Via The Chronicle Review: The Evolutionary Mystery of Homosexuality

November 19, 2012

The Evolutionary Mystery of Homosexuality

By David P. Barash

Matt Manley for The Chronicle Review

Critics claim that evolutionary biology is, at best, guesswork. The reality is otherwise. Evolutionists have nailed down how an enormous number of previously unexplained phenomena—in anatomy, physiology, embryology, behavior—have evolved. There are still mysteries, however, and one of the most prominent is the origins of homosexuality.

The mystery is simple enough. Its solution, however, has thus far eluded our best scientific minds.

Make the jump here to read the full article 

Via JMG: BRITAIN: What If A Future King Is Gay?

British Labor MP Paul Flynn is preparing an interesting bill. Via Pink News:

Parliament is due to pass legislation shortly to allow for the first child of Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge to rule as monarch regardless of whether they are a boy or a girl. Now Labour MP Paul Flynn is gathering support for an amendment that will extend the protection to include the eventuality that the child is gay or lesbian.  If accepted, the change to the law could lead to the reign of an openly gay or lesbian king or queen and for their same-sex partner to be recognised as consort. Any children born to the couple through artificial insemination or surrogacy would succeed to the throne so long as the couple are in a same-sex marriage or civil partnership. Current inheritance laws mean that if the couple had a child through adoption, they would not join the line of succession for the throne and it is not clear MPs would seek to change this.

Labels: Britain, marriage equality, royals, UK

Reposted from Joe

Via Path To Peace & Happiness / FB:

Meditation is participatory observation.
What you are looking at responds to the process of looking.
What you are looking at is you, and what you see depends on how you look.  

~Bhante Henepola Gunaratana

 

 

Via Buddhism - Path To Peace

 

Forward: An Anthem for Obama's Second Term (Official Video)

Via WinTrade / FB:

Hoje foi bomba de todo lado!!! O pregão passou o dia oscilando em leves altas e baixas, mas terminou no vermelho. Sem tendências para seguir, o Ibovespa encerrou em queda de 0,38%. A China apresentou o pior PIB em 13 anos, os EUA voltaram a ser pressionados pelo abismo fiscal e os indicadores da Europa foram desanimadores. Saiba mais em #papodepregao http://bit.ly/XJSQNW

Via FB:

Via Buddhist Boot Camp / FB:

If you’ve ever taken a puppy for a walk, you know that it runs after everything that sparks its curiosity. After we train it to obey some simple commands, however, it grows to be our obedient and intuitive best friend.

The mind can be just as active and difficult to control as a puppy, yet we’ve never trained it to listen to us. Why haven’t we done this? Our mind chases random thoughts, jumps to conclusions, and has a hard time staying focused. We have so little control of it, in fact, that sometimes we can’t even turn it off at the end of the day. If it were a puppy, we would be very upset!

We know that Buddhism is about training the mind, and that there are many methods of doing so. The second principle of Buddhist Boot Camp is that our thoughts become words, and our words become actions. To train the mind, however, Buddhist Boot Camp suggests working backward. Start by changing your actions, then be mindful of your speech, and your thoughts will eventually follow.

First, recognize and eliminate your bad habits (whatever they may be). If you habitually act out of anger, for example, then there’s no fertile soil in your mind for the seed of gratitude to grow. To think positively, your actions must be in line with your intentions.

Be part of the solution by not being part of the pollution, for it isn’t enough to simply study Buddhism; we must practice what we learn!

Training the mind requires a lot of self-control, determination, and freedom from anger (whether you follow this particular method, transcendental meditation, yoga, or any other approach).

Buddhist Boot Camp is not here to necessarily teach you anything new, but to encourage you to put into practice what you already know; to point you in the direction of gratitude and unconditional love. We can’t just THINK ABOUT compassion and kindness; we must BE compassionate and kind. Now let’s get to work!

thanks and many _/|\_'s to Buddhist Boot Camp for this

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma January 20, 2013

Abandoning Futile Endeavors

To look for total satisfaction in oneself is a futile endeavor. Since everything changes from moment to moment, where can self and where can satisfaction be found? Yet these are two things that the whole world is looking for and it sounds quite reasonable, doesn’t it? But since these are impossible to find, everybody is unhappy. Not necessarily because of tragedies, poverty, sickness, or death: simply because of unfilled desire. Everybody is looking for something that isn’t available.

- Ayya Khema, “No Satisfaction”

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through January 21st, 2013
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member

Via Unreal Americans / FBP:

Via Gay Marriage Oregon / FB:

Via JMG: NEW MEXICO: Democratic State Rep Proposes Ballot Measure On Marriage

New Mexico state Rep. Brian Egolf yesterday introduced a bill that would place a constitutional amendment to legalize same-sex marriage on an upcoming public ballot.

“It’s time to recognize all the families in New Mexico who are headed by same-sex couples,” Egolf said Thursday. The proposal probably won’t have an easy time in the Legislature. Lawmakers in recent years haven’t even been able to pass legislation calling for state-recognized domestic partnership agreements. Egolf’s House Joint Resolution 3 says, “The issuance of a marriage license shall not be denied on the basis that the sex of both applicants is the same. No church or religious institution shall be required to perform a marriage ceremony or recognize a marriage for religious purposes that conflicts with the church’s or religious institution’s beliefs.” The measure, whose co-sponsors include Rep. Stephen Easley, D-Santa Fe, will first be heard in the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee.

Labels: LGBT rights, marriage equality, New Mexico

Reposted from Joe

Me: "VIVA NEW MEXICO!"

Via Truebook.org / FB

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma January 19, 2013

The Reward of Practice

As you bring alignment, relaxation, and resilience into your daily life, your breath automatically becomes fuller and starts moving through your entire body, just as the Buddha suggested in his description of meditation. Without forcing a thing, let your breath breathe you: breathe into your entire body, and breathe out just as effortlessly. This condition, nothing more, nothing less, is really the reward and benefit of the practice.

- Will Johnson, “Full Body, Empty Mind”

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through January 20th, 2013
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member

Via Gay Politics Report:

• European court rules faith doesn't trump LGBT laws
   
• The European Court of Human Rights, ruling in several cases testing the rights of people of faith, said religious objections are not sufficient to absolve certain individuals from complying with LGBT non-discrimination laws. "The court showed conclusively that the principle of equality and equal treatment cannot be circumvented with a simple reference to religion," said Sophie in ‘t Veld, vice-president of the European Parliament’s LGBT Intergroup. GlobalPost.com (1/15), Washington Blade (Washington, D.C.) (1/16)     

Via JMG: Dear Abby Dies At 94

Dear Abby advice columnist Pauline Phillips has died at the age of 94. Phillips was known for being one of earliest and most widely-read supporters of gay people.

Phillips’ column competed for decades with the advice column of Ann Landers, written by her twin sister, Esther Friedman Lederer. Their relationship was stormy in their early adult years, but later they regained the close relationship they had growing up in Sioux City, Iowa. The two columns differed in style. Ann Landers responded to questioners with homey, detailed advice. Abby’s replies were often flippant one-liners. She willingly expressed views that she realized would bring protests. In a 1998 interview she remarked: “Whenever I say a kind word about gays, I hear from people, and some of them are damn mad. People throw Leviticus, Deuteronomy and other parts of the Bible to me. It doesn’t bother me. I’ve always been compassionate toward gay people.”

Ann Landers died in 2002. Dear Abby is written today Phillips' daughter, Jeanne.

Labels: newspapers, obituary, writers

Reposted from Joe

Via Gray Queers shared The LGBT Project / FB

Via Buddhism on Beliefnet:

	Daily Buddhist Wisdom
	A mind unshaken when touched by the worldly states, sorrowless, stainless, and secure, this is the blessing supreme. Those who have fulfilled all these are everywhere invincible; they find well-being everywhere, theirs is the blessing supreme. - (adapted from) Mangala Sutta More Buddhism Quotes >>

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma January 18, 2013

Body in Practice

In a sense, all of Buddhist practice takes place here, in this most intimate realm: here, in the family, shoulder to shoulder with fellow workers, beside each other on the cushion. Even alone in a cave, there is no way out of the sense object we call the body. We meet each other face to face, and so have all our teachers and ancestors met each other. In this way have all the Buddhas taught. Hand to sweating hand.

- Sallie Tisdale, "Washing Out Emptiness"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through January 19th, 2013
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member

Via Give a Damn Campaign / FB: