4/30/12
Photo du jour: love & optimism are more powerful than fear
The shuttle Enterprise circles over the newly-rising World Trade tower in New York.
The key to good health: not surprisingly, good friends
In one of the recent studies on the health benefits of social relationships, published earlier this year, researchers provided evidence that social ties and increased contact with family and friends are associated with a lower risk of death in young women with breast cancer. Another presented a similar conclusion with respect to surviving heart surgery. What’s more, a 2010 meta-analysis of 148 other studies showed that social connection doesn’t just help us survive health problems: the lack of it causes them.
- Scientific American
Full article
4/29/12
Andrew Sullivan quote of the day: "real" social conservatism vs. religiosity and fundamentalism
That's why the real social conservatives are not those intent on marginalizing fast-integrating gay people, but those managing that integration by harnessing it to existing institutions, that strengthen the family, encourage responsibility, teach sacrifice and keep the welfare state at bay. A truly conservative party would be pushing marriage equality, as the Tories are in Britain. What the GOP is, in stark contrast, is not a conservative party governing a modern society. It's a radical fundamentalist and anti-government religious movement, dedicated to a core rejection of almost everything modernity brings but money.
- Andrew Sullivan
Highlights of the White House Correspondents' dinner
Jimmy Kimmel was the comedian this year and an equal opportunity offender. (Frankly, the Republicans are easier to make fun of because they are more messy than this squeaky clean president.)
Here is President Obama who is a strong comedic performer:
BTW, I have attended two of these dinners in the past, both during the Clinton years. What a wonderful night: DC's power elite mixing with Hollywood stars and media companies and their advertisers.
Here is President Obama who is a strong comedic performer:
BTW, I have attended two of these dinners in the past, both during the Clinton years. What a wonderful night: DC's power elite mixing with Hollywood stars and media companies and their advertisers.
Towle on Romney
"As for Grenell (Romney's openly gay and recently-appointed foreign policy spokesman), I personally think Romney hired him for his qualifications, rather than for political calculus, and that other faux controversies will play a bigger role in voters' decision-making. Romney's massive wealth and "inadequate" $12 million California mansion, for one, turns off those who are struggling; that whole Etch-a-Sketch meme scares people who think Romney's a flip-flopper; and Seamus Romney's travel accommodations of course worry anyone who loves dogs, or common sense."
- Andy Towle
Beautifully said!
For Andy's full post
4/28/12
Zen lesson: "Gratitude is a way of undercutting your ego..."
Gratitude is a way of undercutting your ego— that is, it is a way of being Buddhist. There is an awareness that we get now and then about what we owe to others, and Shinran feels that that should become the moving force of one’s life. That awakening, that awareness, transforms your way of dealing with life, with people, and with all things.
- Rev. Dr. Alfred Bloom, "Beyond Religion"
Via Tricycle.com
Senate passes the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, 68 - 31. All 31 "nay" votes were by GOP men, leaders of the war on women's rights
This important legislation passes.
Here is a senator who believes in the rights of women, and others.
4/27/12
Justice triumphs over greed & murder: Charles Taylor, the former president of Liberia, found guilty of crimes against humanity
The rule of international law works, at least today. Why is it that the once-mighty bullies often cower in court? Maybe it's because they are cowards underneath their bravado. Full article
Watch Liberia's Taylor Found Guilty of Aiding, Abetting War Crimes on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.
4/26/12
A difficult and powerful Zen lesson
Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.- Paul Boese
My "nephew"/mentoree makes a splash on the pages of Washingtonian magazine
Would you believe that Jason was a chubby twelve-year-old? Not now, at 6'3", he's skinny as a rail and an art student-about-town, in Washington, D.C., where he studies at the Corcoran College Art. In addition to having tons of talent, he is kind and curious. I couldn't be prouder of him. Check out the full article on him.
BTW, he stole my French socks that he is wearing above. LOL
Dustin Lance Black on Romney, the LDS, & Obama
For me, the most telling marriage-equality moment thus far was Romney's disclosure of his 2010 and 2011 tax returns, showing that he still pays a full and complete tithe to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
To Mormons, this signals an investment in maintaining his Temple Recommend -- allowing him access to the temples and covenants that are essential to LDS salvation and signifying the recipient is living in strict obedience to the highest laws of the church. I can appreciate that. Much of my family and many friends do the same. But this also reflects a deep investment in core LDS beliefs -- including the promise of an afterlife reserved only for heterosexual Mormons married in an LDS temple. Full tithe and obedience in exchange for his own planet in heaven to send down the spirit children he creates with his heavenly wife. Procreation here and in heaven, that's the LDS view of marriage. Marriages for gay and lesbian families fly in the face of those core beliefs.
I'm not suggesting that Mormons (or others with deeply held religious views) are incapable of separating belief from governing philosophy, but the recent revelation that Romney donated to one of the most anti-gay groups in the nation, the National Organization for Marriage, signed its pledge calling for a constitutional amendment banning equal marriage and subsequently received its full endorsement would indicate he won't. It seems Romney's thinking on the matter is stuck way, way up in the air -- all the way up in the Mormon conception of heaven.
And adds about Obama:
Until the president publicly puts his wheels down on the side of full equality, he must be passionately engaged, confronted and protested for maintaining his prejudiced, hurtful public position. If his evolution continues to fall short, then those interested in equality in this country must abandon their support. Hope should never become delayed disappointment.
Amen!
Via Towleroad
Andrew Breitbart's supporters claim he was murdered by the Obama Administration. The coroner found no foul play, just natural causes
From the LA Coroner's office:
The office of the Los Angeles County coroner has completed its investigation into the death of Andrew Breitbart on March 1, and has confirmed that he died of natural causes, namely heart failure. A press release issued by the Department of Coroner (below) notes: "No prescription or illicit drugs were detected. The blood alcohol was .04%," a negligible amount. The press release concludes: "No significant trauma was present and foul play is not suspected."
My take about the demise of this 42-year-old: he didn't take care of himself, was absorbed 24/7 by media, and spent a lot of time hating others. These things together are killers.
4/25/12
Obama speaks out about anti-gay bullying before screening the movie "Bully" at the White House
Can you believe an American president is looking out for the safety of gay kids? I am pinching myself because this is exactly what President Obama is doing now in 2012. Read about it here.
Would President Romney ever do this for gay kids? Not likely given his alliance with NOM and other anti-gay forces.
4/24/12
Photos of the day: images by Tim Hetherington, the great (and deceased) war photographer
from The Good Men Project
Zen lesson: "The Adventure of Not-Knowing"
If, as I believe, meditation is simply awareness, then any past knowledge I have about it is not only useless, but slops over into my immediate experience. Knowing is antithetical to openness, and it's the adventure of not knowing that's the genius of meditation.
–Barry Evans
via Tricycle.com
Who are Romney and Obama beholden to? Check out their top five financial contributors...it says it all
Let's face it, in our system, political contributions buy influence. Given that, I rather stand with the future, our creative economy -- with companies Googles and Facebook -- than suck-up to Wall Street, the very companies that caused the biggest recession since the Great Depression.
Kenneth Weishuhn, a 14-year-old Iowa boy takes his own life after years of bullying. Read about the resulting community furor
This Iowa boy killed himself after classmates made death threats and created a hateful Facebook page about him. Kids can be so cruel, but must be taught that this is socially unacceptable behavior with severe consequences if they partake in such anti-gay violence.
Kenneth had big dreams, including growing up, falling in love with another man, and having a beautiful wedding. Check out the Pinterest page he created where he imagines his wedding.
The community's reaction from Kenneth's death has been one of outrage and anger about this tragedy. Read the highlights of this outstanding editorial from Kenneth's local paper in Iowa:
Siouxland lost a young life to a senseless, shameful tragedy last week. By all accounts, Kenneth Weishuhn was a kind-hearted, fun-loving teenage boy, always looking to make others smile. But when the South O'Brien High School 14-year-old told friends he was gay, the harassment and bullying began. It didn't let up until he took his own life.Full edtiorial
Sadly, Kenneth's story is far from unique. Boys and girls across Iowa and beyond are targeted every day. In this case sexual orientation appears to have played a role, but we have learned a bully needs no reason to strike. No sense can be made of these actions.
Now our community and region must face this stark reality: We are all to blame. We have not done enough. Not nearly enough.
This is not a failure of one group of kids, one school, one town, one county or one geographic area. Rather, it exposes a fundamental flaw in our society, one that has deep-seated roots. Until now, it has been too difficult, inconvenient -- maybe even painful -- to address. But we can't keep looking away.
In Kenneth's case, the warnings were everywhere. We saw it happen in other communities, now it has hit home. Undoubtedly, it wasn't the first life lost to bullying here, but we can strive to make it the last.
The documentary "Bully," which depicts the bullying of an East Middle School student, opened in Sioux City on Friday. We urge everyone to see it. At its core, it is a heart-breaking tale of how far we have yet to go. Despite its award-winning, proactive policies, we see there is still much work to be done in Sioux City schools.
...Some in our community will say bullying is simply a part of life. If no one is physically hurt, they will say, what's the big deal? It's just boys being boys and girls being girls.
Those people are wrong, and they must be shouted down.
We must make it clear in our actions and our words that bullying will not be tolerated. Those of us in public life must be ever mindful of the words we choose, especially in the contentious political debates that have defined our modern times. More importantly, we must not be afraid to act.
How many times have each of us witnessed an act of bullying and said little or nothing? After all, it wasn't our responsibility. A teacher or an official of some kind should step in. If our kid wasn't involved, we figured, it's none of our business.
...Stand up. Be heard. And don't back down. Together, we can put a stop to bullying.
STAND UP, INDEED!
4/23/12
One of our great LGBT activists, Bettie Naylor, dies, after a long and productive life
A co-founder of HRC and many other gay and women's organizations, Bettie Naylor was a force to be reckoned with. I love this description of her:
"She was everybody's hero. She was going to be who she was. Everyone wanted to pattern their lives and work ethic after her. Everyone loved her so much, and even people who were anti-gay rights came around because they loved her."
Read about her life. LGBT people owe her much.
4/19/12
Back on Sunday. I am not blogging for the next few days due to a bad asthma attack and a severe cold
Last weekend, I spent several hours in a house with a cat that I am wildly allergic to. This exposure, combined with a cold, almost landed me in the hospital. Things got ugly on Tuesday night...as my lungs started shutting down.
The good news is that I have a great doctor, who scolded me good about stepping foot in cat-occupied dwelling, and a sweet ex, who is an acupuncturist and spent 90 minutes getting my clinched lungs to open a bit so I can inhale the medication into them.
I slept well for the first time in days, but my mind is slow and cloudy as the body uses all its energy to heal. I am easily winded and walking very slowly and deliberately. With these limitations, I am noticing more of the small details of life...and I am grateful for breath, life, and you!
Watch this video on this theme.
I will be back in a few days. All my best...Joe
P.S. Despite my poor health, I came across this photo on Tumblr that made me smile...life is about the small moments and gestures of love.
The good news is that I have a great doctor, who scolded me good about stepping foot in cat-occupied dwelling, and a sweet ex, who is an acupuncturist and spent 90 minutes getting my clinched lungs to open a bit so I can inhale the medication into them.
I slept well for the first time in days, but my mind is slow and cloudy as the body uses all its energy to heal. I am easily winded and walking very slowly and deliberately. With these limitations, I am noticing more of the small details of life...and I am grateful for breath, life, and you!
Watch this video on this theme.
I will be back in a few days. All my best...Joe
P.S. Despite my poor health, I came across this photo on Tumblr that made me smile...life is about the small moments and gestures of love.
4/18/12
Karger files California ethics complaint against NOM for Unreported Romney Contribution
Fred Karger filed a formal complaint with the California’s Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) on Friday, April 13, 2012 against the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) for not reporting a $10,000 contribution from Governor Mitt Romney. The Romney contribution was given to NOM on October 14, 2008.
“NOM has once again conspired to hide its contributions, and this time it was Mitt Romney’s,” stated Karger. “The recently unsealed documents (coincidentally from my last campaign ethics violation complaint against NOM in Maine) revealed that NOM received the $10,000 on October 14, 2008 from Romney’s Alabama PAC “Free and Strong America.” That was only 3 weeks before the Prop 8 election in which NOM was heavily involved. Funny that NOM appears to have reported all the contributions that it received before and after Romney’s, but failed to report Governor Romney’s $10,000 to ban gay marriage in California.”
“The Maine Ethics Commission and Attorney General’s office have done a phenomenal job of gathering evidence in the money laundering case I filed against NOM on August 24, 2009. The 29 Exhibits they collected are proving to be NOM’s undoing. NOM’s veil of deceit and lies has finally been lifted.”
“It looks like it was Exhibit 10 in the Maine case: National Organization for Marriage v. Walter F. McKee, et al which is NOM’s 2008 990 Federal Tax Return that lists the unreported $10,000 Romney contribution.”
“Mitt Romney and NOM appear to have gone to a lot of trouble to hide his contribution. I am sure that Romney’s $10K was never meant to never see the light of day.”
As I thought, "The birth of compassion" is the point of this controversial scene from the movie "The Tree of Life"
From the Daily Beast:
On a panel with Roger Ebert, Michael Fink, the man behind the CGI dinosaurs in Terence Malick's The Tree of Life, confirmed what we all believed:
The premise of the four-shot scene was to depict the birth of consciousness (what some have called the "birth of compassion") -- the first moment in which a living creature made a conscious decision to choose what Michael described as "right from wrong, good from evil." Or, perhaps, a form of altruism over predatory instinct. Here's the relevant passage from a 2007 draft of Malick's screenplay:
Reptiles emerge from the amphibians, and dinosaurs in turn from the reptiles. Among the dinosaurs we discover the first signs of maternal love, as the creatures learn to care for each other. Is not love, too, a work of the creation? What should we have been without it? How had things been then? Silent as a shadow, consciousness has slipped into the world.
4/17/12
Great old song: "Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime"
Love this old song that I heard on Luke Crampton's radio show, on Sunday night. Here is what Luke said about it:
Rarely heard anymore on the radio (rather dated production) but still a fabulous melody and sentiment pouring out of a song subsequently covered by the likes of Dream Academy, Erasure, Vanessa Carlton etc.
The two parties can't work together on our problems because Tea Party extremists are hounding out conservative, but pragmatic statesmen like Hatch and Lugar
Political scientists are finding all sorts of evidence marking the GOP's far-right shift, especially since the 2010 election, when many Tea Party types were elected. Check out this study.
Indiana senator and foreign policy expert, 80-year-old Richard Lugar is being "primaried" by a Tea Party favorite, Richard Mourdock, who is a former coal industry executive and has little experience in federal government. Like most politicians supported by the Tea Party, Mr. Mourdock is staunchly against the Constitutional rights of gays and women. We can't forget how Tea Party supporters feel the LGBT. Yesterday, in Boston, they welcomed Scott Lively, the man who has been working with Christian political forces in Africa to outlaw and jail LGBT people there.
Orrin Hatch has his troubles, too, being challenged by more of the same in Utah. Read his statement on these neo-conservatives:
“These people are not conservatives. They’re not Republicans,” Hatch angrily responds. “They’re radical libertarians and I’m doggone offended by it.” Then Hatch, a former boxer, turns combative. “I despise these people, and I’m not the guy you come in and dump on without getting punched in the mouth.” Hatch is facing a stiff primary challenge in Utah from his right. He is being challenged for his seat in the Senate by state Sen. Dan Liljenquist and state Rep. Chris Herrod. The challenge to Hatch’s quest for a seventh term is in doubt.
America will be hard to govern as long as the GOP is being led by idealogical extremists, who are the conservative version of the Leftists who took over the Democratic party in the early 1970s.
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