Planet Vulcan Discovered! ---- or 2003 UB313 is a really sorry excuse for a name.

A new planet was discovered, larger than Pluto and further away. It orbits 45 degrees off the main plane of the solar system. Space geeks will argue whether to designate this new body a planet or a kuiper belt object, but who cares, really? Call it whatever you want, just not 2003 UB313.

The one thing I care about, the one thing that would possibly make this whole story interesting, is for these space-geeks to come up with a better naming system. NOBODY out here in the real world cares about a new planet called 2003 UB313. Call it "the planet Vulcan," and you'll get some headlines.

Right and Wrong

Today, I read in SFGate an article of interest, I believe there is a lesson to be learned here, a less on about morality and belief. It is a sad story, and there are no happy endings ahead. A young person was murdered. Her name was Gwen Araujo, she was beaten with a frying pan, strangled, and buried in El Dorado National Forest. She died on October 3, 2003. Her killer, Jose Merel, is on trial now for the second time, his first trial ending in a mistrial, the jury unable to reach a verdict.

It's not that there is any doubt that Jose killed Gwen. He admits it. In fact, he had help. Gwen was killed at a party, and it seems that nobody there tried to save her, instead, they pinned her to the wall where she was beaten to death.

Gwen Araujo was 17, and by all accounts a very attractive young woman. In fact, Jose Merel, who is now 25, had previously had sex with Gwen. He must have found her attractive, but Gwen Araujo didn't tell Jose something. She had misled him, Gwen had a penis. Gwen was able to hide this fact during their sexual encounter, but a woman at the party told him Gwen had male genetalia.
Jose Merel had this to say in his defense:

"It's hard to explain," Merel said in a Hayward courtroom of the way he felt on Oct. 3, 2003. "Your whole life you think you're a heterosexual. Then you get pleasure from a homosexual. It disgusted me."

This is where belief comes in.

Gwen Araujo believed she was a woman.

Jose believed he had sex with a man and enjoyed it.

Jose, and from the looks of it, everyone else at the party, believed the only way to regain his honor was to kill Gwen Araujo. This is a kind of morality, primitive, no doubt, but it is a morality.

At least one juror in his previous trial must have believed the murder was justified, perhaps he could relate to Jose, walk in his shoes for a moment, and honestly say he would do the same.

What Gwen Araujo did was dishonest. In a perfect world, nobody should lie to someone for sex.
Do you think Jose Merel might have, once in his life, lied to someone in an effort to have sex with her?

Gwen's dishonesty wasn't the issue that disgusted Jose. It was facing up to the fact that he had sex with a man, because Jose Merel was unable to believe that Gwen Araujo was a woman. To Jose Merel, and apparently a fair percentage of the population, it is a penis that makes a man. This is a terribly shallow definition of manhood, but I don't have an alternative, except to say that having a penis is a component of manhood, but not a necessary one.

Gwen and Jose had incompatible beliefs. Nobody at that party seemed to care that Gwen Araujo died. Was she less of a human because she believed something nobody else did? She was wrong to decieve, and she would regret it, had she been given the chance.

Jose's action is not justified by her dishonesty. His action is not justified because Gwen Araujo was anatomically different from other women. Jose's action is unjustifiable. I have heard other men, often men who believe themselves to be good men, say they would do the same. I can't understand the dread these men have. If I had sex with a woman, and later found she had a penis, I wouldn't think I was gay, and I don't feel like I'd have to prove that to anyone, certainly not by murdering a poor confused 17 year old.

I would most likely take a ribbing from my friends, my wife would have a good laugh at my expense, and I would resolve to take a good look at the goods next time. I do understand that many men don't live in that world, they would be struck to the core. I have also been struck to the core, on several occasions, and I grew from them. I grew, and nobody died. I am not pointing this out to show you how great I am, just to say that an ordinary man like me can face his deepest fears and not only survive, but grow from the experience.

Imagine it's 50 years ago, and instead of this situation, a woman with a "passing complexion" had sex with an upright male citizen of the old south, who then discovered her "secret" and killed her. How are these "good men" who I know different from the "good men" of the old south? Surely the disgust the latter felt for black people is similar to the disgust the former have for gay men. Both are culturally reinforced beliefs that create a class of humans who that it's ok to hate.

What is the lesson then? Perhaps that belief, even a belief shared by almost everybody, can lead us down a tragic path. Perhaps we all have to look at the things that frighten and disgust us most. I like to say that nobody goes crazy from facing his fears. Its running away from them that gets you.

Bourbon is for Republicans, Gin is or Democrats

Tom Hamburger and Peter Wallsten report in the LA Times on Sunday that the Republican party had great success tracking down potential voters in the last election by watching their spending habits. According to the Times story:

Bourbon drinkers are more likely to be Republicans; gin is a Democratic drink. Military history buffs are likely to be social conservatives. Volvos are preferred by Democrats; Ford and Chevy owners are more likely Republican. Phone customers who have call waiting lean heavily Republican.

First off, that list is total B.S. I have had Fords, Chevys, Oldsmobiles, Kias and Volkswagens and nobody I know owns a Volvo. And call waiting? Does that mean Republicans are bigger gossips? Or do they just have an easier time shelling out the extra 5 bucks a month?

When it comes to Bourbon vs Gin, well you may have something there, what's Bourbon? Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, what's Gin? Something you mix with vermouth. Ok, so I have to know, if anybody is out there, you don't have to say who you are, just answer one question:

Gin or Bourbon?

Mixed Messages

New post on The Columbus Stupid.

Whats the deal with HIl?

I know it isn't exactly front-burner news, but Hillary Clinton has been really chapping my hide lately. In a moronic bid to win over "family values" voters, she's been pounding the podium about Rockstar Games and the "Hot Coffee" mod to "Grand Theft Auto, San Andreas," a video game that lets you lead the life of a sociopath. Playing GTA is fun. You get to steal cars, mug pedestrians, do "jobs" for crime bosses and corporate dons, all while listening to a fine soundtrack, you can even change radio stations in your stolen car! This game should probably have been rated Adults Only just based on its violent, criminal content. It was originally rated M for mature, now, at the insistence of senators Clinton and Liberman, the entertainment software review board, has changed its rating to Adults only.

WHY?
Because hidden in the game's code was something that offends good people everywhere. Yes, thats right, the sociopathic protagonist of San Andreas, the man who doesn't flinch at contract killing and carjacking, had sex!

What I find hard to understand is why this scene even required a mod. Do you know why it's called "Hot Coffee?" Because in the unmodified game, you are able to seduce women, but they will only have coffee with you. A cold-blooded criminal killer visits a prostitute and takes her out for coffee. OK.

Senator Clinton gave a speech this March to the Kaiser Family Foundation, where she railed against children playing violent video games. I am in solid agreement there. I agree that some video games, especially first-person-shooters like GTA and Delta Force are much too violent for children, and since I am staunchly Pro-Family, (I am also in favor of Motherhood and Apple Pie) I will not allow any of my children to play such games until I (the parent) feel they are ready for such things.

Why is it important at all that the protagonist of a game called "Grand Theft Auto" sees a naked woman? How does that cross the line and killing a fully-clothed woman for her car doesn't?

The senators are now pushing through a scheme to impose fines on retailers selling mature or adult-only games to minors. While that might help keep children from getting the games, (did anybody here ever get beer before you were 21?) isn't it really the responsibility of the parents to regulate their children's behavior? Adding fines will only frighten retailers from selling adult-themed games, that in turn will prevent their being created for lack of distribution networks.

So America takes one step closer to turning into Disneyland. The whole world doesn't need to be safe for children, and if it ever is, I'm leaving.