1st Lt. Choi and I now have two things in common

Before today, it was just one thing uniting us. The unity between any two out gay men makes many nervous, giggly, squirmy to talk about. In all fairness, he doesn't know me and me seeing him interviewed tonight does nothing earth-shattering in me getting to know him as a person.

He and I will always be gay.

Now, we both share this particular day as the day we both were fired from our primary livelihood.

While Lieutenant (now "Mr.", I guess) Choi admits to having been in his chosen livelihood "since (he) was eighteen (years old)" and I was working a 40 hour a week (not including the 1 hour lunch time and 80 minute, one-way commute) for the last 16 months, the feeling he described having for much of the day nicely sums up my own feelings in the last few hours since my unceremonious firing.

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There is every possibility that Choi has a career as a rally/protest/community organizer, a politician or even make some other use of the skills he learned while in the National Guard.

While he weighs his options, I will weigh mine. Meanwhile, with all of this free time on my hands, maybe I'll post a little more often.

My Afternoon with Amma, the Hugging Saint

I saw her a few years ago when she was visiting Los Angeles. I was feeling too ill to stay for the darshan; however, the service she led beforehand was filled full of music and stories. Amma was so filled with the spirit, especially during the music, that it filled the auditorium and flowed out the doors. A shared "Ohm" with the people in that auditorium completed the evening for me and, as I watched the first few people receive the darshan, I had a bit of an epiphany. The darshan is much like the Communion I help serve in my church on most Sundays -- a sharing of common experience, a blessing said and a hug at the end. Each of us has it within us to give this blessing to each others and those we meet the first time.
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Jimmy Kimmel Production Crew Fights Abortion Protesters

The protesters were out in force yesterday and on Friday June 25 between Hollywood Blvd & Highland and Hollywood Blvd and Orange -- about two blocks worth of banner-style "aborted fetus pictures" lining the street much like ads around the edges of a baseball field. They clogged up foot and car traffic both times (I walk that stretch of sidewalk to/from work). The timing on this? Try the on-going Supreme Court Justice confirmation hearings. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/39329.html
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White House Does Diplomacy With Gay Rights Community

I'll take a little something done over being ignored or pushed down further regarding LGBT people in this country. It does not excuse any of us in that group from continuing to be present, out and vocal when injustice is occurring.
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Obama's Gulf Spill Speech (FULL TEXT)

The mention of our country's rallying to manufacture tanks, ammunition, etc., for WWII and the race to land a man on the moon in the '60s grated on my nerves. In both situations, government was a strong hand and a deep pocket for both efforts.



I didn't hear anything in the speech that suggested either was readily available. And we're herded into praying in the last minutes of this speech. I'm a Christian and even my stomach churned at the realization that we've got little other option than to pray.
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