12.03.2007

Of 2 Tempests and 2 Teapots

Teapot #1:

It seems that what this city really needs is a Blue Boutique on every block. Let me explain. For you lucky out-of-staters, there is a local neighborhood that carries a certain amount of architectural and societal history, called Sugarhouse, located about midvalley. At the heart of the community is a small shopping district that has managed to resist the "gentrification" efforts of developers over the years. This area boasts older buildings with some very local-first type shops there. Over the last year or two, the area has been slated for re-development by its majority owner, and many of the local shops have been forced to relocate due to the need to totally tear down the decrepit buildings, and start over. (I fear that we will be looking at a set of strip-mall-architected garbage in the near future, but that will MOST CERTAINLY be a post for another day.)

Anyway, one of those unique and interesting shops forced to relocate is The Blue Boutique. It's a lingerie shop that also sells the typical adult novelties, etc. They were the largest tenant on the block, and were, I believe, about the last to leave. They really want to remain in the area, and chose to locate themselves temporarily three blocks to the East. Which is also three blocks closer to Highland High School. Which has a large group of concerned local citizens' panties in a major twist. They are creating major stink about how much MORE polluted the precious children will become, having the store now three blocks closer to the school. Apparently, they will be much more inclined to GO DIRECTLY TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET.

I believe these parents are living in the utopic landscape of their own narrow minds. Anyone who has walked down the hallways of today's high school at lunch time would realize that there are MUCH LARGER PROBLEMS to be spending time on.

The parents group is thinking about surveilling the shop, and taking pictures of the patrons as they leave the store with their purchases in tow, and posting them on a web site for all to see. If they do, I'll sidestep the group, and simply send them my picture via email. At one of the meetings, a domain name was suggested. However, very quickly, some level headed individual went home and registered the domain for his own use instead. Check out that link. From there you can read more about this silly story if you choose.

Honestly, some people just need to get laid.

Teapot #2:
The recent release of the movie The Golden Compass has brightened the day for those who are inclined to make sure you know that if you do something, God will not like you anymore.

There was a local school district administrator who used the district email systems to send a note home to parents warning them to not let their kids see this movie, that it would be a moral mistake. The email is also making its way through the highly refined church systems of communications as well. This is a bad movie. However, there's a good story here, that puts a few things in better perspective, which, apparently, some people around here could use.

Money quote from the article:
Sister Rose Paccate, director of the Pauline Center of Media Studies in Culver City, Calif., said the books portray benevolence toward children and a God figure — just one that’s much different than the one Christians know.

She sees irony in calls to shun the film, considering that one of Pullman’s central themes is that people should not follow orders and forfeit critical thought.

“If you just say ‘no’ to your kids without engaging in a conversation, they’re going to see the movie anyway and all you’re teaching them is power, not really teaching your values,” Paccate said. “If we have faith, what are we afraid of?”


Indeed, what are we afraid of?

4 comments:

Jason Vance said...

Thanks for posting in support of Blue Boutique, It's about time that people stand up to the Moral Minority. Too often, people try and speak for everyone else in a community when they haven never been asked to.

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with the comment about walking the halls of a high school and seeing what life is really like. And if people think that their child is too golden to commit any questionable behaviour, think again. And quite frankly, if I had any say in the matter, I would rather have a "rubber penis" used versus a real one. At least then, I don't need to worry about AIDS, HIV or pregnancy.

May be a few more of the tight laced "conservative" ladies ought to slip into something a little more comfortable every once in a while. It helps the disposition don't 'cha know???

Next.....

The Absent Minded Housewife said...

Those same people who are horrified at The Blue Boutique are the same people who have a seizure when I tell them I live in Bendover. I sin all day long, even on Christmas! (Wrote the SLC Weekly about that one.)

OMG sex...we shouldn't promote FUN sex! There is no moral value in fruit leather underwear and thigh high stockings!

I suddenly feel like buying a sheet with a hole in it.

Loralee Choate said...

I love the Blue Boutique (Though I don't get there as much as I would like living up here in northern cow country).

My mother is in the midset of "Toys are evil" and has basically labeled my bedroom "The Den of Iniquity" after she found our plentiful collection.

She refuses to even go in there anymore.

Sigh.

AND.

Yes. More people need to get laid. And then read The Golden Compass in the afterglow (They are some of my favorite books.)