Now She's Gone

From Doxy:

She was beautiful. Big brown eyes and a veritable mane of dark brown, unruly hair. A crooked tooth gave her a interesting smile.

She was sarcastic and wry. I was always glad that I wasn’t the subject of her witheringly funny scrutiny. She could cut through bullshit in about two seconds flat. You never wondered what she thought about anything--she was always happy to tell you.
....

She was fiercely loyal to her friends, including me. And she was loving--to her son, to her family and friends, and even to a few people who didn’t deserve it.
....

She died because, when she started having pain and other symptoms almost five years ago, she didn’t go to the doctor because she couldn’t afford it. What might have been easily curable had it been caught early was a death sentence by the time she was no longer able to bear the pain and dragged herself to the emergency room.

She died because the people in this country are so fucking selfish that they have fought healthcare reform tooth and nail.

Please read Doxy's entire beautiful and furious elegy for her friend, Terri-Lynn.

Excerpts from Terri-Lynn's poem, "Where I'm From":

I am from the wild tangle of honeysuckle
the salt-cured planks of the pier
the cool green sanctuary under the willow tree.
....

I am from Jesus loves me
just as I am.
I am from dinner on the grounds and I'll fly away oh glory
and Jesus Christ Superstar.
....

I am from pirates and poets and painters
All of the gifts; none of the glory.
I am from Mason's shrine and Granny's cedar chest,
from Daddy's photographs and Tracy's poems.

May Terri-Lynn rest in peace and rise in glory.

May Terri-Lynn's son find a home where hearts overflow with love and arms open to take him in and embrace him.

May God heal the broken hearts of Terri-Lynn's son and all who loved her and somehow, some way give them peace.

If you felt rage rise in your throat as you read the story, Jane R. in her post titled "Killed By the Health Care System" tells you what you can do to channel your rage into action so this will never happen again.

Lord, have mercy.

And Then There's This

From The Advocate:

In a bold move that takes a new approach to achieving marriage equality, two attorneys who argued opposing sides of the 2000 Bush v. Gore lawsuit before the U.S. Supreme Court have filed a challenge to Proposition 8 in federal court, The Advocate has learned.

Theodore B. Olson, the U.S. solicitor general from 2001 to 2004 under President George W. Bush, and David Boies, a high-profile trial lawyer who argued on behalf of former vice president Al Gore, filed the suit May 22 in U.S. district court on behalf of two California gay couples.

The attorneys argue that relegating same-sex couples to domestic partnerships instead of granting them full marriage rights is a violation of the equal protection and due process clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

I'm not a lawyer. I know. What a surprise! Therefore, this is posted without commentary, except with respect to the words in bold print, I say, "Didn't I tell you?"

Thanks to Lapin for finding the link.

UPDATE: More discussion of this story in the comments to my Cal Supremes Say "No" to Equality post.

Interesting - Or Not?

AT 5 MINUTES & 6 SECONDS AFTER 4 A.M., ON THE 8TH OF JULY, THIS YEAR, THE TIME AND DATE WILL BE:

04:05:06 07-08-09

THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN UNTIL THE YEAR 3009!!!

(I had a deep feeling that you just needed to know this) :-)

Aren't you glad you are in my address book read my blog?

Doug strikes again.

Cal Supremes Say "No" To Equality

UPDATE: Ann says stickers are here.

Refuting Dick Cheney On Torture

From Brave New Foundation:

Matthew Alexander was the senior military interrogator for the task force that tracked down Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq and, at the time, a higher priority target than Osama bin Laden. Mr. Alexander has personally conducted hundreds of interrogations and supervised over a thousand of them.

"Torture does not save lives. Torture costs us lives," Mr. Alexander said in an exclusive interview at Brave New Studios. "And the reason why is that our enemies use it, number one, as a recruiting tool...These same foreign fighters who came to Iraq to fight because of torture and abuse....literally cost us hundreds if not thousands of American lives."

I trust Matthew Alexander's word over Dick Cheney's on torture any old day, any old time.

What I can't understand is why the major TV media continue to give Cheney and his daughter air time to spew their lies. What's wrong with them?

In Solidarity

Read IT's reflections on what her marriage means to her.

When we got married in October 2008, it caused us to reflect on why it was so important, and why it felt so different. Of course, it has not changed what we mean to each other. I have loved my beloved partner-spouse for many years with every part of my being, nothing different there.

This past weekend, I attended the wedding of my friends Doxy and Dear Husband, which I will write more about later. At the end of the wedding service bulletin, are these words:

"Even in our joy, we do not forget our friends and loved ones who are barred by secular law and religious tradition from making the commitment we are making today. We pray for the day when all couples who wish to enter the covenant of marriage will be able to do so, and we will continue to work for the inclusion of all the baptized in the life and ministry of the church"

Doxy and Dear Friend (now Dear Husband)

Let us pray for all those in California who will be affected by the decision of the court.

The idea for this post is shamelessly stolen from my dear friend Fran.

UPDATE: From Yahoo News:

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 6-1 decision written by Chief Justice Ron George rejected an argument by gay rights activists that the ban revised the California constitution's equal protection clause to such a dramatic degree that it first needed the Legislature's approval.

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

Not good. How sad that the judges conclude that rights already given may be taken away by a majority vote.

At least, those who are married get to stay married. The judges probably decided that based on convenience. Think what a nightmare it would be for the bureaucrats to have to undo marriages. How would they procede? With divorces? Annulments?

UPDATE 2: See IT's blog for more news on the California Supreme Court decision.

Medical Advice To Live By....

Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! ..... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans ! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

And remember:

'Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO, What a Ride'

AND.....

For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION

Eat and drink what you like.
Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Thanks to Ann.

Please Pray For Frank And Carol

From David@Montreal concerning Frank, who has leukemia, and who has undergone gene therapy, preceded by treatments to destroy his immune system in order for the gene therapy to be effective, and for Frank's wife Carol:

acting on my intuition I blew the budget & called Frank last night
and spoke with both Frank and Carol
both of them sounded worn down at the moment- though Frank did his best as usual to sound both positive and grateful
he particularly asked me to thank 'all those incredible individuals out there you've got walking in prayer with us through this' to quote Frank, 'i still can't quite believe it' and Carol told me, more than once in the rough spot he's told her he's got to 'make it,' 'just too many people counting on me for any other option.'

the latest challege is c-difficile,
and Frank has been given medication, but been asked to stay away from the hospital until its beaten-- 'unless things become critical'
of course we are also waiting for the proverbial other shoe to fall GVHD which can be anticipated any time within the first hundred days; the result of the genetic material being only a 9/10 match.

as i said both Frank and Carol sounded particularly worn down, and for the first time he hinted to me of the possibility of a future without him.
Carol spoke of the hardship of not even being able to attend her parish Church last Sunday as they are in isolation. and Kerri, their youngest daughter and my God-daughter has just been confirmed as being pregnant, however F & C cannot see either her or their other 2 daughters and grandchildren
i confess there were tears i hung up.

so, dear siblings in faith and practice I'm asking for prayer- for their spirits, for this latest challenge

THE WORD From Ellen - Just DANCE!

Thanks to Elizabeth at Telling Secrets, via Lisa at My Manner of Life comes the video of Ellen DeGeneres giving the commencement speech at Tulane University - that's TU in my beloved native city of New Orleans. Yes, it is. How proud I am that the powers, whoever they are, had the audacity and the wisdom to invite Ellen to speak at their commencement exercises. It's likely one of the best commencement speeches that I have ever heard.

All right, so it's 10 minutes long, and you don't have time, or you don't want to take the time, but you should watch anyway. It doesn't feel like 10 minutes, and I promise you that you won't be sorry if you do. Remember that Ellen is also a native of New Orleans, so she is my sister in a very special way.

Elizabeth and Lisa both posted the video, but I had to have it. I believe that they and you will understand why.

Memorial Day - Remembering The Fallen

Note: Picture and parts of the post taken from my Memorial Day tribute last year and the year before with the numbers of dead in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan changed. As of today the number of the fallen from the Iraq War stands at 4300 and the number in Afghanistan at 687. Last year, the numbers were 4081 for the Iraq War and 506 in Afghanistan. When will it all end? When will the bodies stop coming?

The picture moves me greatly. Some years ago, a video surfaced showing the deeply respectful manner in which the caskets were transported to and loaded upon the planes headed for Dover Air Force Base, but it soon disappeared due to directives from the Bush maladministration, for "security reasons" and "respect for the fallen and their families". I don't recall that names were visible anywhere, and I'd think that many families and friends of the fallen would have cherished the portrayal of the loving respect with which the brothers and sisters in arms treated the remains of their loved ones. But it was not to be.

President Obama lifted the ban on media coverage of the remains of the fallen arriving at Dover, so long as the families don't object, which is exactly how it should be. The families' desire for privacy must always be respected.

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance of those in all our wars who gave everything in the service of their country. We honor them for their courage and dedication to duty. We extend our sympathy to their families and friends, whether the loss is recent or from long times past. We stand with you. We mourn with you.

Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between many peoples,
and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more;
but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees,
and no one shall make them afraid;
for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. Micah 4:1-4

Lord God, Almighty and Everlasting Father, we pray for all those who have died in wars. We pray the they may rest in peace in the perpetual light of your love. We pray for your blessing upon the families and friends of all those who have died in service to their country. Console them for their aching loss. Bring them healing of body, mind, and spirit. Give them strength and courage to go forward, and Lord God, above all else, give them your peace that passes understanding to keep their minds and hearts.