When I was in the steam sauna the other day I thought: "I wish I had my essential oil to sweeten this place up a little!" I knew I had bought this a while back, but didn't know where it was. I figured it had been lost in a move, but I was thinking about wanting to look for it. Then when I went to give myself a haircut tonight, lo and behold:

BAM! Found it right by the haircut stuff. And all I had to do was think about wanting to know where it was. TURNS OUT "THE SECRET" IS REAL AFTER ALL!!!

Now I'm thinking about this:

How long do you think it will be before I get one?

it's that time again...

Twice annually the Mormon church has what it calls "General Conference" where all the old fossils in Salt Lake City blather on, slowly and monotonously for a hellish combined total of 10 hours spread over a weekend. (5 sessions of 2 hours each.) If you manage to stay awake for all of that (most people don't) your head will be filled with some of the best propagandist nonsense of all time.

Like this little gem: (provided to me by a friend who lives with his Mormon parents, who are, of course, watching every single moment of mind-numbing boredom)

"fidelity is the glue that holds society together"

He sent that to me as he knows so very well the umbrage it would cause me. Just like abstinence-only education actually results in HIGHER rates of teen/unwed pregnancy, this constant reinforcement of single-partner (yes, the Mormons really did give up polygamy in 1890) monogamy-only model of adult human relationships causes resentment, discontent, and divorce/separation of many partnerships that might actually endure quite well if their participants merely got past the fact that just because you love someone doesn't mean you can never have sex with anyone else the rest of your life...

The part that really gets me about that is that it's not just the religious who hold so fastly to this ridiculous and unnecessary ideal. Even when I talk about it among some gay people and atheists (people who, for the most part, have cast off religion) single-partner monogamy is the default/assumed position. Then I hear such ridiculous proclamations as "well, jealousy is a deep-seated natural emotion." Uh, no, actually - that's an artificial societal creation as well. You only adhere to it and feel it so deeply because it has been ingrained in you since birth, just as religion has been for a great majority of the population.

Then I will also hear some who have maybe one foot across the line - who allow sexual interactions with others outside the relationship, but where the "sin" of "falling in love" or having an emotional connection go along with it is also forbidden... it can only be meaningless sex... Which I think is just as stupid as forbidding all sex outside of the relationship. There is a very strong emotional connection that comes with sex (it's a very personal, intimate act.) For me, if that's not there, I don't even enjoy it. Just because you ALSO love someone else, does not erase the love, devotion and commitment to your chosen mate. If you keep loving and feeling this emotional connection with another person in addition to your mate - ADD them to the relationship. It IS possible to love more than one person at once.

Anyway... I could go on about this subject for quite some time, but others have already done so, better than I could - get the book "Sex at Dawn" (only about $12.00 new on Amazon.) As I read it I just want to copy and paste nearly every passage on social media and say "see, people, this is what I'm talking about!" Christianity has re-written and revised human history so that people currently believe that the expected behavior is what has always been and should always be, and that is certainly NOT the case. At all.

Also, as a humorous p.s. - my good friend's wife posted on Facebook complaining about the hideous excuse for "fashion" of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir ladies - and all the comments from the fellow Mormons resoundingly agreed that the outfits are hideous... what I wanted to say, but restrained myself: "well, that's what happens when you drive out all the gays and fight against their right to get married..." Or maybe I will go trolling anyway... >:}

Big Book of Jewish Fairy Tales

Tonight on Facebook there was a little commentary going back and forth about a flat earth, Christianity, and someone posted a response about the world on the back of a turtle... which got me thinking about the creation myths.

Now, each ancient culture had its own guess as to how the earth had come about, and to hear them today, they all seem ludicrously outlandish (and yes, I include the one in the Bible among those.) So why do SO many Americans (specifically) and many people in many other parts of the world hold so steadfastly to the Jewish creation myth? They're not Jews, after all... and most Jews don't even believe (or especially not take literally) their ancestors' verbally-handed-down stories.

It's because of the Romans. The Romans saw the power of religion, and harnessed it. Because when you try to enslave a people with only the sword, all you enslave is their body. With religion as your weapon, you enslave their mind. Then you have countless armies at your disposal with no dissent, and your kingdom can grow exponentially while still maintaining complete control.

Something I'll bet you didn't know (and certainly wouldn't expect) Mormons to believe

Mormons, like most other "Christians," are overwhelmingly Republican. In fact, when the Tea Party came about - a LOT of Mormons jumped proudly on that bandwagon. Now that Tea Party candidates have been elected and are creating tax cuts for businesses and the wealthy while eliminating tax cuts and services for the poor and elderly, as well as education in general - these Mormon tea-partiers are celebrating their victory and gladly trumpeting the implementation of the "virtues" promised by said tea-party politicians.

So it might surprise you to hear what the Mormon church has taught since the very earliest days of its existence:

"The time must come when we must obey that which has been revealed to us as the Order of Enoch, when there shall be no rich and no poor among the Latter-day Saints; when wealth will not be a temptation; when every man will love his neighbor as he does himself; when every man and woman will labor for the good of all as much as for self. That day must come, and we may as well prepare our hearts for it, brethren, for as wealth increases I see more and more a necessity for the institution of such an order. As wealth increases, luxury and extravagance have more power over us. The necessity for such an order is very great, and God, undoubtedly, in his own time and way, will inspire his servant [the prophet] to introduce it among the people." -George Q. Cannon - Journal of Discourses, 15:207.

Hmmm... that doesn't sound like the Tea Party virtues, at all. Sounds a lot more like Socialism. This also isn't one of those things the Church likes to pretend never existed (like polygamy,) either. In fact, it's included as one of the aspects of the Temple Ceremony - where Mormons are reminded of their covenants. It's called "The Law of Consecration" and it basically means you are required to give up anything and everything for the Church if they should ask for it. Of course, they're not asking for it now... just the usual 10% tithing like most other churches. But they COULD...

delusional?

OK - so, if I didn't already sound like a snobby bitch before this post, I will now, but when I saw this I just couldn't let it go unnoticed.

So I was browsing around on one of the very numerous gay meat-market websites - not actually looking for anything really, just on the off-chance that I might find some unexpected diamond in the rough [yea, right] when I ran across this profile, which I clicked on. This individual had marked his body type as "Muscular." Uhhhmmmm... take a look at the picture he provided and see if you agree with him on that assessment of his physique:



I'm gonna put that down in my book as 'definitely NOT muscular'

that's what I get for hoping...

I, of all people, should certainly know better than to get my hopes up in regard to a guy. Of course as soon as I did they were swiftly dashed.

In the course of any visit to the gym I see a great number of guys who I would love to get to know better, and would love to date - but of course, the ones I'm checking out are never checking me out so I just assume they are all straight. The ones I do see obviously checking me out are all fat and/or ugly. So one night I was out at the gay bars with my friends and I happen to notice a guy standing next to me [who is quite hunky] who seems familiar for some reason, but I can't quite put my finger on it... so I ask him "do you work out at 24Hr Fitness?" Yep. I had seen him at the gym. He hung out with me and my friends for most of the rest of that night, went dancing with us and everything. So I foolishly think there might be something there. Well, I gave him my card that night but he never called or emailed. I saw him at the gym here and there and we chatted [small talk.] He went on a business trip and I didn't see him for a few weeks. Then last night I saw him and chatted with him for a bit - and asked what he had going on. He was free, so I suggested we meet for coffee.

We met and the coversation was ok at first, but then as it went on there was a lot of awkward silence. I was trying to come up with stuff to talk about, but he wasn't really helping much. Finally he just said "well, thanks for meeting me" and as we walked out (in silence) he said "I'm sure I'll see you at the gym." I couldn't even think of anything to say. He was completely uninterested in me. It was basically a cold, hard, reject smackdown. I guess he only agreed to meet me to be polite. It probably would have been easier on me if he had just said, "no thanks, I'm really not that interested." Then at least I wouldn't have dared to hope that a date would turn out well...

So, after the super high of a great weekend with my travel group, there was this super low. I guess my only consolation is that I'm still able to feel sad and rejected. At least I can still feel that and know that I'm not completely dead inside. I guess if I felt nothing then that would mean I am basically just a zombie. Somehow I don't think that's far off, though... since I've never felt actual love, and any hope I might have had of ever finding any is long dead...

something I need to learn

I saw this quote today and it's definitely something I need to learn and apply to myself:

If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is a compromise.
-Robert Fritz