Helping GBLT People in Russia

Helping GBLT People in Russia

Apparently there is some really homophobic crapula going on right now in Russia. 

Coming Out St. Petersburg is trying to raise funds to pay a fine levied by the Russian Government.  The Russian Government is calling them foreign agents and trying to shut them down. 
http://www.comingoutspb.ru/en/en-news/donations-to-pay-the-fine

Spreading the word would be greatly appreciated.

What I liked about the new "Lone Ranger & Tonto" Disney movie

When I was a kid, I tried watching the older LR & T series.  It was pretty cool to see a Native American in a positive role on TV. 

But what always confused me was why they trusted each other.

In class we heard about how Custer died for our sins, Wounded Knee, the Trail of Tears, Cynthia Ann Parker, Kit Carson, Geronimo, and Philip Sheridan.

There's also the bit of Texas history that those outside of Texas might not know about the Texas Rangers. 

In the early days, the Texas Rangers were a bunch of racists thugs. One became a Texas Ranger through who one knew, rather than because one wanted to keep the public safe.  

In the new Disney movie, Dan Reid deputizes his brother, so brother John is now a Ranger.  Which is how becoming a Ranger often happened.  One didn't need any special training or psych eval to become a Ranger.

"Walker, Texas Ranger" they weren't. 

They were brutal to adversaries, often employing torture during interrogation.  Go do a google search and you'll find lots of info on the behavior of the Texas Rangers in the 1800s.

There was this wonderful investigation in 1919 of the Texas Rangers, which found that they were responsible for the deaths of nearly 5,000 Hispanics in the past decade.  The agency of the Texas Rangers was reformed, and a sort of Internal Affairs department instituted. (They didn't call it IA, and right now I don't remember what it was called.)

It's just that when I would attempt to watch it as a kid, I always wondered how Tonto could trust the Lone Ranger, or why the Ranger trusted Tonto.  Why would two men from opposing groups end up working together.  No one ever gave me an answer to that question as a kid. 

In the movie, Tonto and the Ranger definitely have their squabbles.  But by the last 15 minutes of the movie, they are working together in sync, keeping watch over each others' back, and just fantastic together.

What I liked about the new movie was that it answered the question my kid self had years ago.  John Reid (the Lone Ranger) and Tonto  ended up together due to need and circumstances, and somewhere along the way they became best of friends.  

I so want Disney to do a new TV series now, except without all the fancy special effects they used in this movie.  There were a few times I was thinking that they would have been seriously hurt in that stunt in RL.  Especially with that rolling train.

Help out a Quivering Daughter

Does anyone here know about Quiverfull/Christian Patriarchy? It's an extreme fundamentalist version of Christianity where women are to be 'helpmeets' to their husbands, where the husband is to be the absolute authority in the household, and women should be silent because God speaks only to men, not to women.

If you get a chance to go check out the "No Longer Quivering" blog and FB pages, please do so.

Anyway, Jennifer from NC wants a scholarship. Her parents refuse to sign her FAFSA, or help her in any way to getting a college education, because women are not supposed to be educated. You can help her out by voting for her essay.

http://www.wyzant.com/scholarships/v3/essay64934-Charlotte-NC.aspx

Quote from her essay about what she would do with her education...

I would love to create a safe-house where children of religious homeschooling families can come to improve their lives and future and have hope.
From struggling with poverty, to being unable to get a job without a resume or employment history, and often a substandard education; the children of the Quiverfull movement have extreme challenges to overcome. A home like this would be a safe platform for them to transition into the world without being abandoned to struggle. Many of their parents wish this difficulty for their children, saying it will cause them to return and be content with the party line. I want to create a buffer for the pain parents cause when they shun and disinherit their children for religious reasons.

Because there are more of us every day, and so much pain and heartache.


Go vote for her essay.

I'm only about halfway through and now I want to see the documentary on this book.

"The First and Final Nightmare of Sonia Reich" by Howard Reich. I guess you could look it up on Amazon dot com. Or maybe find it at your local used bookstore or Alibris. I got my copy at the discount bin in the grocery store.

Official Movie Website
http://prisonerofherpast.kartemquin.com/
You can help support the film.

Prisoner of her Past Blog
http://prisonerofherpast.wordpress.com/


I found a link to the trailer on YouTube


And if that doesn't show up, here's the link...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F5lO9QtJrM

I also found this entry on the blog interesting. A couple folks in the audience at Tarrant Community College, in Arlington, Texas, really understood Reich's mother. One was from Ghana and the other from the People’s Republic of Congo.
http://prisonerofherpast.wordpress.com/2010/12/13/reaching-students-where-they-live/

If you are going to NYC or live in/near NYC

Is there anyone here going to NYC or in/near NYC? I can get tickets for a kickstarter play. I need a response soon.

I certainly can't get to NY at this time.  I found the kickstarter through RM on LJ.  She's also on Wordpress.  Great writer, you should go read her blogs. 

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1604890644/dogboy-and-justine-workshop-production

Rob's Art Lessons: How to Shade Flowers

Cool art lesson for all y'all budding artists.

http://robs-art-lessons.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-to-shade-flower-petals-in.html

Have fun.  

Sigh. My cat

My cat Thomas recently had to go to the vet because he wasn't eating. This is the second time he had to go. Well, the vet recommended a sonogram to see if the specialist could see why. The specialist has said that Thomas' intestinal lining is inflamed, and it could be either Irritable Bowel Disease or some sort of lymphoma. She mentioned the name of the lymphoma, but I've forgotten it now. To know for sure he has to have a biopsy. The biopsy will run about $800 to $1200. Money I really don't have, and I would have to borrow from relatives.

I hate it when my cat gets sick. I hate that I don't have the good job I did way back when I worked at AT&T/Lucent/Tyco.

Sigh...