Dear Half Baked,
I'm not sure if I need advice or just have something to get off my chest. While walking my dog the other day we encountered four other dog with their owners. Each one was off leash in non-off leash designated zones. The first three didn't pose a problem but the fourth dog had darted into traffic and only missed being hit by on-coming traffic when it saw my dog, veered from the road, and came barrelling down on us teeth gnashing and hackles raised. Why do some dog owners think that the rules simply do not apply to them? Do they not have any regard for other dog walkers or people who may not be comfortable around dogs or for the bad name they are giving the rest of us law abiding citizens? What's your take on this?
—Thanks, Fido's Daddy |
I KNOW!! I tell ya Fido's Daddy, it drives me crazy too.
I walk my dog daily and I cannot tell you how many times we have come across dog owners who think the world was created simply for them. My pup and I often walk the West Bay Walkway which is loaded with blind twists and turns as it runs the course of the coastline. I often see people who's dogs ahead or behind them just enough to be completely out of their owner's field of vision. I have witnessed dogs tripped over by joggers zipping around the bends, I have seen dog-cautious people (those not canine affiliated) flinch as an unknown animal comes rushing at them. The city has gone the extra mile to provide a variety of beautiful and accessible off-leash areas so there really is no excuse. Unfortunately there does not seem to be enough city staff to monitor the situation and these scofflaws know it. The best we can do is set a better example and stick to the rules to try and polish up our tarnished image as responsible canine companions.
Hey Half,
Gotta say I love the New Town Crier. How do I get to write for the best on-line mag in town? Are you a tough group to get in with? Did you all know each other before you started writing together? Were you old school chums? Inmates at the same mental facility? How do I get in?
—Yours truly, A Writer Waiting To Happen |
Well AWWTH,
The truth is not any of us NTC slaves have ever met. Our editor Kiki (Freaky) Brewster had met each of us at different bars around the city, struck up a conversation and before you could say GHB we were each locked away in cells at an undisclosed location. We write because there is nothing else to do while in captivity, and the cattle prods provide just enough motivation. So if you do indeed still want to write for the New Town Crier just hang out in seedy bars and be open to chatting with whoever approaches you and maybe one day....
Seriously, just submit something whether it's a sample for a column you'd like to write or just a stand alone piece and perhaps you too will achieve the fame that we have come to enjoy.
It appears, and correct me if I'm wrong, but it appears that the majority of people educate themselves via Hollywood entertainment. There's television shows that break ground by having a lesbian kissing scene (played by straight actors), soap operas that now incorporate same-sex relationships, the L-Word (oh what that show has done to me), and movies galore that tackle the tough topics.
The movie of the moment, the movie that is sparking a fire beneath me is Milk. This is a movie that is and of itself so important. I saw it and was spellbound, not so much by the actors, but by the story and its timeline. Are you seriously telling me that the gay-rights movement is really that young? Get out!
So, if people get their education via Sean Penn then god bless him, and god bless Portia and Ellen for turning the spotlight on gay marriage. And the L-Word, bless those girls for debunking the sensible shoe lesbian lore.
Is there a question here, or just a rant? Well, seeing as it's an advice column I suppose I should get to my question.
Question: When will the masses stop hiding behind bible fables and misguided lobbyists and start recognizing that human rights apply to all? And that all includes people of all races, ethnicities, genders and sexual preference. Does education have to rely on Hollywood actors, or is there a way for the 'little people' to create awareness?
Half-Baked, can you help a girl out here? How can one girl, so far from Hollywood, make a difference?
—Milk and Honey |
The entertainment biz has always been at the forefront when it comes to educating the masses, for the good of humankind as well as the bad. Personally I was shocked that so many people had to learn about Harvey Milk from Hollywood. I presumed that his story was common knowledge if not for his courageous stand then at least for the bizarre twist of the infamous Twinkie Defense. It's strange that with so much information readily available nobody seems to take the time to look anything up, even in the age of the Internet, but instead waits until someone makes it into a movie. Some people still think Stonewall was about, well, a stone wall. We're all guilty of this as we tend to be a lazy lot. You even admit yourself that "the movie that is sparking a fire beneath me is Milk". If it takes a movie to make you sit up and take note of such an historic figure then what expectation can we place on your average Joe? We can all do our part to promote these artistic and relevant portrayals that help to educate by simply spreading the word and getting conversation flowing. It may seem like an up-hill battle but remember that Hollywood has been around for less than 100 years while the Bible has been spreading folklore as fact for millennia.
Half-Baked
You know so much. Why is the sky blue? |
You know it wasn't always this way. There was a period where the sky wasn't so blue but then it stopped taking its meds.
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