weeee!!!!!
i expect nothing short of loud cheers and congrats.
i am leaving the corporate computer world. today, i gave my notice to the evil overlords. soon, freedom shall ensue. i accepted a landscaping gig with an all-girl crew yesterday, so will be digging in the dirt and planting things, making more pretty green in the world, surrounded by happy female energy!
there may be an impromptu celebration of my imminent release from said capitalist jungle at the farmhouse. you will be kept posted.
weee!!!
Friday, February 27, 2004
Tuesday, February 24, 2004
a thought
I think that I shall never see a billboard lovely as a tree. Perhaps, unless the billboards fall, I'll never see a tree at all.
the apocalypse is coming
Now the Pentagon tells Bush: climate change will destroy us
get ready. learn how to farm and stockpile some weapons. go buy a generator or better yet some solar panels. mother earth is pissed off and we're all screwed.
get ready. learn how to farm and stockpile some weapons. go buy a generator or better yet some solar panels. mother earth is pissed off and we're all screwed.
Monday, February 23, 2004
today
i have absolutely nothing interesting to say. i'm preoccupied with...something else....
why are you still reading this?
:P
why are you still reading this?
:P
Friday, February 20, 2004
Gay Agenda
i just can't stop, huh?here is a good little animation i found thanks to Huna at Whole Wheat Radio. i really like mark fiore's animations, this one's kinda neat.
on homosexuality and the old testament.......
this is a good one.
Dr. Laura Schlessinger is a radio personality who dispenses advice to
people who call in to her radio show. Recently, she said that, as an
observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to
Leviticus 18:22 and cannot be condoned under any circumstance.
The following is an open letter to Dr. Laura penned by a east coast
resident, which was posted on the Internet. It's funny, as well as
informative:
Dear Dr. Laura:
Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding
God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share
that knowledge with as many people as I can . When someone tries to defend
the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus
18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate.
I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the other
specific laws and how to follow them:
When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a
pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They
claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?
I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus
21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for
her?
Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female,
provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine
claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify?
Why can't I own Canadians?
I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2
clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill
him myself?
A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination
- Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't
agree. Can you settle this?
Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a
defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear read! ing glasses. Does my
vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?
Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around
their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How
should they die?
I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me
unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?
My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different
crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two
different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse
and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble
of getting the whole town together to stone them? - Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't
we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with
people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)
I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you
can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and
unchanging.
Your devoted fan,
***
Dr. Laura Schlessinger is a radio personality who dispenses advice to
people who call in to her radio show. Recently, she said that, as an
observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to
Leviticus 18:22 and cannot be condoned under any circumstance.
The following is an open letter to Dr. Laura penned by a east coast
resident, which was posted on the Internet. It's funny, as well as
informative:
Dear Dr. Laura:
Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding
God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share
that knowledge with as many people as I can . When someone tries to defend
the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus
18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate.
I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the other
specific laws and how to follow them:
When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a
pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They
claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?
I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus
21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for
her?
Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female,
provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine
claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify?
Why can't I own Canadians?
I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2
clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill
him myself?
A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination
- Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't
agree. Can you settle this?
Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a
defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear read! ing glasses. Does my
vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?
Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around
their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How
should they die?
I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me
unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?
My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different
crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two
different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse
and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble
of getting the whole town together to stone them? - Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't
we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with
people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)
I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you
can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and
unchanging.
Your devoted fan,
***
Thursday, February 19, 2004
on gay marraige
here is a link to some videos made by an artist acquaintance of mine, adam waterson. they are documentary-on-the-street style films on the subject of gay marraige. warning: long download time, and may contain traces of dumbasses.
the ultimate betrayal - sad alert
new howard zinn article on the casualties of war that go unheeded, unseen, and glossed over by this administration and its corporate media slaves.
Wednesday, February 18, 2004
Ani DiFranco goes it alone
HoustonChronicle.com
this is an interesting interview. we seem to be in a similar headspace right now......
this is an interesting interview. we seem to be in a similar headspace right now......
my friends are famous!
for wearing underwear in public! how fantastic! here is the lovable miss deb murray at my favorite breakfast freakshow, the friendly toast.
Portsmouth Herald Local News: Petticoat junction
Portsmouth Herald Local News: Petticoat junction
The Culling by D. Allan Kerr
Seacoast Online Columnist: The Culling by D. Allan Kerr
yup. too true. except for his claims that "strong democrats" like kerry and dean are cool, and will pull us out of this.
yup. too true. except for his claims that "strong democrats" like kerry and dean are cool, and will pull us out of this.
seafood watch
for those of you that eat the fishies, here's a good place where you can make sure you are eating the right ones, for various reasons, like overfarming or pollution.
King George's Resume
another version of the gwb res i've seen floating about. for your perusal.
i was reminded of one thing i am thankful for when i watched the film "sunshine" this weekend, which is a story about three generations of a hungarian jewish family spanning the 1800's through WWII and the rise of communism - that i live in a country where i can write these things in my blog and not be shot. yet.
i was reminded of one thing i am thankful for when i watched the film "sunshine" this weekend, which is a story about three generations of a hungarian jewish family spanning the 1800's through WWII and the rise of communism - that i live in a country where i can write these things in my blog and not be shot. yet.
March on Juarez
The Village Voice: Nation: Eve Ensler and Amnesty International March on Juarez to Stop the Murder of Young Women by Hillary Chute
this is an update on a situation which i believe my very first post here on this blog was about. i asked you all to sign a petition urging the mexican government to investigate the murders of young women in mexico that were going unexplained. interesting story.
this is an update on a situation which i believe my very first post here on this blog was about. i asked you all to sign a petition urging the mexican government to investigate the murders of young women in mexico that were going unexplained. interesting story.
New Dems Foreign Policy
i am absolutely not voting for john kerry this year. he said this:
"I could never agree with those in the antiwar movement who dismissed our troops as war criminals or our country as the villain in the drama. That's one reason, in fact, that I eventually parted ways with the VVAW [Vietnam Veterans Against the War] organizations and instead helped found the Vietnam Veterans of America."
more here:
Mark Hand: Kerry's Version of PNAC
ah yes, another reason to abandon it all and just vote green, folks.
"I could never agree with those in the antiwar movement who dismissed our troops as war criminals or our country as the villain in the drama. That's one reason, in fact, that I eventually parted ways with the VVAW [Vietnam Veterans Against the War] organizations and instead helped found the Vietnam Veterans of America."
more here:
Mark Hand: Kerry's Version of PNAC
ah yes, another reason to abandon it all and just vote green, folks.
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
notes on pro-choice
from an e-mail i received from NARAL pro-choice america. our un-administration keeps getting scarier and scarier. john ashcroft makes me very, very angry.
The Bush Administration has stepped up its campaign against a woman's right to choose, with a new and deeply troubling assault on personal privacy.
Help stop the Bush Administration and Attorney General John Ashcroft. Pro-choice Americans must stand up to these challenges to our privacy rights and say, "Enough is enough!" First, John Ashcroft's Justice Department has subpoenaed the private medical records of women across the country who've had abortion care. The Ashcroft Justice Department actually argued in court that the law shouldn't honor the confidentiality of the doctor-patient relationship.
And today we learned that Bush's hand-picked head of the Food and Drug Administration may reject the recommendation of his own advisory committee and deny an application allowing emergency contraception to be sold over-the-counter. FDA observers say that such recommendations are rarely ignored. But political pressure from the White House and Congress could trump sound science. Already the pressure has led the FDA to delay its decision, further holding women's access to this important option hostage.
As the political arm of the pro-choice movement, NARAL Pro-Choice America is prepared to fight these outrageous actions. We are the strongest voice for women's privacy rights and a woman's right to choose, and we will use every tool at our disposal to make sure the American people know how George W. Bush, John Ashcroft and their anti-choice cronies are dismantling medical privacy and a woman's right to choose.
Now more than ever, we need your financial support to help stop the Bush Administration and Attorney General John Ashcroft from trampling our rights. Pro-choice Americans must stand up to these challenges to our privacy rights and say, "Enough is enough!"
The idea of John Ashcroft rifling through our medical records is exactly what NARAL Pro-Choice America fears most. This is a man who opposes oral contraceptives, the IUD, and Depo-Provera - the very tools needed to make abortion less necessary - because he believes contraception is the same as abortion.
That view is obviously spreading throughout the Bush Administration. The FDA's looming decision can only be explained as an act of far-right politics. Emergency contraception has an excellent safety record, and it's the best way to make abortion less necessary by preventing unintended pregnancy. But far-right ideologues oppose it, and the White House has made clear that politics, not science, should rule.
Many of you stood with us to oppose Bush's nomination of John Ashcroft as Attorney General. And a record number of you joined us in calling on the FDA to approve over-the-counter sales of EC. We need you to stand up again for women's rights today. Please support our work by giving a gift to NARAL Pro-Choice America to fight John Ashcroft and the Bush Administration's war on medical privacy.
http://www.naral.org/
The Bush Administration has stepped up its campaign against a woman's right to choose, with a new and deeply troubling assault on personal privacy.
Help stop the Bush Administration and Attorney General John Ashcroft. Pro-choice Americans must stand up to these challenges to our privacy rights and say, "Enough is enough!" First, John Ashcroft's Justice Department has subpoenaed the private medical records of women across the country who've had abortion care. The Ashcroft Justice Department actually argued in court that the law shouldn't honor the confidentiality of the doctor-patient relationship.
And today we learned that Bush's hand-picked head of the Food and Drug Administration may reject the recommendation of his own advisory committee and deny an application allowing emergency contraception to be sold over-the-counter. FDA observers say that such recommendations are rarely ignored. But political pressure from the White House and Congress could trump sound science. Already the pressure has led the FDA to delay its decision, further holding women's access to this important option hostage.
As the political arm of the pro-choice movement, NARAL Pro-Choice America is prepared to fight these outrageous actions. We are the strongest voice for women's privacy rights and a woman's right to choose, and we will use every tool at our disposal to make sure the American people know how George W. Bush, John Ashcroft and their anti-choice cronies are dismantling medical privacy and a woman's right to choose.
Now more than ever, we need your financial support to help stop the Bush Administration and Attorney General John Ashcroft from trampling our rights. Pro-choice Americans must stand up to these challenges to our privacy rights and say, "Enough is enough!"
The idea of John Ashcroft rifling through our medical records is exactly what NARAL Pro-Choice America fears most. This is a man who opposes oral contraceptives, the IUD, and Depo-Provera - the very tools needed to make abortion less necessary - because he believes contraception is the same as abortion.
That view is obviously spreading throughout the Bush Administration. The FDA's looming decision can only be explained as an act of far-right politics. Emergency contraception has an excellent safety record, and it's the best way to make abortion less necessary by preventing unintended pregnancy. But far-right ideologues oppose it, and the White House has made clear that politics, not science, should rule.
Many of you stood with us to oppose Bush's nomination of John Ashcroft as Attorney General. And a record number of you joined us in calling on the FDA to approve over-the-counter sales of EC. We need you to stand up again for women's rights today. Please support our work by giving a gift to NARAL Pro-Choice America to fight John Ashcroft and the Bush Administration's war on medical privacy.
http://www.naral.org/
only in ireland would this be a headline.....
from the irish emigrant:
Price of pint rises again
Guinness drinkers face another price hike with a six cent (4.5%) increase on the pint from March 1. Director of Corporate Affairs Pat Barry said that the decision was a hard one for Guinness to make, but there was little alternative as Guinness sales figures have shown a significant drop in the past year. Also going up in price are other products from Guinness in Ireland such as Smithwicks, Carslberg, Harp and Budweiser. It seems that a pint of Guinness now sells for anything between €3 and €4, with some bars charging even more.
yeah, but at least it tastes better over there....
Price of pint rises again
Guinness drinkers face another price hike with a six cent (4.5%) increase on the pint from March 1. Director of Corporate Affairs Pat Barry said that the decision was a hard one for Guinness to make, but there was little alternative as Guinness sales figures have shown a significant drop in the past year. Also going up in price are other products from Guinness in Ireland such as Smithwicks, Carslberg, Harp and Budweiser. It seems that a pint of Guinness now sells for anything between €3 and €4, with some bars charging even more.
yeah, but at least it tastes better over there....
velvety skulls
i seriously considered shaving my head this weekend. not sure what really made me toss the idea around, maybe because i would conceptually be chopping off the last four years of my life and starting anew. also my friend jilly has 1/2 inch long hair and is quite fetching, the elven sprite that she is. i love rubbing her soft velvet head. i guess you could call it velvet head envy. both her and my roommate rosie though it was a great idea. my ex's reaction was "what the hell you wanna do that for? whatever floats your boat, girlie." my roommate's two gay actor friends visiting from NYC exploded loudly "no way, sister, you keep your gorgeous hair!" it seems that all the ladies want me to chop it off, and all the boys want me to leave it. hmmm.
this will only seem like a big deal to those of you that know i have been dying to grow my hair as long as physically possible since the day i was born because as a child i had a combo obsession with both samson from the bible and crystal gayle. i *really* wanted her to be my mom. :) and my grandma made me keep my hair short when i was a kid. i kinda looked like annie.
or maybe it's because i didn't get a darn thing for valentine's day. not even a single chocolate. harumph. now i'm depressed. think i'll go home and down the entire bottle of champagne i was saving for a special occasion.
this will only seem like a big deal to those of you that know i have been dying to grow my hair as long as physically possible since the day i was born because as a child i had a combo obsession with both samson from the bible and crystal gayle. i *really* wanted her to be my mom. :) and my grandma made me keep my hair short when i was a kid. i kinda looked like annie.
or maybe it's because i didn't get a darn thing for valentine's day. not even a single chocolate. harumph. now i'm depressed. think i'll go home and down the entire bottle of champagne i was saving for a special occasion.
Friday, February 13, 2004
remembered eloquence...
today i got an e-mail from a friend describing the transformative beauty he encountered when hearing anton bagatov's "close" for the first time. this is my response.
thanks for this. i read and listened, and heard.
i am in a space of shedding, banishing, self-imposed solitary confinement. i hope i'll be beautiful when i exit this cocoon. you may be the judge of that.
my spirituality has become some bizarre concoction of paganism and buddhism. i have become obsessed with yoga, and am hoping to change careers completely and be a yoga teacher someday. i want to do something healthy for myself and others.
i experienced that beauty you describe below last night at a concert. the passion exiting brian's mouth was almost visible, palpable, under the stage lights as he sang about purity, loss, redemption, humility, and God. 'heaven help me when i think i'm not enough. heaven help me, when i think i am.' teary-eyed, i thought the world blessed for having such an eloquent soul to speak its truths. his music seemed to reach into my chest, grasp a hold of something, and wrench it free, a writhing mass of stringy wet pulp torn out of this dried husk, this shell, and hold it out to me for my perusal. i was reminded that i feel.
http://www.brian-webb.com
recordings do this man no justice whatsoever.
thanks for this. i read and listened, and heard.
i am in a space of shedding, banishing, self-imposed solitary confinement. i hope i'll be beautiful when i exit this cocoon. you may be the judge of that.
my spirituality has become some bizarre concoction of paganism and buddhism. i have become obsessed with yoga, and am hoping to change careers completely and be a yoga teacher someday. i want to do something healthy for myself and others.
i experienced that beauty you describe below last night at a concert. the passion exiting brian's mouth was almost visible, palpable, under the stage lights as he sang about purity, loss, redemption, humility, and God. 'heaven help me when i think i'm not enough. heaven help me, when i think i am.' teary-eyed, i thought the world blessed for having such an eloquent soul to speak its truths. his music seemed to reach into my chest, grasp a hold of something, and wrench it free, a writhing mass of stringy wet pulp torn out of this dried husk, this shell, and hold it out to me for my perusal. i was reminded that i feel.
http://www.brian-webb.com
recordings do this man no justice whatsoever.
Thursday, February 12, 2004
jihad rap video
The Investigative Project
this is crazy. i have no comment for now. must digest. i will say the beginning is sickening, and the end is chilling.
no one is right.
this is crazy. i have no comment for now. must digest. i will say the beginning is sickening, and the end is chilling.
no one is right.
Wednesday, February 11, 2004
which bunny are you - silliness alert
yup.
you are the cute but psycho happy bunny. You
adorable, but a little out there. It's alright,
you might not have it all, but there are worse
which happy bunny are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
you are the cute but psycho happy bunny. You
adorable, but a little out there. It's alright,
you might not have it all, but there are worse
which happy bunny are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
Friday, February 06, 2004
turtles and seals
more crappy things happening in the land of creatures. please try to make a difference by signing the petitions below.
1. Protest Drilling in Endangered Sea Turtle Habitat
http://www.care2.com/go/z/11369/1072
President Bush has just approved extensive gas drilling in the main U.S. nesting beach for the most endangered sea turtle in the world. If threatening the lives of the planet's remaining 3,000 to 5,000 adult Kemp's ridley turtles will affect how you feel about the President when you vote this year, please sign this petition to let him know.
The National Park Service just approved the drilling without formally consulting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as required by the Endangered Species Act.
The drilling trucks could crush nests or pack down the sand so that hatchlings are unable to emerge from nests. Even the vibrations from rumbling trucks can increase the likelihood of embryonic damage or mortality, according to the species' official "Sea Turtle Recovery Plan."
The park offers the longest undeveloped barrier beach in the world. Park Service approval for a third drilling permit is likely soon, despite the use of the island by the Kemp's ridley sea turtle every spring for nesting.
Send a letter to President Bush, telling him that his inability to protect such endangered creatures in need will affect your vote this year.
http://www.care2.com/go/z/11369/1072
2. Stop the Baby Seal Hunt!
http://www.care2.com/go/z/11370/1072
This year, by late March, the seal hunters armed with clubs and rifles will go again to the nursery floes of the harp and hood seal, to kill them while they are too young to escape into the water.
42% of the helpless creatures (most under 3 months old) are believed to be skinned alive, according to International Fund for Animal Welfare. In 2003 alone, 350,000 seals where killed in this brutal manner. They will kill 700,000 more over the next two years.
Please sign this petition and send it to everyone who cares for the animals in the world to stop this extremely cruel slaughter of innocent seals in Canada.
1. Protest Drilling in Endangered Sea Turtle Habitat
http://www.care2.com/go/z/11369/1072
President Bush has just approved extensive gas drilling in the main U.S. nesting beach for the most endangered sea turtle in the world. If threatening the lives of the planet's remaining 3,000 to 5,000 adult Kemp's ridley turtles will affect how you feel about the President when you vote this year, please sign this petition to let him know.
The National Park Service just approved the drilling without formally consulting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as required by the Endangered Species Act.
The drilling trucks could crush nests or pack down the sand so that hatchlings are unable to emerge from nests. Even the vibrations from rumbling trucks can increase the likelihood of embryonic damage or mortality, according to the species' official "Sea Turtle Recovery Plan."
The park offers the longest undeveloped barrier beach in the world. Park Service approval for a third drilling permit is likely soon, despite the use of the island by the Kemp's ridley sea turtle every spring for nesting.
Send a letter to President Bush, telling him that his inability to protect such endangered creatures in need will affect your vote this year.
http://www.care2.com/go/z/11369/1072
2. Stop the Baby Seal Hunt!
http://www.care2.com/go/z/11370/1072
This year, by late March, the seal hunters armed with clubs and rifles will go again to the nursery floes of the harp and hood seal, to kill them while they are too young to escape into the water.
42% of the helpless creatures (most under 3 months old) are believed to be skinned alive, according to International Fund for Animal Welfare. In 2003 alone, 350,000 seals where killed in this brutal manner. They will kill 700,000 more over the next two years.
Please sign this petition and send it to everyone who cares for the animals in the world to stop this extremely cruel slaughter of innocent seals in Canada.
Thursday, February 05, 2004
Wednesday, February 04, 2004
an open letter to the catholic church
my incredibly eloquent friend sean composed this letter:
I sent this article as a letter to the editor of
several publications today.
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: EXCOMMUNICATE
ME
My conscience was formed by a Catholic upbringing that
trained me to have compassion for the poor and the
persecuted, to listen to the still, small voice within
me, and to stand firm in my convictions even when it
meant turning my back on the confused values of a
culture caught up in selfishness, hatred, and fear.
But today, when the Archdiocese of Boston is using the
full weight of its influence to pressure the state of
Massachusetts to deny loving couples the right to
marry just because both partners are of the same sex,
the only way to remain true to the upbringing is to
separate myself from the church, publicly declaring
that it does not and can not speak in my name.
The church claims to be defending Christian teachings
by insisting that a marriage can only be between a man
and a woman – but Jesus never said anything to condemn
the love between two women or two men. The closest
he comes to speaking about the relationship between
two people is to say that he is present whenever two
or more people are gathered in his name. Where does
this church find Biblical authority for this teaching?
If the church were to cite early Jewish marriage
laws rooted in the Old Testament, in order to be
consistent it would also have to require widows to
marry their brothers-in-law under certain conditions.
Neither Christians nor Jews follow the letter of these
ancient marriage laws today, recognizing them as
archaic legal codes with little or no theological
grounding. Or is it from the letters of Paul, which
were meant as commentaries on Jesus’s teachings for
communities scattered across the Mediterranean in the
first century? Does the church then also hold up
Paul’s teaching that wives must be subject to their
husbands? Or for that matter does it condemn men who
have long hair as Paul does in the first letter to the
Corinthians. No, the church recognizes that Paul’s
views on gender existed with a specific historical and
cultural context.
Jesus was friend to adulterers and tax collectors,
breaking the religious and civil laws of his day by
sharing meals with outcasts, declaring a new law of
love. Where would he be today – with canon lawyers
who search the scripture for reasons to condemn people
for their love and church leaders who try to impose
their own definition of marriage on a secular civil
society, or with people condemned by the world for
seeking a way to publicly declare their commitment to
love each other for the rest of their lives, who risk
violence and discrimination by publicly showing their
love for each other?
Equally troubling is the lack of any sense of
proportion church leaders are showing. After the
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that
marriage laws that excluded same sex couples were
unconstitutional, the state’s Roman Catholic Bishops
declared the ruling “a national tragedy” (despite the
fact that the ruling would have no effect whatsoever
on what kind of marriages the church decided to
consecrate.) These same Bishops have held press
conferences, sent letters to thousands of Catholics,
and organized “Defense of Marriage” meetings to try to
pressure the legislature to amend the state
constitution to ban same sex marriages. But when the
U.S. government killed over 4,000 civilians in
Afghanistan, the church was silent. When the U.S.
launched a war of aggression against Iraq, you had to
look long and hard to find these Bishops’ mild and
measured statements of concern. Archbishop O’Malley
is famous for his work with the homeless, but when has
he ever called homelessness “a national tragedy”? Why
isn’t the Archdiocese clamoring for a constitutional
amendment declaring the right to food, housing and
health care? The church in Massachusetts has placed
a higher value on imposing its view of marriage on
non-Catholics than it has on defending human life.
I haven’t been a practicing Catholic for many years.
I’ve looked instead to the practices of my Irish
ancestors who integrated Jesus’s teachings on love and
justice with older, Druidic beliefs that honored the
sacredness of all life, the cycles of Earth, sun, and
moon, and both the masculine and feminine aspects of
the divine. I’m most apt to call myself a pagan
because most pagans welcome me with open arms while
many Christians tell me it is heresy to honor both
Jesus and Brigid as expressions and aspects of the
same divinity.
But staying away from the church is no longer enough,
in a time when the church rejects loving couples
because both members are of the same sex, I have to
call on the church to reject me too – I cannot stay in
a church that would reject my lesbian and gay sisters
and brothers anymore than I could stay in a Church
that would reject people because of the color of their
skin. If Jesus lived today, he would teach love, and
that teaching would get him excommunicated. And so I
say: take my name off your rolls, I will no longer be
counted as a Catholic. Excommunicate me.
Sean Donahue is a poet, healer, peace activist, and
freelance writer who lives in Lawrence, MA. He can be
reached at karunaawakeningataol.com.
I sent this article as a letter to the editor of
several publications today.
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: EXCOMMUNICATE
ME
My conscience was formed by a Catholic upbringing that
trained me to have compassion for the poor and the
persecuted, to listen to the still, small voice within
me, and to stand firm in my convictions even when it
meant turning my back on the confused values of a
culture caught up in selfishness, hatred, and fear.
But today, when the Archdiocese of Boston is using the
full weight of its influence to pressure the state of
Massachusetts to deny loving couples the right to
marry just because both partners are of the same sex,
the only way to remain true to the upbringing is to
separate myself from the church, publicly declaring
that it does not and can not speak in my name.
The church claims to be defending Christian teachings
by insisting that a marriage can only be between a man
and a woman – but Jesus never said anything to condemn
the love between two women or two men. The closest
he comes to speaking about the relationship between
two people is to say that he is present whenever two
or more people are gathered in his name. Where does
this church find Biblical authority for this teaching?
If the church were to cite early Jewish marriage
laws rooted in the Old Testament, in order to be
consistent it would also have to require widows to
marry their brothers-in-law under certain conditions.
Neither Christians nor Jews follow the letter of these
ancient marriage laws today, recognizing them as
archaic legal codes with little or no theological
grounding. Or is it from the letters of Paul, which
were meant as commentaries on Jesus’s teachings for
communities scattered across the Mediterranean in the
first century? Does the church then also hold up
Paul’s teaching that wives must be subject to their
husbands? Or for that matter does it condemn men who
have long hair as Paul does in the first letter to the
Corinthians. No, the church recognizes that Paul’s
views on gender existed with a specific historical and
cultural context.
Jesus was friend to adulterers and tax collectors,
breaking the religious and civil laws of his day by
sharing meals with outcasts, declaring a new law of
love. Where would he be today – with canon lawyers
who search the scripture for reasons to condemn people
for their love and church leaders who try to impose
their own definition of marriage on a secular civil
society, or with people condemned by the world for
seeking a way to publicly declare their commitment to
love each other for the rest of their lives, who risk
violence and discrimination by publicly showing their
love for each other?
Equally troubling is the lack of any sense of
proportion church leaders are showing. After the
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that
marriage laws that excluded same sex couples were
unconstitutional, the state’s Roman Catholic Bishops
declared the ruling “a national tragedy” (despite the
fact that the ruling would have no effect whatsoever
on what kind of marriages the church decided to
consecrate.) These same Bishops have held press
conferences, sent letters to thousands of Catholics,
and organized “Defense of Marriage” meetings to try to
pressure the legislature to amend the state
constitution to ban same sex marriages. But when the
U.S. government killed over 4,000 civilians in
Afghanistan, the church was silent. When the U.S.
launched a war of aggression against Iraq, you had to
look long and hard to find these Bishops’ mild and
measured statements of concern. Archbishop O’Malley
is famous for his work with the homeless, but when has
he ever called homelessness “a national tragedy”? Why
isn’t the Archdiocese clamoring for a constitutional
amendment declaring the right to food, housing and
health care? The church in Massachusetts has placed
a higher value on imposing its view of marriage on
non-Catholics than it has on defending human life.
I haven’t been a practicing Catholic for many years.
I’ve looked instead to the practices of my Irish
ancestors who integrated Jesus’s teachings on love and
justice with older, Druidic beliefs that honored the
sacredness of all life, the cycles of Earth, sun, and
moon, and both the masculine and feminine aspects of
the divine. I’m most apt to call myself a pagan
because most pagans welcome me with open arms while
many Christians tell me it is heresy to honor both
Jesus and Brigid as expressions and aspects of the
same divinity.
But staying away from the church is no longer enough,
in a time when the church rejects loving couples
because both members are of the same sex, I have to
call on the church to reject me too – I cannot stay in
a church that would reject my lesbian and gay sisters
and brothers anymore than I could stay in a Church
that would reject people because of the color of their
skin. If Jesus lived today, he would teach love, and
that teaching would get him excommunicated. And so I
say: take my name off your rolls, I will no longer be
counted as a Catholic. Excommunicate me.
Sean Donahue is a poet, healer, peace activist, and
freelance writer who lives in Lawrence, MA. He can be
reached at karunaawakeningataol.com.
belief-o-matic
and speaking of religious things, this is how the online tool belief-o-matic
helped me to be confident of my spiritual path. :) interesting to note that what i follow now is polarized at the end of the list from what i used to be. in case you didn't know, i was a catholic school girl!
1. Neo-Pagan (100%)
2. Mahayana Buddhism (89%)
3. Unitarian Universalism (89%)
4. New Age (86%)
5. Liberal Quakers (78%)
6. Theravada Buddhism (75%)
7. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (68%)
8. Hinduism (67%)
9. New Thought (66%)
10. Taoism (63%)
11. Jainism (62%)
12. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (61%)
13. Scientology (58%)
14. Secular Humanism (54%)
15. Sikhism (48%)
16. Bahá'à Faith (45%)
17. Reform Judaism (43%)
18. Orthodox Quaker (41%)
19. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (35%)
20. Nontheist (30%)
21. Jehovah's Witness (26%)
22. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (25%)
23. Orthodox Judaism (20%)
24. Seventh Day Adventist (15%)
25. Eastern Orthodox (11%)
26. Islam (11%)
27. Roman Catholic (11%)
helped me to be confident of my spiritual path. :) interesting to note that what i follow now is polarized at the end of the list from what i used to be. in case you didn't know, i was a catholic school girl!
1. Neo-Pagan (100%)
2. Mahayana Buddhism (89%)
3. Unitarian Universalism (89%)
4. New Age (86%)
5. Liberal Quakers (78%)
6. Theravada Buddhism (75%)
7. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (68%)
8. Hinduism (67%)
9. New Thought (66%)
10. Taoism (63%)
11. Jainism (62%)
12. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (61%)
13. Scientology (58%)
14. Secular Humanism (54%)
15. Sikhism (48%)
16. Bahá'à Faith (45%)
17. Reform Judaism (43%)
18. Orthodox Quaker (41%)
19. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (35%)
20. Nontheist (30%)
21. Jehovah's Witness (26%)
22. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (25%)
23. Orthodox Judaism (20%)
24. Seventh Day Adventist (15%)
25. Eastern Orthodox (11%)
26. Islam (11%)
27. Roman Catholic (11%)
imbolc remembered
from the irish emigrant:
Yesterday was the feast of St Brigid and, on a trip to Donegal, I discovered that the tradition of making St Brigid's Crosses from rushes on the eve of the feast day is still alive and well. At least one cross is hung on the wall in the home and others placed in farm outhouses. On Saturday evening we were in my sister's house where they were being made and I managed a couple myself. I also had to take a bundle of rushes back out to Moville where they were delivered to two more houses where the tradition continues.
st. brigid's roots lie in the ancient celtic goddess of the same name. said to be the triple goddess of healing, poetry, and smithcraft, it is good to see she is still recognized. imbolc is one of the four major celtic sabbats, celebrating the return of milk to the ewes, the growing strength of the sun, and therefore the beginning of the return to spring. monday night i placed a small bowl of cream and a red candle outside in my herb garden to honor her day.
Yesterday was the feast of St Brigid and, on a trip to Donegal, I discovered that the tradition of making St Brigid's Crosses from rushes on the eve of the feast day is still alive and well. At least one cross is hung on the wall in the home and others placed in farm outhouses. On Saturday evening we were in my sister's house where they were being made and I managed a couple myself. I also had to take a bundle of rushes back out to Moville where they were delivered to two more houses where the tradition continues.
st. brigid's roots lie in the ancient celtic goddess of the same name. said to be the triple goddess of healing, poetry, and smithcraft, it is good to see she is still recognized. imbolc is one of the four major celtic sabbats, celebrating the return of milk to the ewes, the growing strength of the sun, and therefore the beginning of the return to spring. monday night i placed a small bowl of cream and a red candle outside in my herb garden to honor her day.
Censure King George
From the MoveOn folks:
Dear MoveOn member,
During the buildup to war, President Bush said the United States "must not ignore the threat gathering against us. Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof -- the smoking gun -- that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud.... We have every reason to assume the worst, and we have an urgent duty to prevent the worst from occurring." 1
On the eve of sending troops into battle, Bush asserted that "intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised." 2
Now David Kay, the CIA’s chief weapons inspector, has testified before Congress that these weapons do not exist.
In an attempt to evade responsibility for the misleading statements that pushed the nation into war, Bush has announced plans to form an independent inquiry to look into what went wrong. An inquiry would serve the Bush administration well: it would envelop the issue in a fog of uncertainty, deflect blame onto the intelligence services, and delay any political damage until 2005, after the upcoming election. 3
But the facts need no clarification. Despite repeated warnings from the CIA and the Defense Intelligence Agency, President Bush and his administration hyped and distorted the threat that Iraq posed. 4 And now that reality is setting in, the President wants to pin the blame on someone else. We can't let him.
Congress has the power to censure the President -- to formally reprimand him for betraying the nation's trust. If ever there was a time for this, it's now. Join our call on Congress to censure President Bush at:
http://www.moveon.org/censure/
It's clear that we’ve been misled:
* David Kay said last week, "I'm personally convinced that there were not large stockpiles of newly produced weapons of mass destruction," and "We don't find the people, the documents or the physical plants that you would expect to find if the production was going on." 5 Kay said these things shortly after resigning from his post as Bush's chief weapons inspector in Iraq.
* Bush, in his 2003 State of the Union address, said, "the British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa." 6 Yet Ambassador Joe Wilson, who was sent to Niger in February 2002 to determine whether Iraq was trying to purchase uranium materials there, concluded that "intelligence related to Iraq's nuclear weapons program was twisted to exaggerate the Iraqi threat." 7
* A CIA report in February 2003 said: "We do not have any direct evidence that Iraq has used the period since [1998] to reconstitute its Weapons of Mass Destruction programs." 8
It's also clear that the misleading was deliberate:
* The respected Carnegie Endowment for International Peace recently found that the administration "systematically misrepresented the threat" from Iraq. 9
* The basis for President Bush's African uranium claim was known at the time to be forged and not credible.10 "Top White House officials knew that the CIA seriously disputed the claim that Saddam Hussein was seeking uranium in Africa long before the claim was included in Bush's January address to the nation," according to the Washington Post.11
* Secretary of State Colin Powell became alarmed at the level of intelligence distortion. When he read the first draft of his speech to the UN -- prepared for Powell by Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff -- he was so upset that he lost his temper, throwing several pages in the air and declaring, "I'm not reading this. This is bullsh--."12
Our democracy only works when we know the truth. We now know President Bush and his administration deliberately misled Congress and the American people. Censure is the least we should expect in response.
The independent inquiry will need a year or more to come to a conclusion, according to the Bush administration. It took less time than that for the country to go to war. We don't need more investigation, we need accountability, and we need it now.
Join our call on Congress to censure President Bush at:
http://www.moveon.org/censure/
We'll be holding a press conference in Washington on Thursday, announcing our campaign for Censure. If you sign on now, we can count your signature at the press conference. Please sign on right away.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
- Adam, Carrie, Eli, James, Joan, Laura, Noah, Peter, Wes, and Zack
The MoveOn.org Team
Tuesday, February 3, 2004
Footnotes:
1. Washington Post, January 28, 2004
2. Official White House transcript, March 17, 2003
3. Washington Post, February 2, 2004
4. An excellent, comprehensive rundown on the Bush administration's deliberate distortion of intelligence is available from the Center for American Progress
5. New York Times, January 26, 2004
6. Official White House transcript, January 28, 2003
7. Joseph Wilson Op-Ed, New York Times, July 6, 2003
Note: Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, had her CIA cover blown, possibly by the White House, in apparent retaliation for Wilson's contradicting the White House's line on WMDs.
8. MSNBC News, Oct. 24, 2003
9. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace report, "WMD in Iraq: Evidence and Implications", January, 2004
10. New York Times, July 8, 2003
11. Washington Post News Service, July 23, 2003
12. US News & World Report, June 9, 2003
Note: This article with the Powell quote is available for purchase from the US News & World Report archives for $2.95.
Dear MoveOn member,
During the buildup to war, President Bush said the United States "must not ignore the threat gathering against us. Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof -- the smoking gun -- that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud.... We have every reason to assume the worst, and we have an urgent duty to prevent the worst from occurring." 1
On the eve of sending troops into battle, Bush asserted that "intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised." 2
Now David Kay, the CIA’s chief weapons inspector, has testified before Congress that these weapons do not exist.
In an attempt to evade responsibility for the misleading statements that pushed the nation into war, Bush has announced plans to form an independent inquiry to look into what went wrong. An inquiry would serve the Bush administration well: it would envelop the issue in a fog of uncertainty, deflect blame onto the intelligence services, and delay any political damage until 2005, after the upcoming election. 3
But the facts need no clarification. Despite repeated warnings from the CIA and the Defense Intelligence Agency, President Bush and his administration hyped and distorted the threat that Iraq posed. 4 And now that reality is setting in, the President wants to pin the blame on someone else. We can't let him.
Congress has the power to censure the President -- to formally reprimand him for betraying the nation's trust. If ever there was a time for this, it's now. Join our call on Congress to censure President Bush at:
http://www.moveon.org/censure/
It's clear that we’ve been misled:
* David Kay said last week, "I'm personally convinced that there were not large stockpiles of newly produced weapons of mass destruction," and "We don't find the people, the documents or the physical plants that you would expect to find if the production was going on." 5 Kay said these things shortly after resigning from his post as Bush's chief weapons inspector in Iraq.
* Bush, in his 2003 State of the Union address, said, "the British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa." 6 Yet Ambassador Joe Wilson, who was sent to Niger in February 2002 to determine whether Iraq was trying to purchase uranium materials there, concluded that "intelligence related to Iraq's nuclear weapons program was twisted to exaggerate the Iraqi threat." 7
* A CIA report in February 2003 said: "We do not have any direct evidence that Iraq has used the period since [1998] to reconstitute its Weapons of Mass Destruction programs." 8
It's also clear that the misleading was deliberate:
* The respected Carnegie Endowment for International Peace recently found that the administration "systematically misrepresented the threat" from Iraq. 9
* The basis for President Bush's African uranium claim was known at the time to be forged and not credible.10 "Top White House officials knew that the CIA seriously disputed the claim that Saddam Hussein was seeking uranium in Africa long before the claim was included in Bush's January address to the nation," according to the Washington Post.11
* Secretary of State Colin Powell became alarmed at the level of intelligence distortion. When he read the first draft of his speech to the UN -- prepared for Powell by Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff -- he was so upset that he lost his temper, throwing several pages in the air and declaring, "I'm not reading this. This is bullsh--."12
Our democracy only works when we know the truth. We now know President Bush and his administration deliberately misled Congress and the American people. Censure is the least we should expect in response.
The independent inquiry will need a year or more to come to a conclusion, according to the Bush administration. It took less time than that for the country to go to war. We don't need more investigation, we need accountability, and we need it now.
Join our call on Congress to censure President Bush at:
http://www.moveon.org/censure/
We'll be holding a press conference in Washington on Thursday, announcing our campaign for Censure. If you sign on now, we can count your signature at the press conference. Please sign on right away.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
- Adam, Carrie, Eli, James, Joan, Laura, Noah, Peter, Wes, and Zack
The MoveOn.org Team
Tuesday, February 3, 2004
Footnotes:
1. Washington Post, January 28, 2004
2. Official White House transcript, March 17, 2003
3. Washington Post, February 2, 2004
4. An excellent, comprehensive rundown on the Bush administration's deliberate distortion of intelligence is available from the Center for American Progress
5. New York Times, January 26, 2004
6. Official White House transcript, January 28, 2003
7. Joseph Wilson Op-Ed, New York Times, July 6, 2003
Note: Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, had her CIA cover blown, possibly by the White House, in apparent retaliation for Wilson's contradicting the White House's line on WMDs.
8. MSNBC News, Oct. 24, 2003
9. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace report, "WMD in Iraq: Evidence and Implications", January, 2004
10. New York Times, July 8, 2003
11. Washington Post News Service, July 23, 2003
12. US News & World Report, June 9, 2003
Note: This article with the Powell quote is available for purchase from the US News & World Report archives for $2.95.
Tuesday, February 03, 2004
The Myth of High Drug Research Costs
from Blogcritics.org: this is an interesting and explanatory article on the bloated costs of prescription medicine.......
The Awesome Destructive Power of the Corporate Media
an article from dissident voice about the powers of our corporate media, which i try like hell to ignore completely.
TiVo Users Couldn't Get Enough of Janet Jackson
Yahoo! Newswhat is wrong with the world?
the fact that the most engrossing part of the super bowl was when a man ripped off parts of a woman's clothes is something i find greatly disturbing, and all too telling of our culture. the other two most popular moments were inane ads for beer. i have been told that more domestic violence cases are reported on super bowl sunday than any other day of the year. i am going to have to research that claim.
the fact that the most engrossing part of the super bowl was when a man ripped off parts of a woman's clothes is something i find greatly disturbing, and all too telling of our culture. the other two most popular moments were inane ads for beer. i have been told that more domestic violence cases are reported on super bowl sunday than any other day of the year. i am going to have to research that claim.
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