Conspicuous Compassion
There has been a lot of coverage for this report by a think tank published this week on
Conspicuous Compassion. Seemingly the mourning over Diana, the girls murdered in Soham, wearing a red, white, pink, blue ribbon etc is a substitue for religion. Public Displays of Affection in another way maybe. Minutes of silence etc are meaningless according to the authors.
I think there is a big difference between acts of rememberance (when someone dies or when we remember those affected by AIDS)and the groundswell of grief when children are murdered and paedophiles are involved.
Maybe all of this has more to do with the fact that we are in a multimedia society with constant information overload and fear in our lives as a result. And what about the disaffection form politicians which leads to direct action? Is that not how political movements started centuries ago - ie. the Labour Movment, Trade Unions, the Dublin Lockout etc etc etc. The Anti War Movements, Reclaiming the streets etc that many people who are not usually political get involved in are very similar to movements started long long ago.
The report accuses those that do on demos, or protest etc of being selfish or attention seeking. Given that our time is so precious how is this so? And what is the aim of this research?
Troubled Diva. He come back if we do his quiz.....
You might remember that I recommended Troubled Diva as a place to drop by for a good read, a think and a laugh from time to time. Well Mike has been away from his blog, he was maybe never coming back but but but he is taunting his audience by putting up a 120 question quiz which if all questions are answered correctly by individual readers ie only 1 question per reader, then he might blog again. Mike...such torture...but such intrigue...go on go on go on
Troubled Diva. A name, I call myself.
Still all gooey
2 husbands and their children(image)
They are still getting married in San Francisco and I love reading about it...but does it mean I support or advocate for lesbian and gay marriage?
I don't know anymore - the last few days have been amazing for their radicalness and subversion but what does it really all mean?
What was gay on your birthday
Queery.com provides a American based history of homos etc...so go find out what happened in queer land the day you were born.
The event for my birthday is September 15
"The Advocate" Premieres in 1967
The first edition of "The Advocate" premiered on this day in 1967. Originally called "Los Angeles Advocate" it was created by Dick Michaels and his lover Bill Rand who were part of the Angeles activist group PRIDE, from who they later purchased the paper. The first issue was typewritten and printed on 8 1/2 X 11 paper, far different from the glossy periodical that it has become. The pair renamed the paper "The Advocate" in 1969 and sold it to investment banker David Goodstein in 1974 who passed away in 1985. The publication has gone through many transformations in both look and content since it's humble beginnings of reporting on the gay movment. The biweekly publication remains the only national source for GLBT issues.
