For those of you living in a cave, my beloved Pittsburgh is the host of the G20 and all that comes with it - world dignitaries, media blitz, a practical police state and yes, protesters!
I actually had someone say to me that all the "commie protesters should die"
WTF?
I was raised to believe - make that know - that it is not only my right, but my duty to protest when I see evil and injustice in the world and to certainly respect the rights of others to do the same whether I agree with their beliefs or not. (How does he know they are all communists and even if that blanket statement is true - isn't that their right?)
This is a country that was founded on Civil Disobedience and protest - that is why it was the REVOLUTIONARY war.
The other ironic thing is that they person who said this to me proclaims to be a "dyed in the wool Lutheran."
Let me give you a quick history lesson here - Martin Luther was a Catholic monk who saw corruption in the church. In response to this, we penned the 95 Theses, a collection of his thoughts and feelings and nailed them to the Church doors. A clear protest and finger to the powers that be. The results of his actions forever changed the world of religion and the entire Western World.
How can you be a true Lutheran or American and think that protesters are evil?
In the conversation that proceeded this ridiculous comment, someone actually whined that her father-in-law was delayed a half an hour by said protests - boo friggin' hoo! If that little inconvenience was enough to make even one person think, it was totally worth it! Once again - I am not saying agree with the protesters but to think about something other than Dr. Phil or Maury!
Now let me be clear, I am not supporting violence or destruction of private property in any way, but simply professing my love for the beauty of our constitution, our American History and the right to assemble.
God Bless America!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Feeling Special
I was feeling a little blue lately, but then I got this in an email.
It is a poem that my very good friend Dave Rullo ( husband of Kim Rullo - artist) wrote for me many, many years ago.
Even after all this time, it still makes me feel very special. I can never thank him enough for giving me this feeling and this little taste of immortality.
I love you, Dave.
She swore to me Lennon was alive,
And had all the answers ever needed,
To save our trouble love from despair.
Sometimes I believed her because her eyes,
Which at first glance weren’t that special,
Began to shine in silent jestures,
Pleading not for an audience to listen,
Or even an honest man to believe,
Just that I’d listen and hold her until morning.
I should have known she spoke the truth,
With her poetry books littering the floor,
And her jazz albums gracing our shelves,
But sometimes I’m too deaf and dumb,
To ever believe the word of angels,
Who only know of what the speak,
Because of some divine intervention,
Yeah sometimes I keep waiting,
For the boulder at my feet to fall.
Then she was gone one shadowy yesterday,
Her poetry & jazz vanished,
Only her clothes remain to remind me,
That at one time we were pure, together,
Her note I’ve long since burnt,
The truth of her disappearance better left,
To the romantic mystery of clouded thoughts,
She taught me the works of Dante and Pound,
When all I needed were the lullabies of Lennon
It is a poem that my very good friend Dave Rullo ( husband of Kim Rullo - artist) wrote for me many, many years ago.
Even after all this time, it still makes me feel very special. I can never thank him enough for giving me this feeling and this little taste of immortality.
I love you, Dave.
She swore to me Lennon was alive,
And had all the answers ever needed,
To save our trouble love from despair.
Sometimes I believed her because her eyes,
Which at first glance weren’t that special,
Began to shine in silent jestures,
Pleading not for an audience to listen,
Or even an honest man to believe,
Just that I’d listen and hold her until morning.
I should have known she spoke the truth,
With her poetry books littering the floor,
And her jazz albums gracing our shelves,
But sometimes I’m too deaf and dumb,
To ever believe the word of angels,
Who only know of what the speak,
Because of some divine intervention,
Yeah sometimes I keep waiting,
For the boulder at my feet to fall.
Then she was gone one shadowy yesterday,
Her poetry & jazz vanished,
Only her clothes remain to remind me,
That at one time we were pure, together,
Her note I’ve long since burnt,
The truth of her disappearance better left,
To the romantic mystery of clouded thoughts,
She taught me the works of Dante and Pound,
When all I needed were the lullabies of Lennon
Friday, September 18, 2009
Project Runway
I really have little to say about Johnny's dismissal from Project Runway last night. It was a total no brainer and while I didn't hate his designs, his lack of passion really bothered me.
Last night did help me to establish my early on favorites.
First up - Christopher
I really love this self taught genius form the Midwest. I thought he should have won last night. He was the only designer to create movement with his paper dress. It flowed and floated like it was feathers and not newsprint.
Simply lovely.
Next up Logan....
A prettier variation of previous winner Geoffrey. I really just love his rock n'roll edge and the combination of sex, beauty and power.
Plus, I have to be honest - what I wouldn't like to do to him. Wow - I just love those artsy, sensitive, dirt under the nails, bad boys.
Last night did help me to establish my early on favorites.
First up - Christopher
I really love this self taught genius form the Midwest. I thought he should have won last night. He was the only designer to create movement with his paper dress. It flowed and floated like it was feathers and not newsprint.
Simply lovely.
Next up Logan....
A prettier variation of previous winner Geoffrey. I really just love his rock n'roll edge and the combination of sex, beauty and power.
Plus, I have to be honest - what I wouldn't like to do to him. Wow - I just love those artsy, sensitive, dirt under the nails, bad boys.
Monday, September 14, 2009
RIP Jim Carroll
There will always be a poem
I will climb on top of it and come
In and out of time,
Cocking my head to the side slightly,
As I finish shaking, melting then
Into its body, its soft skin
--Jim Carroll, "Poem"
from Void of Course
I first discovered Jim Carroll in the early 90s while in college.
There was a dusty copy of "the people who died" in our college radio station and I was drawn to its raw honesty. Later that same year, the movie version of the Basketball Diaries came out. After seeing the movie, I rushed out to the local book store to get a copy of the book (small town - I of course had to order it). I have since owned several copies because I often give mine away when someone tells me they have never read it.
The book lead me to his poetry and a love affair began.
Jim Carroll was simply put, brilliant!
His writing is brutal, raw and profoundly honest, but it is also beautiful and moving. Even when at his lowest - there was a sense of hope in his words.
I just want to be prue.
I will climb on top of it and come
In and out of time,
Cocking my head to the side slightly,
As I finish shaking, melting then
Into its body, its soft skin
--Jim Carroll, "Poem"
from Void of Course
I first discovered Jim Carroll in the early 90s while in college.
There was a dusty copy of "the people who died" in our college radio station and I was drawn to its raw honesty. Later that same year, the movie version of the Basketball Diaries came out. After seeing the movie, I rushed out to the local book store to get a copy of the book (small town - I of course had to order it). I have since owned several copies because I often give mine away when someone tells me they have never read it.
The book lead me to his poetry and a love affair began.
Jim Carroll was simply put, brilliant!
His writing is brutal, raw and profoundly honest, but it is also beautiful and moving. Even when at his lowest - there was a sense of hope in his words.
I just want to be prue.
Friday, September 11, 2009
the GODfather
I recently recieved a chain email from my right-wing cousin, Terry, who very suitably lives in Texas.
I was so disgusted by the email, that I promptly deleted it. I am now regretting that action as it is really pretty funny in an unintentional sort of way.
The whole theroy behind the email was that if you disrespect the big man upstairs, he will take you down!
The first example was John Lennon (which is why I deleted almost immeaditly - I am a HUGE Lennon fan) The email had the now famous quote about being more popular than Christ. It then made a direct link to the fact that some 15 years later he was gunned down on the street in front of his home and wife.
Wow! No wonder people hate us Christians so much. Not only are so many of us self-rightous pricks (yeah I said it) our lord and savior is a vengenful, bad ass.
After my original disgust, I have had a pretty good time imagining the Big Guy as a Mafia Don. In my thoughts, he is much more Don Corleon than Tony Sporano.
"Gaberial, I want that you should smite that Lennon kid and teach him a lesson. It matters not that he has made his life's mission to promote love and peace. He disrespected me and that I can't have."
"Michael, while he does that - go find that George W. kid in Texas and make him an offer that he can't refuse. Have Dickie boy help you out."
I was so disgusted by the email, that I promptly deleted it. I am now regretting that action as it is really pretty funny in an unintentional sort of way.
The whole theroy behind the email was that if you disrespect the big man upstairs, he will take you down!
The first example was John Lennon (which is why I deleted almost immeaditly - I am a HUGE Lennon fan) The email had the now famous quote about being more popular than Christ. It then made a direct link to the fact that some 15 years later he was gunned down on the street in front of his home and wife.
Wow! No wonder people hate us Christians so much. Not only are so many of us self-rightous pricks (yeah I said it) our lord and savior is a vengenful, bad ass.
After my original disgust, I have had a pretty good time imagining the Big Guy as a Mafia Don. In my thoughts, he is much more Don Corleon than Tony Sporano.
"Gaberial, I want that you should smite that Lennon kid and teach him a lesson. It matters not that he has made his life's mission to promote love and peace. He disrespected me and that I can't have."
"Michael, while he does that - go find that George W. kid in Texas and make him an offer that he can't refuse. Have Dickie boy help you out."
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Cool People I Know and You Should Too
Kim Rullo and Brent Issac are two amazingly talented friends and former classmates of mine from Point Park College (now University) who together make up Issac Rullo Photography.
In addition to blowing my mind with their talents as photogs and filmmakers, Kim is married to one of my best friends and Brent has amazing taste in shoes (as seen below)
If you live in the Pittsburgh area and get a chance you should defiantly check out one of their shows. Also, you can find them on Face Book and at http://www.modelmayhem.com/140717
The following are stills from a recent film they did. Another thing that amazes me, is that the use people I know very well as models. They are able to take these people I think I know everything about and pull out these sides of them that I never knew exhisited.
Just truly amazing!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Bigots, bigots, bigots everywhere....
This Sunday I attended my first meeting in regards to the Lutheran churches new stance on sexuality. Boy was that fun.
As you can imagine, My mother and I were the only ones there outwardly showing our support. I am not saying we are the only progressive folks in the congregation, but as often happens, only the pissed off showed up and the few who agreed with us in the room, wouldn't speak up in public.
I am happy to say that of the 200 members at Grace, only 20 or so showed for this meeting.
I am only going to share with you some of the highlights. To give you some background, voting in the Lutheran Church works sort of like the electoral college. Each Church elects an official to represent them at the national level. The representative does not have to vote the will of the congregation, but what are the chances of a church choosing to send someone who doesn't agree with the majority???
Also, I am disappointed to say that our Pastor who is very socially minded in most cases, does not agree with the church's ruling either.
My favorite opponent was an older woman in her late 50s / early 60s, whom I have never seen in church for any occasion )of course... I will refer to her a middle-class bigot number one or (MCB #1)
MCB #1 started off by saying that she was afraid it would be perceived that the Church was making a political statement in favor of gay marriage. (part of the ruling is that Lutheran ministers can preform union blessings for gay and lesbian couples)
Pastor Mohr started backpedaling saying that we were not doing that and I felt the need to state that was exactly what we were doing. All organized religion makes political statements - that is as much what we do as worship the Lord.
MCB #1 then stated that she thought the election was fixed and that the gays bribed everyone to vote their way and we should have a "real election"
I expressed my concern that so many congregations would elect representatives with such low morals and then asked if she was aware of how the electoral college and congress worked. No response.
I then asked how many people felt this same way when women were first ordained in the 1970s - of course everyone was for that :)
Next up was Ed Lang - an ancient man to evil to die and king of the bigots. Ed suggested that the church hang a black veil over the church sign and that we engage in a 40 day period of mourning.
After I stopped laughing, I suggested that we engage in a 40 day celebration of love and offered to set up some nightly fireworks. I am such a smart ass.
Ed wanted to know how in the future we can be sure that we do not offer a "call" or job to a homosexual pastor.... I couldn't stop laughing in order to respond to that one.
There were of course those who spouted off bible passages against homosexuality.
I countered with other ridiculous biblical laws (examples include - stoning of a divorced woman, punishment for raping a virgin as marrying her and giving her father silver, etc.) and the fact that Christ never once mentioned homosexuality in the new testament.
Ed accused me of picking and choosing what I wanted to follow and I pointed out that was exactly what he was doing, not me.... I never once have said that we should take the bible as literal law. I believe in THEOLOGY! The study and interpretation of the bible and it's teachings.
That was pretty much it for the meeting... we are to meet again in 30 days after we have all prayed and thought about it. I plan on wearing a "Lutheran" t-shirt of some sort every Sunday until then as a silent celebration.
Here is an older blog from my myspace page that I think fits with today's theme...
Okay – first let me state I hate the term homophobia as it implies a psychological disorder – if you hate someone simply because of a label and do not judge them on the merits of their being, you are a bigot – not a mentally ill person.
And while we are at it, do not spout the Bible at me. If we take the Bible word for word, there are a lot of us in some serious trouble (anybody up for stoning a divorced women???)
Plus, there is this little thing about not judging others.
Anyway the purpose of today's rant is to give credit where credit is due…. As you read this, please allow me to indulge in some stereotypes for the sake of humor.
I recently had the displeasure of hearing the theories of our uneducated, unwashed and generally undesirable brethren lately, but I had to give it to the little Klan member – he had one hell of an idea.
What is it you ask? He stated that we should put all the gays and cats on an island somewhere.
Brilliant!!!!
I am totally in favor of this idea, but with some slight modifications… First, I think all the gays should be allowed to sponsor at least one non-homosexual family (Chris, I am assuming you have my back here)
This is utopia for me.
Imagine it - clean streets, beautifully designed rooms, couture clothing for all (there would have to be a least one designer per person – look a the cast of Project Runway alone), low crime, good music, great food, and for once, arts education would get more funding than sports.
Now don't think sports culture is out all together – we know the gays like to stay fit – free gym memberships for all!
Also can you just picture the live entertainment…there would be a revival on every street corner. It would not be looked upon strangely to burst into song.
Did I mention Tiaras with everything… all this and cats! Sweet Lord, take me now!!!!
Now there are a few problems I have noticed in my plan. Like must bigots, he was only talking about gay MEN! Women are fine because apparently they just need a good man or something.
We are going to need a few lesbians on our island. Who is going to fix things and kill the bugs without them? And if we have lesbians, we are going to have to allow dogs – but that is okay, because on our island we only judge the unfashionable and there is always someone willing to do a makeover.
In closing, please do not email me if you disagree and hope to change my mind. I will only delete your comments.. and make fun on you because this is my world and I rule in it.
As you can imagine, My mother and I were the only ones there outwardly showing our support. I am not saying we are the only progressive folks in the congregation, but as often happens, only the pissed off showed up and the few who agreed with us in the room, wouldn't speak up in public.
I am happy to say that of the 200 members at Grace, only 20 or so showed for this meeting.
I am only going to share with you some of the highlights. To give you some background, voting in the Lutheran Church works sort of like the electoral college. Each Church elects an official to represent them at the national level. The representative does not have to vote the will of the congregation, but what are the chances of a church choosing to send someone who doesn't agree with the majority???
Also, I am disappointed to say that our Pastor who is very socially minded in most cases, does not agree with the church's ruling either.
My favorite opponent was an older woman in her late 50s / early 60s, whom I have never seen in church for any occasion )of course... I will refer to her a middle-class bigot number one or (MCB #1)
MCB #1 started off by saying that she was afraid it would be perceived that the Church was making a political statement in favor of gay marriage. (part of the ruling is that Lutheran ministers can preform union blessings for gay and lesbian couples)
Pastor Mohr started backpedaling saying that we were not doing that and I felt the need to state that was exactly what we were doing. All organized religion makes political statements - that is as much what we do as worship the Lord.
MCB #1 then stated that she thought the election was fixed and that the gays bribed everyone to vote their way and we should have a "real election"
I expressed my concern that so many congregations would elect representatives with such low morals and then asked if she was aware of how the electoral college and congress worked. No response.
I then asked how many people felt this same way when women were first ordained in the 1970s - of course everyone was for that :)
Next up was Ed Lang - an ancient man to evil to die and king of the bigots. Ed suggested that the church hang a black veil over the church sign and that we engage in a 40 day period of mourning.
After I stopped laughing, I suggested that we engage in a 40 day celebration of love and offered to set up some nightly fireworks. I am such a smart ass.
Ed wanted to know how in the future we can be sure that we do not offer a "call" or job to a homosexual pastor.... I couldn't stop laughing in order to respond to that one.
There were of course those who spouted off bible passages against homosexuality.
I countered with other ridiculous biblical laws (examples include - stoning of a divorced woman, punishment for raping a virgin as marrying her and giving her father silver, etc.) and the fact that Christ never once mentioned homosexuality in the new testament.
Ed accused me of picking and choosing what I wanted to follow and I pointed out that was exactly what he was doing, not me.... I never once have said that we should take the bible as literal law. I believe in THEOLOGY! The study and interpretation of the bible and it's teachings.
That was pretty much it for the meeting... we are to meet again in 30 days after we have all prayed and thought about it. I plan on wearing a "Lutheran" t-shirt of some sort every Sunday until then as a silent celebration.
Here is an older blog from my myspace page that I think fits with today's theme...
Okay – first let me state I hate the term homophobia as it implies a psychological disorder – if you hate someone simply because of a label and do not judge them on the merits of their being, you are a bigot – not a mentally ill person.
And while we are at it, do not spout the Bible at me. If we take the Bible word for word, there are a lot of us in some serious trouble (anybody up for stoning a divorced women???)
Plus, there is this little thing about not judging others.
Anyway the purpose of today's rant is to give credit where credit is due…. As you read this, please allow me to indulge in some stereotypes for the sake of humor.
I recently had the displeasure of hearing the theories of our uneducated, unwashed and generally undesirable brethren lately, but I had to give it to the little Klan member – he had one hell of an idea.
What is it you ask? He stated that we should put all the gays and cats on an island somewhere.
Brilliant!!!!
I am totally in favor of this idea, but with some slight modifications… First, I think all the gays should be allowed to sponsor at least one non-homosexual family (Chris, I am assuming you have my back here)
This is utopia for me.
Imagine it - clean streets, beautifully designed rooms, couture clothing for all (there would have to be a least one designer per person – look a the cast of Project Runway alone), low crime, good music, great food, and for once, arts education would get more funding than sports.
Now don't think sports culture is out all together – we know the gays like to stay fit – free gym memberships for all!
Also can you just picture the live entertainment…there would be a revival on every street corner. It would not be looked upon strangely to burst into song.
Did I mention Tiaras with everything… all this and cats! Sweet Lord, take me now!!!!
Now there are a few problems I have noticed in my plan. Like must bigots, he was only talking about gay MEN! Women are fine because apparently they just need a good man or something.
We are going to need a few lesbians on our island. Who is going to fix things and kill the bugs without them? And if we have lesbians, we are going to have to allow dogs – but that is okay, because on our island we only judge the unfashionable and there is always someone willing to do a makeover.
In closing, please do not email me if you disagree and hope to change my mind. I will only delete your comments.. and make fun on you because this is my world and I rule in it.
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