“the events in our lives happen in�a sequence in time, but in their significance to ourselves they find their own order– the continuous thread of revelation.”
~ eudora welty
Archive for December, 2003
idea of the day: “ontological lightness”
here’s what “the sacred romance” (a book i’m re-reading) says about it:
“if i try to hold still, my soul reacts like a feather in the afternoon breeze, flitting from place to place without purpose or direction.� i almost seem invisible in the noise or blankness.� theologians refer to this condition as ‘ontological lightness’, the reality that when i stop ‘doing’ and simply listen to my heart, i am not anchored to anything substantive.� i become aware that my very identity is synonymous with activity.”
“our whole american culture is infected with ontological lightness, celebrities and pro athletes being the most dramatic examples of this victimization of our souls that ruins us for any substantive love relationship.� they are anchored only to their performances and out of their performances come their identities– and ours who worship them.� as soon as they stop performing, their identities– and ours– disappear.”
ugh, i think i’m infected.
it’s sad when a rock star is more trustworthy than the president, don’t you think?
WALL STREET JOURNAL: PRESIDENT BACKS OFF PLEDGE TO FUND GLOBAL AIDS FIGHT
The Wall Street Journal today reports, “President Bush plans to ask Congress for relatively small funding increases to fight AIDS and poverty in the developing world, stepping back from his highly publicized pledge to spend huge sums to help fight them.” The President’s decision is just the latest step in a calculated effort to slowly - but surely - abandon his own commitment to fully fund the global fight against AIDS.
Just last year in his State of the Union speech, the President said “I ask the Congress to commit $15 billion over the next five years…to turn the tide against AIDS in the most afflicted nations of Africa and the Caribbean. Seldom has history offered a greater opportunity to do so much for so many.” At face value, it was an historic request, with Congress and AIDS activists ecstatic about the promise to pump $3 billion a year into combating AIDS throughout the world. U2 Singer Bono, who has been one of the leaders of the AIDS fight, “hailed” the President’s speech, saying “If we can turn the president’s bold long term vision into near term results we’re excited,” adding, “any delay in increased funding means more lives lost and an even bigger check in the future.”
Unfortunately, as the LA Times reported, just five days later, the President introduced a budget in which he “only sought $2 billion for the year” for AIDS - 33% less than he had promised. The Senate later voted to increase the President’s request, and Bono visited with the President to urge him to keep his promise. Nonetheless, the White House “repeated its strong opposition to any funding beyond $2 billion” while claiming with a straight-face that the President was doing all he could. When questioned about the discrepancy, White House spokesman Scott McClellan simply refused to address the issue, saying only “The President has shown unprecedented leadership in the fight against AIDS.”
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if you can vote in houston, then YOU MUST VOTE IN THE RUN-OFF TOMORROW. no excuses, people. if you can’t find yr voter registration card, that’s ok, you just need yr driver’s license.
ALL four of the races are super important, so if you don’t know anything about the candidates, take a few minutes and check them out on the internet (the chron has an ok voter’s guide). i voted (early) for bill white (mayor), annise parker (controller), peter brown (council at large) and ronald green (council at large).
it looks like bill white has a good lead, but brown’s race is too close to call. i think we *really* need someone like peter brown on the council- he’s an architect who actually *believes* in urban planning and quality of life. please please please consider voting for him, cos in this race every vote counts.
plus, it’s a saturday election, so you really don’t have excuses.
lurve, the election monster
****BREAKING NEWS****
last night, my dear friend ellen and i were selected as CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK at empire cafe!!! we’ve been talking about this for years (seriously) and last night (maybe just to humor us) sebastian told us we could be the customer of the week! so he took our polaroid with carlos, a guy that works there, and ellen got really excited and made me and carlos wear these xmas wreaths (from the wall) around our necks, and carlos got down on one knee and did a sort of cheerleader pose, and ellen made me get on her back. we were, um, quite a spectacle.
so, if you live in h-town, you should go to empire this week and see our fabulous polaroid!! ellen and i are extremely proud of this honor. AND we get free coffee for the whole week!!!
i would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the little people that helped me reach this goal, especially�my high school pals, who went with me to empire in high school even though it was a 50 minute drive. i owe much of this award to darling olivia, who helped me build up my empire experience at half-price cake night every week. olivia, i wish you were here�cos you deserve to be in the polaroid too. i’d also like to thank my dad, for teaching me about the beauty of coffee at the wee age of five. and of course, thanks to everyone who never stopped believing�in my capacity to drink coffee and eat cake.
i’d like to dedicate this award to all of the dreamers out there. for� 7 years, i never stopped believing i could be customer of the week, and i finally made it. never give up on yr dreams, cos anything is possible!!!
(a teary-eyed sarah exits stage right, cradling her empire mug)
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