Homodox

All In: Faith

Faith is something you need to be in all in about.  Faith, for my purposes, is quite separate from religion.  Faith is the pure relationship between humans and God whereas religion is a manmade construct that presumes to understand an incomprehensible God.  I've always been all in with Faith, but I can't take credit for it.  Because of Grace, I believe.  I can't tell you why and give a rational and logical explanation.  It just is.  So, I truly believe in God and I believe that God, on my behalf, went all in for me.  So I believe.  What I can't do (and what religions can't do, although they think they can) is explain the details of why things are the way they are.  I'm not sure why I'm on this spinning bit of real estate in a vast universe, but I'm completely sure God created it and me.

HIV still on the decline in San Francisco

Per Michael Petrelis, HIV cases fell another 6.6% from last year and have fallen 44.% since 2003.  I'd like to think my involvement in Stop AIDS helped, but I'm sure there are many factors.

Trademarks and the L Word

As I learn all about trademarks for my new job, I see that a judge in Greece ruled against the inhabitants of the Island of Lesbos in their pursuit to reclaim the word lesbian.  Evidently Lesbians will be those living on the island and lesbians are those that shop at Home Depot.

It's very hard to reclaim a word once it's passed into everyday language.  Just asked the people who produced popsicles, vaseline, band-aids, tabasco sauce, roller blades, whiffle balls, kleenex, and scotch tape.

You Know You're a Puritan If . . .

Your will contains the following paragraph:

In the first place I doe comit and humbly resign my soule into the hands of God that gave it in confidence of the eternall salvacon thereof through the infinite mercy of my good God and the alone merits of my blessed Redeemer. And for my body my desire is that it may be decently interred in the Parish Church of Kingsomborne in or near the place where my Grandfather was buryed and that without any unnecessary expenses I intending mourning for my Children and a decent and sober entertainment to such of my Friends and Neighbours as shall please to accompany me to my grave, desiring that a serious sermon of mortality may be made to the living there present without any commendacon of the dead in whom there is not anything praiseworthy. 

From the will of Thomas Dowse, dated 26 February 1680/1. Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 4 Drax; PROB 11/372

Estelle Getty 1923-2008

Estelle is gone.  I'm so sad.  I loved Sophia Petrillo.

"I've said it before, sluts just heal faster."

"Picture it: Sicily, 1920. . . " 

RIP and thanks for the laughs.

Padraig The Second

All cheers to Padraig Harrington for winning back-to-back British Opens.  The stories are already flying with comparisons to Tiger, the last person to win back-to-back majors, including the Open Championship (2005-6).  Like Tiger, Padraig was injured with a sprained wrist but prevailed anyway.

I have to agree with Alex Massie in his posts here and here.  U.S. golf writers are a rum bunch.  Greg Norman was outstanding.  It should be noted that not only had Norman not won a major in 15 years, but he hadn't won on the PGA tour since 1997.  Jack Nicklaus, on the other hand, had placed twice in majors between 1980 and 1986 (U.S. Open in 1982 and PGA in 1983) and was still a presence when he won his record-breaking sixth Masters.  Norman, really has come out of nowhere back to the highest level of golf.  It's incredible.  He also earned a ticket back to Augusta in 2009.  How about a Shark v. Tiger Sunday.  Wow.

A Question Not Asked And Redemption

The Senate voted to end the ban on allowing people with HIV into the United States.  Chief among those responsible are Senators Kerry and Smith.  In 1996, John Kerry was in a close battle for re-election with then Gov. William Weld.  I had voted for Weld twice in 1990 and 1994.  John Kerry during that year voted to continue the ban on allowing HIV people into the U.S.  I intended to vote against him.  Not only for that, but Gov. Weld was a republican who was pro-gay and we needed more of those types of republicans to be rewarded.

I was walking in the AIDS Action Committee's annual AIDS walk with my friend, John.  As we turned onto Memorial Drive, there was Senator Kerry shaking hands.  I told John I was going to ask about that vote and John, said no, you can't do that, it's impolite.  So I said nothing, shook his hand and kept walking (this is as close as I've ever come to a presidential, real or potential).  Later on, John apologized and said I should have said something.  Moment lost.

So, Sen. Kerry, better late than never.  I guess now that his dreams of the White House are over, he can be the liberal lion senator for the rest of his life.  

A Drop in the Bucket

Mitt Romney, erstwhile governor of my home state and presidential candidate will not ask for help in retiring his $45 million debt.  You or I will never what it's like to have $45 million let alone squander it on a failed presidential run.  However, according to this estimate, Mitt is worth $350 million.  So his debt is but 12.8% of his net worth.  OK.  The latest net worth estimate for the average American is from 2002 and was released in April 2008.  That amount is $58,905.00.  So, let's say that in 2008 it's more like $60,000.  12.8% of that is $7,714.28.  So, if you took your credit card and paid for a luxury cruise for two or 1/2 a new car, it's the same hurt that Mitt Romney is feeling.  Just thought you should know.

Walk On By

Having lived in two out of the three cities, I already knew this!

Flowers