Disneyland
Brandenburg Gate
Capitol of Puerto Rico
SFO Air Traffic Control Tower
St. Louis
One World Trade Center
Minneapolis
San Francisco City Hall
Empire State Building
Niagara Falls
White House
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Saturday, June 27, 2015
"...the decision whether and whom to marry is among life’s momentous acts of self-definition."
...“ marriage itself — is one of the most important institutions of American life. And so any law that excludes an entire class of people from that institution is fundamentally incompatible with the freedoms guaranteed by the US Constitution.” - Amanda Taub
“Because it fulfills yearnings for security, safe haven, and connection that express our common humanity, civil marriage is an esteemed institution, and the decision whether and whom to marry is among life’s momentous acts of self-definition.” - Massachusetts Supreme Court Chief Justice Margaret Marshal
“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right” - Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy
Why Marriage Equality Matters to All Americans
“Because it fulfills yearnings for security, safe haven, and connection that express our common humanity, civil marriage is an esteemed institution, and the decision whether and whom to marry is among life’s momentous acts of self-definition.” - Massachusetts Supreme Court Chief Justice Margaret Marshal
“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right” - Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy
Why Marriage Equality Matters to All Americans
Friday, June 26, 2015
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Throw Back Thursday
Co-workers from the mid to late '90s: Lois Happy, Terri Hilterman, Jill Dautzenberg, Bob Dover, me, Sue Judd, David Haas, Jan Quindry. At Rantoul.
Word of the Day
at·a·vis·tic/ˌadəˈvistik/
adjective: relating to or characterized by reversion to something ancient or ancestral.
adjective: relating to or characterized by reversion to something ancient or ancestral.
"I startled a large and handsome hare, who ran away from me in a zig-zagging panic — and with all those hawks around, so he should. I had an atavistic urge to chase him, but quickly came to my senses and realized I had no chance."
- Elizabeth Gilbert
- Elizabeth Gilbert
Quote
"Someone must risk returning injury with kindness, or hostility will never turn to goodwill." — Lao-Tzu
Monday, June 15, 2015
There, But for the Grace of God, Go I
While most say these words with great reverence and gratitude, they miss the most important point. Those words imply that the Grace of God lies with you, or more in you, than in the poor unfortunate soul you've cast your eyes upon. Who are you to think you're better than that person? Why do you think God has bestowed His Grace on you while withholding it from someone else? Doesn't a Mother love all of her children equally while knowing the strengths and weaknesses of each? How can you think that God does any less? To me, that phrase brings up images of the Pharisees loudly praising themselves in the Temple for being favored by God and better than those poor unfortunate souls out in the dust of the street.
While God bestows His Grace equally on all of us, we may not fully understand what His Grace encompasses. His full Grace and Mercy on me may look very different than His full Grace and Mercy on you. While winning the lottery is something we all would like to experience, it has been a blessing to some and a nightmare to others who wish it had never happened. It may be that someone worse off, suffering more than ourselves is a stronger person we should respect all the more because God knows they have strength we don't to bear those burdens.
The thing I most object to about that phrase is its statement of separation, of difference between us. It's saying, “thank God I'm not that person.” Jesus and all spiritual teachers have stressed the importance of seeing ourselves in all people, in all things, in treating all women and men as our brothers and sisters.
I have great respect for Caroline Myss, but for me a better prayer is:
“There go I.”
Caroline Myss:
Except for the Grace of God Go I
06/14/15
“I remember hearing that spiritual prayer of acknowledged gratitude over and over again while I was growing up. And I certainly heard the nuns say it. As a child, I loved the sound of that phrase because it was a phrase that seemed to hide a great jewel of wisdom. It was a type of treasure chest made of simple words that when strung together communicated a powerful truth. ”Except for the grace of God go I.” It was apparent that those words conveyed some sort of profound meaning because I noticed how the nuns would nod their heads in a type of collective agreement after one of them uttered that phrase. Eventually I let go of my mission to crack through the deeper meaning of this phrase and got on with the business of growing up. I was about eight-years-old when I made that decision.
That phrase exploded out of the dust of my mental archives in my early thirties, right on time you might say. It was just one of those days, really, that starts out gorgeous but ends up being a game changer. That day was made for walking. So that’s what I did. After a few hours, I got an iced-tea and sat on a bench to check messages and all that sort of thing. I didn’t pay any notice at all to the guy who sat on the bench a few minutes later. Why would I? But, as I was about to find out, certainly noticed me.
He asked me if I would get him an iced tea. One glance told me he was homeless or en route to that crisis. I asked him if he wanted a sandwich, so long as I was getting him a cold drink. He did. I turned to leave as soon as I gave him his meal but then he said he hated to eat alone and would I mind just sitting with him. I was uncomfortable as all get out – I mean down to the pit of my stomach. But I was in a familiar park and it was day light and I knew I could run faster than him…so I figured, ugh….okay. UGH
He took one bite out of his sandwich, one gulp of his drink and said, “I know you want to get the hell away from me. I know you are uncomfortable as hell right now. You don’t know me or anything about me. I’m a veteran. The war in my head won’t stop. I just try to find quiet places now. That’s all.”
My heart hurt. I could feel the pain in my chest explode. My eyes filled with tears and all I could hear in my head was, “Except for the grace of God go I.” I could have been sent to harm others or to face some type of horror. Or I could have witnessed nightmares early on, but I did not. I sat next to him and felt the whole of my life reshape itself into a simple but deeply meaningful prayer of gratitude and one of grace for the other. It is these moments, these tiny encounters that just show up out of nowhere, that are the purest expression of God in the small and present details of your life. This man changed my life. I have looked for him many times in the park near my home and have never seen him again – not to imply that he was “not of the Earth”. We have yet to cross paths again, but I hope it does happen.
Through him, I entered into yet a deeper mystery about life but with so much gratitude about each day of my life. This is one of my own prayers:
“I never know where I will find You or how You will speak to me. Some days it is through new person and other days it is through a new experience. Each day I become more aware of something I did not understand or realize before. I knew I should be grateful for all that I have but now I realize I should also be grateful for all that I do not have. For I do not have traumatic war memories and I do not have scars from being a refugee and I do not have the fear of a homeless person. I am grateful for all I have and for all I do not have. If I am grateful for having been spared a suffering, give me the grace to help those who are suffering. Amen”
https://media.myss.com/CMEDProducts.aspx?cid=176042
06/14/15
“I remember hearing that spiritual prayer of acknowledged gratitude over and over again while I was growing up. And I certainly heard the nuns say it. As a child, I loved the sound of that phrase because it was a phrase that seemed to hide a great jewel of wisdom. It was a type of treasure chest made of simple words that when strung together communicated a powerful truth. ”Except for the grace of God go I.” It was apparent that those words conveyed some sort of profound meaning because I noticed how the nuns would nod their heads in a type of collective agreement after one of them uttered that phrase. Eventually I let go of my mission to crack through the deeper meaning of this phrase and got on with the business of growing up. I was about eight-years-old when I made that decision.
That phrase exploded out of the dust of my mental archives in my early thirties, right on time you might say. It was just one of those days, really, that starts out gorgeous but ends up being a game changer. That day was made for walking. So that’s what I did. After a few hours, I got an iced-tea and sat on a bench to check messages and all that sort of thing. I didn’t pay any notice at all to the guy who sat on the bench a few minutes later. Why would I? But, as I was about to find out, certainly noticed me.
He asked me if I would get him an iced tea. One glance told me he was homeless or en route to that crisis. I asked him if he wanted a sandwich, so long as I was getting him a cold drink. He did. I turned to leave as soon as I gave him his meal but then he said he hated to eat alone and would I mind just sitting with him. I was uncomfortable as all get out – I mean down to the pit of my stomach. But I was in a familiar park and it was day light and I knew I could run faster than him…so I figured, ugh….okay. UGH
He took one bite out of his sandwich, one gulp of his drink and said, “I know you want to get the hell away from me. I know you are uncomfortable as hell right now. You don’t know me or anything about me. I’m a veteran. The war in my head won’t stop. I just try to find quiet places now. That’s all.”
My heart hurt. I could feel the pain in my chest explode. My eyes filled with tears and all I could hear in my head was, “Except for the grace of God go I.” I could have been sent to harm others or to face some type of horror. Or I could have witnessed nightmares early on, but I did not. I sat next to him and felt the whole of my life reshape itself into a simple but deeply meaningful prayer of gratitude and one of grace for the other. It is these moments, these tiny encounters that just show up out of nowhere, that are the purest expression of God in the small and present details of your life. This man changed my life. I have looked for him many times in the park near my home and have never seen him again – not to imply that he was “not of the Earth”. We have yet to cross paths again, but I hope it does happen.
Through him, I entered into yet a deeper mystery about life but with so much gratitude about each day of my life. This is one of my own prayers:
“I never know where I will find You or how You will speak to me. Some days it is through new person and other days it is through a new experience. Each day I become more aware of something I did not understand or realize before. I knew I should be grateful for all that I have but now I realize I should also be grateful for all that I do not have. For I do not have traumatic war memories and I do not have scars from being a refugee and I do not have the fear of a homeless person. I am grateful for all I have and for all I do not have. If I am grateful for having been spared a suffering, give me the grace to help those who are suffering. Amen”
https://media.myss.com/CMEDProducts.aspx?cid=176042
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Saturday, June 06, 2015
Wednesday, June 03, 2015
Caitlyn Jenner
Cynthia,
this wasn't all just for a reality TV show and it's not a joke. I had
met several transgender men and women, but I really started to
understand them a few years ago when I attended a Transgender Day of
Remembrance and heard their stories and saw their pain. I also got to
see their joy when they were able to express themselves in the way they
were most comfortable, in the way that matched the way they felt inside.
It was then I realized that if I was expecting straight people to
understand me when I told them about my experience as a gay man, a
situation they had no experience with and no way to experience it for
themselves, then I owed it to transgender people, an experience I have
no way to understand directly myself, to believe them when they told me
who they were and what their lives were like. It's not unlike when you
tell me about your experience as an African-American and as a woman in
American. Those are two things I can never experience directly myself,
but when you tell me about it I'll believe you. And I won't think your
experience is a joke. Maya Angelou said when someone tells us who they
are, believe them. Caitlyn Jenner is telling us who she is. We owe it to
her to believe her. Peace.
Quote:
"The best use of imagination is creativity.
The worst use of imagination is anxiety."
-DeepakChopra
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Taking Out The Gay
A few months ago on cable television I saw Moneyball, the movie starring Brad Pitt about a baseball manager's quest to use facts and statistics, instead of instincts and reputation, to build a team. At the time I knew the movie was based on real events and I thought what a wonderful film, a great story and aren't Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill amazing.
It wasn't until after the movie was over and I was thinking about the main character and didn't I know that name from somewhere? Billy Beane, Billy Beane; where had I heard that name before? And then I Googled it to be sure: He, famously, was one of the first professional athletes to come out as gay after he retired. Nothing of that is alluded to in the movie. In the film he's a single dad with a daughter on good terms with her mother.
The same is true of Robin William's character in Awakenings; the movie about a neurologist's experience with mentally ill patients experiencing moments of lucidity. The movie is based on Oliver Sack's book by the same name and chronicles his experience as a ground-breaking neurologist. While he writes candidly about his experience with love as a gay man in his new autobiography, in the movie he has no sexuality, straight or gay.
It strikes me as strange that nothing in the press, not even in the gay press, is mentioned about the neutered film portrayals of these unambiguously, famously gay men. This is strange considering the hue and cry that went up with Ron Howard's production of A Beautiful Mind starring Russell Crowe that reduced John Nash's bisexuality down to a passing glance.
The life of the 20th century's most famous bisexual, Howard Hughes, was similarly straightened in Marin Scorsese's The Aviator starring Leonardo DiCaprio, showing only one brief interaction with some effete men.
Awakenings and Moneyball both focus tightly on the main plot of the film, how the hero is trying to affect change, to improve the lives of his patients or the performance of his baseball team. And that would be fine except I can't think of one heterosexual character that was treated the same way.
Most biographical films include a wife or girlfriend or girlfriends to add a third dimension to the main character, to establish legitimacy and create empathy; she or he is interesting and good because these other people outside their work find them interesting and good. But in the case of Billy Beane, Oliver Sacks, and many other gay men and women, empathy and legitimacy are established by taking out their emotional life altogether and reducing their lives to two dimensions.
This not only is a disservice to these amazing people but robs gay people, and indeed all people, examples of smart, strong, driven, successful gay men and women who have made lasting contributions to our lives.
Read BrainPickings excellent review of Oliver Sack's On The Move here:
It wasn't until after the movie was over and I was thinking about the main character and didn't I know that name from somewhere? Billy Beane, Billy Beane; where had I heard that name before? And then I Googled it to be sure: He, famously, was one of the first professional athletes to come out as gay after he retired. Nothing of that is alluded to in the movie. In the film he's a single dad with a daughter on good terms with her mother.
The same is true of Robin William's character in Awakenings; the movie about a neurologist's experience with mentally ill patients experiencing moments of lucidity. The movie is based on Oliver Sack's book by the same name and chronicles his experience as a ground-breaking neurologist. While he writes candidly about his experience with love as a gay man in his new autobiography, in the movie he has no sexuality, straight or gay.
It strikes me as strange that nothing in the press, not even in the gay press, is mentioned about the neutered film portrayals of these unambiguously, famously gay men. This is strange considering the hue and cry that went up with Ron Howard's production of A Beautiful Mind starring Russell Crowe that reduced John Nash's bisexuality down to a passing glance.
The life of the 20th century's most famous bisexual, Howard Hughes, was similarly straightened in Marin Scorsese's The Aviator starring Leonardo DiCaprio, showing only one brief interaction with some effete men.
Awakenings and Moneyball both focus tightly on the main plot of the film, how the hero is trying to affect change, to improve the lives of his patients or the performance of his baseball team. And that would be fine except I can't think of one heterosexual character that was treated the same way.
Most biographical films include a wife or girlfriend or girlfriends to add a third dimension to the main character, to establish legitimacy and create empathy; she or he is interesting and good because these other people outside their work find them interesting and good. But in the case of Billy Beane, Oliver Sacks, and many other gay men and women, empathy and legitimacy are established by taking out their emotional life altogether and reducing their lives to two dimensions.
This not only is a disservice to these amazing people but robs gay people, and indeed all people, examples of smart, strong, driven, successful gay men and women who have made lasting contributions to our lives.
Saturday, May 02, 2015
Monday, April 27, 2015
Quote:
“(Extreme entrepreneurs) fail in ways other people won't (and) they learn things other people don't.
- Justine Musk
- Justine Musk
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Wednesday, January 07, 2015
Word of the Day
Hove; past of heave.
“When the British had come up to the opposite side of the brestwork, having no gun, he picked up an empty barrel and flung it at them. Then finding an iron bar, he jumped up on the works and hove that at them.”
Library of America Story of the Week: “Like a Sea of Blood”
“When the British had come up to the opposite side of the brestwork, having no gun, he picked up an empty barrel and flung it at them. Then finding an iron bar, he jumped up on the works and hove that at them.”
Library of America Story of the Week: “Like a Sea of Blood”
Monday, December 22, 2014
Tuesday, December 09, 2014
Protests
I can't condemn any of the protests in Ferguson, New York, or any where else. They have a legitimately grievous complaint and I don't know how I would react if my son or nephew or neighbor were killed in such a way.
Just as every kid needs to respond to their parent's first request to avoid getting yelled at, we must respond to non-violent protests before anyone feels the need to escalate. The marchers at Selma were not violent. It was the fire hoses, dogs, and night sticks of law enforcement that were violent. We listened at first, but then we forgot. So now they're yelling.
But beyond all of that; we, each of us, know in our heart what is right. We have a moral obligation to our God, to our selves, and to our fellow humans to proactively do what is right before any protests are necessary.
Just as every kid needs to respond to their parent's first request to avoid getting yelled at, we must respond to non-violent protests before anyone feels the need to escalate. The marchers at Selma were not violent. It was the fire hoses, dogs, and night sticks of law enforcement that were violent. We listened at first, but then we forgot. So now they're yelling.
But beyond all of that; we, each of us, know in our heart what is right. We have a moral obligation to our God, to our selves, and to our fellow humans to proactively do what is right before any protests are necessary.
Friday, July 11, 2014
Quote:
“I did not have a good start in life, but I tell you what, I am determined that I'm going to have a good finish.” - Joyce Meyer
Wednesday, July 09, 2014
Quote:
"A cloud does not know why it moves in just such a direction and at such a speed. It feels an impulsion... this is the place to go now. But the sky knows the reasons and the patterns behind all clouds, and you will know, too, when you lift yourself high enough to see beyond horizons." ~Richard Bach
Monday, July 07, 2014
Quote:
“Never waste your time trying to explain yourself to people who have proven that they are committed to misunderstanding you.”
Marc and Angel Hack Life
Sunday, October 06, 2013
Quote
Troy D. Davidson
Monday, September 23, 2013
“Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design into the present.”
“Do not fool yourself into believing that you must live the same day over and over again for the rest of your life, simply because it’s the responsible thing to do.
So many people live daily with unhappy circumstances, and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation. They somehow believe that conforming to their current circumstances will eventually lead to a life of comfort, security, and peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to their spirit.
Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design into the present. The very basic core of the human spirit is a natural passion for exploration and growth. This growth originates directly from our encounters with new ideas and experiences that intrigue us; and hence there is no greater destination in life than to have an endlessly changing horizon – for each day to have a new and different sun.”
Marc Chernoff
Friday, September 20, 2013
Quote:
“Unused creativity is not benign. It metastasizes. It turns into grief, rage, judgement, sorrow, shame.
We are, by nature, creative.”
Dr. Brene Brown
We are, by nature, creative.”
Dr. Brene Brown
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Mostly Harmless by Douglas AdamsMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Last weekend I traveled with Andreas and Randall to Seattle to Keith and Glen's wedding. Andreas' research showed that flying into Portland, renting a car and driving to Seattle to be significantly less expensive than flying direct. That worked well except we should have left Portland earlier. As it was we got on the road to Seattle about 3pm on a Friday afternoon, hitting rush hour traffic in both cities and turning a 120 mile trip into a 4 hour drive. But we got to walk around beautiful downtown Portland.
The weather was perfect the whole trip; sunny and warm, not too hot or humid. The wedding was in Gig Harbor on a rocky beach steps from Puget Sound with a lush forested island in the background. Both the grooms were beaming. All of their friends and family that were there were super nice people and fun to share the event with.
Did you ever see, possibly in high school science class, the short film clip of the bridge twisting in the wind and finally collapsing? The bridge they called Gallopin' Gertie? That's the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Rebuilt it was known as Sturdy Gertie. A few years ago a second bridge was built right next to it so each bridge carried traffic in only one direction. Sturdy Gertie was closed for repairs so all traffic was routed over the new bridge, but going by it on the way from the SEA-TAC Holiday Inn Express to Gig Harbor I felt like I was shaking the hand of a celebrity. Here's a youtube video of the 1940 collapse of Gallopin' Gertie: http://youtu.be/j-zczJXSxnw
The drive back to Portland was much faster. We got through security quickly and had half an hour to kill before they began boarding our plane. On my way to look for bottled water to take on the plane I discovered a rather nice book store named Powell's. Apparently they have a huge store in downtown Portland which I didn't see. And it's a good thing, too, because if I had I wouldn't have seen anything else of the city. And that's were I picked up this used edition of Douglas Adams' Mostly Harmless; in a surprisingly nice bookstore near the gate in Portland's Airport.
View all my reviews
Friday, June 21, 2013
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil GaimanMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
My inner 12 year old loved this:
“She removed my empty plate, replaced it with a bowl containing a steaming slice of spotted dick with thick yellow custard drizzled all over it. I ate it with joy.”
My inner adult appreciated this:
“I do not miss childhood, but I miss the way I took pleasure in small things, even as greater things crumbled. I could not control the world I was in, could not walk away from things or people or moments that hurt, but I found joy in the things that made me happy.”
This book further solidifies Neil Gaiman as my favorite author. Though much too small, I enjoy his writing so much he could have held my attention for much longer, it is a complete story full of supernatural imagery and the pathos of an adult looking back on his childhood. Mr. Gaiman's writing most easily fits the category of supernatural horror. And though horrible things do happen there's always a hint of optimism so that I never dread what's going to happen next.
View all my reviews
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Miguel RuizMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Possibly the best spiritual self-help book I've read. Don Miguel Ruiz uses simple, direct, clear narrative to convey deeply spiritual concepts. The first agreement: “Be impeccable with your word” means not only speak plainly, say what you mean and mean what you say, but also don't use your words to tear down yourself or anyone else. The other three agreements stem from the first. The last two chapters tell how to get rid of old, negative agreements, adopt the new agreements, and create heaven on earth for yourself and those around you. I love that he talks about heaven and hell being experienced right here in this life. I've always felt heaven and hell were not remote places we go to after death but are this life, based on the choices we make. Don Miguel Ruiz gives voice to those concepts and a clear path on how to get there. Highly recommended.
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