MY MOTHER IN LAW CONNY and I couldn’t finish watching this clip today. These triumphant, yet bittersweet moments captured here were the end of a painful 30-year journey for my husband Bronson which he recounts in his rock opera Damages. His most painful childhood memories told through 18 songs by Queen.
About1 million children are raped/molested every year globally, and these are just the cases that are reported. The stress caused by sexual abuse causes notable changes in brain functioning and development — and can result in long term problems such as antisocial personality disorder, alcohol/drug abuse and depression.
While the issue of child rape is awkward, painful and disturbing — it is far too important to be ignored by Hollywood. Have a taste: fivepages.pdf
Our homemade ad for marriage equality is literally votes away from becoming a finalist in “Project: Pushback” … but we need your help. Would you vote for us?
All you have to do is click on the “HEART/I LIKE” icon on the vid below (or here), or pass it on to a few friends.
First Look: at my shortened marriage equality spot. I submitted it to Project Pushback. You can also help by embedding or forwarding the ad using the tools in the player below.
Snow Canyon was one of my favorite places as a kid. On March 17, 2009, Bronson got to experience it for the first time, along with my grandmother. —Sam
If anyone in your family has had colon cancer, take the age they were when they were diagnosed, subtract 10 years, and that’s the age at which you should have a colonoscopy. Mom was 50, and so being 40, I had my first colonoscopy this year, besides, all of my coolest friends (Paul, Jeb, Sonny) were having them, and I’m not one to be left out. Here’s how it went for me. If I can get through it, then anyone can:
Thursday:
Breakfast is the last meal I’ll have for over 24 hours. At 9AM, I had mixed fruit with yogurt, cottage cheese, and granola, and since I knew it would be a while until my next meal, I felt a rice krispy treat was also in order. An hour or so later, the hunger kicks in, and it has to be quelled with clear liquids only, and juices without pulp until Thursday night. (more…)
For the past four years, I’ve spent a total daily average of $12 on breakfast and lunch from the cafeteria at work. This translates to about $3,000 a year, for four years… you get the picture. Plus we all grazed on snacks provided by the company. With the financial downturn, they were the first perk to go. If I went to lunch off-site, with coworkers, I would spend $20 instead of $12. So given the national belt-tightening, and the effect of company-sponsored Danish butter cookies on my waistline, I challenged myself to find an alternative to the self-indulgent work time nosh.
Choosing from Trader Joe’s selection of ready-made meals and other non-refrigerated goods, I assembled the following meals for about $50: breakfasts and lunches for two work weeks, with only three items that need refrigeration, and the rest fitting into a standard desk drawer.
I chose 10 different entrees: ready-made Indian, Spanish, Thai and quiche selections. They range in price from $1.49 to $2.19, and only the quiche requires refrigeration. I increased the protein with almond butter in place of peanut butter, and by mixing a can of tuna into the ethnic food selections before warming it in the microwave. The spiciness masked any heavy tuna flavor, and it tasted great.
Next time, I’ll try it at Von’s and let you know how it goes.
After the disastrous No on 8 campaign (which Robin Tyler and I talked about), I’m really glad to see cool new grassroots sites like this onelaunched by my buddy Rick Garman.
Here’s a little background about this important site and how you can help:
How did you come up with the idea for Citizens for Equality and the “We Are” Campaign?
RICK: I actually came up with the idea of an elected body of representatives for the gay community a long time ago when I got frustrated with what I saw as a lack of true leadership and leaders. But it was what I believe was a disorganized and poorly run campaign against Proposition 8 (along with my questions about whether gay marriage is the actual battle we should be putting all of our resources and energy behind) that made me finally do something about it.
The “We Are” campaign became the launching pad for Citizens For Equality as a way to get people involved and engaged. I got that idea from the sorryeverybody.com website where people sent in pictures of themselves with sign apologizing to the works for the 2004 election of George bush.
I love that all the images use the words, “We Are” — why did you choose that language?
I wanted “We Are” for it’s positivity. To show the world that we are just like everyone else. We are doctors and lawyers, mothers and fathers, husbands, wives, strong, weak, young, old, worried about the economy, worried about the environment, bowlers, card players, Christian, Jewish… We are human and if people can see that, they may be a little less inclined to do things like vote yes on Prop 8. Imagine hundreds, thousands…. More… of those photos saying We Are… What a statement that will make!
We are also actively seeking people to be on the steering committee that will set up the elections for (hopefully) late 2009 and people will be able to register and vote for their representatives and on other issues. We’ll be seeking candidates and advisors also of course. But the best way to stay informed is tojoin on the website.
by 
Choosing from Trader Joe’s selection of ready-made meals and other non-refrigerated goods, I assembled the following meals for about $50: breakfasts and lunches for two work weeks, with only three items that need refrigeration, and the rest fitting into a standard desk drawer.
