Your walk in this realm may have ended but your legacy will live forever, Madiba.
"No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite." - Nelson Mandela.
Jumping feet first into my first day of graduate school! Meanwhile, Avante/Garde Diaries documented the surreal deep dive (400 feet!) of William Trubridge.
Oh, if only I could achieve this serene, meditative state...
I am entranced by this light filled underwater scene... reminds me of the sun peaking through the clouds after a storm. I would love to have a large print of this in my home.
I am having dinner tonight with a good friend who just returned from a fantastic journey in Moab, Utah and I'm looking forward to hearing all about her adventure. Coincidently, this afternoon I ran across these magnificent images from Antelope Canyon in Arizona and they've made me even more anxious to see her photographs! (I know, not even close to Utah... but still... similar, stunning formations!)
Have you heard his name this week? This eloquent 19 year old stood up in front of Iowa legislators on Tuesday urging them not to pass a constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage and civil unions. It was so powerful, I had chills. I guarantee you will too.
His testimony, however, fell on deaf ears. Three Democrats joined 59 Republicans to vote in favor of amending the Constitution to ban gay marriage, which passed by a 62-37 vote. If approved by legislators and voters in 2013, the amendment to the constitution would ban gay marriage, civil unions, domestic partnerships and any government recognition of gay and lesbian couples in the state.
The idea that our country is still willing to codify discrimination is simply disgraceful.
On the heels of Australia's GetUp! video that I had coded much earlier in the week to share this morning - which brought me so much joy - I am sorely disappointed and deeply angered by the lack of compassion and respect in this country for human rights, love and the families of our communities. It actually makes me sick.
Transcript of Zach's Speech
Good evening Mr. Chairman. My name is Zach Wahls. I'm a sixth-generation Iowan and an engineering student at the University of Iowa and I was raised by two women.
My biological mom, Terry, told her grandparents that she was pregnant, that the artificial insemination had worked, and they wouldn't even acknowledge it. It wasn't until I was born and they succumbed to my infantile cuteness that they broke down and told her that they were thrilled to have another grandson. Unfortunately, neither of them lived to see her marry her partner Jackie of 15 years when they wed in 2009.
My younger sister and only sibling was born in 1994. We actually have the same anonymous donor so we're full siblings, which is really cool for me. I guess the point is our family really isn't so different from any other Iowa family. You know, when I'm home we go to church together, we eat dinner, we go on vacations. But, you know, we have our hard times too, we get in fights...
Actually my mom, Terry was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2000. It is a devastating disease that put her in a wheelchair. So we've had our struggles. But, you know, we're Iowans. We don't expect anyone to solve our problems for us. We'll fight our own battles. We just hope for equal and fair treatment from our government.
Being a student at the University of Iowa, the topic of same sex marriage comes up quite frequently in classroom discussions... The question always comes down to, well, "Can gays even raise kids?" ...The conversation gets quiet for a moment because most people don't really have any answer. And then I raise my hand and say, "Actually, I was raised by a gay couple, and I'm doing pretty well."
I scored in the 99th percentile on the ACT. I'm actually an Eagle Scout. I own and operate my own small business. If I was your son, Mr. Chairman, I believe I'd make you very proud.
I'm not really so different from any of your children. My family really isn't so different from yours. After all, your family doesn't derive its sense of worth from being told by the state: "You're married. Congratulations."
No.The sense of family comes from the commitment we make to each other. To work through the hard times so we can enjoy the good ones. It comes from the love that binds us. That's what makes a family.
So what you're voting here isn't to change us. It's not to change our families, it's to change how the law views us; how the law treats us. You are voting for the first time in the history of our state to codify discrimination into our constitution, a constitution that but for the proposed amendment, is the least amended constitution in the United States of America. You are telling Iowans that some among you are second-class citizens who do not have the right to marry the person you love.
So will this vote affect my family? Would it affect yours?
In the next two hours I'm sure we're going to hear plenty of testimony about how damaging having gay parents is on kids.
But in my 19 years, not once have I ever been confronted by an individual who realized independently that I was raised by a gay couple. And you know why? Because the sexual orientation of my parents has had zero effect on the content of my character.
This is a stunningly beautiful portrayal of love, that takes my breath away. It is time for marriage equality.
GetUp! in Australia released this commercial last week from the perspective of one partner in love. It builds to the big moment that must be legalized — a proposal to get married.
Polls in Australia show support for marriage equality has increased to almost two-thirds of voters. But Prime Minister Julia Gillard remains opposed, arguing that “the institution of marriage has come to have a particular meaning and standing in our culture and nation and that should continue unchanged."
I've been falling in love with light centered works and installations lately. Perhaps it is something about the chilly cold and darkness that is creeping in with the winter season, and the warm glow that these pieces surround you in. Or perhaps it has more to do with the unconfined nature of light, and freedom to reach out and touch you as it is expressed - at a time when I feel contrained and yet boundless possibility. I'm not quite sure...
Today, I stumbled upon Picasso portrayed and practicing as a light painter, and fell totally in love.
"Renowned LIFE photographer Gjon Mili, a technical genius and lighting innovator, visited Pablo Picasso in the South of France in 1949. Mili showed the artist some of his photographs of ice skaters with tiny lights affixed to their skates, jumping in the dark — and Picasso’s lively mind began to race. This series of photographs, since known as Picasso’s “light drawings,” were made with a small flashlight or “light pencil” in a dark room; the images vanished almost as soon as they were created."
Labor Day always seemed to be so bittersweet as a kid; on one hand it was one final hurrah! for summer - a vacation with the family - and on the other, it meant that school was starting again. But let's be honest, I was never one to dread the start of school! ...Though I was often caught up in the last minute speed read of our summer literature lists (ok, ok, twist my arm, it was more like every year. Some things never change I guess).
In any case, I've been stockpiling some lovely summer vignettes in my files, and it seems like the appropriate time to share them with you all. Enjoy!
Off to Tahoe in a few short hours! Have a safe holiday!
Images (from top to bottom): Arthur Shuraev (via Design Crush), Virginia-Gálvez (via Design Crush), Unknown, ParisPhotographer (via Etsy), ParisPhotographer
Definitely in need of some art in my life at the moment. Very excited to be celebrating my mom's birthday in the city next weekend, and seeing the Picasso show at the de Young Museum!
It is definitely time for a trip to NYC, if for no other reason than to see the second phase of the city's High Line, the incredible elevated park that has transformed westside Manhattan. What is there not to love?!
The extension stretches 10 blocks to 30th Street, more than doubling the length of the first High Line, which debuted in 2009. Designed by landscape architect James Corner Field Operations and hipster starchitects Diller Scofidio Renfro, High Line Part Deux has a raft of features -- including a viewing platform that puts you on par with the tree canopy, a 4,900-square-foot lawn, and loads of seating -- that prove that the new park will be every bit as gawker-friendly as the old one.
This time around, though, the High Line is designed to facilitate additional activities. There’s the Rainbow City installation which we described here and which will be converted into a rollerskating rink in July. There are food trucks galore, both on the High Line and off.
Images by architectural photog extraordinaire Iwan Baan.
Inspired by his travels, photographer Jasper James produced this series of silhouettes that showcase the wonder a city inspires in those who experience it. I love the range of emotion that is whimsically captured.
