Another Queer Jewish Buddhist

Cigar Smoke Bukakke

What were they thinking?????

Well, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar...just not this time.

Democracy, Corporate Media and the death of Newspapers...

This quote, from David Mitchell's brilliant novel, Cloud Atlas:

The conflict between corporations and activists is that of narcolepsy versus remembrance. The corporations have money, power and influence. Our sole weapon is public outrage. Outrage blocked the Yuccan Dam, ousted Nixon, and in part, terminated the monstrosities in Vietnam. But outrage is unwieldy to manufacture and handle. First, you need scrutiny; second, widespread public awareness; only when this reaches a critical mass does public outrage explode into being. Any stage may be sabotaged. The world's [corporations] can fight scrutiny by burying truth in committees, dullness and misinformation, or by intimidating the scrutinizers. They can extinguish awareness by dumbing down education, owning TV stations, paying "guest fees" to leader writers, or just buying the media up. The media...is where democracies conduct their civil wars.

And after the last weeks in Iran, electronically via internet and mobile communications as well. And we have seen how corporations that offer internet and mobile services can sell out to repressive governments to further their own interests.

The Colbert Report, Jim Fouratt and Queering the News

Steven Colbert just gets more amazing every week. He went to Iraq and stood before a cheering crowd of soldiers as he made fun of Don't Ask Don't Tell — proof positive that the troops on the ground are more than ready to end this shameful charade perpetrated by successive administrations, Obama included.

And last night, he had as a guest on his show (after mercilessly hitting Obama for cowardice and duplicity in "stonewalling" the lgbt community) Jim Fouratt, veteran of GLF, GAA, former proprietor of Danceteria - the great 80s disco. (This Danceteria bit made Colbert's comment on surviving the Disco Inferno all the funnier, though if 5% of the audience understood the reference I'd be amazed)

Colbert usually interrupts his guests and they rarely get a chance to really deliver their message. That didn't happen last night, and Fouratt got a chance to tell the story of the Stonewall Uprising as it actually happened (as opposed to the mythology of the event) to a national TV audience (even if it's cable!). Colbert isn't mere satire, he is queering the news. Here is the interview:

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Jim Fouratt
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Mark Sanford

Manscaping the pubes and advertising

MediaBistro's Agency Spy reports on a TV spot previously posted here for Europride. But after they show that spot they report on a video from Gillette Fusion razors on how to shave your pubes, because, "trimming the bush makes the tree look taller." The target here looks like a young male — teens. Yep, I clearly have the wrong copywriting work at the moment.
 

Of course, because the target is young men, and we don't want to scare them off with the idea that body shaving is queer (especially since they're suggesting shaving your groin as a strategy to deal with self esteem issues about size) you'll note when you go to the Gillette site that there is a woman on the side of every visual  to remind the dudes that they're still straight and that women will find it attractive.

Places you don't want to be gay, Jewish or both...

Reports from South America today include a raid on a neo-Nazi group in Porto Alegre, Brazil where knives, clothes bearing swastikas and three homemade bombs were seized by police.  Paulo Cesar Jardim, a local police official said that material gathered in the raid showed that synagogues and gay-rights demonstrations being were being targeted. The group, called New Land, wanted to "kill several Jews and gays at the same time,” according the Jardim. The area has the third largest population of Jews in Brazil, and also is home to a rather large population of German descendants.

Meanwhile, in Argentina, thugs attacked a celebration of Israeli Independence day in Buenos Aires.

South America clearly needs more gay bare Mexican bears bearing snack foods to bring peace and love to the region. Or not.

Hot Latin Bear Bares All For The Love of Snacks: Gay Fantasy Doritos TV Spot Gives Quiznos A Run For The Money

And I thought Quiznos had pushed the envelope on queer fantasy and straight queer fear with the "Scott Put It In Me" spot. Nope. Australian ad agency MAKE has just put out a spot for Mexicana flavored Doritos that follows the thoughts in the head of a young man who starts to eat the snack. He begins to have fantasies of a naked Mexican man rolling in Doritos a la American Beauty. He looks horrified at the contents of his own mind. Little does he know what's about to happen though, when his fantasy is made manifest right on his coffee table. This is positively surreal. And I sure wish I could see the sales figures of this product over the next few weeks.

TV/Web Video for Europride: There's a little gay in everyone

This lovely little spot for queer pride celebrations in Zurich is produced by TBWA. Not that it's stereotypical in suggesting that gay men want to dress like showgirls...or that it's problematic for straight men who feel threatened by their own inner feminine side and don't know how to relate to it (or for gay men who have the same problem actually). I have some real problems with this spot. Except that I still just happen to like it. What do you think?

Which Muslim country is more curious about gay sex? Google knows...

An Australian news site reports that:

"Homosexuality, which is illegal in most Muslim and African countries, spurs much interest in Muslim Africa. While the search word "gay" is dominated by Latin Americans, it is mainly Filipinos and Saudi Arabians looking for "gay sex". The African "gay sex" list is topped by Kenyans, Tanzanians, Namibians, Zimbabweans and South Africans. In the francophone world, however, Algerians and Moroccans by far top the world's search for "la homosexualité". Algerians also by distance top the search for the "sexe gay", with the French and the Moroccans being somewhat more timid on the issue."

Of course, Saudi Arabia is no place to get caught gay. For that matter, neither is Zimbabwe (which is not a Muslim country, just simply in sub-Saharan Africa). Of course, Zimbabwe is not a place to be caught for any reason given the insane government. Must be all that pent up desire.

Today is 40 days, which is 5 weeks and 5 days of the Omer: Hod of Yesod

Surrendering to Relationship. This is not the surrender of co-dependency, the giving up of Self with a capital S. No, this is the surrender of the illusion of isolation — that one's actions don't affect another you are in relationship with. The humility of this surrender goes beyond a relationship with a loved one. This is a surrender to letting relationship be the teacher.

This day calls for an affirmation, a practice I think is often misused, since simply repeating an affirmation does not make it true or "manifest" anything. What it certainly does do though is activate the unconscious -- both the power to take actions to make it real, and the negative aspect of Shadow that would do anything in its power to prevent this outcome. So what is the affirmation for today?

I open myself to let every relationship, no matter how important or seemingly trivial deepen my connection with my spiritual essence and the essence of others.

In other words, having the humility to learn from all. This is echoed in the Mishnah that is traditionally read during the period of counting the Omer, the Pirke Avot:

Ben Zoma said, "Who is wise? One who learns from all."

So let's look at the Tarot and see what information its images might offer today. Let's consider the 8 and the 9 of cups. In in the 8 of Cups, the Hod card, we see a wall of cups, with a space between the cups on the upper level. And we see a figure turned away and headed up the mountain under the light of the moon. It suggests to me an abandoning of old emotional defenses that are not only no longer needed or positive, but also not even effective. A willingness to be vulnerable on the journey into the darkness. This is a kind of surrender. And it suggests what must be done if we are to experience the connection that Yesod promises.

However in the 9 of cups we see a man who is clearly quite self-satisfied. He has wealth, and in fact, he is surrounded by a wall of cups that completely isolates him. This is what happens when you don't surrender and walk away from the very seductive defenses of the Cups -- and it is seductive, since it is a table filled, crowded with Cups. Given the sensual nature of Yesod, this is suggestive a being lost in the world of the senses in a way that prevents and defends from relationship. Sensual pleasure without spiritual connection. The man in this card is a warning of what happens if you don't take the high road and leave these cups behind as seen in the 8 of Cups. This man in the 9 of Cups believes he has nothing to learn from anyone: after all, isn't he successful and surrounded by material wealth? Indeed. He is surrounded. And alone.

Violence at gay pride in Eilat Israel

So even though a member of the Knesset calls for offering gay Palestinians sanctuary in Israel earlier today, even Israeli lgbt people could use some "sanctuary" and protection from anti gay religious violence as noted in Ynet this evening: " A group of youths attacked a 34-year old man at Eilat's annual Gay Pride Parade Friday, attended by about 3,500 people."

Meanwhile the Pope, in a speech in Nazareth, did his usual number about family values and the need to protect families from the queer menace. Yep. That's what I love about the "holy" land. It attracts some of the world's most intolerant people. Sigh.