This Sucks!

June 28, 2007

Moscow police detain gay activists

Moscow police blocked gay rights activists from holding a demonstration in the capital Wednesday and detained two of them despite the protest being authorized by city authorities.

The approximately two dozen activists aimed to hold the rally outside the European Union's representative office in Moscow to demand that the E.U. impose a visa ban on Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, who has banned gay rights parades and called homosexuality ''satanic.''

Although the planned demonstration had been sanctioned, police said they decided to block it because it would interfere with construction taking place nearby.

''Authorities in Moscow have broken the law again by not allowing our picket,'' said activist Alexey Davydov.

Demonstrators tried to unfurl a banner, but police dispersed them, grabbing Davydov and another demonstrator and forcing them into a police bus.

A group of gay rights opponents stood nearby, but did not interfere.

''There must be no propaganda of sexual perversions in Russia, especially if it is Western-funded,'' said Mikhail Sinitsyn, leader of the nationalistic People's Union youth movement.

Russia decriminalized homosexuality in 1993, but opposition to gay rights remains strong and frequently turns violent.

In May police detained gay rights activists, including two European lawmakers, as they tried to hold a demonstration in downtown Moscow while members of a hostile crowd punched the activists and pelted them with eggs.

Homosexuality is denounced by the dominant Russian Orthodox Church, and President Vladimir Putin, during his annual news conference, implied gays were undermining the country by not having children. (AP)

exhausted

yes, in fact i'm too exhausted to use capital letters anywhere in this blog. all apologies. i've been working so much so that i can go to my brother's wedding in wisconsin and save money to go back to school. thank god i will be done with my job in january. it's not so bad, but lets face it... i'm just not secretary material! organizing supply closets, assembling report, and answering phones is just not my passion... call me crazy! i need to be intellectually stimulated! i need to use my brain to think of things other than who gets what mail or who is at which meeting. i should be at these meetings! this job is mind numbing. at least i can read and study on my own while i'm at work. in fact, that is what i do for 4 hours of my day at work! no wonder i'm just a "satisfactory" secretary.
ok, back to work on my application essay
here is what I've got so far, but it has to amazing because i MUST get back to school. yes, it was worth capitalizing must, but i must admit i cheated and used the caps button instead of the shift. one key at a time...


My time away from school has made me realize how much I aspire to proceed on the path of working toward my degree. I have discovered a true thirst of knowledge in my personal studies, expanding my knowledge of cultural and religious studies. This knowledge has peaked my interest in how diverse members of a community coexist with one another.
One particular course I participated in during my time at the University of New Mexico made a lasting impression on me. I enrolled in a freshman learning group course, designed to allow students to take two courses in tandem. It was a great way to challenge myself by combining an English course with something new. This is when I was introduced to the University’s community and regional planning program.
What a breath of fresh air! This is an interest I had been cultivating all of my life. Growing up in a very small town, the proverbial “There is nothing to do!” seemed to be very prevalent. This was when my curiosity of making communities vibrant and livable was peaked. I was involved in a committee to create a community center, which I was able to help design, but unfortunately was never able to be built. More and more I find myself evaluating neighborhoods, and speculating what could be done to make them better places to live, work, and play.
Over the past year I have had the opportunity to work for an architectural planning firm. Observing the planners has given me a drive to achieve my goals, and begin the course of pursuing my passion.



note: this is a first and very rough draft! input welcome

Long December

It is decided! By January I will be in school! I will be applying to UNM in November. I am SO excited! Hopefully after I put all money matters behind us, UNM will find it in their hearts to let me continue my education. If not, I will be going to Massage Therapy school! I figure, why not have some type of training rather than continuing horrid, boring, worthless jobs that pay me in rocks and stones? ... and who wouldn't want a friend or girlfriend that is a massage therapist? Todd, you lucky man, you! There, it is settled. Come December I will know where the next path of my career road will lead me!

Happy Pride!

There are few things today that make me, as cheesy as it sounds, "proud to be an American". One thing that I do take pride in however, is PRIDE! How great to live somewhere where we can have a beautifully diverse population and celebrate it! I spent last Saturday morning at O'Neals on Central watching the Gay Pride Parade. It was a BLAST! Hopefully events like this will bring us one step closer to liberty and justice for ALL!

The wonderful? wold of blogging.

I've finally caved! A new page to add to my addiction of online reality. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy the wold of quick comment, quirky pictures, and networking! It is time though, that I have a real life, honest to god blog. As a good friend of mine would say, I am contributing to the world's ever growing "internet consciousness". (so true!) There was a couple from England who's teenage daughter advertised a party on myspace. The party ended up being so large, professional cleaners had to be called in the next day. The father called it a "house rape". Every room in the house was trashed! Beds were burned, food and messages left on the walls. Although you have to take into consideration the responsibility of the parents allowing their teenager to have a party, It is still incredible how much response a posting on the internet can generate.
Here's to many happy blogs!

~tam