Snap Out of It!

This was posted on Facebook, which is where I picked it up.  It may seem a harsh message (do we really need to call people 'cry babies?') but when I look around at the unmotivated youth in my life, I would like them to get this message loud and clear.

"You are important and you are needed." would be my principle message.  Can't find a job?  Volunteer.  Living at home with your folks because you can't find work?  Pay them back for all they have done for you, and self-motivate to help them with their house repairs, house and yard work and grocery shopping.  Limit your computer and t.v. time -- your life is waiting for you!  Make it happen.

Do you think this is a message that would resonate with young folks?  Or are they likely just to say, "Fuck you."  The only other thing I would add to the message, since we are in the U.S., is if you are at loose ends and the military doesn't appeal to you, seriously consider joining the Peace Corps.  What a great opportunity to give help to those who really need it, and to stretch your own skills and cultural boundaries.  Who knows?  The experience may provide you with a career pathway for the rest of your life.

HILARIOUS

Good for a lot of laughs on the whole birth control GOP 'debate':

HILARIOUS: Saturday Night Live Calls B.S. On The All-Male Birth Control Panel

The Nation is Degraded

Obscenities

The AP reports that six banks have repurchased investments the government made under TARP, paying a total of $626 million including dividends. This was reported by the Treasury Department on Dec. 29, 2010.

With the latest payments, repayments by financial institutions under the Troubled Asset Relief Program now total $235 billion, with an additional $35 billion in income from dividends, interest, and the sale of other securities. The Treasury Department released a total $389 billion under TARP, created at the height of the financial crisis in October 2008.

And now I'm reading stories about big spending going on with the fat cats in the Wall St. banking and investment industry. Like nuttin' ever happened. Cars that cost $175,000. A house rental for one month at $200,000. WTF? It's not as if they've met their financial obligations to us, the taxpayer.

Banks and financial institutions still owe the Treasury about $155 billion in bailout money. So, when's that coming? Surely before any more bonuses, right guys? Guys? GUYS?!!

And that other obscenity devoted to excess, the Oprah show and it's holiday giveaways. Please. In light of all that is wrong, broken and dying in our country right now, her giveaways just want to make me cry. Instead of fancy diamond watches and designer footwear, how about feeding the hungry and lifting the unemployed out of joblessness? Ralph Lauren Long Sleeve Cashmere Sweater and Cashmere Cable Throws? Costing $1,1000? $1,000 to customize your closet? Really? For the full list of excess, see here.

I'm with the Good Rev. Billy: JUST STOP SHOPPING. In addition to buying a lot of crap you don't need, to impress people you don't like, all this junk will end up in a land-fill you don't want in your backyard. Where will all this excess go when we are bored with it or it has become last season's style? Hint: it goes somewhere here on our tiny earth. And someday, in a community near you, it will all come back and bite us in the ass.

"Cathy" Is Leaving Us - sniff sniff

Thank gawd that awful Cathy comic strip is coming to an end. I have never liked it -- neither its drawing style nor its hackneyed stories of this dim-wit's life.

You know another strip I despise? Family Circus. What kind of nut job keep spitting out diagrams of dotted lines and B-O-O-R-I-N-G masking as cute family interludes?

In fact, these two strips have been battling it out for worst ever.

Best ever? Calvin and Hobbes, and Mutts. Apparently I'd much rather read the stories of evolved animals than the stories of banal human beings. As well I should.



This particular strip of Mutts has been on my refrigerator for years. It makes me smile every damned time.

Remembering Ryan

On the anniversary of Ryan White's death, a republican politician shows just how cruel and evil man can be. And I thought I couldn't get any more disgusted. Just look what this GOP ass-wipe has done.

It's difficult for me to believe that 20 years have passed since Ryan's death. Ryan was a severe hemophiliac who contracted HIV from a blood transfusion at the tender age of 13 and died 5 years later. His was a remarkable story. His sad predicament was parlayed into an opportunity to advocate and educate about HIV and human dignity.

Remembering you fondly, Ryan.

21st Century Easter

Easter bumout. This issue has been around for a long time...I'm just now reading about it. There is a campaign to get Hershey to come clean about whether their chocolate is made from slave labor or not. Hershey is also running a fine campaign in which they will donate money to the Children's Miracle Network. My dear cyber pal CJ has posted this. CJ is a tireless worker for human rights and helps people in numerous ways. It was quite serendipitous that after I read CJ's post, I went to a link my sister provided about slave labor, and therein found the chocolate information. I didn't know.

Welcome to the world of complexity and contradiction.

Rest In Peace, Mary Daly

Extremists Of Every Stripe

An excellent piece on Ft. Hood, extremism, the army's lax standards, and bigotry. This blog is excellent, and it covers a wide range of news topics and opinion. I haven't heard any news on whether or not Muslims are again being targeted for abuse and beatings in this country after this shooting. But if I were a Muslim, I'd be scared. There are crazies on all sides.

Laugh or Cry?

CBS Sunday Morning is a show I used to watch a lot: good stories, variety, little known factoids. I haven't seen it in awhile, but in browsing the CBS website (remember, I won that Flip camera?) I stumbled upon this. I am truly caught betwixt and between lauging and crying. In any case, quite a commentary on our culture.



Watch CBS Videos Online

What Is Life?

Joe has a great (if long) essay on the state of our mental health, the health care industry, and perspective. As I discuss with friends, we are such an isolated group of people, especially middle and upper class citizens of these United States. It doesn't help us in any sense: mentally, spiritually, economically, physically.

The hippies in the 1960s revived the lost notion of communal living, and though that experiment largely died out, we are seeing a resurgence of those ideals now. Now that we need each other again. Families moving in together to save on housing costs, adult children taking in their elderly parents who need help to get by every day, people who just want a more connected way of living which brings back some fun and joy.

I see it as a positive trend, and I'll be interested to see how our mental health fairs nationally as a result. If we can parse that out from the effects of joblessness. Could our collective mental health actually improve despite tough economic times? Could we possibly rediscover that we need one another and that we are happiest in our inter-dependance?

Our family is gathering today for a bbq, despite the rain. We'll pull the Weber under the eaves of the house and grill our burgers. Grandma and Cousin Doug are bringing a green salad. We're providing potato salad (made by N. which is the best anywhere, ever), burgers, snacks, beverages. The oldest daughter is bringing her boyfriend/fiance, and the youngest daughter is with us the weekend. Brother Shannon is bringing his lovely finance.

Good times, stories in the making. Bread to break. Es la vida!

Blog

California: We're On Fire

Photos by Dana.

We had our summer trip to Tassajara just in time. They are now evacuated. You can read more about it at Sitting With Fire. Funnily enough, I received an invitation in the mail last week from the San Francisco Zen Center to join them at a planning meeting to expand the facilities at Tassajara Mountain Zen Center. My immediate reaction was, "Don't expand it! It's already getting too big!" Well, let us hope that it doesn't require rebuilding. It has survived many close calls before, the fire departments work hard to keep the center out of harm's way.

On a happier note, check here to see the increases in marriage licenses per county in California since the CA Supreme Court ruling. It's fun to see where all the fun is happening! Now, that's hot.

Know Your Opposition

The so-called, "Campaign for Children and Families" has a press release on their website. In it, they "expose" the "activitst" judges who were the majority in this ruling, and guess what? 3 out of 4 of them were appointed by Republican Governors!

Ron George – appointed by Pete Wilson (Republican)
Kathyn Werdegar – appointed by Pete Wilson (Republican)
Joyce Kennard – appointed by George Deukmejian (Republican)
Carlos Moreno – appointed by Gray Davis (Democrat)

I'm baffled by people who oppose the freedom to marry.  I wonder about their ability to love, to think logically, and respect people. From the Family Research Council:
"Fearing the court's decision, the Family Research council has launched a ballot initiative for a Constitutional Amendment against Gay Marriage in California. "After oral arguments in the case, it appears very likely that the majority of judges on California's highest court will rule against the current meaning of marriage, opening up God's ordained institution to same-sex couples," they said in a March fundraising email." This assumes that marriage is ordained by God (Christian God, mind you) and that the state has nothing to do with it. Fact is, marriage has always been about the state. Having your marriage ordained or sanctified by your religious leaders and community, has always been merely an option. A judge can marry you. A dude with a few bucks who sends a request through the mail can become able to marry you. I also love (not) that the FRC on its website states as a headline, "CA Supreme Court Imposes Same-sex "Marriage." Imposes on whom? Is the court compelling heterosexual people to marry someone of the same sex? Puh-leeze.

Now, the folks at Equality Calfornia are the folks you want to support.

There are many supporters of civil rights out there, I can feel the tide changing. This excerpt from "Economist.com" of all places, "Court decisions have led America into changes that seem obvious and moral in retrospect. The Supreme Court forced school integration, overturned laws against contraception and reversed bans on interracial marriage. But courts have also outpaced the American people and their elected legislatures in ways that have never been fully settled, such as by granting the guarantee of abortion rights through Roe v Wade. Whether decisions over gay marriage are later seen as enlightened is far from settled yet."

That is an important point. Even if marriage equality in California is upheld, married gays and lesbians who move outside the state will lose their marriage rights. G/L/B couples who stay in Calfornia are still not afforded the marriage rights that are granted to married heterosexual couples throughout the United States. This is only one of the first battles for civil rights. This is a symbolic (but important) move in the right direction, but it is not the answer. The answer is marriage equality throughout the land. California can make a huge difference.

If you care about this issue, speak out, donate money, and don't let the bigots get away with stripping us of our civil rights!  And for something extremely heartwarming, watch the video posted at the top of my sidebar!

Peace, love, and justice, my friends.

Do I Have the Courage of my Convictions?

Go to Agitadiaries right now.  You'll be in for an eloquent but bumpy ride.  This post, on the heels of watching Jon Stewart's interview with Douglas Feith, is powerful.

Body of War

I saw this film referenced by Phil Donahue (yes, that PD!) on Bill's show this weekend. It looks like a powerful documentary.

You can also see it on You Tube.

Not Another Closeted Gay Republican!

These 'gay republicans' really gotta stop all this embarrassing behavior. Really.

Thanks to Gemini Wench for this story. I found Gemini Wench via Catherine whose blog led me to Blue Girl who linked me to TuBob. Did TuBob get me to GW? I think so.

In the words of David Byrne, "How Did I Get Here?" Perhaps State Rep. Curtis is asking the same question.