A lot of people think the internet is shortening our attention spans to the point where we won’t read anything that takes more than two minutes of our time. If that applies to you, then you might want to just move along. But if you can still focus on something for more time than it takes to watch a YouTube video, here’s some interesting stuff:
Requiem for a Maverick — a post-mortem on the McCain campaign.
Our Mutual Joy — Opponents of gay marriage often cite Scripture. But what the Bible teaches about love argues for the other side.
And one more — which technically isn’t long-format, but since it’s a month’s worth of blog posts, it might as well be — One Dollar Diet Project (here’s the premise and scroll down here for Day One).
Enjoy!
Your celebrity chef this evening is Jon Stewart. And your main course is a homophobe and his tiresome, pathetic attempt to hide behind his increasingly incoherent interpretation of the Bible, or his quickly cobbled together and rigid definition of marriage — which has, in fact, been constantly evolving over the years. If you need a straw for your beverage, just wait a moment — Huckabee will be grasping for one pretty soon.
Please people — if you’re really not trying to jam your religion down the throats of the rest of us, you’re going to have to come up with a non-Biblical reason for us to discriminate against homosexuals. Otherwise, well… we’re done and you’re wrong. The biblical argument doesn’t work.
(And don’t get me started on procreation — or do you think this marriage should have been prevented?)
Others cover the segment at Pam’s House Blend and Towleroad (also here).
And check out this clip (via Joe. My. God):
UPDATE: the inevitable, humorless response.
Here’s just a little dose of reality, presented in a handy-dandy pie chart…
This is good stuff. It is crazy that the Mormon church has spent millions of dollars and immeasurable effort to limit the rights of segment of our community and now they are whining because they having to own their actions. Cry me a river, Donnie, Marie, Mitt, et al.
(Here’s the money quote: “I hope Tony Perkins doesn’t pray to Jesus with that mouth.”)
Weather Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This
It was a gorgeous weekend here in East Tennessee. After Friday’s welcome rain, Saturday was sunny and warmer, but still with a hint of fall in the crisp air. The trees are taking on brilliant hues and their leaves are starting to fall. I spent much of the afternoon out among them, enjoying the lovely day. Autumn is my favorite season — even more so now that I live in the South. After the heat and humidity of a Tennessee summer, it’s a huge relief when cooler temperatures finally arrive. Add to that some wonderful colors and fragrances, and it’s a joy to behold.
Obama Kicks It Into Gear
His transition web site is up at change.gov (and it’s very hip!).
Welcome to a New Blogger
My favorite US governor, David Paterson, is blogging over at Pam’s House Blend. His first post, Historic, For All The Right Reasons, appeared on Wednesday. You can find an rss feed of Paterson’s posts here.
On Health Care
It was two weeks ago today that I threw my back out. I still sometimes look like a question mark, still can’t sit for very long, and I’m still not sleeping very well. And I’ve yet to get any real medical treatment — from a system that we, as Americans, pay more into per capita than anyone else in the industrialized world (and costs are escalating at an alarming rate).
I called my primary care physician immediately that day, and was able to get an appointment for last Wednesday. When I saw the doctor in a very brief appointment (for which I waited close to two hours), she said she would call in a referral to a physical therapist. Her nurse called me later that day to confirm the referral, but I’m still waiting to hear from the PT…
I’d love to compare notes with someone outside the US. I can’t imagine a health care system that’s worse than this one. I’m a very healthy, active person with supposedly good insurance, and yet two weeks after an injury, I’m still waiting for basic treatment.
I’ve Got No Use for Mormons
Last Tuesday night was indescribable. I was so nervous and for a lot of the evening, I saw lots of eggs, but no birds. And then suddenly, as the polls closed in western states at 11pm, there were the chickens I had steadfastly refused to count, even in those last days of the campaign, when others were starting to crow about the inevitability of an Obama win. I cheered, I laughed, I cried. Victory feels good. The elation was incredible, and it carried me to bed that night.
I woke up on Wednesday with a smile on my face, but then I sat down to check on some races still unsettled the night before, and learned that Prop 8 passed in California, along with similar initiatives in Florida in Arizona. What a crushing disappointment. The most disgusting part of Prop 8 is that its passage was largely funded by out-of-state contributions from the Mormons (should they still get to be tax exempt?). I don’t understand why these people feel so compelled to jam their twisted and deranged morality down the throats of the rest of us, but until they back off, the state of Utah and the Marriott hotel chain can kiss a lot of dollars goodbye.
(I would leave Bob and Sundance alone though — he’s a progressive activist and I’m sure the festival will find a creative way to weigh in on the issue.* Also, Steve Young is pretty much the only prominent Mormon who didn’t support Prop 8. On the other hand… Donny and Marie? Screw ‘em — a cashed version of a deleted post on the Osmand Family Blog speaks out in support of Prop 8.)
*UPDATE: then again, maybe not… hrmmm…
Today is the 10-year anniversary of the day Matthew Shepard died, six days after he was brutally beaten for being gay.
To mark the anniversary of Matthew’s death, Barack Obama issued the following statement:
Today, we pause to remember the heartbreaking and senseless murder of Matthew Shepard. A freshman at the University of Wyoming, Matthew was a young man committed to fighting for equality and changing the world around him. He was tragically taken from us far too early, an innocent victim of an abhorrent hate crime, and never had the chance to see his dreams realized.
In the ten years since Matthew’s passing, Congress has repeatedly and unacceptably failed to enact a federal hate crimes law that would protect all LGBT Americans. That’s not just a failure to honor Matthew’s memory; it’s a failure to deliver justice for all who have been victimized by hate crimes, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. All Americans deserve to live their lives free of fear, and as Americans, it is our moral obligation to stand up against bigotry and strive for equality for all.
Today, Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to Matthew’s parents, Judy and Dennis, and to all whose lives have been touched by unconscionable violence.
Matthew’s parents established The Matthew Shepard Foundation in the aftermath of his death. I got to meet Matthew’s mother, Judy, when she was in Chattanooga as the featured guest at a fundraiser for a LGBT organization. She’s a moving speaker whose incredible love for her son has been redirected into a passion for activism and an intense desire to replace hate with understanding, compassion and acceptance. After her speech, she patiently stuck around until everyone who lingered was able to have a few private words with her, and she demonstrated a real desire to hear each personal story that was shared with her. She made a genuine connection with so many people in such a short time, and left our area with many new Chattanooga friends. If you ever have the opportunity, go see her when she’s in your neck of the woods. And in the meantime, here’s a segment from MSNBC (via towleroad):
Hugs and best wishes to anyone and everyone who is taking the plunge this year! Find a few good, supportive friends and ignore the freepers while you find your footing… and many happy returns of the day!
While we here at Chez 10K have been distracted by the TV (for weeks, really — first by the Olympics and then by the Democratic and Republican conventions, respectively), the creative among us have been churning out the videos. Here’s a sampling:
