OH DEER!

So I stopped at a truck stop in Butler Georgia (Taylor County) to use the rest room and get a coke to drink (So I can pee again an hour later) and while sitting in my car in front came this guy who drove up, ran into the store, came out with a pack of cigarettes and drove away.....quickly. I guess he was in a hurry.

Oh and he carried a dead deer on the hood...OF A HONDA CIVIC!!

You could see the bullet hole and blood dripping. Guess he recently hunted dinner.

Oh DEER!

Subway stands with Chick-Fil-A ?

On Wednesday August 1st, an overwhelming amount of the citizens of America celebrated "Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day", a day declared by former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee in response to the public stance taken by Chick-Fil-A CEO Dan Cathy a couple weeks earlier.

Dan Cathy affirmed in an interview with the Baptist Press his support for "traditional marriage" and his pledge to run his restaurant business with "biblical principles" most of which are a smack in the face of LGBT people. So the LGBT community responded with calls for a boycott of the chain. However the heterosexual community and its religious zealots and as many conservative opinion peddlers you can shake a chicken strip at banded together in support of the restaurant chain by lining up for hours for a chance to buy a meal at Chick-Fil-A. The record breaking day of sales for the restaurant chain is like having all of society respond to a minority with a resounding "Fuck You"! We don't give a crap about your rights, we officially declare you gay people SECOND CLASS CITIZENS!

Well in the days leading up to this Chick-fil-A appreciation day photos surfaced showing other restaurant chains with their message boards that said they were in support of their competitor. Many of those signs appeared to be photoshopped creations but this blogger is here to tell you about one sign that was honest and true.

(Click to view LIVE VIDEO of this sign taken to prove this is not photoshopped. video posted via I-Phone on Facebook)

The SUBWAY located at 20 East Cruselle Street in Roberta Georgia posted on both sides of their street sign that they "stand with Dan Cathy and Chick Fil A".

The restaurant is located about 25 miles west of the closest Chick-Fil-A in Macon Georgia. This Subway franchise promoted another restaurant and likely shares the same "Christian" values. Or more honestly, they have an anti-gay point of view.

Perhaps fair minded people, if there are any left after the massive showing of "support" for the hateful Chick-Fil-A company, may want to contact Subway and ask why any of their restaurants would want to support discrimination by publicly supporting Chick-Fil-A.


Or you could choose to get your cheap sandwiches somewhere else.

Chris L. Hough of Atlanta, you are a WIMP!

Hey Atlanta folks on Facebook! I am posting this on my blog so it can easily be shared.

Some of you are friends with a Chris L.Hough on Facebook. According to his profile he is an Atlanta area real estate agent.

Well he is a punk ass wimp! That is what I call people who block me on Facebook because they are incapable of having a conversation where there may be a disagreement.
He seems to support a CHILDISH and misleading video that runs OFF TOPIC to the Facebook group where the video was posted. (Screen caps of conversation below)

On my personal Facebook account Chris L. Hough's posts disappeared. That is the result of his BLOCKING me on Facebook. His last post addressing me said "I rest my case,another asshole to block I think". Well Chris L. Hough, you are the ASSHOLE for sure and blocking me was a PUNK ASS WIMPY move on your part!

So these screen captures were done through another undisclosed Facebook account. Yeah CHRIS L. HOUGH, I had a way to see what you said. Your "asshole" comment was done AFTER you blocked me! If not for the other FB account access to the group I would never have seen it.

I probably shouldn't use my blog for a personal anger from some asshole on Facebook but what the hell. This is my way of exposing what some people will do when they cannot handle a disagreement like an ADULT! And this is my way of getting the last word. If you block me on Facebook or Twitter I am very likely to expose you here!

There is a lot of emotion over Chick-Fil-A and the homophobic stance of its CEO Dan Cathy. I am on the side of LGBT EQUALITY but it's dealing with crap like this and people like CHRIS HOUGH that are pushing me away from the Chick-Fil-A debate. I have a low tolerance for immaturity and misinformation. There is plenty of that coming from the GAY side of the debate. I feel we can behave BETTER than that and sometimes I might be called a "prude" for my stance.

Well I could use all of the sources I have to support LGBT equality as it also supports ME. But I will NOT be associated with immaturity and misinformation. I will call it out regardless of which side it comes from. I don't feel that the playground bully tactic and getting cheap laughs at the expense of the opponent are EVER going to solve the problems at hand.

And I won't play that game.

Chicken Sandwiches Served with Hate?

In July 2012, the fast food chain Chick-Fil-A faced additional opposition from the Lesbian, Gay Bisexual and Transgender community (LGBT) over public comments by CEO Dan Cathy expressing his support for "traditional" and "bibical" values in regards to marriage. This is seen in the LGBT community as being against same-sex marriage. This backs up earlier news of the chain's financial support of organizations for marriage between one man and one woman. This is seen mostly as "hate" by the LGBT community and is frequently expressed in opposition to Chick-Fil-A. There are calls for boycotting the chain and efforts exist to prevent the chain from expanding into new areas or to have them removed from some locations.

As a member of the LGBT community and a customer of Chick-Fil-A for decades I am certainly concerned about the issues with the chain and this blog will address those issues in many posts over time. But this is the first of many posts talking about Chick-Fil-A and its alternatives. This is a comparison of my average experiences that include Chick-Fil-A

Sunday, July 22, 2012: Well it's Sunday and Chick-Fil-A is closed on Sunday so IF I wanted to eat something out that wouldn't be an option today. But I was out and about and facing an hour of driving on the interstate I stopped by a KFC drive-thru and ordered one of their chicken sandwiches. Something that can be easily eaten while driving. I ordered a combo of 2 KFC "Stackers", a side order of their potato wedges and a medium drink. I always prefer a sweetened Ice Tea but getting that from KFC is always a crap shoot. Either its too sweet, too warm because they just made a batch or getting spoiled because the batch they made is several hours old. So my drink of choice was a Sierra Mist and it was a disappointment.

And so I placed my order, spent less than $5 dollars and continued on my drive. 90 minutes later I am at a supermarket close to my home and just before I reached the checkout I felt a VERY sudden urge to use the restroom. I hate using public bathrooms but luckily I was at a supermarket that is known to have VERY clean restrooms. So I pushed my shopping cart aside and quickly made my way to the restroom. And not to get graphic, lets just say I was in the right place at the right time. Had I been anywhere else I would have been in pain or in fear of messing myself. I did what I had to do and resumed my shopping. This was less than 90 minutes AFTER consuming food from a KFC and it is not the first time experience for me. Any time I eat something from Kentucky Fried Chicken usually requires a bathroom visit within 2 hours. If it is a sandwich I have eaten by KFC, the need for a restroom comes much sooner with slightly extreme results pending.

Compare to earlier this month (Before Dan Cathy's confirmation of anti-gay policies), I went to Chick-Fil-A for lunch. I ordered a deluxe chicken club sandwich combo that came with their famous waffle fries and I ordered a large sweet Ice tea. The Tea was just right. Perfectly chilled and on ice and when I asked for lemon in my tea I got what I ordered.

My Chick-Fil-A order was at lunchtime and I continued with my day feeling great and no issues were had. There was no rush to find a restroom and no ill feelings at all.

For me a gay man in 2012 to admit that I ate at Chick-Fil-A can be seen by some as my supporting hate. Well here is a comparison of "hate". One sandwich tasted horrible and forced me to interrupt what I was doing to go to the rest room. The other tasted pretty good and I suffered no effects after eating it.

One chain is known for anti-gay donations and we don't know anything about KFC, its franchise operators or its CEO's donations for or against LGBT concerns. But some of my fellow LGBT community members would suggest I purchase food from KFC over Chick-Fil-A.

But in this case, the physical HATE came from eating the KFC sandwich. Something I have never experienced at a Chick-Fil-A.

I had an even worse experience after eating a KFC "double down" sandwich. I had to rush to find a rest room only 45 minutes after eating and almost didn't make it. That means I experienced a little more direct "hate" from KFC than Chick-Fil-A

I'm just being honest about it.

Mark and Beau want to get married and Texas says no!

The Daily Sweet Tea Toast Salute on July 7th 2012 goes to Mark "Major" Jiminez and Beau Chandler, the Texas couple who decided to protest their state's ban of same-sex marriages.

On Thursday July 5th, they went to the Dallas County clerk's office to apply for a marriage license and were denied because Texas law only allows marriages that are between one man and one woman. Not accepting this form of discrimination, Mark and Beau handcuffed themselves in the county clerk's office and refused to leave until they either granted the marriage license or were forcibly removed. They were arrested and now face possible fines and jail time.

Video of their sit-in and arrest courtesy of The Dallas Voice.




What Mark and Beau did was STAND UP FOR THEIR RIGHTS! They took action and sacrificed to bring attention to the inequality that exists in America. For that The Daily Sweet Tea lifts up our glass in a toast to the Texas couple and hopes that we see more people standing up and fighting for equality.

For more information about this you should reference GET EQUAL TEXAS for the best local updates and perhaps show your support for Mark and Beau as they face their legal challenges.

Tea Toast Salute: Happy Anniversary Pam & Kate (Spaulding)

Here is a Daily Sweet Tea Toast salute to Pam Spaulding and her wife Kate on the 8th anniversary of their marriage in Canada on July 1, 2004. The lesbian couple were legally married in Canada where same-sex marriages are legal but they are residents of North Carolina which recently became the 32nd state in the USA to approve a constitutional amendment that bans legalization of their relationship. Pam Spaulding is one of the legends of the blogisphere and known affectionately as the "Blogmistress". And if you aren't reading her blog at PAM'S HOUSE BLEND then this must be your first time on the internet! All hail to the Blogmistress and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Pam Spaulding and her WIFE Kate! This weekend happens to be the birthday of BILLY BROWN, of the R&B group Ray, Goodman & Brown. And today I share their 1980 hit "Happy Anniversary"

Hot Tea!!!!

It's hot as hell this weekend!

So what are you doing to cope with the record breaking heat? Some cities in Georgia and The Carolinas reached all-time record temperature highs as high as 108 with a heat index of 120 in some cases. Sure this is the south and it does get hot here but this is a big deal. And you folks in places like Arizona who may be laughing at us. Remember the old phrase "its a dry heat"...FOR YOU! But here it is a humid and downright uncomfortable experience. Looking forward to slightly cooler temperatures in the 90's in coming days.

7.1.12: Another new name!

July 1, 2012 and the blogging history of Edric Floyd has entered another new phase through a new name.

Gone is the short lived "Collard Greens and Sweet Tea" to "The Daily Sweet Tea". And it is a renewed hope that I will present a daily entry and keep up with current events and opinion. Also a simpler name but still keeping a regional reference so as to distinguish and highlight the part of the United States that I proudly call home in a world and community where there is more disparagement toward the region where I live than there is praise and honest documentation.

And so be it, this is the beginning of the "Daily Sweet Tea" by Edric Floyd.  I hope this time I can actually keep focused and make it work. 

Thank you in advance for reading and I hope you enjoy a daily dosage of my "Sweet Tea". Brewed and sweetened fresh daily for your blog reading pleasure. (Yeah right.)

Netroots notes: More than Marriage and don't abandon the south

Last week there was a convention called "Netroots Nation" held in Providence Rhode Island. It is mostly made up of Liberal and Progressive political bloggers and activists and just before the conference was "Netroots Connect" targeting the Lesbian, Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community and thanks to modern technology you could follow almost everything from these events online. And I did just that.

Of the Netroots connect conference of LGBT activists there were some great topics of interest to those of us who live in "red states" including mostly conservative rural and southern regions. One, the matter "Marriage Equality" or same-sex marriage dominating the so-called "gay agenda" politically.

While marriage equality is an important concern it was FINALLY mentioned in a public forum that for many of us, economic and other social issues take president to whether one can legally get married or not. To quote one of the attendees via twitter (not exact wording) "Getting married isn't all that when I can be fired from my job for talking about it". That was in reference to the possibility of someone who is LGBT losing their job simply because of who they are and having no legal recourse. And there are other primary issues of concern that effect singles as well as LGBT couples. Tax concerns. National security. JOB security! Crime and government corruption. These are issues that concern most anyone in any segment of our society and are often compounded for the LGBT community but take a backseat to marriage equality for most of the attention given by the LGBT community politically.

We need to start focusing on many other issues, especially local issues in our community that also effect our straight relatives and neighbors.

And another issue that was brought up is one that is close to home for me and my neighbors. The fact that the national LGBT community and our national organizations frequently discard its community that lives in what is considered a "red state", especially states in the Southern United States. So questions were asked as to what can the national LGBT community do to help its rural, southern and "red state" members of the family. Many in the LGBT and so-called "progressive" community have simply abandoned and written off places that are not urban or in the Northeast or Western areas of our country.  So the easy answer is to COME to our red states, our rural areas, our southern states and walk with us as we work to educate and make ALL of our homes a better place.

Many disparage our areas, especially the South for our negative education statistics and the higher domination of conservative politics and religion and if you are LGBT living in these areas it is often suggested to us that we move to other areas, to LEAVE our hometowns for places that appear to be more open minded, welcoming or "safe". But the reality is that those places are no more safer or open  minded than many small towns in the rural south.  There are many instances of gay bashings and police harassment in urban areas and "blue states". Places we are supposed to believe are safe.  While there are things that happen in all areas of our world that are often undocumented, the problems of being LGBT in American society have no boundaries.  Even if you can marry your same-sex partner in the few states that allow it, you still don't have all of your rights. You are just like us who live down here in the red states.

I had a good twitter conversation with blog mistress (and North Carolina resident) Pam Spaulding as was told by some that she should pack up and leave NC and consider it a lost cause. But because of the hard work of the citizens of NC the results of their recent constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage were actually more who voted IN FAVOR of marriage equality compared to other states. The amendment passed with only 60% of the vote. In other states where similar amendment votes were held, those who wanted to see marriage limited to one man-one woman won by as much as 75-85%. My point is, thanks to the hard work of the citizens of North Carolina, nearly 40% voted with the right intentions. That is so much more than what happened in the neighboring states.  So the amendment vote failed for our side. But progress was made because people didn't give up. And North Carolina proved that you can't just pack up and move away we need our LGBT community to stand with our family regardless of where we live and build progress one step at a time.

I have experienced other instances where it was suggested by the LGBT community to run away from our southern home towns and don't look back like Blacks did during the civil rights movement. But think about it!  The Blacks who stayed in the south marched and sacrificed AT HOME while those who moved away may have lived a happier life but in retrospect haven't done or achieved that much. Take a good look at our inner cities of the North and Midwest and their decades of decay. Many of my own relatives who left the south in the 1940's through the 1960's eventually retired back in their original home states to find places that were made better because of the people who worked hard to make it a better place.  They didn't have to work to make it a better place, somebody else did it for them. And that is the mindset of the LGBT community in too many cases. Those who live in "safe" urban areas and the North and West where life is happy and there are many things to do don't realize that all of that comes at a price. You have to work for it and can make it happen anywhere.

Martin Luther King didn't run away to New York or Detroit, he stayed close to his home and helped fight to make a difference. And if the LGBT community loves to latch onto the history of the civil rights movement as so many of us within the LGBT community do, then you should take heed from Dr. King.  He didn't abandon the small town, the "red states" of the time or the South. And the LGBT community shouldn't abandon US either.

WIMP of the Day: Caiden Cowger of West Virginia

The WIMP of the day for June 6, 2012 is 14 year old Caiden Cowger of West Virginia.

The host of "The Caiden Cowger Program" as a young Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck wannabe recently posted a rather insane homophobic video rant saying that the President was making children gay. Then when he started getting comments and taking heat for his video rant, he little boy CLOSED his YouTube account basically running and hiding from the results of his own making.

Hey Caiden, here is some advice from some old guy in his mid 40s.  GROW UP!   If you want to play in the grown up game of public commentary then you have to have the nerve to accept both the praise AND the scorn.   You'll never be taken seriously, not because of your youth and proven ignorance but because of your cowardly running away by removing the videos you wanted everyone to hear so you can impress the big boys you hoped to be when you grow up.

You are forever marked as a wimp.

Go away little boy!