina, Pastor Charles Worley told his congregation that gays should be exiled behind an electric fence so they’d die off.

Maybe someone should email him this image. 🙂

As repulsive as Worley’s views are, it’s even sadder when he has people who believe his rhetoric.  Nevertheless, I still have to shake my head and smile when I see his followers try to make sense of his hate or his understanding of God’s word.

Just last week, Kansas Pastor Curtis Knapp stated that he wanted the U.S. government to follow one quick Leviticus passage and exterminate all the gays.  After that, he clarified his comments with “we punish pedophilia. We punish incest. We punish polygamy and various things. It’s only homosexuality that is lifted out as an exemption.”

http://cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2012/05/31/start-ks-pastor-homosexuality-comments.cnn

Earlier this spring, in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Sean Harris, the senior pastor at Berean Baptist Church told his congregation, “So your little son starts to act a little girlish when he is four years old and instead of squashing that like a cockroach and saying, ‘Man up, son, get that dress off you and get outside and dig a ditch, because that is what boys do,’ you get out the camera and you start taking pictures of Johnny acting like a female and then you upload it to YouTube and everybody laughs about it and the next thing you know, this dude, this kid is acting out childhood fantasies that should have been squashed.”

Harris went on to say, “Dads, the second you see your son dropping the limp wrist, you walk over there and crack that wrist. Man up. Give him a good punch. Ok? You are not going to act like that. You were made by God to be a male and you are going to be a male.”

That’s right.  You go to church, you pray to God, why not just beat your child that may or may not be gay just because he or she may not look or act like you?

Seriously, stop for a minute and think.  Unless you believe these close-minded words of intolerance in the name of God, are you surprised why people would stop going to church and just talk to God directly, as I do?

As I was reading more about some of these church leaders’ outlandish comments, someone summed it up rather well.  If these pastors were Muslim and said the same things about killing gays, we’d call them terrorists and something would be done about it.

But, I’ll stick by what I always say.  I’m glad we live in a free country where I can say what I want to say and they can say what they want.  I just wish that there were not people listening to them and encouraging them on with an “Amen”.

Anthony

My Fishing Days Are Done!!!!

Vacation is over and I’m back to work today.  I sampled a lot of great food and I got to fishing in Spirit Lake, Iowa, three days this past week.

It had been 30 years (my senior year in high school) when I last fished and this fishing expedition will likely be the last in my lifetime.  Okay, I may go fishing again in 30 years when I’m approaching 80 years of age if someone helps me.

On Tuesday, I went and bought my 3-day out-of-state fishing license and minnows.  The cost of this fishing expedition for me was $19.64, my birth year.  So, right off the bat, I thought that was a good sign.

While I looked forward to and enjoyed the thrill of casting my lines out and watching and waiting for a walleye sink the cork, I was more overcome with guilt that I would might be catching a nice fish and ending its life!

Nevertheless, I baited my hooks with minnows and cast them out into the lake and waited and waited and waited.

After a few hours the first afternoon, I caught my first walleye ever and released the small creature.  Down South, crappie, catfish, bluegill, and bass were the common fish that we sought out.  Walleye was more of a northern thing for me.

That one small walleye would be the only thing I would catch that afternoon.  After dinner Tuesday, I tried my luck again after dark fishing from the dock.  At that point, I caught what we called a pollywog down South, but Ray’s dad, Ray, called it a bullhead.  Basically, it was a yellow-bellied small catfish.  It went back into the lake.  Two fish caught on my first day and two fish released.  My guilt eased.

The weather Wednesday was less than desirable.  It was very cool and the clouds quickly took over and this led to a rainy afternoon.

However, I got one really good bite in the morning hours and reeled in a huge bass.  As I got her closer to the dock, I walked her down the length of dock while she was still in the water and not resisting.  I keep calling the fish a her because when I got her in, she was pregnant.

After a quick deduction that it was a bass, I took a few pictures and released her and her future babies back into the Spirit Lake.  While it looked like a bass, it was missing the black stripe down the middle of its side.  But, after analyzing it was Mom and Dad Forsythe, Donna and Ray, we concluded it was a very old bass.

Once the rain set in for the day, I gave up that evening and decided a game of “Sorry” with Gretel, Ray, and Donna, complete with caramel popcorn was a better option.

Thursday would be my final day of fishing.  I was up early and fished from the dock.  I got a bite from a long, scary pike-looking fish that followed my hook and bait all the way to the dock before biting.  After seeing the scary thing, I’m glad he didn’t hook himself.

A little later, I got a bite that turned out to be “the big one”.  Papa Ray later told me that his rods and reels had 6-8 pound test line.  I hooked this fish and made some progress reeling it closer to me.  However, one I gave it a little slack, it darted out toward the middle of the lake, snapped the line still hooked, and the cork came flying back toward me on the dock.

Papa Ray said it was likely a large pike and it just cut the line with its sharp teeth.  While I would have been intrigued to see it and see how big it was, the whole piranha-looking mouth, again, made me very happy that we never came face to face.  And, now I have a fish story about the fish that got away.

Thursday afternoon, Papa Ray took us out in the fishing boat for us to drift and try to catch a walleye that was a keeper.  Once we got out to where we wanted to fish, Gretel decided that she wanted to try her luck, too.

She had brought along “Catching Fire”, the second book in “The Hunger Game” series, if she got bored.  Ray brought his laptop and a magazine since we planned to be out on the Lake for a couple of hours.

Our lines were casts and I was ready to catch my big fish and Papa Ray wanted to move the boat and the motor wouldn’t start.  He messed around with for about 10 minutes and needed my help.  As we did one thing to the gas can, another to the bulb and the fuel line, the motor wouldn’t start and the nice puffy clouds darkened and lowered overhead.  The winds picked up and it started to rain.  At that point, my Ray and I thought we were going to have to paddle miles back to shore.  That would have been a nice exercise routine.  I wonder how many calories we would have burned doing that.

The look on Gretel’s face was priceless.  She was stranded in the middle of the lake, it was raining, and I was smiling at her trying not to laugh out loud over the whole ordeal.  She kept mouthing back at me so her grandfather couldn’t hear, “stop laughing, it’s not funny”, which made it even funnier.

At last, during this frantic period, I got a bite.  I got the walleye reeled in just as it started to pour and the boat motor started.  We hightailed it back to the dock and I was done boat fishing for this trip.  No fish was worth going back out on the lake.

Other than the guilt of catching that walleye that I was fishing for, I was forced to bait my hook with a leech.  For two days, Papa Ray told me that walleyes love leaches.  However, just watching the slimy, blood-suckers swim around in the container was enough to say, “no thanks”.  For two days, I fished with my minnows and I was content with that.

But, out on the boat, I had to “man-up” and bait my hook with one after he gruffly demanded that I do so!  Once I did, it I got over that fear and used another from the dock when we got back.

We put the fish in the livewell to keep it alive and fresh.  Here’s where the guilt took over.  As much as I loved the fried walleye sandwiches Donna made last summer when we were here, I wasn’t able to catch another fish to go with “Wally”.  I really wanted to let it go, but I had to man-up again because Papa Ray said he’d filet him later and it would be enough for two people.

I avoided looking at the fish.  I knew I was his/her executioner.  However, after the boating drama, I made no more contact with the fish until that evening when Papa Ray told me to take the bucket down to the boat and get it.  I placed the walleye in the blue bucket and placed it on the dock.  He flopped around and the bucket rattled.  My Ray was standing there on the dock watching and said it was going to knock over the bucket and get away.  Inside my heart, that’s what I was hoping would happen.  It didn’t.

And, then, it was over.  We went inside the house and had chocolate Heath bar and marshmallow malts while Papa Ray was in the garage.  We pretended we didn’t know what was happening until he came walking into the kitchen to rinse off poor Wally’s filets.  At that point, my fishing days were unofficially declared over.

At the bait shop where I bought my license and minnows, I saw a cute fisherman’s shirt that I wanted as a souvenir.

While not Catholic, I was overcome with guilt of killing that one fish, even after releasing the other three over the past two days.  I realized that I could have a fish sandwich or buy fish from the store, but I would not have that personal face-to-face, hook-to-mouth encounter with them.

On the other hand, Wally will be dinner tonight.  Ray did a fantastic job having never cooked fish or hush puppies before.  Sadly, Wally sacrificed his life but will always be remembered as a very flaky and tender walleye.

Anthony