Daddy, Papa and Metag:www.lathefamily.org,2007://12007-01-09T00:44:23ZWishes do come trueMovable Type 3.33Does your school talk about differences?tag:www.lathefamily.org,2007://1.12252007-01-08T23:55:48Z2007-01-09T00:44:23ZWe are still in the midst of our school tours. I've been formulating a lot of thoughts about the SF school system based on tours and research.. like.. "Public schools as a whole are better than I expected" and "They'll...
school tours. I've been formulating a lot of thoughts about the SF school system based on tours and research.. like.. "Public schools as a whole are better than I expected" and "They'll never match the private schools... 7k per student vs. 16k? No match"...
Anyway, one of the questions we've asked of all the school directors or teachers who are giving the tours is something along the lines of "what does your school do to foster respect for different families, races, etc."]]>
not the answer I wanted to hear.
That said, two other schools gave better answers.. and in one school I saw a project on a wall of kids' drawing their families' historys (dad came from Russia, two moms/adopted, single mom etc). It showed me that it was in the open and talked about and respected.
That school got a bit higher on our list.]]>
Supper Talk: What do Indian princes, Nigerian Mormons & Norwegian animals have in common?tag:www.lathefamily.org,2007://1.12232007-01-08T22:44:09Z2007-01-08T23:55:24ZThere are gay ones among them. Today's supper will be crab cakes and roasted winter squash (still just Emma and me). Recipes after the talk. Well, there is the courage of the gay Nigerian Mormons and that of Indian princes......
courage of the gay Nigerian Mormons and that of Indian princes...]]>
For Gohil, his very public unmasking has brought him a bully pulpit from which to speak out against a law that makes him not just a pariah of noble birth but also a common criminal.
These Nigerian Mormons and Indian Princes are the ones that deserve our praise and support.
A museum in Norway has an exhibit on some of the 500 species that have well-documented observations of homosexual individuals... from swans to bonobos. It's based on a book Biological Exuberance : Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity. I would never suggest that human ethics should be based on what is "natural," I mean a lot of species eat their young, or what we think is "natural" for humans either (war and murder seem "natural" since they occur in every society in all times). But, this is a great and damning rebuttal to those who say homosexuality is "against the natural order." Because, well.. it ain't (I've always found it just a bit fascinating that there are those who argue against evolutionary science then turn around and use it... in a purely simplistic/incorrect fashion... to argue against homosexuality based on reduced evolutionary advantage.. oh well).
As Bacchus points out, gay men can even make double wide trailers stylish and hip. Reminds me of that Will and Grace episode where some people in a neighborhood were vying to get Will and Jack to move there because they will up the real estate values (yikes, "gentrification"... we were accused of that personally when we moved here). Wonder if putting this double wide in a trailer park would up the values...
Oh, the recipes:
Crab Cakes (this is actually a quick recipe)
(these are "Maryland" crab cakes and are my favorite, they remind me of home...)
1 pound backfin crab meat (living in SF, I use Dugeness crab instead of Chesapeake Blue crab... I know.. it's a sin.. but it's a heck of a lot cheaper, especially since it is crab season here and if you want to really go against nature, though cheaper and more convenient, use canned crab)
1/2 cup cracker crumbs or bread crumbs
2 eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise (I've substituted low-fat yogurt before
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (or make the 'mimic')
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (I've substituted soy sauce before with good results)
1 teaspoon dry mustard (dijon mustard will work too)
Carefully remove all cartilage from crab meat. In a bowl, mix together eggs, mayonnaise, seafood seasoning, white pepper, Worcestershire sauce and dry mustard. Add crab meat, mix evenly and gently. Add cracker crumbs evenly. Shape into 6 cakes. Saute in a frying pan with a little oil (peanut oil is my favorite) for 5 minutes on each side. Crab cakes can also be broiled for a few minutes on each side until browned.
Dang do I have a lot of winter squash and apples
2 large winter squash (such as acorn squash)
2 large cooking apples (peeled and chopped)
4 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons slivered almonds (optional)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons brown sugar
Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds, place cut-side down in baking pan with about 1/4 inch of water. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Mix the other ingredients. When squash is done, turn squash around, empty water and spoon mixture into cavity. Return to oven and bake another 30 minutes (this is a good time to do the crab cakes :).
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Gay Nigerian Mormonstag:www.lathefamily.org,2007://1.12222007-01-08T18:42:55Z2007-01-08T22:20:19ZYep, they exist. Lots of them. Nigeria is one of the places in the world were Mormonism has been growing by leaps and bounds (well from near 0 a couple decades ago to 120,000 today) . Inevitably, there are gay...
Nigeria is one of the places in the world were Mormonism has been growing by leaps and bounds (well from near 0 a couple decades ago to 120,000 today) . Inevitably, there are gay and lesbians among those Mormons.
Like so many things in the world, this story touches our lives, or at least there are many aspects of it that resonate with aspects of ours: Guy lived in Nigeria for a while as a health care worker, gay, Mormon. So what is the story? ...]]>
Affirmation, a support and advocacy group for gay and lesbian Mormons and former Mormons (of which we belong), has just opened a chapter in Nigeria...
As the article on the Affirmation web site states:
...a lesbian Mormon named Mosehe is working to create Affirmation Nigeria, an Affirmation Chapter in Nigeria's largest city of Lagos and an online presence throughout the country. A first meeting was held in August and a yahoo group has been formed as well.
There are apparently about 6-12 members of Nigeria Affirmation and the founder Mosehe says that she knows at least 60 gay and lesbian Mormons in Nigeria.
What I find amazing is that even in the face of a culture that is very anti-gay and in a country with anti-gay laws (sex between people of the same sex is punishable by 14 years imprisonment), gay Mormons are starting this group. And of course there is that rabidly anti-gay Anglican Bishop from Nigeria who the Virginian congregations are embracing.
But what is more amazing is there is soon to be a new law that makes even meeting in a cafe a criminal offense if those meeting are gay or lesbian.
So in the midst of all this, in the milieu of anti-gay laws that would make forming this group punishable of up to 5 years in prison, this woman and her other gay Mormon friends have the courage to face down the hate and do exactly what the law will make illegal.
This is the definition of courage.
I applaud them with a standing ovation, and will, in any way I can, proffer support to these my brothers and sisters. The road foward will be extremely difficult.
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ABC'stag:www.lathefamily.org,2007://1.12212007-01-08T02:28:47Z2007-01-08T02:47:37ZRhea rambled (just a play on her handle :) about an and ABC meme and though she didn't tag me specifically... I'm bored (Emma is eating supper and Guy is traveling)... so.. here goes nothing......
and ABC meme and though she didn't tag me specifically... I'm bored (Emma is eating supper and Guy is traveling)... so.. here goes nothing...]]>
Last paragraph of the last chapter of the Origin of Species.
R - Reason to Smile? Watching our daughter (most times)
S - Season? Spring.
T - Tag people? hmm,
U - Unknown Fact About Me? Touching aluminum margarine wrappers makes me cringe/shiver/want-to-die like scratching a chalkboard does for other people
V - Vegetable you don’t like? Brussel Sprouts taste like bitter poison.
W - Worst Habit? biting nails and procrastination
X - X-rays You’ve Had? Better question would be X-ray's I haven't had... which would be head.. maybe my left arm.. though I'm sure people have suggested I should have my head x-rayed ;).
Y - Your Favourite Food? Chicken & Rice.. I think.... though anything Korean (from Bibimbab to kimchi to those little dried and seasoned fish fry) and a lot of Indian food (curry!)... hard to say....
Z – Zodiac sign? Gemini.
oh.. who to tag... lets say the last 5 commenters with a blog :D.. if they so desire and are sufficiently bored .. or anyone..]]>
The images that haunt my memoriestag:www.lathefamily.org,2007://1.12172007-01-05T21:53:29Z2007-01-06T17:43:22ZOne of Terrance's links for the day is this link to the 13 images that changed the world. It's a fascinating list (and the comments add to the interest with others that should or shouln't have made it). I was...One of Terrance's links for the day is this link to the 13 images that changed the world. It's a fascinating list (and the comments add to the interest with others that should or shouln't have made it). I was going to do my own list of those I thought changed the world, but you know.. how the heck would I know? I don't know what changed other people's perceptions, I'm not a historian, photographer, etc. But I am an expert on my own life. So, it started me to thinking, what images changed my life? I came up with some criteria for that list:
1. must have been an image of an event in the world. It can't be just an event, there must be an image that is associated with it at the time. There are a lot of events I remember from my life that don't have a specific image that sticks out... those aren't here.
2. the image must have had an impact on me at the time (i.e. I must have remembered the event and the photo) and onwards
The one you see here doesn't fit those criteria, just thought it interesting to start off. It's the first photo every taken... in 1826,... the rest continued, in chronological order.]]>
The Apollo program had special significance to me in that my Dad worked on it. I remember being shown this very famous photo of the Earth taken from Apollo 8. I was awed by that photo. Even now I can't look at it without feeling awe, amazement even a spiritual sense of 'oneness' for lack of a better term. Frankly, and some people I know are going to grin, I think this photo is one of the most influential in my life. It made me spiritual, a biologist, an optimist, an environmentalist and even a 'liberal' (not in the political sense).
2. Moon Landing
I have a very clear memory of the first moon landing of Apollo 11. My dad worked on the huge team. In fact, he engraved our name (I share my name with him and my grandfather) on a plate on the lander that is still on the moon today (you can see the exact location of my name on the moon on Google moon map here). I remember my Dad getting us in front of the TV to watch. That image on the TV has lived with me ever since. It sparked my imagination and optimism about the world and our place it. It was a defining moment and image for me.
3. Fall of Saigon
My memories of the Vietnam war are sparse. I remember my uncles talking about the 'lottery' and if they had to go to the army. I have vague memories that there was a 'problem'. Near the end I started to understand more of what was going on, but the real defining moment was this image. It's really the only one I remember from that time and it really stuck with me. It was a sad day and this image (I watched it on TV) really set that in stone in my head and colored my vision of the event.
4. Challenger Disaster
I was working that day. My boss had the TV one to watch the launch. We both were/are space and technology nuts. Ever since the lunar landing, I've had dreams of space and the shuttle and fantasies of humans in space (including me). That moment dashed those fantasies. It was so devastatingly sad, the loss of Christa McAuliffe, the first American civilian to go to space and the rest of the crew lost their lives. That was horrifying to watch. And it was then and there I knew that the space program and our dreams of exploration were going to be set back decades... and they have been...
5. The Fall of the Berlin Wall and Communism
I watched the entire thing unfold before my eyes on TV. After years of believing Communism would be the end of us, that nuclear war was near inevitable and that the people of the "East Block" were going to live in oppression for decades, the sudden demise of the communist regimes in that short time was amazing to watch. I remember watching the dancing and fall of the Berlin Wall on TV and feeling overjoyed. A Velvet Revolution and a Reunification that and the next year, and more later, I think we forget sometimes how different the world was pre-1989 and today. The rosiest predictions haven't come true, but it's impossible to lament the rise of the Baltic states, Poland, Hungry and the other countries into freedom and greater prosperity. It's amazing to think that less than 20 years later, most are now EU nations... including Romania and Bulgaria this month!
6. Ethiopian Famine
7. 9-11
I'm not going to say much about this one. The memories are still raw and I'm still sorting out what they mean. I watched it all unfold (after the first one hit) on a TV in Germany with shock, sorrow, fear and fury. The aftermath was alternatively uplifting and infuriating. I guess I'll wait 5 years before I completely understand how this has affected me.. and us.
8, 9 and 10. All the same event... the latest and most profound images... to be posted on Monday :D
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Supper Talk: Prepare for the warming with bamboo housestag:www.lathefamily.org,2007://1.12162007-01-04T23:59:38Z2007-01-05T03:27:56ZSupper tonight, it's Emma and me again (busy travel month for Guy). Baked chicken strips with Emma's carrot slaw (modified). Recipes after the talk... RealClimate, one of the best resources for climate change information (balanced, serious and scientific views and... RealClimate, one of the best resources for climate change information (balanced, serious and scientific views and analysis for the interested lay person by climate scientists), has a very nice year in review a light-hearted look at " climate science goings-on " in 2006. Including this one:
Best highlight of the gap between the 'two cultures':
Justice Scalia: 'Troposphere, whatever. I told you before I'm not a scientist. That's why I don't want to have to deal with global warming' .
Most dizzying turn-around of a climate skeptic:
Fred Singer "global warming is not happening" (1998,2000, 2002, 2005) to global warming is "unstoppable" (2006)
Speaking of warm... Guy sent me this link to pre-made bamboo houses. They are made from a fast-growing and environment-friendly renewable resource and look nice. Perfect home for that tropical seaside get-a-way in British Columbia you've been considering (ok, just kidding, it won't get THAT warm). Seriously, they are nice looking and just perfect for that small cheap plot of land on the big island. You can buy and place on on the land for an estimated cost of 150k. Not bad.
It's been an interesting day politically with lots of symbolism. The first woman Speaker of the House was sworn in today (and the first from California AND my representative... and yes, I'll defend her... 90% of what is said about her by the opposition is bogus). The second African-American governor ever elected (and probably one of the first governors ever to openly and strongly support gay marriage), Deval Patrick took the oath of office on a bible given to John Quincy Adams by the "Amistad" slaves he helped free and the first Muslim ever elected to Congress took the oath of office on a Thomas Jefferson's personal copy of the Koran he bequethed to the Library of Congress. Symbolic and savvy.. Thomas Jefferson was from the district that Rep. Goode represents.. the representative that criticized him for doing so (and warned about Muslims taking over). Now lets see (and hope) that all this symbolism evolves into action and change for the better :).
Recipes
Chicken strips or breasts, skinned, deboned.
low fat Italian dressing
bread or corn flake crumbs
Preheat oven to 350, dredge chicken in dressing and then coat with crumbs completely, put on non-stick cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes.
Viola.
Emma's carrot slaw (modified.. switched mayonnaise for her 'milk')
4 cups grated carrots
1-2 tablespoons sugar (can substitute honey)
2 tablespoons lemon or orange juice
1 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup light mayonnaise (or 1/3 cup low-fat yogurt instead of mayo and oil)
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup raisins or currants (Papa's option)
double viola
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Changing your neighborhoodtag:www.lathefamily.org,2007://1.12152007-01-04T18:20:16Z2007-01-04T18:39:24Z I particpated as a volunteer coordinator to get the referendum passed to tear it down 7 years ago, I wrote about it 4 years ago right before they finally tore the freeway down, I wrote about it three years... I particpated as a volunteer coordinator to get the referendum passed to tear it down 7 years ago, I wrote about it 4 years ago right before they finally tore the freeway down, I wrote about it three years ago as the neighborhood began to change, and I wrote about it a year ago when they finally opened the new boulevard.
Well, it's been 15 months since it opened...]]>
San Francisco Chronicle is calling it an urban success story.
I say amen to that.
As they say in the article, it isn't perfect. It isn't. Traffic on our street increased a lot in the morning as commuters try to go down our street to the highway instead of Oak like they are supposed to :D. Some people don't know how to use the local lanes (or just don't care), it is a bit confusing to get used to (there are 4 lanes of through traffic and two outer lanes of local traffic).
Still, the congestion is no worse (better from what I can tell) than it was on the elevated freeway. A preliminary study shows the average time hasn't changed at all (the pre-demolition study said it would an average increase of 3 minutes of commute time...).
But what has changed is now the neighborhood has come to life. Cafe's are opening, the local soul food restaraunt, J's Pots of Soul looks like it's doing better (I should interview the owner.. what a fun story that would be). We have visited the new park and play place on Hayes Green many times with Emma to play, and met neighbors we never saw before.
And soon (1-4 years depending) more shops, housing and green space will be opening and the trees our filling out, people walk every day...
So, if you have an elevated freeway running through your city, or some type of blight...
it might take a couple decades, but just point to Octavia boulevard when the naysayers don't want to change anything.
Gotta love a success story.]]>
Breakfast with Scotttag:www.lathefamily.org,2007://1.12142007-01-04T03:54:12Z2007-01-04T04:19:25Z Oh, I missed this from a month ago but a new movie is being filmed about a gay Canadian hockey player, his partner and adopting an 11 year old boy. It's based on a book by the same name.... Oh, I missed this from a month ago but a new movie is being filmed about a gay Canadian hockey player, his partner and adopting an 11 year old boy. It's based on a book by the same name.
One of the amazing things about this is that a Canadian icon, the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey team has given the filmmakers their blessing in using the team logo, etc.
Of course the religious right is up in arms...]]>
As a work of homosexual propaganda, the film is clearly meant to target the last vestiges of resistance to normalized homosexuality among Canadians. In the book, the homosexual couple live in Cambridge, Massachusetts and are a chiropractor and magazine editor; hockey does not figure at all.
Publishers Weekly praises the book’s value as a pro-homosexual propaganda tool calling it a “heartwarming” and “noble” depiction of a “new configuration of contemporary American family values.”
No denials here. Call it what they will, propaganda or agenda... if that is what they want to call it. Of course they phrase it in an insidiously twisted way...
but great. If propoganda is what it takes to show the world that we ARE normal and lead quite normal lives, so be it. Lets see more of it. Lots lot more of it. Definitely part of my gay agenda :-D.
I'm looking forward to hearing more about the film. It is supposed to come out late this year.
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Don't hurt me.. I am deceitfultag:www.lathefamily.org,2007://1.12132007-01-04T01:51:44Z2007-01-04T02:51:59ZOk, so I wrote 5 stories about myself and asked you to guess which is not true. Silph and Baccus guessed number 2. Well......
I wrote 5 stories about myself and asked you to guess which is not true. Silph and Baccus guessed number 2.
Well...]]>
I kind of cheated [ducks]. I wrote five stories and then forgot to put in the false one. Silph commented before I realized my mistake, so.. well.. i left it.
They are all true.
So, as recompense for my sin, I'll tell the second story.
I was visiting Hong Kong on a vacation (I was a student in Korea at the time, about 23 years old). I was having a blast. I had been there three days and decided on the fourth day to do a 'wherever fate takes me' trip. I used to that in my younger days (you know, BC, before child).
So, I got on a bus. Mind you, I didn't speak any dialect or branch of the Chinese language and probably only knew about 100 characters (from learning Korean). I had a small phrase book.
Well, I just got on the first bus that came along and decided to take it to the end of the line. It took me to a boat harbor.
This is where I should have used my phrase book. I decided to take a boat/ferry. I mean, this was Hong Kong, I couldn't get lost. I found a boat going and asked the man, how much. He looked at me funny (should have tipped me off), but took a few of my bills and had me get on.
I was on the boat for what seemed to be forever. Somewhere in the middle of the trip they asked for my passport, looked at it and talked to each other in animated terms, gave it back and said nothing. "Strange" I thought. A while into the trip I TRIED to get an answer of where we were going, but basically there were only 2 other passengers and 3 crew (that I saw) and they knew less English than I knew Chinese.
So, I went along for the ride.
Right around 2pm, we docked. We docked at a pier of an island that was not much bigger than Alcatraz (but a lot greener and no prison that I saw). I tried to ask the captain when the boat was returning and the only answer I got was a grunt as he walked away.
So there I stood on a small harbor for a small village on a small island feeling very small. It wasn't 10 minutes before I had a crowd of children surrounding me, probably just about every child on the island (ok, so only about a dozen, but still...). They were quite inquisitive, wanting to see my book, my pack, my hair. The oldest boy, probably around 8, knew around 10 words in English, "come" being one of them.
The kids insisted I follow them. Since I really didn't have a place to go and all the adults seemed missing (found out later that the men were out fishing and the women were all cooking), I followed.
It was one of the most adventureous trips I've ever taken. We went swimming till sundown in underwater caves as the kids pointed out great formations and amazing sea life. They took me to the top of the island where I saw some beautiful birds and flowers I hadn't ever seen before. We played some games from hide and seek to some Chinese game with sticks and rocks.
Then, as the sun went down, the oldest boy and his little sister dragged me to their house (after I went back to the dock only to find the boat gone...oops). There wasn't an inn or hotel of course, and I wasn't looking forward to sleep on the dirt (note to self: when going on an adventure, bring sleeping bag), so I let myself be dragged.
I felt like some lost puppy, a very tall, very white one, the kids brought home and asked their mom if they could keep him. Heck, I'm sure that is what they were saying "Look ma... a lost American, can we keep him?!... please!"
Through some well-placed Chinese characters and phrases I pretty much got across to the mother that I was stranded on the island because I could see it dawn on her face as she started to crack up laughing. Well, chalk one up for stupid Americans. The father came home shortly after that and I went through the same explanation with my Chinese characters and phrase book. He laughed to.
He then said something to his wife, who disappeared into the kitchen. He got out a book, an atlas, and showed me where we were... way far south of Hong Kong. I then showed him where I was from, the older boy looked at me like I might as well have been from mars. I showed him that I went to school in Korea and we spent the next hour teaching each other words in Chinese (I'm sure it was some dialect of Cantonese or something), Korean and English.
Then the wife came out with a huge amount of food and we feasted. and feasted and feasted. I kept protesting that I was full, but it kept coming. I've had that experience before in Korea where the sense of hospitality is so strong, they will pretty much empty their cupboards to entertain you. I was starting to feel bad for taking so much food (though they were eating too.. the 8 year old especially.. giggling the whole time)...
Finally, the food stopped coming. It was amazingly good food, stuff I still can't describe, fish, seafood, vegetables, seaweed.. all in a dozen different forms. I was stuffed. I thought that was the end of it...but then the neighbors came...
with food.
I was a skinny young man then, but must have added 5 lbs that night. After a while, the women disappeared, the kids fell asleep and the men insisted I drink with them. Of course I was a good Mormon boy at the time, but I had no idea how to refuse without insulting them, especially after all that amazing hospitality. So, I did my best to sip, barely... the neighbor got a bit tipsy, but my host pretty much sipped like I did. I think he was trying to make me feel comfortable.
After some more laughs (they made me sing songs.. that got a laugh), the wife came in and showe me my sleeping roll and put me in the main room (there were two, the main one and the sleeping one and a kitchen outside).
When I got up the next morning I found out from the mother (the father was already out fishing) that the next boat back to Hong Kong was the next evening. I wasn't very disappointed :). I spent the day on more adventures, watching the mother cook, eating, drinking, laughing.
Barely over a day or so and I kind of didn't want to leave. I gave the boy my phrase book and gave his sister a ring I had. I tried to give the parents some money, but from the look I could see that was not going to be accepted. I did find a lot of fruit at the shop, so I bought that and gave it to the son to take home.
Got on the boat back and flew out of Hong Kong a day later. Never have been back, not sure I could ever find my way back. I think, after googling, that it might have been Po Toi, but not sure... could have been China proper for all I knew (I did have a Chinese visa at the time... I was trying to get into North Korea... don't ask... so I need to go to China to do that...) That was 20 years ago. A great memory I'll cherish forever.
Talk about delayed... Halloween photostag:www.lathefamily.org,2007://1.12122007-01-04T00:51:08Z2007-01-04T00:56:04Z Emma went trick-or-treating with her two friends O and M, third year in a row they have. This time they all decided to dress as lady bugs... different colors. M and Emma had a disagreement, they BOTH wanted to... Emma went trick-or-treating with her two friends O and M, third year in a row they have. This time they all decided to dress as lady bugs... different colors. M and Emma had a disagreement, they BOTH wanted to be red, so they agreed to be a dark and a light red... Photos are late because I forgot my camera.. and my mother just sent these to me.
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Our startag:www.lathefamily.org,2007://1.12112007-01-04T00:34:02Z2007-01-04T00:50:55ZA long delayed movie (you'll need a quicktime plugin) of Emma's debut as a star... in the continuation......
debut as a star... in the continuation...
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She also led everyone in "Jingle Bells" and was positively beaming, unfortunately that movie is 'sideways' (I was holding the camera on end) and I can't figure out how to rotate the movie or even if that is possible.]]>
Blog Update: Good, Bad and Ugly Vtag:www.lathefamily.org,2007://1.12102007-01-03T21:03:43Z2007-01-03T21:16:34ZWell, as you see, there has been a change. Explanations and stuff in the continuation......
Well, as you see, there has been a change. Explanations and stuff in the continuation...
1. I had the designer of the last design add a new header and make it three columns.
THe header is a dandelion, if ya don't know. It has significance to me. I made a heck of a lot of wishes growing up on those things. The important ones (Guy and Emma being two of them) have come true. I have a lot more wishes for our daughter, our life, our country...
The three columns because well.. I've always wanted to add more.. and more.. and more..
THere is rhyme and reason to this. THe left column will be for "outside" stuff, links to other blogs, etc. I'll be adding some charity links there, buttons, etc. The right column is for this blog navigation.. recent comments, posts, archives, search, etc.
both will be changing a bit over the next few weeks.
Two new additions:
LBGT Parents Speak. I've included a feed to three of several of my favorite blogs by GLBT parents. I hope you three don't mind :) I'll be adding a few more over time.
Selling out: Ok, I'll change that heading, but basically trying to have the blog maintainence paid for at least a little... I PROMISE not to make them obnoxious all over the place... and you know.. if you see one that looks interesting.. click.. :)
Blogroll: That is a list of LBGT parents. I'll be taking the ones in the feed off the roll, so this roll will be basically the other parents out there. I'll also be adding a couple other blogrolls under that one.. non-glbt adoptive parents, issue sites, etc.
Charity: Ever since we left the Mormon church we thought we'd try to stick by the Tithing rule (10% of your income to the church).. but to charity instead of the church. We don't live it quite yet ...:)... but we are finding some great charities in the progress of it, I'll add those links/feeds/buttons in their own section.
More to come, some tweaks, etc...
(oh, and yes.. I'll tell you the answer to the 5 stories today... :D)
Supper Talk: saving a life, drinking to do ittag:www.lathefamily.org,2007://1.12082007-01-02T23:44:41Z2007-01-03T00:24:32ZSo much to talk about today... and Guy's not here (business in Utah). I'll just put the topics here, we'll talk abou them later. Supper tonight is simple, it's just Emma and I. I think we'll do a 'quick vegi...
So much to talk about today... and Guy's not here (business in Utah). I'll just put the topics here, we'll talk abou them later. Supper tonight is simple, it's just Emma and I. I think we'll do a 'quick vegi soup' (recipe to follow).
So... so ... much to talk about..
Drink to live When you learn that moderate drinking can reduce your chance of heart attacks I've got bad hypertension (200/180 or so untreated) and I used to be a Mormon. Because of the latter, I still rarely drink. Rare meaning a sip of wine occassionally when offered. My doctor likes that I don't drink. Now research comes out saying that 3 or less drinks a day can be good, more than 3 and you raise your blood pressure. Hmm, guess I could become a drinker if I wished... but I'd just have to get past that vinegar taste of wine (well, for me anyway).. ain't worth it, and I'm sure that .00001 drinks a day is just fine in the health department :D.
In the, "Oh my god" departmentA man, in a seizure, falls on the the NYC subway tracks. Another man, 50 with his two daughters, JUMPS onto the tracks and not being able to pull the man to safety (still in his seizure), hunkers down IN THE MIDDLE of the track. The train passes right over them both, missing them by inches. The poor daughters thought he was crushed, only to hear him shout he was all right... I wonder if I would have had that kind of courage. Dang.
The runway must have been too busy A bunch of workers and pilots for United swear they saw a UFO at Chicago O'Hare airport. I wonder if I should be flying United if they been smokin something :D.
(the last two above I give a hat tip to Towleroad)
This is interesting the religious makeup of the Congress has changed a lot in the last decades. Not only is there the first ever Muslim (and a big 'oh sheesh' to the supposed 'scandal' of him swearing in on the Koran), there are two Buddhists for the first time ever (including a black man from Georgia.. Terrance has a chance!.. hat tip to him btw :D), the highest ranking Mormon ever (Reid, a devout Mormon, senate majority leader, D Nevada), more Jews than Episcopalians for the first time (Episcopalians have historically been one of the largest groups represented). Times, they are a-changing. Wonder if a former-Mormon kind-of Episcopalian/Congregationalist gay white man can get elected :D... well, not if his partner has any say in it he can't ;-).
A friend suggested this show to me on HGTV: Living with Ed. A 'reality show' following actor Ed Begley Jr in his and his wife's "earth-friendly fanatic" living.. with tips. Could be interesting... or just make environment-friendly seem even more absurd than some people think it is (and isn't).
Personal genomics, yep.. headed your way... better be prepared.
Oh, and about Episcopals... Apparently there are 50 Anglican priests married in Britain... to the same gender. Now that is going to piss of that Nigerian bishop and those Virginian congregations. (hat tip Andrew Sullivan).
Oh, and that recipe...
8 cups of vegetable broth
whatever vegetables you've got left over (try at least 1-2 root vegetables, 1-2 'top' vegetables and 1 green)
1-2 cups brown rice (uncooked)
2 cans of whatever beans
2 tablespoons Herbs de Provence (or 2 teaspoons each of tarragon, oregano and parsley)
Bring to boil, simmer for 30-40 minutes. Serve.]]>
Second thoughts, we all have them.. even generalstag:www.lathefamily.org,2007://1.12092007-01-02T22:50:26Z2007-01-03T00:31:34ZIn today's NY Times, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and retired general John Shalikashvili calls for a change in the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy for gay's in the military (that link might need a subscription, if...
calls for a change in the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy for gay's in the military (that link might need a subscription, if so.. I've quote some of the more important passages below in "fair use"). He was a supporter of the policy in 1993. He's changed his mind... ]]>
When I was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, I supported the current policy because I believed that implementing a change in the rules at that time would have been too burdensome for our troops and commanders. I still believe that to have been true. The concern among many in the military was that given the longstanding view that homosexuality was incompatible with service, letting people who were openly gay serve would lower morale, harm recruitment and undermine unit cohesion.
In the early 1990s, large numbers of military personnel were opposed to letting openly gay men and lesbians serve. President Bill Clinton, who promised to lift the ban during his campaign, was overwhelmed by the strength of the opposition, which threatened to overturn any executive action he might take. The compromise that came to be known as “don’t ask, don’t tell” was thus a useful speed bump that allowed temperatures to cool for a period of time while the culture continued to evolve.
But, he now says that 14 years of passed, more experience, more understanding and that it is time to allow gays and lesbians to openly serve in the armed forces:
I now believe that if gay men and lesbians served openly in the United States military, they would not undermine the efficacy of the armed forces.
He does call for an easing into lifting the ban (i.e. don't do it the same time we are reconsidering our Iraq strategy), but he thinks it should be lifted.
What changed his mind? The times... and..
Last year I held a number of meetings with gay soldiers and marines, including some with combat experience in Iraq, and an openly gay senior sailor who was serving effectively as a member of a nuclear submarine crew. These conversations showed me just how much the military has changed, and that gays and lesbians can be accepted by their peers.
I'm glad he has come out (pun unintended :D) to say that it's about time to allow LGBT servicemen and women to serve openly and honestly, but I think I could have told him the above in 1993.
I came out to several of my combat engineer platoon the year we were called up for Desert Storm and were waiting for the flight to Iraq.
In the words of one of those soldiers (paraphrased) "I don't care really, I like you and frankly, you're an expert with a M16..."
A couple years later in my Civil Affairs reserve unit, I told my commanding officer. I can't remember how it came up exactly. It might have been when I was put on call for Bosnia and had starting dating too... it was getting to be a bit much serving in the military closeted but being open to family, friends, school, church... but closeted there. I think he kind of brought up the subject and I just blurted it out (well, mumbled it). His response? (paraphrased again)
"You weren't supposed to tell me" (he said that with a grin) "but if I kicked out ever gay officer I had in this company, we'd be out a quarter of our men and women and some of the better ones"
I think by the end of my service in that unit (and the army) in December 1996, most of my unit probably knew.
Of course there were those in the army I'd never have told and didn't, but for the most part, when I did and my commanding officer and my peers knew...
it was a non-issue.
So, a mostly Mormon (from Utah) Combat Engineer unit had no problem and a upstate NY Civil Affairs unit had no problem. I also think that openly serving gay men and women do and will gravitate to those specialities (like they do/did in civilian professions) that are most open them. In the army that will be things like intelligence, civil affairs, signal corps, etc. and less likely infantry and combat engineers. But even those will change over time.
General Shalikashvili did say one thing that I wish he hadn't.
Our military has been stretched thin by our deployments in the Middle East, and we must welcome the service of any American who is willing and able to do the job.
If I were cynical and rephrased this I'd read this as:
We need more bodies and you gay people will have to do
Reading the rest of it, I get the impression that is not the way he means it. Doesn't sound good though.
Anyway, I'm glad at least one general has come around.]]>
MA constitutional amendment makes hurdletag:www.lathefamily.org,2007://1.12072007-01-02T20:33:34Z2007-01-03T03:39:42ZAfter first not voting on the issue, the Massachussets state legislature voted to put the petitioned ballot to ban gay marriage in that state (the only that has gay marriage) on the ballot in a vote of 132 (against putting...
the Massachussets state legislature voted to put the petitioned ballot to ban gay marriage in that state (the only that has gay marriage) on the ballot in a vote of 132 (against putting on ballot) to 61 (for).. it only needed 25% to get it on the ballot. The legislature has to vote again one more time next year and then the amendment to reverse rights will go to the ballot in 2008 possibly.
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state supreme court said the legislature should have/should vote on it, but that the court had not legal standing to force the vote. (and I lamented a little that I wished that it would go for a vote and die once and for all.. look out for what you wish)
So now the legislature has voted on it.
Next year another vote and then possibly the ballot in 2008.
Guess I'll have to start saving up money to give to MassEquality to help them win that battle. If the amendment fails, and polls suggest it would but nothing is certain, then that would be the end of the anti-gay battle in that state (for all intents and purposes).]]>
A museum in Norway has an exhibit on some of the 500 species that have well-documented observations of homosexual individuals... from swans to bonobos. It's based on a book Biological Exuberance : Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity. I would never suggest that human ethics should be based on what is "natural," I mean a lot of species eat their young, or what we think is "natural" for humans either (war and murder seem "natural" since they occur in every society in all times). But, this is a great and damning rebuttal to those who say homosexuality is "against the natural order." Because, well.. it ain't (I've always found it just a bit fascinating that there are those who argue against evolutionary science then turn around and use it... in a purely simplistic/incorrect fashion... to argue against homosexuality based on reduced evolutionary advantage.. oh well).
As Bacchus points out, gay men can even make double wide trailers stylish and hip. Reminds me of that Will and Grace episode where some people in a neighborhood were vying to get Will and Jack to move there because they will up the real estate values (yikes, "gentrification"... we were accused of that personally when we moved here). Wonder if putting this double wide in a trailer park would up the values...
Oh, the recipes:
Crab Cakes (this is actually a quick recipe)
(these are "Maryland" crab cakes and are my favorite, they remind me of home...)
1 pound backfin crab meat (living in SF, I use Dugeness crab instead of Chesapeake Blue crab... I know.. it's a sin.. but it's a heck of a lot cheaper, especially since it is crab season here and if you want to really go against nature, though cheaper and more convenient, use canned crab)
1/2 cup cracker crumbs or bread crumbs
2 eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise (I've substituted low-fat yogurt before
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (or make the 'mimic')
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (I've substituted soy sauce before with good results)
1 teaspoon dry mustard (dijon mustard will work too)
Carefully remove all cartilage from crab meat. In a bowl, mix together eggs, mayonnaise, seafood seasoning, white pepper, Worcestershire sauce and dry mustard. Add crab meat, mix evenly and gently. Add cracker crumbs evenly. Shape into 6 cakes. Saute in a frying pan with a little oil (peanut oil is my favorite) for 5 minutes on each side. Crab cakes can also be broiled for a few minutes on each side until browned.
Dang do I have a lot of winter squash and apples
2 large winter squash (such as acorn squash)
2 large cooking apples (peeled and chopped)
4 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons slivered almonds (optional)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons brown sugar
Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds, place cut-side down in baking pan with about 1/4 inch of water. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Mix the other ingredients. When squash is done, turn squash around, empty water and spoon mixture into cavity. Return to oven and bake another 30 minutes (this is a good time to do the crab cakes :).
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One of Terrance's links for the day is this link to the 13 images that changed the world. It's a fascinating list (and the comments add to the interest with others that should or shouln't have made it). I was going to do my own list of those I thought changed the world, but you know.. how the heck would I know? I don't know what changed other people's perceptions, I'm not a historian, photographer, etc. But I am an expert on my own life. So, it started me to thinking, what images changed my life? I came up with some criteria for that list:
1. must have been an image of an event in the world. It can't be just an event, there must be an image that is associated with it at the time. There are a lot of events I remember from my life that don't have a specific image that sticks out... those aren't here.
2. the image must have had an impact on me at the time (i.e. I must have remembered the event and the photo) and onwards
The one you see here doesn't fit those criteria, just thought it interesting to start off. It's the first photo every taken... in 1826,... the rest continued, in chronological order.]]>
The Apollo program had special significance to me in that my Dad worked on it. I remember being shown this very famous photo of the Earth taken from Apollo 8. I was awed by that photo. Even now I can't look at it without feeling awe, amazement even a spiritual sense of 'oneness' for lack of a better term. Frankly, and some people I know are going to grin, I think this photo is one of the most influential in my life. It made me spiritual, a biologist, an optimist, an environmentalist and even a 'liberal' (not in the political sense).
RealClimate, one of the best resources for climate change information (balanced, serious and scientific views and analysis for the interested lay person by climate scientists), has a very nice year in review a light-hearted look at " climate science goings-on " in 2006. Including this one:
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I particpated as a volunteer coordinator to get the referendum passed to tear it down 7 years ago, I wrote about it 4 years ago right before they finally tore the freeway down, I wrote about it three years ago as the neighborhood began to change, and I wrote about it a year ago when they finally opened the new boulevard.
Well, it's been 15 months since it opened...]]>
San Francisco Chronicle is calling it an urban success story.
I say amen to that.
As they say in the article, it isn't perfect. It isn't. Traffic on our street increased a lot in the morning as commuters try to go down our street to the highway instead of Oak like they are supposed to :D. Some people don't know how to use the local lanes (or just don't care), it is a bit confusing to get used to (there are 4 lanes of through traffic and two outer lanes of local traffic).
Still, the congestion is no worse (better from what I can tell) than it was on the elevated freeway. A preliminary study shows the average time hasn't changed at all (the pre-demolition study said it would an average increase of 3 minutes of commute time...).
But what has changed is now the neighborhood has come to life. Cafe's are opening, the local soul food restaraunt, J's Pots of Soul looks like it's doing better (I should interview the owner.. what a fun story that would be). We have visited the new park and play place on Hayes Green many times with Emma to play, and met neighbors we never saw before.
And soon (1-4 years depending) more shops, housing and green space will be opening and the trees our filling out, people walk every day...
So, if you have an elevated freeway running through your city, or some type of blight...
it might take a couple decades, but just point to Octavia boulevard when the naysayers don't want to change anything.
Gotta love a success story.]]>
Oh, I missed this from a month ago but a new movie is being filmed about a gay Canadian hockey player, his partner and adopting an 11 year old boy. It's based on a book by the same name.
One of the amazing things about this is that a Canadian icon, the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey team has given the filmmakers their blessing in using the team logo, etc.
Of course the religious right is up in arms...]]>
As a work of homosexual propaganda, the film is clearly meant to target the last vestiges of resistance to normalized homosexuality among Canadians. In the book, the homosexual couple live in Cambridge, Massachusetts and are a chiropractor and magazine editor; hockey does not figure at all.
Publishers Weekly praises the book’s value as a pro-homosexual propaganda tool calling it a “heartwarming” and “noble” depiction of a “new configuration of contemporary American family values.”
No denials here. Call it what they will, propaganda or agenda... if that is what they want to call it. Of course they phrase it in an insidiously twisted way...
but great. If propoganda is what it takes to show the world that we ARE normal and lead quite normal lives, so be it. Lets see more of it. Lots lot more of it. Definitely part of my gay agenda :-D.
I'm looking forward to hearing more about the film. It is supposed to come out late this year.
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Emma went trick-or-treating with her two friends O and M, third year in a row they have. This time they all decided to dress as lady bugs... different colors. M and Emma had a disagreement, they BOTH wanted to be red, so they agreed to be a dark and a light red... Photos are late because I forgot my camera.. and my mother just sent these to me.
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