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February 28, 2006
If this werent funny I'd be pissed!
A Florida company known for its "faith-based" clothing line has begun distributing a T-shirt that uses "Brokeback Mountain" to condemn gays.
The T-shirts depict an angry Moses on Mount Sinai looking down on a group of ancient Israelites and modern gay cowboys who are dancing around an idol of the biblical Golden Calf.
The caption on the T-shirts reads "In his anger, Moses BROKE the two tablets of stone that the Ten Commandments were written on while walking BACK down the MOUNTAIN."
The T-shirts also bear the message "The Original 10 Commandments, BrokeBack on the Mountain".
The T-shirts are made by Second Coming Clothing Co.
"The message is the same now as it was at the time of Moses, company CEO Rick Wade said in a statement, "that God’s covenant is broken with His people, God’s heart is broken for His people, and that judgment is coming prior to the return of the Lord, which is soon."
The company's products are sold in Christian stores across the country and marketed under the slogan "Take Your Faith Out of the Closet, and Put Our Clothes Back In".
Wade said that 100 percent of the company’s net profit will go to faith-based organizations.
"Brokeback Mountain", the gay love story of two cowboys, has been nominated for eight Academy Awards.
source
Posted by jody at 3:48 PM | Comments (3)
Tuesday
alright so i spoke about how nice it was to chat with fellow ashtangi's at sundays puja, which it was.
during a conversation with someone they talked about a 10 day fast that they had just done, its the one where you drink fresh squuzed lemonade (basically) with maple sryup (grade b or below) and cayenne pepper.
these 3 ingredients are supposed to cover your basic nutritional needs. i was intrigued, as i had been on the subway a few nights before and heard someone talking about the same fast. so i decided to try it.
the deal is that you have to do it for a minumim of 10 days which just isnt going to happen but i am going to do it for a couple of days. maybe work up to a longer period over time. the juice itself is delicious. tastes just like lemonade but with a bite. they pepper makes the juice alomst substancial if that makes sense. anyway, we'll see how it goes and for how long. i love food and i love eating it.(just ask my belly.) but it seems like a good idea to clean the pipes out every now and again.
the shala was packed today with many faces ive never seen before. my theory is that people are coming out of the woodwork prior to guruji's visit later this month. one thing i know for sure is that im getting to the shala EARLY for mysore with sharath. i hope we dont have to move to the back for closing when he's in town. it would make the experience a lot less stressful, infact i wish we didnt have to move to the back for closing now. im sure there are good reasons why its necessary to move but it would be nice if we could just close where we start.
Posted by jody at 9:27 AM | Comments (2)
February 27, 2006
Interesting, No?
I happened upon this on the huffington post which is my source for news and politics of the day.
Speaking to a Wall Street gathering Wednesday, the former Federal Reserve chairman decried the "polarization" of American politics and said the ground was ripe for a third party presidential candidate, according to several people who attended the event.
A member of the audience asked Mr. Greenspan if he would endorse a candidate for president. Mr. Greenspan said he would not, "for now." But he went on to describe the two American parties now as controlled by their extreme wings, even though the voting public is far more centrist, the people who were present said. He described the leadership of the parties as "bimodal," meaning clustered at the extreme ideological ends, whereas the voting public was "monomodal," meaning clustered near the middle.
Such situations, he said, create an opening for a third-party candidate who appeals to the center. That, he said, could prompt the candidates of the other two parties to move back to the center, for fear of losing.
Posted by jody at 11:18 AM | Comments (2)
Moonday
thankfully so i might add. yesterday was my first day back after four and it was a great practice but am i sore today!
sarah was there with barry and she helped me in UHP can i say that she is so STRONG. im starting to really open up in this posture and my leg gets pretty darn high on my own and with assistance its really up there. it seemed almost effortless on her part, so much so that i commented on how strong she was. anyhoo the rest of practice was fine barry helped me dropback for the first time, i thought i might be nervous but i wasnt. although he did think that i was trying to walk my hands towards me feet when i was actually just getting a better placement for my hands.
yesterday was shivaratri, its always nice to go to puja for special occasions (when every body tries to make it). you get to talk to people that you otherwise dont get a chance to during the week. so i was able to chat with a couple people and get to know them. somehow when you have just a little bit of knowledge about the people you spend most mornings with it makes yoga more special in a way. i mean, you know, we are all doing our own thing and foscusing on dristi and bandhas and all that but if you have some sort of connection with the people around you it makes it kinda nice. come to think if it i spent the entire day with yogi's. there was practice, then i was invited over for crepes at IVDP's house and a quick shower before heading back to the shala for puja. then had lunch with REW and HC after puja. good times.
Posted by jody at 8:28 AM | Comments (0)
February 25, 2006
Posted by jody at 8:59 PM | Comments (0)
February 21, 2006
Laurel Hester Loses Battle with Cancer (True Hero)
Laurel Hester, the 49-year-old cancer-stricken police officer who fought to leave her pension benefits to her partner lost her battle to cancer this weekend. As a 23-year veteran of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s office, Hester inadvertently became a gay marriage activist after battling over a year with numerous failed attempts to extend her pension benefits to her partner of six years. Hester feared that her partner would lose the home they shared without her 13,000 death benefit.
Two years ago, New Jersey passed a Domestic Partnership act giving counties and cities the right to extend healthcare benefits and pension benefits to partners of gay employees. Of course there is a caveat involved when it comes to our rights; these benefits can be given at the discretion of the individual cities and counties, and the Ocean Country Prosecutor’s office, Hester’s former employer, repeatedly thwarted her plea.
Despite her failing health, Hester didn’t just throw in the towel. She continued to show up at their meetings, demanding the simple designation that her partner receive her benefits in the event of her death. There were protests. Garden State Equality, a New Jersey gay and lesbian rights group got involved to raise public awareness and solidify her case. Nothing seemed to change their minds.
Bed-stricken and unable to attend further meetings, Hester had Garden State Equality videotape her final plea where she urged the freeholders to “make a change for good, a change for righteousness. Finally, after a long battle, they relented agreeing to give Hester’s partner the benefits she’d earned.
Not to sound preachy, but Hester’s refusal to relent is a huge act of courage and perseverance that should resonate with us all. We’re going to act all kinds of crazy if Hester isn’t on the cover of The Advocate by the end of year.
Posted by jody at 1:43 PM | Comments (1)
Sunday 3
everyday is like sunday... not really but I thought since ive already had two this week why not go for three.
practice was fun this morning, not exactly sure why but it was. today i took to heart the 75% rule. which is to practice at 75% of your max, for a few reasons. first is safety if you have that buffer your less likely to hurt yourself, second is to moderate your energy so that you dont burn yourself out, in the long run you make faster progress, and third im tired of having a GREAT practice followed by a crap practice becuase i over did it or am just plain exhausted. it also allows you to really understand where your at in terms of the physical aspect of asana if im going at 75% then i know where my body's limitiations are and what i can do to make it a littlle deepr into it with out straining and avoiding all the negative stuff above. oh and it keeps your ego in check too, its a lot harder than it seems becuase i always want to push.
i got good solid wrist binds in mari a - c , please dont let this jinx it, it seems to be all in the wrap around the knee, the higher you wrap around the knee the easier it is to grab the wrist. d was even a bit friendlier today we had one brief argument on the 2nd side which eddie had to come and strighten out but other wise it was a pleasant exchange.
the fold up of the pants for supta k did help in terms of the slide factor and I felt closer to binding on my own than i have in the past but who knows what it looked like. no adjustment for me today so i wont know if it really works or not until next time. Im not going to talk about dropbacks becuase i have a tendency to over analyize things when i blog about them during practice and get stuck so....
i had a new neighbor today and i should probably just say sorry now because I think i think i slapped my sweaty head right onto her arm or leg during garba p, what a pleasant start to the morning. he he he
barneys was a success yesterday i found the coolest rugby shirt its yellow and blue and get this its cashmere.
i almost bought a cashmere hoodie but it was too big. i found two really cool long sleeve tshirts that i think are hand loomed or some gimmick but they are the softest thsirts ever and they have cool prints one is faded black with a silkscreen of a monkeys skull sounds sinister its actaully very cool and the other says sunshines on the front.
Posted by jody at 10:08 AM | Comments (0)
February 20, 2006
sunday
i cant tell you how much i like dropbacks, seriously, they are the best part of practice right now. of course i still have the steady hand of my teacher taking care that i dont drop right back on my head but still. it may be a different story once im fully in the drivers seat and have to drop back on my own, or maybe not. today i went back no problem what so ever felt strong in the asana did a few rockings back and forth but i'm still unsure of the mechanics of getting back to stand. do you subtly fling, for lack of a better word, yourself forward to standing or is it more inhalation/contracting your core to get you back up. OR is it like everything else as your body becomes more and more supple and less tight coming back to stand will be just a matter of will. i'm sure it'll make itself known thru practice no need to sweat it. speaking of will i was practicing next a 3rd series person today it was pretty cool not because i watched the whole time (i glanced a few times) but that there was so much focused energy and it rubs off. there are however a few sweeping side leg exits in certain asanas in 3rd which required that we both be aware of each other so as not to kick or get kicked, which with the right people can in a wierd way enhance class it becomes a sort of communal experience...anyway.
hand and foot bind in supta k today that was nice. i think ive hit a point where the clothes i wear (knee length pants) for traction are kinda getting in the way of somethings, like the hand bind in supta k, but are necessary for others, mari C,D, bhuja p, and exit from supta k. in supta k for instance my legs get stuck at the point where the pants and the shirt meet which is basically at the shoulder so the hand bind is tough because my legs wont slide intowards my body because of the cotton on cotton. and until the ankles are behind the head its a STRUGGLE to keep them clasped. im not comfortable shirtless so thats not an option. and i forget to ask barry to give my knees a little lift when hes bringing my ankles together which would make the hand bind easier. or i guess I could just take a quick second to fold them up so that my sweaty knees will slid along my shoulder and move the shirt ot of the way. genius!! ; )
after practice a group went for chai, it was nice it also had the added bonus of getting a ride home in KJS's very cool new mini. thanks K! i'm off to the barneys warehouse sale today what fun. if your not familiar the BWS its a sale where things that were originally priced at 400.00 for ,you know, something like a scarf are marked down to 140.00 what a bargain! with savings like that you cant afford NOT to buy! the stuff is usually ridiculously expensive but you do run into an occasional bargain if you look hard enough. and its fun to pretend to be the "other half" :)
Posted by jody at 9:56 AM | Comments (3)
February 19, 2006
Sunday
home practice today thru standing and feeling a bit guilty about not doing the entire thing but its better than not at all, right. went out lastnight for dinner & movie with a friend from work and then met up with some other friends for a drink in brooklyn. it was fun in spite of the fact that people smoke in bars in brooklyn and this morning my lungs hurt, and to think i used to smoke...(only when I drank :)
today planning on seeing another movie with a another friend hopefully one that is better then freedomland. that movie is TERRIBLE. samuel jackson is really good as is julianne moore but the storyline was confused and disarrayed and they used "made for tv" slo mo and music effects to add drama which actully made it kinda cheesy. too bad those 2 hours cant be reclaimed id even take a refund. had dinner at this place josies in the upper west and it was pretty good i had grilled tofu and it was yummy. im not usually a big tofu person its texture can be a bit much but not so lastnight. it was asian bbq flavored, good stuff.
other excitement ;i just go this cool mat bag on friday (ordered actually) and i should have it tuesday. it looks great in the pics and its big enough for my manduka, yogi toes towel and clothes. it has to be more comfortable than the one I carry now its a UE design bag (?) terrible design and not meant for a really thick mat. the SAKA bag is roomy has a sidelong zipper which is key and a strap that goes from end to end as opposed to my current one which straps go from middle to end VERY uncomfotable when you have to lug a 20lb manduka. the real test comes when i start riding to practice again. i hope this bag can be adjusted to fit snugly against my back and minimize the movement of the mat. lets hope so as this sucker was $95 with tax and shipping and i dont plan on buying another one soon.
alright off to enjoy the day no matter that its a chilly 22 degrees out!
Posted by jody at 10:41 AM | Comments (0)
February 17, 2006
its amazing
what a little sleep will do for you. i went to bed at 8:00 pm and slept all the way thru to 5:00 am this morning. it was awesome. yesterday i was exahusted ,literally exhausted, from the week. so instead of coming striaght home from work i went and did some grocery shopping that way i couldnt come home and end up napping. which always ruins my nights sleep. it worked. i came home ran a bath, no hot water :( so instead slathered on some traumeel cream which works even better than arnica. and laid down to read. by 8:00 I was ready to call it quits and so i did. I woke up a few times but god it was heaven.
it makes such a difference in practice when youve had some sleep. i wasnt particularly bendy or anything but i felt stonger. im trying to pay more attention to my vinyasas i have a tendency to auto pilot thru them and they get sloppy.
today it wasnt much of an effort to keep it all tidy. dropbacks today went better i didnt have to comeback up in fear. eddie said "okay hands down" and down they went. they only problem was that my hands were wet from the sweat on shoulders so i didnt feel as confident as id have liked to and it made the stand up a little more difficult. but a great practice none the less. im hopefully getting a massage this weekend if i can find a good place that does intense deep tissue my back muscles are sore. anybody got a suggestion?
Posted by jody at 9:08 AM | Comments (2)
February 16, 2006
Anti-Gay Amendments Fail In 2 States
(Washington) Proposed amendments state constitutions to block same-sex marriage failed to get enough support to advance in West Virginia and New Hampshire.
In West Virginia the House of Delegates voted largely along party lines in a procedural vote to kill a proposed amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman.
Opponents said the issue of preventing same-sex couples from marrying is already covered under a law passed in 2000. The law was upheld by the state Supreme Court in 2004.
But supporters of an amendment say the court could still one day overturn the so-called Defense of Marriage law.
"Courts throughout the country are attacking statutory enactments on the definition of marriage," said Delegate Tim Armstead (R-Kanawha) who led the effort to pass the amendment. "It's very important that we do this."
Meanwhile, in New Hampshire, a similar amendment was rejected by a House committee.
The Judiciary Committee voted 14-7 to recommend that the amendment not be adopted.
New Hampshire law already bans same-sex marriage, but opponents want to have the state Constitution declare that "a marriage between one man and one woman shall be the only legal union that shall be valid or recognized in the state."
They say that would keep the issue out of the courts.
©365Gay.com 2006
Posted by jody at 1:46 PM | Comments (6)
February 15, 2006
Wednesday
Today’s lesson was trust and faith during practice, it was the first time I did assisted dropbacks. Exciting huh? : )
The first 5 drop backs, the ones where you only go as far as your exhales were fine.
The 6th one where you go all the way back to your hands was the scary bit, I had to try twice. The first time instead of reaching my hands back I reached right for eddies arm and had to come back up. He lived up to his nickname of The Stern one when he asked me to drop back and reach my hands to the floor. So I gulped, exhaled and dropped back into a backbend. Eddie is deceptively strong, I was worried that he wouldn’t be able to bear my weight on the dropback which is why I reached for his arm the first time but when I did actually drop back he had me with complete control. So hopefully I wont freak out tomorrow. I came right back up with the next inhale and it seemed so easy with Eddie’s help. Whats interesting is that my back feels great, completely wide open. I remember in the past back bends always made my back hurt from being hinged into the bend. Not so much now. So that’s cool.
Barry wrenched me into sputa K with both hand and leg bind. Im not adjusted into to a full version of this every day it kinda depends on where my body is at but on those days that I am I can feel my self beginning to calm down some and take stock of how I feel and where I might be able to create a little length it feels good. Well as good as Supta K can feel I guess. My left ankle was solidly behind my head today and boy was it pressing my forehead into the floor: )
I came up into Dwi Pada which I kept during the lift up but the effort proved a bit much and I couldn’t jump back very gracefully. But it was close.
Other than that nothing exciting to report. I am beat today. I accidentally took a little nap when I got home last night while reading Middlesex (if you haven’t already you really should it is a GREAT book.) so getting to sleep was a little difficult.
Posted by jody at 10:02 AM | Comments (1)
February 9, 2006
Thursday
Practice was tough this morning not sure why, maybe being up so late had something to do with it. I watched most of the Grammy’s they were just as I expected…okay. Couple stand out performances were Madonna of course, Bruce Springsteen, Keith Urban and Christina Aguilera.
I think my favorite was Christina she has an incredible voice and it looks like her trash queen days are a thing of the past. Maybe the gigantic rock on her finger has something to do with it. I fell asleep rather quickly afterwards but it WAS 11:00. Woke up with out any real difficulty, though once I was in the shower I knew it was gonna be a tough go of it. I usually take a HOT shower and do forward bends to loosen up a bit well today it wasn’t coming easy. I gushed yesterday about Arnica gel and how well it works and it does, almost too well. I basically bathed my legs in it lastnight at least my hamstrings and calves and they were great this morning. Those areas that I missed like my ankles/feet and my glutes were the areas that made practice so difficult. I thought the same thing the other night when I slathered it all over my shoulder, the area that I covered was great the next day, the areas that I didn’t were in comparison more sore then before the gel. Sound crazy? Yeah so my ankles and feet are sore, ankles from the Marichyasanas and the outer edges of my feet from the Janu’s. The glutes weren’t particularly sore but I could feel the stretch more powerfully in them that the rest of my legs (from the gel?) so they felt sore. I’m going to use the gel sparingly as I think it has the potential to become a great crutch which probably isn’t a good thing. But it does bring me to an interesting point, when does the practice get comfortable? I mean enough so that you don’t have to worry about creams and gels and salts and candles and prayers and ice and heat and on and on. I imagine that its probably post Primary Series, or after you’ve been doing primary for a long time and are ready to move on. I know that right now my body is working out all its “issues� like tight shoulders and hips and ANKLES. Its funny because I creak and snap and pop all the time now my body has gotten so loud. It doesn’t feel like a permanent thing more just my joints voicing their concern. Truth is there is always going to be a place for all that stuff above but I’m sure the need will dwindle with time.
Shala closed this Sunday for renovation and moon day on Monday BUT Eddie is teaching on Wednesday so we’re not missing so much time.
Im going to make myself practice Sunday morning that way I can work on D to my hearts content! Oh and Setu B and I have made friends, it amazing what a little trust and a lack of fear will do!
Posted by jody at 10:32 AM | Comments (2)
February 8, 2006
Wednesday
no practice today, i just cant seem to motivate and get up early for self practice at the shala. so i slept in. it didnt help that lastnight i had to go to a work dinner i ate way to many chips and my stomach has felt not right since although i think its feeling a bit better now. can I tell you that setu b gives me a head ache. ive had a headache everynight since i was given this pose. however im not nearly as sore today as i have been the last couple. i woke up without a sore back which i am attributing to the arnica gel that i slathered on the night before last. im a believer, and to think all that healing comes from these pretty flowers. practice is coming along nicely, i would venture to say that save for supta k and D my pracitice is pretty good given the amount of time ive put in on the mat. D is still elusive as it feels necessary but its come a million years and supta is just going to take some time to understnad how to really get ino it on my own. i think that my right shoulder thing is going to make it more difficult as i cant bring my arm up high enough to make the hand grasp easy. but perhaps it will release as time goes on. looking forard to tomorrows practice.
Posted by jody at 3:24 PM | Comments (4)
February 7, 2006
Tuesday
+ 
= SORE!!
Posted by jody at 9:44 AM | Comments (1)
February 6, 2006
Monday
Alright so today was the first day that I did the entire primary series in mysore (class). And I swear there was music and fireworks and singing... Okay so it wasn’t quite like that but it was kinda cool.
It seems to have been a relatively short period of time since I started this whole Ashtanga thing, just a little under a year, and believe me I still have a LONG way to go before I have one of those really cool looking practices, but Im happy with what I got goin on. Besides its less about what goes on ON the mat and more about what goes on OFF the mat. At least for me. The lessons Im learning from yoga about the approach to life are proving more difficult than any of the postures. Its not that I’m missing them but old habits die hard. I guess that’s the learning part, now that I have gained awareness the next step is action. Its coming I just need to remember the 3 P’s. Patience , Prudence, Perserverance.
Posted by jody at 2:16 PM | Comments (0)
February 3, 2006
There are some tshirts with this logo floating around the shala which I think are pretty cool.
Universe, please... may I have one?
Posted by jody at 6:10 PM | Comments (4)
Friday
2nd day of setu B and man is that asana frightening, i cant help but feel like my neck is going to snap. this relationship is going to take a while to grow into love, Setu seems nice enough but its going to take some time getting to know him. my head hurts like hell even now some 4 hours post practice from all the weight and its kinda red. i imagine if you had a problem with dandruff or flaky scalp this asana would help remove it at least on the crown area : ) i made 3 attempts this morning, i had too much bend in my knees the first two tries which made rolling onto the crown of my head impossible. the third time i got it but all of a sudden i panicked and came out of it after 1 breath. i didnt wait for eddie to help which is probably not the right thing to do, i think i'll wait from now on, that should help with the fear factor. so im all signed up for mysore practice with sharath the first week he is here and i have mild anxiety about that, as what if he stops me really early. i cant really imagine why he would but just in case i'm going to really focus on D which i almost feel like i have a handle on it and should be able to bind without a problem now that i have a new method of getting into it. its amazing how easy (relatively) it has been the last few days. i dont know that this asana will ever be comfortable but as long as i'm binding then i'm happy.
today was the first time since the day before thanksgiving that i was able to get sternum to the floor in upavista k it felt good to feel that open and not be in excruciating pain. makes me love practice again.
Posted by jody at 10:18 AM | Comments (6)
February 2, 2006
Quintessential NYC
Okay so Im trying to put a list together of things one must do when in NY.
So far hers what I have
1. Central Park
2. Broadway Show
3. Lincoln Center (Opera, Ballet, Symphony)
4. Theatre
5. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge
6. Shopping in Soho (on a weekday!)
7. Yoga with Eddie and Barry
I know there's plenty more what am I missing???
From REW
*the met museum, moma
*juilliard student performances at lincoln center
*a walk along the brooklyn heights promenade
*tenement museum in the lower east side
*brooklyn botanic gardens or ny botanic gardens in the bronx
*striver's row in harlem
*trapeze school!
*wall street: ny stock exchange, trinity church
*staten island ferry, where you'll go past lady liberty
*cloisters
*take the A train somewhere
*bleacher seats at a yankees game
Posted by jody at 1:32 PM | Comments (4)
February 1, 2006
Handle your Scandal
Bet you didnt know that the LGBT community had a direct connection with the Jack Abramoff scandal, I certainly didnt until lastnight. Check out what Tim McFeely, President of the Center for Policy Alternative says about it. Its spot on and illustrates the majick of the Republican party.
"In his meandering, theme-less State of the Union Address last night, near the conclusion Bush declared:
They [the American people] are concerned about unethical conduct by public officials and discouraged by activist courts that try to redefine marriage.
In 8 seconds, the president dismissed the corruption scandals gripping Congress and his Administration and equated these in the American mind with judges who have applied state constitutional precepts on equality to lesbian and gay couples. The reaction? Applause from both sides of the proverbial aisle - Democrats want to underscore the unethical conduct reference and Republicans want to take another swing at scapegoating homosexuals for the moral decline of America.
It's yet another example of the way conservative wordsmiths "frame" and mischaracterize events and issues. This simple sentence conjoins public officials who pervert their duties by accepting bribes from the Abramoff crowd with state judges who see unlawful discrimination in denying marriage rights to same-sex couples. Corrupt congressmen and courageous jurists are framed in the same photo and filed under "bad characters" that Americans don't like. Instead of seeing the real photo of Abramoff gripping Bush, we get a contrived portrait of Randy Cunningham hugging Margaret Marshall (now that's a mind-bender!)
What's the answer? At a minimum media commentators and the rest of us need to WAKE UP and deconstruct these faulty frames. And all of us need to watch our backs and fight back every time this word-poison is injected into the public discourse."
Margaret Marshal is the chief justice of the Mass. Supreme Court
Randy Cunningham is the jackass from california who had to resign after accepting 2 MILLION in bribes from "Lobbyist".
Oh what a world we live in!
Posted by jody at 1:39 PM | Comments (0)