President Obama - NOT a Muslim

Cody, the 17 year old brother of my Seattle friends Shorty and Ro, to their mother, Michel, yesterday - "Well, we know for sure Obama isn't Muslim now - he came out for gay marriage."

And, with that, we can finally lay another controversy to rest.

Cheers, Cody!

IBL:mm

Trayvon Martin Shooting Targets (or, Why We Are Crap - Another In A Long Line of Examples)

An unidentified gentleman (patriot?) who wanted to make money off the Trayvon Martin "controversy" created paper targets with an image of the 17 year old boy framed in cross hairs.  The unidentified gentleman (patriot?) claims he sold them out in two days.  Which means that Americans are potentially using the image of an unarmed, 17 year old boy for their - I'm just going to say it - racist target practice - and, yes, I understand that "target practice" as something of an inanimate object/concept cannot, itself, be racist.  I also understand that almost certainly some people (heroes?) bought these as a "collector's item" (like, you know, Little Black Sambo salt and pepper shakers), hoping they would increase in value.

Link below shows the target should you care to see it.

If you didn't already, I just thought you should know.

http://www.prwatch.org/news/2012/05/11509/virginia-firm-sells-gun-targets-resembling-trayvon-martin


IBL:mm

"Cross"

Original IBL art - ink, raspberry, and Wild Turkey 101 on coaster, 3.5 x 3.5 inches, 5/13/12.

"Les Boys", Dire Straits

This came out when I was, I think, a junior in high school.  For some reason - and I can't imagine why - it's been rolling around in my head the last couple of days...

Les Boys do cabaret/Les Boys are glad to be gay...

IBL:mm

Saluting President Obama for his Support of Same-Sex Marriage

People smarter than I (and, I'm sure, a fair amount who are not) will have buckets to say about this; I'll keep my thoughts brief.

It's no secret that we here at Infection By Light support equality for all, and we salute the president for his support of same-sex marriage.  It may well sink him in November, I have no idea, but, for the first time in nearly four years, I was proud of my 2008 vote for Barack Hussein Obama, truly proud - I could literally feel it in my body.

And, then, I was picturing in my mind some kid somewhere (and likely in more than one somewhere) questioning his or her sexuality (or perhaps absolutely certain), afraid to talk about it with family or friends or at school or at their church, and then they see the President of the United States on network television standing up for inclusion, respect, and equality, standing up for them.  Important words to someone feeling isolated and alone.

Once again - Cheers, Mr. President.

(Also, Joe Biden just ahead of the curve - who knew!)

Everybody in, nobody out.


IBL:mm

Forever Stamps - 20th Century Poets

So I was in the post office on 1st Street in downtown Seattle yesterday prior to the Tigers/Mariners game because, for one thing, I had to mail a few items and, for another, I had to pick up some stamps.  And there was no line! I mean that alone could justify this entire entry but, wait, there's more - I took a glance at the stamp possibilities and there they were: a sheet of 20 Forever stamps featuring 20th Century poets.  The first one I notice is Elizabeth Bishop which excites me greatly because (as has been earlier reported in these pages on 2/19/12) Danielle adores EB and I can't wait till she finds out EB got her own stamp.  But there are others, too: ten poets in all (two stamps for each).  As far as the ladies go, in addition to Miss Bishop we have Gwendolyn Brooks, Sylvia Plath (bitch could write) and Denise Levertov.  The men? Well, how about Joseph Brodsky, William Carlos Williams (love him), Robert Hayden, Wallace Stevens, Theodore Roethke and, happily, E.E. Cummings.  In short, scansion in the house.

Forever Stamps, 20th Century Poets - An IBL Purchase Recommendation (tm).

IBL:mm

"B-Movie Boxcar Blues", Delbert McClinton

She gave me all I could eat for a quarter.

Naughty naughty, Delbert...

IBL:mm