70%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

I found this quiz while I was looking for some new blogs to check out. It's pretty fun and fast so give it a click and see how addicted you are to blogging.

President Obama's Weekly Address

I can't imagine ever have putting one of these up for the last President - unless it was a blooper video.

I love hearing him take the CEO's that got paid big bonuses to task and his talk of transparency.

Blago Gone-O - With a Little Help From Maddow

Thank goodness the Illinois senate did the right thing and unanimously voted to remove Governor Rod Blagojevich from office.

The Governor has claimed that he in no way broke the law and was not getting a fair hearing by the Senate. He went on a big media tour to try and share his big sob story. Unfortunately, he decided to make a stop on the Rachel Maddow show. Big mistake! Rachel is possibly the best interviewer on TV right now. She is certainly the smartest. She got the Governor to say some pretty incriminating things. And what happens the day after her interview...GONE.

Here is the analysis of the interview with Rachel and a former federal prosecutor. Let's just say that was one interview he should never have done.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

February is Bipolar Awareness Month

Participate at Being Bipolar


My wife is bipolar. Some bloggers are doing an excellent job of raising awareness and providing education on bipolar disorder.

To continue this education they are encouraging people to promote February as Bipolar awareness month.

There is a lot of stigma that is out there when someone says they have a mental disorder. We need to work on reducing the stigma and educating others on what having bipolar means.

Here is a great page with lots of resources to learn more about bipolar disorder.

Moron of the Week

I thought I was going to have a hard time finding a Moron of the Week. It just seems that with the inauguration of President Barack Obama everyone was pulling together and there was such a since of lets all just start fresh.

I thought gee, maybe this week I'll just skip it.

But then Rush Limbaugh opened his mouth.

On his show from January 16 he talks about being asked by a "major American print organization" to write what his hopes are for the Obama administration. Now there are many things he could say from a conservative standpoint. But instead of talking about real hopes that he would like to see and that in his view would make the country better, Rush just goes right to the ultra negative that we have come to know as the typical behavior of the right-wing news media.

Here is a transcript of a portion of his answer:

If I wanted Obama to succeed, I'd be happy the Republicans have laid down.  And I would be encouraging Republicans to lay down and support him.  Look, what he's talking about is the absorption of as much of the private sector by the US government as possible, from the banking business, to the mortgage industry, the automobile business, to health care.  I do not want the government in charge of all of these things. I don't want this to work.  So I'm thinking of replying to the guy, "Okay, I'll send you a response, but I don't need 400 words, I need four: I hope he fails." (interruption) What are you laughing at?  See, here's the point.  Everybody thinks it's outrageous to say.  Look, even my staff, "Oh, you can't do that."  Why not?  Why is it any different, what's new, what is unfair about my saying I hope liberalism fails?  Liberalism is our problem.  Liberalism is what's gotten us dangerously close to the precipice here.  Why do I want more of it?  I don't care what the Drive-By story is.  I would be honored if the Drive-By Media headlined me all day long: "Limbaugh: I Hope Obama Fails."  Somebody's gotta say it.  

To me that is basically hoping that the country fails. Rush we are in enough trouble after 8 years of Bush failing. I don't care who is in that big White House in D.C. I can't afford for them to fail.

So Rush thanks for NOT listening to your party who called for people to "put country first" and not politics. Thanks for NOT recognizing the real situation that Americans are in and trying to become part of the solution.

I mean, if you had, I wouldn't have found a Moron of the Week.

If you really wish to hear the entire 4 minutes of Rush you can listen below.

Poll Results

Have you been more active in fighting for LGBT rights since the election?

Slightly More 56%
Same 33%
Significantly More 11%

01.20.09 - The End of an Error

Finally...I can breathe. That is really how it feels. Bush is gone.

It was hard to grasp that Bush was really going to be gone and there was going to be someone with real intelligence back in the White House. Possibly one of the most ironic sights was Vice President Dick Cheney having to show up in a wheelchair because of a back injury while moving boxes. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

AP Photo/Saul Loeb, Pool

Oh Rick Warren. All that controversy and over what. I felt nothing when he spoke. If that is America's preacher then Lord help us all. He had no connection and was completely false. If his invocation moved anyone or even held anyone's attention I'd be shocked.

It moved quickly Biden in, Cheney out. Then Obama in and Bush out. That was it. Then the speech. Here is the swearing in and President Obama's Inaugural speech.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Another powerful moment for me was the poem writen by poet Elizabeth Alexander.

One of the absolute best moments was when Dr. Joseph Lowery delivered the benediction. His prayer that spoke so eloquently of

"turning to each other not on each other."

His plea for people to

"make choices on the side of love not hate, on the side of inclusion not exclusion, tolerance not intolerance"

was so powerful. It was the perfect closing to such a wonderful moment.



Well here we go, it's day one. Hope is back and Fear is out. Yes We Can.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. With the inauguration of Barack Obama tomorrow I have found myself reflecting more on the words of Dr. King today than I have in the past. There is part of the "I Have a Dream Speech" that sticks with me and stands out more and more these days. It's the fierce urgency of now section of the speech. I'm going to include it below with edits of how I hear it pertain to me.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice equality. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice discrimination to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's gay's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three Two thousand and eight is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro gays needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is gays are granted his their citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

I know that the comparrison of the Gay Rights struggle and the Civil Rights struggle of the African American people is a tough comparrison for some. I am not going to even suggest that the gay struggle for rights is anywhere near what the African Americans in this country had to go through.

What I am saying is that the words of a great man speak to me. They remind me that for us, the gays, there is a fierce urgency of now that can't be ignored.

First Openly Gay Episcopal Bishop Gives Invocation at Kickoff Event for Inauguration

It was considered a peace offering to the gays to have Bishop Gene Robinson to give the Invocation at a concert yesterday. After inviting Rick Warren to speak at the innauguration the LGBT community was outraged. This then seemed like a step towards balancing things out.

But then on the televised even Bishop Robinson was nowhere to be seen. The immediate reaction was to say that HBO put Robinson in the closet. However AfterElton.com is reporting that HBO is blaming the inaugural team.

Contacted Sunday night by AfterElton.com concerning the exclusion of Robinson's prayer, HBO said via email, "The Producer of the concert has said that the Presidential Inaugural Committee made the decision to keep the invocation as part of the pre-show." Uncertain as to whether or not that meant that HBO was contractually prevented from airing the pre-show, we followed up, but none of the spokespeople available Sunday night could answer that question with absolute certainly. However, it does seem that the network's postition is that they had nothing to do with the decision.

Well I gotta say as prayers go I thought Bishop Robinson's was right up there with the best. I think it deserves to be seen. We all know Obama needs all the prayers he can get to clean up the mess he has been given.

By The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson, Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire

Opening Inaugural Event
Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC
January 18, 2009

Welcome to Washington! The fun is about to begin, but first, please join me in pausing for a moment, to ask God’s blessing upon our nation and our next president.

O God of our many understandings, we pray that you will…

Bless us with tears – for a world in which over a billion people exist on less than a dollar a day, where young women from many lands are beaten and raped for wanting an education, and thousands die daily from malnutrition, malaria, and AIDS.

Bless us with anger – at discrimination, at home and abroad, against refugees and immigrants, women, people of color, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

Bless us with discomfort – at the easy, simplistic “answers” we’ve preferred to hear from our politicians, instead of the truth, about ourselves and the world, which we need to face if we are going to rise to the challenges of the future.

Bless us with patience – and the knowledge that none of what ails us will be “fixed” anytime soon, and the understanding that our new president is a human being, not a messiah.

Bless us with humility – open to understanding that our own needs must always be balanced with those of the world.

Bless us with freedom from mere tolerance – replacing it with a genuine respect and warm embrace of our differences, and an understanding that in our diversity, we are stronger.

Bless us with compassion and generosity – remembering that every religion’s God judges us by the way we care for the most vulnerable in the human community, whether across town or across the world.

And God, we give you thanks for your child Barack, as he assumes the office of President of the United States.

Give him wisdom beyond his years, and inspire him with Lincoln’s reconciling leadership style, President Kennedy’s ability to enlist our best efforts, and Dr. King’s dream of a nation for ALL the people.

Give him a quiet heart, for our Ship of State needs a steady, calm captain in these times.

Give him stirring words, for we will need to be inspired and motivated to make the personal and common sacrifices necessary to facing the challenges ahead.

Make him color-blind, reminding him of his own words that under his leadership, there will be neither red nor blue states, but the United States.

Help him remember his own oppression as a minority, drawing on that experience of discrimination, that he might seek to change the lives of those who are still its victims.

Give him the strength to find family time and privacy, and help him remember that even though he is president, a father only gets one shot at his daughters’ childhoods.

And please, God, keep him safe. We know we ask too much of our presidents, and we’re asking FAR too much of this one. We know the risk he and his wife are taking for all of us, and we implore you, O good and great God, to keep him safe. Hold him in the palm of your hand – that he might do the work we have called him to do, that he might find joy in this impossible calling, and that in the end, he might lead us as a nation to a place of integrity, prosperity and peace.

AMEN.

Updated
Statement  from the Presidential Inauguration Committee

We had always intended and planned for Rt. Rev. Robinson's invocation to be included in the televised portion of yesterday's program. We regret the error in executing this plan - but are gratified that hundreds of thousands of people who gathered on the mall heard his eloquent prayer for our nation that was a fitting start to our event.

Video of the Invocation

Introducing the New Lezzymom Podcast

I am very proud to announce the first podcast episode of "Thoughts From A Lezzymom" is now available on iTunes. You can subscribe and listen to it here. Please use the tell your friends link in iTunes and spread the word about the show.

In the premier podcast, I cover recent developments in California’s Prop 8.  We interviewed a special guest Annie Loyd from the Fusion Foundation, fusionfoundation.org. Annie discusses how to get involved and her story about being a community organizer. We wrapped things up with a final thought about Pepsi and their donations to LGBT causes.

The show will always feature a song from an unknown artist This episode the song comes from the Pod Safe Music Network and is by artist Carly Patterson called Temporary Life - Ordinary Girl.
More info about the show found on lezzymom.blogspot.com. Email your comments and show ideas to lezzymom@gmail.com .

Here is a little inforamation on our guest Annie Loyd.

Annie Loyd, she is simply, a "social architect." One that sees things that aren't quite right and tries to find solutions. She works to bring people together and empower them.

This year Annie has run for the U.S. Congress, started Get Out The Vote here in Arizona for the LGBT community, and was one of the founding members of the group H.E.R.O. (Human Equal Rights Organizers). By doing all of this Annie was given the title Woman of the Year by Echo Magazine, Arizona's largest LGBT publication.

Anni runs The Fusion Foundation and One Planet magazine. The Fusion offers a venue for people to unite for a common cause. One Planet magazine was created to offer solutions within the 12 segments of society without casting blame or criticizing others. It is an inclusive media product empowering all to be leaders.

Assuming leadership, on a grass roots basis, is what has defined Annie for 25 years. She has taken the lead in multiple organizations with diverse interests; she has lectured on leadership for years. As a social architect, Annie has been a tireless leader. Born in South Dakota, Annie witnessed a host of challenges regarding the Native American and mental health communities, business owners, farmers and ranchers. She was educated at St. Martins Academy and through her parents, learned about the importance of leadership and giving back to her community. She moved to LA in her 20s, where she managed an 82-bed residential youth facility. Following the Rodney King incident, she organized and led the facility to a peaceful resolution during ensuing riots. With family roots dating back 50 years in the Valley, Annie settled in Phoenix in her late 20s and began playing a support role to many politicians, community organizations and business owners-- while she owned and managed a construction business.

Poll Results

Moron of the Week

This weeks winner is Ann Coulter.

She has a new book out called Guilty: Liberal "Victims" and Their Assault on America. This week she got major press for being canceled from appearing on the Today Show.  Unfortunately, it was just a scheduling issue and the Today Show had her on a different day. The funny this is she decided to play the victim for being canceled. Which is what she accuses liberal of doing.

But that isn't enough to make her Moron of the Week. The real reason is because in her book she claims that single motherhood is

"a recipe to create criminals, strippers, rapist, murderers."

Check out this video from the Media Matters site of Ann on Hannity & Colmes.

Join the Impact - Nationwide DOMA Protest

Now is the time for us to take action. We need to remember that WE are the movement. We can't wait for others to fight for our equality. We must all take responsibility and act everyday to fight for our rights. The time is now.

The following is taken from the website of Join the Impact which is the group organizing the Nationwide Protest against the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

On Saturday January 10th, 2009
We ask you to join us in making the LARGEST IMPACT YET!
Let's take our message all the way up the ladder to President Elect Barack Obama himself!

On January 10th, we will come together as one UNITED FRONT asking the LGBTQ community to join us in signing an Open Letter to President Barack Obama, during a NATIONAL DOMA PROTEST.

This letter will remind President Elect Barack Obama of the promises he made to us.
It will also serve as a pledge from our community that we will hold him to his promises and help him achieve them.

We can’t just put a letter online and ask that people sign it.
We need to take to the streets. As we all know…
VISIBILITY IS THE KEY TO EQUALITY!
Outreach & Education Will End Discrimination.
We MUST Infiltrate, to Educate, and Stop Hate!

HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO:

• Find out who is organizing a DOMA Protest in your area. (Quick Link to State Page) If there isn't one, then volunteer to organize an event, or organize to collect signatures!
  
• Download the Open Letter and take to the streets to gain signatures.
• Get one million signatures (in total across the nation) by the end of the day on January 10th.
  
• Mail the collected signatures to the JTI clearinghouse address BY DEADLINE: Join The Impact, PO Box 141491, Columbus, OH 43214
  

NOTE:
If you can't organize a protest or one is not organized in your city (understandable with the holidays and all), then don't worry, you can still participate:

• Sign up to organize a carpool in your area that gets everyone to the closest protest
• Get a group of friends together to canvas your neighborhood to get signatures for the open letter.
  

The Point of this event...

... to gather at least one million signatures on an Open Letter to President Barack Obama

to be delivered to him on his first day in office.

The event itself will vary by location depending on organizers availability and local sense of how to best do it. Please make posts below to discuss ideas...

Join Us on January 10th for 1 Million Signatures to Repeal DOMA!

Feeling Grateful

I have only been blogging for a short time. What I have learned so far is that the blogging and twitter community is amazing. I have a blast interacting and constantly learning from so many great people.

One new blogger that I have met has graciously given this blog an award. Thanks so much to Kim over at A World of Progress. If you haven't seen her blog go there now - you'll love it.

So the rules say to put the following message up

"This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

So here are 8 bloggers that I would like to give this award too.

A day in the life of a Bipolar Turtle - If you know someone with bipolar disorder or just want to ride the bipolar express this is a blog for you.

odd time signatures and Bang theDrum are both written by one of my favorite twitter peeps @Karoli. While Bang the Drum focuses on politics and odd time signatures is more person both have great stories and insights.

hollywood farm girl is Tammy Lynn Etheridge's blog. She is Melissa Etheridge's wife and she is hilarious! I can't believe I didn't find this blog until a couple of weeks ago. Clearly I am slipping.

Stiletto Set Sports - What can I say, I love politics, humor, and sports. This blog has two out of the three. This is a blog made to help all those ladies that have a partner who loves sports and needs to have a little info. I happened to come across this blog while she was doing her countdown for the Top 10 Sports Moments and Commercials of 2008. I am a sucker for countdowns and man were these great. Whether you are a sports fan or not you must stop by.

Tri's, 3 Kids, and Life - This blog is mostly a personal blog but has great insights on parenting and learning how to train for a triathlon. Lots of fun stories.

Insanity Personified - Jane Doe is the author of this blog. If that doesn't set the tone I don't know what does. Another smart and funny person from bloggerland. I just love finding these amazing people on the internet. Check out her writing and I know you'll be amused.

Lesbian Mommy - Julie's blog is a great resource for lesbian mom's. With lots of links, videos and stories this is definitely a blog to keep handy.

Team Will  - I am a big Lance Armstrong fan. When I started following him on twitter I picked up a lot of other cycling fans. One of them was @jonofTeamWill. The funny thing is Jon and I didn't connect over cycling but over talks of religion and compassion for others. I think you will see that come through in this charity blog.

As you can see some of these people I met through Twitter.com if you're not on it you are missing out on connecting with some amazing people.

Others I met just from surfing around. Each one of these people has made me think, laugh, and appreciate the fact that there are so many great people in the world and how technology has made it possible for me to get to know people I wouldn't have had the opportunity to learn from.

I thank you all.