Friday, December 14, 2012
Via Karmic Blessings / FB:
Being
happy is a mindset. It's a choice that we have. Every obstacle is
opportunity in disguise. It stops being an obstacle when you stop seeing
it as a problem and see the opportunity.
Via Buddhism on Beliefnet:
| Daily Buddhist Wisdom | |||
| |||
JMG Headline Of The Day:
Via JMG: "Give Me" Vs "Let Me"
"That’s a fascinating microcosm of, and window into, broader political dynamics. When an initiative in this country is framed or understood largely as an attempt by a given constituency to get more, the opposition to it is frequently bolstered, the resistance strengthened. Even if the constituency is trying to right a wrong or rectify a disadvantage, 'Give me' can be a risky approach. 'Let me' is often a better one, and when voters hear gays and lesbians asking to participate in a hallowed institution for the most personal and heartfelt of reasons, voters may have a more positive reaction." - Frank Bruni, writing about an analysis of Washington state's voters.
JMG Editorial Of The Day:
From the Washington Post:
In striking down both laws, the Supreme Court could adopt the logic of the various appeals courts, or it could find other legally acceptable ways to avoid a sweeping ruling just yet. Same-sex couples could then marry in California, and married same-sex couples across the country could obtain federal benefits — but other states would have more time to consider their own policies on the issue. Such an outcome might disappoint those who see no justification for continued discrimination. But it would nevertheless be an important step in the right direction.Has your own paper opined on this topic?
Of course, the justices have a third option: upholding DOMA, Proposition 8 or both. Choosing that way would be a historic mistake. The court’s job is to determine judges’ proper role in moving the country away from discrimination, not to enshrine that discrimination in constitutional doctrine. However the court rules, its decision will be a guidepost on a road that eventually ends in legal and social acceptance of equal rights. It should not point backward.
Labels: DOMA, Proposition 8, SCOTUS, WaPo
Via JMG: World Net Daily Endorses Uganda's Plan To Imprison Homosexuals For Life
Labels: Africa, Christian Love, gay death penalty, Joseph Farah, religion, Scott Lively, Uganda, World Net Daily
Via JMG: VATICAN CITY: Pope Blesses Uganda's Rebecca "Kill The Gays" Kadaga
Ugandan Parliament Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, who last month promised the passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Act as a "Christmas gift to Christians," yesterday appeared in Vatican City to receive a blessing from the Pope. From the website of the Uganda Parliament:
Reposted from Joe
Kadaga who led a delegation of Ugandan legislators to the Vatican expressed delight at meeting the Pope and visiting St Peter’s Basilica. “I think this is a moment that cannot be repeated. We have been reading about him, hearing stories about St.Peter’s Basilica but now we are here physically. I think it is something that I will remember all my life. Its a very great moment and I thank God for this opportunity,” she said minutes after meeting the Pope. The Speaker dedicated to all Ugandans readings from the book of St. Mark which the Pope quoted in several languages during the Vatican mass.And there you have it. A blessing from the Pope upon the woman who wants you executed. It can't get any plainer than that, can it?
Labels: Catholic Church, Christian Love, cults, gay death penalty, organized crime, pope, Rebecca Kadaga, religion, Uganda, Vatican
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma December 14, 2012
Giving Without Regret
Buddhism
praises the value of generosity but warns that you shouldn’t give
something away if you’re likely to be upset later and regret giving it
away. Similarly, although it’s good to help others, we shouldn’t agree
to do something for another person if it will likely lead us to feel
exhausted, resentful, and angry at the other person. Each of us has to
judge our own capacities and set our boundaries accordingly.
|
- Lorne Ladner, "Taking a Stand"
Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through December 16th, 2012
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member
Via JMG: House GOP Raises DOMA Defense Budget
The Republican House secretly raised their budget to defend DOMA by $500,000 according to September documents just revealed.
House Administration Chairman Dan Lungren, R-Calif., signed off in September on a $500,000 increase in the maximum value of the contract with the firm, Washington-based Bancroft. Republicans have raised the cap of the contract twice: first on Sept. 29, 2011, from its original maximum of $500,000 to $1.5 million, and again on Sept. 28 to its new maximum of $2 million. Although the latest lifting of the contract cap occurred almost three months ago, House Democrats — and the public — were in the dark about the move until this week.Rep. Nancy Pelosi reacts on her official website:
Here they go again. It’s bad enough that Speaker Boehner and House Republicans are wasting taxpayer dollars to defend the indefensible Defense of Marriage Act – and losing in every case. Now, they have reached a new low – signing a secret contract to spend more public money on their legal boondoggle without informing Democrats. Their actions are simply unconscionable; their decisions are utterly irresponsible. “Hiding this contract from voters in the midst of an election season was a cynical move at best, and a betrayal of the public trust at worst. With Americans focused on the creation of jobs and the growth of our economy, Republicans should not be spending $2 million to defend discrimination in our country.
Labels: DOMA, GOP, John Boehner, LGBT rights
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Via Buddhism on Beliefnet:
| Daily Buddhist Wisdom | |||
| |||
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma December 13, 2012
Necessary Closeness
It
is not sufficient merely to see that sentient beings are suffering. You
must also develop a sense of closeness with them, a sense that they are
dear. With that combination—seeing that people suffer and thinking of
them as dear—you can develop compassion.
|
- Jeffrey Hopkins, "Everyone as a Friend"
Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through December 15th, 2012
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Via Buddhism on Beliefnet:
| Daily Buddhist Wisdom | |||
| |||
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma December 12, 2012
Accepting the Pain of Relationships
Mindfulness
can transform all our personal relationships—but only if we are willing
to feel the inevitable pain that relationships entail. When we turn
away from our distress, we inevitably abandon our loved ones as well as
ourselves. But when we mindfully and compassionately incline toward
whatever is arising within us, we can be truly present and alive for
ourselves and others.
|
- Christopher K. Germer, "Getting Along"
Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through December 14th, 2012
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member
Via JMG: Your Mother Made You Gay
Researchers at the University of California believe they've found another clue to the origins of homosexuality.
A group of scientists suggested Tuesday that homosexuals get that trait from their opposite-sex parents: A lesbian will almost always get the trait from her father, while a gay man will get the trait from his mother. The hereditary link of homosexuality has long been established, but scientists knew it was not a strictly genetic link, because there are many pairs of identical twins who have differing sexualities. Scientists from the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis say homosexuality seems to have an epigenetic, not a genetic link.Hit the link for much more and enjoy the uproar from God's Gentle People who are pouring into the comments.
Long thought to have some sort of hereditary link, a group of scientists suggested Tuesday that homosexuality is linked to epi-marks — extra layers of information that control how certain genes are expressed. These epi-marks are usually, but not always, "erased" between generations. In homosexuals, these epi-marks aren't erased — they're passed from father-to-daughter or mother-to-son, explains William Rice, an evolutionary biologist at the University of California Santa Barbara and lead author of the study.
UPDATE: Wasn't Fischer just saying it's a choice?
Via JMG: Scott Lively Endorses Uganda's "Revised" Plan To Imprison Homosexuals For Life
Lively writes on his blog:
Just because Secular Humanist America began to decriminalize sexual sins in civilian law starting in the early 1960s doesn’t mean criminal sanctions against homosexuality are “un-Christian.” Indeed, given the enormous damage to our culture from the so-called sexual revolution, it was obviously a big mistake for us to have done this. Knowing what we know now it is arguably more “un-Christian” to support the status quo than to support a return to the legal framework of the 1940s and 50s regarding sexual misbehavior.[snip] There is one easy, guaranteed method of protecting oneself from ever being subject to the Anti-Homosexuality law in Uganda: Don’t Commit Sodomy! We all seem to forget, in the dense propaganda haze of American popular opinion, that homosexuality is defined by voluntary sexual acts. Homosexuals are no more compelled to commit sodomy with each other than a married man is compelled to cheat on his wife.He concludes: "Since the alternative to passing this bill is to allow the continuing, rapid, foreigner-driven homosexualization of Ugandan culture, I am giving the revised Anti Homosexuality Bill my support."
It's important to note that Scott Lively enjoys the full-throated endorsement of other anti-gay hate groups, including the Family Research Council, Mission America, and Americans For Truth About Homosexuality. Will any of these groups object to Lively's support for life imprisonment for LGBT people? Don't hold your fucking breath.
Labels: Africa, bigotry, Christian Love, fascists, gay death penalty, God's Gentle People, hate groups, religion, Scott Lively, Uganda
Via JMG: Uruguay House Overwhelmingly Approves Same-Sex Marriage By 81-6 Vote
Eighty-one of the 99 members of Uruguay's House of Representatives voted to legalize same-sex marriage this evening. Twelve members of the chamber were not present for the vote. The bill now advances to the Senate, where support is equally strong, according to LGBT activists. President José Mujica plans to sign the measure into law in early 2013. "Very happy here!" said Álvaro Queiruga of the LGBT lobby group Colectivo Ovejas Negras (Black Sheep Collective). Uruguay will be the 12th nation to offer same-sex marriage nationwide. Same-sex marriage is legal in Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and Mexico (where same-sex marriage is legal in the Federal District, i.e. Mexico City, and in the state of Oaxaca, and those marriages are recognized nationwide).Yet another victory in our best year ever. So far!
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Via Buddhism on Beliefnet:
| Daily Buddhist Wisdom | |||
| |||
Impeach Supreme Court Justic!e Antonin Scalia!
Justice Antonin Scalia Compares Gay Sex To Bestiality And Murder (AGAIN)
Speaking at Princeton University, Scalia was asked by a gay student why he equates laws banning sodomy with those barring bestiality and murder. "I don't think it's necessary, but I think it's effective," Scalia said, adding that legislative bodies can ban what they believe to be immoral. Scalia has been giving speeches around the country to promote his new book, "Reading Law," and his lecture at Princeton comes just days after the court agreed to take on two cases that challenge the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman.Scalia also again rejected arguments that the U.S. Constitution should be considered a "living document" that can be updated to reflect the times. He said, "It's dead, dead, dead, dead,"
Some in the audience who had come to hear Scalia speak about his book applauded but more of those who attended the lecture clapped at freshman Duncan Hosie's question. "It's a form of argument that I thought you would have known, which is called the 'reduction to the absurd,'" Scalia told Hosie of San Francisco during the question-and-answer period. "If we cannot have moral feelings against homosexuality, can we have it against murder? Can we have it against other things?"
Labels: Antonin Scalia, disgusting, DOMA, homosexuality, LGBT rights, Proposition 8, SCOTUS
![Não tente adivinhar o que as pessoas pensam a seu respeito.
''Faça a sua parte, se doe sem medo.
O que importa mesmo é o que você é.
Mesmo que outras pessoas não se importem.
Atitudes simples podem melhorar sua vida.
Não julgue para não ser julgado...
Um covarde é incapaz de demonstrar amor
- isso é privilégio dos corajosos.''
@[166071803419940:128:Mahatma Gandhi]](https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/s480x480/66034_387705681310585_807538471_n.jpg)
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma December 11, 2012
Freed from Fixations
Our
lack of self frees us from the compulsion to secure ourselves within
the world. We do not need to become more real by becoming wealthy, or
famous, or powerful, or beautiful. We are able to realize our nonduality
with the world because we are freed from such fixations.
|
- David Loy, "Healing Ecology"
Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through December 13th, 2012
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member
Monday, December 10, 2012
JMG Quote Of The Day - Maureen Dowd
The experts will sift through the ruins of the Reagan Presidential Library, Dick Cheney’s shotgun casings, Orca poll monitoring hieroglyphics, remnants of triumphal rants by Dick Morris on Fox News, faded photos of Clint Eastwood and an empty chair, and scraps of ancient tape in which a tall, stiff man, his name long forgotten, gnashes his teeth about the 47 percent of moochers and the 'gifts' they got. Instead of smallpox, plagues, drought and Conquistadors, the Republican decline will be traced to a stubborn refusal to adapt to a world where poor people and sick people and black people and brown people and female people and gay people count." - Maureen Dowd, writing for the New York Times.
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma December 10, 2012
The Gift of Compassion
True
dana is about giving with no expectation of return. One who receives a
gift of compassion is promised nothing more than the emotional boost of
knowing good has been done. But as we groan under the weight of our
possessions, that in itself can be a priceless gift. Altruism is a
proven tonic.
|
- Joan Duncan Oliver, "Gifts that Keep Giving"
Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through December 12th, 2012
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Via JMG: Pet Shop Boys - He Dreamed Of Machines
Pet Shop Boys have created a tribute piece to gay British computer genius Alan Turing. Yesterday they wrote on their blog:
Last night's concert with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra was a wonderful experience for us. The orchestra played with such luxurious power and conviction, conducted by Dominic Wheeler, and the Manchester Chamber Choir brought ethereal beauty to, for instance, "Miracles" and "He dreamed of machines" (from our new piece about Alan Turing). To hear Johnny Marr playing the guitar riff from "This must be the place I waited years to leave" was a real thrill so many years after he played on the original record; his acoustic guitar playing on "Breathing space" was gorgeous. Other highlights for me were performing live for the first time "It couldn't happen here", "The survivors" and "For all of us". Sven Helbig's orchestral arrangements were both magnificent and subtle: "New York City boy" was returned to Broadway; "He dreamed of machines" had a pale beauty.The first clip below is a fan-created video for He Dreamed Of Machines. Below that is the full audio of Wednesday's collaboration with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, which has been reviewed here.
(Tipped by JMG reader Paul)
Reposted from Joe
JMG Quote Of The Day - Edith Windsor
Via JMG: NEW POLLS: Majorities Support Marriage In Oregon, Illinois, New Jersey
Public Policy Polling reports that majorities in Oregon, New Jersey, and Illinois support the passage of same-sex marriage.
Oregon voters are ready to legalize same sex marriage. 77% think they should be able to have a say on the issue, and 54% say they would vote to legalize it with 40% opposed. Independents support it by a 64/33 margin and there are more Republicans (17%) ready to make it legal than there are Democrats (15%) who aren't. Voters under 45 support it by a 68/30 spread.(Tipped by JMG reader Matthew)
New Jersey voters think same sex marriage should be allowed in their state by a 53/36 margin, and Illinois voters believe it should be permitted by a 47/42 spread. A few things stand out on the New Jersey numbers. There are more Republicans (21%) who support same sex marriage than Democrats (19%) who oppose it. There's also 54/36 favor for it among independents. 72% of voters in the state think they should be allowed to vote on the issue.
In Illinois even though there's only narrow overall support for same sex marriage the numbers are 58% for and 37% against among voters under 45, another sign that it's just a matter of time given the big generational divide on the issue. Black voters, perhaps following the lead of President Obama, think it should be legal by a 60/16 spread. That's a much wider margin than we see with them nationally.
Labels: Illinois, LGBT rights, marriage equality, New Jersey, Oregon, polls
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma
Tricycle Daily Dharma December 9, 2012
To Recognize Emptiness
Every
moment of experience is contingent on a vast complex of myriad
conditions. Nothing exists in and of itself as 'this' or 'that,' 'self'
or 'other.' Everything is what it is only in relation to what it is not.
To recognize this emptiness is not to negate things but to glimpse what
enables anything to happen at all.
|
- Stephen Batchelor, "Nagarjuna’s Verses from the Center"
Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through December 11th, 2012
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma December 8, 2012
Participating in Divinity
When
we make the effort to understand what may seem strange in the religious
practices of others, we may find that it opens the door to something
beyond the particular case, something quite general: the capacity of
humans to participate in divinity.
|
- Robert Bellah, "The R Word"
Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through December 10th, 2012
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member
Friday, December 7, 2012
Via JMG: SCOTUS Reactions
ACLU
Windsor is represented by attorneys from Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP; the American Civil Liberties Union; the New York Civil Liberties Union and the Stanford Law School Supreme Court Litigation Clinic. While New York and eight other states now give same-sex couples the freedom to marry, DOMA requires otherwise legally married same-sex couples like Edie and Thea to be treated by the federal government as if they had never married,” said New York Civil Liberties Union executive director, Donna Lieberman. “It is time for the Supreme Court to strike down this unconstitutional statute once and for all.”NY Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell
While I am disappointed that Californians will now have to wait even longer for Marriage Equality to be restored in their state, I am profoundly hopeful that the Supreme Court is taking this opportunity to consider the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act. I was proud to help lead New York’s successful Marriage Equality fight, but until the federal government recognizes marriages like mine, we have not achieved true Marriage Equality.GLAD
DOMA creates a gay-only exception to federal recognition of state-licensed marriages, and we believe that the federal government should stop discriminating against same-sex couples legally married by their states. We know from working with legally married same-sex couples since 2004 in Massachusetts that DOMA undermines their security in every aspect of life and death. GLAD has been leading the fight for marriage equality for two decades, including the historic marriage equality breakthroughs in Massachusetts and Connecticut. That the issue will soon be heard by the Supreme Court is a vindication of our work to achieve equal protection under the law for same-sex couples. This day has been long in the making, and we are committed to the success of this case.Empire State Pride Agenda
Although marriage equality in New York and the recent wins in Maine, Maryland and Washington were major victories, DOMA currently prevents our marriages from being recognized on the federal level. This means that our commitments are not honored and our families are not protected by the federal government. We are hopeful that the Supreme Court will grant all married couples, in New York and other states, the recognition they deserve by upholding the multiple lower court rulings that have already declared sections of DOMA and Proposition 8 unconstitutional. We view these deliberations as necessary to end discrimination and advance full equality for all Americans.Human Rights Campaign
Today is a milestone day for equal justice under the law and for millions of loving couples who want to make a lifelong commitment through marriage. The passage of Proposition 8 caused heartbreak for so many Americans, but today’s announcement gives hope that we will see a landmark Supreme Court ruling for marriage this term. As the Court has ruled 14 times in the past, marriage is a fundamental right and I believe they will side with liberty, freedom and equality, moving us toward a more perfect union as they have done in the past. “Proposition 8 has been already been declared unconstitutional in Federal District Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Now the Supreme Court has an opportunity to do the same and send a resounding message of hope to LGBT young people from coast to coast that they have the same dignity and same opportunities for the future as everyone else.Freedom To Marry
By agreeing to hear a case against the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, the Court can now move swiftly to affirm what 10 federal rulings have already said: DOMA’s ‘gay exception’ to how the federal government treats married couples violates the Constitution and must fall. When it comes to the whole federal safety net that accompanies marriage – access to Social Security survivorship, health coverage, family leave, fair tax treatment, family immigration, and over 1000 other protections and responsibilities -- couples who are legally married in the states should be treated by the federal government as what they are: married." “Additionally, gay and lesbian couples in California – and indeed, all over the country – now look to the Supreme Court to affirm that the Constitution does not permit states to strip something as important as the freedom to marry away from one group of Americans.CA Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom
Today marks the beginning of the end for a California journey that started eight years ago when San Francisco issued same-sex marriage licenses. By agreeing to hear the Proposition 8 case the U.S. Supreme Court could end, once and for all, marriage inequity in California. Forty-five years after the Supreme Court ruled that marriages between interracial couples were constitutional in Loving vs. Virginia, Justices can once again reaffirm the basic American principal of equality for all. Today’s announcement starts the clock towards the final decision for California. History will one day be divided into the time before marriage equality and the period that follows. And thankfully, we will be on the side of history worthy of being proud of.Marriage Equality USA
It’s crystal clear that the United States Supreme Court should rule in favor of the freedom to marry. Our Constitution guarantees every American the fundamental human right to marry the person they love – regardless of their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or any other external characteristic. Proposition 8 targeted lesbian and gay people – and lesbian and gay people alone – to take away their freedom to marry and thus exclude them from the American dream. Proposition 8 cannot stand.NGLTF
The recent election signaled just how far we’ve come on the path toward treating all families fairly, with landmark statewide victories affirming the right of loving, committed same-sex couples to share in the celebration and responsibilities of marriage. This long road to the high court has been filled with thousands of personal conversations about why marriage matters to us, and of how discrimination hurts our families. The transformative nature of talking about our love and our lives is clear, as we saw with the recent sweeping statewide marriage victories, and in the fact that the majority of Americans now supports the freedom to marry. But the journey is not finished, for as long as DOMA and Prop. 8 remain intact, then true equality remains out of reach. It’s time the Supreme Court strike down DOMA and Proposition 8, once and for all.More as they arrive....
Labels: ACLU, Daniel O'Donnell, DOMA, LGBT rights, Proposition 8, Protect Marriage, SCOTUS
Via JMG: BREAKING: Supreme Court To Hear Proposition 8 & Windsor DOMA Cases
Trying to sort this all out, it is clear that the Court has agreed to consider the merits case in Prop. 8, because that is what the petition presented as its question, but that it is also going to address whether the proponents had a right to pursue their case. If the Court were to find that the proponents did not have Art. III standing, that is the end of the matter: there would be no review on the merits of Proposition 8, or of the 9th CA decision striking it down.UPDATE: The decisions have been posted.
Reposted from Joe
Via Gay Politics Report:
- LGBT Americans feel increasing acceptance, poll finds
- Ninety-one percent of LGBT Americans say people in their communities have become more accepting of them in recent years, a poll finds, but almost as many say discrimination is still a somewhat serious or very serious problem in the U.S. The USA TODAY/Gallup poll also found that 53% of all Americans now say they support allowing same-sex couples to marry, compared with 27% in a 1996 Gallup poll. USA Today (12/5)
Via FB:
"Through our practice of mindfulness we become aware of the feelings which arise when we make sense contacts. Feelings happen all the time and need to be recog
nised so that we can change our
instinctive way of living to a deliberate way of being alive.
Instinctively we are a constant reactor; deliberately we become an
actor."
- Ayya Kema
- Ayya Kema
Via Buddhism on Beliefnet:
| Daily Buddhist Wisdom | |||
| |||
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)