I grew up the son of minister. From a very young boy I understood what right and wrong were in the context of my church and religion. As I grew older I became a very active member learning and listening so that one day I could tell every man and woman, boy and girl that the wages of sin is death and the gift of God is eternal life.
I was still very young when I began to notice the worms in the apple of my faith. I remember, among other things, family members telling telemarketers that no one was home and wondering why that wasn’t breaking the Ten Commandments. I remember the secrets that the church held. I remember that Jon and Mary weren’t having a good marriage because Jon likes Abby better. How is it then, with all of our faults, can we cast such strict judgment to those who don’t adhere to the gospel of Christ when we yet falter ourselves?
We know that there has been hypocrisy in the church stretching far back to the Roman Catholic and even after the church reform. We know that Catholic officials centuries ago, exploited people and that it took them centuries to throw out the made-up thought of purgatory. How is it then can we come down on homosexuality and gay marriage with the “vengeance of God” while we pay for the silence of individuals molested by priests?
Our black churches want to fight for black civil rights and stand against gay civil rights not keeping in mind that civil rights are indeed civil rights nonetheless. Our black churches give their reason using the Bible to say that homosexuality is wrong. That same Bible that said that slavery is right. My heart says that we’ve lost our way.
The problem with organized religion is that no one can be pleased. Rather you practice Islam, Christianity, Buddhism or any others; someone is going to be left out. I’ve read the Holy Bible, The Koran, and The Bhagavad-Gita and the one idea that reigns supreme between the texts is the idea of love and happiness. Organized religion with its superiority complexes cannot practice that idea only. We’re stricken with the belief that someone has to be wrong and someone else has to be right.
If there ever was a promise from God, we lost that when we used his name for anything other than what his son, Jesus Christ promised, love. Jesus preached, “love thy neighbor as thyself” and “Love ye one another.” We use the Bible to justify our hate and use our own government to enforce it, this government that uses the Constitution of the United States as its handbook to law and leadership, and this same Constitution written by our forefathers who didn’t want religion anywhere near our government.
Religion is given to us as proof that there is something better in some respect, a better past, a better present, and hopefully a better future. Our religion is here as a celebration of the better in all of us, and the history behind our lives. Our religion is a celebration of our freedom, our freedom to worship and to sacrifice our lives to the better. So we need to adhere to the doctrine of our faith and do better. We need to live better, respect each other better, and, most of all, love ye one another.
Seek Peace
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
To My Best Friend
I extend a hand to help lift you up
And nothing I get in return.
I offer my home for you to lye your head
And still nothing I get in return.
I give you presents to make you feel comfortable
And yet not a thing in return.
I beam to you a smile when I feel like screaming
And not one thing in return.
Although we disagree you are my best friend
And that’s just enough in return.
I’ll see you later…
Seek Peace
And nothing I get in return.
I offer my home for you to lye your head
And still nothing I get in return.
I give you presents to make you feel comfortable
And yet not a thing in return.
I beam to you a smile when I feel like screaming
And not one thing in return.
Although we disagree you are my best friend
And that’s just enough in return.
I’ll see you later…
Seek Peace
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Just Thinking
The warmth of the late summer air hits my face as I approach the morning head-on
I feel small in comparison to the challenges I face
Tap tap says my shoes as they pound the pavement heading toward the bus
Challenges….challenges…..Psychology, English, Shakespeare all in one day
Who’s to say that I will accomplish anything
I have yet to fail in my pursuit of happiness promised to me by the forefathers
Ring ring says the bell as I start my first challenge
Happiness…happiness….home, sleep, love, peace
First challenge ends, second one begins and life goes on
But there’s always happiness…happiness and challenges…challenges
How does it end?
A brisk chill hits my cheeks as the night air whispers the beginning of the fall
My mind wanders to the warmth of the morning but I’m taken back by the chill of this night
Scratch scratch speaks my tired feet as they slide across the pavement
Challenges….challenges…studying….happiness…happiness… I’m home
It doesn’t end but only begins…challenges equals happiness…but life goes on.
Seek Peace
I feel small in comparison to the challenges I face
Tap tap says my shoes as they pound the pavement heading toward the bus
Challenges….challenges…..Psychology, English, Shakespeare all in one day
Who’s to say that I will accomplish anything
I have yet to fail in my pursuit of happiness promised to me by the forefathers
Ring ring says the bell as I start my first challenge
Happiness…happiness….home, sleep, love, peace
First challenge ends, second one begins and life goes on
But there’s always happiness…happiness and challenges…challenges
How does it end?
A brisk chill hits my cheeks as the night air whispers the beginning of the fall
My mind wanders to the warmth of the morning but I’m taken back by the chill of this night
Scratch scratch speaks my tired feet as they slide across the pavement
Challenges….challenges…studying….happiness…happiness… I’m home
It doesn’t end but only begins…challenges equals happiness…but life goes on.
Seek Peace
Friday, September 14, 2007
Loosing Weight In Five Steps
I promised I would give you tips that I used while loosing weight. I don’t claim to be a weight loss expert so this is just my personal experiences and tips that helped me. I would advise everyone to consult your physician about weight loss. www.mypyramid.gov was a big help and gives excellent tips to a healthy diet.
Going along with the nature of my blog I must say that a positive attitude was a key component to loosing weight. Staying positive and understanding and accepting that it isn’t easy are, in my opinion, the best ways to start off your journey. Loosing weight isn’t easy but it can be fun. So the first step is have the right attitude, be positive.
I’m a very picky person in probably every area there is and food is definitely no exception. I was raised on the best quality of meats and produce so my shopping budget is pretty steep and while I’m not struggling at all, I was afraid that healthy eating would really put me over. It didn’t. You must tailor your diet to fit your lifestyle and that doesn’t have to be expensive. If you’re totally not used to buying anything healthy then it might take a couple of punches in your wallet to get the hang of it but you will after a couple of market trips. Even Aldi sell whole-wheat and natural products! Tailoring your diet to your lifestyle is very simple because you know you better than anyone else. If you feel that it is necessary to reward yourself once a week, once every two weeks etc. then do it but use moderation. I personally couldn’t do it; it seemed more like a tease than a reward. So step two is to tailor your diet to fit you.
Visit the pyramid link above and check out what your daily amounts of nutrients from each food group are and worship them! Again I would advise you to visit your doctor to double check what’s necessary cause some of us might need more or less of a certain group than others. Stick to your daily amounts! It’s ok to make mistakes but try and stick to your pyramid so that you can build that metabolism. Step three is to get your pyramid and stick with it. I posted mine right on my refrigerator door!
They’re still debating on the amount of meals per day but I would advise simply not to get hungry. This is one of the most important steps I would think. Don’t let your body tell you that it’s hungry. Cool ways to do this are to eat your three squares per day and snack on fruits and nuts often. My breakfast often included a turkey sausage or two, two egg whites, whole-wheat toast with Smart Balance butter, and a piece of fruit with coffee or tea with fat free cream or skim milk and Equal sugar. Lunch would often include a whole-wheat turkey sandwich with fat free Miracle Whip, lettuce and tomatoes. Dinner was always different but a cool meal is spaghetti with ground turkey and whole-wheat noodles, now the debate is still on with the sauces but I would advise you to go for it. I like Classico spaghetti sauce and had used it two or three times per week so just go for it, besides tomato sauce with whole-wheat noodles is one of the healthiest meals. Step four has to be, don’t get hungry.
Ok so here is the step everyone is afraid of, get out there and move!!! Get off your lazy bum!!! I never sat around and complained about loosing weight I knew I had to do it so one day I just got off my lazy ass and did it. Stop sitting around complaining about being fat and not doing anything about it. Get out there and move. Walk thirty minutes per day and they don’t have to be consecutive, you can spread them out. Do some strength training like push-ups and sit-ups. You can do it, I believe in you! Be careful exercising though if done improperly you can hurt yourself. Our final step, step five, is to get the hell up and move!
I know how it feels to be overweight. I know the emotional burdens and the physical ones. I lost ten inches off my waist. You can be healthy don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t or that it is too hard. I really hope that this entry helped you or someone you know get their health in control. May the peace of God guide you and be strong…I know you can do it!
A cool book that helps: You On A Diet: The Owner’s Manual for Waist Management by Michael F. Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet C. Oz, M.D.
Seek Peace
Going along with the nature of my blog I must say that a positive attitude was a key component to loosing weight. Staying positive and understanding and accepting that it isn’t easy are, in my opinion, the best ways to start off your journey. Loosing weight isn’t easy but it can be fun. So the first step is have the right attitude, be positive.
I’m a very picky person in probably every area there is and food is definitely no exception. I was raised on the best quality of meats and produce so my shopping budget is pretty steep and while I’m not struggling at all, I was afraid that healthy eating would really put me over. It didn’t. You must tailor your diet to fit your lifestyle and that doesn’t have to be expensive. If you’re totally not used to buying anything healthy then it might take a couple of punches in your wallet to get the hang of it but you will after a couple of market trips. Even Aldi sell whole-wheat and natural products! Tailoring your diet to your lifestyle is very simple because you know you better than anyone else. If you feel that it is necessary to reward yourself once a week, once every two weeks etc. then do it but use moderation. I personally couldn’t do it; it seemed more like a tease than a reward. So step two is to tailor your diet to fit you.
Visit the pyramid link above and check out what your daily amounts of nutrients from each food group are and worship them! Again I would advise you to visit your doctor to double check what’s necessary cause some of us might need more or less of a certain group than others. Stick to your daily amounts! It’s ok to make mistakes but try and stick to your pyramid so that you can build that metabolism. Step three is to get your pyramid and stick with it. I posted mine right on my refrigerator door!
They’re still debating on the amount of meals per day but I would advise simply not to get hungry. This is one of the most important steps I would think. Don’t let your body tell you that it’s hungry. Cool ways to do this are to eat your three squares per day and snack on fruits and nuts often. My breakfast often included a turkey sausage or two, two egg whites, whole-wheat toast with Smart Balance butter, and a piece of fruit with coffee or tea with fat free cream or skim milk and Equal sugar. Lunch would often include a whole-wheat turkey sandwich with fat free Miracle Whip, lettuce and tomatoes. Dinner was always different but a cool meal is spaghetti with ground turkey and whole-wheat noodles, now the debate is still on with the sauces but I would advise you to go for it. I like Classico spaghetti sauce and had used it two or three times per week so just go for it, besides tomato sauce with whole-wheat noodles is one of the healthiest meals. Step four has to be, don’t get hungry.
Ok so here is the step everyone is afraid of, get out there and move!!! Get off your lazy bum!!! I never sat around and complained about loosing weight I knew I had to do it so one day I just got off my lazy ass and did it. Stop sitting around complaining about being fat and not doing anything about it. Get out there and move. Walk thirty minutes per day and they don’t have to be consecutive, you can spread them out. Do some strength training like push-ups and sit-ups. You can do it, I believe in you! Be careful exercising though if done improperly you can hurt yourself. Our final step, step five, is to get the hell up and move!
I know how it feels to be overweight. I know the emotional burdens and the physical ones. I lost ten inches off my waist. You can be healthy don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t or that it is too hard. I really hope that this entry helped you or someone you know get their health in control. May the peace of God guide you and be strong…I know you can do it!
A cool book that helps: You On A Diet: The Owner’s Manual for Waist Management by Michael F. Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet C. Oz, M.D.
Seek Peace
Monday, September 10, 2007
Hello Again
I know I haven’t been posting in like forever but I’ve had a pretty eventful summer. I don’t care to go into detail but do know that I have slowly grown as a person over this stretch of time and I’m liking the result. I feel more confident in myself and my personality. I’ve also lost around 10 inches off my waist since the start of my college career (2 years). That doesn’t seem like much but it is and I’m pretty happy about it, my next post -whenever I get to it- will be my experiences with losing weight and my advice.
So allow me to reintroduce myself, my name is Jamie and I’m a positive person writing to both positive-minded and negative-minded people. I’m here to convince the negative-minded people to change their ways and the positive-minded people to stay strong. I’m pro gay and anti abortion, pro Christianity and anti denominations. There are many different pages to my person but it’s all positive and all fun so if this is the type of blog for you then feel free to stop by. Also, if you would like to respond privately or have a private opinion about something, feel free to e-mail me: whitej020@yahoo
Seek Peace
So allow me to reintroduce myself, my name is Jamie and I’m a positive person writing to both positive-minded and negative-minded people. I’m here to convince the negative-minded people to change their ways and the positive-minded people to stay strong. I’m pro gay and anti abortion, pro Christianity and anti denominations. There are many different pages to my person but it’s all positive and all fun so if this is the type of blog for you then feel free to stop by. Also, if you would like to respond privately or have a private opinion about something, feel free to e-mail me: whitej020@yahoo
Seek Peace
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Dear Straight People
This was a post I found on Facebook. I think it is a very strong article and a pretty good read.
Seek Peace
This was an editorial piece in the LA Times.
By Larry Kramer, LARRY KRAMER is the founder of the protest group ACT UP and the author of "The Tragedy of Today's Gays."March 20, 2007
DEAR STRAIGHT PEOPLE,
Why do you hate gay people so much?
Gays are hated. Prove me wrong. Your top general just called us immoral. Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, is in charge of an estimated 65,000 gay and lesbian troops, some fighting for our country in Iraq. A right-wing political commentator, Ann Coulter, gets away with calling a straight presidential candidate a faggot. Even Garrison Keillor, of all people, is making really tacky jokes about gay parents in his column. This, I guess, does not qualify as hate except that it is so distasteful and dumb, often a first step on the way to hate. Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama tried to duck the questions that Pace's bigotry raised, confirming what gay people know: that there is not one candidate running for public office anywhere who dares to come right out, unequivocally, and say decent, supportive things about us.
Gays should not vote for any of them. There is not a candidate or major public figure who would not sell gays down the river. We have seen this time after time, even from supposedly progressive politicians such as President Clinton with his "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military and his support of the hideous Defense of Marriage Act. Of course, it's possible that being shunned by gays will make politicians more popular, but at least we will have our self-respect. To vote for them is to collude with them in their utter disdain for us.
Don't any of you wonder why heterosexuals treat gays so brutally year after year after year, as your people take away our manhood, our womanhood, our personhood? Why, even as we die you don't leave us alone. What we can leave our surviving lovers is taxed far more punitively than what you leave your (legal) surviving spouses. Why do you do this? My lover will be unable to afford to live in the house we have made for each other over our lifetime together. This does not happen to you. Taxation without representation is what led to the Revolutionary War. Gay people have paid all the taxes you have. But you have equality, and we don't.
And there's no sign that this situation will change anytime soon. President Bush will leave a legacy of hate for us that will take many decades to cleanse. He has packed virtually every court and every civil service position in the land with people who don't like us. So, even with the most tolerant of new presidents, gays will be unable to break free from this yoke of hate. Courts rule against gays with hateful regularity. And of course the Supreme Court is not going to give us our equality, and in the end, it is from the Supreme Court that such equality must come. If all of this is not hate, I do not know what hate is.
Our feeble gay movement confines most of its demands to marriage. But political candidates are not talking about — and we are not demanding that they talk about — equality. My lover and I don't want to get married just yet, but we sure want to be equal.
You must know that gays get beaten up all the time, all over the world. If someone beats you up because of who you are — your race or ethnic origin — that is considered a hate crime. But in most states, gays are not included in hate crime measures, and Congress has refused to include us in a federal act.
Homosexuality is a punishable crime in a zillion countries, as is any activism on behalf of it. Punishable means prison. Punishable means death. The U.S. government refused our requests that it protest after gay teenagers were hanged in Iran, but it protests many other foreign cruelties. Who cares if a faggot dies? Parts of the Episcopal Church in the U.S. are joining with the Nigerian archbishop, who believes gays should be put in prison. Episcopalians! Whoever thought we'd have to worry about Episcopalians?
Well, whoever thought we'd have to worry about Florida? A young gay man was just killed in Florida because of his sexual orientation. I get reports of gays slain in our country every week. Few of them make news. Fewer are prosecuted. Do you consider it acceptable that 20,000 Christian youths make an annual pilgrimage to San Francisco to pray for gay souls? This is not free speech. This is another version of hate. It is all one world of gay-hate. It always was.
Gays do not realize that the more we become visible, the more we come out of the closet, the more we are hated. Don't those of you straights who claim not to hate us have a responsibility to denounce the hate? Why is it socially acceptable to joke about "girlie men" or to discriminate against us legally with "constitutional" amendments banning gay marriage? Because we cannot marry, we can pass on only a fraction of our estates, we do not have equal parenting rights and we cannot live with a foreigner we love who does not have government permission to stay in this country. These are the equal protections that the Bill of Rights proclaims for all?
Why do you hate us so much that you will not permit us to legally love? I am almost 72, and I have been hated all my life, and I don't see much change coming.
I think your hate is evil.
What do we do to you that is so awful? Why do you feel compelled to come after us with such frightful energy? Does this somehow make you feel safer and legitimate? What possible harm comes to you if we marry, or are taxed just like you, or are protected from assault by laws that say it is morally wrong to assault people out of hatred? The reasons always offered are religious ones, but certainly they are not based on the love all religions proclaim.
And even if your objections to gays are religious, why do you have to legislate them so hatefully? Make no mistake: Forbidding gay people to love or marry is based on hate, pure and simple.
You may say you don't hate us, but the people you vote for do, so what's the difference? Our own country's democratic process declares us to be unequal. Which means, in a democracy, that our enemy is you. You treat us like crumbs. You hate us. And sadly, we let you.
Seek Peace
This was an editorial piece in the LA Times.
By Larry Kramer, LARRY KRAMER is the founder of the protest group ACT UP and the author of "The Tragedy of Today's Gays."March 20, 2007
DEAR STRAIGHT PEOPLE,
Why do you hate gay people so much?
Gays are hated. Prove me wrong. Your top general just called us immoral. Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, is in charge of an estimated 65,000 gay and lesbian troops, some fighting for our country in Iraq. A right-wing political commentator, Ann Coulter, gets away with calling a straight presidential candidate a faggot. Even Garrison Keillor, of all people, is making really tacky jokes about gay parents in his column. This, I guess, does not qualify as hate except that it is so distasteful and dumb, often a first step on the way to hate. Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama tried to duck the questions that Pace's bigotry raised, confirming what gay people know: that there is not one candidate running for public office anywhere who dares to come right out, unequivocally, and say decent, supportive things about us.
Gays should not vote for any of them. There is not a candidate or major public figure who would not sell gays down the river. We have seen this time after time, even from supposedly progressive politicians such as President Clinton with his "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military and his support of the hideous Defense of Marriage Act. Of course, it's possible that being shunned by gays will make politicians more popular, but at least we will have our self-respect. To vote for them is to collude with them in their utter disdain for us.
Don't any of you wonder why heterosexuals treat gays so brutally year after year after year, as your people take away our manhood, our womanhood, our personhood? Why, even as we die you don't leave us alone. What we can leave our surviving lovers is taxed far more punitively than what you leave your (legal) surviving spouses. Why do you do this? My lover will be unable to afford to live in the house we have made for each other over our lifetime together. This does not happen to you. Taxation without representation is what led to the Revolutionary War. Gay people have paid all the taxes you have. But you have equality, and we don't.
And there's no sign that this situation will change anytime soon. President Bush will leave a legacy of hate for us that will take many decades to cleanse. He has packed virtually every court and every civil service position in the land with people who don't like us. So, even with the most tolerant of new presidents, gays will be unable to break free from this yoke of hate. Courts rule against gays with hateful regularity. And of course the Supreme Court is not going to give us our equality, and in the end, it is from the Supreme Court that such equality must come. If all of this is not hate, I do not know what hate is.
Our feeble gay movement confines most of its demands to marriage. But political candidates are not talking about — and we are not demanding that they talk about — equality. My lover and I don't want to get married just yet, but we sure want to be equal.
You must know that gays get beaten up all the time, all over the world. If someone beats you up because of who you are — your race or ethnic origin — that is considered a hate crime. But in most states, gays are not included in hate crime measures, and Congress has refused to include us in a federal act.
Homosexuality is a punishable crime in a zillion countries, as is any activism on behalf of it. Punishable means prison. Punishable means death. The U.S. government refused our requests that it protest after gay teenagers were hanged in Iran, but it protests many other foreign cruelties. Who cares if a faggot dies? Parts of the Episcopal Church in the U.S. are joining with the Nigerian archbishop, who believes gays should be put in prison. Episcopalians! Whoever thought we'd have to worry about Episcopalians?
Well, whoever thought we'd have to worry about Florida? A young gay man was just killed in Florida because of his sexual orientation. I get reports of gays slain in our country every week. Few of them make news. Fewer are prosecuted. Do you consider it acceptable that 20,000 Christian youths make an annual pilgrimage to San Francisco to pray for gay souls? This is not free speech. This is another version of hate. It is all one world of gay-hate. It always was.
Gays do not realize that the more we become visible, the more we come out of the closet, the more we are hated. Don't those of you straights who claim not to hate us have a responsibility to denounce the hate? Why is it socially acceptable to joke about "girlie men" or to discriminate against us legally with "constitutional" amendments banning gay marriage? Because we cannot marry, we can pass on only a fraction of our estates, we do not have equal parenting rights and we cannot live with a foreigner we love who does not have government permission to stay in this country. These are the equal protections that the Bill of Rights proclaims for all?
Why do you hate us so much that you will not permit us to legally love? I am almost 72, and I have been hated all my life, and I don't see much change coming.
I think your hate is evil.
What do we do to you that is so awful? Why do you feel compelled to come after us with such frightful energy? Does this somehow make you feel safer and legitimate? What possible harm comes to you if we marry, or are taxed just like you, or are protected from assault by laws that say it is morally wrong to assault people out of hatred? The reasons always offered are religious ones, but certainly they are not based on the love all religions proclaim.
And even if your objections to gays are religious, why do you have to legislate them so hatefully? Make no mistake: Forbidding gay people to love or marry is based on hate, pure and simple.
You may say you don't hate us, but the people you vote for do, so what's the difference? Our own country's democratic process declares us to be unequal. Which means, in a democracy, that our enemy is you. You treat us like crumbs. You hate us. And sadly, we let you.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Here Have a Book!
Every spring we get a couple of Evangelical “children of God” preaching to us how homosexuality is a sin. It bewilders me how they often times pick out this particular sin to dwell on. They don’t seem to really be against the war and they even say that George Bush is a smart man...go figure. I of course have many problems with them but what really throws me off is the fact that they use little kids to help in their idiotic work. I actually find it interesting to judge some of the idiocrasies that they speak but the fact that they had little kids passing out flyers yesterday made me literally want to vomit. The kids don’t know what the hell was going on, hell they were even chatting to the LGBT volunteers holding the rainbow flag while their daddies or uncles or cousins…whatever were preaching “the word of God.”
After telling my T.A. of the spectacle going on outside he decided to go and give them a copy of The Laramie Project and the dum-dums promised to read it. I think this is a good thing, maybe they’ll learn something. Hats off to my T.A. for thinking of such a thing.
Seek Peace
After telling my T.A. of the spectacle going on outside he decided to go and give them a copy of The Laramie Project and the dum-dums promised to read it. I think this is a good thing, maybe they’ll learn something. Hats off to my T.A. for thinking of such a thing.
Seek Peace
Monday, May 7, 2007
Lions, Tigers, Bears Say HI!!
I appreciate nature and proudly donate to the cause very often. I must admit, I probably burn too much electricity and run more water than necessary but I do my best and certainly more than most people I know. I was reading an article that basically said that kids aren’t connected enough with the outside. I can agree with that to some extent. Kids spend entirely too much time with video games and television and don’t get out to exercise enough and that is sad, too many kids are obese. However, this article wasn’t concerned with that end of the spectrum, the article was concerned with kids not “smelling the grass and hearing the wind.” This is all well and good, I’ve written entries about enjoying the moon and I appreciate the smell of the air but I wouldn’t hardly go as far as to say that this is a major problem in today’s youth as this article states!
The article even stated that kids in this generation are more concerned with the environment and help out a lot. It states that kids can tell you the problems in the rainforest and what needs to be done to fix it, but kinds don’t want to “journey in the rainforest.” Me either! I think it’s enough expressing concern about nature and doing something about it, but NOONE is going to make me pitch a tent and spend the night with the bears! I mean we still have the best economy in the world I hardly doubt we need to start figuring out how to live with animals and which berries not to touch. I think more credit needs to be given to this generation for the positive things we are doing. This generation is recycling more, volunteering more, donating money, standing up for “the cause”. I mean I had to donate 120 hours of community service just to graduate high school! Give us our props!
Seek Peace
The article even stated that kids in this generation are more concerned with the environment and help out a lot. It states that kids can tell you the problems in the rainforest and what needs to be done to fix it, but kinds don’t want to “journey in the rainforest.” Me either! I think it’s enough expressing concern about nature and doing something about it, but NOONE is going to make me pitch a tent and spend the night with the bears! I mean we still have the best economy in the world I hardly doubt we need to start figuring out how to live with animals and which berries not to touch. I think more credit needs to be given to this generation for the positive things we are doing. This generation is recycling more, volunteering more, donating money, standing up for “the cause”. I mean I had to donate 120 hours of community service just to graduate high school! Give us our props!
Seek Peace
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Rosie O'Donnell Steps Away
In an episode last week Rosie O’Donnell announced that she would not be renewing her contract with The View. I must admit that when I heard this my heart sunk and I was sad for a second because I though she had been fired or “forced to resign”, leaving all of her critics jumping in the air with excitement, but I found that she actually quit. She said that after just one year she and ABC couldn’t agree on a contract so she decided to leave.
I’m a huge Rosie fan and I don’t agree with all of her opinions but it’s hard not to respect her courage and zeal to represent such controversial opinions. I wanted to look more into her leaving so I went on YouTube and decided to see what all the buzz was and I had to laugh. People were saying left and right that she was fired and her critics were gleaming and that idiot Donald Trump had a field day. This really goes to show how sad people can be.
There is a story out there that says she didn’t want a longer contract (as ABC wanted her to sign) because she wasn’t entirely comfortable with how they wanted to silence her outside of The View. Rosie’s views might be difficult to handle but isn’t that a spectacular example of our first amendment right? If anything (if this is the reason she turned down such a rich offer) she should be praised for her standing up for her (and our) rights. Whatever the reason for her not continuing as co-host, she has done a remarkable job and could never be replaced. She has added a spark to the television program that no other person can match and given the show a dept that no other show reach. I’m glad I was able to experience the juxtaposition of her opinions with the opinions of the majority. It was definitely a fun ride but I doubt we’ve seen the last of Ms. O’Donnell!
Seek Peace
I’m a huge Rosie fan and I don’t agree with all of her opinions but it’s hard not to respect her courage and zeal to represent such controversial opinions. I wanted to look more into her leaving so I went on YouTube and decided to see what all the buzz was and I had to laugh. People were saying left and right that she was fired and her critics were gleaming and that idiot Donald Trump had a field day. This really goes to show how sad people can be.
There is a story out there that says she didn’t want a longer contract (as ABC wanted her to sign) because she wasn’t entirely comfortable with how they wanted to silence her outside of The View. Rosie’s views might be difficult to handle but isn’t that a spectacular example of our first amendment right? If anything (if this is the reason she turned down such a rich offer) she should be praised for her standing up for her (and our) rights. Whatever the reason for her not continuing as co-host, she has done a remarkable job and could never be replaced. She has added a spark to the television program that no other person can match and given the show a dept that no other show reach. I’m glad I was able to experience the juxtaposition of her opinions with the opinions of the majority. It was definitely a fun ride but I doubt we’ve seen the last of Ms. O’Donnell!
Seek Peace
Monday, April 23, 2007
Charlie Go Watch T.V. or Something...
What are we letting our kids watch? I appreciate all parents that have the courage and stick-to-itiveness to raise such awesome creatures, but I’m always concerned with the media’s influence on youth. My mom couldn’t answer all of my questions and books weren’t all that helpful in some areas, so, like I said in a previous entry, I tried to find who I was in television and some kids still are. I’ve always been concerned with musical artist like 50-Cent and Eminem who constantly use the words fag, faggot, dyke, nigger, bitch, hoe, slut etc. in their music and videos. I can remember punishing my little brother for using one of those words and then blocking all of those channels from our television. It didn’t help much because his classmates at school used the words on the playground because either their parents were too busy to screen their shows or didn’t think it was much of a problem. In talking to people from my high school and elementary school, I found that the problem was that kids were starting to look up to these individuals and no matter how the parents protest, it’s fairly difficult to keep kids away from who they believe are their heroes, especially when peer pressures plays a role.
I was watching a movie the other day where a boy around eleven years was going around on a bike with a video camera filming girl’s butts saying he was making a “music video” like the rappers. He approached a girl around the same age about being in his video and she responded to the effect of, “you want me to wear a skimpy skirt and halter top” he responded, “no, you can wear a t-shirt as long as you don’t mind getting it wet!” This wouldn’t be as heart breaking if it didn’t display the attitudes of most youths who watch this sort of entertainment. We were all upset when the basketball player said that he was homophobic, but there are tons of kids and young adults going around being what I like to call “21st century male chauvinists.”
I get into debates with friends all the time who believe that this sort of music and entertainment isn’t harming and I feel (and still do) that this should be taken off the air or be made as difficult to buy as porn, which really isn’t difficult for a kid to get their hands on but might get the producers to be more sensible and the parents more involved.
Friends, I don’t know what really can be done or who to blame, as one really smart lady once wrote, if we knew the answers to those questions we’d be living in heaven rather than on earth. I might sound like Jasmine wishing for a whole new world but when you see the very apparent affects that this stuff –and many other societal issues- are having on the youth and the blindness and arrogance of the decision makers, you kind of wish you can take your kids and stick them in that new world until they’ve matured enough to be efficient and positive members of society.
Seek Peace
I was watching a movie the other day where a boy around eleven years was going around on a bike with a video camera filming girl’s butts saying he was making a “music video” like the rappers. He approached a girl around the same age about being in his video and she responded to the effect of, “you want me to wear a skimpy skirt and halter top” he responded, “no, you can wear a t-shirt as long as you don’t mind getting it wet!” This wouldn’t be as heart breaking if it didn’t display the attitudes of most youths who watch this sort of entertainment. We were all upset when the basketball player said that he was homophobic, but there are tons of kids and young adults going around being what I like to call “21st century male chauvinists.”
I get into debates with friends all the time who believe that this sort of music and entertainment isn’t harming and I feel (and still do) that this should be taken off the air or be made as difficult to buy as porn, which really isn’t difficult for a kid to get their hands on but might get the producers to be more sensible and the parents more involved.
Friends, I don’t know what really can be done or who to blame, as one really smart lady once wrote, if we knew the answers to those questions we’d be living in heaven rather than on earth. I might sound like Jasmine wishing for a whole new world but when you see the very apparent affects that this stuff –and many other societal issues- are having on the youth and the blindness and arrogance of the decision makers, you kind of wish you can take your kids and stick them in that new world until they’ve matured enough to be efficient and positive members of society.
Seek Peace
Thursday, April 19, 2007
My heart goes out to the families and friends of the victims at Virginia Tech. To the victims: May the peace and love of Jesus Christ, rest, rule, and abide with you from this day on. Amen.
“Who’s to blame?” is the question everyone seems to want to address. Some say that lack of proper security is to blame but is that the case? I read a news article a couple of minutes ago that said that Cho -the murderer at VT- “didn’t speak much in school and when he did, people said, ‘go back to China’” There seems to be some common thread in recent school shootings. They involve kids who are/were picked on. I’m not justifying what happened because NOONE has the right to take another persons life, but how many lives must we put in danger before the real issue is solved? Everyone has come in contact with the school bully one time or another so most of us know how it feels. Well take that feeling and throw in some antidepressants and/or pore living environments and we have a really bad situation. There needs to be some major changes in the Uniform Discipline Code’s of many schools starting at the elementary level. Something should have been done long ago when kids started committing suicide for being homosexual. Are we blind? What will it really take to address this problem?
What should be done? I don’t know but please don’t say “kids will be kids” and be done with it. Murder is wrong at in level and no matter what the reason, but we can’t just spit on the graves of these murderers and not address what might have been wrong with these very disturbed people. I’m not saying that these school problems are the only factors behind acting in such a way but when this happens over and over at many different campuses, something has to be done about it. Students need to be unified before a tragedy, not after.
Seek Peace
“Who’s to blame?” is the question everyone seems to want to address. Some say that lack of proper security is to blame but is that the case? I read a news article a couple of minutes ago that said that Cho -the murderer at VT- “didn’t speak much in school and when he did, people said, ‘go back to China’” There seems to be some common thread in recent school shootings. They involve kids who are/were picked on. I’m not justifying what happened because NOONE has the right to take another persons life, but how many lives must we put in danger before the real issue is solved? Everyone has come in contact with the school bully one time or another so most of us know how it feels. Well take that feeling and throw in some antidepressants and/or pore living environments and we have a really bad situation. There needs to be some major changes in the Uniform Discipline Code’s of many schools starting at the elementary level. Something should have been done long ago when kids started committing suicide for being homosexual. Are we blind? What will it really take to address this problem?
What should be done? I don’t know but please don’t say “kids will be kids” and be done with it. Murder is wrong at in level and no matter what the reason, but we can’t just spit on the graves of these murderers and not address what might have been wrong with these very disturbed people. I’m not saying that these school problems are the only factors behind acting in such a way but when this happens over and over at many different campuses, something has to be done about it. Students need to be unified before a tragedy, not after.
Seek Peace
Monday, April 16, 2007
My Responsibility
How responsible are we for bettering our lives and supporting our communities? A couple of nights ago I was talking to a gay friend of mine who got annoyed when I made a comment to the affect of, “I would watch certain T.V. shows if there were more ‘gay’ characters.” After a long argument about this it all boiled down to that they didn’t care about the discrimination shown toward the LGBT community and that they were happy with their life and that was satisfying enough. I can admit getting pretty upset about this and not clearly understanding why this person would not care about such an important issue in our society. I was chatting with a member of the LGBT community last night who said that he wasn’t involved with LGBT issues, he cared about them, but wasn’t involved in any way and said that he gets upset when “active” people chastise him for not being involved. And this brings me to my question about our responsibility.
I can’t say that I’m constantly involved in LGBT activities but I have given a lot of my time and certainly a lot of money to different organizations. I voice my opposition to right wing fanatics and show appreciation to the little organizations that indeed do big things. Why? Because if I don’t, who will? If Dr. King and Rosa Parks said that they didn’t care, how far would we be today? Time is our most valuable asset and if you don’t have the time to support these types of organizations then that’s OK but please don’t sit around and “not care” about the discrimination that you yourself are experiencing either directly or indirectly.
What’s our responsibility? Ideally, our responsibility is to make some type of -positive- impact on our personal communities. Essentially, we are what we do. That’s how our life will be determined and we’re living out the first line of our obituary. If you don’t want to look at your actions on that level then look at it this way, what you do will affect someone else. If we aren’t concerned with the hate in this world then lets take care of the next generation. Harvey Fierstein, an out gay comedian and actor, said he used to get upset when he saw that he paid taxes for public schools when he had no children. After some consideration he thought that the children is our next generation and it is our responsibility to take care of them. If hate doesn’t mean something to you and you have the ability to make an impact why not do it for someone else; someone once said “what hurts my brother, hurts me”.
At birth we inherit the responsibility to somehow make a positive impact on the lives of those around us. This doesn’t really have to be on a major scale. When I was younger I had a daily goal to make at least one person smile that day and after awhile that became something I did without any effort. Your minor effort can be a major to someone else, but we accomplish nothing having an “I don’t care attitude”. If your attitude is that way because you feel insignificant to the major problem that’s affecting you, remember, “success is only accessible by stairs, there’s no elevator”
Seek Peace
I can’t say that I’m constantly involved in LGBT activities but I have given a lot of my time and certainly a lot of money to different organizations. I voice my opposition to right wing fanatics and show appreciation to the little organizations that indeed do big things. Why? Because if I don’t, who will? If Dr. King and Rosa Parks said that they didn’t care, how far would we be today? Time is our most valuable asset and if you don’t have the time to support these types of organizations then that’s OK but please don’t sit around and “not care” about the discrimination that you yourself are experiencing either directly or indirectly.
What’s our responsibility? Ideally, our responsibility is to make some type of -positive- impact on our personal communities. Essentially, we are what we do. That’s how our life will be determined and we’re living out the first line of our obituary. If you don’t want to look at your actions on that level then look at it this way, what you do will affect someone else. If we aren’t concerned with the hate in this world then lets take care of the next generation. Harvey Fierstein, an out gay comedian and actor, said he used to get upset when he saw that he paid taxes for public schools when he had no children. After some consideration he thought that the children is our next generation and it is our responsibility to take care of them. If hate doesn’t mean something to you and you have the ability to make an impact why not do it for someone else; someone once said “what hurts my brother, hurts me”.
At birth we inherit the responsibility to somehow make a positive impact on the lives of those around us. This doesn’t really have to be on a major scale. When I was younger I had a daily goal to make at least one person smile that day and after awhile that became something I did without any effort. Your minor effort can be a major to someone else, but we accomplish nothing having an “I don’t care attitude”. If your attitude is that way because you feel insignificant to the major problem that’s affecting you, remember, “success is only accessible by stairs, there’s no elevator”
Seek Peace
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
A Closer Look At Movies
While gay filmmakers are on the rise, films with overtly gay characters and storylines are not. I was reading a story in The Advocate magazine that stated such a fact according to the Sundance Film Festival’s upcoming titles. I’m a big movie person and enjoy deep thoughtful storylines with characters that are so amazing that you forget who you are and where you are as you’re watching the movie. Films have the tendency to change peoples views on topics or at least get them to think about certain things in more detail. The big screen has the ability to grab the audience that doesn’t waist their time on news and aren’t involved in political issues, for this reason I believe that there should continue to be movies that directly represents the lives of LGBT people. There needs to be more coming out stories especially, not because they’re my favorite but because they’re necessary.
Growing up discovering myself I often times didn’t feel that I saw myself –a gay kid- being represented on T.V. There weren’t many books on the subject to check out so I remember longing for some type of representation –as most kids like me felt growing up- I remember getting the Sundance channel not having a clear understanding of independent films and watching my first “gay” movie. I can’t remember the name of the movie but I could tell you the entire plot and I was only about eleven-years-old then; as time went on and movie after movie, I felt less weird and more in touch with myself all because of a couple of films.
In retrospect a lot of those films were very bad and full of horrible acting but I remember having a deep appreciation for the actors and directors for challenging such a controversial topic. To this day I still watch movies with horrible acting but have such an appreciation for the story that they tell –hell I even own one! - I’m always preaching about how necessary it is for a movie to be well acted and properly written but when it comes to such LGBT titles the only thing that matters to me is that they’re available. No matter how bad a title I’ll support, I have to... it’s my responsibility.
I’m thankful for the LGBT directors and I want them to be able to venture out into other areas proving their talents on different topics, just don’t venture too far friends! You still have an audience that thirsts for freedom in film and who anxiously look for the me in movies. I know that film has touched others as it has me and made the same impact on the lives of the many LGBT boys and girls, men and women that look for the truth that aren’t given to them in society.
Seek Peace
Growing up discovering myself I often times didn’t feel that I saw myself –a gay kid- being represented on T.V. There weren’t many books on the subject to check out so I remember longing for some type of representation –as most kids like me felt growing up- I remember getting the Sundance channel not having a clear understanding of independent films and watching my first “gay” movie. I can’t remember the name of the movie but I could tell you the entire plot and I was only about eleven-years-old then; as time went on and movie after movie, I felt less weird and more in touch with myself all because of a couple of films.
In retrospect a lot of those films were very bad and full of horrible acting but I remember having a deep appreciation for the actors and directors for challenging such a controversial topic. To this day I still watch movies with horrible acting but have such an appreciation for the story that they tell –hell I even own one! - I’m always preaching about how necessary it is for a movie to be well acted and properly written but when it comes to such LGBT titles the only thing that matters to me is that they’re available. No matter how bad a title I’ll support, I have to... it’s my responsibility.
I’m thankful for the LGBT directors and I want them to be able to venture out into other areas proving their talents on different topics, just don’t venture too far friends! You still have an audience that thirsts for freedom in film and who anxiously look for the me in movies. I know that film has touched others as it has me and made the same impact on the lives of the many LGBT boys and girls, men and women that look for the truth that aren’t given to them in society.
Seek Peace
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Wake Up
I decided to take a break from watching the West Wing and do some regular cleaning. For the past couple of nights I’ve been having trouble sleeping and couldn’t figure out why. I was emptying the trash when I looked up at the sky and suddenly felt better. I haven’t seen the moon or stars in a while and it felt good to marvel in things that you have no control over. You see, I’ve been worrying about some things that I can’t do much about and I needed this night to help me discover that those things don’t matter and won’t affect my life in any way. I often think that I can control the outcome of things when I have to realize that I can’t control everything. I sure would like to but I can’t. I’ve been worried about a guy friend of mine who told a lie on me and I haven’t been able to get that off my chest until tonight. I gazed up at the sky and really felt better…and worse…at the same time. You see while I was letting this situation go I was also letting go a piece of my mind that has been there for almost two weeks. I did my part in his situation and I should have left that alone a long time ago but that’s old news now.
Friends we are living in very suspicious time now and when someone says to live life…please take them at their word. I love myself too much to let negativity put me down and you should too. Get up from your computers and go outside and take a look at God’s wonderful creation, go splurge and buy your pets an expensive toy that they’ll play with twice and leave alone, call your kids in the room and shoot them a smile and a wink (you don’t have to speak “I love you” to express it), call your lover in and give them a kiss on the hand or the cheek and finally call your parents they could never hear from you enough. Also, call a friend over and look them in the eyes and say “I trust you” I bet they’ll never forget it. I really don’t believe we treat ourselves with enough love and respect, we should. I do love you all…don’t forget that…
Seek Peace
Friends we are living in very suspicious time now and when someone says to live life…please take them at their word. I love myself too much to let negativity put me down and you should too. Get up from your computers and go outside and take a look at God’s wonderful creation, go splurge and buy your pets an expensive toy that they’ll play with twice and leave alone, call your kids in the room and shoot them a smile and a wink (you don’t have to speak “I love you” to express it), call your lover in and give them a kiss on the hand or the cheek and finally call your parents they could never hear from you enough. Also, call a friend over and look them in the eyes and say “I trust you” I bet they’ll never forget it. I really don’t believe we treat ourselves with enough love and respect, we should. I do love you all…don’t forget that…
Seek Peace
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Hate
Why do they hate us daddy?
My son asked as I laid him to bed.
Remember hate is a word that we never ever use
But who is it that hates you? I said.
The kids at my school said that we’re going to hell
So I asked my teacher “what do they mean?”
She said that my parent’s were men so were all sinners
Unless we started to live a life that was pure and clean.
Why do they hate us daddy?
Son lets try not to use that word.
But they’re so mean to us why shouldn’t we be mean back?
Isn’t our country at war because our country was attacked?
Son we’re at war because our leader isn’t being one
And your classmates act the way they do because intelligence our society lacks.
By now he was tiredly rubbing his eyes
after all the confusion and worry I suppose.
So I whispered to him that we’ll finish tomorrow
And wiped the tears that slid down my nose.
Daddy, he said as I rose to my feet
Can I use the word once more before I go to sleep?
Go ahead Son I said with bracing ears
Worried about his thoughts and holding back the tears
He sat up in his bed to get my full attention
I squinted my eyes and cocked my head so he was to know I was listening to him
He spoke words that I keep caged in my heart and will hold them there forever
He gripped his sheets and looked straight up and said Daddy I would never hate them.
By: Jamie
Seek Peace
My son asked as I laid him to bed.
Remember hate is a word that we never ever use
But who is it that hates you? I said.
The kids at my school said that we’re going to hell
So I asked my teacher “what do they mean?”
She said that my parent’s were men so were all sinners
Unless we started to live a life that was pure and clean.
Why do they hate us daddy?
Son lets try not to use that word.
But they’re so mean to us why shouldn’t we be mean back?
Isn’t our country at war because our country was attacked?
Son we’re at war because our leader isn’t being one
And your classmates act the way they do because intelligence our society lacks.
By now he was tiredly rubbing his eyes
after all the confusion and worry I suppose.
So I whispered to him that we’ll finish tomorrow
And wiped the tears that slid down my nose.
Daddy, he said as I rose to my feet
Can I use the word once more before I go to sleep?
Go ahead Son I said with bracing ears
Worried about his thoughts and holding back the tears
He sat up in his bed to get my full attention
I squinted my eyes and cocked my head so he was to know I was listening to him
He spoke words that I keep caged in my heart and will hold them there forever
He gripped his sheets and looked straight up and said Daddy I would never hate them.
By: Jamie
Seek Peace
Monday, March 5, 2007
Friends and Family
I was raised in a very peculiar family in some ways. There are many members of my family who aren’t blood relatives. Growing up I never understood it when people referred to someone as their “step-brother” or if someone was to say “my friends and my family mean a lot to me.” But as I grow older (and it pains me to type that word “old”) I see this more often and I think to myself, “would the world be any better if everyone treated there friends as their family?” I always do. Given, I’m closer to some of my friends than others as many people are closer to some members of their family, but is it really necessary to distinguish the two? Why is family more important than friendship? Don’t many of us spend as much time with our friends as our families if not more? I was eleven- ears old when I found out my Aunt Mary wasn’t my moms blood sister and when my moms actual blood sister told me this I was confused as to why it mattered. She began stating that many people treat others differently because they share the same blood (this statement sounds kind of off because she was talking to an eleven year old) but our family don’t see things that way and don’t you every forget that. So I haven’t.
So I’ve taken this ideology into many of my friendships and have confused many friends because their family don’t see things that way. I’m not saying that my friends treat their family like gold and friends like trash but some of them can’t bring themselves to see the two entities on the same level. Honestly I don’t have the slightest clue why. After all aren’t we all brothers and sisters under the sun? I went to a church event with one of my friends and as we were leaving one of the members said, “you all look so nice together, are you all family?” I without giving it much thought said “yes” and my friend countered saying “no” and introducing members of her family and then introduced her friends. It kind of knocked me back for a second and then I had to think about it and say OK, I forgot. Kind of the same thing happened a few months later when the same friend visited my home church and my mother who’s one of the ministers introduced my friend as her daughter.
Some might call this whole arrangement silly and others might think that it’s a better way of living… I don’t know you choose. I love the way my family put the two together. I believe the closer we see each other the better we will treat one another. As soon as we start putting up restrictions, the more distant we’ll feel…but that’s just my opinion. I’m sure many people have lived long happy lives with their separation between friends and family (he he…in case you didn’t notice I was playing with separation between church and state!…OK I’m done) but try out my way and see don’t it work better.
Seek Peace
So I’ve taken this ideology into many of my friendships and have confused many friends because their family don’t see things that way. I’m not saying that my friends treat their family like gold and friends like trash but some of them can’t bring themselves to see the two entities on the same level. Honestly I don’t have the slightest clue why. After all aren’t we all brothers and sisters under the sun? I went to a church event with one of my friends and as we were leaving one of the members said, “you all look so nice together, are you all family?” I without giving it much thought said “yes” and my friend countered saying “no” and introducing members of her family and then introduced her friends. It kind of knocked me back for a second and then I had to think about it and say OK, I forgot. Kind of the same thing happened a few months later when the same friend visited my home church and my mother who’s one of the ministers introduced my friend as her daughter.
Some might call this whole arrangement silly and others might think that it’s a better way of living… I don’t know you choose. I love the way my family put the two together. I believe the closer we see each other the better we will treat one another. As soon as we start putting up restrictions, the more distant we’ll feel…but that’s just my opinion. I’m sure many people have lived long happy lives with their separation between friends and family (he he…in case you didn’t notice I was playing with separation between church and state!…OK I’m done) but try out my way and see don’t it work better.
Seek Peace
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Comic Right...Negative/Positive
I was taking a stroll today when an interesting thought popped into my head, “are comedians really funny at all when it comes to hot topics?” I guess this thought was mingling somewhere in my subconscious since I was surfing the net and chatting with my friend Sean last night when I came across a clip of this comedian downgrading members on this season of American Idol. Thinking that some of what he was saying was funny, I sent Sean a link to this “YouTube” clip and he found that this comedian had a Myspace page. Sean sent me a link to this guy’s page and I found continuous clips of this guy’s negative connotations towards many different people including Oprah. After seeing the Mother of All Talk Shows’ –Oprah, for all you non Oprah watchers- picture come up –knowing that I would get upset- I immediately closed the page and continued on with my night not giving it much more thought.
So today I thought to myself, how funny are comedians when it comes to today’s sensitive subjects? Is it still a racist comment when a comedian says it? Or is a negative comment, a negative comment no matter who states it? A few months ago Michael Richards (former actor on the hit T.V. show, Seinfeld) blurted out some bigoted comments to some audience members who were haggling him and it made national news. Critics argued that because Richards was actually upset and the remarks weren’t in the context of a joke it was therefore negatively racially motivated. Do you buy that? It seems kind of juvenile to me, let’s make it a little more clear shall we… I can call you a “nigger” as long as I am joking around but if I use the same word in a more serious conversation then the word becomes a negative racist remark? Nope! Still not buying it.
Friends it’s really hard not to laugh at things we think are funny (be they positive or negative) and while comedian intentions when using negative terminology might be pure, it’s still negative. Many of us fall short in this category including myself who is probably one of the most positive people you know. The reality of it all is that our words define who we are no matter our position in society. Look at the mess many of our government officials are in due to their words. We can’t put a cloak on negativity and call it comic right and hope that cloak makes it positive, because it really doesn’t. One of the problems with our society today is that we have too much of it going on. We indulge ourselves in the B.E.T. Network’s program Comic View and double over in laughter at black people making fun of inner-city schools and degrading women when the reality of it is that the drop out rates in inner-city schools are continuously increasing and black women no matter how much you say it are not bitches and hoes. We ache in laughter at Comedy Central programs like The Colbert Report when it makes homophobic comments when the reality of it all is that one out of three kids who commit suicide do so because of being homosexual…still funny? I’m guilty just as you are and am still working on my positive outlooks on life. A friend of mine told me that I have to take it all with a grain of salt but honestly, high blood pressure kills.
Seek Peace
So today I thought to myself, how funny are comedians when it comes to today’s sensitive subjects? Is it still a racist comment when a comedian says it? Or is a negative comment, a negative comment no matter who states it? A few months ago Michael Richards (former actor on the hit T.V. show, Seinfeld) blurted out some bigoted comments to some audience members who were haggling him and it made national news. Critics argued that because Richards was actually upset and the remarks weren’t in the context of a joke it was therefore negatively racially motivated. Do you buy that? It seems kind of juvenile to me, let’s make it a little more clear shall we… I can call you a “nigger” as long as I am joking around but if I use the same word in a more serious conversation then the word becomes a negative racist remark? Nope! Still not buying it.
Friends it’s really hard not to laugh at things we think are funny (be they positive or negative) and while comedian intentions when using negative terminology might be pure, it’s still negative. Many of us fall short in this category including myself who is probably one of the most positive people you know. The reality of it all is that our words define who we are no matter our position in society. Look at the mess many of our government officials are in due to their words. We can’t put a cloak on negativity and call it comic right and hope that cloak makes it positive, because it really doesn’t. One of the problems with our society today is that we have too much of it going on. We indulge ourselves in the B.E.T. Network’s program Comic View and double over in laughter at black people making fun of inner-city schools and degrading women when the reality of it is that the drop out rates in inner-city schools are continuously increasing and black women no matter how much you say it are not bitches and hoes. We ache in laughter at Comedy Central programs like The Colbert Report when it makes homophobic comments when the reality of it all is that one out of three kids who commit suicide do so because of being homosexual…still funny? I’m guilty just as you are and am still working on my positive outlooks on life. A friend of mine told me that I have to take it all with a grain of salt but honestly, high blood pressure kills.
Seek Peace
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Mr. Josh Groban
Last Saturday I had the wonderful privilege of attending a concert by the one and only Josh Groban. Now I’ve paid extreme homage to Joshua Bell in a past post but he couldn’t seriously touch Josh Groban at all! I bought the tickets about a month and a half before the concert and the days slowly passed. I was so extremely nervous about attending the concert partly because so many people have told me that they’ve been disappointed after attending a concert because their artists don’t sound as good in person. I’m happy to say that it wasn’t the case with my Josh. He was extremely funny and very excellent, but beyond all of that this was both a positive and entertaining experience for me.
After leaving the concert and waiting in the cold for a taxi, I realized that I had just attended a huge concert and it was a supremely positive experience. I didn’t have to worry about people getting drunk and falling over nor did I have to worry about a song full of foul language or people around me expressing themselves through foul language. It was again a very positive and inspiring experience. I would sincerely ask all those who view this blog to immediately close this page and find some of his wonderful music, enjoy it, and believe me it will help you in your hopefully continuous quest to…
Seek Peace
After leaving the concert and waiting in the cold for a taxi, I realized that I had just attended a huge concert and it was a supremely positive experience. I didn’t have to worry about people getting drunk and falling over nor did I have to worry about a song full of foul language or people around me expressing themselves through foul language. It was again a very positive and inspiring experience. I would sincerely ask all those who view this blog to immediately close this page and find some of his wonderful music, enjoy it, and believe me it will help you in your hopefully continuous quest to…
Seek Peace
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Gay Weddings
I was watching an African American gay comedian last night on Logo (a gay and lesbian T.V. network) and –though it was a joke- he made a statement that was pretty interesting, “why do homosexuals keep inviting me to their weddings, I can’t get married so why would I want to attend theirs?…If it was 1950 I wouldn’t want to go watch them vote!” I thought about that statement for a while and asked myself if there was any logic behind it. Would attending and supporting heterosexual marriage somehow support the discrimination we –homosexuals- are shown? I mean, like he said, we wouldn’t go with white people to vote when African American’s were denied that right.
Going along with the theme of this blog, I guess I would say that we should attend the weddings in support of our loved ones on a very special day in their lives. Many of my friends would probably say that I’m ridiculous for even stating such a thing but again it is worth mentioning. I am not at all in support of discrimination so I can’t help but feel kind of hypocritical going along with heterosexual marriage; after all would you eat at a diner if African Americans were the only race allowed to eat outside of their homes?
I do fell sad when I see heterosexual couples getting married but I believe my heart would be even more sore if I thought I hurt a loved one by not attending their ceremony. As stated, he made a very interesting statement and one that I have give much thought. I take my hat off to those heterosexual couples who stand and say that they would never get married until everyone is allowed that right and I know that all heterosexual couples aren’t that strong or don’t feel that strongly about the subject. So in conclusion, will I attend a heterosexual wedding? Probably…
Seek Peace Friends!
Going along with the theme of this blog, I guess I would say that we should attend the weddings in support of our loved ones on a very special day in their lives. Many of my friends would probably say that I’m ridiculous for even stating such a thing but again it is worth mentioning. I am not at all in support of discrimination so I can’t help but feel kind of hypocritical going along with heterosexual marriage; after all would you eat at a diner if African Americans were the only race allowed to eat outside of their homes?
I do fell sad when I see heterosexual couples getting married but I believe my heart would be even more sore if I thought I hurt a loved one by not attending their ceremony. As stated, he made a very interesting statement and one that I have give much thought. I take my hat off to those heterosexual couples who stand and say that they would never get married until everyone is allowed that right and I know that all heterosexual couples aren’t that strong or don’t feel that strongly about the subject. So in conclusion, will I attend a heterosexual wedding? Probably…
Seek Peace Friends!
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Attack On Gay Marriage
I was reading this article a few minutes ago that attacked gay marriage: http://www.townhall.com/columnists/GregoryKoukl/2007/02/11/same-sex_marriage_%e2%80%94_challenges__responses
Maybe I’m a drama queen but it really hurts my heart to see the amount of hate that exists out there in our world. Now you’re probably thinking that I should be used to it by now especially seeing it face to face working with Fair Wisconsin, but I don’t really believe one could ever get used to it. The writer was so condescending and ignorant that I didn’t believe –in all honesty- that he had a heart. I mean how can a person who confesses to love their fellow human beings be so obtuse when it comes to those human beings life. Throughout the article he merely compared homosexual relationships to a relationship you might have with a family member or roommate. He strung the language along so well that even a very intelligent and sensitive friend of mine fell for parts of his argument. While he might have been strategic and thought provoking in comparing homosexual relationships to that of non-sexual loving relationships, he left out the fact that homosexuality is not a choice and our hearts don’t contain an on/off button. Furthermore, if you believe that we could control our emotions or you believe in “de-gayification” then you should probably have a conversation with former pastor of the Evangelical Church, Ted Haggard and ask him how difficult it is to control.
Mr. Ignorant also acknowledged in so many pointless words that marriage and the benefits that it holds is for the sake of the children that heterosexual couples have in that marriage. I wonder if our friend knows that not all heterosexuals get married for the children and yet have the same rights as the heterosexual couples that breed. If we’re going to run with this argument then we should deny marriage to heterosexual couples who aren’t planning on having children or who are sterile.
My face was hot throughout his article but I did get a laugh at the end when he retreated to the Stone Age and spoke about arranged marriages. He retorted to an arguments made by a homosexual individual that stated that, “marriage is about love.” He argued that “marriage and love don’t always go together…In fact, they seldom do” –I’m sure his wife would love to hear that- I’m going to argue that there’s some initial love involved when people get married today –although you heteros like getting divorced- and while arranged marriages take place it’s not enough to support your argument.
Friends, these types of people aren’t going away. For every optimist there are multiple pessimists and for every do-gooder there are many naysayers’. It’s very difficult to live in our wonderful world with these individuals but it is sincerely up to us to fight the great fight and bring some knowledge to these people. When I finished his article I was almost brought to tears hoping he didn’t have a family and thinking about the trash that he would be teaching his children, it hurts my heart. I could only hope that God be lineate with these people come judgment day and while we’re still in the land of the living I’ll continue my efforts to help rid these people of their ignorance and help them to…
…Seek Peace
Maybe I’m a drama queen but it really hurts my heart to see the amount of hate that exists out there in our world. Now you’re probably thinking that I should be used to it by now especially seeing it face to face working with Fair Wisconsin, but I don’t really believe one could ever get used to it. The writer was so condescending and ignorant that I didn’t believe –in all honesty- that he had a heart. I mean how can a person who confesses to love their fellow human beings be so obtuse when it comes to those human beings life. Throughout the article he merely compared homosexual relationships to a relationship you might have with a family member or roommate. He strung the language along so well that even a very intelligent and sensitive friend of mine fell for parts of his argument. While he might have been strategic and thought provoking in comparing homosexual relationships to that of non-sexual loving relationships, he left out the fact that homosexuality is not a choice and our hearts don’t contain an on/off button. Furthermore, if you believe that we could control our emotions or you believe in “de-gayification” then you should probably have a conversation with former pastor of the Evangelical Church, Ted Haggard and ask him how difficult it is to control.
Mr. Ignorant also acknowledged in so many pointless words that marriage and the benefits that it holds is for the sake of the children that heterosexual couples have in that marriage. I wonder if our friend knows that not all heterosexuals get married for the children and yet have the same rights as the heterosexual couples that breed. If we’re going to run with this argument then we should deny marriage to heterosexual couples who aren’t planning on having children or who are sterile.
My face was hot throughout his article but I did get a laugh at the end when he retreated to the Stone Age and spoke about arranged marriages. He retorted to an arguments made by a homosexual individual that stated that, “marriage is about love.” He argued that “marriage and love don’t always go together…In fact, they seldom do” –I’m sure his wife would love to hear that- I’m going to argue that there’s some initial love involved when people get married today –although you heteros like getting divorced- and while arranged marriages take place it’s not enough to support your argument.
Friends, these types of people aren’t going away. For every optimist there are multiple pessimists and for every do-gooder there are many naysayers’. It’s very difficult to live in our wonderful world with these individuals but it is sincerely up to us to fight the great fight and bring some knowledge to these people. When I finished his article I was almost brought to tears hoping he didn’t have a family and thinking about the trash that he would be teaching his children, it hurts my heart. I could only hope that God be lineate with these people come judgment day and while we’re still in the land of the living I’ll continue my efforts to help rid these people of their ignorance and help them to…
…Seek Peace
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Sweet Sounds of Music
Saturday night I attended a concert by Oscar, Emmy and Grammy award winning violinist Joshua Bell. If any of you want to hear what heaven sounds like through a musical instrument then you should definitely attend one of his concerts or buy one of his CD’s. I’m more into classical music than any of my friends –or family for that matter- so they don’t really understand when I make such a big deal out of such an event but I firmly believe that if you clear your mind and your heart, you would seriously enjoy the quality of his music and the levels of peace it will bring you.
Music is such a serious part of our lives and so strongly tied to who we are and the memories we have. I’m visiting my extended family in Rockford and we were on our way home from church today when someone brought up an old children’s song from our Barney days –and for all you fashion experts I’m not talking about the clothing store- When I heard the song she was singing I freaked out and was like, “OMG! I remember that!” and for the rest of the ride we were singing old childhood songs and all the while, I was recalling memories from my childhood. I said all that to prove how important music is to us and not just any music but it’s always the music that’s the dearest to us and close to our hearts.
Some of my old friends and I used to argue about profanity in music. I would argue that it should be taken away from our culture and others would argue the exact opposite. Needless to say I still stick by my opinion. Just as we should try and refrain from polluting the earth, we should also refrain from polluting our minds and hearts. This includes not letting ourselves be conflicted with the negativity that is in this type of music. We’re confronted with enough negativity in our everyday lives, why should we bring it into our personal self? Give positive music a try and let its uplifting nature help us with our continuing efforts to Seek Peace.
Music is such a serious part of our lives and so strongly tied to who we are and the memories we have. I’m visiting my extended family in Rockford and we were on our way home from church today when someone brought up an old children’s song from our Barney days –and for all you fashion experts I’m not talking about the clothing store- When I heard the song she was singing I freaked out and was like, “OMG! I remember that!” and for the rest of the ride we were singing old childhood songs and all the while, I was recalling memories from my childhood. I said all that to prove how important music is to us and not just any music but it’s always the music that’s the dearest to us and close to our hearts.
Some of my old friends and I used to argue about profanity in music. I would argue that it should be taken away from our culture and others would argue the exact opposite. Needless to say I still stick by my opinion. Just as we should try and refrain from polluting the earth, we should also refrain from polluting our minds and hearts. This includes not letting ourselves be conflicted with the negativity that is in this type of music. We’re confronted with enough negativity in our everyday lives, why should we bring it into our personal self? Give positive music a try and let its uplifting nature help us with our continuing efforts to Seek Peace.
Friday, February 2, 2007
A Word About Negative People
Recently I’ve been thinking about all the hatred that’s geared toward people that do so much to help others. For example, I read a blog entry recently that was putting down Rosie O’Donnell. I will admit I was pretty upset when I read the entry and one person’s response to it, so I tried to keep my cool when replying:
I can’t really say that I’m left or right, I fall somewhere in the middle. I personally think that it’s funny how people judge others they don’t really know. I’m not saying that I’m a personal friend of Rosie O’Donnell but I do have a lot of respect for her. She’s currently a co-host on the daytime T.V. talk show The View and I watch it as often as I can. Besides risking her career by coming out of the closet and actively supporting any LGBT cause she could find, Rosie has at least three charitable foundations under the Rosie Foundation. One of her organizations supplied many homes to victims of hurricane Katrina and the other two are theater-based which helps underprivileged youth obtain the funds to pursue careers in theater. As far as her intelligence is concerned -BTW intelligence is overrated- she is well versed in many different subjects that the talk show covers and I’ve heard that she studies a topic vigorously before that show airs. I really feel like throwing up when I hear someone talk about a person they don’t know much about. Furthermore, (name of blogger) -if that’s how you want to be identified- try not to judge a person from a clip on a show as ridiculous as The Colbert Report, that show is not worth watching no less expounding upon. -Oh and she’s not a bigot- Seek Peace, Jamie
People are often complaining about how the rich and famous don’t help the poor and needy so when I see something like this I get very upset. This society is so backward; we get angry with the nice and cuddle with the mean. Those who know me know that I’m an Oprah advocate all the way but I support those who do all that they can to help others. It makes me upset: we’ll elect Bush but will talk about Oprah for not opening school’s in America, we’ll vote for the death penalty in Wisconsin and not for gay marriage, we’ll speak negatively about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie for adopting needy children outside of America and make it more and more difficult for gay people to adopt. What’s wrong with the people of this country? I would hope that Oprah, Rosie and others like them would continue to do the good that they’re doing despite the word of the naysayer. If this blog entry gets back to someone who decides to speak against the good that these people are doing, I have one thing to say to you…
…Seek Peace
I can’t really say that I’m left or right, I fall somewhere in the middle. I personally think that it’s funny how people judge others they don’t really know. I’m not saying that I’m a personal friend of Rosie O’Donnell but I do have a lot of respect for her. She’s currently a co-host on the daytime T.V. talk show The View and I watch it as often as I can. Besides risking her career by coming out of the closet and actively supporting any LGBT cause she could find, Rosie has at least three charitable foundations under the Rosie Foundation. One of her organizations supplied many homes to victims of hurricane Katrina and the other two are theater-based which helps underprivileged youth obtain the funds to pursue careers in theater. As far as her intelligence is concerned -BTW intelligence is overrated- she is well versed in many different subjects that the talk show covers and I’ve heard that she studies a topic vigorously before that show airs. I really feel like throwing up when I hear someone talk about a person they don’t know much about. Furthermore, (name of blogger) -if that’s how you want to be identified- try not to judge a person from a clip on a show as ridiculous as The Colbert Report, that show is not worth watching no less expounding upon. -Oh and she’s not a bigot- Seek Peace, Jamie
People are often complaining about how the rich and famous don’t help the poor and needy so when I see something like this I get very upset. This society is so backward; we get angry with the nice and cuddle with the mean. Those who know me know that I’m an Oprah advocate all the way but I support those who do all that they can to help others. It makes me upset: we’ll elect Bush but will talk about Oprah for not opening school’s in America, we’ll vote for the death penalty in Wisconsin and not for gay marriage, we’ll speak negatively about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie for adopting needy children outside of America and make it more and more difficult for gay people to adopt. What’s wrong with the people of this country? I would hope that Oprah, Rosie and others like them would continue to do the good that they’re doing despite the word of the naysayer. If this blog entry gets back to someone who decides to speak against the good that these people are doing, I have one thing to say to you…
…Seek Peace
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
A New Blogger
Why did I start a blog?
I credit a friend of mine, Karen, for inspiring me to start a blog. Beyond that, I really found responding to her blog very interesting http://alenaae.blogspot.com/.
I think it would be necessary to explain my blog title in this first entry. Sensibility, Positivity, and Peace are three different yet similar words. One way they connect is the notion that all three should be incorporated into the every day life of every human being. By incorporating these you not only feel better about your life but you make those close to you feel the same (believe me!). I’m not saying to go around all jumpy singing about rainbows and skittles- I fall short many days and forget my bearings- just keep those three ideas on a conscious level.
I think I’ve talked enough for my first entry. Keep checking back for all thoughts on Sensibility, Positivity, and Peace and other random stuff.
Seek Peace
I credit a friend of mine, Karen, for inspiring me to start a blog. Beyond that, I really found responding to her blog very interesting http://alenaae.blogspot.com/.
I think it would be necessary to explain my blog title in this first entry. Sensibility, Positivity, and Peace are three different yet similar words. One way they connect is the notion that all three should be incorporated into the every day life of every human being. By incorporating these you not only feel better about your life but you make those close to you feel the same (believe me!). I’m not saying to go around all jumpy singing about rainbows and skittles- I fall short many days and forget my bearings- just keep those three ideas on a conscious level.
I think I’ve talked enough for my first entry. Keep checking back for all thoughts on Sensibility, Positivity, and Peace and other random stuff.
Seek Peace
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