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There are some good things about working for a university. I can walk to the library on my lunch hour and read just about anything. I can walk across campus and see many lovely young coeds. My employer has a football team. (Just not a very good one.) There are also some bad things about working for a university. I recently got something in campus mail that just annoyed me. It was a letter about a new project called Safe Zone. What is a Safe Zone, you ask? And I quote: "This project has been implemented at several colleges and universities across the country, and has become a way to garner visible ally support for the LGBT community." What is the LGBT community, you ask? Well, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, or course! Aaarrrgh! This is important? This is a pressing concern? The letter continues: "In this program, LGBT faculty and staff, and most importantly their supportive straight allies, come together to send a clear message to students and colleagues that they are understanding, compassionate, trustworthy, and willing to create a positive environment for LGBT persons seeking support, guidance, and encouragement." I'm getting aggravated all over again writing this. How am I in my everyday activities not being understanding or compassionate? Am I not sending a clear message? I guess I am not compassionate because I DON'T CARE! I don't care if you are a homosexual. I don't care if you are a bisexual. I don't care if you are a woman who used to be a man or vice versa. People who participate in this cockamamie project "must be aware of the presence of LGBT people and be willing to engage in genuine dialogue and interaction; willing to discuss issues that impact LGBT peoples' lives in a non-judgmental manner. They must comfortably use inclusive language, avoid stereotyping, and not assume everyone is heterosexual." Where is my safe zone? Where can I go where I can be free of stupid things like this? Participants get stuff like stickers, buttons and door magnets. Anyone stupid enough to buy into this is a truly insecure and paranoid person who does not want to be seen as insensitive to every minority or fringe group. Well, at least I'll be able to notice them by the buttons they'll be wearing. This madness is brought to you by The Gay / Lesbian / Bisexual / Transgender Undergraduate / Graduate / Faculty / Staff Alliance of Vanderbilt University and local Community. That's a mouthful. (Oops, that wasn't insensitive to gays, was it?)
And another thing ...
A woman who was cut from the Duke University football team won a $2 million lawsuit because she was apparently cut because a woman. I was not in the courtroom. I don't know all the evidence. Hey, that's never stopped me from having an opinion before. This is stupid. First of all, the Duke football team can use all the help they can get. They need to find men, women, dogs or donkeys who can help them win games. Right now, I wish Florida State could find a dependable woman kicker. They sure as hell don't have a man who can do it. But can we please say once and for all that some teams are men's teams and some teams are women's teams? Thanks to Title IX, we have several colleges, FSU included, who have women's soccer teams but no men's teams. These teams were set up specifically for the women. What would happen if the soccer playing men at FSU decided to try out for the team. First of all, they would not be allowed, since it is by definition a women's teams. It's whole purpose is to be a women's team. It's quite possible that many men could win a spot on the team. If they did not get a spot, would there be a lawsuit to follow? If so, could the plaintiff possibly win? No. Why? Because the plaintiff would be a man. The men would certainly have the same beef as this woman. There is no other alternative. There is no women's football team at Duke. (Well, the men's team plays like women, but that's something else altogether.) There is no men's soccer team at Florida State. As is the case with a lot of situations, a majority cannot have an exclusive team, club or group. A minority can. Maybe not legally, but in today's society it is certainly the case. There is the issue of publicly funded v. privately funded organizations. Duke is a private university, but apparently that makes no difference. We are supposed to have freedom to associate with whomever we want. Well, not if you are male. Umm...or white. Err...or heterosexual.
And another thing ...
Ain't technology grand? I have been watching the Colt-Seahawks game on CBS and 49ers-Packers game on FOX on strategically placed televisions while listening to the WYSP broadcast of the Iggles-Cardinals game on streaming audio on the net. Three games. No waiting. It's not just football. In the past, I have been able to listen to day baseball games and NCAA basketball tournament games on my computer at the office. With my digital cable, I can get English Premier League games on Fox Sports World and this year ordered Euro 2000 matches on pay-per-view. Try to get A-League soccer scores without the web. Heck, I was even able to watch the Tennessee Rhythm-Seattle Sounders match from Seattle on my pc. I even chatted with other web viewers and the broadcast commentators. Another cool thing is in sports games nowadays. When I was a kid, we had sports games that would look like cave paintings today. Remember those hand-held electronic games with the little LED blips? And how about those Atari sports games? I looked forward to the day that games would be developed that included the actual team logos, players and uniforms. That day is here. The leagues and players' unions got smart and started licensing products. And the technology advanced to a point where realism is damn near achieved. There are games for NFL and NCAA football, MLB baseball, NBA and NCAA basketball, NHL hockey, MLS and international soccer and NASCAR and Indy racing. I even have EA Sports games with actual AFL Australian football clubs and international cricket teams, which I bought on the web from Australia. My elders say they remember when a Pepsi was a nickel and color television was invented. I imagine my grandchildren (okay, I'm sterile, so someone else's grandchildren) will be amazed to hear that I remember when compact discs, cassette tapes, personal computers and the internet didn't exist. Oh shut up, Gramps. I'm playing with my virtual reality console.
And another thing ...