What Do YOU See?

I found this picture on another blog and it completely blew me away (and wrecked my otherwise relatively efficient time usage for the morning). The original article for it is here and I hope it screws with you as much as it does me.

When I first looked at the picture I had it going clockwise, which is supposed to represent thinking with the right hemisphere of your brain. But then... when I start reading (a more left brained task) it switches to the counter-clockwise motion. After some practice (closing my eyes, relaxing my neck, wiggling my right and then my left hand) I can pretty much make it go whatever direction I want.

Now I'm obsessing... I wonder which hemisphere that uses. I'm also wondering what might happen with a male silhouette.... Hmmm?

Unsubscribe Me!

In one of those classic moments of the internets I found the video above quite by accident, but it moved me to act.

The video is produced by a group with whom I had a long and active involvement a long time ago, but which I have in recent years allowed to largely slip off my radar.

The ability to transform an ugly, evil act into a life affirming piece of art and to do it for the purpose of changing the world is truly an amazing accomplishment. Despite the election of Barrack... this remains an important issue, and AI remains a vitally important organization worldwide.

Please view this video (it's astonishing when played full screen), sign up, then pass it on.

The Other Guy Counts Too!

Last night's commentary by Keith Olberman was first brought to my attention via Twitter when I got a "tweet" from inlookout about the commentary. When I turned on my computer this morning I immediately downloaded last night's Countdown podcast from iTunes, opened it and fast forwarded to the end.

I have been mulling over some kind of response to the issue of prop 8 in California since it first appeared on the ballot, and I have yet to come to terms with the wording to explain how I feel. I have started an attempt at formulating those feelings at Butting Heads, so please go there and check it out as well.
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P.S. There's also a new Veteran's Day blog at http://washingtonscousin.blogspot.com.
But first... give Keith another listen... It's worth your time.

It's Morning In America

I woke up this morning with those four words in my heart and the image of that old Ronald Reagan commercial unfortunately in my brain.

I thought about it... smiled... and dismissed the image, because as much as I love the sentiment, I did not want to despoil this extremely energizing, enlivening moment with old words and concepts that I feel have brought us (over the last 28 years) to our collective national knees, begging and scraping along ground that we should be able to walk upon with grace, and strength, and heart, and pride.

The reaction is also why I chose not to link to that old commercial, as I would normally do under such circumstances. I am done with that crap! My entire adult life has been colored with the residue of destruction that began with Reagan and ended last Tuesday night (it actually began with Richard Nixon when I was 14 years old, but that's for some other blog on some other day).

But then... I got up... I turned on my computer and I found this piece by Eugene Robinson (one of my favorite commentators, with whom I happen to share my middle name).

It IS Morning in America, and I, for one, am ready to rise!

I Rise!

I love... truly love... Dr. Maya Angelou. This piece from the CBS morning show features her poem "I Rise" at the end of a terrific reflection on the meaning of the events of last week.

It's nearly eight minutes long (Dr. Angelou comes on about half way in)... and it's worth taking the time to visit.

Thanks to Engima4ever for bringing this clip to my attention. On her blog she has also placed a link to the letter Alice Walker (another of my great loves and deepest sheroes) wrote to the President Elect. It too is awesome and lovely and worth the time it takes to read.

What a great moment in time! THIS is what it feels like to be alive.