Friday, January 25, 2008
New! Labels, or Themes
For a list of themes/labels, see the column to the right. To see all the posts marked with that label, click on the label. (I've only labelled 2007; at some point, I may or may not label 2006.)
Thanks!
The seasons
- It used to be that on days when I left the house at 8 am, it was still dark. Now, on days when I leave the house at 8 am, it's light out.
- During the darkest months, it's one of my jobs to turn the lights on in the parking lot at work. Our last patient usually leaves at 6 pm. This week, I stopped turning the lights on in the parking lot, because it's now light enough out still at 6 pm to see to walk down the step and open your car. (Although it's still dark, usually, when I leave.)
On the other hand, the wind chill here has been below zero consistently of late... I'm aiming for a hot bath tonight, so I can be completely warm for a little while!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
The 35th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade
Where have you, personally, gotten your information about this important court decision? History textbooks in school? Personal experience? The stories of women who've confronted unwanted pregnancies? The internet? Planned Parenthood or NARAL? Right to Life? A faith community you grew up in or that you're currently part of? News coverage?
How about from the legal decision itself?
I invite you, regardless of your position on abortion, to read the actual decision of the United States Supreme Court.
How consistent is what the Justices actually wrote with what you've learned in other parts of your life about Roe v. Wade?
(For more information about the United States Constitution, click here.)
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Notes on discomfort
...........................
If I have to contort myself spiritually -- put myself through all sorts of mental gymnastics -- then it isn't home.
...........................
Saturday, January 19, 2008
One BIG ark
So, about Noah's Ark:
There does seem to be scientific evidence of a great flood.
Whether or not there was a man named Noah, or an ark, I do not know, and as far as I know, there's not scientific evidence one way or another.
That doesn't much bother me. If Noah and his ark existed, that's very cool; if not, it's still a neat story from which there's a lot to learn (faith, perseverance, resisting peer pressure, faithfulness, more).
So I don't believe or disbelieve that someone named Noah and his family had, say, giraffes and doves and elephants on a big boat during the flood.
However, I do not for one moment believe Noah, if he existed, had dinosaurs on his ark.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
An Interview with Margaret Hope Bacon
Margaret is one of my favorite authors, particularly of Quaker history and related fiction.
Enjoy!
My thanks to Eric Evans for the note about this interview.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
I held my nose and voted
And I had a surprisingly strong emotional reaction to the whole situation: the choices in front of me, the choices I made.
Did it make a difference? I don't know. But I refused not to vote.
Either way, MI's primary election sucked big time.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Michigan's primary
And this year, I'm feeling disenfranchised.
You see, this year, MI Republicans and Democrats united to get a law passed to change the date of the MI presidential primary. MI now has an "early" primary -- which violates the rules of both national parties.
I'm not familiar with all of the consequences for the Republicans, but as far as I know, all their candidates are still on the ballot, and they are losing half their delegates to the Republican National Convention.
As for the Democrats:
-- A number of Democratic candidates have withdrawn from the MI primary, including all but one of the major three. (Kucinich tried to withdraw. He is still on the ballot because, get this, he missed the deadline to withdraw.)
-- As things currently stand, none of MI's delegates will be seated at the Democratic National Convention. Ie, MI will have no say in selecting the Democratic presidential candidate.
Well, isn't this all lovely?
What does it actually mean?
The Democratic choices on the MI presidential primary ballot are Clinton, Dodd, Kucinich, Uncommitted, and Write-In.
-- If you write in a candidate, your vote will not be counted.
-- The MI Democratic Party is urging people to vote "Uncommitted," which would give the MI delegates to the Democratic National Convention the freedom to decide whom they think the Democratic presidential nominee should be.
(The MI Democratic party is insisting they'll "get things resolved" with the national party so that our delegates will be seated. Check out Jack Lessenberry's response to this nonsense. In a number of ways, the man speaks my mind.)
Right now, MI's delegates will not be seated at the convention, and therefore will have no say in choosing the Democratic presidential nominee. So, it looks to me as if it makes no difference which Democratic candidate I vote for in the primary.
However, I do have another option. I could vote for a Republican.
The two states where I've been registered to vote before, Maryland and Pennsylvania, had closed primaries -- you could only vote in the primary of the party with whom you were a registered voter. (This substantially cut down on the number of registered voters who registered as independent: if you wanted to vote in the primary, you registered with one of the parties.)
Michigan has an open primary, meaning you can vote for whomever you please, of whichever party.
This has big implications for this year's presidential primary in MI.
A number of MI voters who are registered Democrats are planning to vote (or have already voted, via absentee ballot) in the Republican primary.
None of the Republican candidates have withdrawn from the MI primary. And right now, the front-runners are Huckabee, Romney, and McCain.
This scares a number of non-Republicans. So, there are MI Democrats (and Greens, and Independents) who are planning to vote for, or have already voted for, John McCain.
Why McCain? As the perceived least reactionary/most reasonable Republican candidate. As a message to both the Democratic and Republican parties. As the only Republican candidate to oppose torture of detainees. To try to keep someone like Huckabee or Romney out of the White House. ("Anybody but ----.") (As a Quaker and a Witch, the torture issue is pretty important to me.)
So, I have a decision to make: to vote in the Democratic primary, or in the Republican primary.
Hmmm.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
What happens to one, happens to all
Maybe it's because I had just read Susan Jacoby's book Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism. Or perhaps because I'd just read Jody Picoult's novel Nineteen Minutes, a story about bullying and school shootings.
I think that most of all, it's because I saw how easily what happened to Serry's family -- herself, her husband, and her kids -- could have happened to me. Could still happen to me.
In a country where we have a guaranteed Constitutional right to practice any religion or none at all, and where we each and all have equal protection under the law. Where there's a (wavering) "wall of separation" between church and state, which (theoretically) includes public schools. Where I don't always feel my Constitutional rights are well-honored. Where I can lose my job, my house, my kids, for being a lesbian or being a Witch -- for the gender of my partner and the gender of my Deity. Where the tyranny of the majority often trumps the rights of the individual.
In the situation with Serry and her family, the Department of Justice eventually got involved, at least with the school district. But it was too late: their lives, and their family, had already come apart. Their nine-year-old daughter had lost every one of her friends. The parents separated under the strain. They all moved.
How do we remedy that?
How do we explain it?
How do we keep things like this from happening? How do we protect ourselves and each other?
It's not enough to join or give money to organizations like the ACLU or Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. It's not enough to vote in both national and local elections. It's not enough to stand tall.
But those things are good places to start.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
CPT seeks Anti-Racism Consultants
7 January 2008
CHICAGO/TORONTO: CPT requesting applications for Anti-Racism Consultants
Christian Peacemaker Teams is an international peace teams organization rooted in the historic peace churches that now includes support and participation from throughout the wider Christian community.* We have committed ourselves to a process of undoing racism within the organization. Therefore we request proposals for consultants who will bring an outside
perspective and expertise to support the work of CPT's Undoing-Racism Coordinator,** the Undoing Racism Working Group, and other bodies in CPT organizing for this transformative work. We are open to proposals from individuals and from organizations. The work of the consultant would include:
-Participating in the planning, facilitation and interpretation of an organization-wide anti-racism audit/assessment.
-Participating in the planning and formation of an organization-wide strategic plan for undoing racism in CPT based on the outcomes of the audit/assessment.
-Advising effective, just and safe structures and practices in areas such as leadership, power flow, accountability, reconciliation, policy formation and change, communication, peace team work processes, training, and internal organizing towards anti-racist identity and practice.
If you or your organization/team are interested in serving CPT as a consultant(s) for undoing racism please send the following to guest.905387@MennoLink.org by February 6, 2008
-Full contact information,
-An outline of your experience working with organizations' internal undoing racism initiatives, anti-racism audits, and strategic planning,
-A description of the strengths and training/educational background you bring to this work,
-Several paragraphs letting us know how you connect with the core values of CPT (Christian, Peacemaking, Team work)
-Contact information for six references including at least three leaders in organizations for which you have worked in a similar role.
-A brief description of how you work, and how you would propose working with CPT, including timeline of your availability
-A statement of what compensation you need for your consulting services including an estimate of total cost for your part in this process through the audit and initial strategic planning stages.
*For more background on CPT please see www.cpt.org
**Sylvia Morrison has recently been appointed to the internal staff position of CPT Undoing Racism Coordinator. See http://cpt.org/cptnet/2007/04/20/chicagotoronto-call-expressions-interest-and-nominations-cpt-undoing-racism-coordi for her job description.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
"Code-switchers are not confused"
It's always very satisfying for me when someone puts something into words that reflects my experience or inner truth...
Thanks for your work, Cat!
Friday, December 28, 2007
Medical uses of honey in the news
Honey is in the news again for its use for medical purposes. Two main items: the FDA recently approved Medihoney products for the use in the US, and recent studies and articles indicate that honey is better than over-the-counter cough meds -- which are being investigated for safety issues -- for kids' coughs.
Go, Mother Nature.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Financial assistance for MWG
Please send your requests for travel assistance for midwinter gathering to the co-clerks by January 10th. That way we can let you know the amount you will receive before the registration deadline of January 15th.Please ask for a specific amount. We encourage folks to also ask their local meeting and/or yearly meeting for funds, although we know that those funds are not always available. Don't let financial concerns keep you away. There is money in the budget for travel and we love to give it away. While we give first preference to folks serving the community and first-time attenders, there is enough $ to go around, so please ask!If we don't receive your request by Jan 10th, we can't guarantee there will be funds left. So don't delay!Love and Light,Karen
To email the FLGBTQC Co-Clerks, please visit this link. For registration information, click here.
I am looking forward to time with our blessed FLGBTQC community!
Friday, December 21, 2007
FLGBTQC Mid-Winter Gathering 2008!
Mid-Winter Gathering is a wonderful, magical experience, and I encourage LGBTQ and allied Friends to attend.
A number of my F/friends who are in mixed-gender relationships have expressed concern about coming. Please don't worry: you are welcome, and there will be other mixed-gender couples there. You will not feel awkward.
If accessibility is a concern, please do not let that concern prevent you from coming -- including financial accessibility. We are committed to making it possible for all members of our community to attend our Gatherings. (If you've ever been to any of our events, including at FGC Summer Gathering, if you're on our mailing list or email listserv, etc, if you feel like you are part of our community, you are.) For more information, see our philosophy of full accessibility.
I look forward to seeing Friends there!
What is FLGBTQC?
Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns is a Quaker faith community within the Religious Society of Friends. FLGBTQC deeply honors, affirms, and upholds that of God in all people.
We seek to know that of God within ourselves and others. We seek to express God's truth in the Quaker and in the lesbian/gay/bisexual/transsexual/transgender communities, as it is made known to us.
It is our hope to offer an oasis to those who have been spurned by the world at large. We are learning that radical inclusion and radical love bring further light to Quaker testimony and life. Our experience with oppression in our own lives leads us to seek ways to bring our witness to bear in the struggles of other oppressed peoples.
We gather twice a year, at our Mid-Winter gathering and at the Friends General Conference Annual Gathering of Friends in the summer. At these times we worship together, discern our corporate witness through Meeting for Worship with attention to business, share our individual journeys, celebrate our lives, heal old wounds, and draw sustenance from the Spirit for our work and life in the world. After almost thirty years, we are still learning to spread love in the face of rejection and hostility and to embrace new friends. We have found faith and voice to speak truth to power and the courage to be open to new revelation.
(adapted from a minute approved 15 Second Month 1999)
Thursday, December 20, 2007
This is so cool!
In addition, they had some good coverage from their local newspaper, which you can read here.
Is that too cool or what?
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Eight nights!
Friday, December 7, 2007
Third night
Goddess, our Goddess,
You Who are the universe,
in Whose honor we kindle
the Chanuka lights.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Snow and birds...
This morning, we've had about an inch of snow, and it's quite lovely. (I confess that I like snow.) We have several bird feeders in front of our place, and the bird community is a lively place this morning.
from the top: dark-eyed juncos; mourning dove; fox squirrel; wren?; downy woodpecker.
First night
In my window
Where You can send Your glow
From my menorah
On newly-fallen snow
I will set You
One little candle
On this the first night
Of Chanuka.
- from Chanuka Chase (traditional? I find different sources for this)