Lunch Break - Trains, and Mormons, and Jesus - Oh my.

Note: Speaking of trains - the one thing that desperately needs to be included in any stimulus package is a massive upgrade of the embarrassing U.S. passenger train system. At least 30% of the gas tax should be invested in getting people OUT of cars. A real national rail system, much of it high speed, would transform the culture in positive ways, and is one of only a few projects Obama could put forth that would capture people's imagination.


Music: I'll tell you one thing, whatever else I think of 'em this is certain: The Mormons got the music part RIGHT. Odd thing about many hymns that are arranged as beautifully as this one - they do not make me look forward to some heavenly reward - at all. The opposite is true - they make grateful to be alive right here and right now...

Wow - was that beautiful or WHAT?




Quote:
His disciples said to him, "When will the kingdom come?" Jesus said, "It will not come by waiting for it. It will not be a matter of saying 'here it is' or 'there it is.' Rather, the kingdom of the father is spread out upon the earth, and men do not see it."

From the Gospel of Thomas.
Discovered in 1945 at Nag Hammadi, Egypt

Nominees for the Liberal Rapture Hypocrite of the Year award

The final six 2008 Hypocrites are in. Interesting year. After yesterday's announcement of the sexist of the year contenders - Obama gets his second "Rappy" nomination in a row today. Steinem seems to have snuck in with a powerful piece of hypocrisy after the Palin nomination. 3 groups are contending and Blagojevich makes a strong stand with an end of the year arrest after running as a reform candidate.
Please vote for your favorite. (Sexist of the year nominees are here. Please vote early and often.)

The winners will be announced sometime between the Hidden Valley Ranch Toss My Salad Bowl- at Attica State Prison and the Acu-Life Earwax Removal Syringe.com Bowl in Homosasa, Florida.
(Because, you know, - we don't need a playoff system in college football. The bowls are so important.)

Easy Targets - Gays avoid confronting the black church

Currently - a group is protesting/ picketing at West Hollywood eatery called El Coyote whose manager gave 100 dollars to the Yes on 8 campaign. El Coyote is a watering hole/mediocre Mexican place - when I worked on film crews we would go there and make jokes about which neighborhood cats were missing to make the meal we were eating.

But the drinks are cheap and the place has lasted in a town that is unkind to restaurant longevity.

El Coyote is a good place to protest as it is in a nice part of town and convenient. We do want our protests to be convenient, after all....

Gay protesters are also going after the Mormon church - not exactly difficult in Los Angeles. Mormons are pretty kickable - what with the magic underwear and outer space based theology. Frankly, the Mormons deserve it. And I have no issue with masses of normal people picketing that religion. Focusing on a restaurant where one manager gave 100 dollars is just bad form, potentially ugly and a P.R. coup for the assholes with the Right Wing Christian Political Agenda.

I do not get it. They are making a victim out a ding bat restaurant manager. Spread the word that people should boycott the place and then let it go. Aren't there bigger fish to fry?

Where are gay rights activists NOT protesting?

Black Churches. The fact is, gays aren't picketing black churches because that would be hard and scary.
Picketing Black Churches would address a REAL problem in the gay rights movement.

Mormons BAD for supporting prop 8.
White Protestants BAD for supporting Prop 8.
Republicans BAD. (except Arnold)
McCain BAD for supporting prop 8
Palin EVIL for supporting prop 8. Hang her in effigy!!
Obama ___ for opposing gay marriage rights... (wait! Obama is against Gay marriage???who knew???)
Black Protestants: OFF THE HOOK FOR SUPPORTING PROP 8 by a 70-30% margin.

Why?

Guess we'll keep attacking some easy targets instead.

I am off to a sign making party for the prop 8 protest at L.A. City hall on Saturday - they conveniently planned it around my USC football schedule...(however, let's be clear, if someone schedules civil disobedience training at the same time as my beloved Trojans play - I'll skip the game... it is time to MOVE ON to non-violent civil disobedience in order to gain equal rights for Gay Americans.)

Here's a music pick for the night: I Will Wait For You.
Some days I just can't The Umbrellas of Cherbourg out of my head. A near perfect film.