Daily Zen - Monday, October 24

Meet this transient world with neither grasping nor fear; trust the unfolding of life, and you will attain true serenity.

                         - Bhagavad Gita

Unbelievable Pumpkin Carvings

In kindergarten, I drew dogs that looked like stick cows. In middle school, I sketched misshaped hearts and oblong peace signs in my journal. My talent as a visual artist has grown little since then.

Consequently, I'm prone to being easily impressed by the artistic skills of others. These carvings by Ray Villafane are truly amazing though. Masterpieces in pumpkin.

Do you suppose he shellacs them so they don't get all mushy and rotten?

Don't Judge a Zombie Boy by Its Cover

This video kicks butt on several levels. It's ultimately just an ad for DermaBlend body makeup, but the concept is unique, the transformation of uber-tattooed "zombie boy" is unreal, and I appreciate the overriding "don't judge" message.

Viewing Tip: Click on the title bar at the top of the clip to open the video in a larger YouTube window.

Week in Review - October 22, 2011

Here are links to a few of the fun and interesting things you might have missed on my blog this week.

The American press didn’t report much about the death of 15 year-old Jamie Hubley, a bullied gay Canadian teen who committed suicide this week. As with the story of Jamey Rodemeyer who took his life last month, this tragic news must be shared to spur us all to take action. The new Mr. Spock, Zachary Quinto, took action by coming out publicly as gay, and I tried to do my part this week by showing up at Apple headquarters to counter-protest the Westboro Baptist picketers. 

While Congress accomplished nothing on the job front, I proposed a new job creation model centered on the burgeoning real-life superhero movement (more jobs, fewer villains – what could be better). Also from the world of fantasy, Michele Bachmann continued her quest for the presidency, despite the mass resignation of her entire New Hampshire campaign staff. It’s hardly any fun to clown on Bachmann now, so the folks at Bad-Lip-Reading turned to Mitt Romney for the latest hilarious BLR clip.  

Former SF mayor Willie Brown suggested a Romney/Cain ticket would be no laughing matter, while Al Sharpton had me ROFL with his Daily Show comments on Cain. On the other side of the aisle, I drew a comparison between the re-election woes of both President Obama and his predecessor – sorry guys, no one cares what didn’t happen on your watch.

Judgment Day - Part Deux came and went and still no rapture, although all hell did break loose in Ohio, where dozens of wild animals were freed from their cages. Oh there is one more thing. In case you’ve been living in a cave, or a whole in the ground, which is apparently not the best place to hide, Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi was captured and killed. There is opportunity in the Middle East, but I’m recommending the U.S. tread lightly. 

As always, thanks for reading.

Herman Cain Is Anti-Abortion but Pro-Choice

Having watched this interview segment three times, I am still confused by Herman Cain's position on abortion.

In the interview, the Republican presidential candidate says there are "no circumstances" under which abortion is acceptable. Then, when pushed on the questions of incest/rape, he characterizes abortion as a very personal decision, "a choice that the family or the mother has to make..." He takes it one step further saying, "whatever they decide they decide."

Cain declares himself to be completely opposed to abortion and says the procedure should be illegal, and then he answers a follow-up question with an eloquent pro-choice statement. We're all used to politicians contradicting themselves, but it's not often that we see it so well done in a single news clip.

Weekend Zen, October 22-23

If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should see sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.

         - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Bachmann Campaign Staffers Give Up in NH

The six or so folks who comprised Michele Bachmann's New Hampshire campaign staff have resigned en masse. Now, if we can only get Michele to follow suit.  

Doesn't she know there are things she could still be screwing up in the House of Representatives?

Of course the bigger question is when will she resign from her congressional seat so she can have time to write a book about her journey, moderate a Fox News show, begin collecting mammoth speaking engagement fees, and start preparing to pretend to run for office in 2016?

Obama Faces Same Re-Election Hurdles as W

An Andrew Sullivan Dish reader provides a good summary of the President's accomplishments. As I reviewed the list, it occurred to me that President Obama and former President Bush face some of the same challenges in seeking re-election.

President Obama's greatest accomplishment is avoiding the total collapse of our economy, which he did in large part by pumping gargantuan sums of money into key U.S. industries. Consequently, we incurred the loss of American confidence and amassed an incomprehensible amount of national debt.

President Bush's greatest accomplishment is avoiding another devastating international terror attack in the post-9/11 years, which he did in large part by waging war(s) in the Middle East. Consequently, we suffered the loss of thousands of lives and amassed an incomprehensible amount of national debt.

Bush was confronted by an all-consuming terror attack and security crisis just a few months into office. Obama was confronted with the threat of an impending economic disaster and financial crisis. Both presidencies are largely defined by the perceived success, or lack thereof, in managing through these crises, and in both cases, Americans underestimate the enormous good that was achieved.

Daily Zen - Friday, October 21

Do not be afraid to take a chance on peace, to teach peace, to live peace. Peace will be the last word of history.

                        - John Paul II

Reverend Al Sharpton Discusses Herman Cain on Daily Show

A must-see clip from the Daily Show. The right reverend Al's words and tone when discussing Herman Cain's presidential bid...priceless.

Economy = Hard, Debt = Easy

America's economy is far more complex than most of us will ever truly comprehend. Consider the impact of and the relationships between the national debt, the dollar, job creation, big oil, Wall Street, banking and finance, the Fed, the housing market, consumer spending, manufacturing, foreign markets, free trade, technology, infrastructure, tax revenue, and on and on and on.

America's national debt crisis, the first element I listed above, actually can be simplified though. This graphic, which was recently getting passed around on Facebook (thanks Carrie Clement!), does the trick nicely. It clearly illustrates the ridiculousness of our current national debt situation, and it lends itself nicely to the McKown Formula for Solving Any Budgetary Crisis - make more, spend less.

Gaddafi Reported Arrested, Killed

Former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi

Giant news from the Arab world this morning as reports claim that Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi has been captured and killed by rebel forces in his hometown of Sirte. Reuters, the BBC, and other international news outlets are reporting Gaddafi's death, although it has not been confirmed by U.S. news agencies or by the American government. A gruesome cell phone photo that is reported to be the corpse of the Libyan dictator has been broadcast on MSNBC and other networks.

With Gaddafi having been in power over 40 years (since the Nixon administration to put it into context), his imminent demise poses large questions about what happens next in Libya.

As the Arab Spring continues in to fall, Libya is just the latest Arab nation making headlines as civil unrest spreads across the Middle East and Northern Africa. Since last December, we have seen political revolutions resulting in the ousting of longtime dictatorial leaders in Tunisia, Egypt , and Libya, and we have witnessed uprisings and civil protests in Bahrain, Syria, Yemen, and other Arab states.

The fire of rebellion spreading through the Arab world is exciting, and the idea that real organic democracy (not the Bush-imposed brand used in Iraq) may take hold in these nations inspires hope. With these revolutions though also comes uncertainty, and a pressing need for cautious and balanced American diplomacy and leadership (this is not time for walking tall and carrying a big stick).

As we celebrate the downfall of cruel and tyrannical dictators, we should all, regardless of political affiliation, hope our leaders are capable of thoughtfully positioning the U.S. favorably in great Arab unknown. The Arab Spring presents historical opportunities for our nation to forge new positive relationships in the Arab world. Our leaders must exercise enormous care to make sure we take an appropriate role in these events that allows us to leverage these opportunities to make new friends, or at least to avoid making new enemies.

Daily Zen - Thursday, October 20

We can make our minds so like still water that beings gather around us, that they may see their own images, and so live for a moment with a clearer perhaps even a fiercer life because of our quiet.

                        - William Butler Yeats

National Book Award Nomination Given in Error

Whatever you screwed up at work today - it wasn't likely as bad as this. The National Book Foundation mistakenly announced last week that Lauren Myracle's young adult book Shine was nominated as a National Book Award finalist, when they actually meant to nominate the title Chime by Franny Billingsley.

When notified about the mistake, author Lauren Myracle responded by removing herself from the running for the prestigious award and recommending an appropriate apologetic gesture from the NBF.

Because Shine is a young adult novel about a girl whose gay best friend is the victim of a hate crime, Myracle suggested the NBF make a donation to the Matthew Shepard Foundation.

The National Book Foundation took the suggestion and donated $5,000.

Thanks to the graciousness of Lauren Myracle this is a win-win-win. Her book gets deserved publicity, the integrity of the National Book Award is maintained, and a worthwhile cause receives a check for $5,000.

Lions, Tigers, Bears Loose in Ohio

A dead lion near Zanesville, OH

This is horrific. How does a man who was just released from federal prison last month end up owning dozens of exotic critters and housing them on his "animal farm"?

The man, Terry Thompson, has committed suicide, but before doing so, he released all the animals including 18 tigers, 17 lions, and 8 bears, into the Ohio countryside. The animals had to be hunted and killed by authorities.

A wolf and monkey are still at large. Go, little monkey, go!

Westboro Baptist Protests at Apple HQ

A counter-protester with a direct approach.
Photo: Taken at Cupertino High School

Members of the Westboro Baptist Church protested at a local high school and outside the corporate headquarters of Apple, Inc. in Cupertino, CA this morning.

According to the group's website (godhatesfags.com), the protest was scheduled to last from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. and intended to coincide with a planned memorial service for Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

Surprisingly, and to my disappointment, when I arrived on the scene at 9:30 a.m., the pathetic handful of placard-wielding hatemongers had already dispersed.


I was sorry not to meet the WBC face-to-face, though if I had, I'm not sure how I would have addressed them. In recent days, I contemplated the most effective options for confronting WBC protesters - Logical argument or religious debate? Creating my own hateful placards and yelling angry obscenities? Gentle but firm nudging with the front bumper of my car? All tempting approaches to be sure.

I ultimately concluded that there is no way to confront the WBC and win. Because of their demented belief that they are literally the chosen few, handpicked by their God to deliver his hate-filled message, they cannot be reasoned with, persuaded, or even insulted. The only way to defeat the WBC is to refuse to confront them, to dismiss them and wait patiently for them to die off one by one. Recognizing that ignoring them is likely the best tactic, I realize that just by showing up and paying attention to them, I conceded defeat. So be it.

Counter-protester with a religious appeal.

I came to meet the WBC here in Cupertino, if for no other reason than to let them know that they cannot go about their business of hating people unopposed.

As it turns out, there were dozens of counter-protesters who felt the same way.

The less than ten WBC members who flew in from Topeka were greeted by counter-protesters who outnumbered them about 10 to 1.

Straight-forward, I suppose.

I interacted with the counter-protesters, many of whom mingled a while even after the WBC left.

Some of them were gay, some not. Some were college-age folks (whose placards took an antagonizing approach equal to that of the WBC), and others were like me, middle-aged and more subdued.

All of us showed up for one ultimate reason though - to let the members of the Westboro Baptist Church know that they don't speak for us, or for our God, whatever we conceive him to be.

In the end I failed to meet the devil today. I was a few minutes late, and the devil apparently had a plane to catch. I did make some new friends though, and in the paraphrased words of my friend Jane, despite occasional evidence to the contrary, I got firsthand confirmation that there are still more "nice people than f*cking idiots" in the world.

My new counter-protester friends Cara and Coco.

Daily Zen - Wednesday, October 19

To live here and now you must train yourself: in the seen there will be just the seen, in the heard just the heard, in the thought just the thought. That is the end of sorrow.
                             - Buddha

Phoenix Jones - Superhero, Job Creator

This morning I read about a man who was arrested in Seattle for hosing down a group of clubgoers with pepper spray. The daily news is rife with stories of random acts of violence, but this story is special. The pepper spray perpetrator was Benjamin Fodor, aka Phoenix Jones - the most prominent member of the Rain City Superhero Movement.

Phoenix Jones, real life superhero

Phoenix Jones is in Seattle, but real life superheroes are cropping up across America quicker than Wall Street occupiers. I had no idea there were any modern day superheroes, much less a superhero movement, but apparently there is one and it's growing. Witnessing the rise of groups like the Rain City Superheroes, some see a movement, but with my keen mind for business and economics, I see an industry. And where there is industry, there are jobs. To hell with the American Jobs Act. I suggest Congress and White House crank up the full power of the American political machine in support of the new era of the superhero. In doing so, we will rid our streets of those bothersome overly-ambitious clown-faced criminal elements, and more importantly, there will be jobs.

We'll need more superheroes of course. Lots of them. With just a black mask and a matching muscle suit, Phoenix Jones has shown us that the superhero dream is alive and well, and within the grasp of any man or woman who can wield a can of pepper spray. Caped crusaders are the backbone of the superhero business, and this industry can only grow if we foster a wide variety of innovative and entrepreneurial crime-fighters. 

Where there are superheroes, there must be sidekicks. For those who possess a passion for crime fighting but are unsure of their own individual butt-kicking skills, the sidekick role may be perfect. There is plenty of room in this burgeoning new industry for the ride-along type. Everyone can't be in the limelight, right? Someone has to gas up the turbo car and re-stock the utility belts. Let the superhero have the glory - we all know he couldn't do it without a solid sidekick.

Daily Zen - Tuesday, October 18

Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength.
                   - Charles Spurgeon

Jamie Hubley - Another Gay Teen Suicide

Jamie Hubley, Ottawa Canada, 1996-2011

I wish I didn't have to write this post, and I'm sorry you have to read it.

I wish I had just finished reading more online about the economy or the rapture or baseball.

I even wish this was another painful follow-up post about Jamey Rodemeyer, the bullied gay teen who committed suicide last month. It's not.

I wish damaged human beings with complex problems received only love and support, instead of bigger and higher hurdles than they already have.

But wishes like these don't come true.

Jamie Hubley was a 15 year-old gay teen from Canada, the son of a city councilor, who committed suicide this past weekend. He was an avid blogger, he was an excellent figure skater, he was passionate about music. He was a boy.

According to the few news reports I have seen, Jamie was a deeply troubled young man who suffered from severe depression. Like Jamey Rodemeyer, he chose to document his sadness online. His Tumblr blog entitled You can't break...When you're already broken is fraught with the kind of uber-dramatic words and images you might expect from a boy who is crying out for help. It is difficult to read and not appropriate for everyone. Jamie did receive help from his parents, doctors, and counselors, but as with Jamey Rodemeyer, the struggle to go on living was simply too great in the end.

In a heart-wrenching written statement, Jamie's father acknowledged the many overwhelming challenges his son faced, and while perhaps not the only reason for Jamie's decision to commit suicide, being bullied as a gay teen was a factor. Jamie's father also said this:

"Over the years I have tried to help a lot of people and I was very proud that my beautiful boy was also learning the joy that comes from helping others. I need time to deal with the pain of not being able to save my precious boy and will speak more on his life and these issues later."

Jamie's father's full statement is eloquent and beautifully written. I hope you'll take a few minutes to read and reflect on it. There is nothing else I can find to say about this.