MY BLOG HAS MOVED

For 2011 I'm no longer posting on here. I can now be found at:


SolisRough.com

What the Repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell Means to Me

As many of you know, I served in the U.S. Navy from the beginning1984 to end of 1995.After 12 years it was regrettable to leave. I enjoyed my time in the Navy.

What I liked most about it, was the sense of accomplishment that came from doing a good job with highly commendable people. I liked meeting all different kinds of people from all over the country.

It was my truest exposure to diversity. In all of my jobs that have succeeded I have not worked with a more broad range of diversity in terms of  cultures and geographic heritage.

That's why it was so odd and heart breaking in making the decision to leave. I left active duty, and ultimately the navy, because of the institution of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

Believe it or not, before the institution of this policy, life as a Gay man in the Navy was easier. I'm fairly certain most of my shipmates knew of my orientation. Or by virtue of not wanting to know, knew. They had long stopped asking me what I did on the weekend, or who I hung out with.

I was in a relationship with Rob after 1989.  The notion that I had something so wonderful occurring in my life and not being able to share that with the people I was most close to on a daily basis.That part was difficult. I loved those folks in the navy. They were mostly my family and we supported one another. I felt very supported and mostly loved. I had achieved a high degree of accomplishment in a short period of time. The evidence of this is worn on one's sleeve. Literally. Having three chevrons in just seven years spoke about as much me when I walked in the room as anything I could say.

I really miss that. The notion that the first thing one looks for in a person when they walk in isn't the color of the their skin, the swish in their walk, the status of their ring finger, or the twang in their voice. You can size nearly anyone up in the first introduction by virtue of what was on their chest and what was on their sleeve. I was proud of what mine said about me.

I had been awarded the Navy Achieve Medal which is the highest commendation of personal achievement one can receive. What I was most happy with was that I earned this during the period of Desert Storm. Because of my status as an administrative professional in a squadron of aircraft specialists and aviation warfare specialists (who usually hogged all of the spotlight - we were there to fly planes after all) this accomplishment was especially noteworthy. And the idea that I did this during Desert Storm following a nomination for Sailor of the Year for my Squadron and Western Pacific Fleet among said AW's and other aircraft specialties made me especially proud.

But I had to walk away from all of that when it became clear that the tide clearly turned after DADT was instituted. All of a sudden, those who previously hadn't cared about orientation issues began talking openly and sometimes with hostility about the issues of Gays in the navy. Sometimes they would clearly escalate the volume of their commentary in my direction. All of this served to make me highly uncomfortable and fearful.

In 1984 I went through a horrendous arrest and investigation after being charged with homosexuality and sodomy.

I had no desire to go through that dehumanizing experience again. (I'd rather not relive that here - i've done so in a blog past, so if you're interested in knowing the details, I'm not afraid to share them, I just don't have it in me to go into it once more here)

I've always considered returning to the Navy. Not, as an active duty member, but rather as a reserve member. Particularly in today's troubling economic times, and the state of Social Security I want to return so that I can complete my eight years to complete my time in order to earn my retirement. This is very important to me, and my family.

Our hope is that DADT would be repealed by now. This is particularly important because of my advanced . . . age. It appears this is the last year I have to re-join in order to reach retirement before age 60. A requirement to join the military.

So for me, I PRAY that the U.S. Senate and the President do the right thing and lift this antiquated, inhumane, and discriminatory practice. I'm speaking up about this because for those who are my friends or know me - know that this is important to someone you know.

Please do  your part to support the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

The Connection & Potential Reason No One Talks About

So, this theory is mine. I've not read anything in the media about this. Although I've looked. And, I don't hear anyone making the link although I've read "why" quite a bit as it relates to this story.

Why is the big questions that Americans want to know about in many cases where someone seems to turn against his own countrymen. How could any American turn on another. How could anyone, let alone a member of the military sell secrets to another. Or worse. In this case, just giving them away. What happened to loose lips sink ships?

 In our jingoistic society, where America is the land of the home, brave, the free and the unspoken - chosen, how could anyone who is American not subscribe to the same notion that our country is the greatest on earth, without rival, without peer.

Now. Let me stop here and indicate that I do think our country is great. Whether it's the best or greatest is all relative to the criteria. Do we take care of our children better than any other? In terms of education, or health care? Arguable.

Do we have the best record on human rights? Well. If you include gays and lesbians - clearly not. And herein lies my theory.

Here's my own "why" to propose to you the reader: In a world where Private Manning is not valued as a person, as a human being by his own country - why would it seem so strange that he holds no allegiance to his tormentors?


The deal is just this. In America we don't see how bigotry and divisiveness affect "all" of us. Some people may think, well "I don't know any Gay people. So, not my problem". Another may think "There are no Jewish people in my world so this doesn't affect me". And, still another may think "I have black friends - so discrimination doesn't apply to me". We ask Private Manning to serve, but we don't allow him to be a human being. Anytime we practice intolerance of this kind it hurts all of us.

Here's a person that dropped out of high school, grew up in conservative Oklahoma, may have transgender issues, and certainly is a proponent of dismantling of Don't Ask, Don't Tell and is reported to have felt not accepted by the military community. The bigger question of why belongs in the category of why do we think, as Americans, as human beings, that we can continue to ostracize people and not expect them to act in a manner that you or I might think erratic or irrational. In Private Manning's mind, he may be using the only weapon at his disposal to strike back at a larger community - his country - that has refused to accept him.

I deplore the act he may have committed, but part of me also understands the lengths that some people would go to to find vindication for their existence. Let's try and continue our efforts at dismantling homophobia. If my theory holds any truth, and as evidenced in this situation, homophobia hurts us all.

Is LapBand Surgery For Everyone? - The Recent Push by the FDA

There are new advocates proclaiming that the Gastric Lap-Band surgery be made available to more people. I think that's great. There is a caveat however. This really has to be made in conjunction with education. Education about the Lap-band and what its pitfalls are is just as important.

I've had tremendous success with the surgery. Speaking strictly from a results perspective, it's been an A+. What's important however is to take in the whole picture. It's not been without drawbacks and challenges. Some of them even have hazardous consequences. So, the concern on my part is that people, who otherwise don't have access to all the information wouldn't know that it's not a simple as it is sometimes presented.

It certainly was presented to me as simpler than it turned out to be.

For example. I was assured that it would only be essentially an outpatient procedure. I could check in the morning, and be out by the afternoon. To be sure, I was informed it was surgery but because of its "non-invasive" nature, requiring an incision to install it, but not any cutting inside - that I could be out the same day. In fact, the receptionist who greeted me at the clinic on a Thursday informed me she'd had the procedure on Monday and was already back at work.

All that bodes well. However, as with many things, not all people respond the same way. It's sometimes harder for some to recover than others. My recovery for example, was more like two weeks. I was substantially bruised, bloated and sore. It hurt to move and I didn't feel like moving even if I could with an overall "gassy" and full feeling. All a result of surgery.

There's an emotional component that accompanies it. There was a slight depression from laying around the house for a couple of weeks. That was compounded by the realization that after all that I wasn't losing weight right away. The band is installed without any saline in it. And, it's not added for about a month after surgery recovery. So, the high expectations I had were dashed when a month after the surgery I'd barely lost much weight at all.

Once the saline was added however the results were dramatic - two pounds a week in some instances. But here too, I had a difficult time moderating my eating. This resulted in a lot of regurgitation. Not really throwing up so much as just unswallowing. This made it difficult to discern when I really got ill which occurred about a year after the surgery. I had over eaten perhaps, over a period. The result was an expanded esophagus. The symptoms were grave. I was turning white because my blood pressure dropped to dangerously low levels. I felt weak. I hadn't had a bowel movement in forever. I was dehydrated as nothing was entering my stomach, even water. All this resulted in a complete removal of the saline a rebound of gaining 40 pounds of the 130 I had lost.

Incrementally, I reintroduced the saline. While never returning the fill level I had prior to the complications I still have returned to a state of an inflamed esophagus. The saline again has been greatly reduced and I'm currently on liquids until my next appointment. All this presents a dangerous condition because food that is allowed to remain in your esophagus, which is not a part of your body which is set up to break down food, like a stomach - will essentially rot, provide you with a lethal infection with bad consequences.

So, it would appear that my relationship with food itself has not been resolved. It will be an ongoing challenge that the Lap Band is a tool to assist with. But, it's not a solution only part of one. I hope that those who offered this - really comprehend that part of the procedure.

My God Mr. President. Knock it Off.

The main reason I've become disillusioned, and now I see many of my fellow Democrats are is because it seems we have a president who is trying to give the milk cow away - when no one has even indicated they're thirsty for milk. He's a bad negotiator. He's a bad poker face. And, he seems to be obsessed with trying to please the other side. That might be a great recipe for someone who genuinely seeks to be a uniter, versus a divider. HOWEVER - there is one crucial element missing from the formula. We're dealing with a Republican Tea Party out of control and hell bent on American political system destruction, at whatever cost, including the betterment or success of the American economy.

Thus. I would suggest. And, only politely of course - Mr. President - pull your head out of your ass and lead. Or, please GET out of the way and let someone in next term who will do the job. There is an evil worse than a typical dishonest, self serving politician - that is a weak willed, dishonest, self-serving politician. My contempt grows by the day.

http://www.npr.org/2010/12/02/131733220/liberals-obama-doesn-t-compromise-he-caves

Another Year in Houston for Thanksgiving

Houston
Originally uploaded by SolisRough

We have a tradition that we've acquired since moving to Texas. That's that we travel to Houston to be with friends.

It's turned into a very fun weekend of shopping, hanging out, catching up and of course - eating. But, really the whole weekend is about gratitude. This year was much scaled back in terms of pace.

I think that's a good thing although it takes some getting used to. I'm used to being in the middle of everything. This year I purposely took a back seat to let others take a lead. I didn't even participate in half the outings, but I'm here Sunday in the afternoon following the holiday. I'm at Strange Brew Coffee Shop, and I'm not completely wiped out and exhausted.

So, maybe there is an upside to not running a amok EVERY weekend.

This photo is of Rob, Justin and I. We enjoyed meeting Landrum from Virginia and spending time with Rich from West Virginia. We even got an opportunity to visit with Patty and Sue from San Jose. That was nice since it had been at least 5 years since Rob saw them.

Overall it was a nice weekend and it's good to be home.

Things to be Grateful for Today

Dash. Ugh
Originally uploaded by SolisRough

Even when bad things happen, one can still find some solace in knowing that things could always be worse. No. Really. They could be.

Gratitude often comes in the form of either how it could be worse or the people in your life that you share these events with that somehow lessen the problem and help reduce it to it's right size.

This picture is what I woke up to this morning when peering inside my vehicle but here's what makes it not such a big deal.

1. They chose my car over some poor frail or elderly person that wouldn't be as ready to deal with the police and insurance issues that always follow.

2. I have insurance.

3. They broke the window and not sliced through the convertible top.

4. I have a vehicle to break into.

5. Hell - I have two. So, this wasn't my only way to get to work this morning.

6. The Diamond Dog Dodge is a "thing". It's not an irreplaceable person or something like my health.

7. Husbands who remind you of number 6 while standing in their jammies among broken glass.

8. Husbands who while in the state of number 7, send you off to work, while they call the police.

9. Husbands who sweep glass and move the truck back into a safe place in the garage.

10. Husbands.

11. Especially #10.

:)

Diamond Dog Dodge is Having a Bad Morning

Diamond Dog Dodge is having a bad morning
Originally uploaded by SolisRough

This morning I arrive to my truck and find glass on the ground. Not ever a good sign. But, looking inside made it worse. It was all chopped up in there. Wow. If someone is going to be a thief, I would think they'd want to be quick and good. I can't imagine the fussing they must have done to get at the stereo to create this much damage.

I wish I had a dog that would have woken me up. :(

Our Nukes Are Good, But our Cows and Cars Aren't?

It's odd that after just a week after President Obama left Korea with an empty sack that news of South Korea considering asking the U.S. for nuclear weapons to be deployed in their country. Believing the U.S. to be in a poor bargaining position, they've offered few concessions in key areas of trade. Thankfully, President Obama passed on their unattractive proposal. Not surprising, RMO Fox (Republican Media Outlet) and others have criticized the President for coming back empty handed. The same outlets that would have derided him if he came back with a treaty which was unbalanced.

Now though, it seems South Korea may want something from us. Nuclear weapons? Really?

When you think of how much the political fall out would be with Russia and China if we tried to reintroduce new weapons in the Korean Penninsula against the idea that our cows and cars are tarriffed among other items and kept out of Korea - I think this idea is a non-starter. At least I hope it is.



http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&username=xa-4be9943c2de1875b

Hi everyone, I posted a new episode to my podcast, Solis Rs SoberTexas Podcast. Please click the link below to view it.

http://recoveryspeakers.podomatic.com/entry/2010-11-20T09_41_31-08_00 See you there! - SolisR

Of all the Advice He's Getting. This Might Actually Be Right

Of all the information coming at our President these days, this article might outline the best approach yet. While the Republicans decide whether they want to launch investigations for un-American activities, or whether they want to try and repeal the 14th amendment to repeal birthright citizenship for infants born in the U.S. - perhaps all that should remain in the periphery. Perhaps, the agenda should not be distracted by what's going on the other side of the isle. The crazy side.

Maybe what our President should do, is what I've been advocating since his first day in office which is to be a strong leader with clear direction advocating for sensible reforms regardless of whatever goes on in crazy-ville. The reason we hired the guy was because he sold us on the vision of hope and change. And, to be honest, that hopey changey thing hasn't been working out so well. Or at least, hasn't lived up to it's potential. To prevent a lame duck situation for the second half of his term, he might want to just go balls to the wall (first of course, he'd actually have to grow some) and push forward an agenda that makes sense. And, to hell with those want to label the agenda liberal or middle or even conservative. We're one America, he ought to lose the labels and do what's right. In the end, like the cited article suggests, it will be recalled as the Obama era. Not the John Boehner era, or anything else. No body thinks of the Tip O'neill era or even the Newt - what's his name era.

So I hope he moves forward decisively regardless of what goes on in the rear view mirror.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/18/AR2010111806290.html

Sam and I

Sam and I
Originally uploaded by ChristopherSolis.

Epoch November 2010

It's Time to Stop. No. Really.

http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&username=xa-4be9943c2de1875b

It's clear that we have many government employees. Some whom take advantage of loop holes and advantages in retirement systems. Ultimately those who pay the bill are taxpayers. I think somewhere along the way, public employees may have forgotten is that when they are on a pension of $100k for life, we're on the hook for that money for the duration of their life. Which, may be a longgg time.

Maybe it's time for states like California, to seriously consider the bankruptcy option. Certainly a judge could nullify every retirement pact and these could be renegotiated to a reasonable amount. It's time to stop putting bank bail outs, nationalization of companies like GM and all this madness on the backs of the American taxpayer.

Of course, now that Jerry Brown is in office, this will never happen. But, will SOMEONE please step up to the plate!?

Brokk Sean and me

Brokk Sean and me
Originally uploaded by ChristopherSolis.

C!

Fun in Sacramento

Fun in Sacramento
Originally uploaded by ChristopherSolis.

C!

Patty and Sue

Patty and Sue
Originally uploaded by ChristopherSolis.

C!

A day of shopping

A day of shopping
Originally uploaded by ChristopherSolis.

Heading to California next week so need a new outfit. But first a beverage and n oil change. Hope you're having a great day too :)

A Recovery Speaker: Alicia P

Howdy.

Here's a friend of mine. Alicia P.

I met her in Waco at the 2009 Young People's conference in Texas. It's always a treat, and a trip when you meet someone at an out of town conference, and then come to find out they are where you're from!

I'm glad I met Alicia. Her home group is across town from mine - and it's always nice when I walk in and see her smiling face.

Setting Things Right - If You Can

I've been practicing this spiritual way of life for many years now. It sometimes is put to the test. Not the principles. My ability to incorporate them. The ability to embrace what I've been talking about for nearly half of my life now sometimes requires a perseverance I wonder if I have.


It is the ego of course that drives me to want to adhere to these ideas of making amends. Ego, that I somehow now have to walk this talk that I've been espousing to anyone who'd listen. I've spent hours in gatherings and talking from a podium to folks at these gatherings about the spiritual healing that occurs from this practice. The practice of attempting to make restitution.


I say attempting because restitution is relative.

Restitution = 

Reparation made by giving an equivalent or compensation forloss, damage, or injury caused; indemnification.

There have been times when I've been more successful than others. Sometimes reparation is not possible. If you've smashed something to smithereens - like trust. How can you restore that? Sometimes I can't. That doesn't mean I should not make the attempt. Sometimes the very attempt is where the spiritual healing can occur.


If I look inside my heart, and my intentions and then align my actions to match - a miracle can occur. Not that forgiveness is always given. That's not the miracle. The miracle that I have expanded my conscience to genuinely not to repeat a behavior that causes others harm. Sure, it's causing me harm. If it didn't - if there were no consequence - to me - directly - I quite likely wouldn't see the point. I am, still at heart, a selfish being. That, would appear, unfortunately is part of my human existence. Maybe others have transcended this selfishness - I have not (yet). 


There will be times when even the superglue of intention, heart felt regret, and action cannot mold back together something which lay in smithereens.


Sorry never held much sway or power in my life. Whether people were conveying it to me (mostly because I knew how little it meant coming out of my mouth) or whether I was trying to convince you I was sorry. I think this was mostly because:


a.) It didn't mean I truly was
b.) I didn't want you to think that it meant I wouldn't do it again tomorrow under the same circumstances.
c.) I didn't want you to think that it meant I wouldn't do it again tomorrow under different circumstances.


Basically, that selfish nature prohibits me from matching my sincerity in the moment to a long lasting memory of the consequences i.e. pain I'm feeling right now. Thus - the humbling act of restitution provides a cost. A tangible way of remembering the cost of my actions. The price to be paid for arrogance and disregard for others.


In this latest instance, I've attempted this act. And, it would appear it's a situation of smithereens. I have no power over this. I can only make the offer of an attempt to set right a wrong. And, whether people then choose to broadcast my shortcomings - to brand me with a scarlet letter - well, maybe that's the cost. The consequence. The price.


So, even if I'm branded whatever the term dujour may be, what's most important to remember - is that somewhere in here there must be a lesson in humility. My instinctual response to want to strike back only would exacerbate this situation. It would certainly defeat any purpose or lesson which may be garnered from this. And, in the end, that may be all there is to gather from this debacle.


I don't think this event is going to alter the course of my human experience. I don't know that I'll not sin again next year. Next month. In the next five minutes. What I pray is, that I don't repeat the same mistakes again. Then - I'd have to say I've found no value what so ever.


But - I believe I have.

Coopers BBQ in New Braunfels TX

Coopers BBQ in New Braunfels TX
Originally uploaded by ChristopherSolis.

C!

Coopers BBQ

Coopers BBQ
Originally uploaded by ChristopherSolis.

C!

Fun in SA

Fun in SA
Originally uploaded by ChristopherSolis.

C!

I'm Not Buying It

So, I guess, Somehow I'm supposed to work up a tear, or sigh an exhale of - isn't that wonderful that this 'fairytale' has a happy ending.

http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&username=xa-4be9943c2de1875b

For years this bigot-acting-straight-wanna-be has thrown the community under the bus. Now, he would seek to have us sigh a sigh of relief that he's now on 'our side'. But, from the many people I know in my life who have a change of heart, after finding themselves in handcuffs - I'm certain he wouldn't be the rainbow flag waving supporter he's attempting to portray himself as if he hadn't been pulled over and made to pirouette on a straight line.

While I'm happy he's no longer actively legislating and advocating against human rights - It's going to take far more than an apology to erase the years of advocacy that has undermined the community he now has the fortune to find himself in and on the receiving end of some of the intolerance that for years he has fostered himself. Like anyone who indicates "I'm sorry". I'd rather see "action".

In the famous words of Miss Janet Jackson "What have you done for me . . . lately?"

I understand this politician is ending the his tenure at the end of this legislative session - but I hope he will aspire to a position of true advocacy, rather than taking a retirement and sulking away with the hollow "I'm sorry" still ringing in our ears. I will hold my empathy/sympathy until I see what the Honorable Roy Ashburn does with this new found appreciation for all things humane and born-again fuzzy feeling for the community he's bashed for years. THEN, I may work up an applause. Holding til then.

Apathy by Any Other Name

Wow. Recently I was speaking with a young person. I know young is a relative term, just like "old". But, for the sake of this conversation, let's say - under 25.

And, "Jake", not his real name - was recounting a recent sexual escapade. I didn't find this particularly shocking or even strikingly interesting. It's not uncommon for young people to launch into detailed accounts of their personal lives, particularly as it relates to sex.

Hell, when I was under 25, I'm certain - if my recollection allows - that this WAS the forefront of my life. After all, there was no mortgage, no health issues, no other life distractions which come along sometime usually after the late teens, so what else would be the focus??

But at some point in the conversation, when I was admittedly half-paying attention. (Remember, I said it's not uncommon to have these types of open-frank discussions with young people. I guess my status as now 'officially' old enough to be their father, AND being openly gay, AND being in a long-term relationship engenders me some sort of good-listener-potential-good-advice-giver status) Any way - at some point I stopped thinking what I was thinking, doing what I was doing and brought the full force of my attention to the conversation and what this young man was telling me.

"What?"

I made him repeat what he had just recounted. I don't know if it was the force of my voice, or the look of my face which was quickly contorting to disapproval against all the efforts I was exerting to remain stoic and unaffected.

"What?" I repeated. Mostly because I needed time to digest what he had just conveyed, rather than not hearing or even disbelieving what the topic had moved to.

It appears that Jake's boyfriend may have just passed HIV to him. How can that be, I was formulating my question to my lips but he offered that their love-making had been without benefit of protection - as though he were reading my mind or fending off the first volley in a litigious cross examination of how this occurred.

To be fair, to be discreet and to be respectful, I'll end this portion of my discussion with Jake now. Because I wouldn't want him to read this and think I'm being disrespectful of our conversation or the implied and explicit discussion that followed about privacy. So from this point forward will just be my view.

Perhaps it's because of the generation I'm from. Perhaps it's because I have known what a world with HIV is like before there were drugs and treatments to keep it in check. But, I fear some of our young people don't have the same approach or hold the same fear over this disease that say someone "old" like me would. I don't know whether I should be sad, or apalled. I guess some of each. I'm trying to maintain an open mind about such things. Sure. Okay. Yes - there are drugs yes which render the virus nearly a non issue in most people's lives. And, more and more everywhere I turn, as a gay man, you're in the minority if you DON'T have the virus. But, this just appears to be fostering an acceptance, if you will, with something I still view as unaccpetable. Accepting that you that you should just go on ahead and have unprotected sex, because A.) it feels better. B.) not doing it might imply you don't care as much or trust the person you claim to love or C.) you're going to get it anyway, so what's the use.

The personal responsibility for one's health is not something any of us should take lightly or approach with a cavalier attitude (and Jake, I'm NOT just talking about you - I'm talking about me and all of us).

Watching many of my friends die, as young as Jake is right now, in the late 80's and early 90's still is seared in my mind. It would appear that it has definitely imprinted it's impact on my approach to the subject.

I think about my friends who have died. Some who meant, truly a great deal to me. None, who I knew shrugged when they talked about HIV. None, who would not have gone back in time and taken a different approach to sex and their health if science permitted. None, who wouldn't trade places with any of us to be here with us today. These are people who desperately wanted to live! And at that time, there was no choice. HIV was a preliminary sentence, on the way to AIDS which was a death sentence.

So maybe rather than asking here today that my younger friends try and understand where I'm coming from - maybe I'll ask myself to try and re-look at the whole topic. I don't know if I'm out of step, or that folly of youth which fools us into believing we're invincible because we can't conceive how much time and life lay ahead. A lifetime of taking drugs to keep a condition in check just can't be a solution - especially if it's for something preventable.

Or maybe I should just shrug, like everyone else. Or cry. I can't decide.

At the pioneer museum

At the pioneer museum
Originally uploaded by ChristopherSolis.

Rob knows the answer

We are in a Texas Schoolhouse

America Hosts the Great Benedict Arnold

What on earth is the President and our country doing welcoming this man here. His latest rantings and dangerous behavior warrant a shun, not a full diplomatic reception and red carpet. Our country, while admittedly not the most effective in Afghanistan, still has done much to attempt to support the country and raise it up.

And maybe not effective in Afghanistan is too simple a description. Certainly some of our attempts in that country have been just bad.

But we're talking about a country that, when we entered, openly harbored and supported the very people who undertook the attack on America in 911. Viewed in those terms, I don't think we necessarily owe them any courtesy. But, trying to understand that the complexities of the political situation - I concede that if we merely went in, took out the taliban and departed the resulting vacuum would be a potential breeding ground for worse and more radical regimes. Good. Got it.

But, Karzai, who was supposed to be our partner in the endeavor of limited rebuilding and our departure seems to be milking us like a cow he can't stop embracing. That's with one hand. While he has one arm around the cow that is the United States, the other has a torch in it he keeps setting to our side. Ouch.

Ouch indeed. His statements about joining the Taliban are not laughable. They are to viewed in the most serious way and should be immediate cause for dismissing him as ignorant, a mad man, dangerous or all of the above. (I vote for the last choice). I know we keep hearing we have no alternatives but to support him. Really? Isn't that the precise same thing this county said/did during the Hussein regime in Iraq during the Iran/Iraq war? Years later, he was the great Satan.

It seems like history repeating itself. Why on earth would we not believe he'd bite the hand, when he's already nibbling. Duh.

It's time to come up with a strategy of withdrawal, vacuum be damned. I don't want to hear the arguments about it being another Vietnam either. It was a failed strategy the moment Bush diverted his attention from it, split our focus and resources, to settle the family vendetta in Iraq with the man that threatened his father's life. At that point it became hopeless. It's time to admit it, and depart before the continued spending there costs higher and higher dollar and lives.

To be blunt. I care far more for the lives of our troops than what happens in that part of the world at this point.

Joe hate-that-guy Liberman @ it again!

No. For real. Republicans - I'm speaking of Joe Liberman, so for all intense and purposes - Republicans are proposing having the power to strip Americans of their citizenship on the basis of their affiliations or beliefs. Wow.

Well, that's an end run I didn't see coming. Actually - I don't think any 'sane' person could have seen that coming. I'm not throwing out the insanity allegation as a quick put-down to someone I disagree with. Really - I call into the question of any of these conservative leaning types who cry for less government, still less government and then come up with all manner of ideas which put the very power of our citizenship in the hands of the government.

Ok. Maybe insane is too generic a term. Maybe full on schizophrenic is more accurate. These inconsistencies which show up among the conservative nay-sayers, make me scratch my head. I think I have a bald spot from all the scratching. Perhaps you can explain it to me? I'd love to hear from you.

Does It Matter? Should it Matter?

I don't know if it matters. I'm not sure if it should matter. But, you can be assured there will be plenty of folks on both sides of the orientation to try and convince you it does matter.

In this age of tug-of-war over the "gay agenda" or civil and human rights, from whichever the spectrum you land - some folks will argue it most sincerely matters whether we nominate and confirm a Supreme Court Justice that is a lesbian.

Certainly it mattered when the first woman was seated. Also too when the first African American donned the robes. And, most recently, of course when the first Latina was given the gavel. So, why not a lesbian?

Why not indeed.

I would argue that a lesbian might just be the perfect person for the job. With so many arguments looming on the horizon, doesn't it make sense to have someone seated who actually can not only visualize both sides of an argument but actually has experience with some of the issues?

I fully support a justice who is impartial and wouldn't allow their personal experiences to weigh their decisions for or against a particular topic based solely on their identification factors. But, in the end, aren't we all a sum of identification factors? And, don't those factors feed into our decision making processes? And, don't those same factors provide us the empathy we need to have shared experiences with others in society?

Not necessarily people of the same ilk - but certainly experiences like discrimination, or prejudice are human experiences and can't really be weeded out of anyone's psyche. Nor, would I argue, should we try. These are the very things that make us relate to others - that give us hope to help one another and to see each other's sides.

All this may be mute, because Elena Kagen is reported to not be a lesbian. So, I raise all this hypothetically, because if not this woman, why not a lesbian? The time may be right to continue to add a representation of the bench that is as diverse as America itself.

The Governor Indicates God Creates Oil Spills

Rick Perry: Oil spill may be 'act of God' - Jake Sherman - POLITICO.com

Why on earth should we pull the birds from the gulf and wipe them clean when clearly our creator intended them to die a death of suffocation from crude.

I hardly think God's hand was anywhere near putting a rig off shore and drilling into the earth. Maybe if the proceeds were used for good rather than the continued plunder of our natural resources to line the pockets of the few.

Come on. You do know that Exxon made over 6 Billion dollars last year and paid NO U.S. federal taxes right?

Now, I'm not a proponent of stopping all of off-shore drilling but each state should have the right to determine this for themselves. If California prefers no drilling off their coast, let em. If Governor Rick Perry would embrace the whole Texas coastline be covered in black as homage to the Heavenly Father, that's the Texas right too. The Federal government should stay out of this issue.

Continued Evidence Arizona has Racism behind Some of its Ideas

There are people who will continue to argue that Arizona is within its rights to pass laws against illegal immigration. While I don't think that illegal anything is moral or should be condoned, the truth is that when laws are broken there are various ways of dealing with that. For drug addicts, some state laws require medical rehabilitation. Not a bad approach. It's humane, and it keeps our prisons from being clogged up with people who may have physical addiction issues rather than truly criminal intent.

For illegal immigrants too we need to find a humane approach to dealing with this problem. Deportation should always remain an option. But the manner in which we look at these individuals should be dealt with case x case. I say this because one of my friends is the daughter of an illegal immigrant. She was unaware of their status until recently. She grew up here in Texas, went to public school. Her father has worked most of his adult life here. He unfortunately has been using a false identification and social security. He has however worked. He has bought a home. He has paid property and payroll taxes. He has supported his community through the PTA, and being a otherwise law abiding citizen.

Recently he's been discovered and is scheduled for deportation after living here over 40 years. It's sad, because while I understand he's broken the law, when I look at some of other offenders in our society there doesn't seem to be parity in the way infractions are handled. I mean, I would trade this hard working, otherwise-law abiding person for some of the crack heads who were born here, who mooch off society and the tax payers. Could we deport one of them in his place? That seems like a good idea.

This notion that some folks have that ALL illegal aliens are bad people who, by the very nature of their illicit entry into this country, are law breakers who deserve to have the book thrown at them. Many of them are just folks who want the same thing citizen Americans want for their children - access to good schools, access to decent medical care, and hope for a brighter future. Many of them teach their children to be good citizens, to love their country, to pay their taxes and the like.

The notion that we should be able to challenge individuals to prove their citizenship in any form will give us all reason to pause for concern. This is not just scary big brother talk. This is a preliminary step to a national ID card. After seeing how I can have difficulty operating in society for just a day by forgetting my license or ATM card, I dread the thought of a government that could issue (or suspend!) a card which would be vital just to move around society. This is a seriously dangerous progression in our society. Aside from the arguments about whether a state can enforce a federal statute, etc. it's just a bad evolution.

I hope people really examine these issues. I don't oppose a boycott of Arizona. Truth be told, I don't know that save the Grand Canyon, there's any reason to visit, or do business there in the first place. But, I support them to sort out these issues as state citizens themselves. I just find it sad that they don't value folks in their midst whose intentions might actually be honorable but for lack of legal entry into this country could be singled out and harassed while some "citizens" in our midst deserve our attention and ire.

Apple - Losing its Underdog Status

Oh, remember back when. I'm not speaking to all of you at this point. Only folks like Rob and I. We who started our very first foray into the the cultural shift of home computing with our very first computer, back in 1992. An APPLE.

Back then Apple was just a very minor player - minuscule in fact. We might not have invested in a computer that had almost no software available for it had it not been for an award from an employer that was in the form of this tiny little lap top. This laptop was so small the HARD DRIVE was just 40 MB. I think I might have e-mail files with attachments that large!

This was when the Internet was new and e-mail with sophisticated attachments, Java script, pdf files, video blogs, hell - blogs themselves - none of those existed.

We liked our little apple. Grandpa rough was amazed at what it could do, and by comparison to today's computer in our home, it couldn't do squat. It essentially was a glorified word processor. But, we marveled none the less. As time passed we soon joined the throngs of consumers who flocked to technology shows (do they even have these anymore?) and perused isles of CompUSA (also out of existence) and shopped for computers. There was no "Apple store". Apple's share of the market was so small as to practically make it an 'underground' market.

You had to search to find the hard ware, and search equally hard to find compatible software. Our friends who had all only recent discovered home computing and the proliferation of the PC scratched their heads as we attempted to explain why we were reluctant to jump on this same band wagon. We liked our Apple. It was different, it was innovative it was "intuitive".

While our friends called us for technical assistance, most of which left us perplexed as it sounded like a different language - we wondered why everyone didn't have an Apple. They were so simple, they required none of this in depth, challenging-for-the-day installations and worse, de-installations and viruses were only just becoming a new scary idea.

Apples were immune.

Now, nearly 20 years later. Our wish has come true. Well, mostly. Not "everybody" has an Apple. But, one by one, we've seen friends and family convert to the way of thinking that embraces a product that is simpler, more intuitive to use, is genius in the area of multi-media manipulation and this was all before the advent of Itunes and the like. Companion products like iPods and iPhones and now the ill-named iPad, all have created a cascade and exponential effect that no one could have imagined.

So, now it's a different world. We all speak the same language when we talk about "apps" and "syncing". And, that's good. But, I'm wondering if the thing that I liked most about my apple, that intangible that I was never able to identify until now, has gone away.

That would be I was "unique".

I wasn't necessarily smarter than anybody. I wasn't a visionary, or a psychic. I wasn't a braniac or any other manner of genius that allowed me to float above anyone else, but -- I was different. I felt like I was part of a secret club that no one else knew about. We had a secret handshake.

In groups and discussions when folks were belaboring the challenges that came with home computing. The constant barrage of updates and outdates, incompatible peripherals, networking issues, crashes and rebuilt motherboards, and on-and-on. We sought out the members of the parties that didn't seem to be jumping in on the bitch-fest and we would meet eyes. We'd grin and know - that we had identified another one. A minority like we who knew we didn't experience most of these issues. We just had a computer that plugged in, with printers and other devices that also just plugged in and it all worked. No drama. No problem.

Those days are gone. At least the exclusive club part. And as a result, Apple is no better a company. It's now a behemoth that attempts to continue to capitalize and exploit it's "cult" status. Like it's still a secret club that cool people belong to. Um. Not so much. With half a million iPads alone sold in the first month, the numbers Apple moves in hardware is staggering.

It's more and more difficult for them to portray themselves as the picked-on underdog of the computing world. Their Rodney Dangerfield bit of not getting any 'respect' has worn thin.

I'm reminded of this now when my iPhone won't do a simple thing like send text messages to more than 10 people like my 3-generation-ago sanyo phone could do. Somehow when talking to the tech support people at apple, it's not the same friendly corner-store kind of experience it used to be.

In fact. I want to reach through the phone - grab the 20 something on the other end and scream, "I've been supporting this line of products and company since you were in diapers!!!". Somehow that wouldn't quite be satisfying though. Like Barbara Mandrell used to sing.. I was Apple, when Apple wasn't cool... (isn't that how that song goes?).

Now, if Apple could find a way to identify the TRUE Apple fans, the originals, and give those folks the same cult feeling they had when they pulled their first 40 MB hard drive lap tops out of the card board box in 1992. Now, that would be something.

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Happy sober Wednesday. :)

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Originally uploaded by ChristopherSolis.

These just arrived!

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Happy sober Tuesday. Love ya

Just Like Nascar - Make Em Wear Their Sponsors

Well, it's actually only been formalized. We've all known for sometime that corporations have been funding political campaigns for sometime. Whether we're talking about Unions or Churches, or formalized businesses, small or large, incorporated or LLC's. They all do it.

The Supreme Court decision which conveys this though as permissible might be a huge misstep for all Americans. Just at a time when we're on the precipice of another financial downturn, the court takes this step to further undermine our confidence in our financial system, our legal system, our political system and ultimately our country.

I say this because by formalizing the right of corporate America to pour (additional) money into political campaigns the power pendulum has further moved to corporations OVER individuals.

Think about that for just a moment. This is another step in our countries movement to provide corporations with the same rights as individual citizens.

While a corporation is made up of citizens who work and run it, it shouldn't be viewed as an entity with the right to life. Capitalism in fact demands that the death penalty be imposed on it if it doesn't meet up to it's obligations to serve its constituencies, customers and share holders.

After the most recent Supreme Court decision, the individual constituent, mom and pop America will never be able to walk into a congresspersons office and gain an audience that will hold as much weight as say, Apple, General Motors, or Chevron-America. Who's appointment would you cancel if you only had time for one?

No. Mom and Pop America are screwed. Even Political Action Committees and grass roots organizations will never hold the clout, financial, political, media as NBC, IBM or Exxon-America. The sad thing is - these corporations ARE Mom and Pop America. We've disguised it of course, with fancy financial schemes and offerings but where does the money for your 401k go? Well, right to Westinghouse, American Airlines and Shell Oil-America of course. In the form of mutual funds we all invest in these companies. They take our money, with the promise to grow it. By the time we retire, or so the theory goes, we have a nest egg to which to supplement our Social Security, which in itself isn't a guarantee of existing by the time many of us reach the age of retirement.

But what happens if the corporations squander all their money and go bust? Well, don't worry. Mom and Pop America will bail them out. Under fearful terms like "too big to fail" we couldn't possibly let all those investments go out the window. But, by giving corporations carte blanche to go ahead and squander that money on trying to buy influence, they have essentially given the green light to the erosion and ultimate destruction in the faith of the American financial system.

So, I give you my money over the years through my 401k and you squander it. That's ok. Now you'll take a bail out through my taxes. It appears, almost as I'm paying TWICE and never really have a guarantee of ever seeing a return. Because the typical American investor, not unlike the typical American voter is too disillusioned and to apathetic to actually follow the trail of money it's not likely AIG-America will ever be accountable for all that money. No, Wells Fargo-Americal will never really have to make a full account because now they've just purchased a chunk of where the real power lay, in the U.S. Legislature.

Do you really think they will regulate themselves to prevent themselves from gaining access to money and influence that would thwart their own re-elections? Far from it. They'll schmooze Macy's America and if it all comes crashing down, Mom and Pop America will just have to come up with the funds.

After all, Bank of America will be OK. So will the Insurance congolerates. The true catastrophe may lay ahead. In a system where corporations, take our money and give it to legislatures, who will now protect corporations OVER individual citizens there's no incentive for the single voice in America.

The legislative agenda, the direction of the country and in fact the very electoral process itself will now be decided in block rather than vote by vote. If you thought the American single voter was disillusioned and detached before - just wait a few elections cycles. All this bodes bad for America. Well... unless you're McDonalds - and you're floating your guy Ronald for president. On second thought how could that clown be any worse than the ones sitting on the Supreme Court?