Monday, March 19, 2012

President Obama's Nowruz Message

Brian and Alfonso Fight DOMA Deportation in Immigration Court After More Than A Decade Together

Enviado por em 15/03/2012
 
"Our life was on a happy, albeit somewhat boringly ordinary, trajectory until one fateful night last summer. That night and the events that followed have brought me to a whole new level of understanding about how precarious Alfonso's life had been up to this point. That night we were pulled over for a routine traffic stop. The local law enforcement did their regular background checks and that is when the train went off of the proverbial rails. Within a few hours I learned that something called an "immigration hold" had been placed on Alfonso's file, so even though he was not charged with any crime by the local authorities and had no criminal record they were not allowed to release him. They took my husband away in chains and put him in a county jail. The day before I was going to have my first visitation they moved him to a different jail. Then the day before I was going to be allowed to visit him at the 2nd jail they transferred him to a 3rd facility, a federal immigration facility. It was there in San Francisco, a week after this nightmare began, that I was finally allowed to visit my husband for the first time since the nightmare began. Even though he is not a criminal, they brought him in to a tiny visitation booth in handcuffs and we sat there talking and crying until they took him away 10 minutes later." www.stopthedeportations.com


Lesbian Grandmothers from Mars

Via Follower of the Buddha: Loving Kindness, Wellbeing and Happiness


‎"In every direction," said the Buddha, "above, below, around, and within, you see things you know and recognize. Put them down. Do not let consciousness dwell on the products of existence and things that come and go, for there is no rest of relief there. When you understand that by taking the objects of the world for granted as total reality, you are tied to the world, then this understanding will release you from your dependence on objects and will stop your craving and your desire for constant becoming. Then you can let go your hold and engage with things as they are, instead."
Sutta Nipata
 
‎"In every direction," said the Buddha, "above, below, around, and within, you s...See More
 

Via JMG: What GOProud Really Wants


Not only does GOProud oppose a federal anti-bullying law, they are cloaking their support for school vouchers by claiming it would protect gay kids. In fact, what GOProud really wants is to further erode the crumbling public education system by having the government redirect funds to private religious schools. Or as in the case of the Santorums, pay the parents themselves for home schooling. All this "protection" talk is just a smokescreen, folks.


reposted from Joe

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma March 19, 2012

One Hundred Percent One

Human beings understand too much. But what they understand is just somebody’s opinion. Like a dog barking. American dog say, 'Woof, woof.' Korean dog say, 'Mung, mung.' Polish dog say, 'How, how.' So which dog barking is correct? That is human beings’ barking, not 'dog' barking. If dog and you become one hundred percent one, then you know sound of barking. This is Zen teaching. Boom! Become one.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Via It's ok to be Takei:

JMG Photo Of The Day


Here's another shot that Dr. Jeff took as he landed at LGA. Amazing and embiggens wonderfully. Previously.


reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Tea Party Leader Busted For Rape


Michael Kobulnicky, spokesperson for the San Diego Tea Party, has been arrested for rape and assault.
Kobulnicky is accused of a Feb. 25 abduction and sexual assault of a 56-year-old woman who was walking home near Linda Vista Road in Fiesta Island. The woman was pulled into a car and assaulted, then left on the island, police said. Surveillance footage of the area near the assault gave police evidence to pursue a suspect. They released a picture of the suspect to the public, and many identified the suspect as Kobulnicky, police said. Kobulnicky was booked into San Diego Central Jail on numerous felony charges, including kidnapping, sexual assault and sex with a foreign object.
Four days ago Kobulnicky endorsed a national boycott of Red Bull: "Don't buy Red Bull. Look at what they think about Jesus. There is such an attack against Christianity now and hopefully Christians stand up for what they believe! "


Reposted from Joe

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma March 18, 2012

The Essence of Mind in a Single Moment

Instead of thinking of this and that, one thing after the other, let your mind recognize itself in a single moment. When the mind recognizes itself, there is no thing to see there. It’s just wide open. That’s because the essence of mind is empty. It’s wide open and free.
- Tsoknyi Rinpoche, "Dissolving the Confusion"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Via JMG: Focus Praises KONY 2012

Yesterday Focus On The Family posted this clip praising Invisible Children, but made no mention that they are secretly funding the group. Such a pity that this clip went up at the precise hour that the KONY 2012 filmmaker was busted naked, raving, and masturbating on the streets of San Diego. Tragic, really.

 

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posted by Joe

 

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma March 17, 2012

Dualism and Swinging Doors

Our usual understanding of life is dualistic: you and I, this and that, good and bad. But actually these discriminations are themselves the awareness of the universal existence. 'You' means to be aware of the universe in the form of you, and 'I' means to be aware of it in the form of I. You and I are just swinging doors.
- Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, "Breathing"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

Catholic Church Officially Anti-Gay Bigots

Friday, March 16, 2012

Via ॐ Thich Nhat Hanh Quote Collective ॐ: Awakening ourselves..


We have to awaken ourselves to the truth that we are here, alive. We are here making steps on this beautiful planet.

--Thich Nhat Hanh--

Via JMG: Brazilian Hate Leader Defends Scott Lively


Infamous anti-gay activist Julio Severo, the Brazilian counterpart to Peter LaBarbera, has published a blog entry defending evangelist Scott Lively, who this week was sued in U.S. court for inciting the murders of Ugandan homosexuals.
Gay activists live risky lives with their lovers and male prostitutes, and should Christian ministers be blamed for their immoral choices? I supposed that if Lively were a Muslim cleric visiting Uganda and preaching death to all homosexuals, he would be left in peace by homosexualist groups, by George Soros-funded groups and even by American hate crime laws. Capital punishment is used frequently against homosexuals in Muslim nations, even when these homosexuals did not commit any rape of children or another major crime. Yet, international groups never charge these nations of “Crimes against Humanity”.

Certainly, there are Muslims preaching death to homosexuals. Where are the Western “human rights” groups to say that these Muslims committed “Crimes against Humanity”? The lawsuit against Rev. Scott Lively is a very dangerous precedent for all Christians fighting the gay agenda. A powerful orchestration of homosexualist and socialist individuals and groups is using a gay group in Uganda to have Lively prosecuted as a “Criminal against Humanity”! If their efforts succeed, no pro-family Christian in the West will be safe. You will not be safe. I will not be safe.

reposted from Joe

Via Gay Politics Report:

  • Dems try to tamp down platform discussion
    Democratic political operatives in Washington, D.C., have begun a push to lower the volume on discussions about adding support for marriage equality to the party platform, according to this article. Some top Democrats reportedly remain unconvinced that it's politically wise to add language to the party platform fully supporting marriage rights for same-sex couples. A campaign to add such language, which was launched by the group Freedom to Marry, is backed by several high-profile Democrats. The Huffington Post (3/15) LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmail this Story
  • Group looks to help lawmakers evolve on marriage: Third Way, a centrist Democratic group, has distributed a memo advising members of Congress on how to embrace marriage rights for same-sex couples. "We hope this will be helpful as more and more politicians feel the urge to 'evolve' from supporting civil unions to allowing committed gay couples to marry," said Lanae Erickson, the group's deputy director of social policy and politics. The Huffington Post (3/15) LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmail this Story

Via ॐ Thich Nhat Hanh Quote Collective ॐ

 
When we have anger in us, we suffer. When we have discrimination in us, we suffer. When we have the complex of superiority, we suffer. When we have the complex of inferiority, we suffer also. So when we are capable of transforming these negative things in us, we are free and happiness is possible.
~Thich Nhat Hanh
 

Via AmericaBlogGay:


Dem. Platform problems: Huff Post reports resistance to marriage equality plank

This is not good. Not surprising. But, not good:

"The DNC folks -- their political shop -- have been calling people and really pressuring them," said Paul Yandura, a political and fundraising strategist at the firm Scott+Yandura who led gay and lesbian outreach on both Bill Clinton and Al Gore's presidential campaigns. "Look, I'm not going to claim that they're pressuring them not to be for it, but this 'let's wait' thing is always what happens in politics -- let's wait so they can find a way to slow this down and maybe get a good reason not to do it."

"But that doesn't mean that activists and other people have to wait and see," Yandura added. "I think that we have to keep up the pressure."

Melanie Roussell, a spokesperson for the DNC, did not directly refute Yandura's assertion. Instead, she emphasized the party's commitment to equality and inclusion, with respect to both LGBT Americans and the platform process.

"The President and the Party are committed to crafting a platform that reflects our values and a belief that this is a nation in which everyone deserves a fair shot and hard work is rewarded," she wrote in an email to The Huffington Post. “The time will come to consider the content of the platform but not a single platform committee member has been chosen and the process has yet to begin."

Several Democratic sources working with the committee have acknowledged that conversations were already underway about how to placate the pro-same-sex marriage majority inside the party without alienating culturally conservative Democrats in states like Ohio and North Carolina, where the convention is being held.
The usual apologists are giving the usual excuses. The DNC's LGBT caucus isn't even on board yet. Pathetic. Read the full article by Sam Stein and Amanda Terkel. They did some very good reporting on this one.

This could all be solved if the President would just evolve already. Instead, it's clear we can expect more political kabuki as the DNC and OFA try to avoid doing what everyone knows should be done.

And, in case the DNC forgot, there's an anti-gay referendum on the May 8th ballot in North Carolina, with which we could use some help. It's called Amendment 1. I think the convention will be a lot more fun for people if Amendment 1 loses.

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma March 16, 2012

Putting the Body to Good Use

What should you do to put your body to good use? Most people have no idea. A craftsman who borrows some tools will try to make the best possible use of them while they are available. Your body, too, is actually on loan to you for the time being, for the brief period left before it is taken back from you by death. Had you better not use it to practice the dharma while you can?
- Dilgo Khyentse, “The Day After You Die”
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection