Powerful, hopeful: Yoga helps heal 70-year-old woman's bulimia.

Bon Iver performing Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me."

Image: source.

From Sasquatch 2011, The Thermals and Sharon Van Etten.

Chris Meloni, ‘SVU,’ and the Role of Men in Feminist Television

Rural Communities and Bicycles

So. I've officially decided to scrap my plans of doing the Ironman 70.3 this summer, and the shorter triathlon I had planned for this coming month. It's hard to admit - largely because I encouraged a friend to sign up, and have been so public about my commitment. But it just doesn't feel right. My knee is still an issue (I'm seeing a doctor today, thanks for the push everyone!) and I just don't feel excited about it. I want to have a summer where I spend time outside because I have the urge, not because it's on my training schedule. I still think that an Ironman 70.3 is is my future in the next few years but....not this August. More to come....

"The country is in deep trouble. We've forgotten that a rich life consists fundamentally of serving others, trying to leave the world a little better than you found it. We need the courage to question the powers that be, the courage to be impatient with evil and patient with people, the courage to fight for social justice. In many instances we will be stepping out on nothing, and just hoping to land on something. But that's the struggle. To live is to wrestle with despair, yet never allow despair to have the last word." - Cornel West

From the NYTimes, For Anarchist, Details of Life as F.B.I. Target. Amazing that this is how our tax money is spent, spying on American activists using their freedom of speech.

Applying the always-awesome Bechdel’s test (or Mo Movie Measure) to literary classics going back to Homer.

Image: source.

Love this call for more involvement in rural pride activities.

Today I Googled "post race depression," curious to see if my experience with feeling blue after racing was a common one....and boy is it ever! From a 10K to my marathon, each race I've run has been followed by a period of exhaultation and then....crash. These articles explore why, and what to do about it.

"Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid / of its plenty. Joy is not meant to be a crumb." - Mary Oliver

Check out "the tale of 67 Sueños, a youth-led collective based in Oakland that strives to tell the stories of everyday young people who are often left out of the national narrative on immigration reform."

Image: source.

Last Sunday's NYTimes had an interesting op-ed piece encouraging gay peeps to skip all the hetero weddings the have undoubtedly been invited to this summer (I'm looking at 4 myself). Someone over at Queerty disagrees. I'm more in the latter camp - I love celebrating important moments with my friends, and the large majority of my straight friends are more than aware of the rampant discrimination and homophobia in the country, and aware of their own privilege in regard to marraige and the associated benefits. I don't think my boycotting their weddings would change their views on the topic, and would only lead to me being left out of this important life event. But it is a complicated and painful issue on all fronts, and not one easily solved (uh, except for, you know, real marriage equality).

A great listen: Amy Poehler’s Awesome Harvard Speech

Great video of kids speaking out in support of OR Tuition Equality. Powerful, humbling, moving stuff.

I'm slowly finding my way into a new exercise/physical health routine. Not training for any one thing in particular right now, just paying attention to what I need to do to stay sane and healthy and active. So far that means the 20-min 30 Day Shred video some mornings, fitting in walks whenever possible, and the return to Bikram last night. It was hard - as always - mentally, physically, emotionally. But so wonderful, and I was so proud to have made it through another 90 minutes. It feels powerful to slow down, take stock of what my body needs, and reassess the goals I set for myself. I think I'm on the right track.

"How Is Your Heart?" Charles Bukowski

during my worst times
on the park benches
in the jails
or living with
whores
I always had this certain
contentment-
I wouldn't call it
happiness-
it was more of an inner
balance
that settled for
whatever was occuring
and it helped in the
factories
and when relationships
went wrong
with the
girls.
it helped
through the
wars and the
hangovers
the backalley fights
the
hospitals.
to awaken in a cheap room
in a strange city and
pull up the shade-
this was the craziest kind of
contentment

and to walk across the floor
to an old dresser with a
cracked mirror-
see myself, ugly,
grinning at it all.
what matters most is
how well you
walk through the
fire.

Absolutely heartbreaking: In Oakland, Redefining Sex Trade Workers as Abuse Victims: "Once viewed as criminals and dispatched to juvenile centers, where treatment was rare, sexually exploited youths are increasingly seen as victims of child abuse, with a new focus on early intervention and counseling...An estimated 100,000 to 300,000 American-born children are sold for sex each year."

Image: source.

The whole premise of "What Would You Do?" makes me pretty uncomfortable - staging awkward or hostile encounters between people, in order to see how bystanders react - however, I will admit to being somewhat moved and heartened by this recent clip about a waitress who harasses a lesbian couple and their kids. The man who says, " You're a horrible waitress and a horrible person" clearly won me over, as did the guy who wrote the note (watch and tear up, if you're a softy like me). I also appreciated that the show took the opportunity to remind people that discrimination against gay individuals and families is still legal in many states (even if they didn't get all their facts quite right).

I read a Eudora Welty novel in college, and remember not enjoying it. But this makes me want to give her another go.

Training: I'm slowly trying to get back into daily excercize, but this time as a way to preserve and improve my mental and physical health, not necessarily with the idea of training. Thus far that has looked like morning walks (for an hour or so), or on a rainy day like today, 20 min of Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. I'm also trying to get little spurts in, like 30 min of walking around downtown before meeting a friend for dinner yesterday. Anything to get me out from behind my desk, and moving. Once I reached the elusive goal of marathon, doing anything but a 20 or something mile run started to feel wimpy. And boy, was that a mental hurdle. So I'm trying to reset my mind, and remember my motivations - and that every day doesn't need to be a marathon day.

Gay and transgender teens find refuge at home created for them: "The Wanda Alston House in Northeast Washington is a transitional housing space for homeless gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth between ages 16 and 24. Residents can live in the house, which is run by the nonprofit Transgender Health Empowerment, for up to 18 months while they attend school and get jobs."

Retired NUSL (my alma mater!) Prof. Clare Dalton starts a new career: Life points: "For legal scholar Clare Dalton, a sharp turn from academia to acupuncture was a natural fit"

What School Lunches Look Like In 20 Countries Around The World

Image: source.

Interesting discussion of Tim Wise and "the white privilege of white anti-racists"

And, a really excellent piece: White Privilege Diary Series #1 - White Feminist Privilege in Organizations: "This diary describes my experiences in the world of white feminist organizations and NGOs, and offers an analysis of the key problems of white privilege and the investment of many white feminist institutions in racist practices."

A single mother in Oregon facing deportation: "Liliana is a Mexican immigrant and mother of three who has spent the last 20 years working in the United States. Recently she was arrested and processed for deportation. She is accused of no crime and has a valid social security number allowing her to work in the U.S. Liliana is currently fighting to stay with her children in Bend, Oregon."

Everything That Happens Can Be Called Aging by Carl Adamshick

I have more love than ever.
Our kids have kids soon to have kids.
I need them. I need everyone
to come over to the house,
sleep on the floor, the couch
in the front room. I need noise,
love, the noise of love,
too many people in too small a place.
I need dancing, the spilling
of drinks, loud pronouncements
over music, verbal sparring,
broken dishes and wealth.
I need it all flying apart.
My friends to slam against me,
to hold me, to say they love me.
I need mornings to ask for favors
and forgiveness. I need to give,
have all my emotions rattled,
my family to be greedy,
to keep coming, to keep asking
and taking. I need no resolution,
just the constant turmoil of living.
Give me the bottom of the river,
all the unadorned, unfinished,
unpraised moments, one
good turn on the luxuriant wheel.

On a couple's choice to raise a genderless child: "We've decided not to share Storm's sex for now — a tribute to freedom and choice in place of limitation, a stand up to what the world could become in Storm's lifetime (a more progressive place? ...)."

The NYTimes' interactive feature on gay teens, Coming Out.

Image: source.

A great post on body acceptance, opting out of the "assimilation race," and the power of saying "no."

Wow. This is bravery: violence and discrimination faced by transgender, poor, immigrants in California.

Supreme Court orders California to release prisoners: "One hundred and twelve California prison inmates died unnecessarily due to inadequate medical care in 2008 and 2009, analysts found. Acutely ill patients have been held in "cages, supply closets and laundry rooms" because of overcrowding, investigators found. California prison inmate suicides have been double the national average."

"Finally I am coming to the conclusion that my highest ambition is to be what I already am. That I will never fulfill my obligation to surpass myself unless I first accept myself, and if I accept myself fully in the right way, I will already have surpassed myself." - Thomas Merton

"Tristan Whiston first performed as a solo soprano at the age of six. With that raw talent, years of hard work led to an accomplished singing career. But Tristan decided to give up the most precious thing a singer has - his voice. You see, Tristan was born Ruth Margaret. From when she was a little girl, she wanted to be a boy, and as an adult, a man. Tristan decided to undertake gender reassignment, and tracked the process in a year's worth of intimate audio diaries. CBC radio producer Carma Jolly combined those audio diaries with interviews to create a story called Middle C."

A powerful StoryCorps interview with a woman and the man who murdered her son. via.

Went to a really yummy vegan restaurant while in Seattle, Plum Bistro. We ordered (and devoured!) two of the broccoli and pepper dish, and two of the curry fries - so so good!

Image: source.

OK, so...I'm back! Finally. I got back from Seattle on Saturday, and was greeted by perfect weather here in Southern Oregon - I'm always happy to come home. My race (Seattle's Best 15K on Saturday) went pretty well. By which I mean I finished. My time was a very slow 1:49:25, but honestly I couldn't care less. Since the marathon (which was 3 weeks ago - it feels like it's been forever!) I've probably only run a half dozen times, and this knee injury....ugh, this knee injury. I'm going to hunt down a doctor soon (Valerie, you are totally right!).

Related: I'm starting to consider canceling my Ironman. I just feel sort of....burnt out. It's still a goal I have, but I spent the last 7 months training for a marathon, and now I just sort of want to be....normal. To run and excercize just for health and to feel good, to take more off days, to socialize more and enjoy the summer. I don't know. It's hard for me even to consider, since it was such a big commitment (and I paid a lot of money!) but I want to do what's right for me (and for my body). We will see.

From Human Rights Watch: Why Immigrant Stories Matter.

And, from SPLC, Hotel Maid’s Accusations of Sexual Assault by IMF Director Highlight Dangers Faced by Immigrant Women

Image: source.

I love me a good infographic: Why Buy Local.

In honor of my current visit to this wonderful city: Design*Sponge's guide to Seattle.

Mmmm, recipes I want to try: Grilled Pepper Salad and Sweet Potato Lentil Quinoa Baby Cakes and Broccoli Pesto.

Love it: Desks of the Rich and Famous: Workspaces of Highly Creative People

“To wait for what comes, / To leave what is over.” - Louise Bogan, “To a Dead Lover”

Image: source.

Apologies for the absence: I should've planned better and written some posts ahead of time! I'm in Seattle right now for a conference. So far (knock on wood), I have been blessed with insanely nice weather, and the workshops have been really helpful. I think it makes a difference that all the presenters and participants are non-profit immigration attorneys like me (as opposed to a mix of business and non-profit attorneys) - it feels more relevant and applicable to my day-to-day practice. Seattle itself has been unreal: clear, blue skies, balmy temps, really unbelievable. And some good vegan food to boot!

It's been a good 6 years or so since I last visited Seattle (I think it was when I was touring law schools actually - practically another life), but I know it's not always this sunny. I'm staying with a friend who lives in Magnolia, which has been a gorgeous (if hilly!) area for some short morning runs. Unfortunately, the nagging knee pain that has been around since my trail run tumble is still here, and really unpleasant. I'm nervous about what this means for Saturday's race, but I'll try to take some Advil and maybe buy a small brace or something....to be continued...

Yep yep yep - part of an important discussion about class, "sustainability," shaming, etc: Search for the (Sustainable) Source: Class Shame vs. Eco Chic

Image: source.

Love seeing re-entry issues (as well as incarcerated women) getting some attention: A New Way of Life for Women Leaving Prison

Happy Birthday, Jonathan Richman! Oooooh, New England! (with the radio on)

Yet another reminder of how screwed up our current immigration system is: ASU's 2011 Valedictorian is Undocumented

Very cool! A photo my brilliant and wonderful friend Phoebe took in Australia last year, is part of a NASA Astrobiology collection is up on the Nat Geo blog (8th picture in): Places on Earth Aliens Could Thrive?

Cover Me has a great collection of covers done by Ryan Adams (I'm especially a sucker for Helpless).

There have been lots of great articles (and tweets!) on the recent and disgustingly racist article in Psychology Today about Black women and atractiveness: here's what The Rotund has to say, and a bloggers powerful personal response.

“In becoming forcibly and essentially aware of my mortality, and of what I wished and wanted for my life, however short it might be, priorities and omissions became strongly etched in a merciless light, and what I most regretted were my silences. Of what had I ever been afraid? To question or to speak as I believed could have meant pain, or death. But we all hurt in so many different ways, all the time, and pain will either change or end. Death, on the other hand, is the final silence. And that might be coming quickly now, without regard for whether I had ever spoken what needed to be said, or had only betrayed myself into small silences, while I planned someday to speak, or waited for someone else’s words.” - “The Transformation of Silence Into Language and Action,” by Audre Lorde

An article about the recent success of one of my law school professors, Prof. Wendy Parmet: A champion for immigrants’ health-care rights: "In a case successfully argued by Northeastern law professor Wendy Parmet, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled last week that excluding some 40,000 legal immigrants from a subsidized health-care program likely violates equal protection rights outlined in the state’s constitution."

Image: source.

Excited about Erik Larson's new book; I loved "The Devil In The White City."

Totally appreciated Amy's post on being disappointed in yourself. It's such a hard thing to face (and to move on from).

I'm headed to Seattle tomorrow for a conference - suggestions for yummy, cheap places to eat, good places to walk/run, etc welcome! On Saturday, right before I leave, I'm running Seattle's Best 15K, which I'm hoping will help get me back into running....my knee is still hurting from the trail race a week or so ago, and my motivation is still low....I ran a few miles this morning but it was weak.

Saw Bridesmaids this weekend - while I didn't think it was the defining moment of women in comedy or anything (and why did it have to be?), I definitely laughed a lot, and saw a few moments of friendship between women that looked a lot more like my friendships that most of what I see in pop culture.

Love this idea: diy: wine box vegetable garden.

A great summer mix from Thought Catalogue: "Summer is the season of twee. People are riding their bikes, eating ice cream cones, playing in the sand, getting crushes on each other. It’s just all so precious." Ha!

The trailer for Becoming Chaz.

And the trailer for Miranda July’s (Jon Brion-Scored) The Future. I have really mixed feeling about July's stuff - I loved parts of Me You And Everyone We Know and also No One Belongs Here More Than You....but also really disliked parts. The trailer for The Future had about the same effect on me.

Left: one of many gorgeous prints from The Victory Garden of Tomorrow. The Victory Garden "is a self-commissioned poster campaign designed to channel the bold energy of historical poster propaganda. It is committed to civic innovation and social progress-- better food, better gardens, better cities. It is artful advocacy for the modern homefront."

“I long to create something that can’t be used to keep us passive: / I want to write / a script about pumping, how every pipe / is joined / to every other.” - Adrienne Rich, from "Essential Resources”

Image: source.

Yep: From Feministing, More fail in the NY Times profile of Chaz Bono: "...author Cintra Wilson (who has a history of fail) comes off pretty terribly in her New York Times profile of Chaz Bono. You know who else ends up looking bad? Chaz Bono."

Image: source.

Love it: Gym-Going for the Awkward Woman.

I'm From Driftwood, "true stories by gay people from all over"

Blogger has been screwy for the past 24 hours or so, deleting random posts and not letting me post new stuff - sorry about that!

From Colorlines, a great discussion of the President's speech on immigration.

From Ms., Feminism and Motherhood.

About relapse and recovery from eating disorders, and admitting you're not "all better."

Yep. Isaura Garcia, Battered Woman Facing Deportation, Embodies Problems with ICE Program "Secure Communities"

Sustain: A Photo Essay of Women and their Farms across America

Image: source. Love this little print.

The first two in a three-part series from the Harvard Crimson: Part I ("Due to Ban, Trans Man at Harvard Law School Cannot Serve in U.S. Military"), and Part II ("Safe Restrooms: Basic for Some, A Luxury for Trans Men and Women on Campus")

Some current Etsy crushes: 50 State Animals Tea Towel, Organic Natural Canvas Rucksack, beautiful paper products from Blackbird Letterpress.

From Our Oregon, Why Marriage Matters to Jill and Donnella: "Donnella is a Movement Therapist in private practice. She and her partner Jill live with their 1.5-year-old son in Southeast Portland. And here is her story."

More consumerist dreams: Gorgeous soft cotton wrap from Flytrap. Beautiful moon ring.

Interesting discussion: Immigration As Freedom: "there’s more to the immigration debate than the economics...'And economics side, we should support free immigration to the greatest extent possible based on liberal principles alone. People should be free to move and choose their own destiny. Governments shouldn’t interfere with the right to immigrate any more than is necessary and certainly not to satisfy the nativist demands of unhappy citizens.' The freedom to move is a very important kind of freedom, and countries have ample reason to enhance it."

Interesting looking film - it's nice to see some attention paid to queer community outside of urban centers. Out In The Silence: A film and campaign for fairness and equality in rural & small town America. (Update: oh, it's free on Hulu, here!)

New blogs added to the GoogleReader: Of Another Fashion: "An Alternative Archive of the Not-Quite-Hidden But Too Often Ignored Fashion Histories of U.S. Women of Color" and Threadbared, "An evolving collaboration between two clotheshorse academics to discuss the politics, aesthetics, histories, theories, cultures, and subcultures that go by the names 'fashion' and 'beauty.'"

Lipstick Lobbyist on the the now famous photo taken from the Situation Room during the successful, high stakes Osama bin Laden mission. As she points out, in addition to the ridiculousness of Clinton and another woman being removed from one version of the photo, there is also an interesting discussion to be had about the expression of emotion in such high stress situations, and the way these responses are characterized depending on the gender of the politician: "Comparing the stress of national security to a stressful moment of parenthood? Can you imagine the political backlash that any female politician would receive by making such a statement? But from Obama, it demonstrates a certain type of humanity that we like in our (male) leaders."

Image: source.

Training: I finally made it to bootcamp today, for the first time since before the marathon. It was hard, and good.

Gunner Scott (MA Transgender Political Coalition) on The High Cost of Discrimination and Massachusetts' Transgender Equal Rights Bill, which would add protections based on gender identity and expression to our state's non-discrimination and hate crimes laws.

From Salon, Lessons from the "organic rednecks": "At an Oregon farm, I learned that eating local isn't about politics or budget, it's about making food better."

A gorgeous hand-lettered literary map of the USA.

Image: source.

On some of the benefits of living rural.

I'm bad about doing stuff with my hair. I have pretty nice hair (I can say that, I didn't do anything to get it - thanks 'rents!) but I generally just let it hang there. I say it's because I like the "messy," "natural" look, which is true...but also I'm lazy. Anyways, these photos of braids made me think I should try to get creative, especially with summer coming (when long, thick hair gets a little unruly).

On the media's belittling of bisexual women.

Interesting: Gender Justice in Environmental Studies.

I've been curious about trying compression sleeves and socks, even though I'm still sort of unclear about their benefits. SR's review of compression tights has be more interested.

"America’s fears of a black superher and how resistant our popular culture can be to images of black power."

Junot Díaz on Apocalypse: What Disasters Reveal

I've seen a few variations on this, but always get a kick out of it: How valid is the implied legal advice in Jay-Z's "99 Problems"? (" 'Well do you mind if I look around the car a little bit?' / Well, my glove compartment is locked, so is the trunk in the back / And I know my rights, so you gon' need a warrant for that")

Image: source.

I finally got some sleep last night, but it was still hard to drag my butt out of bed in the morning. I'm not gonna lie, it was a pathetic run - about 3 miles of running and 2 of walking. I was slow and stiff and couldn't believe I was the same person who just ran a marathon a week or so ago. The body is a crazy thing. I'm feeling discouraged right now, but I'm trying not to let it get me down.

I always love reading Dear Sugar.

A review of the Eugene Marathon by Skinny Runner (whose snarky running blog I've come to love).

Image: source.

A great article from the New Yorker about death penalty mitigation: The Mitigator: A new way of looking at the death penalty.

A surprisingly in-depth and well-done article from Tulsa World (Oklahoma) on a brave trans teen and her family: "Katie Hill wasn't born a girl...but she always knew she was meant to be one." Becoming Katie: Part 1, Part 2.

Image: source.

I never thought it would happen but I definitely spent 8 minutes just watching video of people run this morning: footage from the Miwok 100km Trail Run. And on that "I'm becoming a running geek" note, awesome behind the scenes photos from North Face's ultra running shots in Patagonia, featuring Hal Koerner, who owns the awesomest running store here in the Rogue Valley. I used to pass the store and think, "A whole store just for running??" and now it's one of my favorite places. They have so much awesome gear, the store is gorgeous, and everyone who works there is so freaking nice. Seriously, every time I run a race I go in and force them to listen to me ramble about it - and even though they couldn't be less impressed ("Really? You're excited about 10 miles? I ran 100," I'm sure they're thinking), they are so supportive. My main problem is staying away from there, since I drop a ton of money every time I even catch sight of the place...

"At least three of the Freedom Riders arrested in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1961 had managed to survive or escape the Holocaust as children."

Love it: Repurposing Abandoned Schools Project Winner: A Farm to Table Urban Food Center

Definitely interested in seeing the documentary about Chaz Bono.

Image: source.

Training: Saturdays race was brutal! The "Tough As Nails" 10 miler was my first trail race and it definitely lived up to its name - I ran my whole marathon without walking once, but I had to walk (er, hike) between 2-3 miles of TAN! Up and down, up and down. It was different than a road race in a lot of ways, one of which was that I didn't/couldn't really get into a rhythm the same way, because the terrain changed so much. Which was also the awesome part - beautiful scenery and no shortage of challenges and changes on the course, that's for sure. I took a tumble at one point and by the end was in some real pain...but sure enough, by yesterday I was itching to get back on the trail.

Sunday I walked for about 90 min, and then did 3 miles of sprint intervals, and about 15 min of weights. Today I'm working on about 4 hours of sleep (I picked up a friend from the airport at 1am), so...didn't make it to the gym, and probably won't. Just looking to make it through the day.

For Mother's Day I took my mom to Measure for Measure at the local (but nationally acclaimed!) Shakespeare Festival. I'm not a big play-goer but it was actually very well done! They set the play in what looked to be the 60's or 70's and even added in some musical numbers - and, somehow, it worked! I will say that there was one scene that made me uncomfortable and somewhat upset, where a man dressed in women's clothes is at a police station and they rip off the actors wig and dress - which was met by laughter from the audience. I can't go into a detailed discussion of Shakespeare's use of cross-dressing etc, but I don't really think that's the point in this instance - this was a choice by the director to create "humor" by violently exposing and embaressing a gender queer character and I thought it was unneccsary.

Image: source.

Image: source.

Listening to: NPR Culturetopia podcast.

Intense: photos from Kent State (yesterday was the 31st anniversary of the shootings).

Image: source.

Ugh, wow, Source Code sucked - don't waste your time on it! However, my lovely movie date, Jill, brought me two books to borrow - the third, and last, of the Hunger Games series, as well as Tina Fey's Bossypants. Can't wait to get into them both this weekend!

Tomorrow I'm running the "Tough As Nails" 10 mile race. I'm sort of nervous, since I haven't run much since the marathon (was it only last weekend??) and the race is supposed to be, well, tough. But I'm excited for a race - it always motivates me a bit.

"A library is many things. It's a place to go, to get in out of the rain. It's a place to go if you want to sit and think. But particularly it is a place where books live, and where you can get in touch with other people, and other thoughts, through books...Books are good company, in sad times and happy times, for books are people — people who have managed to stay alive by hiding between the covers of a book." - E.B. White in a letter to the children of Troy, Michigan, explaining what's great about libraries. source.

What a novel idea! Pro-child, anti-discrimination. The Every Child Deserves a Family Act would "ban discrimination in adoption or foster care placement based on the sexual orientation, marital status or gender identity of the potential parent, or the sexual orientation or gender identity of the child."

Can you imagine facing deportation without an attorney? From NYTimes: As Barriers to Lawyers Persist, Immigrant Advocates Ponder Solutions: "[I]n immigration court...defendants have no right to a court-appointed lawyer, forcing many to go without and drastically raising their chances of being deported."

From RadioLab: In The Running: "Diane Van Deren is one of the best ultra-runners in the world, and it all started with a seizure. In this short, Diane tells us how her disability gave rise to an extraordinary ability." (Do the editing and sound effects of RadioLab drive anyone else *crazy*? Why can't they just let the stories stand on their own a little more?)

Image: source.

Country singer Blake Sheldon's homophobic tweet. This is the same idiot who made a homophobic crack while hosting this years Country Music Awards - when will he learn? I love me some country music, but the country community needs to step up and confront the rampant homophobia among it's artists and fans. We will see if Sheldon's reaching out to GLADD comes to anything.

“If we feel deeply, and we encourage ourselves and others to feel deeply, we will find the germ of our answers to bring about change. Because once we recognize what it is we are feeling, once we recognize we can feel deeply, love deeply, can feel joy, then we will demand that all parts of our lives produce that kind of joy. And when they do not, we will ask, “Why don’t they?” And it is the asking that will lead us inevitably toward change.

So the question of social protest and art is inseparable for me. I can’t say it is an either-or proposition. Art for art’s sake doesn’t really exist for me. What I saw was wrong, and I had to speak up. I loved poetry, and I loved words. But what was beautiful had to serve the purpose of changing my life, or I would have died. If I cannot air this pain and alter it, I will surely die of it. That’s the beginning of social protest.” - Audre Lorde

Image: source.

Ugh: Race Impacts State Legislators’ Responsiveness To Inquiries From Constituents

I AM: Trans People Speak is "a multi-media campaign aimed

at raising awareness about the diverse communities
of trans individuals, families, and allies."

From the American Bar Association, a new LGBT antibullying/ antidiscrimination campaign, "The Kids Are Listening.”

Image: source.

Tonight I'm headed to dinner with a wonderful friend and then we are going to see Source Code. I have to say, the previews look absolutely horrible but it's gotten some pretty good reviews. Training wise, I have been a major slacker this week. Some of it is because I'm post-marathon, some of it is because I'm being more social, some of it is just slackerness. Anyways, I'm hoping to get back on track this weekend, reducing sugar again, getting back to 8 hours of sleep a night, and making sure I'm on track for my marathons and triathlons this fall.

“Be thankful and repay / Growth with good work and care. / Work done in gratitude, / Kindly, and well, is prayer. / You did not make yourself, / Yet you must keep yourself / By use of other lives. / No gratitude atones / For bad use or too much.” - Wendell Berry, from A Timbered Choir: The Sabbath Poems, 1979-1997

Unbelievable: The ACLU on Wednesday asked a judge to block a South Carolina jail’s rules over what items inmates may receive while the group challenges a policy barring inmates from any reading materials other than the Bible. (a) Prisoners are people too; (B) since when has preventing people from educating themselves helped anything?; and, (c) I seem to remember something about "rehabilitation: being part of the criminal justice system....

Very cool! NK just introduced me to this site Streetfilms.org: Documenting Livable Streets Worldwide. Check out the first in their new series in honor of Bike Month, "My NYC Biking Stories." "Our first profile is on Sarinya Srisakul, the city’s first female Asian-American firefighter. She is also vegan, and one of the 31 female firefighters in the nation's largest fire department of almost 11,000 members."

Image: source.

Forks Over Knives: Interesting looking film about American diets and health. There are some elements of the trailer that worry me (fat shaming and the "it's as easy as eating healthily!") but I'm going to reserve judgement until I see the whole thing, hoping that they address complicated issues of gov't subsidies, income disparity, access to foods, etc in greater detail.

Outrageous: immigration agents target parents taking their kids to school (did you know that a Supreme Court case from the 80's, Plyer v. Doe, guarantees all kids - regardless of immigration status - the right to an education through high school? True story.)

“If you’re really listening, if you’re awake to the poignant beauty of the world, your heart breaks regularly. In fact, your heart is made to break; its purpose is to burst open again and again so that it can hold ever-more wonders.” - Andrew Harvey

Really interesting, and definitely something I'll keep in mind when making my annual donations...Ten Reasons Why I Would Never Donate to a Major Charity

Yes, yes, more of this, please! USDA Encourages Schools To Partner With Local Farms

Judge Gertner: On being judged: Why the label “activist judge’’ doesn’t apply to me: "In truth, most of my job is not about constitutional interpretation and grand principles – the usual fare of the activist debate – it is about people, big and small, powerful and not. It is about the thousands of small decisions I make that open the court’s doors or slam them shut."

Image: source.

Excellent! Common sense prevails over homophobia and lies: Barbara A. Lenk, a veteran Appeals Court judge, today won confirmation to a seat on the Supreme Judicial Court, becoming the first openly gay judge to serve on the state’s highest judicial body.

"Love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within. I use the word not merely in the personal sense but as a state of being or a state of grace - not in the infantile American sense of being made happy but in the tough and universal sense of quest and daring and growth." - James Baldwin

Happy Birthday, Keith Haring. He would be 53 today.

Unfinished Painting,

Keith Haring (1958 - 1990)

Growing Up Gay and Transgendered in Appalachia: "Awareness about sexuality and gender differences remains painfully limited in much of the region, but some have begun sharing their stories"

Proud of NUSL grad Drew and the other clerks who have stepped up to offer their support for Judge Lenk in the face of discrimination and ignorance.

I got a hat from this company this weekend, and I love it - they have tons of cute stuff.

My aspirational fashion is finally becoming more realistic: where I once coveted $400 Marc bags, I now drool over these "fancy" tote bags.

Image: source.

Yum: I want to try this recipe: Caramelized Onion Hummus

"As time goes on, you’ll understand. What lasts, lasts; what doesn’t, doesn’t. Time solves most things. And what time can’t solve, you have to solve yourself.” - Haruki Murakami

From Salon, why "USA! USA!" is the wrong response to Osama's death. And from the always thought-provoking Tim Wise, Killing One Monster, Unleashing Another: Reflections on Revenge and Revelry.

Love the look, love the purpose: rooftop gardens.

Very interesting: Greg Mortenson and the perils of “great idea-great man” philanthropy. Why the "3 Cups of Tea" scandal is about more than just Mortenson.

What Were the Women Doing? Activism among black women at the time of the Civil War.

Image: source.

Loved this: dirty dozen cheat sheet, what produce you should buy organic.

Training: I planned on taking yesterday as a rest day entirely, but I felt like my stiff legs could use a little movement. I did a few sprint intervals on the treadmill and then walked (for a total of about 40 minutes), and then biked on the stationary bike for about 15. Tomorrow will be my return to bootcamp! I'm still riding high on the marathon. :)

"Everything is raw material. Everything is relevant. Everything is usable. Everything feeds into my creativity. But without proper preparation, I cannot see it, retain it, and use it." - Twyla Tharp

“You Reading This, Be Ready” by William Stafford

Starting here, what do you want to remember?
How sunlight creeps along a shining floor?
What scent of old wood hovers, what softened
sound from outside fills the air?
Will you ever bring a better gift for the world
than the breathing respect that you carry
wherever you go right now? Are you waiting
for time to show you some better thoughts?
When you turn around, starting here, lift this
new glimpse that you found; carry into evening
all that you want from this day. This interval you spent
reading or hearing this, keep it for life--
What can anyone give you greater than now,
starting here, right in this room, when you turn around?

My (first) Eugene Marathon 2011

Warning: totally boring run details if you aren't race obsessed :)

Overall, it was one of the best days of my life. Beautiful weather, a well-planned race, the support of my friends and family, and just a great run. I'm still basking in the day.

Image: me getting my results, with "Don't Give Up" written on my left arm. My right arm had a heart that said "Mom Dad Rocky [my stepdad]."

OK, the details! First, I think I over tapered. In the last two weeks before the race I got paranoid about injury and I think tired of running after my 20 miler, so my mileage seriously decreased. Mainly I was just biking and doing yoga. I think this was ok for me physically but mentally it messed with me, because running felt distant to me etc.

Second, I think I went too crazy with eating the last two weeks as well - I was still eating like I was running a lot but I wasnt, so I felt really full and heavy and overweight for the race. Also I started eating sugar again, which probably didn't help.

Next, the day before the race I traveled up from where I live - just 3 hrs but still meant that I was eating food on the road, not my usual food. The night before we went out to dinner and I thought what I got was fine (veggie burger and fries) but I woke up at 1am and was on the toilet for like 2 hrs....That's all I will say about that. But my mom commented that she was impressed I didn't let it get me down. I think that is something I've gotten from law school and the Bar exam and running - an attitude of, well, it is what it is, all I can do it keep going! As I was sitting there late at night all I could think was, "Seven months, I've been training for this for seven months."

But race day came and I managed to choke down a PowerBar before go time, and overall, the race was awesome! The first 4 miles were shitty, as always (side cramps, tired, probably dehydrated from the nights events). My stomach was still upset from being sick and I was living in fear of shitting my pants (sorry, harsh reality of running). I managed to eat a ShotBlock every 3 miles or so, along with a cup of water.

Overall I wanted to come in under 5 hours but I initially assumed the 5 hour pacer was behind me because I felt so slow. Miles 4-13 were a slow, training pace. At about Mile 8 I saw that the 4:30 pacer was about a half mile in front of me and I was like, Oh yes, I'm gonna get them! It helped that my running buddy Magen, who I usually run with on the weekends, was still with me because she was running the half marathon. It felt familiar and great to have her by my side for the first 9 or so miles. I slowly gained on the 4:30 group over the next few miles.

Miles 13-18 were good - I was in the zone, a slightly increased tempo, and I slowly passed the 4:30 group. Once I was in front of them (about Mile 14?) I spent the rest of the race looking back to make sure they didnt pass me - they got really close a bunch of times, and kept me on my toes!

Mile 19 or so the legs got heavy and stiff. I got another burst once I passed mile 20, thinking "Wow, I'm really running a marathon!" and I was thrilled. At Mile 24 I felt sick all of a sudden and really cranky (I think maybe my blood sugar was low?). The last mile or so was rough. But then the end! Wahoo! I heard my friends cheering for me, my amazing parents had managed to cheer me on at 4 different spots during the race, and I felt so loved and encouraged. After I crossed the finish line and got the medal, I didnt feel like "Oh, I'm gonna die, I cant go another step!" just like, "Yep, that was a long run....I just ran a marathon!"

I'm sure I'll have more to say and write but I'm on my way to a post-marathon massage now. Thanks SO much for all the love and encouragement!