Category Archives: Food for Thought

This Week’s Number One Douchebag

Posted on March 23, 2009 | 4 comments

Pope Benedict XVI in all his Douchebagness

Just in case there was ever any doubt, Pope Benedict XVI is the single most out-of-touch person in the world. And when you consider the other religious leaders and politicians that he is in competition with for that title, this is no small feat. Congrats!

He secured the title during his trip to Africa this week. In case you missed it in the news, here is a link to one of the articles covering it. Here’s my summary of what went down: The current Pope made his first trip to Africa and proved that he is completely out of touch with reality. He said that condoms are not the way to stop the spread of HIV, they actually contribute to it.

Seriously. The use of condoms actually increases the risk of HIV?! What a jackass. Someone who is this completely out of touch with reality cannot possibly understand the damage that is done by saying condoms make the problem worse. He clearly is blinded by his own antiquated dogma.

Obviously, yes, with abstinence there is less risk. If you aren’t having any sex then you probably are not ever going to come in contact with HIV. But, that’s not the reality. People have sex. A lot of it. Not only is it unrealistic to expect magnetic couples (one person HIV+, one person HIV-) to abstain from sex, it is also unrealistic to expect single people to not have sex. All religious mumbo-jumbo aside, people are going to have sex. Period. So why would anyone actually take a stance that essentially guarantees the continued spreading of HIV? Who would do such a thing? A true douchebag.

If you doubt that condoms are a good means of having safer sex, then you only need to educate yourself. Do your research. My preferred HIV/AIDS resource is at www.thebody.com. A specific entry on condom use and efficiency can be found by clicking on this link. The article may be a little old, but it is still relevant. There are countless other resources that can be found by searching the web or going to your library. If it is your own personal religious beliefs that prevent you from accepting the use of condoms, then I say to you, please leave that for your own relationship. Don’t ever suggest to someone else that they should not use condoms or that their only option is to abstain from sex.

In conclusion, please do yourself and everyone around you a favor by not propagating the myth that condoms contribute to the spread of HIV. And most importantly, please do not listen to the Pope. He clearly supports creating an environment where people must hide their sexuality and live under a blanket of guilt and shame. Coming from one you grew up in such an environment, I can say that guilt, shame, and self-loathing are some of the biggest threats to safer sexual practices.

4 Comments

Posted in Current Events, Food for Thought, Pictures, Politics, Rants

Tagged Africa, condoms, Douchebag, HIV, Pope

Entertaining the Masses

Posted on March 18, 2009 | 2 comments

Many of you may have already seen this clip of a Southwest Airlines flight attendant rapping his opening PA. Clearly entertaining and creative, David Holmes has generated some cyber-buzz. Kudos to David! He’s entertaining people and sharing important safety information all in one. He’s not the first SWA flight attendant to sing or even to rap. So I’m not sure why a local Dallas news station found this to be news. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that he enjoys his job and that he works for a company that embraces this sort of thing. If I had been on that flight, I probably would have been stomping and clapping right along with everybody else.

My issue is this: Why do people need to be entertained in order for them to listen to important safety information? In the news article someone is quoted as saying, “That’s the first time I’ve ever listened to the emergency instructions.” What???? I’m not sure that I’d admit to that if I were you. This is essential information about the airplane and crew to which you are trusting your life. As a flight attendant, I’ve never understood why people, in general, don’t pay attention. I guess I should clarify, they do pay attention, but only after they hear about an airplane crash. It’s sad, but just plain true.

After 9/11 people paid very close attention for a few weeks. After US Airways flight 1549 went down in the Hudson, they paid attention to the life vest portion of the announcement. However, if there is anything that we should learn from that accident, it’s that people do survive crashes. I hear people say all the time that if the plane goes down “we’re all dying anyway,” followed by some other bit of “wisdom.” That attitude is biggest mistake anyone could make. I’m providing a link here to a site providing airline crash statistics. The key fact is that people survive. So why wouldn’t you want to pay attention?

Again, kudos to David for finding a way to make crucial safety information a must-hear event. And shame on those of you who had to rely on being entertained in order to pay attention.

2 Comments

Posted in Current Events, Flight Attendant, Food for Thought, Video, YouTube Clips

Tagged airplanes, crashes, David Holmes, Flight Attendant, rapping flight attendant, safety

Perspective

Posted on March 8, 2009 | 1 comment

I love it when you run across something that says exactly what you are thinking. I’ve never been a person who always knows exactly how he feels all of the time. For me, I tend to have multiple thought processes spinning around in my head at any given moment…then wham-mo! I find that someone has already put my thoughts together for me. And that’s what happened when I saw this video clip of Louis C.K. I don’t know anything about him except for the fact that I enjoy his perspective. Check it out:

Lately I’ve grown tremendously weary of all of the negativity in the news and on TV. Doom and gloom. And frankly, a whole lot of complaining. It’s ridiculous. That’s the part I like best about the clip. We’ve lost perspective as a society. Or least I’ve lost perspective. I somehow have forgot what the world was like before laptops, iPhones, and websites like Facebook. Perhaps the iPhone is the real game changer. I have basically everything at my fingertips at all times. Which means that I have about 5 things going on at any given moment. No wonder I have a hard time putting my own thoughts together.

I guess what I need is some real balance and perspective. It’s essential to remember that none of my gadgets are essential for me to be happy. They can provide a real benefit, but they can also become an immense distraction. I think that a little discipline is necessary. I think I tend to negate technology’s benefits by abusing it. And, taking it for granted.

I don’t think that I’m alone in my technology addiction. Just look at any one of a thousand online forums. The ranting and complaining is unbelievable. You had to wait an extra 3 months for the update to your software…so what?! Apple still hasn’t added copy and paste functionality to the iPhone. I have a tiny computer that is also a phone and a portable music player, not to mention it can do like 100 other amazing things. Patience, people.

So, my beloved iPhone, don’t take it personal but today I’m going to take a walk in lieu of spending an hour searching for the next greatest application that I don’t need to spend 99 cents on. Although, I have become quite the multi-tasker. I could totally walk and search…

1 Comment

Posted in Current Events, Food for Thought, iPhone, Video

17th and Sanchez Celebrates 100 Blog Posts!!!

Posted on February 10, 2009 | 6 comments

Well folks, I know that it is hard to believe, but after almost 2 years, I finally reached 100 posts! I feel like someone should roll out a cake with 100 candles or “100” written across the cake. I realize that most serious bloggers reach 100 posts within several months after starting, but I’ve taken the time to give you quality, not quantity. Or, I’m just lazy.

So, in that spirit, I’ve decided to share my top five favorite posts from 17thandSanchez.com, just in case you missed them the first time around.

5) Christians, Part 3 and Christians, Part 2 and, what the hell, Christians. These videos from YouTube did so “well” that they’ve been removed several times and then re-posted. I actually found a new posting of “The Renewed Mind is the Key” video, just in case you missed. It is a must see. Check it out, before it’s too late! There are even a whole bunch of copycat video responses. Writing the first post especially was cathartic. Good times…

4) 275 Smiles. I had fun with this post even though no one posted any comments. 😉 I mean who doesn’t love a good spontaneous photo shoot?

3) Meet my Children. I have several friends with blogs about their children. I was jealous. So I thought I’d introduce my own children to the world. All 9 of them.

2) The Wide-Eye Squint. ‘Nuf said. Well, not really. Definitely one of more “out there” posts. But again, who doesn’t love a good spontaneous photo shoot?

1) Modeling With Pain. People love videos. Especially when said video includes me making an ass of myself. Interestingly, when I posted this same video on Facebook, they took it down and sent me a nice little nasty-gram. I guess I violated their “terms of use.” Don’t even get me started about the inconsistencies on Facebook. Anyway, this was by far the most fun post.

6 Comments

Posted in Current Events, Food for Thought, Video

A few random emotions…

Posted on January 18, 2009 | Leave a comment

stupefied – I am astonished by the crash of US Airways flight 1549. I have had several bird strikes while working–albeit never to the engine, both times were the landing gear. I never feared it would bring down the plane. This could have been catastrophic, but instead, truly is a miracle. What are the odds that there would be a bird strike in both engines, on takeoff, incapacitating both engines? Then to have to land in a busy river like the Hudson, in January, with no obstacles (ice, ferries, boats, bridges), airplane intact, with only serious injuries to one person? I’m stupefied.

electrified – With only 3 days left until the inauguration of President-Elect Obama, I am as giddy as a schoolgirl. Clearly, Obama has many seemingly insurmountable issues to address. The issues of the war in Iraq and the awful economy alone could take years to resolve. Still, I am exhilarated by the prospect of change.

nonplussed – A) I just love that word. B) I wonder if President Bush is as perplexed by his 2 terms as I am. Judging by his final press conference and national address, I doubt it. I still have an incredibly difficult time understanding how he was elected…twice.

aggravated – I saw a clip from CNN of Rick Sanchez. He was giving commentary on the whole Joe the Plumber/reporter situation. Initially, I thought, “Oh, I like this guy (Sanchez, not the fake plumber/reporter).” Then a day later I watched as Sanchez “interviewed” a survivor from the US Airways crash. It wasn’t so much of an interview as it was Sanchez talking over the poor guy. He would ask him a question and immediately talk over the guy, basically giving the answer that he was trying to get out of the interviewee. I am so tired of that kind of shit. So, for me, Rick Sanchez and I are through. It was a fun two days, after all he is strikingly handsome.