Life By Design

Mitt Romney Was A Big Bully and Gay Basher

derrick sorles — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:49:31 GMT

I guess some things never change.

Anti Gay Marriage

Most people afraid of gays, ARE GAY!

Caring Bridges Connects Families and Friends

derrick sorles — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:43:41 GMT

A friend of mine is going through Chemo and Cancer treatment. He has A LOT of friends. And it gets tiring, as you might imagine, telling people over and over what you are going through.

He just discovered CARING BRIDGE.

CaringBridge provides free websites, like blogs, that connect people experiencing a significant health challenge to family and friends, making each health journey easier. CaringBridge is powered by generous donors.

CaringBridge websites offer a personal and private space to communicate and show support, saving time and emotional energy when health matters most. The websites are easy to create and use. Authors add health updates and photos to share their story while visitors leave messages of love, hope and compassion in the guestbook.

What a great idea!

The Mayan Prophecy of 2012

derrick sorles — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:38:32 GMT

The other I was with a group of friends and the topic of the Mayan 2012 prediction came up in conversation. And it has been a topic I have pondered a lot over the last year.

A New Age interpretation of this transition is that this date (12-21-12) marks the start of time in which Earth and its inhabitants may undergo a positive physical or spiritual transformation, and that 2012 may mark the beginning of a new era. Others suggest that the 2012 date marks the end of the world or a similar catastrophe.Scenarios suggested for the end of the world include the arrival of the next solar maximum, or Earth's collision with an object such as a black hole, a passing asteroid, or a planet called "Nibiru".

So while doing a Google search today I found this cool site called 13 Moon and in particular a section by Eden Sky where she discusses in length, the mysteries of the ancient Maya .

Since 1995, Eden Sky has devoted her life to researching and teaching the mysteries of the Ancient Maya, their prophecies, and their astounding time science. Eden has studied directly under Dr. Jose Arguelles, the man who is largely responsible for the global interest in the Mayan Calendar System and the now infamous 2012 date, including a 7-week long residential seminary with Arguelles in Chile.

In my eyes, the last few years I have seen this rising, this intensity, fear, hate, killing and greed happening all around us. So what I read, really resonated with me.

Eden says, "Together we are in a great initiation process, living in times of unprecedented challenge, transformation and opportunity. This planetary moment has never existed before as it does right now. Our human population is climbing off the charts, accelerating by the day, as is our environmental crises and the vast whole-system struggles of peoples worldwide, both physically and spiritually.

The old world mentality, founded in separation, greed, ignorance, and unconscious consumer materialism, has reached dangerous peaks. Simultaneously, there has never been so much possibility at our fingertips as there is right now. A new paradigm is trying to emerge in our world, through our hearts and minds, like a flower trying to grow through the cracks in the cement sidewalk. New comprehensions and new solutions are emerging in our collective journey - from new sciences, to new economic models, new healing modalities, new energy technologies, new educational models, new forms of conflict resolution, etc. These times of crisis are unifying us and catalyzing us to awaken to our personal and collective responsibilities in this one planetary equation."

"The Solstice on December 21, 2012 ~ precisely at 11:11 AM Universal Time ~ marks the completion of the 5,125 year Great Cycle of the Ancient Maya Long Count Calendar.

Rather than being a linear end-point, this cycle that is closing is naturally followed by the start of a new cycle. What this new cycle has in store for humanity is a mystery that has yet to unfold...

2012 is also considered the completion of the 26,000 year Precession of the Equinoxes cycle, and some say it also signifies the end of a 104,000 year cycle."

"The New Cycle that is to emerge is founded on us awakening to the beauty and responsibility of our interconnectedness. Every one of us has a piece in this cosmic puzzle, and we must help each other find our heart's guidance in these mysterious times. As we recognize we are in a Global Healing Crisis, we can shake off the wounded victim mentality, and arise as Medicine Warriors, here to do the necessary work to help lay the ground for a New Era to root, conscious of our obligations to future generations.

Carlos Barrios, who was trained as an Ajq'ij in the Maya tradition, has this to share in regards to 2012:

"Our planet can be renewed or ravaged. Now is the time to awaken and take action...The prophesized changes are going to happen, but our attitude and actions determine how harsh or mild they are.

"This is a crucially important moment for humanity and for earth. Each person is important. If you have incarnated into this era, you have spiritual work to do balancing the planet...The greatest wisdom is in simplicity. Love, respect, tolerance, sharing, gratitude, forgiveness. It's not complex or elaborate. The real knowledge is free. It's encoded in your DNA. All you need is within you. Great teachers have said that from the beginning. Find you heart, and you will find your way."

Her site provides lots of free and fascinating information about The New Cycle and the Mayan Prophecy.

Anti Gay Bullying Claims Life in Iowa

derrick sorles — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:03:28 GMT

Gay Teen Bullied to death.

A 14-year old gay teen died by suicide Saturday in Primghar, Iowa, after coming out as gay and being bullied for months, according to a report.

There are no other news reports yet, but there is a Facebook group created in his memory.

One entry notes, “Its sad to see how people cannot just see past a persons identity and just see them as a human,” while another reads, “You took his happiness away from him..,” and another, “No one deserves to be bullied! My sympathies to the family and friends of Kenneth! And to the kids that bullied him hope you sleep okay knowing that you drove a young man to an early fate, you should be ashamed of yourself!”

A Facebook page which appears to be that of the same Kenneth James Weishuhn lists his nickname as Rodney. The last entry was March 30.

The death is currently under investigation by the O'Brien County Sherriffs Dept. along with local law enforcement.

A tribute video was published to YouTube yesterday.

Get a tissue. You will need it.

Google Earth Helps Lost Boy Find His Way Home

derrick sorles — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:50:12 GMT

This is allegedly, a true story.

On Friday, the BBC publshed an extraordinary human interest story about a young Indian man named Saroo, who was once a little boy who became very, very lost.

In 1986, Saroo was five years old, working as a "sweeper" on commuter trains with his older brother. After a day of toil, he nodded off on a train station bench, expecting his brother to wake him when it was time to catch a train home. When he awoke, he saw no sign of his brother. But a train sat at the platform, and Saroo assumed his brother was aboard. Saroo boarded and promptly dozed off again. When he awoke it was 14 hours later, and he was in desperately poor Calcutta. He was five, and didn't know the name of his own small hometown. He could tell no one where he was from

"I was absolutely scared. I didn't know where I was. I just started to look for people and ask them questions."
Soon he was sleeping rough. "It was a very scary place to be. I don't think any mother or father would like to have their five year old wandering alone in the slums and trains stations of Calcutta."

The little boy learned to fend for himself. He became a beggar, one of the many children begging on the streets of the city. "I had to be quite careful. You could not trust anyone." Once he was approached by a man who promised him food and shelter and a way back home. But Saroo was suspicious. "Ultimately I think he was going to do something not nice to me, so I ran away."

Saroo eventually found his way into an orphanage, and was adopted by a couple in Tasmania. He settled into a new life, but was understandably intrigued by the mystery of his past. And that past would likely have stayed mysterious were it not for the advent of Google Earth. Saroo still didn't know the name of his hometown, but he remembered its landmarks well enough. From the BBC :

"[Google Earth] was just like being Superman. You are able to go over and take a photo mentally and ask, 'Does this match?' And when you say, 'No', you keep on going and going and going."

Eventually Saroo hit on a more effective strategy. "I multiplied the time I was on the train, about 14 hours, with the speed of Indian trains and I came up with a rough distance, about 1,200km."

He drew a circle on a map with its centre in Calcutta, with its radius about the distance he thought he had travelled. Incredibly, he soon discovered what he was looking for: Khandwa. "When I found it, I zoomed down and bang, it just came up. I navigated it all the way from the waterfall where I used to play."

Saroo eventually visited Khandwa, where he found both heartbreak and something like closure. Read the Beeb for details. Meanwhile, movie producers and publishers have apparently taken an interest in Saroo's story -- as it seems likely will Google, whose Google Earth always seemed semi-miraculous anyway, though never so much as now.

Life is too Short to Wake up with Regrets

derrick sorles — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 15:19:45 GMT

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.
Love the people who treat you right.

Forget about the ones who don’t.
Believe everything happens for a reason.

If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.
If it changes your life, let it.

Nobody said life would be easy.
They just promised it would be worth it.

Gregg Hawkins

Dance like nobody's watching;
    Love like you've never been hurt.
              Sing like nobody's listening
                              Live like it's heaven on earth.

~Mark Twain~

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If you own a particular photo/s and would like it removed from this site, please contact me   raphaelsmp (at) gmail.com,   with your proof of ownership then I'll remove it within 24-48 hours.

Music Can Wake up One Souls - Alive Inside

derrick sorles — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:06:30 GMT

Life for an Elder in a nursing home can feel alienating. Dementia compounds the experience.

Alive Inside tells a story of hope and beauty in a place where they are hard to find. Produced and directed by Michael Rossato-Bennett, the film follows Dan Cohen as he discovers the power music has to "awaken" minds considered closed.
Featuring Dr. Oliver Sacks and Dr. Bill Thomas, and the amazing men and women in patient care. Commissioned by the The Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation.

Henry is elderly man who has been in a nursing home for about a decade after declining into dementia, and though he doesn't recognize his own daughter and remains pretty much unresponsive to the world around him, he always perks up when the headphones go on. He also, incredibly, remembers his favorite musician: Cab Calloway.

This is the excerpt of the new film Alive Inside
This is a documentary about the Music and Memory non-profit project, a film by Michael Rossato-Bennett.
AliveInsideMovie.com

Check out MusicAndMemory.org for more information about how Music and Memory can help elderly patients, or to volunteer or donate an iPod (new or used), visit MusicandMemory.org.

15 Things That Will Bring More Happiness To Your Life

derrick sorles — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:01:48 GMT

Do you ever meet these people who are so full of themselves, they are always right, they are bitter about life, that you just have to walk away from them? You wonder if they are really happy? How do they live with themselves?

These are 15 actions everyone can do - and will help make your life easier and make you happier. We hold on to so many things that cause us a great deal of pain, stress and suffering – and instead of letting them all go, instead of allowing ourselves to be stress free and happy – we cling on to them. Not anymore. Starting today, I encourage you to give up on all those things that no longer serve us, and we will embrace change. Ready? Here we go:

1. Give up your need to always be right. There are so many of us who can’t stand the idea of being wrong – wanting to always be right – even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain, for us and for others. It’s just not worth it. What difference will that make? Is your ego really that big?

2. Give up your need for control. Be willing to give up your need to always control everything that happens to you and around you – situations, events, people, etc. Whether they are loved ones, coworkers, or just strangers you meet on the street – just allow them to be. Allow everything and everyone to be just as they are and you will see how much better will that make you feel.

“By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond winning.” Lao Tzu

3. Give up on blame. Give up on your need to blame others for what you have or don’t have, for what you feel or don’t feel. Stop giving your powers away and start taking responsibility for your life.

4. Give up your self-defeating self-talk. Oh my. How many people are hurting themselves because of their negative, polluted and repetitive self-defeating mindset? Don’t believe everything that your mind is telling you – especially if it’s negative and self-defeating. You are better than that.

“The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive.” Eckhart Tolle

5. Give up your limiting beliefs about what you can or cannot do, about what is possible or impossible. From now on, you are no longer going to allow your limiting beliefs to keep you stuck in the wrong place. Spread your wings and fly!

“A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an idea that holds the mind” Elly Roselle

6. Give up complaining. Give up your constant need to complain about those many, things – people, situations, events that make you unhappy, sad and depressed. Nobody can make you unhappy, no situation can make you sad or miserable unless you allow it to. It’s not the situation that triggers those feelings in you, but how you choose to look at it.

7. Give up the luxury of criticism. Give up your need to criticize things, events or people that are different than you. We are all different, yet we are all the same.

8. Give up your need to impress others. Stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not just to make others like you. It doesn’t work this way. The moment you stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not, the moment you take of all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you, you will find people will be drawn to you, effortlessly.

9. Give up your resistance to change. Change is good. Change will help you move from A to B. Change will help you make improvements in your life and also the lives of those around you. Follow your bliss, embrace change – don’t resist it.

“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls” Joseph Campbell

10. Give up labels. Stop labeling those things, people or events that you don’t understand as being weird or different and try opening your mind, little by little. Minds only work when open.

11. Give up on your fears. Fear is just an illusion, it doesn’t exist – you created it. It’s all in your mind. Correct the inside and the outside will fall into place.

12. Give up your excuses. A lot of times we limit ourselves because of the many excuses we use. Instead of growing and working on improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck, lying to ourselves, using all kind of excuses – excuses that 99.9% of the time are not even real.

13. Give up the past. The past you are now longing for – the past that you are now dreaming about – was ignored by you when it was present. Be present in everything you do and enjoy life. Life is a journey not a destination. Have a clear vision for the future, prepare yourself, but always be present in the now.

14. Give up attachment. The moment you detach yourself from all things, (and that doesn’t mean you give up your love for them – because love and attachment have nothing to do with one another, attachment comes from a place of fear, while love… well, real love is pure, kind, and self less, where there is love there can’t be fear, and because of that, attachment and love cannot coexist) you become so peaceful, so tolerant, so kind, and so serene. You will get to a place where you will be able to understand all things without even trying.

15. Give up living your life to other people’s expectations. Way too many people are living a life that is not theirs to live. They live their lives according to what others think is best for them, they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them, to what their friends, their enemies and their teachers, their government and the media think is best for them. They ignore their inner voice, that inner calling. They are so busy with pleasing everybody, with living up to other people’s expectations, that they lose control over their lives. They forget what makes them happy, what they want, what they need….and eventually they forget about themselves. You have one life – this one right now – you must live it, own it, and especially don’t let other people’s opinions distract you from your path.

This is an edited down version - read the full version at PURPOSE FAIRY. A wonderful site about personal growth!

A Brave Boy Stands Up to his Christian Mom

derrick sorles — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 22:44:10 GMT

Is he just cute as a button, or what?!

You have probably seen this already - but I wanted to give it air time - in case anyone missed it.

Single Dad Laughing did a post called "I'm Christian, Unless You're Gay" back in November. That post generated over 10,000 comments! More than 6 million people have read it!

This month Single Dad Laughing received a powerful letter from a mother who is Christian. And her son was given the original article in school, and asked to write an essay about what it meant to them.

Well the mother went nuts!

But it's a great story about how the boy responds. It's 3 pages - but a great read. The new post has already gotten 2300+ comments. But the blogs server was so jammed, it took a while to read the pages.

But check it out! What a cool brave kid!

its time to stop letting people’s hate
stop me from being happy!

It’s not about what other people do. It’s about whether or not we are loving them. Nothing else matters at all.

Statewide Gay Marriage Must be Stopped - According to NEWT

derrick sorles — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 16:28:12 GMT

RIGHT WING WATCH says, "Today on a conference call with the Gingrich Faith Leaders Coalition that included guest speakers Jim Garlow and J.C. Watts, Newt Gingrich claimed that he will push for not only a federal marriage amendment to outlaw marriage equality but also a federal law to prohibit states from legalizing same-sex marriage.

He claimed that states with marriage equality are contributing to legal “chaos” and said that “if we are going to defend marriage in the end it will probably require a federal law.” After a questioner asked whether same-sex marriage would lead to people seeking to marry dogs and cows, Gingrich, who on an earlier conference call described same-sex marriage as “paganism,” didn’t push back against the offensive comparison to bestiality but instead blamed the country’s teachers for why people are more accepting of such beliefs.

Seriously Newt?

Test Tube Meat Could Solve Food Crisis and Save Animals Lives

derrick sorles — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:09:47 GMT

Dr Mark Post, head of physiology at Maastricht University, plans to unveil a complete burger – produced at a cost of more than £200,000 – this October.

The project, funded by a wealthy, anonymous, individual aims to slash the number of cattle farmed for food, and in doing so reduce one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.

"Meat demand is going to double in the next 40 years and right now we are using 70% of all our agricultural capacity to grow meat through livestock," Post said.

Post is focusing on making beef burgers from stem cells because cows are among the least efficient animals at converting the food they eat into food for humans.

"Cows and pigs have an efficiency rate of about 15%, which is pretty inefficient. Chickens are more efficient and fish even more," Post said. "If we can raise the efficiency from 15% to 50% it would be a tremendous leap forward."

Post and his team of six have so far grown thin sheets of cow muscle measuring 3cm long, 1.5cm wide, and half a millimetre thick. To make a burger will take 3,000 pieces of muscle and a few hundred pieces of fatty tissue, that will be minced together and pressed into a patty.

Each piece of muscle is made by extracting stem cells from cow muscle tissue and growing them in containers in the laboratory. The cells are grown in a culture medium containing foetal calf serum, which contains scores of nutrients the cells need to grow.

He said that in conversations with the Dutch Society of Vegetarians, the chairman estimated half its members would start to eat meat if he could guarantee that it cost fewer animal lives.

Meat grown in the laboratory could have several advantages, because its manufacture is controlled at each step. The tissue could be grown to produce high levels of healthy polyunsaturated fatty acids, or to have a particular texture.

Full article at the Guardian

Fourthcoming Book on Barack Obama Needs Funding

derrick sorles — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:20:03 GMT

Hermene Hartman -- One of the most significant and influential black women in American publishing, she is the publisher of N’DIGO,a popular Black voice in Chicago.

She is also a daily commentator on WVAZ radio (“Views of the Heart”) and NBC Chicago TV and writes frequently for The Huffington Post. She is a poet (“Love Moods”), guest speaker, lecturer, political pundit, and a former professor of sociology at City Colleges of Chicago. Her columns are written from a political/social commentary perspective.

In 2012 many books will be published on President Obama as he comes up for reelection. Hermene Hartman, Bob Starks, and Derrick Baker have a unique perspective on the man. They were there from the beginning. And Barack is their friend.

Now the trio are using Kickstarter to fund the creation of The Barack Book and need your involvement to help cement President Obama's legacy.

YOU CAN HELP GET THIS BOOK PUBLISHED.
By making a $25 donation now, you get a free copy of the book in November!

As the long-time publisher of N’DIGO, a weekly targeted at Chicago’s black middle class, Hartman was the first to cover the young, black Chicagoan rising in the political ranks. First he was her friend, then he became an Illinois senator, and then the President Obama we all know today. Hartman and colleagues Starks and Baker recognized the political potential of Mr. Obama early on and since 2003 have covered him from a unique black Chicago perspective.

These columns had heretofore predominantly been read by a black Chicagoan audience, but with Kickstarter funding of The Barack Book they will finally be available worldwide and in physical form.

With such provocative titles as “Should Obama Run for President?” (December 2007), “Barack and the Black Experience” (June 2007), “Senator Clinton and Obama Race to Define Race” (January 2008), “Does Being Half-Black Make Obama a Brother?” (February 2008), and “The Audacity of Barack” (February 2008), The Barack Book is a fascinating look back at a now-legendary historical figure “before he was.”

Please help bring this remarkable book to the public!

A Dogs Purpose - through the eyes of a six year old

derrick sorles — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:32:36 GMT

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer.

I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure.

They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience. The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker 's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.

Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ''I know why.'' Startled, we all turned to him.

What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.

He said,''People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?'' The Six-year-old continued, ''Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.''

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.

Take naps. Stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

Do You Show Gratitude Everyday and Be Thankful?

derrick sorles — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:02:56 GMT

Do you have gratitude everyday
         and give thanks for what you have?

        If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a
        roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of
        this world.

         If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and
        spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's
        wealthy

    If you woke up this morning with more health than illness.. You
    are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this     day.

        If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the
        loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs
        of starvation... You are ahead of 700 million people in the world.

        If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the
        norm, you're unique to all those in doubt and despair.

Komen vs. Planned Parenthood Internet Mess

derrick sorles — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:18:31 GMT

You do realize the importance now, of Social Media, right?

We have told clients for years, what a powerful medium this is growing into. As of this month, 800 MILLION people use Facebook! They had 600 million last year. And Twitter has 200 Million users. That's a LOT OF CONVERSATION.

Social Media destroyed 3 decades of brand building in just 24 hours. Susan G. Komen for the Cure has been rebranded. In a bad way.

Planned Parenthood made the announcement - and people around the world weighed in with anger, disgust, revolt and wrath! Within 24 hours, people dropped their support for Komen like a hot potato. They cut $900,000 out of their grant money and it will cost them MILLIONS and MILLIONS of dollars now.

Komen has faced a massive social media backlash since announcing the decision, with angry people flocking to its message boards and Facebook wall to announce that they will no longer donate to the breast cancer charity.

(FYI - After partnering with Planned Parenthood for the past five years to provide cancer screenings to low-income patients, Komen announced on Tuesday that it would sever ties with the family planning provider, and deny their $900,000 grant, because it is under investigation in Congress. However, the Republican Senator and groups that prompted that investigation are anti-abortion advocacy organizations that have long criticized Planned Parenthood over the fact that some of its clinics offer abortions.)

Within minutes, both Facebook and Twitter were swamped with pro-Planned Parenthood, anti-Komen comments. At one point last night, Kivi Miller did a quick count and found the ratio of anti-Komen’s decision to pro-Komen’s decision to be about 80 to 1 on Twitter.

Their mission blow up aside, they completely failed to understand how the Internet works, how news spreads, how a news cycle works, and the political climate.

(That's another whole story! The left side - Democrats - are using Social Media at high speed! Speaking out about the Republican's hourly! You have to admit, the Republicans have no one solid this year!)

But back to our story - Komen knew they planned to make this decision for almost 1 year. Their first mistake was they didn’t break the news, Planned Parenthood did with a press release. So right from the beginning they were not in control of the story. The story contained within the press release spread like wildfire on twitter, Facebook, and on listservs of activists.

And there’s absolutely nothing Komen can do to stop the story now. Even if they were to announce that the people responsible for the decision had been fired and the funds were being restored there’s plenty to keep going. And a door has been opened for all sorts of activism that wouldn’t have made an impact just 72 hours ago. New dimensions to this story will surface on their own, or activists will take action to keep the story going.

At the end of all this, whenever that comes, Komen will be a completely different organization. By changing their mission and stepping into a political debate unprepared, they will have had their future written for them by others.

We live in a transparent world people!

Business Blogging Consultants

Obama Promises - His Long Tail Game Will Work -If Given the Chance

derrick sorles — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:44:41 GMT

GIVEN THE ENORMITY
of what Obama inherited, and given what he explicitly promised, it remains simply a fact that Obama has delivered in a way that the unhinged right and purist left have yet to understand or absorb. Their short-term outbursts have missed Obama’s long game—and why his reelection remains, in my view, as essential for this country’s future as his original election in 2008.

Andrew Sullivan has written a MUST READ piece called,

How Obama's Long Game

Will Outsmart His Critics

Former editor of The New Republic, weekly columnist for the Sunday Times of London, Andrew brought his hugely popular blog, The Dish, to the Daily Beast in 2011. He's the author of several books, including "Virtually Normal," "Love Undetectable," and "The Conservative Soul."

This is the best, most researched article, and everyone, Republicans too, should read it. A president in the last year of his first term will always get attacked mercilessly by his partisan opponents, and also, often, by the feistier members of his base.

FACT - When Obama took office, the United States was losing around 750,000 jobs a month. The last quarter of 2008 saw an annualized drop in growth approaching 9 percent. This was the most serious downturn since the 1930s.

But Obama did several things at once: he continued the bank bailout begun by George W. Bush, he initiated a bailout of the auto industry, and he worked to pass a huge stimulus package of $787 billion.

All these decisions deserve scrutiny. And in retrospect, they were far more successful than anyone has yet fully given Obama the credit for. The job collapse bottomed out at the beginning of 2010, as the stimulus took effect. Since then, the U.S. has added 2.4 million jobs. That’s not enough, but it’s far better than what Romney would have you believe, and more than the net jobs created under the entire Bush administration. In 2011 alone, 1.9 million private-sector jobs were created, while a net 280,000 government jobs were lost.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE OF FACTS AT THE DAILY BEAST

What I Have Learned This Year

derrick sorles — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:01:20 GMT

The clock is ticking, the end of the year is just hours away...

and I ask myself, What did I learn this year?

Each year I get older - and I hope wiser. I hope that I grow each year as a human. And evolve spiritually.

Gratitude. Be extremely appreciative of every opportunity, contact, relationship, bit of useful knowledge and helping hand.

Don't let others bring you down, surround yourself with positive people to see positive results.

Jennifer Weiner, (author, Good in Bed ) said, "I learned that things don't always turn our the way you planned, or the way you think they should. And I've learned that there are things that go wrong that don't always get fixed or get put back together the way they were before.

I've learned that some broken things stay broken, and I've learned that you can get through bad times and keep looking for better ones, as long as you have people who love you."

George Clooney said this year, "Everybody sort of has their own versions of what they think I am and what they think that is.

I'm just living my life and doing the best I can. The rest of those versions, there's not much I can do about. No matter what I do, I'm somehow upsetting someone in some way or making somebody happy. I can only live my own life and my version of it.

My life isn't focused on results.

My life is really focused on the process of doing all the things I'm doing, from work to relationships to friendships to charitable work.

If I focused on results, if it's only about the ultimate results, I'd be a failure. I'd be a failure with my friendships, I'd be a failure in relationships. You have to view it as an ongoing process.

And I would agree.

I must always remind myself of that great story The Station: A Reminder to Cherish the Journey . "The Station" brings a profound message that reminds one to embrace the journey of life. And not keep telling yourself, when this or that happens, I will have arrived.

Enjoy the journey - and the learning experience.

Zach Reger Wahls - Love Makes A Family

derrick sorles — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 14:40:02 GMT

2011, 19 year old Zach Reger Wahls showed the world having gay parents DOES NOT MAKE YOU GAY!

This year, over 18 million people saw Zach Wahls defend marriage equality on behalf of his family in front of the Iowa Legislature.

This month, thousands of families submitted photos, joining Zach and his family in sending out this simple holiday greeting.....and creating this video and online campaign called "Love Makes a Family."

LOVE MAKES A FAMILY video

*Video Produced & Edited by Laura Dawn of MoveOn.org & Dave Ambrose of ART NOT WAR
Original Song written by Laura Dawn
Performed by Inyang Bassey, backing vocals by Inyang Bassey & Laura Dawn

Vulnerability, Self, & Oneness - By Ronnie Kroell

derrick sorles — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:47:21 GMT

Our dear friend Ronnie Kroell did an awesome post today that we wanted to share with you -

" Perception is always reality, but perceptions are not always truth.

In other words, someone may perceive me and make a judgment based on how I walk, talk, or an action that I have taken; while that may be their truth, it may not be accurate.

For example: Many times people have made snap judgments (positive and negative) about me based on my appearance on Make Me a Supermodel, my Playgirl Magazine spread, or other projects. While these perceptions and judgments are valid to them – it does not make them truth. In fact, as a society we love to make snap judgments about people, especially those we see on TV, but unless we actually meet them to confirm our perceptions – with what evidence can we really ground our findings?

The following videos were shared with me by my friends – and they have truly changed my life. Thandie Newton & Brene Brown discuss the topics of vulnerability, self, and oneness with such clarity and soulfulness! In a world where we are born into “oneness” we quickly learn how to create “self” in order to navigate the social world – but that self is not necessarily who we are. Our “self” is shaped, for better or worse, by the people in our lives and experiences that we have. We develop a sense of “self” in order to survive/fit in, but more than that to escape having to think about the inevitable – death.

In order to truly connect with others we must challenge our “selves” to be vulnerable, to live authentically, and to find oneness again! It is most important to realize that “we are enough” – just as we are. We must give up on the idea of who we are “supposed to be” or what others “want us to be” and acknowledge who we really are.

I was watching Oprah one day and I remember Kenny Rogers shared this really cool idea: “We are all three people – The person we think we are, the person others think we are, and the person we really are.” I have thought about this many times since watching the program and it makes such perfect sense now!!"

Stop by his site for the rest of the posting and the inspiring videos.

(Spiritual Angel Readings - If you are in the Los Angeles area, or catch Ronnie traveling, he offers personal one-on-one spiritual angel readings which are truly insightful and helpful. Using Celestial Wisdom Cards (not Tarot Cards) they do not tell your future, but rather they offer guidance and insight. It is a wonderful gift he has! Find out more. )

Why are Republicans ANTI GAY?

derrick sorles — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:14:50 GMT

Why do the current Republicans Hate Gay People?
And want to treat us like second class citizens??

YESTERDAY, both Hillary Clinton (What an inspiring and well-articulated speech. She addresses a lot of the sensitive and challenging aspects of this subject. Deeply moving. ) and Barack Obama gave amazing speeches for Human Rights Day....

(President Obama issued a memorandum directing the heads of Executive Departments and Agencies abroad to advance the human rights of and ensure the safety of LGBT people.

ObamaWrites Obama in the memorandum, which you can read below:

The struggle to end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons is a global challenge, and one that is central to the United States commitment to promoting human rights. I am deeply concerned by the violence and discrimination targeting LGBT persons around the world -- whether it is passing laws that criminalize LGBT status, beating citizens simply for joining peaceful LGBT pride celebrations, or killing men, women, and children for their perceived sexual orientation. That is why I declared before heads of state gathered at the United Nations, "no country should deny people their rights because of who they love, which is why we must stand up for the rights of gays and lesbians everywhere." Under my Administration, agencies engaged abroad have already begun taking action to promote the fundamental human rights of LGBT persons everywhere. Our deep commitment to advancing the human rights of all people is strengthened when we as the United States bring our tools to bear to vigorously advance this goal.

By this memorandum I am directing all agencies engaged abroad to ensure that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBT persons.

The memo directs agencies to combat the criminalization of homosexuality, protect vulnerable LGBT refugees and asylum seekers, enhance foreign aid to countries with respect to promoting LGBT rights, respond quickly to abuses of LGBT citizens abroad, and engage international organizations in the fight against LGBT discrimination.

*In recognition of Human Rights Day, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will deliver a human rights policy speech on Tuesday, December 6, hosted by the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.)

I AM NOT LESS HUMAN, BECAUSE I AM GAY!

Just say NO - to Republicans in 2012.

So why are Michelle Bachmann, Herman Cain, Rick Perry, Romney and even NEWT (who has a lesbian daughter!) are all anti GAY??

Perry said last night -
Just when you thought Barack Obama couldn’t get any more out of touch with America’s values, AP reports his administration wants to make foreign aid decisions based on gay rights.

This administration’s war on traditional American values must stop.

Promoting (promoting? you mean protecting right Rick?) special rights (?special?) for gays in foreign countries is not in America’s interests and not worth a dime of taxpayers’ money.

But there is a troubling trend here beyond the national security nonsense inherent in this silly idea. This is just the most recent example of an administration at war with people of faith (?who's faith Rick?) in this country. Investing tax dollars promoting a lifestyle many Americas of faith find so deeply objectionable is wrong.

President Obama has again mistaken America’s tolerance for different lifestyles with an endorsement of those lifestyles. I will not make that mistake.

AND GET THIS! Mainstream news outlets ignored Obama's LGBT announcement.

I AM NOT LESS HUMAN, BECAUSE I AM GAY!

Just say NO - to Republicans in 2012.