To all the good people here at C99, the music lovers and political wounded hearts, I just wanted to apologize for what I am going to say, because it has nothing to do with all of you at all. or with what any of you stand for (if I even really would understand it).
From home, old acquaintances:
Memories for sure
There has been a lot of brewhaha about a British court finding that Vladimir Putin may have poisoned a former citizen of Russia for creating propaganda that rankled the Russian state. While there is a lot of talk about how awful Putin is for (allegedly) assassinating people, there seems to be little mention of the fact that President Barack Obama maintains a "Kill List" of intended targets for assassinations. It should also be noted that Obama has assassinated one American citizen (out of the four us citizens he's admitted murdering) on the rationale that he was creating propaganda that rankled the American state. Then, two weeks after murdering the propagandist, Obama murdered a sixteen year old kid for the crime of having the wrong parents. This is not to overlook the thousands of civilians that Mr. Obama and his predecessor have murdered.
So far no court has seen fit to examine Mr. Obama's many war crimes.
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, however, makes Putin look like a piker in terms of malevolent dictators.
This evening's music features Texas blues guitarist and singer Roy Gaines. Enjoy!
Roy Gaines - Worried ´Bout You Baby
Deluxe Financial Services, Inc. is a check printing company. Britney Austin used to work at their Phoenix call center. Then she informed her supervisors that she would be transitioning from male to female. Her managers and co-workers proceeded to shower her with harassment and offensive slurs. The company refused to let her use the women's restroom and refused to change her name and sex on employment records, saying she would have to complete gender confirmation surgery first.
Then Austin's attempts to utilize the company health plan for medically necessary health care were denied even though the company claimed it was a requirement before they would change the documents.
When the company laid off employees at that location, which has since closed, Austin argued, the company denied her severance pay and COBRA benefits.
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Friday January 21, 1916
Indianapolis, Indiana - Mother Jones Puts an End to Bitter Debate at Miners' Convention
Newspapers across the nation are describing the dramatic confrontation at the United Mine Workers Convention when Mother Jones arrived to find the delegates embroiled in a bitter debate and hurling bricks at one another. The Tacoma Times declared:
OLD MOTHER JONES STORMS CONVENTION
INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 20,-Mother Jones stampeded the convention of the United Mine workers today with an address of unpolished oratory.
She raised 1,500 delegates to a fury of enthusiasm and forced Duncan McDonald to the platform to shake hands with President White, ending a bitter struggle between the two which threatened to disrupt the organization for years.
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Shaharazade style. There is something in the air and wires that feels like spring even though it's the dead of winter in more ways then just the weather. Maybe I'm just sick of being pessimistic and full of fear so I have cooked up the sense that somethings happening here there and everywhere. Maybe I'm seeing things from a different perspective, one where segments of the world's population are waking up to the game at hand.
The 10 U.S. sailors that were held at gunpoint for less than a day, after going into Iranian waters, has been the object of much political debate. However, the ongoing kidnapping of three American security contractors in Baghdad has been met with a wall of silence.
I've said before, on numerous occasions, that I am not particularly religious. But I belong to a community which does not experience wide-ranging acceptance. We are excluded more often than not.
So it should not be a surprise when I highlight any call for us to be welcomed into any community.
Bishop Gene Robinson, who is now a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, has written and published Transgender Welcome: A Bishop Makes the Case for Affirmation. According to the CAP reuse policy, I may publish Bishop Robinson's document in its entirety if I follow a few rules.
Thisdocument was published by the Center for American Progress
This document is a love letter to the transgender community, both a “thank you” and a “welcome” to transgender people. It comes out of my experience of learning so much—about sexuality, gender, and myself—from transgender people. It springs from my belief that God is enriching the lives of us all by bringing transgender people and their insights into our experience and understandings. This resource is an attempt to recognize transgender people as the gift they are to our understanding of God and God’s love.
God is up to something, as God often is! And this time, it’s personal.
This evening's music features "The Poet of the Blues," Percy Mayfield. Enjoy!
Percy Mayfield - I Don't Want To Be President
