We march because all men are created equal.
We march because history says we must.
We march because we want to teach our kids well (go Rose!).
We march because we are all brothers (and sisters).
We march to make change with our friends.
We march cause there's lots of great art in DC (and cute boys, at least at gay marches)
We march so that peace can rule our days.
Off to jail you go, Bernie Madoff. Woo hoo!
Yes, his guilty plea will bring joy to Mudville. But let's not be too quick to relieve ourselves of all complicity in the greed and selfishness that led America to its current mess.
We've (hopefully) learned that there is no such thing as easy money, and that revering the wealthy above all else is folly. Bernie Madoff will spend the end of his days in jail, paying in the smallest way for the crimes he committed. Most painful is the thought of some portion of the billions he plundered would have made its way to charitable organizations.
Today, one devil got his due. If there's a devil-slayer in the world, let Cheney, Rumsfeld and Bush be next. Watch out fellas! (Thanks to the NY Times for this image ... I made the horns!)
Sure, times is tough. And they're going to get tougher before they get easier. But our President is making the pain so much more bearable by undoing one horrific Bush/Cheney decision after another. This man is restoring our nation to one of fairness, sensitivity and reason. As a nation, we can look ourselves in the mirror again. I've thought it before and I'll say it again: God Bless Barack Obama.
Photo of President Obama undoing Bush's stem cell regulations and restoring science to its proper place, from the NY Times.
I am in the process of growing my hair out after a year of buzz cuts. Hopefully the result will be more successful than this foray into long hair from ten years ago.
Speaking of ten years ago, in a recent post I reminisced about 1999. Here is a shot taken that year, on a night that found millions of Americans glued to their television sets. The entertainment value that evening was very very high. Like me and my friends, you were probably watching the show as it aired, since TIVO and DVR weren’t around yet. So here’s the question: What was the show?
If you like photography, like to travel and/or like what happened to the world on Tuesday, click on this link to view 48 pictures from around the world, each snapped on inauguration day. Stirring. Amazing. Historic. Hopeful.
Here is my nephew Jeremy, in a picture I took in St. Louis over Thanksgiving. As you'll note, Jeremy is upside-down. I've posted this shot because it makes me smile on a day in which I feel kind of upside-down myself.
Today Barack Obama announced that a homophobic, divisive, evolution-denying evangelist will give the inaugural invocation. I was hopeful that after the gays accepted Barack's luke-warm (though understandable) embrace during the campaign, Obama would reach out more generously once safely elected. Alas ... not to be. The Warren selection feels like a gut punch. So, while I'm prepared to be highly moved on inauguration day, it's all going to be a bit less rosy having to listen to a fat and misguided preacher at the podium.
There are so many people to be thankful for right now. Barack Obama, at the top of the list. His amazing campaign team. Young people. The minds behind MoveOn.org. People of color. Sarah Silverman, Stephen Colbert and John Stewart. The huge and peaceful crowds who cheered us on, all around the world. The list goes on and on and on.
At the top of my list of people to be thankful for is Frank Rich, the brilliant, inspiring journalist who writes a weekly op-ed column for the New York Times. Rich has always been an advocate for fairness. Rich has always been a writer of supreme skill. And Rich has no equal in uncovering the fascinating ways that media has become the dominant influence and reflection of all things in American life.
Every Sunday I seek a moment of refuge in Frank Rich's wisdom. When I finish his column, I have a little bit more faith that intelligence, reason and compassion still have a place in America. So on this auspicious week in American history, I'd like to offer a special salute to my American Hero, Frank Rich.
I don't want to overreach here, but the parallels between my life and Barack Obama's life are just a bit too obvious to ignore. We are both 47. We are both able to trace our roots to the Midwest and to Kenya (well, Poland for me, but why split hairs?). And we both have an intimate connection to the NASDAQ sign in Times Square, as the evidence below proves.
Barack on the NASDAQ sign at the moment of victory:
Me on the NASDAQ sign the day PlanetOut went public:
Notes:
1. Let's hope Barack's presidency is more successful than PlanetOut's tenure as a public company.
2. Barack's image was projected by NASDAQ itself for all the world to see ... my image was superimposed by NASDAQ, using Photoshop, as a momento of an important day.
On November 4th, America completed an epochal journey. A country that once stole people from Africa and sold them as slaves elected an African American President of the United States. And a nation that has slipped in stature and lost its way began to right itself. Today, I am proud to be an American.
I grew up in the ultimate swing state, Missouri. The Show Me State was on the fence regarding slavery, and it has remained on the fence politically. But in my family, the political blood runs blue. Here is a list of the 10 states where my family members currently reside (counting my 4 parents, 5 siblings, 2 aunts and 7 first cousins):
Missouri
New York
Illinois
Georgia
Texas
New Jersey
South Carolina
Nevada
Maryland
California
I am happy to report that each of us voted for Barack Obama (with one exception). Today, I am thrilled by my country, and very proud of my roots.
[Family photo taken in 1999, at Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO]
Recent Comments