The Daily Wormwood

America’s 10 highest-paid CEOs (and are they worth it?)

2011-12-25T17:17:00.000-08:00

America’s 10 highest-paid CEOs (and are they worth it?)

And, gee, strangely enough, they are all men!

Religion & Society vs. Divinity

2011-01-23T15:21:00.000-08:00

As some of you may know, I have started a Master of Divinity program at Claremont School of Theology. Yes, I am doing exactly the thing I said I wouldn't do... I am studying to become a minister. "Never name the well you will not drink from".

My undergraduate degree is in Religion & Society, which is best described as "Cultural Studies though the lens of religion". It is an academic pursuit. I wanted to stay firmly attached to my security blanket of logic. I wanted to avoid the somewhat more emotionally uncertain area of ministry... not to mention the fact that I did not want to be attached to any one tradition. I feel that once a person identifies too closely with any particular religious tradition, one very quickly loses all objectivity. I SWORE I would not do that... and yet, here I am.

I have, at this writing, concluded my first week of classes. I LOVE my classes! I LOVE this school! Having the opportunity to study here is such a privilege that sometimes I can't believe that it is really happening to me. However, I am studying "divinity" here, NOT "religion & society".

One of the first things that I noticed as being most obvious here is that all of my classes are taught from a Christian point of view... which is appropriate, since this is part of this school's mission. However, it is sometimes hard for me to get used to. NONE of my classes at Syracuse University were taught in this way, and the language of it and the feel of it takes some getting used to. The second thing that I noticed is that. apparently, very nearly all of the other students identify as Christians. This causes me to feel this need to blurt out, almost inappropriately "I'M A UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST!"

One thing that I really liked about the way classes were approached at SU, there was never any condescending language ever used in any of the classes about any religion. In other words, teachers never said things like "superstitious savages used to believe that the trees and rocks had spirits in them." Instead, the teacher would say, simply "The trees and rocks have spirits" and this would be in context with whatever they were talking about at the time. I used to just WAIT for someone to make some kind of a negative or sarcastic remark... I was always amazed when it didn't happen. And, so far, here at CST, the same seems to be also true. Even though I know the focus is Christian, and even when we are discussing non-Christian belief systems, so far I have not once heard that nasty little self-righteous dig... and for this I am grateful.

So, so far, all is well. Hopefully, I will post more often. I am sure this experience will lead me to having a lot to say.

Anne Hutchinson, Unauthorized Minister of a Dissident Church

2010-12-22T14:05:00.000-08:00

This got started because everyone was talking about the Full Moon on the Winter Solstice, and how there was a Lunar Eclipse that night, and how this is very rare. In fact, it hasn't happened since 1638. Curious, I consulted the Oracle of All Knowing (the Internet), and got a list of events that occurred that year... one of them being the banishment of Anne Hutchinson.

I absolutely LOVE stories like this one. Actually, I find the day to day business of an organized religion rather boring. But, just let me find some sort of religious drama, and it suddenly becomes more fun for me that WWF wrestling! (not that I enjoy it when I'm in the middle of it... I just like to watch ;-)

Most of us heard about Anne Hutchinson in elementary school. I remember seeing the same picture that is in Wikipedia in my 7th grade history textbook (THAT I remember... but my current phone #? no). Now that I am older and have more experience, I can actually appreciate the story.

First of all, let me say, the colonists that came over here from Europe were gutsy people. Now that I have LIVED in the North East, experienced the weather, and got to know the more rural parts, including some of the Natives, say what you will, the colonists were some fearless folks.

The weather in Mass. is MUCH gnarlier than England. Anne LEFT England, by my calculation, at 43! And, also, keep in mind, when those folks got there, there was no cities or roads or utilities or ANYTHING, except lots of wood, wildlife, and some generally (and rightly) annoyed residents. The settlers had to cut down the trees by hand and build their own houses. At some point while I was living back there, it dawned on me how INCREDIBLY difficult life for those first folks must have been. And, they had to do all of that after being on a boat for months. While looking for a reference for how long the voyage would have taken Anne, I found this article... an eyewitness journal entry by a man that traveled from Germany to Philadelphia in 1750. (Of note, I have an ancestor from Germany that made that same journey with this man).

So, this woman leaves her home in England to make THIS JOURNEY, in her 40s, because she followed in the footsteps of her father, who was already a "dissident" Puritan clergyman. We think of Puritans as being conservative, uptight people, but there was a reason. These people were seriously traumatized before they ever got to America. They were founded by a group of Marian Exiles, and these people spent a lot of their lives fleeing for their lives. Small wonder why they had so many social problems... they were generationally traumatized.

But then. Anne Hutchinson didn't even get along with THEM. She started holding prayer meetings in her home, and then she started preaching her own message, and I imagine that, at some point, a power struggle developed between her and the local clergy. The Puritans were very strict in their doctrine (which is often a psychological response to long-term perpetual fear), and Anne had the audacity to preach that it was a blessing to be a woman, not a curse. She also preached that salvation came at accepting Christ, and what you did before or that could not change that. In other words, even if you sinned, you were still saved. That is a dangerous doctrine for a relatively small group of people in a hostile area. It could become a threat to the social fabric as people would start to make their own rules, and the clergy would not be in charge anymore So, she was charged with "traducing the ministers". She was 46 and pregnant for the 15th time.

Clearly, the judgment had been made before the trail even began, and so, in the end, she said these words:"...you have no power over my body, neither can you do me any harme, for I am in the hands of the eternall Jehovah my Saviour, I am at his appointment, the bounds of my habitation are cast in heaven, no further doe I esteeme of any mortal man than creatures in his hand, I feare none but the great Jehovah, which hath foretold me of these things, and I doe verily beleeve that he will deliver me out of our hands, therefore take heed how you proceed against me; for I know that for this you goe about to doe to me, God will ruine you and your posterity, and this whole state."

This really annoyed the judges, which were, of course, all clergy, one of which responded ""You have stepped out of your place, you have rather been a husband than a wife, a preacher than a hearer, and a magistrate than a subject." AWESOME! You go, Anne! :-) They also charged her with "lewd and lascivious conduct" for having both men and women in her house at the same time for prayer meetings, and, of course, with blasphemy.

After banishment, she went to what is now The Bronx, New York (then, nowhere near as "civilized" as now). What she preached actually appears to be Individualist Anarchism, which is pretty amazing, coming from a "Puritan" She and almost all of her family were killed up there by some Natives who were really angry at how the Dutch were treating them. Apparently, she and the Natives were on good terms, but her family got killed in the crossfire of the bigger conflict.

So, thank you Mother Moon, for eclipsing on the Solstice, so that I would look deeper and come to know Anne Hutchinson. Anne, I am really pleased to meet you. :-)

What SHE Said...!

2010-11-20T16:01:00.000-08:00

Wow! I can't even believe this paper... by a 12th grader! There is a place for her in some Religion & Society program, somewhere :-)

Religion: A Study of Society

Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion

2010-11-17T19:48:00.000-08:00

US takes aim at bans on religious defamation, says moves restrict freedom of speech

This is always tricky for us down here south of Canada. You see, most Americans are really invested in their right to freedom of speech. However, at what point does someone's comments about another religion become hate speech? I am not sure that "religious defamation" is really something that we can control in the U.S. without getting into that slippery place of restrictions to freedom of speech.

Anyway, I thought this was interesting, so I decided to share it.

Prop 8 repealed - National Organization for Marriage says Congress may need to step in

2010-08-05T14:58:00.000-07:00

Prop 8 repealed - National Organization for Marriage says Congress may need to step in

It is my goal to keep you all informed.

URGENT: Breaking Prop 8 trial news

2010-08-05T14:50:00.000-07:00

From today's email:

The Associated Press is reporting that Protect Marriage -- the coalition of right-wing religious groups that sponsored Prop 8 -- filed an appeal today in response to Judge Vaughn Walker's historic ruling yesterday striking down the discriminatory initiative. Walker has ordered both sides to submit written arguments by Friday as he determines whether to grant a stay in the case.

Meanwhile, Maggie Gallagher of the National Organization for Marriage launched a counter-attack to rally the religious right, calling Walker's decision a sign of a "Soviet-style" government takeover of marriage, leading the way as conservative groups stoke a backlash against the decision.

This information was sent to me by http://www.couragecampaign.org/DefendTheDecison

This Just In...

2010-08-04T14:19:00.000-07:00

Federal Judge Rules Proposition 8 Violates US Constitution

Haven't I been saying this all along?

Really, if you are against Same-Sex Marriage... celebrate that by NOT MARRYING SOMEONE OF YOUR SAME SEX! This is a matter of religious preference... it may be against YOUR religion, but it is NOT AGAINST MINE! Therefore, PROP. 8 IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL!

'nuff said.

Gays march in Poland to demand equal rights

2010-07-22T16:10:00.000-07:00

Gays march in Poland to demand equal rights

I enjoyed this article a lot!

2010-07-22T16:05:00.000-07:00

Black humanism's response to suffering

Carpe Diem

2010-07-22T14:34:00.000-07:00

One of my LJ Friends who shares space with me both here and on FB posted a video of how there are people using kittens as bait to catch marlins and sharks. They put the hook through the loose skin on the kitty’s necks and throw them in the water. The animals then paddle… as all mammals instinctively do. The paddling attracts the fish. I think it said they are doing this off the coast of Argentina, but that it is mostly Americans doing it. I may not have the details just right. I found the whole thing so horrifying that I could not bring myself to turn on the sound or watch the whole thing. Here is what I came away with:

There is a terrible, horrible, pathological sickness in the world right now. Its symptoms present themselves as a ME ME ME I WANT I WANT I WANT overarching behavior where people become just black holes of consumerism. With those guys fishing in Argentina, it’s obvious. Clearly, if they have the money to go deep sea fishing in another country, they are not doing it to feed their families. Clearly, that is not their need. I can only assume that their need is to feel important… powerful. Why else would a person spend all of that money to go to another country and put hooks into kittens so that the defenseless creatures can attract sharks while trying not to drown? What do they get out of it? They can then show their friends how big and powerful they are because they killed a big, dangerous fish!

This is no different than businessmen who get into trouble because they party too much and then have to flee the country, leaving their employees without paychecks. A CEO who makes millions of dollars a year but still feels that he has to commit fraud to increase his income! That is no different from a hoarding disorder. How many millions of dollars does one person need to make? It is not good business, it is a sickness… no different than alcoholism or drug addiction… no different than Americans going to Thailand to buy child prostitutes… and it is KILLING THE PLANET!

Don’t get me wrong… I am not saying that making money is bad. Goddess knows, I would like a chance to do that myself. But, what I am saying is that people have just gotten nuts. The thing that separates an alcoholic from someone that just enjoys alcohol is that the alcoholic puts the need to consume alcohol before everything else… before their family, before their job, before their health. And, because humans are so interdependent on one another, the affects of addiction do not just affect the addict… addiction has devastating affects on everyone around the addict as well.

So, this is what is on my mind today. I feel like I have a choice.

Well, ok… my choice would be to go back to my house on the Lake, turn off the TV, play the Sims… ignore everything else. That is really what I want to do. REALLY! But, the gods aren’t going to let me do that. So I guess the choice available to me is I can either become a part of the solution, or I can become a part of the problem.

Nature's Path

2010-06-11T18:38:00.000-07:00

This Summer Solstice, Nature's Path, the Wiccan/Pagan group at UUCLB, will be celebrating our one year anniversary.

Well, actually, it is the anniversary of our first ritual. We had started meeting sometime before that.

The story is, a year ago last Spring, one of my friends at the Church invited me to teach the High School Religious Education group a class about the meaning of Beltaine. Following that, they were hoping that I would lead a ritual for them at Bolca Chica Beach. Both of these things I did. After the ritual, some of the kids came up to me all excited and said "You really need to email our mom! She is really into this!" After acquiring the parental-unit's email addys, I obediently contacted them, and it was out of that initial contact that Nature's Path was born.

I understand... I have been told... that there used to be a Wiccan/Pagan group at UUCLB. I did not revive that. As far as was evident to me, there was no group, at least in that there was no group that was in active operation when I came here. For all intents and purposes, we started our group from scratch. One or two of our members might have been a part of the original group, but I don't think so. We also have a few members that are also members of Temple of Isis Los Angeles. We are not affiliated with them, either, other than that we share some members, the site where we do some of our functions, and a great deal of good will. There is no other connection.

So, if anyone tells you that this group is either in some way affiliated with TOILA, or else, that it is a revival of an earlier group that was present at the church, this is inaccurate. We are our own, independent unit, subject only to UUCLB, and even in that, we operate fairly independently.

Tongva

2010-06-11T18:11:00.000-07:00

It seems that the place where I go to church, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Long Beach, is very near to a Tongva burial ground, which is actually located on the edge of the CSULB campus. I have been taking the bus to Church, and the bus route goes through the campus. I have been wondering why there is an area at the edge that has so far been undeveloped... now I know.

It seems that the Tongva lived all over the place here, even as far north as the Angeles Crest Highway, but this area close to the church has a special significance... we are near Puvungna, the birthplace of their prophet/god, Chinigchinix.

Puvungna is apparently in some danger. CSULB, who currently "owns" the site, wants to build a strip mall there. (Because, Goddess knows... L.A. just can't have too many strip malls!) Also, there is apparently a dispute within the tribe, which has broken into factions, about whether or not to build a casino in Garden Grove.

Chinigchinix appears to be a human prophet that has achieved god status. He is a moral arbiter for humans, and appears in such forms as Raven, Bear, and Cougar. Since I live here, and worship very close to His home, I would like to get to know Him better.

Jupiter & Uranus

2010-06-07T18:57:00.000-07:00

There is a really interesting astrological event happening right now. Jupiter & Uranus are about to go conjunct in Aries. This will be the first time since 1997.

Jupiter is the planet of expansion, Uranus the planet of radical change. When two planet are conjunct, they add strength & power to one another. So, big time expansion through radical change. Plus, it's all happening in the sign of Aries... the original Me First sign.

Just a reminder of some of the events that happened in 1997.

February 13 – The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 7,000 for the first time, gaining 60.81 to 7,022.44.

March 13 – The Phoenix Lights are seen over Phoenix, AZ.

March 22 – The Comet Hale-Bopp makes its closest approach to Earth.

March 26 – In San Diego, California, 39 Heaven's Gate cultists commit mass suicide at their compound.

April 3 – The Thalit massacre in Algeria: All but one of the 53 inhabitants of Thalit are killed by guerrillas.

April 22 – Haouch Khemisti massacre: 93 villagers are killed in Algeria.

April 23 – 42 villagers are killed in the Omaria massacre in Algeria.

April 27 – Andrew Cunanan murders Jeffrey Trail, beginning a murder spree that lasts until July and ends with the murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace.

May 11 – IBM's Deep Blue defeats Garry Kasparov in the last game of the rematch, the first time a computer beats a chess World champion in a match.

June 6 – In Lacey Township, New Jersey, high school senior Melissa Drexler kills her newborn baby in a toilet.

June 10 – Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot orders the killing of his defense chief, Son Sen, and 11 of Sen's family members, before Pol Pot flees his northern stronghold (the news does not reach outside Cambodia for 3 days).
June 16 – About 50 are killed in the Dairat Labguer massacre in Algeria.
June 26 – Bertie Ahern is appointed as the 10th Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland and Mary Harney is appointed as the 16th, and first female, Tánaiste, after their parties, Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats respectively, win the 1997 General Election.
June 30 – Bloomsbury Publishing published JK Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone.
July 1 – The United Kingdom hands sovereignty of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China.
July 5 – In Cambodia, Hun Sen of the Cambodian People's Party overthrows Norodom Ranariddh in a coup.
July 10 – In London, scientists report their DNA analysis findings from a Neanderthal skeleton, which support the out of Africa theory of human evolution, placing an "African Eve" at 100,000 to 200,000 years ago.
July 15 – Spree killer Andrew Cunanan shoots fashion designer Gianni Versace to death outside Versace's Miami, Florida residence.
July 16 – The Dow Jones Industrial Average gains 63.17 to close at 8,038.88. It is the Dow's first close above 8,000. The Dow has doubled its value in 30 months.
July 17 – The F.W. Woolworth Company closes after 117 years in business.
August 3 – Between 40–76 villagers are killed in the Oued El-Had and Mezouara massacre in Algeria.
August 20 – Over 60 are killed, 15 kidnapped in the Souhane massacre in Algeria; .
August 26 – 60–100 are killed in the Beni-Ali massacre in Algeria.
August 29 – Over 98 (and possibly up to 400) are killed in the Rais massacre in Algeria.
August 31 – Diana, Princess of Wales, is taken to hospital after a car accident shortly after midnight, in the Pont de l'Alma road tunnel in Paris. She is pronounced dead at 04:00 a.m
September 5 – Over 87 are killed in the Beni-Messous massacre in Algeria.
September 6 – The funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales takes place at Westminster Abbey, watched by over 2 billion people worldwide.

September 19 – 53 are killed in the Guelb El-Kebir massacre in Algeria.
September 21 – The Islamic Salvation Army, the Islamic Salvation Fronts' armed wing, declares a unilateral ceasefire in Algeria.

October 27 – Stock markets around the world crash because of a global economic crisis scare. The Dow Jones Industrial Average follows suit and plummets 554.26, or 7.18%, to 7,161.15. The points loss exceeds the loss from Black Monday. Officials at the New York Stock Exchange for the first time invoke the "circuit breaker" rule to stop trading.

October 28 – In the U.S., the Dow Jones Industrial Average gains a record 337.17 points, closing at 7,498.32. One billion shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange for the first time ever.

December 24 – 50–100 villagers are killed in the Sid El-Antri massacre in Algeria.

December 30 – Wilaya of Relizane massacres of December 30, 1997: In the worst incident in Algeria's insurgency, 400 are killed from four villages in the wilaya of Relizane.

That stuff all really happened. In fiction, some things that were SUPPOSED to happen:

In the book 2001: A Space Odyssey, the computer HAL 9000 was activated on January 17.
In the 1968 episode Samantha Fights City Hall from the television show Bewitched", Samantha remarks to Darin about setting a date with city hall. Because the city hall was booked she said the only available date was on April 15th, 1997 at 2:30.
In the 1965 TV series, Lost in Space, the spacecraft Jupiter II is launched on October 16, 1997.
The 1984 film The Terminator and its sequel, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, both referenced the year 1997 as the time in which the fictional computer entity Skynet would launch a catastrophic massive nuclear attack on mankind on August 29.
The 1987 NES RPG-game, Crystalis, references October 1, 1997 as the day when a terrible war takes place and the whole human kind goes back in time, therefore, strange animals populate in cities and a few build a tower that goes high into the sky.
John Carpenter's 1981 film Escape from New York is set in 1997 of a United States so crime-ridden that Manhattan Island in New York City has become a maximum security prison.
The events of Alan Moore and David Lloyd's V for Vendetta supposedly begin on November 5, 1997.
The 1990 film Predator 2 takes place in 1997 Los Angeles.
The manga and anime InuYasha takes place in 1997 in Tokyo.

I have always wondered why science fiction picked on 1997 so much. Maybe it was because they knew about the Jupiter/Uranus conjunction.

At any rate, what I remember most about that year is that was the year my friend Caity Mahoney was killed with 5 bullets while she was working at Starbucks... about a day after we attended a party together. It prompted me to leave Baltimore and move WAY up north to Lake Ontario, to a town called Huron, that is so small it doesn't even have it's own post office. That was what happened LAST time Jupiter was conjunct Uranus.

Tarot Business

2010-06-04T20:23:00.000-07:00

In other news, some of you may know that I am PASSIONATE about Tarot cards! I have been studying the art for over 40 years (since I was 13), and it is something that I enjoy immensely.

I will be doing readings at the Long Beach WomanSpirit Summer Solstice Faire tomorrow, June 4. I will be back in the meadow, so feel free to come and see me if you are so inclined.

And... just so you know... I do take donations, but I very rarely leave with any money made. I am TERRIBLE at spending whatever I make before I ever leave the Faire. So, know this... a donation to me pretty much supports the Long Beach Pagan Community 100%. if, for no other reason, because I have no will power.

SUMMER SOLSTICE FAIRE
SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 2010
10AM to 4PM

JOIN LONG BEACH WOMANSPIRIT
AT ITS SUMMER SOLSTICE FAIRE!
Goddess Crafts! Entertainment! Vendor Raffle!
Come bask in the Goddess Energy
generated by all participants!
Meet old friends and make new ones!
$5 donation (includes one raffle ticket)

Held at
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF LONG BEACH
5450 ATHERTON
(just west of Bellflower Blvd,
between 405 Freeway and 7th Street)

Headstrong and Rather Disinclined to Compromise

2010-06-04T20:21:00.000-07:00

After, literally, YEARS of waffling over this seminary decision, I find that I am now rather disinclined to settle for anything less. I have not yet even APPLIED at the school... so I do not know if I will be accepted or not... if I will be able to finance it or not (I am fairly sure I will be able to get financial aid), if I am going to be able to work out the housing and transportation logistics or not... and yet, this is all I want to do! Every other option just seems, somehow, not attractive.

There is a part of me that thinks "Who do you think you are? What make you think you are so special that you should get to do this?" But, lately, the louder voice answers "Why shouldn't I get to do this? I think I would be good at it, and besides... I deserve to work in a field that I find meaningful before I retire!"

This is probably not a good attitude to have so early on in the game. There is a lot that can go wrong, and Murphy is alive & well.

I got the information packet yesterday. Right now, I am leaning more towards the M.A. in Theology than the M-Div... but I still have to find out what UU would require and how all that goes. The "Option B" seems like the one that allows for the most flexibility. There are several career options in there that I find equally attractive... and, what if I can find work in one but not the other?

I have this strange feeling that an inflexible, dogmatic approach would be counter-productive.

In addition, I think that it is unwise to assume that there is nothing here that I cannot do. I am not invincible. There is already a heirarchy in place that I will have to answer to. The sooner I accept that fact, the better.

Intriguing Information

2010-05-24T18:48:00.000-07:00

Intriguing information came in the mail Saturday via my UU World magazine. I haven't had time to read it yet, but just quickly glancing through it, I noticed an article on polyamory as well as a book in the back by a UU author about the Tao of Tarot. Doesn't that sound interesting? Tao and Tarot.. two of my favorite things!

The Tao of Tarot: "The Way", to Health, Happiness and Spiritual Illumination Through Qigong Dreaming.
by: Christina Bjergo, member of the UU Church of Vancouver, Wash.

There was also an article about UUers doing social justice in Uganda to save Gays & Lesbians from being imprisoned or worse.

This is the kind of thing that I could really get involved in. It is also the kind of thing that scares me to death. I might not be afraid to go to rural Colorado, but Uganda amps the whole idea WAY up. I am old enough to remember the Rwanda Genocide of 1995, and even though Rwanda and Uganda are different countries, they will be forever linked in my mind because one of my hero's growing up was Dian Fossey, and the Mountain Gorillas which she studied freely move between Rwanda, Uganda and Congo. Clearly, they could care less about human-created borders.

Because of the Rwanda Genocide, and because of what happened to Dian Fossey, I have a certain phobia about going to any of those countries... even though I would LOVE to see real Mountain Gorillas in the wild! I can envision all kinds of horrors being visited upon me there, as it is virtually impossible for me to "pass".

Still, Tarot, polyamory, and Gay Rights in Uganda... all things that I can be very passionate about... I need to read that magazine!

Distractions

2010-05-24T18:45:00.000-07:00

This morning, in the shower (of course), I was thinking about I am probably going to become an Interim Minister. I'm not going to be able to work another 20 years, so I am going to have to build up my retirement quick. Plus, I have a personality that adapts well to change. And, I get bored.

I had a dream a few nights ago. In my dream, I was a UU minister doing Pastoral Care for survivors of violent crimes in a really bleak part of Colorado. At first I thought I was just watching too many crime dramas, but this morning I realized that where I was looked like the Colorado/Wyoming border... near where Matthew Shepherd was killed.

In the dream, my partner & I were renting this big old house in some city in Colorado, and we were trying to find another couple to share it with. I had to go out to this very poor, rural area to minister because there was a serial killer out there. There were also a LOT of Lesbians, for some reason. I had to rent a room in the only hotel in this TINY little farm town out there and go out to crime scenes.

You know? I could TOTALLY do that! I could TOTALLY move to Colorado, and TOTALLY not be afraid to go out to bleak little rural towns with serial killers... and I could TOTALLY help people deal with the trauma of loss through violent crime!

There is some stuff I need to let go of and get rid of, though. For one thing, I have to clear up an issue with my college degree. The University won't release my grade or my diploma until I do. This requires getting a document signed and motorized, and then paying the University about $156 to clear a bill from Health Services. It doesn't seem like a big deal, (except that I haven't done it!), so I need to take care of that. There is a notary public right down the street. I'll to call them today.

I sent for information from Claremont. I don't think I can do anything about anything else until I hear back from them.

This brings me to something else... I still have a whole garage full of stuff that I haven't unpacked since the LAST time I moved. In fact, there are boxes in there that haven't been unpacked since I left California 17 years ago! This is just plain silly... to keep moving these boxes around the country! A lot of this stuff has been in storage for years, simply because I couldn't get to it! It just makes no sense to keep things around that, obviously, I don't need (if I REALLY needed them, I would have found a way to get to them by now!), just because I have an emotional attachment. Time to do an inventory. Is it really something meaningful? Or is it just a distraction?

I'm Not Sure How I Feel About This

2010-05-18T22:29:00.000-07:00

I was thinking today about... if I DO become a UU minister... I probably won't be able to do Tarot readings at craft faires anymore. That makes me really sad. That is something that I really enjoy a LOT.

However, on the other hand, I'll be able to perform a lot more marriage ceremonies... and when same-sex marriage becomes legal in California again (and, trust me, it will), I be able to do a BUNCH of those. Thinking about that makes me really happy.

Hampered by a Total Lack of Certainty

2010-05-18T22:24:00.000-07:00

I am so lucky to have a partner that is so understanding. Not everyone would put up with their "worser half" not having any kind of idea what to expect in the future. I don't know if it is possible to know less about what my future holds. I find it nearly impossible to plan anything, since I don't know whether or not I'm going to grad school, whether or not I will be accepted, whether or not I can even apply, whether or not I can solve all of the logistics problems that go along with that. One thing I do know, though... everyone that I have mentioned this to had given me positive support for it (or else they have said nothing, which I suppose could mean that they think I am off my rocker). Because I have gotten so much positive support, that encourages me to go forward with it. The first thing I need to do is to clean up some paperwork from my last school. I'm starting that process now.

Some Really Cool Things Happening in Idaho!

2010-05-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

IDAHO Campaign 2010 : Religions, homophobia, transphobia.

There is going to be a Global Kiss-In, and this article provides an opportunity to sign an Appeal to Religions. Please take a moment and check it out.

Logically and Patiently

2010-05-15T10:26:00.001-07:00

I have decided to move in the direction of seminary. The next steps have to be taken logically and patiently. The next task on the list is, surprisingly enough... to make the list. I have to come up with a To-Do list for this and prioritise it before I go any further.

The School That I am Thinking About

2010-05-12T19:17:00.000-07:00

This is the school that I am thinking about going to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claremont_School_of_Theology

www.cst.edu
What do you think?

Everything is Taking So Long Today!

2010-05-12T19:14:00.001-07:00

For some reason, everything seems to just be running in slow motion today. It's like having one foot on the gas, and one on the break.

Actually, this is probably a good thing. There is a part of me that just wants to hit the ground running with this whole seminary thing, apply to Claremont NOW... fill out my FAFSA NOW... especially since three of my favorite teachers from school answered me on FaceBook and gave me positive support for the idea.

It is probably good that life is slowing me down a bit right now so that I take the time to carefully consider this. It doesn't seem like something that I should decide on a whim.

This Saturday, I'll be attending a class entitled "Myriam of Magdala" at Practical Magicka. I am very interested to hear what she has to say about this! I may also be attending service with the MoonGoddess Church. H.P. Rev. John is thinking about moving Sunday Service to Saturday so that we may all have the opportunity to go to Long Beach Gay Pride on Sunday, which I will be marching in with the UUCLB contingent. (I am particularly proud because a number of my high school Religious Education students will be out there marching with me as Allies!).

That is probably enough to keep me busy for awhile.

The Fog Has Lifted and I am Ready to Take OffIt took me a long time to come around to this, but I have finally decided to start exploring the possibil

2010-05-11T20:29:00.000-07:00

It took me a long time to come around to this, but I have finally decided to start exploring the possibility of going to seminary to become a UU minister.

Take note... I said START to EXPLORE. That is a long way from actually signing any kind of contract.

Here is my rationale...

I really enjoy writing and delivering sermons.
Other people seem to enjoy my sermons.
I have a degree in Religion & Society, and no clue what to do with it.
I was going to go to grad school and become a college professor, but that did not come to fruition.
I have to do something for a living... I am too young to retire, and too old to become a professional skate boarder.
What I am doing now is pleasant enough, but not even vaguely in my field.
When I was in school, I chose to stay in Hendricks Chapel rather than go to work in the Religion Dept.

The last one is probably the most telling of all. I decided that I didn't WANT to work in the academic Religion Dept. I liked where I was there in the chapel... VERY MUCH! I LOVED the atmosphere of caring and helping that goes along with working in any religious organization.

Over the last year, I found that I have really kind of fallen in love with Unitarian Universalism, and, especially, my church, Unitarian Universalist Church of Long Beach. I didn't come to this decision easily. I have been quite reluctant in regards to this (even though I both joined the church AND initiated the start of a Wiccan/Pagan group there, and I teach High School Religious Education). I have really warmed up to it in just the last few months, and I find that I have a much bigger emotional investment than I realized.

So, here is what I am going to do... for one thing, I'm going to start going to Service regularly (I have been very bad about this). Plus, I have already volunteered to be on the Worship Committee. I see this as an excellent chance to learn a LOT. After I see how that goes, maybe I'll think about being on another committee as well.

I'm still just trying this on for size...seeing how it goes. At some point, I'll look into what it would actually take to go to seminary.

Oh... there is an 8th bullet point that I forgot to mention. When I went to the Worship Committee meeting last week, there was a person there who knows someone who is in seminary to become a minister. He is taking a class in Religion & Social Media. This sounds like more fun than I can actually stand!

Granted, I don't have a clue about how I would actually pay for this... but like I said, I'm just thinking about it... for now, anyway.

All Sweetness & Love

2010-05-10T18:50:00.000-07:00

I saw two films over the weekend... both of them, had religious themes... well, at least in MY world, anyway.

The first one that I saw was Clash of the Titans. It is intensely frustrating to me to see movies that have been made of Greek myths. In my opinion, most modern movie makers to not have clue about how to interpret these stories, and sometimes the results are tragic. (Believe it or not, I think the best interpretation that I have seen so far has been Jason and the Argonauts and Xena: Warrior Princess.

At any rate, the story of Perseus was a VERY popular myth back in it's day, as evidenced by the large numbers of artifacts that have been found with his picture on them. He was an historical figure around which a great number of mythic stories evolved. He didn't have that much to do with the Titans... and neither did the movie. There were no Titans in Clash of the Titans. The movie was about a war between two Olympian gods... the Olympian gods long before had killed the Titans. Further, the story of the benevolent Father god who lives on love versus his evil brother god who has been cast down into the Underworld and lives on fear and hate, and of the Father god's human begotten son turned savior is just WAY too Christian for my liking. There ARE no ancient Greek myths that are that white hat/black hat cut & dry, just as jointed armor was not to be invented for at least couple thousand years, and bald eagles do not live in Greece, except maybe in modern zoos... but Perseus certainly never saw one.

Perseus' tale is mostly about creative problem solving... actually, it is mostly about making a king look good, because that was what the real-life Perseus was, and about establishing his parenthood and validating his right to rule. There is a recurring morality theme in there which preaches against hubris, too. However, I don't really think the ancient Greeks thought in terms of good vs. evil (I'm fairly sure that Perseus lived long before Zoroaster, although there is some dispute about that). At any rate, Perseus' story is just not about that, but Clash of the Titans is.

The OTHER movie I saw over the weekend was Alice in Wonderland... another tale of good vs. evil, but much better done.

I am told that Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter is just not manic enough, and that may be so, but I found his Mad Hatter more emotionally engaging than any other Mad Hatter that I have previously encountered.

Let me say right here, if you only have the money to see one of these two movies, make it Alice in Wonderland. They are both EXACTLY the same story... except that Alice is better written, and it has a teenage girl slaying the Kraken monster and saving an adult male instead of the other way around. Alice is much funnier, much prettier, much better acted, much better written, and a much better investment all the way around.

Besides, if you REALLY want to see Clash of the Titans, rent the 80s version. At least, then, you have the joy of watching Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion animation.

There is a Loving Tenderness in the Air

2010-05-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

If you find that you are more time that usual thinking about the state of your love-life, you're not alone.

It's May, and there is a good reason why our ancestors chose begin this month by dancing around a big phallic symbol. This is the time when everything on earth tends to look around for mates.

So, whether if you are in a relationship, this is a good time to rekindle the fire. If you are NOT in a relationship, but would like to be (for any length of time, whether that is looking for a life-partner, or looking for some short-term passion), this is a good time, too. (If you are celibate and wish to remain that way, then it is probably a good time to make channel your creativity into some artistic creativity).

There is a trick to doing it successfully, though. Wanna know what it is?

Remember that book, Do What You Love, and the Money Will Follow? Well, so far, that hasn't worked for me at all. (If anything, the opposite has been true). What HAS worked, though, is Do What You Love and the ROMANCE Will Follow.

Forget about going to bars to hook-up (unless, of course, you really love bars). Forget about getting a puppy to help you meet women (unless, of course, you really love dogs). And, for goodness sakes, forget about speed dating. I can't for the LIFE of me see the use in THAT. All you really need to do is do the stuff you love... and stop worrying about it! Nature always finds a way!

Last weekend, I did a whole bunch of stuff that made me really, really happy. On Saturday, I celebrated Beltaine with the MoonGoddess Church. Nothing like a big Pagan Party to get the blood pumping! We feasted, played games, scryed, and finally danced the Maypole. I met a lot of new people and made a lot of new friends. All in all, it was a very successful day!

Then, on Sunday, I went to The Pike in Long Beach and saw Clash of the Titans and Alice in Wonderland. No, it was not a double feature. I had to go to two different theaters. But I took the bus, so I was on foot a lot. You meet a lot of people when you are out in public.

Here is the thing... it doesn't matter what you do... as long as you do it... and you love it. The reason is, when you are doing something you love, you radiate joy, and when you radiate joy, then you are more attractive. Do you love to blog? Blogging is VERY sexy! Trust me, it is. Do you love to take pictures? Write stories? Make jewelry? Make music? All of these things are very, very attractive.

So, there is my 2 second unsolicited advice. Do what you love, and the Romance will follow.

Bullying and LGBT Youth

2010-05-07T18:13:00.000-07:00

We are very close to the end of our RE semester, and as I look back, I realize that I have actually learned a LOT. I think, perhaps, the students have taught me as much as I have taught them.

The last time I taught, the class was on marginalization. One of the exercises was each of us was supposed to talk about a time when we felt marginalized. A few of the students didn't know what the word meant until I shared my experiences as a Lesbian growing up, at which point I could really see the lightbulb come on.

What ended up coming out of that later on in the class was a few of the students ended up talking about how disturbed they were over the basically constant, unrestrained bullying that they see in school every day towards LGBT students. This is particularly interesting, because the very same students who were disturbed by this were, in fact, the perpetrators of some minor bullying against a Christian student at the beginning of the semester. I find this very hopeful... it means that some consciousness has been raised somewhere... although, hopefully, they have not just transferred it into bullying gays = bad, bullying Christians = good.

So, because The Church is going to marching in this year's Pride, and because not only am I going to be there, but also several of my students, I thought that I would do some research into bullying and we could make it into yet another teaching opportunity. I found these articles: Mental Health America: Bullying and Gay Youth, Meridian Magazine:: Family Leader Network: Kindergarten Children ..., and finally, good ol' Wikipedia: Bullying - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Here are the conclusions that I came to: Bullying is on the rise... being fostered and encouraged, I believe, by the current so-called Christian Values movement, and this has serious, long lasting effects on not only children and teens, but the damage goes on WAY into adulthood. It is frightening, to me, to think that this is actually getting worse instead of better, especially considering what my childhood was like.

I was, as to be expected, a CONSTANT target growing up. For one thing, even in a dress, I looked like a boy. I looked like a boy in a dress. It was a no-win situation for me. Secondly, I was always "the new kid". We moved around a LOT. Consequently, I was always an outsider. My saving grace is that often, right around the time it started to get really bad, we would move again. However, once I reached jr. high, my mom was too sick to keep moving, so I was with the same group of kids, more or less, for 6 continuous years (unprecedented in my life). 7th grade was awful. I got beat up a LOT. I learned to hold my bladder all day, because every time I went into the bathroom I got beat up. At first, I learned to not go into any in the least bit private areas of the school... like out in the field by the bleachers... I favorite hang out for students. I would definitely get beat up out there. Later on, I couldn't go ANYWHERE on campus without an escort. I found myself just hanging close to the teachers and the yard monitors.

In the 8th grade, it was somewhat better. In the 7th grade they gave us an IQ test, so in the 8th grade I was put in the Advanced Placement class, which is, btw, a way for the more upper class students to be separated from the lower classes. This meant that I was not in so much contact with the more violent kids, but I still had to be careful.

By the time I got to high school, I had learned some coping skills (which largely included fitting in better and not looking so gay), but it was always a danger, and it lead me to make all kinds of bad choices (such as getting married).

You know, considering how many LGBT children grow up with bullying being normal, it stands to reason that there would also be bullying amongst LGBT adults... and, there is. Actually, there is quite a lot of it. I didn't think of it as such until I read up on it, but it is definitely there. It usually doesn't take the form of physical abuse (although it does, occasionally). Usually it is in the more subtle forms.... name calling, ect... ("name calling, verbal or written abuse, exclusion from activities, exclusion from social situation... social aggression or indirect bullying is characterized by threatening the victim into social isolation... achieved through a wide variety of techniques, including spreading gossip, refusing to socialize with the victim, bullying other people who wish to socialize with the victim, and criticizing the victim's manner of dress and other socially-significant markers (including the victim's race, religion, disability, etc)... the silent treatment, arguing others into submission, manipulation, gossip/false gossip, lies, rumors/false rumors, staring, giggling, laughing at the victim, saying certain words that trigger a reaction from a past event, and mocking.) I have seen all of these behaviors by both Gay men and by Lesbians directed towards each other. At first I was very puzzled by it, but later on I came to dismiss it as simple dominance behavior and a way to establish a pecking order in the group (of course I would see it as "normal" since I, too, was a life-long target). The thought does occur to me, though, that it can be quite damaging, as, at times, it is quite vicious, and since the both the bullies and the targets were probably targets themselves in childhood, then it actually represents a kind of emotional scarring more than anything else. And, now that I think about it... it is actually pretty common in the Pagan community as well, as it is in MANY religions. (SHUN.... SHUN THE UNBELIEVER!!!)

So this is kind of the Elephant in the Living Room of the LGBT community. No one really wants to mention it, but it is wide spread, and it is not healthy. And I am sure that it will get worse as the bullying in school becomes more and more acceptable.

... but, back to my kids...

I am really excited about Pride. I haven't marched in a parade since my first year in Syracuse (and I probably won't do it again... I remember the parade in Syracuse as being just horrifically painful). But I feel like I HAVE to be there if my kids are going to be there. I feel like part of the reason they are marching is because of me, so I really need to support them just as they are supporting me.

Today's Sermon at UUCLB

2010-05-02T18:36:00.000-07:00

Nymphs & Satyrs & Faeries... Oh My!

What Are You Going to Do With That Maypole?

In the beginning... there was nothing. There was the Formless Void. Little by little, through the magic of physics, the gravitational pull of tiny particles attracted each other to each other, and it was Chaos, and it was Good.

And little by little this Chaos began to find form, because Chaos always seeks Order, just as Order always seeks Chaos, and this was the first Dance of Opposites, and it was Good.

And the Chaos gave Birth to Order, and that Order was mostly liquid and gas, and it was Volatile, and in this way, the Goddess gave birth to Herself.

And through all of the churning and roiling and bubbling of this young Goddess, the tiny particles continued to be attracted, each to each other, and this attraction began to form solids, so the Four Elements were born... Air, Fire, Water and Earth. And it was Good....

but, it could be better...

The Goddess, in all of Her churning and roiling and bubbling, created static electricity, and, in this way, She gave birth to The God. And, once that was accomplished, The God used His Mighty Thunderbolt to quicken the Goddess... and She gave forth... LIFE.

And it was very, very good.

At first it was just strings of DNA... viruses, really. Then came single cells. And then the Goddess noticed that all of this time, She had been dancing around and around and around the mighty Sun. The Power of Attraction was holding Her there, dancing and spinning for Him, just as her Virgin Sister the Moon danced and spun around Her. And so She said to Him, "This Creation thing is kinda fun! Let's do it again!"

And so, She created photosynthesis so that She and Father Sun, could make Life over and over and over again. And it was good.

It was so good, in fact, that She wanted to celebrate it. She wanted to celebrate the Power of Attaction and the Dance of Opposites, and so She created on Earth, two sexes, female & male, so that all of Her children could join in the celebration.

But, She didn't just make Female & Male. Oh no! That would be boring! She made an INFINITE number of variations on the theme! She made some males larger than females, some males smaller, some exactly the same size. She made some males fancy and some plain. She made some females fancy and some plain. She made some males that tend the eggs, and even some that give birth! She made some that could change sexes when they needed to... females that can become male if there are no males available, and even males that can become female. She made some species mate for life, others She made mating just a matter of pollen on the legs of bees. And She made Lesbians and Gays and Bi-sexuals and Transexuals and Queer, and She made People to who would be thier Allies. And She made all different sizes and shapes and colors and languages and cultures and all different ways for us to express our love for Our Creators in terms of religions, because the key to a healthy ecosystem is diversity, and She & He, like any good parents, want first and formost for Thier children to be healthy and happy.

Somewhere along the line, an amazing thing happened. Females began to CHOOSE. They would choose the biggest, or the strongest, or the prettiest, or the longest beak, or the sleekest fur, or the smartest, or the cleverest... one could never tell what made one female choose one male over the next, but the males got very excited over the prospect of being the Chosen One. And it was good.

But, in the fullness of time, some things began to happen that were not so good... competition sometimes turned to fighting, some people got hurt, or worse, and humans decided that there had to be rules governing the Power of Attraction and the Dance of Opposites. Chaos seeks Order. And so, humans created Marriage Laws, and all cultures have them. And, these too, are good, because, these laws help to promote peace and harmony and good health, and keep bloodshed at a minimum. But that doesn't mean that we don't still celebrate.

We humans would like to think that we are separate from nature, but we are ever a part of it. Centaurs and Satyrs... half human and half animal, remind us of this. Pan is the god of shepherds & flocks. He also, by His nature, reminds us that passion is necessary to keep the earth alive. Minotaurs, Harpies, Sphinxes, Centaurs... each, in thier way, remind us of our connection to nature and to Life, as do Nymphs and Fairies.

Whenever I think of Beltaine, I cannot help but think of Shakespear's Midsummer's Night Dream. This comedy of humans and fairies (with names like Cobweb, Moth, and Mustardseed), Pagan gods, and even a man that is part donkey for awhile! Most of all, though, it is about the uncontrollable nature of the Life Force in Nature. And, as anyone knows who has ever watched and enjoyed this play, it is forever a chance to laugh at ourselves and our own inability to TRULY control the Life Force in Nature. Some people watch It's a Wonderful Life for Christmas, I like to watch A Midsummer's Night's Dream for Beltaine.

But, what does it all mean? Why do we put a big pole up on May Day and have the children dance around it with ribbons?

What we now call "May Day" was called "Beltaine" or "Calen Mai" by pre-Christian Celts, , "Walpurgisnacht" in Germanic countries, "Flora" by the Romans. In the Catholic tradition, May continues to be observed as "Mary's Month", and May Day is usually a celebration of the Virgin Mary. On the Pagan Wheel of the Year, it is the polar opposite of Samhain, which you may know as Halloween. This is significant, Samhain marks the beginning of the most dangerous part of the year in the northern hemisphere, Beltaine marks it's end. Christianity has subdued or secularized Beltaine in much the same way as it has Samhain, for many of the same reasons. Samhain is the celebration of Death, and Beltain is the celebration of Life. Both are necessary for a healthy system, and this is yet another expression of the Dance of Opposites. Beltaine is celebrated by honoring the Maiden as the May Queen... the Virgin face of the Goddess, just before She marries. At Yule we honor Her as The Mother, and at Samhain, the Crone. Traditional celebrations that are left are children dancing the Maypole, Morris Dancing, and the Crowning of the May Queen. Here is an interesting bit of trivia... the law that joins England and Scotland to form Great Britain was signed on May 1st, 1707. Coincidence? I don't think so. Although now secularized, this, plus naming it a day to celebrate Workers' Rights, gives Great Britain licence to call a national Bank Holiday every year on May 1st. Convenient, isn't it?

In pre-Christian times, in Europe, the Beltaine celebration was an event that attracted many different people from many different tribes.... people that would not ordinarily see each other, especially during the cold months when travel was difficult and dangerous. It was an opportunity for young people to get a look at one another, possibly choose mates. In this way, we strengthened our gene pool, as well as creating familial bonds. There is another custom associated with Beltaine. Beltaine was a day to "temporarily loosen the bonds of marriage". Yes, one day a year, people were allowed "really party down". This, too, was yet another way to strengthen the gene pool. This was not just an excuse for debauchery... it was a REQUIREMENT! You see... May is a dangerous time. If it decides to snow after May 1st, and, it sometimes does, it could ruin and entire crop... even wipe out a whole tribe! Joining with someone from another tribe, especially if it was done in the fields and under the moon, was considered an offering to the gods and a request for a good harvest. In addition, children that were concieved at this time were not considered "illigitimate", they were considered sacred. They were Children of the God, and honored in very special ways.

This was our ancestors way of Celebrating Life.

In the 21st Century, our ways are appropriate to our time and place, but we still celebrate with drumming and dance, with ritual and song. We Celebrate by making art, because this, too, is a creative act. Not all creation need be about making babies! The muse quickens the artist, and the artist brings forth art, music, writing, jewelry. I like to work with herbs, and whenever I make incense, I like to grind and mix my herbs in a good, old fashioned mortar & pestle. Yes, a food processor would be so much quicker, but then I would loose the tactile, hands on ritual that, to me, is a reminder that what I am doing is also an act of sacred Creation. Before you leave today, be sure to take some time to appreciate the art that is adorning our walls this Sunday. This exhibit is titled Our Community - LGBT Pride, and it is featuring some of our local LGBT artists in honor of Gay Pride week in Long Beach.

This is our way of Celebrating Life. Once a year, we remember to thank the God for His quickening thunderbolt, and for that Warm Strength and Radiant sunlight that ever caresses Mother Earth and encourages Her to bring forth the plant life that, literally, every single living thing on earth is dependent upon, if not for food, then for the very air itself. By decorating the May Pole, we are thanking the Lady and the Lord for Thier Dance of Attraction. We thank them for thier Dance of Opposites. We thank them for Life itself.

Money

2009-10-11T16:18:00.000-07:00

When I have an actual job, (which I don't, right now) I have an actual paycheck. It isn't usually a very big one, but it is a paycheck, nonetheless.

This means that when I actually have some money, it also means that I have to manage it. Therefore, sad news aside, I am hoping to spend a good part of the day doing just that.

The tool that I like to use is Microsoft Money for Small Business. The reason is that I have what they call a "portfolio career". I have a number of streams in income (well, trickles, actually... oh, hell... more like damp spots). Someday, these will turn into an actually livelihood, but it is a lot more complicated than when I just got one paycheck a week. That is why I used this tool to keep track of it all.

If I sell a story, or a photo, or get money from my blog or for teaching a class, that is all income that has to be declared. That is the bad news. The good news is that I am both self-employed and other employed. That means that there are certain things for my self employment that I can declare on my taxes.

It's boring, but Microsoft Money also has charts and other graphics, so, as my income increases, at least I'll be able to see a pretty picture, even though I know that if may be quite some time before I will actually be making enough to really feel it.

Sad News

2009-10-09T18:37:00.000-07:00

I realized today that I haven't posted in awhile. I have been struggling with on-again. off-again employment, so my schedule has been a bit turned on it's ear.

But there has also been some very sad news.

One of our cats, Lil' Red Headed Boy, had to be taken to the vet on Sept. 19th, and, as expected, he did not return. He had to be put to sleep.

Lil' Red Headed Boy got his odd name because he was born in our apartment, but we never expected to keep him. We fully intended to find homes for him and 2 of his 3 brothers. "Lil' Red Headed Boy" was only supposed to serve as a temporary identifier until his new humans discovered his "real" name. That was 12 years ago. He finally succumbed to the kidney failure that is genetic in his whole line, that took his uncle at age 4 and his father at age 7. We never expected him to live even this long. So, this morning, because I had to stay home and feed Uncle, my partner took Lil' Red Headed Boy to his last trip to the vet.

However, when she returned, she had some more bad news for me. It seems that while she was on her way to the vet, she found Oscar the Wild in the street around the corner from our house. He had been hit by a car. :-(

Oscar was such a gift. He showed up in my life when I needed him most, when I was most afraid and depressed about the unemployment thing, and he stayed here until I found work. He was the most wonderful cat... beautiful to look at, clever, loving, and very, very comical. I will miss him most whenever I walk Rory in the morning. He used to walk with us all the way around the block, slamming his body into Rory, zipping up trees, an getting himself into this precarious positions and then getting out of them again. His favorite games were "How many paw prints can I put on you before you go to work?" and "All the Laundry belongs to me!". I can't tell you how much I am going to miss him, even though he was only in my life a few months.

Meaning of "Druid"

2009-08-23T14:06:00.000-07:00

I was reading this morning Way of the Druid by Graeme K. Talboys. I was reading the part where he talks about the possible meaning of the word "druid". It is a whole chapter in the book, but the long and the short of it is that he breaks down the word into dru and vid. "Vid" he says, is the same as the root for words like "video", and, he says, it means "to see" or "a seer". So, he, say, druid must be some kind of a seer. He takes longer to track down dru which, he eventually comes round to meaning "Oak". So, he says, druid probably means "Oak-seer", which eventually came to have the meaning "Truth-seer", or a person who sees the truth in all things.

I have no idea if he is right or not, but I like it. I don't know if his argument is academically sound or not, but it is useful to me, and since I don't have to prove it or disprove it, I am going to take it as I find it and use it as it is.

I, for some reason, really enjoy the various online tests that show up on LJ and FB. I virtually always take the ones that are meant to find my "alignment". I don't know why I keep taking them... they always come out the same... True Neutral. I guess I just want to keep getting validation that I haven't slipped away from the middle. For all of my seemingly extreme behavior, I consistently test to the exact middle of the alignment chart.

In D&D, all Druids (and only Druids) are True Neutral. It is said that it is the most difficult alignment to play. It is also said that this is the alignment of Nature, and since Druids are one with nature, that is how they achieve it.

One of the things that living out on The Lake taught me is that Nature is incredibly beautiful, but at the same time, equally horrific. We were surrounded by wildlife all of the time. I absolutely loved it! Every time I got into the car, though, there was more road kill out there than I ever saw in my life. Put, there were these big, ugly, wonderful turkey vultures that used to come and clean it up. They were so big and so badass that they wouldn't move when you drove up to them. You had to drive around them while they glared at you. Most of our cats are indoor cats, but back then we had one indoor/outdoor cat named Tucker. We also had a yard full of hare. In the spring, we would have a yard full of the cutest little baby bunnies you can imagine. Then, about once a week, I would step out the front door to find the gory mass of carnage on the porch. Tucker used to kill the cute little baby bunnies and proudly leave them for us to view. (Yuck! shudder)

I was out there for 7 years. It was an incredibly valuable lesson. Having grown up in L.A., I think I had a bit of a romanticized image of Nature in my mind (don't get me wrong, I am not saying that all Angelinos do, but I think this is true for most, and it was certainly true for me). I became a Pagan and began to worship Nature, and, in particular, a goddess that is the Wild Herself. She made sure that I learned what Nature really is... She is Mercy and Severity in equal parts.

I adore Oscar the Wild. He is such a little blessing. He makes me so happy when I go outside with his antics. He is handsome and clever and healthy and very, very sweet. He is also an excellent hunter. The last 2 days in a row he has gotten mocking birds. The first one my partner saw and she went out and tried to rescue it. It flew away, but it ran right into the house next door. I seriously doubt it made it. Yesterday, Oscar got another one. He brought it up to the porch to show me, and then he carried it off, alive and still screaming. I felt really awful about it. I could hear the poor thing's terrified cries for help. And I put in my ear buds so that I couldn't hear them anymore. I didn't tell my partner about it... I didn't want her to be any more stressed out than she already is.

This is one of those Truths that I can now See because I lived out on the Lake all that time. Nature is a constant dance of Giving and Taking... Life and Death... in equal measure. If one is going to Know Nature... I mean, really Know Her.... one has so somehow learn to deal and make peace with the Darkness as well as the Light. Cats are predators. Oscar is a really, really good cat. Thus, he is going to be a really, really good predator. If a mockingbird is going to share space with him, said mockingbird as to be better at being a mockingbird than Oscar is at being a cat. I didn't create this system... The Lady did. We call it Natural Selection, and by naming it, we somehow think we have some power over it... we don't. We are just as subject to it as Oscar and the mockingbird, both of which are the current generations in long lines of cats and mockingbirds that have been here for years and years and years.

My Friend Kathy

2009-08-21T10:31:00.000-07:00

I recently received news that one of my oldest and one of my dearest friends, who I will here refer to as "Kathy", passed away 3 years ago from from ovarian cancer. Although I hadn't seen her in at least 15 years, she & I were very close for about 10 years, starting in 1981.

So, I am in mourning. Of course, because I hadn't seen her in so long, her absence is not immediately felt in my life. And, after all, it was 3 years ago that she died however this image of Kathy popped into my head the other night. (This has been what has been going on ever since I heard... little vignettes of memories play in my head without warning). The image was of Kathy laying back onto my bed there in my apartment in Pasadena... as she lay back, tears rolled from her eyes. There was a song playing on my stereo from the "Strange Paradise" album by Cris Williamsom called "Live Dream":

Funny how those moments come,
It hits you, your life has changed.
Again and again, you learn your lessons,
some that still remain.

While most of the world knew Kathy as this tall, strong, self-assured, seemingly invincible Amazon, I knew her softer, more vulnerable side. I found myself, last night, wondering about her last bit of life. Was she in pain? Was she scared? Was she alone? But then, there is nothing I can do about it now, is there? There was nothing I could do then, either. She had shut me out of her life, disappeared. I don't even know where she was when she died, or even what month it was, or if she was buried or cremated. There is absolutely nothing to be done now but grieve and remember.

I don't believe Kathy ever attended college. In fact, I am not entirely sure that she ever actually finished high school. However, she was a voracious reader and a profound thinker. Her thinking was deeply entrenched in what we now call Second Wave Feminism, and she had read book upon book on the subject. When I first met her, she had been fired from the fire department because a search of her locker at work had revealed a copy of the Lesbian News. (This was 1979 or 1980 when this happened, I think). She had found work with a women's book store in Pasadena. I suspect that she spent a great deal of her time there at the store reading. Politically, she was at the far left of the spectrum. She wore only men's clothes, never shaved, worked in traditionally male dominated professions (except, of course, the women's book store). She read women's literature, listened to women's music and talked.

She was a great talker and a great storyteller, and I believed, without question, every word that she uttered. She was a great believer in the idea that "the personal IS the political", and that in order to bring about real change, every aspect of our lives had to change... this included our spiritual lives as well as our sexual.

She & I belonged to a small group of women (which included my partner at the time, but not Kathy's partner), which, besides playing D&D, playing pin ball, and going to women's concerts and events, spent a great deal of time talking about politics. As I am thinking about it now, I realize that this group did not really include the whole D&D crowd. It was a rather select group, but I don't think I ever realized that until maybe today. It was myself, Kathy, and another women who first came up with the idea of combining Wicca and Native American elements in one ritual... this was a full year before we actually did it in 1986. The 3 of us, plus my partner, and a few others also spent a lot of time talking about the politics of spirituality and sexuality.

This,it turns out, what we talked about is a part of a very old tradition of alternative sexualities that appeared during the last century with the Free Love Movement, and became tied to First Wave Feminism through a cross-politicization with the various communities like the Oneida Community in Upstate New York. I wrote about this in the paper that I wrote on the subject my last year in school. However, at the time, there in the 80s, there with Kathy, it was just us living our lives, and trying to change the world.

I spent a great deal of time trying to live up to the image that I had in my mind of who Kathy was. Her very being constantly challenged me to be stronger and braver and more self-reliant than I had ever been before. I was very, very political in those days (I still am, but I am physically not a able-bodied). She challenged me to talk the talk and then walk the walk, and I did.

So... I am grieving. And, I am going to have to honor that process. As it turns out, though, I am not in a position to just stop and grieve right now. I have things to do... really, really important things... and decisions to make this week that may affect the rest of my life and other people's lives as well.

So, anyway, this is my truth... at least for right now. I am doing ok... going along, getting things done, then, all of a sudden, I might have to stop and cry a bit, like when I was working out today and listening to my Shuffle, and suddenly there was John Denver singing "Friends With You"

What a friend we have in time
Gives us children, makes us wine
Tells us what to take or leave behind

And the gifts of growing old
Are the stories to be told
Of the feelings more precious than gold

Friends I will remember you, think of you
Pray for you
And when another day is through
I'll still be friends with you

Babies days are never long
Mother's laugh is baby's song
Gives us all the hope to carry on
Friends I will remember you, think of you
Pray for you
And when another day is through
I'll still be friends with you

Friends I will remember you,
Think of you, pray for you
And when another day is through
I'll still be Friends with You

Friends I will remember you,
Think of you, pray for you
And when another day is through
I'll still be Friends with You

A Story: What I have learned at University

2009-08-18T18:13:00.000-07:00

Once there was a great Samurai warrior. He was so great that he had never been defeated. However, he wanted to be spiritually great as well as great in battle. To find the answer, he sought out a famous, but very reclusive, Holy Man.

The samurai warrior had to endure many hardships, cross a mighty river, and climb a great mountain in order to gain access to this Holy Man, but he was convinced that it would all be worth it.

When he got to the small and humble shack at the top of the mountain where the Holy Man lived, he knocked on the rustic wooden door, and a little, feeble old man came out to meet him.

"What do you want?" the old man demanded, harshly.

The Samurai, a little insulted at the Holy Man's harsh tone, replied "I have endured many hardships, crossed a mighty river, and climbed this great mountain to get to you!"

The Holy Man waved his hand dismissively, obviously not impressed. "And what did you do that for?" he asked. "What do you think I have for you?"

Worried, now, that he had wasted his effort, the warrior pressed on. "I am a great Samurai warrior, and I have come to ask this question of you." he said. "Heaven and Hell, do they exist? Or is it just a tale made up to scare people?"

The Holy Man laughed at the Samurai. "Who do you think you are, to come up here and bother me with a question like that?" he said. "Look at you, you call yourself a Samurai? You call yourself a warrior? Your armor is filthy, your belly is flabby, and your hair is a mess. I will bet that your sword is so dull and rusty that you could not even kill a feeble old man like me!"

Enraged, the Samurai started to draw his sword.

"This," said the Holy Man, "is the Gateway to Hell."

Understanding, the Samurai re-sheathed his weapon.

"This," the Holy Man continued, "is the Gateway to Heaven".

"Julie & Julia"

2009-08-17T13:44:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, my partner & I went out to see a LIGHT ROMANTIC COMEDY last night for our anniversary. We went out and saw Julie & Julia. You see, my partner is really into food, and I am really into blogging. We thought that it would be something that we would both enjoy. Sure enough, it was.

One of the things that I liked about it was (of course) how it talked about blogging. You see, Julie could have just decided to try every recipe in Julia Child's cookbook. She could even have decided that she was going to do it in a year. She could have done all of that, and that would have been something. And, maybe she could have written a book about it, but, unless there was something really outstanding about her writing, she would have never have gotten in published. Ok, so a woman cooks. So what?

The thing was... she BLOGGED about it. It wasn't just the doing of the thing, but the sharing of the thing... that is where the magic lies. So, I really liked it, because it captured that magic, as well as capturing the magic of a person just doing what they love (that thing being anything that one does just for the simple love of doing it). So, I highly recommend Julie & Julia. I think every blogger should see it, if, for no other reason, to remember how far our world has evolved since 2002!

There was one scene in it where Julie & her husband have a fight. He calls her self-involved and narcissistic because all she does is write about herself and her project and puts it out there for all the world to see. He gets so mad, he leaves. Now first of all, the movie starts out with them moving into an apartment that she hates, in a neighborhood that she hates. Why? Apparently so that he can be closer to work. However, we then see Julie walk to the train station, board a train, and take it from Queens to downtown Manhattan. Why do they have to live close to his work but not hers? I made the immediate assumption that it was because he was the main bread winner, but that is not necessarily true. He was the editor for an architectural magazine, while she was a government employee. I'll bet she was making more money than him. For the most part, he seemed like a good guy, but that "self-involved" comment bothered me, especially when taken in tandem with their living situation.

This brings me to another scene in the movie that stuck with me. There was this one incident when Julie is expecting something really exciting to happen. She, of course, tells the world about it on her blog. Of course! But then, when it ends up not really happening, she mourns "Why did I tell everybody about it on the blog?" Here is the thing (and I think, by now, Julie has probably figured this out), the very thing that makes a blog so wonderful is the human drama aspect of it. Yes, some blogs are just there to tell people how to do something, but most are about the day to day human ups and downs that go along with it. THAT is the most important thing! You can find out anything on the internet, what makes my blog (or, anyone who happens to be reading it)'s worth reading is that we (your readers) end up really, really caring about what happens to you. We get "involved with your character", so to speak.

The Site of the Hierophany

2009-08-12T16:49:00.000-07:00

When I was in my Native American Religion class at the university, I learned the coolest term... "The Site of the Hierophany". "Hierophany" is from Greek words that mean "to reveal" or "to bring to light". A "Site of the Hierophany" is a place where there has occurred a "manifestation of the sacred". These are the places in the world there something truly amazing have occurred, and this event is an event which may define and entire people. The example which we studied in our class was Mato Tipila and the surrounding area. Most of you probably know Mato Tipila by it's Euro-American name, Devil's Tower. It was made famous by the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind as the place where Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfus) finally encounters the visitors and goes with them. "Mato Tipila" means "Bear Tower". The site is sacred to just about every native tribe in the area. They all have names for the monolith, and most of them include the word "bear" in them (which I find exeptionally interesting, "mato" being the Lakota word for "bear", and "mathan" being the Scottish Gaelic word). When the white-guys got there, they first renamed it "Bad Gods" tower (which later became "Devil's Tower"), I assume because they were doing what humans do, and attempting to demonize the previous religion to get power over other people.

The fact is, all of the Native creation myths are attached to Mato Tipila and the surrounding geography, which acts much like Stonehenge as an agricultural calendar if you know how to use it. No matter how many ways the conquerors try to rename it to take away its power, they just can't do it. I went through that area the first time when I was 14, and again when I was 16. The whole place just radiates Power, and it made my whole body tingle both times I went through, and I had no idea why.

One of my favorite movie moments ever was that moment in Close Encounters when Roy pulls the top off of the pile of mud in his living room to discover that he has just created a giant model of Mato Tipila. You see... I remembered Mato Tipila vividly and I recognized it the mome I saw it. I remember gasping "Oh... my... god... that is Devil's Tower!" You see, I did not know anything about the sacredness of the site (not consciously, anyway) nor did I know that there was another name for it. All I knew is that I was inexplicably drawn to it in much the same way that Roy was. It wasn't until I was at university that I learned the real name for the site, which is what I use now.

Mato Tipila is much like Glastonbury in a way... Glastonbury is sacred to Christians, but it was probably once called Avalon, back when the waters were higher and it was an island rather than a hill... at least that is what the mythology of the Western Mystery Tradition teaches me. You rename something to make it your own. That was why I legally changed my name to a name of my own choosing in 1983. I was claiming myself as my own. But, Glastonbury/Avalon is yet another site of the Hierophany, which is why people still compete for it even today. And, of course, Jerusalem was a BIG site of the Hierophany for all of the People of the Book, which is why that place is constantly at war.

Mato Tipila is very interesting, though, because even Steven Spielburg obviously could feel it. He made it the site of Roy Neary's Hierophany, the place where the star people came down to meet him. You see, the Lakota link Mato Tipila with the Pleiades, which is sacred to them along with countless other cultures in the world... including my own Western Mystery Tradition, and even Steven Spielburg couldn't help but link it with star people as well. The Power never goes away... it just waits for someone to come along and feel it and honor it again.

For the Lakota, separating them from Mato Tipila is an horrific experience... much like when the Romans kicked the Jews out of Jerusalem. Israel is "The Promised Land" to the Jews. Losing that must have be painful beyond all comprehension. The entire Jewish religion is built about the gaining of it and the losing of it. Chistianity, however, does not quite have that never-ending pain. Christians learned that they could build churches anywhere, and wherever they build a church, they can create thier own sacred spot. (That Catholics have this trick, however, of putting a Saint's relic in every church to make it sacred). As Pagans, we started out used to not having access to our sites of our hierophanies, so we create our own every time we cast a Circle. (That is what we are doing, you know... creating our own sacred space).

But, still, even though I can and do create a sacred space whenever and wherever I need to, I still have my own, personal Site of the Hierophany, and that is what I thought of immediatly when the Professor told me about this concept. There is this place that brought together all of these elements and all of these people that would eventually turn out to be the most important people and things in my life... all for one life-altering event. That was my Site of the Hierophany. That was where the Goddess first really, really touched me, and I literally have never been the same since.

One thing that is very interesting about Sites of Hierophanies in religion and spirituality... very often, there is a Fall associated with it. There are many, many myths and stories about people, essentially, getting kicked out or banished from thier sacred place. It virtually always, then, evolves into a quest to return, usually by somehow repenting, or, at the very least, correcting some sort of an unhealthy imbalance that caused the Fall in the first place.

That can be approached in a couple of ways. For me, the way I like best (the one that works best for me, anyway) is the idea that the banishment occurs because there is something that the person has to learn... and they only way they are going to learn it is by the most extreme of a shock... by losing access to thier sacred place. That then provides a vehicle to personal growth... there is no reason to try if there is no reason to try. And, "coming home" to what is sacred is really the best reason I can think of. I also like to think of this quest as a quest to restore health to The Land... like, for example, the healing of the Fisher King or the Quest for the Holy Grail. It isn't so much about one person being "saved", as it is a healing for the entire community.

Writer's Group

2009-08-10T17:51:00.000-07:00

Going to Maureen's reading the other night reminded me of the writer's group that I used to be in many years ago. It must have been somewhere around the beginning of 1987, because I remember who I was dating at the time, and she & I were only together for about a month or so (what would I do without all my exes? I would never be able to mark time!). Anyway, I did a reading like Maureen did the other night. It was really awesome. It was a women's writer's group (I don't remember where it was, but I must have found them through the Lesbian News). The story I read was one I wrote about a post-apocalyptic utopia of women who had survived the big bang at the end of the world and had banded together and moved out to an old Girl Scout camp in the mountains. The inspiration for the story had been the books "Herland" and "Wanderground" which I had just read, plus I had just seen the movies The Day After and Threads. Also, it had been only about a year since the Old Squaw ritual out at that Girl Scout camp, so that became the setting for my story.

I was going to submit it for publication, but I ended up not doing it because I wasn't entirely happy with the ending... I thought it was too predictable. It was very dark... it had a bit of Lord of the Flies in there, too. I was going through a very rough time, and that came through loud and clear. While writing this, I was wondering where that story was... then I remembered... I had left it in this leather brief case that I had gotten as a gift years and years ago. That briefcase was destroyed when the storage unit flooded. That wad of moldy wet paper pulp in there must have been this story! Maybe I will rewrite it someday. I am a much better writer now, and I do think it was a good premise for a story. I could do a lot more with it now than I could then.

Anyway, there is a woman at Church that has a writer's group, and after I wrote about Maureen's reading on my other blog (the one that feeds into Facebook, on which she is a Friend), she wrote back and said that she would have loved to have been there. So, that reminded me, she and I had talked about me joining her group, but I let it fall through the cracks. It is on Monday nights, which is one of the few times that I actually have transportation, so I could start going. I sent her a FB-PM and asked her about it.

I'm not going to the writer's group tonight, though. I promised my partner that we could have dinner tonight and re-watch the pilot for Battlestar Galactica. Now that I have seen Caprica, I am really curious to see how that wove that whole story together. This is kind of like writer's research for me. Whenever I see something done in a way that I really like, I'll watch it over and over to try to get a grasp of how they did it.

Prison Tales

2009-08-09T16:15:00.001-07:00

Last night we went to see Maureen Cotter at Beyond Baroque. Maureen is an old friend of my partner's, and she is currently writing her memoirs. Last night she gave readings from her book in progress.

Back in the 60s, Maureen was a prison guard. In 1969, she was staying with her girlfriend who was housesitting a mansion in the Hollywood Hills when Charles Manson committed his infamous murders. The Tate house was on one side of where they were living, the Labianca house on the other. Maureen & her girlfriend were right in between.

Funny how karma or the Lady or whoever is in charge of this will connect certain people for reasons that are only clear to them, but they often don't share the whys of it with the actual people involved. Like, I am quite sure Maureen really didn't want to be connected with Charlie Manson, and yet, for some strange reason, she is. You see, not only was she there right between those 2 crime scenes, but she, as a prison guard, ended up protecting Virginia Graham.

Graham was an informant and a key witness in the trial. She had been put in prison for writing a bad check to pay for back surgery that she needed after being pushed down by an abusive husband. There she met Susan Atkins who told her the whole gory murder story. Well... Virginia Graham was there last night, at the reading. She is credited for saving the lives of a whole list of celebrities who Manson had, on a hit list, targeted to be next. One of them was Liz Taylor. Maureen had a letter from Liz Taylor which was delivered by her personal assistant (who I met last night, also).

So, here is Maureen, writing about her experiences and her strange connection with Charlie Manson. If Maureen's book does well, this could change her life forever... and some small part of the credit might have to go to Manson! (well... maybe I won't go that far... but certainly to Virginia Graham!). I am going to try to find out more about what Maureen is doing, and how it is that she got to do that reading last night.

Some Pictures from the Getty Villa

2009-08-07T18:45:00.000-07:00

Awhile back, I took a pilgrimage to the Getty Villa in Malibu. I thought I might share of my pictures here, with you.

Around the cistern (which, of course, is really just a reflecting pool) there sit a collection of these portrait busts. I don't think they are originals. I think they are reproductions, because they just seem like they are in too good of shape to have been the actual busts that were created in the 1st century, but that's ok... they are 1st century! 1900 years before the invention of photography, this is how they captured the likenesses of loved ones. These are like the family photos on your wall. This is great for me! I know what actual people (Romans, at least) at the time looked like. Plus, the whitened eyes give these folks a look of perpetual surprise, and when one puts them all side by side like this, the scene suggests the big dramatic moment of a modern day soap opera when one of the main characters that we all thought was dead turns up very much alive and holding the illigitimate child of the other main character's husband.

I feel a special kinship with these folks. You see, we actually have a lot in common. Like me, none of them were raised in a Christian household. Also, like me, they were brought up from childhood on the stories of the Olympian Gods (although, the Roman versions), as well as the hero tales of Perseus, Theseus, Jason and Hercules. I know this for a fact because of other artifacts that I saw in the Villa (more on that later).

My mother, the atheist, had an INTENSE dislike of organized religion. Therefore I never went to church as a child, and my Catholic dad or grandparents were FORBIDDEN to teach me about their religion. I never heard of Adam & Eve until I was 6. Growing up, I had no all powerful, all knowing, angry father god watching my every move. (my mom was the closest thing to that). And, Jesus didn't die for my sins. In fact, my first recognition of Jesus was when I was 5 and, for some reason, I spent the night with my Polish grandmother. She tucked me into bed and then pointed to the life-like crucifix over the bed and said "If you get scared, baby Jesus is here to protect you."

Now, I was only 5, but I knew a mind-f*ck when I heard one. First of all, that was no "baby". That was a full grown man. Secondly, I didn't know how she thought HE was going to protect me... he looked like he was having a pretty bad time himself! That poor, nearly naked man hanging on that cross all covered in blood and obviously in an extreme amount of pain and anquish TERRIFIED me! I layed awake all night expecting him to either scream or drip blood on me!

I told my mom about the crucifix and she said that my grandmother was an old fool and that I shouldn't believe such non-sense. Later on, when I came home from school and told her the story of Adam & Eve, she was so furious she took me out of that school. Then we moved to California and I saw Jason and the Argonauts.

So, I was kind of a blank slate as far as religion went. Instead of this angry and aloof father god, I met the Olympian gods playing chess with the lives of humans. Jason was a favored chesspiece of the goddess Hera in this friendly rivalry with Her husband, Zeus. She was in no way aloof. Jason had the Argo built with the masthead facing inward. At times of crisis, he would go to the bow of the ship and talk to the masthead that would then open its eyes and speak to him in the voice of Hera. No, She didn't tell him everything. She let him figure a lot of stuff out for himself. And She didn't "save" him, either. In fact, She very specifically put him in harm's way! He had to figure out how to survive on his own. This all worked for me really well!

It wasn't until the 7th grade when I learned a very interesting fact. Most of the OTHER kids were, at least on some level, Christian. I wrote this essay entitled "I Was a Teenaged Agnostic" which my teacher liked so much, she asked me to read it to the class. I couldn't BELIEVE the response I got! After class, all of these normal, rational (well, as normal and rational as a 13 year old can be) rushed me and demanded to know how I could say such a thing? How could I NOT believe in Jesus Christ?!?! I was STUNNED! I had no idea that they all shared this alternate reality! This was complete news to me!

So, here's the deal. I grew up with a completely different set of values and morals than did most of the rest of Western Civilization. No, Jesus didn't die for my sins. Maybe he died for yours, but even though I have made some pretty stinky mistakes in my life, I have not done one single thing that would warrant being tortured to death. And, therefore, no, I am not grateful to Him for that. He didn't need to go through that on my account. No, I don't believe that there is anything, now, that I need to be saved from. In addition, that whole "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." thing doesn't really work for me, either. In MY world, the gods were ALWAYS speading Thier seed around. In MY world, we are ALL daughters and sons of the gods. Any god that can only father one son, I think, should see a doctor about that little E.D problem.

What I DO believe is that one should be brave, resourceful and kind. One should always try to look out for those who are weaker than oneself. I believe that the gods, basically, like humans, and that they are happy to form relationships with us, and that it is possible to form a close relationship, almost like a friendship, with one or more of them (we are all Family, after all). And, like a friend, They will help you when They can, but not too much, because you don't want to form a co-dependant relationship. And, They are very much like humans. They have feelings, and will lash out if you hurt Them. And, also, it is good to be nice to humans and not hurt others. If you hurt someone that has asked for the protection of one of the gods, that god may come after you. That would be bad. But, what is WORSE, is if you hurt someone who has asked for the protection of your OWN goddess or god. That REALLY pisses them off! (Personally, I try to avoid pissing Artemis off as much as possible... She is not known for Her mercyful forgiveness). So, I DO have a VERY DEFINITE set of morals and values... they are just not the same morals and values as everybody else.

But, they have have been the same as those folks in the portrait sculptures! So, that is why I feel so close to people that died 2000 years before I was born.

But, speaking of drinking...

Look at this lovely drinking cup from the 1st century. It has the face of Dionysus. I would imagine that they used to drink wine mixed with water from it. Even though the Romans... especially 1st century Romans, are thought of as being major party-animals (and they were... more on that later), they were STILL shocked at the behavior of the Celts! You see, those wild barbarians drank thier wine and beer straight... they didn't water it down!

That really cracked me up when I read that.

Yay Carter!

2009-07-20T13:49:00.001-07:00

I have seen all kinds of people struggle with this, and, in fact, this is the very reason why I left the Baptist Church back in 1980.

clipped from www.politicsdaily.com

Jimmy Carter Leaves Church Over Treatment of Women

Posted:

07/20/09

Filed Under:Religion, Woman Up

At its most repugnant, the belief that women must be subjugated to the wishes of men excuses slavery, violence, forced prostitution, genital mutilation and national laws that omit rape as a crime. But it also costs many millions of girls and women control over their own bodies and lives, and continues to deny them fair access to education, health, employment and influence within their own communities.

And, later:

The truth is that male religious leaders have had -- and still have -- an option to interpret holy teachings either to exalt or subjugate women. They have, for their own selfish ends, overwhelmingly chosen the latter. Their continuing choice provides the foundation or justification for much of the pervasive persecution and abuse of women throughout the world.

Information On Castration

2009-07-10T14:30:00.000-07:00

It would be irresponsible of me to post that last post without adding just a little more information.

Information on Castration in general can be found HERE

Some more information on HUMAN castration can be found HERE, and HERE,

And, here is a list of some famous historic castrati:

Baldassare Ferri (1610 - 1680)
Antonio Bernacchi (1685 - 1756)
Francesco Bernardi (Senesino) (1686 - 1758)
Carlo Broschi (Farinelli) (1705 - 1782)
Gaetano Majorano (Caffarelli) (1710 - 1783)
Giovanni Manzuoli (1720 - 1782)
Gaetano Guadagni (1725 - 1792)
Gasparo Pacchierotti (1740 - 1821)
Luigi Marchesi (1754 - 1829)
Girolamo Crescentini (1762 - 1848)
Giovanni Velluti (1781 - 1861)
Domenico Mustafà (1829 - 1912)
Domenico Salvatori (1855 - 1909)
Alessandro Moreschi (1858 - 1922)

On The Subject of Michael Jackson

2009-07-10T14:23:00.001-07:00

No disrespect intended... but I have thought this for a long time... Actually, ever since the first time I saw Michael after puberty. There was a Light in Little Michael Jackson which was so amazing. He and I are about the same age, so we grew up together, in a way. But, at suddenly, around the time his voice SHOULD have changed, that Light seemed to go out.

I am very sad at his passing. I am probably even more sad about the pain that he seemed to be in most of his life.

clipped from www.itwaslost.org

. Occasionally, this is the result of an endocrinological condition (as the Wikipedia tells me), but it was semi-common practice throughout the Catholic Middle Ages & Renaissance to castrate great boy singers to preserve their pristine upper ranges. (Countertenors are male altos with testicles who have perfected their falsetto, & were also commonly used in church music for centuries, & still sing modern & ancient music today. The last proper Italian operatic Castrato, Alessandro Moreschi, died in 1922. There are a few scratchy old recordings of him.)

Nothing to Do with Religion...

2009-06-21T14:04:00.000-07:00

I just had friends visiting from New Zealand, and made a slide show about it. Thought y'all would be interested.

Long Beach WomanSpirit

2009-06-08T16:58:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I attended the Long Beach WomanSpirit Celebration at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Long Beach. Long Beach WomanSpirit is a group of women who have come together to provide a space for the Women's Spirituality community to grow and flourish. I attended the very first one, sometime in the 1980s. I don't remember exactly where, but the first one was in a woman's back yard. Since then, they have moved to UUCLB, and in 1997, they became associated with the Temple of Isis in Los Angeles.

This is a very interesting event, because it showcases a kind of a microcosm of a certain religious community in Southern California, the Women's Spirituality Movement.

These women are doing an interpretive dance portraying the "struggle of the Afghan women". The is an assumption held largely in common by this particular community that the Afghan women are oppress. I, however, have met Afghan women who do not feel that way, and, in fact, would be highly insulted by this display. However, the women performing this dance are very sincere, and I am sure that they have only the best of intentions.

Morris Dancers: Celtic Paganism was very evident at this event.

Belly dancing: The Women's Spirituality Movement has embraced belly dancing as a women's art form and as women's creative expression, and there are now many belly dancing classes around the country. One thing about the belly dancing that one finds in the Pagan festivals, it is not agist or sizist. In a mainstream society that often wants to discard women if they are "too old" or "too fat", Pagan belly dancing celebrates everyone!

I had a really great time, and I made some great contacts there, and I am sure that you will be hearing some more about it, later. Mostly it was made up of booths with local crafts-people selling locally made items, all revolving around Women's Spirituality. There were also a few Tarot readers there as well, and some great entertainment.

Here is an excellent YouTube slide show of the event. Enjoy!

The Essence of Fundamentalism

2009-06-08T13:49:00.001-07:00

This may seem silly now, but this is, essentially, the same motivation behind many actions taken by fundamentalist religions. Even something like Prop. 8... by legally preventing something that a person's religion, they are thus "protecting" us from "God's wrath".

clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk

Socrates trial and execution was completely justified, says new study

By Simon Johnson
Published: 8:00AM BST 08 Jun 2009

The trial of Socrates was justified by the laws of the time, a Cambridge University classicist has concluded, dismissing suggestions that the Athenian philosopher's death was the result of one of the greatest miscarriages of justice ever.

It has been claimed that Socrates was made a scapegoat for a series of disasters to strike Athens, including a plague and major military defeat

Through the centuries, historians have portrayed the 399BC trial as a travesty, with Socrates forced to face charges invented by his ignorant fellow citizens.

He was found guilty of "impiety" and "corrupting the young", sentenced to death, and then required to carry out his own execution by consuming a deadly potion of the poisonous plant hemlock.

But, in a new study launched today, Professor Paul Cartledge has concluded that the trial was legally just and Socrates was guilty as charged.

Outline for Tarot Class

2009-06-03T19:14:00.000-07:00

I have come up with the outline for my Tarot class (which is starting THIS COMING SATURDAY... so remember to reserve your spot by calling (562) 925-8500!)

Here is what the outline looks like so far. I might tweak it as I go along. Each class in an hour long. I don't want to put TOO much into it, but I DO want to be sure that everyone gets their money worth.

Lesson Outline
1. Lesson 1 – Overview of the Art
a. What Tarot Is
b. What Tarot is NOT
c. A Brief History of Tarot
2. Lesson 2 - Overview of the Deck
a. Overview of the Major Arcana
b. Overview of the Minor Arcana
c. The Court Cards
3. Lesson 3 – Minor Arcana
a. 1-10: What do the numbers mean?
b. Air-Fire-Water-Earth: What do the 4 Suits mean?
c. More on the Court Cards: What do you mean, Air of Water?
4. Lesson 4 - Major Arcana
a. The Individual
i. The Fool
ii. The Magician
iii. The High Priestess
b. The Authority
i. The Empress
ii. The Emperor
iii. The Hierophant
c. Initiating Change
i. The Lovers
ii. The Chariot
iii. Strength
5. Lesson 5 – Major Arcana Continued
a. Accepting Change
i. The Hermit
ii. Wheel of Fortune
iii. Justice
b. Self-Discipline
i. The Hanged Man
ii. Death
iii. Temperance
c. Hard Lessons – Breaking apart
i. The Devil
ii. The Tower
6. Lesson 6 – Major Arcana – still more
a. Merging with The All
i. The Star
ii. The Moon
iii. The Sun
b. Restoration
i. Judgment
ii. The World
c. The Infinity Meditation
7. Lesson 7 – Now the Good Stuff
a. Introduction to Spreads
b. The 3 Card Spread: Past Present & Future.
c. Defining your purpose. Defining your Scope.
8. Lesson 8 – The Celtic Cross
a. The Celtic Cross: Inner Circle
i. Self,
ii. Situation
iii. Challenges/Opportunities
b. The Celtic Cross: Outer Circle
i. Foundation
ii. Recent Past
iii. Higher Power
iv. Near Future
c. The Celtic Cross: The Tree
i. Blocks & Inhibitions
ii. Allies
iii. Advice
iv. Long-Term Potential
9. Lesson 9 – Some Other Spreads
a. The MotherPeace Spread
b. The Chalice Spread
c. The Houses of the Zodiac Spread
10. Lesson 10- Tarot & Astrology
11. Lesson 11- Tarot & Qabala
12. Lesson 12 - Reading for Others
13. Lesson 13 – Communion with the Divine

Practical Magicka
17909 Bellflower Blvd, Bellflower, Ca 90706
(562) 925-8500
http://www.practicalmagicka.com/

"Betty Bowers Explains Traditional Marriage"

2009-06-03T07:44:00.000-07:00

"Fidelity"

2009-05-31T11:00:00.001-07:00

The Licence

2009-05-31T10:49:00.000-07:00

Sunday's Meeting

2009-05-29T15:18:00.000-07:00

We had a meeting, Sunday, of the UU Pagan/Wiccan group (unofficial, since we are not an official group yet). I ended up being very late for the meeting, which is a shame, because, apparently, I missed an outstanding conversation about The Wiccan Rede and the Threefold Law (I will write more about this sometime in the future... but this is the Pagan/Wiccan ethical system).

One of the things that came up near the end of the meeting was that several of us have been involved in groups previously that had either disbanded, or the person had been banished. This, in some ways, is similar to being excommunicated as a Catholic. It is different in that once a person is excommunicated from the Catholic church, they can not go back to thier church. However, when Wiccans get banished from a group, they cannot return to just that group. But, even though there are other groups out there, the experience can be devestating. So, one of the things that I am trying to make available there at UUCLB is that there will be a meeting place available, every week, for whoever wants it. It would be really hard to get banished, because it is a UU group... and UUers are extremely accepting of everyone. It would be very hard to get banished.

So, my goal is that there will be a place for people to meet, that it will always be available, whenever folks want to come... but it will be available.

Tarot Class at Practical Magicka

2009-05-28T15:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, folks, it is a "go"!

I will be teaching a class in Basic Tarot at Practical Magicka beginning Saturday, June 6 at 6pm. (Yes... that is 6/6 @ 6!).

This class will be a BASIC Tarot class, and I will be assuming little or no previous experience in the Tarot by the students... however, if you are a little more advanced, please, feel free to come. It should be fun, anyway.

The operative word here is "fun". I want to make this class fun as well as informative. The classes are an hour long every Saturday. If you miss, there will be handouts the following week to help you get caught up. Plus, I'll give you my phone number so that you can call me for help during the week if you want. There will be lecture, exercises and, yes, even homework (but, it won't be TOO taxing!)

The class is 13 weeks long and the cost is $20 each class. Come to as many or as few as you like.

Practical Magicka is located at:

17909 Bellflower Blvd, Bellflower, Ca 90706
(562) 925-8500
http://www.practicalmagicka.com/

Call soon and reserve a space, it is already starting to fill up!

And, Therefore, I Will Continue to Uphold My Ban Against Bigots

2009-05-26T11:15:00.001-07:00

Needless to say, I am deeply disappointed.

clipped from news.yahoo.com

California high court upholds gay marriage ban

By LISA LEFF, Associated Press Writer Lisa Leff, Associated Press Writer

AP – People wait in line for a decision from the California State Supreme Court on the legality of a voter-approved …

SAN FRANCISCO – The California Supreme Court upheld a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage Tuesday, but it also decided that the estimated 18,000 gay couples who tied the knot before the law took effect will stay wed.

The court said the people have a right, through the ballot box, to change their constitution.

The announcement of the decision set off an outcry among a sea of demonstrators who had gathered in front of the San Francisco courthouse awaiting the ruling. Holding signs and many waving rainbow flags, they chanted "shame on you." Many people also held hands in a chain around an intersection in an act of protest.

Yahoo! Groups

2009-05-21T12:07:00.000-07:00

I love the internet. If for no other reason, I love the internet because of the value of every dollar spent on internet access. True, internet access is a monthly expense that I really don't appreciate, sometimes, but there are so many valuable tools and services available, virtually for free, or, at least, in my case, for the cost of my laptop and wireless access.

Like, for example, Yahoo! I am a huge fan of Yahoo. My browser (which happens to be Firefox, for those of you keeping score) is set to open on MyYahoo. Immediately upon opening my browser, I have at-a-glance access to my Daily Horoscope, my latest email messages (from both Yahoo! and gMail), and, of course, LOL Cats (I could not LIVE without I Can Haz Cheezburger?). I also now have a box where I can keep up with my new Yahoo! Group, UUCLB Pagans/Wiccans.

Yet another free thing, and, incredibly useful. Now I can have everyone talk to each other, and any one of us can immediately disseminate information to all of the other members. And, the history is there, so that any new member can be caught up. Plus, if I have to use any of this to prove a case to the church, it is all there. How brilliant is that?

Unexpected Benefits

2009-05-20T17:45:00.000-07:00

So, in the midst of all of this religion building, I find myself meeting people and networking. And, one of the people that I meet gives me two important pieces of information. One, he helps teach a Karate Class at a local rec center. I have been wanting to return to Karate for some time (20 years, in fact). This man being in the class seems like just the thing!

Secondly, he tells me about a store called Practical Magicka in Bellflower. Always eager to visit new metaphysical stores (it is one of my favorite things in the whole world to do), I go over there at my first opportunity.

After talking to the owner for quite awhile, I find out that there are a number of people teaching classes there. One thing leads to another, and she and I decide that I would maybe teach a Beginning Tarot class there. I will let you all know how that turns out.

There was another person I met in all of this. I told her that I was working on a novel and what it was about, and she recommended what looks like an EXCELLENT book for me to look at as a resource. (My book is an historical novel).

One thing that most people fail to realize (that I often talk about as well as write about here) is that religion is a tremendous economic engine. No, I don't think people should be involved in it just for the money (in fact, just the opposite). But, wherever there IS religion, there is an economy. My work organizing this religious group has already caused me to start karate lessons again (which I have to pay money for), I will probably buy this book, and I will be teaching tarot, which will not only enable me to buy things with the money that I make, but it will also bring people into the store, where they will buy things, possibly even tarot cards and books about tarot.

So, in these hard economic times, this is a good thing.

In addition, I have met a lot of new people... always a good thing for someone who has just moved to a new area!

So, Next....

2009-05-19T19:24:00.000-07:00

So, what happened next, was I got really busy with this whole thing.

Because I was very fired up by the experience of teaching and of leading ritual, I went to Church the following Sunday. (I do not usually go). It just so happened that I was there on the very day that the Minister was holding a New Member Orientation Meeting.

Because I car pooled with a couple of the teachers, I actually got to the Church before 8:30 in the morning. However, that was ok. This gave me a chance to meet people and socialize before going to the 9:30 Service. Then, after that, there was some more time to socialize, until the 11:30 service. After that, I went to the New Member Orientation Meeting with the Minister.

I told her all about what I was intending... about how I wanted to volunteer to teach Religious Education in the Fall, and about how I also wanted to start a Pagan/Wiccan group there at the church. She gave me a list of people to talk to (which, somehow, I held all of this in my head), and we talked about many things, including her attitude towards Wicca, and what the Board might think. Also, she let me know that she will be retiring, so there will be a whole new minister there for me to deal with. I told her that I was ready. I am used to dealing with diverse religious ideas, and I am fairly confident that there is a way to reach some sort of a compromise.

Having said that, I do realize that this is my primary motivation for doing this... NOT that I will have a place to meet and to practice, but rather, that there WILL BE a space here for a Pagan/Wiccan Group to meet. That is what is most important to me, personally.

And, by our presence and visibility, we will increase awareness and understanding of a religion that, I feel, is under-represented at this church.

Beltaine Class

2009-05-13T15:25:00.000-07:00

The first step was the Beltane Class. This was held in the lounge of the church where there was comfortable seating arranged around a central coffee table. They asked me beforehand if there was anything I needed, and I told them that all I needed was a whiteboard. One of the women who invited me seemed a little concerned that I had not had enough time to prepare, since we had only gone over what they actually wanted the previous evening, but I said I was fine. After all, I JUST finished at the university, and I had gotten used to doing things on short notice with not-quite-enough time to prepare. Ask any college student. There is never quite enough time to get everything done the way you want it to be. If there is one thing that one learns in college, it is that there is never enough time, but you have to do it anyway. And, besides, all I was going to do was talk about Paganism. This is something that I can do in my sleep. So, really, all I need is a whiteboard.

They made me really happy when they not only brought me a whiteboard, but also, a whole package of different colored dry-erase markers! I was almost GIDDY!

We only had four students, but there were also two adult instructors, plus a third adult that came in late, so I was happy. The adults didn't know any more about my tradition than the kids did, so I got to share with everyone.

I started out by drawing a diagram on the board of the Wheel of the Year, with each Sabbat (Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas, Mabon, and Samhain) in a different color. (See why I was so happy about the pens?). Then I explained to them that Beltane was a part of this, particular, Wheel of the Year, but that this was not the only possible Wheel to use. I explained that this Wheel is associated with pre-Christian Europe, and that if someone was working with another tradition, like Maori, Native American, Egyptian, or even possibly ancient Greek, the Wheel for that tradition may or may not be different. I then explained how the Wheel relates to the Mysteries of an agricultural society, and how, even though, to city folks in California, these concepts may be more intellectual and symbolic, they come from a people whose very survival depended in knowing when the Sun would be waxing and when it would begin to wane, and when to slaughter the old milk cow that you know isn't going to make it through the Winter. I told them that one of the reasons for this Wheel is that their agricultural technology and the culture surrounding it would not be forgotten, generation after generation, and, sure enough, we remember it today, even though most of us will never need to know the best day to plant or harvest. However, by working with this Wheel, we make ourselves conscious of the rhythm of the Earth and see ourselves as a part of Her, and that is really what Pagans are doing with this.

I told them that Paganism was an immanent religion, while most other religions that they were familiar with were transcendent religions. I was especially happy that I had recently been reading Way of the Druid by Graeme K. Talboys, which is what made me think of that concept right then. I relayed to them the concept of Goddess and of God, and how they were equal in Paganism, and how they both lived in each of us.

I explained to them, briefly, what each Sabbat was and what it stood for. I was especially pleased that, because of my experience living in Upstate New York, I had personal experience to share with them about each one. I would not have had that if I hadn't lived up there, and none of them had ever lived in a place with seasons, so it worked out well. Then I talked about the concept of Opposites, and showed, on the Wheel that I drew, how Beltane (which is the celebration of sex and creative forces) was directly opposite to Samhain, (which is the celebration of death and destructive forces). And I talked about how it is that the Earth needs both sex and death, Creation and Destruction, because, otherwise, we will just choke the Earth to death.

At one point, I asked them what they knew about Beltane, and they said all they knew was that every year, since they were little kids, they did a Maypole for May Day, but they didn't know why.

The next part was fun. I got to break the news to them that a May Pole was a big phallus that they had been decorating every year. Their faces were precious... especially the one boy with the big belt buckle. I love teenagers.

They asked me a lot of really good questions. One of them asked me about creation myths, and so I told her what my, personal, favorite was (the Gaea theory, for those of you keeping score), but told her there were many, many creation myths, and that it didn't matter which one a person chooses, but that a creation myth only rings true if it supports one's personal ethical core. That was fun to explain. Another one asked me about Saints and about the Guadalupe, and I was grateful for my Religion & Society degree, because I was ready for that one. One of the instructors asked me about the Chakras, and I got to do about 15 minutes on why it is that Chakras were from Hinduism, but why it is that Pagans often use them, even though they have nothing to do with European Paganism or Wicca.... speaking of which, I also had to explain the definition of Wicca, and why it is that many Wiccans do not consider me to be one. I got to talk some about comparing Native American Religion to Paganism, and about Zen. So, all in all, it was an excellent day.

I had so much fun with this that the very next day I called the Director of Education there at the church and told her that I wanted to volunteer to teach Religious Education to the high school kids in the Fall. I can't wait!

Paganism and the Unitarian Universalist Church

2009-05-12T13:45:00.001-07:00

I haven’t been posting to this blog as much as I should, and this changes today.
The reason is I have been engaged in some very interesting activities that I think that you, my readers, might be interested in hearing about. Since this is happening with me, it is so much more fun if I let some other folks in on it, so, here it goes…

As some of you may know, I relocated from Syracuse, NY to Long Beach, CA last September. At the time, I was up for possibly taking a job at the local UU as an administrator. I didn’t get the job, but I did end up getting involved with that church.
Last Yule, they did a Winter Solstice service, which was very nice. After the service, I was approached by a couple of the members there who are active in the Religious Education program there at the church. They wanted to know if I would be willing to teach a class on Beltane for the high school age kids in April. They said that they didn’t really have someone who had my kind of extensive background in Paganism, and they would really appreciate it if I would help them out.
Well, I kind of forgot about, actually, but then, a week before the class was to occur, I got a phone call while I was at one of my jobs reminding me of it.

The experience was incredible. On April 19th, I taught a class on Beltane to the high school religious education class. What a great group of kids! They asked the best questions, and they really kept me on my toes. I had the time of my life. I have seriously missed teaching since I left the university. The Unitarian Universalist Church has an amazing Sunday school program. They teach Religious Education to kids, K-12, and they also have a program called OWL (which stands for Our Whole Lives) which is a sex education program that begins for little kids as well, and goes up to whatever, even covering issues of aging and sexuality in seniors. I always thought that this was a very cool thing (I have very close friends who are members there and raising their daughter in the church), but after spending a couple of hours with the high schoolers, I am completely blown away. UU is getting it right, and you won’t hear me give this kind of blatant endorsement of a church very often.

Fascinating Article about Cleopatra

2009-04-23T13:13:00.001-07:00

clipped from www.nytimes.com

Op-Ed Contributor

Who’s Buried in Cleopatra’s Tomb?

By STACY SCHIFF

Published: April 21, 2009

WHAT becomes a legend most? If you’re a woman, the formula is straightforward. Your best bets are the three D’s: delusion (Joan of Arc), disability (Helen Keller), death (Sylvia Plath). You get extra points for the savage, sudden or surprising demise, as Evita, Amelia or Diana attests. At the head of the list of untimely self-destructors comes of course Cleopatra VII, for whose tomb a search begins shortly, on an Egyptian hilltop west of Alexandria.

Cleopatra died 2,039 years ago, at the age of 39. Before she was a slot machine, a video game, a cigarette, a condom, a caricature, a cliché or a synonym for Elizabeth Taylor, before she was reincarnated by Shakespeare, Dryden or Shaw, she was a nonfictional Egyptian queen. She ruled for 21 years, mostly alone, which is to say that she was essentially a female king, an incongruity that elicits the kind of double take once reserved for men in drag.

Lucy Lawless Returns to Ancient Rome

2009-03-31T13:02:00.001-07:00

I can't wait!

clipped from www.zap2it.com

Lucy Lawless: She is (in) 'Spartacus'

Starz casts Aussie actor Andy Whitfield in title role

By Rick Porter

March 31, 2009

You may not have heard of the guy playing the title role in Starz's new series "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," but you're probably familiar with his owner.

Lucy Lawless has joined the series, which will update the story of Spartacus for the "300" generation and is being produced by Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, who helped propel Lawless to fame in "Xena: Warrior Princess." Australian actor Andy Whitfield will play the title role.

"Spartacus: Blood and Sand" will follow the former Roman soldier, now a slave, as he's sold to Batiatus, the owner of a gladiator camp, and his wife Lucretia (Lawless). It's based on the true story of a slave who led a revolt against Rome in 73 B.C. (and memorably played by Kirk Douglas in Stanley Kubrick's 1960 movie), but Starz says the show "will tell a new set of stories rich in character, action, sex and combat."

Living & Dying Online

2009-03-16T09:49:00.001-07:00

I thought this article was very interesting. I knew someone who had an online life that has died. He left a whole community behind that his next of kin had to deal with.

clipped from tech.yahoo.com

NEW YORK - When Jerald Spangenberg collapsed and died in the middle of a quest in an online game, his daughter embarked on a quest of her own: to let her father's gaming friends know that he hadn't just decided to desert them.

It wasn't easy, because she didn't have her father's "World of Warcraft" password and the game's publisher couldn't help her. Eventually, Melissa Allen Spangenberg reached her father's friends by asking around online for the "guild" he belonged to.

One of them, Chuck Pagoria in Morgantown, Ky., heard about Spangenberg's death three weeks later. Pagoria had put his absence down to an argument among the gamers that night.

"I figured he probably just needed some time to cool off," Pagoria said. "I was kind of extremely shocked and blown away when I heard the reason that he hadn't been back. Nobody had any way of finding this out."

Financial Advice

2009-03-10T13:49:00.001-07:00

I just put The Motley Fool on my Yahoo! page. I learned about them when I was getting my Financial Adviser training. They give excellent, down to earth, and easy to understand advice (as opposed to some other sites that treat you like you are an idiot if you haven't yet made your first billion yet). Another source I like a lot is Suze Orman. The financial company that I worked for didn't like her at all, and SNL has been having fun with her lately, but I really like her. She says things like, if you have $1000 in the bank and you are getting 3% interest, and you owe $1000 on your credit card at 18% interest... PAY OFF YOUR CARD. DUH! But most people don't think like that, preferring instead to keep their money in the bank in case of a rainy day. She also points out things like if you pay your credit card bills, but then you can't buy food, you are going to end up putting your food on the card, anyway. She comes from a working class background, so she gives very practical advice. She doesn't have much to say about what to do if you are unemployed, though, other than "get a job!" There is also Loral Langemeier. She is the woman that I heard on KPFK that I was so impressed with. She actually DOES address what to do if you don't have a job. She has some good ideas, and if you sign up for her website, you can talk to a coach for free.

If you DO still have a little money, there is another resource that I learned about as a Financial Planner. Investopedia. One can learn a LOT from playing around this site.

Latest Prop. 8 News

2009-03-05T15:37:00.001-08:00

clipped from www.latimes.com

California Supreme Court signals mixed response to Proposition 8

2:25 PM PST, March 5 2009

"This is the first time a ballot initiative will have been used to take away a fundamental right from a suspect class," he told the justices.

Michael Maroko, another anti-Proposition 8 speaker, told the justices that "if the state stuck its finger into the marriage business, it should do it equally. . . . If gay couples don't have the right to marry, straight couples shouldn't either."

Photos: Rallies against Prop. 8...

Proposition 8: The battle over gay...

Times coverage of Proposition 8

Live blog: Supreme Court hears Prop. 8 arguments

George asked those arguing that Proposition 8 was an illegal constitutional revision if their basic problem wasn't that "it's just too easy to amend the California Constitution," noting it has been changed more than 500 times, compared with 27 amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

I Would Love To Know More About His Protest

2009-03-05T14:06:00.001-08:00

I wonder if this has to do with Prop. 8. He is being charged with a felony, even though the damage is not permanent.

Seems to me that Jesus was protesting when He turned over the money tables, and He was punished a bit harshly, also

clipped from www.ktla.com

Naked Man Stages 7 Hour Protest Atop Local Church

KTLA News

March 3, 2009

More Related Content

LOS ANGELES -- A naked man who threatened for seven hours to jump from a cross on top of a two-story church in Mid-City is now facing vandalism charges.

Police and firefighters were called to the West Central Presbyterian Church at 5284 W. Ninth Street around 8:00 a.m. Sunday.

When firefighters arrived, they found the unidentified man threatening to jump from a cross about 10 feet above the roof of the two-story building. The man was apparently protesting Christianity.

Fire department rescue teams worked for hours to entice the man to come down. The man ranted and, at one point, spread his feces on the cross.

An air cushion was set up and ladders extended to the top of the roof. But Fire officials said the cross itself, which the man apparently climbed onto via a ladder at the back, was too rusty and unstable to allow firefighters to lean any equipment against it.

Prop. 8 Update

2009-03-05T11:43:00.001-08:00

This is a live blog. Can you believe that Kenneth Star is involved? When did he become the Sex Police of the Nation?

clipped from latimesblogs.latimes.com

State justices speak to people's initiative power

Justices of the California Supreme Court seemed reluctant today to override the will of the people as expressed by the narrow majority vote to effectively ban gay marriage with Proposition 8.

Before supporters of the November ballot measure even got their chance to speak to the court in San Francisco, the justices appeared to be warning Proposition 8 opponents that their arguments that the vote should be invalidated could be viewed as an excessive use of judicial power.

The state Constitution talks about "the great power of the people" and their right to amend the guiding principles, said Justice Joyce L. Kennard. "As judges, our power is very limited. We would like to hear from you why this court can willy-nilly disregard the will of the people to change the Constitution."

Please Send Your Good Thoughts

2009-03-04T23:11:00.001-08:00

The California Supreme is going to be hearing our case tomorrow.

clipped from www.latimes.com

Gay couples hold vigils urging justices to end Prop. 8

Proposition 8 protesters take part in a candlelight march in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday as the California Supreme Court prepares to hear legal arguments against the ballot measure banning same-sex marriage.

As opponents stage events across the state, backers prepare for today's state Supreme Court hearing on November ballot measure banning same-sex marriage.

By Jessica Garrison

March 5, 2009

As rain fell and the song "Fidelity" blasted through the sound system, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa presided Wednesday night over the "recommitment ceremonies" of half a dozen gay couples who married during the five-month period that such weddings were legal in California.

It was one of dozens of vigils held across California hours before the state Supreme Court hears oral arguments in the legal challenges to Proposition 8, the November ballot measure that banned same-sex marriage.

Photos: Rallies against Prop. 8...

Pagan Clergy

2009-03-02T19:22:00.001-08:00

Lately, I have found myself engaged in a number of discussions about whether or not there is such a thing a "Pagan clergy" and what that would mean. Paganism is sometimes called "the world's most disorganized organized religion". Many people believe that because you don't often see the "First Druidic Church of Anytown U.S.A." on a building somewhere, that there cannot be such a thing as clergy.

Perhaps the place to start is with a few definitions. First of all, what do I mean by "Pagan"? WordNet, from Princeton University, defines "pagan" as


S: (n) heathen, pagan, gentile, infidel (a person who does not acknowledge your god)


S: (n) pagan (a person who follows a polytheistic or pre-Christian religion (not a Christian or Muslim or Jew))


S: (n) hedonist, pagan, pleasure seeker (someone motivated by desires for sensual pleasures)

Hmmm… it's easy to see why, maybe, some people think that we are not a serious religion. In fact, when I worked at the university, I would run into people all of the time (mostly parents of students), who thought that Paganism was a joke. The general thinking was "how can you consider this a 'religion' when you make up your own rules as you go along?"

Well, the truth is, Paganism HAS rules… they just aren't rules that people on the outside necessarily recognize. Actually, Paganism is a recognized global religion. It just isn't one of the "Big Three".

So, what, exactly, does "clergy" mean? I had a side discussion about a week ago about whether or not a Catholic nun was clergy. All "clergy" means is "body of persons ordained for religious service". So, yes, a nun is "ordained" She is a part of a "holy order". She isn't a priest, but she is ordained (however, I don't know if the Catholic Church officially calls it "ordination". I would be interested in knowing if anyone else does).

This is all very tricky. Because, in the U.S., ordination conveys certain rights and privileges. However, if you are a Pagan that belongs to a Coven, then your coven may do some sort of initiation ritual that also conveys on you certain rights and privileges. But those rights and privileges probably don't carry any legal weight. This is why there has been this big push lately to make Wicca more "respectable", so we can get those legal rights. However, just because, maybe, your Coven, the Coven Of the Magick Moomoo Alliance doesn't have an official government charter as a non-profit organization, it doesn't mean that you don't have clergy.

In fact, most of the clergy in the so called "organized" religions are actually self-employed. Yes, they may have actual jobs as ministers at some church, but when it comes to things like weddings and funerals, one actually pays the minister directly for that. The money doesn't go through their churches. Ministers in the U.S. file a 1099, and, yes, our income tax laws have a special way to handle them, but it is tied to our self-employment status.

So, perhaps you have gotten to the point where someone wants you to perform a handfasting ritual for them, and you feel that you can do that. Here is what you do. You do your ritual. Do it in your own tradition. Do whatever you have to do to make it as special and as wonderful as everyone want it to be… then go to City Hall and make it legal in a civil ceremony. You, as the Priestess, don't want to mess with all of that legal nonsense, anyway. But, if you are unsure, here is a useful website:

http://www.themonastery.org/?destination=ordination

The other thing is that many Pagans do not believe that they should be paid for their ministerial services. If you are a member of an "organized" religion, let's say, Methodist, for example, every Sunday they pass a plate around and collect donations. This is why they want you to come to church. If you don't come to church, you are not likely to donate money. The plate is not the only way a church collects money. Most churches have a membership which they keep track of, and those members usually donate a pre-agreed upon amount. Every year, most churches try to get their members to commit to donating a certain amount over the course of the year. That is so they can plan their budgets and pay their rent, utilities, various bills, and the salaries of their employees, which include not only ministers, but administrative assistants, directors, and people in charge of various operations. People who go to "traditional" churches may have an entire army of people there to cater to their spiritual needs.

If you are a Pagan, chances are you worship either in your own home or in the home of one of your Coven sisters or brothers, and all of the expenses come out your collective pockets. Should you charge for services? That is entirely up to you. I will tell you this… many "traditional" ministers make very good livings… in many cases, much better livings than the people they serve. This enables them to be of service on a full time basis, whereas, if you are a Pagan Priest/ess, you probably also have a full time job. Strangely enough, the role of rabbis in the secular world is also somewhat in dispute, and may differ from one Jewish sect to the next. It seems that U.S. law is so focused on Protestantism that it tries to make Judaism conform to that model… and it doesn't really. I would imagine that Islamic clergy have the same problem.

Quadalupe

2008-12-08T19:10:00.001-08:00

I am FASCINATED with Quadalupe. As it turns out, this particular vision appeared at a site of an ancient worship site of an Aztec goddess. Quadalupe bears a striking resemblance to this goddess. The Quadalupe Procession is particular to places like L.A., where there are a large number of Mexicans, and it is a perfect example of Catholicism merging with the Native Culture that was there long before it was.

You really don't see Quadalupe anywhere in Upstate New York.

clipped from www.latimes.com

Passing the torch to honor the Virgin Mary

A 2,700-mile relay that began at a basilica in Mexico City ends at East Los Angeles College, a finale to L.A.'s 77th annual Guadalupe Procession.

By Esmeralda Bermudez

December 8, 2008

Seven hundred years ago, Aztec runners held fiery torches aloft as they delivered messages to far-flung corners of their Mesoamerican empire.

On Sunday, Carlos Morales, a 17-year-old with braces from Salesian High School, wielded a modern-day version of the flame as he marked one of the final legs of a 2,700-mile torch relay that spanned two countries and ended on the football field of East Los Angeles College.

Photos: Virgin of Guadalupe torch...

"It symbolizes hope for the poor," Morales said of the flame. "It shows the light to the people."

A Really Excellent Article on Same Sex Marriage and Scripture

2008-12-08T18:53:00.001-08:00

This has been my complaint from the beginning. The Bible just does not support the prohibition against same-sex marriage. Of course, that is besides my OTHER problem, which is, that MY religion isn't against same-sex marriage, and I resent having the religious constraints of another religion forced upon me. This is the same as Americans being forced to pray 5 times a day while facing Mecca.

clipped from www.newsweek.com

COVER STORY: GAY MARRIAGE

Our Mutual Joy

Opponents of gay marriage often cite Scripture. But what the Bible teaches about love argues for the other side.

By Lisa Miller | NEWSWEEK

Published Dec 6, 2008

From the magazine issue dated Dec 15, 2008

Of course not, yet the religious opponents of gay marriage would have it be so.

The argument goes something like this statement, which the Rev. Richard A. Hunter, a United Methodist minister, gave to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in June: "The Bible and Jesus define marriage as between one man and one woman. The church cannot condone or bless same-sex marriages because this stands in opposition to Scripture and our tradition."

clipped from www.newsweek.com

I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother;

You were very dear to me.

Your love for me was wonderful,

More wonderful than that of women.

Here, the Bible praises enduring love between men. What Jonathan and David did or did not do in privacy is perhaps best left to history and our own imaginations.

Mitzvah Mall

2008-12-07T18:37:00.001-08:00

I found this article very interesting, especially since the economic model of the U.S. (i.e., Capitalism), is based on a Protestant mindset.

Be that as it may, there is a lot of different cultural influences that go into it, Judaism being just one.

clipped from www.ocregister.com

Students practice giving with Mitzvah Mall

Sunday, December 7, 2008

As economy languishes, University Synagogue reminds children to help others.

By RASHI KESARWANI

The Orange County Register

IRVINE University Synagogue was transformed into a mall on Sunday.

Noah Davis, 12, far right, explains his Mitzvah project to three younger students as his older brother, Jake Davis, left, looks on.

Not a shopping mall for holiday bargain-hunters, but a mitzvah, or service, mall where patrons could donate money to causes championed by seventh-graders.

A group of 13 seventh-grade boys and girls presented their service projects, which ranged from creating a music library at a local senior center to donating money and glasses to Unite for Sight, a nonprofit devoted to improving eye health worldwide.

Meanwhile, In My Little Corner of the World...

2008-12-07T18:26:00.001-08:00

It almost always comes down to competition for resources. The roots of this problem are the same as those in the articles about India & Pakistan, Islam & the U.S. They all have to do with groups that are in competition for some sort of resource. Most people think that these are about religion, but that is just the theater in which the drama is played out.

clipped from www.latimes.com

Growth puts pressure on L.A. Jewish communities

A plan by the Chabad group to build a new school, condos, bathhouse and stores is one of several Westside and Valley projects meeting increasing resistance from neighbors, many of them fellow Jews.

By Tami Abdollah

December 7, 2008

On most weekdays, young boys in yarmulkes can be seen hanging out with friends in front of the new kosher Subway sandwich shop, while Orthodox women in modest dress stroll past Judaica stores and synagogues along Pico Boulevard in West Los Angeles.

Dubbed the "Kosher District" by some planners, this roughly 12-block stretch near Robertson Boulevard has exploded in recent years with restaurants, shops and religious institutions aimed at serving the neighborhood's growing Jewish population.

But growth has also spurred tensions within the community.

It's That Hajj Time of Year Again!

2008-12-07T18:15:00.001-08:00

Every year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims go to Mt. Arafat for the hajj. Can you even imagine how much money that generates for the region?

One of the most interesting things in this article is the part that is called the "disavowal of pagans ceremony,". They are referring to Americans, here. I find this particularly amusing because there really ARE Pagans in the U.S., but I doubt that these folks know anything about us. They are talking about Christians... or, at least, their view, shared by many Evangelicals in this country... is that the U.S. is a "Christian" country. Yet, they think of Christians as "pagans".

Just amusing, is all. And, interesting.

clipped from news.yahoo.com

Muslim hajj pilgrimage culminates on Mt. Arafat

By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer Ali Akbar Dareini, Associated Press Writer

–
Sun Dec 7, 10:52 am ET

AP – Muslim pilgrims pray on a rocky hill called the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat near Mecca, …

MOUNT ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia – Creating a sea of white robes, nearly 3 million Muslims converged on a rocky desert hill outside Mecca on Sunday to perform the ritual of forgiveness marking the climax of the annual hajj.

But while most spent the day praying and reading Islam's holy book, the Quran, thousands — mostly Iranians, Lebanese, Iraqis and Bahrainis — held a rally inside their tents to denounce the United States and Israel.

Called the "disavowal of pagans ceremony," the Iranian-sponsored, anti-U.S. protest is held annually at the hajj, bringing a whiff of politics into what is otherwise an entirely religious event.

This is Why I Think It is a Bad Idea to Sell Any Of These Folks Nuclear Fuel

2008-12-07T17:59:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago, the Bush Administration announced plans to sell some sort of nuclear fuel to India. I really wish neither of these countries had nuclear weapons.

clipped from news.yahoo.com

Indian minister denies calling Pakistani president

By SAM DOLNICK, Associated Press Writer Sam Dolnick, Associated Press Writer

Sun Dec 7, 12:00 pm ET

AP – A man with his face covered, identified by the police as Mukhtar Ahmed, appears at a court in Calcutta, …

NEW DELHI – Pakistani authorities put the air force on high alert after their president received a "threatening" late-night call they said came straight from the Indian government as gunmen rampaged across Mumbai. India dismissed the call as a hoax and its foreign minister flatly denied Sunday that he was involved.

Indian authorities believe a banned Pakistani-based militant group trained the gunmen and plotted the Mumbai siege that left 171 people dead. India has demanded Pakistan take action against the group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, but Pakistani authorities have asked India for clear evidence first.

A Sad Day

2008-12-06T09:32:00.001-08:00

Forrest J. Ackerman had a HUGE influence on me growing up. From about age 8 and up, I read his magazine "Famous Monsters of Filmland" religiously. I grew up with a love of horror not only as a movie genre, but also as a form of literature. Horror not only entertains us. It also holds within it our most intimate secrets. By looking at a horror film, and thinking about it within the context of the time and place in which it was made, we can learn deep secrets about a culture.

Fear is the flip-side of worship.

clipped from www.latimes.com

OBITUARY

Forrest J Ackerman, writer-editor who coined 'sci-fi,' dies at 92

The Los Angeles native influenced young fans with his Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine and spent a lifetime amassing a vast collection of science fiction and fantasy memorabilia.

By Dennis McLellan

December 6, 2008

Forrest J Ackerman, who influenced a generation of young horror-movie fans with Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine and spent a lifetime amassing what has been called the world's largest personal collection of science-fiction and fantasy memorabilia, has died. He was 92.

Ackerman, a writer, editor and literary agent who has been credited with coining the term "sci-fi" in the 1950s, died Thursday of heart failure at his home in Los Angeles, said John Sasser, a friend who is making a documentary on Ackerman.

As editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland, Ackerman wrote most of the articles in the photo-laden magazine launched in 1958 as a forum for past and present horror films.

I Know a Lot of Writers Who Write Because They Can't Really Do Anything Else

2008-12-06T09:02:00.001-08:00

I try to imagine someone like Anne Rice, Clive Barker, or Steven King trying to hold down a regular job. I do this when I am bored and need some sort of amusement.

Yesterday, while in a Starbucks, I saw a guy in tattered clothes sitting with a pile of newspapers writing notes in a beat up spiral notebook. It wasn't until I got ready to leave, after sitting there for about 3 hours, blogging and doing research, that the other guy was actually also a writer, and was taking notes for something that he was working on.

It could be that the only thing that separates me from the homeless that also hang out at Starbucks in the minds of most people is my ever-present laptop.

clipped from news.yahoo.com

Nobel winner Le Clezio: Writing was 3rd job choice

By LOUISE NORDSTROM, Associated Press Writer Louise Nordstrom, Associated Press Writer

AP – Nobel Prize Laureate in Literature Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio smiles during his press conference in …

STOCKHOLM, Sweden – Nobel literature laureate Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio said Saturday that he took up writing only after poor eyesight stopped him from becoming a sailor.

Arriving in Stockholm to receive the prestigious award, the 68-year-old Frenchman said he had also considered a career in architecture.

Still, Le Clezio soon discovered a natural urge to write, and said he was driven by an uncontrollable impulse rather than a desire to convey political messages.

"I'm more a storyteller than anything else," he said in French. "I do not write intending to demonstrate something or to attack something or to defend something."

I Wrote a Paper on this Man While I Was In School

2008-12-05T12:38:00.001-08:00

I did a lot of research on him for a project that I worked on in school, so this news makes me very sad.

clipped from news.yahoo.com

Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Alexy II dies

By JIM HEINTZ, Associated Press Writer Jim Heintz, Associated Press Writer

MOSCOW – In his nearly two decades at the head of the world's largest Orthodox church, Patriarch Alexy II oversaw a religious revival in Russia and healed a major church rift, but his death leaves a long-running dispute with the Vatican unresolved.

Yet he and the church held many discussions with the Vatican, aiming to reach an agreement that would allow the church to accept a papal visit to Russia.

His funeral was tentatively slated for Tuesday, according to Russian news agency Interfax, which cited his spokesman Vladimir Vigilyansky.

Finally!

2008-12-05T12:29:00.001-08:00

I was in L.A. when Simpson's wife got killed. In fact, I was sitting at a Coco's having a meal and actually saw the helicopters chasing him down the freeway.

The first Simpson trial came not too long after the riots in L.A. I have always wondered if one of the reasons why he was acquitted was that people were just too afraid of more riots.

It was probably the best choice, over all. A lot of people got killed in those riots... a lot more than O.J. ever killed himself. Still, though, I, personally, was never, ever convinced of his innocence.

The riots happened a long time ago. Barack Obama is the president-elect, and Nevada could care less about L.A.'s riot problems.

All things happen for a reason.

clipped from news.yahoo.com

O.J. sentenced to as many as 33 years for robbery

By KEN RITTER, Associated Press Writer Ken Ritter, Associated Press Writer

AP – O.J. Simpson, left, and his lawyer Yale Galanter appear during his sentencing hearing at the Clark County …

LAS VEGAS – A broken O.J. Simpson was sentenced Friday to as much as 33 years in prison for a hotel armed robbery after a judge rejected his apology and said, "It was much more than stupidity." The 61-year-old football Hall of Famer stood shackled and stone-faced as Judge Jackie Glass rattled off the punishment. Moments before, Simpson made a rambling, five-minute plea for leniency, simultaneously apologizing for the holdup as a foolish mistake and trying to justify his actions.

He choked back tears as he told her: "I didn't want to steal anything from anyone. ... I'm sorry, sorry."

I Don't Talk About Gypsies Enough

2008-12-03T16:07:00.001-08:00

We don't talk, or even think, about Gypsies here in the states very often. But, in the UK, they are a part of every day life.

The Roma people tend to adopt the religion of the area where they live, but in every case, they will add their own, particular, Roma flavor to the religion. That makes them pretty interesting to people who study religion.

clipped from www.truthout.org

Roma Children Dying of Lead Poisoning

Monday 17 November 2008

by: Paul Polansky, The New Kosova Report

The UN built camps in Kosovo for homeless Roma gypsies on top of the
biggest lead mine in Europe. Every child conceived in these camps will be born
with irreversible brain damage. (Photo: Nigel Dickinson)

This month, Germany's second largest NGO, the "Society for Threatened
Peoples" will be sending its Head of Mission for Kosovo, Paul Polansky,
to the House of Commons, London and to the EU Headquarters in Brussels in an
attempt to save 130 Roma families placed by the United Nations in camps with
life-threatening conditions.

Below is a shortened version of the speech delivered by Mr. Polansky in the
Brussels hearing.

Two hours from here by plane, in Eastern Europe, are two death camps, mainly
for children under the age of six years.

If these children don't die by the age of six, they will have irreversible
brain damage for the rest of their short lives.

We Are Going to Start Seeing a Lot More of This

2008-12-03T15:49:00.001-08:00

Before you read this article, you might want to view this video first.

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c0cf508ff8/prop-8-the-musical-starring-jack-black-john-c-reilly-and-many-more-from-fod-team-jack-black-craig-robinson-john-c-reilly-and-rashida-jones

clipped from news.yahoo.com

Conservatives form rival group to Episcopal Church

By RACHEL ZOLL, AP Religion Writer Rachel Zoll, Ap Religion Writer

AP – Rev. Edwin Bacon, of All Saints Episcopal Church, delivers a sermon in support of same sex marriages …

NEW YORK – Theological conservatives upset by liberal views of U.S. Episcopalians and Canadian Anglicans formed a rival North American province Wednesday, in a long-developing rift over the Bible that erupted when Episcopalians consecrated the first openly gay bishop.

American

The new North Anglican province includes four breakaway Episcopal dioceses, many individual parishes in the U.S. and Canada, and splinter groups that left the Anglican family years, or in one case, more than a century ago.