And no, I am not talking about giving or getting a blow job either.  It is strange, how things have changed these days, in how business deals with its customers. There used to be an adage, in business, that the ‘customer is always right‘ because business wanted your business, and tried to earn it, by being accommodating. Man, has that changed these days.

Take Staples Business as an example.

The wife went to get a ram memory upgrade that was on sale, and he even took his laptop with him, to make sure he got the right chip. Well the guy hands him the package, and off he goes, but when he gets home, installs it, it isn’t 2 gigs but a half a gig, so back he goes.

And here is where the fun starts.

Seems that someone put in the wrong chip, but more than that, isn’t even one that Staples sells. Shouldn’t be a problem, right? WRONG!  They basically told him tough shit, his problem, and no, they weren’t going to give him the right chip, or his money back.

So today I called, and got ahold of a manager, who quickly made me feel like, at last someone who understands customer service. So back we go, and the guy I had spoken too had the staff there all ready. Only problem was, the guy was rude as hell, more or less implied we were getting away with a fast one, but he had no choice but to give us the replacement.

I simply don’t get it, because you know, we have bought a lot of stuff there, at that store. And not cheap shit either, but cameras, recorders, printers, and more. Yet this is how they treat us, and I wonder, what is it today, what is happening, that we have gotten so out of touch with our humanity?

The Mormons are spending another small fortune in Illinois, not to ban gay marriage, but now civil unions. The Catholic Church tried to bring back to the fold an antisemitic, along with Pope Benedict’s constant assault on Gays.  Yet these are people who claim to serve GOD, who preach about love, about compassion, about values, ethics, and morals. Yet they deliberately try to interfere in civil matters, in denying simple equality for a minority.

I DO NOT GET PEOPLE, I REALLY DON’T GET THEIR ANGER, THEIR HATRED.

Watched the television show last night, on the Food Network.

It is a popular show, featuring British Chef Gordon Ramsey, that is entertaining at times. I mean you don’t learn a whole lot about cooking, but you do get an insight into what it takes to be a good cook, in the more sophisticated eateries. Least that is the premise.

The episode last night, featured a ‘sweet sixteen’ birthday party, and the students had to design a menu for her party. Now I mean, I don’t know, but while it is indeed a big deal, I wonder at how spoiled some kids become, but that isn’t what got my goat, so to speak.

Never mind the arrogance these students show, or the attitude of stupidity that is displayed, or even the rude language, but last night’s show had a party planner, and you know, it was not complimentary to Gays.

Sure, there are indeed many off the wall gays, who love to act all frilly, all girlie if you will, but the show last night not only showed such a ‘flamer‘ but at the comments these young chef’s in training had about such people. It was, to say the least, uncomplimentary, and hey, that is okay.

I mean not like I want every redneck prick to like me, or to even understand me and my orientation. What I find is that shows like this still reach for the stereo type characterizations of what a Gay Man is. It gives rise to the terms adopted by kids, that ‘lame‘ now means ‘gay‘ in a derogatory sense.

AND THAT BUGS ME.

Was it homophobic? Hmm, in all honesty I don’t know, but it did turn me off, and I happen to like Gordon Ramsey and his shows. He has a couple, like  ‘The F Word’, ‘Kitchen Nightmares’ and of course, ‘Hells Kitchen’.  Yet I find there is a recurring theme in them, which is one of absolute arrogance, and stubbornness, that boggles the mind.

I think too, that in this episode, it kind of tells me that acceptance for homosexuality is still a longs way off. It also perhaps was playing to the show producers, or advertisers, as it is a FOX television series. Granted I watched it on the Food Network, but it was originally, and still is, a Fox Series.

Makes you wonder, was the casting of the party planner, for Fox Executives to get a swipe in against Gays, or was it just a typical casting, based on ignorance?

One of the first kicked off as well, in this particular series of the show, was an open gay student. I wonder, did his disappearance or removal, be because of his lack of cooking skills, or was it because he was Gay?

Yes, he fucked up, stood up for his screw up as well, and yet that act of owning up to his mistakes, cost him his position in the show. Subsequent similar actions by others, however, didn’t result in them being turfed. Just the gay guy.

Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?

An interesting thought, isn’t it?

Why shouldn’t we have our own Gay Super Hero like everyone else?  Stan Lee, the creator of Spider Man and other well known super types, is about to unveil his newest creations, Thom Creed who allegedly is a high school basketball star, that has to hide his homosexuality as well as his super powers.

Lee, the former head of Marvel Comics – who also created the Hulk and the X-Men – will unveil Creed in an hour-long television special made in the US.

If he proves popular with audiences, the programme will be shown in Britain.  ( source )

When I first saw the item posted at a forum I frequent, it didn’t really seem all that earth shattering to me. In some sense still isn’t, however in thinking about it, kind of does be an interesting concept. I mean, kids grow up on comic books, so why the gay kids have a super hero role model? Not like they are allowed a real life role model too often, given that not many homosexuals willingly come out, when they have reached stardom.

Makes you wonder a bit about our world. Why do we need a super hero, and why is it, that we do have to still hide our homosexuality in this, the year 2009.

It will be interesting to see how many viewers it attracts, and if it will be a success or not. Be nice if it is. Kind of help restore one’s belief in their fellow man, that even in comic book land, being queer isn’t such a death knell.

You know, the way so many object to homosexuals, because of our sexuality, you have to wonder, is it jealousy?

Do they simply think we are only concerned about whose pants we can get into? Are they worried we actually may want to slip their knickers down and suck on their cock, and that they might actually like it? Or is it something else?

If you listen to them, it seems that they fear talking about homosexuality so much, that it will turn even their kids in flamers. Now I don’t know about you, but how can talking about sex, turn a straight kid into a gay one? I mean does talking about murder turn them into murders? Does discussing the communist rise to power in Russia, turn ordinary American or Canadian kids into closet Communists?

Of course it doesn’t, so why would talking about differences between heterosexuality and homosexuality turn them all into gays and lesbians?

Why do straights think we are nothing but sexual predators, looking to get off? I mean honestly, we worry about family just like them, we think about going out to experience fine dining. Many of us Queers don’t have a clue about fashion, color co-ordination, or how to cook, yet that is exactly what the straight world believes is all we do.

There is no credit that when we wake up, we worry about bills, like them, that some of us are looking to scam someone, while most of us just want to eke out a normal living, by working hard. No different than them, and our values are just as good, or better, depending on who you compare us to. We bleed like anyone else, don’t have different color blood running through our veins, and like them, we can admire a good looking person.

It isn’t that we are hornier than straights, but maybe we are a bit more honest about it, maybe we are a bit more open about it, which when you think about it, is rather bizarre. Here we are, forced to live in secret, but are more open about our sexual needs than they are.

Go Figure.

I wonder, what is it about people today?

Why do they seek confrontation rather than courtesy? I mean it seems many people today resort to being rude, to try and create drama, rather than simply trying to get along. It just seems such a waste of energy, when things would be so much easier, to just be nice.

When did things change from being cordial, to being nothing but rudeness and anger?

Kind of wonder if it comes from how our politics has become more confrontational, more attack in nature, rather than a free exchange of ideas, of differing opinions. Here, it seems to have started with the election of Brian Mulroney, and in the states, seemed to have begun, in earnest, with Bill Clinton. Yet I wonder, is it that simple?

What made them think such tactics would work? AND work they do, because if they didn’t work, would we have people like George Bush being elected President, Stephen Harper becoming Prime Minister. We have men who are decent, honest, like Stephane Dion being forced out of leadership and even people like Bob Dole being cast aside, all because they didn’t retaliate against mean spirited ads.

Strange change, isn’t it?

The passage of Proposition 8 in California is just one of many defeats for Gay Rights, or perhaps that is the issue itself. People associate the desire for Gays to marry as something akin to Gay Rights, when the truth is, it is about Civil Rights. Whether it is pushing for a repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy from the Clinton Era, to todays battle for being married under the eyes, not of GOD, but of one’s own Government, people are making it about ‘gay’ rights.

When blacks marched, it wasn’t called ‘blacks rights’ but CIVIL RIGHT MARCHES. So why even, in describing this drive, are we allowing this issue to be about our sexual orientation? This fight, that we are currently losing, is not about Religious Beliefs, nor is it about some secret sex agenda, but is simply a desire to be accepted within society, as any other citizen.

THIS IS ABOUT CIVIL RIGHTS NOT SEXUAL RIGHTS.

I think way too many in our own community, have accepted the sex part, rather than see that this is about a minority in a democratic society, seeking to be treated the same, as the majority, and as other minorities are treated.

What goes on in a church, is well, not my concern. If a Church like say the Mormons believe that a man should have multiple wives, hey, that is their right to believe. If they want to host marriage ceremonies for a guy to have sixteen brides, that too, is their right. However, under CIVIL LAW there can only be ONE LEGAL WIFE. That is, in fact the civil law, answerable to the people, not to the Mormon Elders or the Pope for that matter.

So if the Mormon Church, the Catholic Church believe homosexuality is a sin, well that too, is fine with me. I simply don’t attend those churches, or believe as they do, which doesn’t make me wrong, doesn’t make me evil or even a sinner, as in my religion, I am not a sinner. In Judism, homosexuality is accepted, and Gay Rabbi’s are just fine for them, and we don’t have any big split being threatened either.

Again, this is not about Religion or what one beleives, it is about being treated like any other citizen of the country.

So if you are Gay, stop calling this ‘Gay Rights’ because it isn’t that at all. IT IS CIVIL RIGHTS, that every citizen is entitled to, straight, Jewish, Mormon, Catholic, Hispanic, or whatever. This is about being treated the same under a freely elected government, not about being ordained by some self proclaimed prophet or self annointed spokesperson for GOD.