Aid for Haitian Earthquake Victims

These are but a few of the many relief organizations --most of whom already had people onsite in Haiti prior to the earthquake:

American Jewish World Service http://www.ajws.org/ 212-792-2900

Doctors Without Borders https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/

Haitian Education Project haitianeducationproject@saintleo.edu 1-800-334-5532 or 352-588-8331

Hope for Haiti http://www.hopeforhaiti.com/ 239-434-7183

Mercy Corps POB 2669 Portland, OR 97208 http://www.mercycorps.org/ 1-888-256-1900

Operation Helping Hands http://www.iwant2help.org/

Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) http://www.panamericanrelief.org/

Project Medishare http://www.projectmedishare.org/

International Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/ or text the word HAITI to 90999 to make a $10 donation

Salvation Army http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/ 1-800-SAL-ARMY

UNICEF http://www.unicefusa.org/haitiquake or call 1-800-UNICEF

Leap year or not, the eve of my anniversary is here

My journey began on March 1, 1981, at Angel's Gate Park overlooking the harbor of Los Angeles. My fairy godmother couldn't have picked a more beautiful place for me to begin my life anew. So ironic, in that this is the first glimpse of America for so many immigrants from around the world.

But that was still one long walk home that morning. And though today, the sun is shining and Catalina Island is visible, floating on a silvery sea, it was most certainly not sunny that day.

When saying, "I'm sorry," by itself alone doesn't cut it...

Jay Leno joked after Isaiah Washington's apology for his homophobic slur that 'he ought to be a entering rehab any minute now.' And now word is, that he has. I know that decades ago a group of sincere activists started a group for white people to examine and overcome their racism, but I wasn't aware of the existence of Homophobia Anonymous.

From the news stories of late, that recovery facility has tapped into a growth market with a lot of potential.

I've said some dumb things myself in the past that had me wondering, what the heck did I say that? There's probably not a human alive who can't say the same thing.

There were activists in the sixties who used to say something to the effect that the wringing of hands and all was well and good, but one's actions would said say more to their sincerity. As they say in twelve step groups, Washington has taken the first, major step in recovery by admitting he was wrong and attempting to do with it. And what if there is no Homophobia Anonymous, and Washington has entered a facility for good old fashioned run of the mill chemical dependency? In vino veritas.

If Washington completes his treatment, at least he won't have to fear every plate or drink a waiter brings him from now on. Maybe he might even end up bunkmates with Michael Richards or Mel Gibson or any one of the other number of high profile personalities who have publicly regretted the words they spoke just a little bit too late.

Too bad there's such a list of people I'd like to push into intervention.

I've said some dumb things myself in the past that had me wondering, why the heck did I say that? There's probably not a human alive who can't say the same thing.

Assuming all goes the way it should at whatever facility Washington's in, it's one down, a couple hundred million to go...

Serenity

Just for today, I will try to do as much as I can with what little I'm given in the small amount of time I have without any clear or substantial direction

while others get credit and acknowledgement
and I'll try not to feel anger,, resentment, or frustration
because this is just --after all-- just a job.

I only have to keep telling myself to breathe, and to learn to let it go

--thanks to Walt at i-walt.com for the meditation. After I read this and a few slow measured breaths, I wasn't anywhere nearly as disillusioned with the human race as I had been. Actually, I'm even once again quite hopeful. It might be a sort of reverse discrimination and chauvinist, but with the exception of Alexander the Great, the Empress Catherine the Great of Russia and a few other notable exceptions, I suspect that most gays are God's teachers, spiritual workers and peacemakers. That's the spiritual experience that I had when God revealed to me that I was gay. I guess some of you didn't get the memo.

Oh well. We may all have special duties and abilities assigned to us by our higher power, but not all of us will get to know what they are or understand the message when it is received. No matter how idiotic or destructive some human's behavior may be, I know that they're still God's kids. The ones that give God a headache, perhaps, but still God's work when all is said and done.

____________________________

"There are days when we say, 'I'm going to move out of this damn place. I'm not going to take it anymore.' But the next day you have a quintessential, magical L.A. day, where you meet interesting people, go to some concert in an open-air theater, have a great meal, listen to great music, and you go, 'Yeah, that's why I live here.'"

--Huell Howser to Allison Milionis in the August 3 Citybeat newspaper