President Obama visiting Kenya the other day represented another checkmark on his “Fuckit List”.  Not a “Bucket List” - as Obama explained.  “It rhymes with that.”  In other words, this is not stuff I’ve always wanted to do; these are things I’m GONNA DO or NOT DO, no matter what.  Like Obama, our time “in office” is all too short.   

JC’s “FUCK-IT” List:

(check back soon, I’m not nearly finished…)

1) I’m not gonna climb Mt. Everest.  If you know me well, you know this is not a joke, nor a surprising statement.  I climbed in the rugged mountains of Alaska (completed a serious mountaineering school there, for one), have ice climbed and rock climbed all over the American West, including Yosemite; and spent some time in the Andes, climbing the difficult “tres volcanos” of Cayambe, Cotopaxi and Chimborazo in Ecuador.  A couple years later I attempted Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the world outside of the Himalaya (almost 25,000 feet).  That is where I lost my enthusiasm for high altitude mountaineering, and for big expedition-style climbing.  I still need to write a story about that two week saga of suffering, but suffice to say I still love climbing, just not above 20,000 feet or so. 

United we stand, Divided we small

News flash:  Republicans disagree with everything President Obama has ever done or will do, and they will fight him to the end, regardless – on health care and education reform, recognizing gay marriage, immigration reform, prison reform, opening trade with Cuba, negotiating with instead of bombing our enemies.  To acknowledge these accomplishments would only make Obama look good.  Y'know, "United we stand, divided we…" how does that go again?  Apparently you can’t be a Republican unless you are pro-gun, anti-choice, anti-immigration, believe in “trickle-down” economics (seriously, did any of you actually buy that crappola?), and are willing to wage full-on war with any country to validate your dick size.   You can’t be a Democrat unless you want everyone to have affordable health care and a solid education, support personal choice, believe the science behind global warming, and seek tax reform that doesn’t exclusively benefit rich people.   Oh yeah, “Divided We Small”.  That’s how it goes.

Flying Colors

Lots of conversation these days about the Confederate flag. Some are confused about what a flag of any kind actually means. Oxford dictionary definition: “a piece of cloth, varying in size, shape, color, and design...used as the symbol of a nation, state, or organization, as a means of signaling.” If you fly a flag then, you are signaling you believe in what it stands for. The confederate flag symbolizes the credo of the states which seceded from the Union and fought against the North in the Civil War. One of the main reasons the war was fought was to keep slavery legal in those states, and in the states which were being quickly assimilated. Here is an excerpt from the Confederate constitution: “No bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law denying or impairing the right of property in negro slaves shall be passed.”
--So if you want to display this symbol on a tee shirt, mug, or fly it in your yard, I 100% support your right to do so. Just understand that the message you embrace deeply offends many people, especially African Americans. Flying such a symbol over a state capital suggests that everyone in that state agrees with the Confederate ideology, which probably isn't true. As for NASCAR, they’re really just concerned with losing sponsors.

Now what?

I think the worst and best of the gay marriage ruling is, gay people are no longer "special". You can't even talk about "gay marriage" anymore really - it's just merely "marriage". On the good side, my gay friends can now be completely open about their relationships. On the bad side, it's no longer such a cool, semi-radical thing to be gay. You just have relationships and marriages that are good or fall apart. Welcome to ordinary, boring life! LOL I love it.

Gray Gay Areas?

The current discourse about gay marriage is conjuring up some old issues. How we are permitted to express our moralistic views in this country, for one. If, as a baker, I feel it’s morally wrong to be gay, can I refuse to bake a lesbian wedding cake? What if I don’t like the notion of a black person marrying a white? Can I refuse to put little black and white candy people on top of that cake? If I own a printing business, can I say no to briss invitations? Can I open a sushi restaurant and refuse service to anyone except Buddhists?  As a business owner, in other words, can I be forced to do business with anyone who walks in the door - or can I demand to know their moralistic and religious beliefs first, and based on that, decide whether I am comfortable serving them or not?  And if I do business with only those I approve of, should I be prosecuted and fined?  Unfortunately, these absurd questions are not going away.