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just found out moments ago
General | Posted a year agoJarrell here, I just found out from reading a couple of journals here that Dineegla died earlier this week. While I'd never met him in person, we had numerous conversations, was always kind to me, and he was one of the admin of Rainbow Ark FA. I'm of course very saddened by the news, though I know he wasn't in the best health of late, but he'd sprung back from so much including the loss of his husband a couple of years ago. My heart goes out to his family and his many friends during this difficult time.
Jarrell here, upcoming eclipse
General | Posted 2 years agoWill anyone be traveling to path of totality for the April 8 event? I know Nexrad will remain in Florida and will get some views and pics with his equipment. Ferly is close to where he needs to be just naturally and will be smack dab in the middle of the path at work. Renee and I have a room reserved in Erie Pennsylvania and I'll be taking my old orange Celestron 8 with solar filter and we have filters for our iPhones as well.
What are your plans?
What are your plans?
Today in history
General | Posted 2 years ago● 2009.03.05-08 — A “Gay Agenda” workshop takes place in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, hosted by Pastor/Evangelist Scott Lively, ‘Ex-gay’ Caleb Lee Brundidge, and Exodus International board member Don Schmierer. The themes: How to make gay people straight; how gay men often sodomize teenage boys and how ‘the gay movement is an evil institution’ whose goal is ‘to defeat the marriage-based society and replace it with a culture of sexual promiscuity’. The conference is attended by thousands including police, members of parliament, and pastors.
Hey everyone!
General | Posted 2 years agoJarrell here.
While Rainbow Ark will be dissolved as an organization in April, this FurAffinity account will remain, as well as our original LiveJournal. I've been in talks with several of you and you've convinced me that not losing these connections will be good for our old friendships. In addition it's good to keep our past content for any new guests where it might be of help. There will be occasional cross-postings from our LiveJournal since it tends to be a different group of furs, but promise we'll keep the spam to a minimum as we maintain a more informal atmosphere from here onward.
Cheers! <^.^>
While Rainbow Ark will be dissolved as an organization in April, this FurAffinity account will remain, as well as our original LiveJournal. I've been in talks with several of you and you've convinced me that not losing these connections will be good for our old friendships. In addition it's good to keep our past content for any new guests where it might be of help. There will be occasional cross-postings from our LiveJournal since it tends to be a different group of furs, but promise we'll keep the spam to a minimum as we maintain a more informal atmosphere from here onward.
Cheers! <^.^>
At the end of our voyage
General | Posted 2 years agoRainbow Ark
2004 - 2024
This past Sunday I pointed the final homepage for the Rainbow Ark website, denoting the organization's closure in early 2024.
The Facebook account has been marked for deletion in the next 30 days.
The LiveJournal and FurAffinity accounts will be deleted in March 2024.
The Twitter account is in the process of being abandoned for BlueSky.
The BlueSky handle of RainbowArk will be changed likely before the end of the year.
Website hosting for MyRainbowArk.com will not be renewed when it comes up for renewal in March/April 2024. Members who have email accounts should take measures if necessary to save any of their content before March.
It's been a great run: 20 years! Thank you all for being a part of Rainbow Ark.
Others will come along and make better social media, resources, and content for the newer generations.
2004 - 2024
This past Sunday I pointed the final homepage for the Rainbow Ark website, denoting the organization's closure in early 2024.
The Facebook account has been marked for deletion in the next 30 days.
The LiveJournal and FurAffinity accounts will be deleted in March 2024.
The Twitter account is in the process of being abandoned for BlueSky.
The BlueSky handle of RainbowArk will be changed likely before the end of the year.
Website hosting for MyRainbowArk.com will not be renewed when it comes up for renewal in March/April 2024. Members who have email accounts should take measures if necessary to save any of their content before March.
It's been a great run: 20 years! Thank you all for being a part of Rainbow Ark.
Others will come along and make better social media, resources, and content for the newer generations.
When mixing faith with furries, things can get hairy
General | Posted 3 years agoThis is an article brought to my attention by a friend, Tenza (hyoufox on Twitter)
...
https://religionnews.com/2022/08/02.....can-get-hairy/
RNS) — In a 2019 YouTube video titled “Hund the Hound Meets Jesus Christ,” a man wears a plaid robe and a clunky blue dog mask. Overwhelmed by his own technology, he faints and has a vision of the Son of God — or, at least, an actor playing him.
Viewers, even those familiar with the Christian furry community, had questions.
“(What) the f– did I just watch, Hund?” one commenter inquired. Hund the Hound replied, “My new channel introduction.”
Hund the Hound, a 33-year-old Ohioan, is a furry. He is also a Christian. For Hund and many other Christian furries, those two identities peacefully coexist. Not everyone would agree.
The furry movement, which grew up in the 1970s as part of the underground comic book world, engages in anthropomorphism — assigning human characteristics to animals, in their case by creating avatar-like representations of self, called “fursonas,” and in many cases making costumes to match. Hund the Hound’s fursona is, well, a canine.
Like fans of Marvel characters or other comic book-based media, furries gather at conventions, the largest of which are Anthrocon and the Midwest FurFest, which in 2019 reported attendance of more than 11,000 furries. Some spend time in online role-playing games or designing and constructing costumes.
Furries do not identify as animals; they identify with animals, said Sharon E. Roberts, associate professor of social development studies at the University of Waterloo in Canada and a co-founder of Furscience, a group of interdisciplinary professors who have researched anthropomorphic identities from more than 40,000 furries.
Most furries, however, do not consider themselves to be religious, according to data from Furscience. When asked about their religious beliefs, one-third of furries flat-out identified as either atheist or agnostic. Three-quarters of furry respondents disagree with the statement “I am religious,” according to Furscience’s findings.
With its roots in underground comic culture, the furry community has long had associations with sexual experimentation, erotic content and gay culture. During the “burned fur” movement from 1998 to 2001, there was a concerted effort among a group of furries to “purify” its public image. Today, according to the Furscience website, furry fandom includes people of all ages and sexual orientations, with “adult” activities kept separate from other events. Still, its fanbase tends to be suspicious of the religious community.
“Given that most furries are LGBTQ+, this may preclude many from being religious, especially if the religion is at odds with LGBTQ+ people,” said Furscience researcher Courtney Plante, an associate professor of psychology at Bishop’s University.
But despite the possibility of encountering stigma in the furry community, being a furry emboldens Hund’s faith. His fellow furries, he said, pulled him from the depths of suicidal thoughts and gave him a support system.
God placed Hund in the community, he said.
“He knew that me dressing up like a blue dog would get me out of my depression, grow my social skills and make me the person I am today,” Hund said. Hund the Hound’s YouTube channel, which Hund has managed with his wife, Lilly the Fox, since March 2017, has 320,000 views and nearly 5,000 subscribers.
All the same, Christians in the furry community are cautious about who knows about both their furry and faithful selves. Christian furries interviewed for this story, including leaders of the group that calls itself the Christian Furry Fellowship, asked to be anonymous, fearing “doxxing” from within the largely secular furry community for their Christian identity and ostracization from their professional lives for their furry hobby.
“My furry friendships are a blessing,” said one CFF organizer with a red fox fursona who asked to be called “F.” “And for that reason, I am sad to see so much grief within the fandom that could be helped by the knowledge of the Lord.”
Founded in the late 1990s on internet chat forums, CFF is a ministry that views furry fandom as a mission field. In 2010, CFF members converged on Anthrocon in Pittsburgh. Another leader, who asked to be referred to as “AD,” described the 10 days he spent picking up members in their hometowns to share the event with 4,000 other furries in the David L. Lawrence Convention Center as one of his “most dear memories.”
CFF members mostly meet on Discord and Telegram for Bible study and fellowship.
One CFF leader, a data engineer who asked to be called “S,” said both fursuits and being behind a screen can promote anti-religious talk. “When you’re behind two layers of anonymity, like furries are, you’re more inclined to express your true thoughts,” said S.
Such animosity, he said, can be a bonding experience for Christian furries. “I actually like that the fandom is majority nonreligious because it leads to deeper connections with those in the fandom who are religious,” he said.
CFF, for its part, does not enforce any worldview related to sex for its casual members. Like many conservative Christians, its members believe that engaging in same-sex sexual relationships is wrong; having homosexual feelings alone is not. Furries who disagree with this stance can still join, S said, as long as they abide by the group’s rules.
...
https://religionnews.com/2022/08/02.....can-get-hairy/
RNS) — In a 2019 YouTube video titled “Hund the Hound Meets Jesus Christ,” a man wears a plaid robe and a clunky blue dog mask. Overwhelmed by his own technology, he faints and has a vision of the Son of God — or, at least, an actor playing him.
Viewers, even those familiar with the Christian furry community, had questions.
“(What) the f– did I just watch, Hund?” one commenter inquired. Hund the Hound replied, “My new channel introduction.”
Hund the Hound, a 33-year-old Ohioan, is a furry. He is also a Christian. For Hund and many other Christian furries, those two identities peacefully coexist. Not everyone would agree.
The furry movement, which grew up in the 1970s as part of the underground comic book world, engages in anthropomorphism — assigning human characteristics to animals, in their case by creating avatar-like representations of self, called “fursonas,” and in many cases making costumes to match. Hund the Hound’s fursona is, well, a canine.
Like fans of Marvel characters or other comic book-based media, furries gather at conventions, the largest of which are Anthrocon and the Midwest FurFest, which in 2019 reported attendance of more than 11,000 furries. Some spend time in online role-playing games or designing and constructing costumes.
Furries do not identify as animals; they identify with animals, said Sharon E. Roberts, associate professor of social development studies at the University of Waterloo in Canada and a co-founder of Furscience, a group of interdisciplinary professors who have researched anthropomorphic identities from more than 40,000 furries.
Most furries, however, do not consider themselves to be religious, according to data from Furscience. When asked about their religious beliefs, one-third of furries flat-out identified as either atheist or agnostic. Three-quarters of furry respondents disagree with the statement “I am religious,” according to Furscience’s findings.
With its roots in underground comic culture, the furry community has long had associations with sexual experimentation, erotic content and gay culture. During the “burned fur” movement from 1998 to 2001, there was a concerted effort among a group of furries to “purify” its public image. Today, according to the Furscience website, furry fandom includes people of all ages and sexual orientations, with “adult” activities kept separate from other events. Still, its fanbase tends to be suspicious of the religious community.
“Given that most furries are LGBTQ+, this may preclude many from being religious, especially if the religion is at odds with LGBTQ+ people,” said Furscience researcher Courtney Plante, an associate professor of psychology at Bishop’s University.
But despite the possibility of encountering stigma in the furry community, being a furry emboldens Hund’s faith. His fellow furries, he said, pulled him from the depths of suicidal thoughts and gave him a support system.
God placed Hund in the community, he said.
“He knew that me dressing up like a blue dog would get me out of my depression, grow my social skills and make me the person I am today,” Hund said. Hund the Hound’s YouTube channel, which Hund has managed with his wife, Lilly the Fox, since March 2017, has 320,000 views and nearly 5,000 subscribers.
All the same, Christians in the furry community are cautious about who knows about both their furry and faithful selves. Christian furries interviewed for this story, including leaders of the group that calls itself the Christian Furry Fellowship, asked to be anonymous, fearing “doxxing” from within the largely secular furry community for their Christian identity and ostracization from their professional lives for their furry hobby.
“My furry friendships are a blessing,” said one CFF organizer with a red fox fursona who asked to be called “F.” “And for that reason, I am sad to see so much grief within the fandom that could be helped by the knowledge of the Lord.”
Founded in the late 1990s on internet chat forums, CFF is a ministry that views furry fandom as a mission field. In 2010, CFF members converged on Anthrocon in Pittsburgh. Another leader, who asked to be referred to as “AD,” described the 10 days he spent picking up members in their hometowns to share the event with 4,000 other furries in the David L. Lawrence Convention Center as one of his “most dear memories.”
CFF members mostly meet on Discord and Telegram for Bible study and fellowship.
One CFF leader, a data engineer who asked to be called “S,” said both fursuits and being behind a screen can promote anti-religious talk. “When you’re behind two layers of anonymity, like furries are, you’re more inclined to express your true thoughts,” said S.
Such animosity, he said, can be a bonding experience for Christian furries. “I actually like that the fandom is majority nonreligious because it leads to deeper connections with those in the fandom who are religious,” he said.
CFF, for its part, does not enforce any worldview related to sex for its casual members. Like many conservative Christians, its members believe that engaging in same-sex sexual relationships is wrong; having homosexual feelings alone is not. Furries who disagree with this stance can still join, S said, as long as they abide by the group’s rules.
Autumn
General | Posted 4 years agoJarrell here. I hope everyone is staying safe during the pandemic. Get vaccinated if you're not because they're very effective for helping to keep you from being admitted to the hospital from the most serious aspects of Covid. They've been shown to reduce transmission to others you come into contact with as well. I've been fully vaccinated with Moderna since the end of March. My wife and I will receive the booster later this year when it's time.
The autumn colors are beginning to burst here in the West Virginia panhandle as I'm sure they are for many of you in your part of the US and the world. Everything is pumpkin spice. There are now a different bunch of birbs at the feeders; the goldfinches have been replaced by the titmice, just to name a couple.
I've been jobless for awhile, unemployment has run out and I'm applying to wherever I can. There is life on the other side of these times. Encourage each other. Sometimes it's the smallest things that will help.
All the best to my friends here and beyond.
The autumn colors are beginning to burst here in the West Virginia panhandle as I'm sure they are for many of you in your part of the US and the world. Everything is pumpkin spice. There are now a different bunch of birbs at the feeders; the goldfinches have been replaced by the titmice, just to name a couple.
I've been jobless for awhile, unemployment has run out and I'm applying to wherever I can. There is life on the other side of these times. Encourage each other. Sometimes it's the smallest things that will help.
All the best to my friends here and beyond.
Fursuiters, I need your help!
General | Posted 4 years agoThe current homepage of our website was introduced in November in response/celebration to the US being liberated from the former administration: http://myrainbowark.com/index.html
The Butterfly is a symbol of renewal, and it's all very colorful and happy but admittedly it's not very furry.
I have new banner art ready, color scheme and general layout in my head, but what I need from you are links to photos of you in fursuit!
I'm looking for full body suits and partials. Poodling is fine. It can be both current and past photos. More than one fur in the frame is fine as long as you think the other participant(s) will be okay with their fursuit showing up on a homepage.
I'm looking for at least 5 to as many as 9 furs to send links of themselves in fursuit. If at all possible, I'd like to feature furs associated with Rainbow Ark (LiveJournal, FurAffinity, or Twitter) before having to seek images from the wider fandom. The photos themselves can be any size, shape, landscape or portrait. If you are in possession of the image, but it's currently not online, you can send the physical file of your photo as an attachment to jarrell[at]myrainbowark.com
The finished fursuit images will appear in a horizontal band within the homepage with the user having the ability to click on each small image to take them to a large version of your photo. Please include the name/spelling of your fursona as you want it to appear.
Plans are to drop the new homepage by this Summer.
The Butterfly is a symbol of renewal, and it's all very colorful and happy but admittedly it's not very furry.
I have new banner art ready, color scheme and general layout in my head, but what I need from you are links to photos of you in fursuit!
I'm looking for full body suits and partials. Poodling is fine. It can be both current and past photos. More than one fur in the frame is fine as long as you think the other participant(s) will be okay with their fursuit showing up on a homepage.
I'm looking for at least 5 to as many as 9 furs to send links of themselves in fursuit. If at all possible, I'd like to feature furs associated with Rainbow Ark (LiveJournal, FurAffinity, or Twitter) before having to seek images from the wider fandom. The photos themselves can be any size, shape, landscape or portrait. If you are in possession of the image, but it's currently not online, you can send the physical file of your photo as an attachment to jarrell[at]myrainbowark.com
The finished fursuit images will appear in a horizontal band within the homepage with the user having the ability to click on each small image to take them to a large version of your photo. Please include the name/spelling of your fursona as you want it to appear.
Plans are to drop the new homepage by this Summer.
Website Calendar
General | Posted 5 years ago(crossposted from our LiveJournal)
Jarrell here. Ferly and I were talking about this recently.
I'm thinking about bringing back the Calendar on the MyRainbowArk.com website. Here is an archived page for reference: http://myrainbowark.com/calendar1.html
What would you most like to see listed?
* LGBT events, including virtual or in-person events from GLAD, PFLAG, GLMA, and others
* Furry conventions, virtual events, regional furmeets and meetups
* A blend of both
* Something else entirely (please comment)
Is it an issue for you if the calendar page and really the entire website is old-school and not geared for smartphones?
Jarrell here. Ferly and I were talking about this recently.
I'm thinking about bringing back the Calendar on the MyRainbowArk.com website. Here is an archived page for reference: http://myrainbowark.com/calendar1.html
What would you most like to see listed?
* LGBT events, including virtual or in-person events from GLAD, PFLAG, GLMA, and others
* Furry conventions, virtual events, regional furmeets and meetups
* A blend of both
* Something else entirely (please comment)
Is it an issue for you if the calendar page and really the entire website is old-school and not geared for smartphones?
COVID-19
General | Posted 5 years agoJarrell, Cross-posting from LiveJournal:
I'm just thinking about y'all.
I'm hoping you're all okay during the COVID-19 pandemic. I've been in daily indirect contact with about a half dozen of you on Twitter where I've been frequenting. It would be good to maybe have you check in as you read this, and let us know you're okay.
Renee and I are fine. She works from home, and while I'd probably like to just self-quarantine with her while we wait for the curve to flatten, I still must leave home to go to work each day. Thankfully, I'm only in contact with about 5 other people, but I have to be doubly sure I don't come in contact with someone who's knowingly been exposed for all of our sakes.
Luckily, everyone at the building where our team is located, are now telecommuting as ordered by their CEO. And the 5 of us are taking extreme precautions for each others' safety.
The only other individual is the fur I stay with 2 nights each week to save on mileage. He now telecommutes as well.
Anyway, I'm just wishing you all good health, and please be safe.
I'm just thinking about y'all.
I'm hoping you're all okay during the COVID-19 pandemic. I've been in daily indirect contact with about a half dozen of you on Twitter where I've been frequenting. It would be good to maybe have you check in as you read this, and let us know you're okay.
Renee and I are fine. She works from home, and while I'd probably like to just self-quarantine with her while we wait for the curve to flatten, I still must leave home to go to work each day. Thankfully, I'm only in contact with about 5 other people, but I have to be doubly sure I don't come in contact with someone who's knowingly been exposed for all of our sakes.
Luckily, everyone at the building where our team is located, are now telecommuting as ordered by their CEO. And the 5 of us are taking extreme precautions for each others' safety.
The only other individual is the fur I stay with 2 nights each week to save on mileage. He now telecommutes as well.
Anyway, I'm just wishing you all good health, and please be safe.
Just a quick note
General | Posted 6 years agoJare here. I'd like to thank the several new watchers who have come in the last few weeks. Things have slowed down here quite a bit as you can see.
I wanted to take a few minutes and share something with you all. Some of you know the thing with my dad, but in the last few years while Mom was still alive and they were in their house, they didn't want members of the extended family and their partners and spouses in their house because of not accepting their orientation.
Well, now that Mom's gone, Dad has had some time to reflect, and he has pretty much on his own, realized he was wrong, humbly apologized to my mother and father in law, and now, he's been invited to Thanksgiving dinner with everyone together.
I can't tell you how much he's looking forward to it and visiting with everyone, and formally apologizing to everyone and for the years that were needlessly lost. For Renee and I it's been 7 or 8 years since they've attended -- for holidays we've had to visit first my parents then her parents, or vice versa, and give them all similar attention so that no one felt slighted. This year will be wonderful.
What are your plans this Thanksgiving and beyond?
I wanted to take a few minutes and share something with you all. Some of you know the thing with my dad, but in the last few years while Mom was still alive and they were in their house, they didn't want members of the extended family and their partners and spouses in their house because of not accepting their orientation.
Well, now that Mom's gone, Dad has had some time to reflect, and he has pretty much on his own, realized he was wrong, humbly apologized to my mother and father in law, and now, he's been invited to Thanksgiving dinner with everyone together.
I can't tell you how much he's looking forward to it and visiting with everyone, and formally apologizing to everyone and for the years that were needlessly lost. For Renee and I it's been 7 or 8 years since they've attended -- for holidays we've had to visit first my parents then her parents, or vice versa, and give them all similar attention so that no one felt slighted. This year will be wonderful.
What are your plans this Thanksgiving and beyond?
Jare here
General | Posted 6 years agoHey everyone. Sorry for the lack of new journal entries. There are 4 other admins, but I guess we've all kind of moved on. I do check in here most days, and I'm the one who keeps the journals and submissions trimmed to anything that is less than a week old so that doesn't get out of hand. I also welcome new watchers.
Update on my life: Mom died May 1 and Dad hasn't wanted to stay in the house, so Renee and I have moved him into a great little retirement community where he's doing well. The house has sold, and now we're dealing a myriad of things.
I lost my position in reproduction services when the host company decided they would just go down to mail services. This, 2 months after they signed a year-long contract to keep everything the same. So they basically tore up the contract and my employer isn't doing a thing about it. Instead they informed me 2 days before my last day there, offered me a position 22 miles further (109 miles from home), $6 less per hour, and told me I have to pay for parking. It was an accept it or be terminated proposition. So I accepted but immediately sought employment at the company where my former partner ended up when they laid her off. Just had the interview yesterday and it's almost certain I'll get it. It's still about 109 miles away in a different direction, but it's only $5 less per hour and parking is free. So this will be a holding pattern for awhile to give me a chance to look for employment closer to home, like maybe Winchester Va.
My wife and I are kind of in survival mode, just trying to regroup after needing a new A/C and fridge, both of which we're still paying on, and figuring out where we can cut.
So hopefully one of the other guys will give you all a nugget of joy or wisdom here soon, and my plight won't remain as the newest journal entry for long.
Update on my life: Mom died May 1 and Dad hasn't wanted to stay in the house, so Renee and I have moved him into a great little retirement community where he's doing well. The house has sold, and now we're dealing a myriad of things.
I lost my position in reproduction services when the host company decided they would just go down to mail services. This, 2 months after they signed a year-long contract to keep everything the same. So they basically tore up the contract and my employer isn't doing a thing about it. Instead they informed me 2 days before my last day there, offered me a position 22 miles further (109 miles from home), $6 less per hour, and told me I have to pay for parking. It was an accept it or be terminated proposition. So I accepted but immediately sought employment at the company where my former partner ended up when they laid her off. Just had the interview yesterday and it's almost certain I'll get it. It's still about 109 miles away in a different direction, but it's only $5 less per hour and parking is free. So this will be a holding pattern for awhile to give me a chance to look for employment closer to home, like maybe Winchester Va.
My wife and I are kind of in survival mode, just trying to regroup after needing a new A/C and fridge, both of which we're still paying on, and figuring out where we can cut.
So hopefully one of the other guys will give you all a nugget of joy or wisdom here soon, and my plight won't remain as the newest journal entry for long.
This weekend
General | Posted 7 years agoJarrell here.
At home for now, getting ready to go down and see my parents. Mom's not doing so well and this might be the last time I see her. I worry about Dad when the inevitable happens because of the way he says constantly that his purpose in life is taking care of her. Lots of other things going on right now. It's hard finding motivation to do anything creative. Renee and I both long for a time when life doesn't suck so bad. We had good times before even when things weren't perfect. So many uncertainties, so many things we don't have control over. It's been hard. I hope y'all are doing okay.
At home for now, getting ready to go down and see my parents. Mom's not doing so well and this might be the last time I see her. I worry about Dad when the inevitable happens because of the way he says constantly that his purpose in life is taking care of her. Lots of other things going on right now. It's hard finding motivation to do anything creative. Renee and I both long for a time when life doesn't suck so bad. We had good times before even when things weren't perfect. So many uncertainties, so many things we don't have control over. It's been hard. I hope y'all are doing okay.
Happy Holidays!
General | Posted 7 years agoHey Everyone. Jarrell here. If the other admins here are anything like me, it's been so busy these last few weeks, but I wanted to stop and wish everyone Happy Holidays, a Merry Christmas, a Joyous Yule, or in however you observe this season. Know that you are loved and that you matter. I wish you all good tidings for the coming year.
Tidings is an old-fashioned word for recent news. If someone says "I bring you good tidings!" it means they have information to share that you'll probably like. Even though this word appears to be related to tide, tidings is actually thought to come from the Old English word tidan, which means "to happen."
Tidings is an old-fashioned word for recent news. If someone says "I bring you good tidings!" it means they have information to share that you'll probably like. Even though this word appears to be related to tide, tidings is actually thought to come from the Old English word tidan, which means "to happen."
So who's voting?
General | Posted 7 years agoJarrell here.
Renee and I are voting this weekend in West Virginia.
Like I said on Twitter, I'll be 60 in March. I was born during the Eisenhower administration.
This is the most important midterm election (likely surpassing most if not all Presidential elections), of my life.
It's yours too. Use your voice. Vote.
Comment here.
Renee and I are voting this weekend in West Virginia.
Like I said on Twitter, I'll be 60 in March. I was born during the Eisenhower administration.
This is the most important midterm election (likely surpassing most if not all Presidential elections), of my life.
It's yours too. Use your voice. Vote.
Comment here.
It's Pride Month
General | Posted 7 years agoHere is June in our website's "Crossing Paths" which features a few historical highlights in the ancient and turbulent relationship between the Church and LGBT...
http://myrainbowark.com/c06.html
Any plans for the summer? Furcons, pride events, roadtrips or vacations planned?
http://myrainbowark.com/c06.html
Any plans for the summer? Furcons, pride events, roadtrips or vacations planned?
Easter weekend
General | Posted 7 years agoHello Rainbow enthusiasts,
Jare here,
I thought for sure one of our other admin would have written a message, but I hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend with family or friends. We got back home after 9 last night.
It was our first full night away from home since we got our new kitty, Kiki, but she did well. It looks like the new automatic kibble dispenser worked just fine. We were a little worried because once we were testing it a week ago, it took her no time to figure out how to stick her paw up the chute and turn the flippers to get more food to drop. But it looks as though she didn't cheat too much while we were away.
We stayed with Renee's parents this time, and it was good to see everyone again. After breakfast yesterday morning, we got in the car to see my parents up the road. They're doing well for their age. Dad is the caregiver for my mom, but he's hyper aware of his own health, hoping to take care of her for as long as he is able, but he's of course worried about her if something were to happen to him. I wish we didn't live 150 miles away, and we have a mortgage we're stuck with -- possibly no longer underwater anymore, but up here near northern Virginia is where my job is, and it my age, it's not like I could just relocate and find any one of a dozen places hiring 59 year olds.
Life is complicated at times. It's nothing new for many of you too. We just do what we can and try to encourage discussion about difficult decisions about things while there is opportunity to discuss.
So yeah, at Renee's we caught up with birthdays, had a nice meal prepared by her mom and everyone took some food home with them. Now early Monday morning, I'm getting ready for work. It's going to be a stay-over night tonight because of my long commute. There's a wonderful Panda fur who lives and works just up the street from where I work, who has a comfy couch. I just bring muffins or bagels to share and he's good. It's also a joy to watch his fursuit come together as he has time in the evenings to work on it.
Cheers everyone. Be good.
Jare here,
I thought for sure one of our other admin would have written a message, but I hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend with family or friends. We got back home after 9 last night.
It was our first full night away from home since we got our new kitty, Kiki, but she did well. It looks like the new automatic kibble dispenser worked just fine. We were a little worried because once we were testing it a week ago, it took her no time to figure out how to stick her paw up the chute and turn the flippers to get more food to drop. But it looks as though she didn't cheat too much while we were away.
We stayed with Renee's parents this time, and it was good to see everyone again. After breakfast yesterday morning, we got in the car to see my parents up the road. They're doing well for their age. Dad is the caregiver for my mom, but he's hyper aware of his own health, hoping to take care of her for as long as he is able, but he's of course worried about her if something were to happen to him. I wish we didn't live 150 miles away, and we have a mortgage we're stuck with -- possibly no longer underwater anymore, but up here near northern Virginia is where my job is, and it my age, it's not like I could just relocate and find any one of a dozen places hiring 59 year olds.
Life is complicated at times. It's nothing new for many of you too. We just do what we can and try to encourage discussion about difficult decisions about things while there is opportunity to discuss.
So yeah, at Renee's we caught up with birthdays, had a nice meal prepared by her mom and everyone took some food home with them. Now early Monday morning, I'm getting ready for work. It's going to be a stay-over night tonight because of my long commute. There's a wonderful Panda fur who lives and works just up the street from where I work, who has a comfy couch. I just bring muffins or bagels to share and he's good. It's also a joy to watch his fursuit come together as he has time in the evenings to work on it.
Cheers everyone. Be good.
Just a little link for you
General | Posted 8 years agoJarrell here,
I don't know if there are any Tiny Toon Adventures fans here, but if there are, I wanted to provide a little shameless plug to my wife's blog: https://threefromwaynesboro.com/
Even if you've visited before, there are several new entries there which weren't there in December. For those of you new to this, my wife is the "Renee" of Renee, Amy, and Sarah and "Buster & Babs Go Hawaiian" fame, and this blog is a trip down memory lane and was begun at the 25th anniversary of this particular episode.
Please feel free to hit the follow button there to receive notifications of future updates, and thank you for reading.
I don't know if there are any Tiny Toon Adventures fans here, but if there are, I wanted to provide a little shameless plug to my wife's blog: https://threefromwaynesboro.com/
Even if you've visited before, there are several new entries there which weren't there in December. For those of you new to this, my wife is the "Renee" of Renee, Amy, and Sarah and "Buster & Babs Go Hawaiian" fame, and this blog is a trip down memory lane and was begun at the 25th anniversary of this particular episode.
Please feel free to hit the follow button there to receive notifications of future updates, and thank you for reading.
Black Friday and Bijoux
General | Posted 8 years agoI hope everyone is doing okay. Sorry I haven't posted in awhile.
We had to cut our Thanksgiving visit by a couple days because our cat, Bijoux has an appointment at an animal hospital in Manassas VA for some further tests to augment what she received at the emergency vet the other night, and an ultrasound to try to see what is causing a fluid (in x-ray) on her left side. We'll know more from today's diagnostic appointment what it is, and what our options are.
She's currently constipated and has some trapped gas, making her sides bulge a little. But she doesn't seem to be in any pain though her appetite is diminished. Otherwise, she's doing a lot of her typical stuff and vocalizing.
In every opportunity available, we've been spending quality time with her, telling her what a good kitty she is, and doing all of her favorite things.
~ Jare
We had to cut our Thanksgiving visit by a couple days because our cat, Bijoux has an appointment at an animal hospital in Manassas VA for some further tests to augment what she received at the emergency vet the other night, and an ultrasound to try to see what is causing a fluid (in x-ray) on her left side. We'll know more from today's diagnostic appointment what it is, and what our options are.
She's currently constipated and has some trapped gas, making her sides bulge a little. But she doesn't seem to be in any pain though her appetite is diminished. Otherwise, she's doing a lot of her typical stuff and vocalizing.
In every opportunity available, we've been spending quality time with her, telling her what a good kitty she is, and doing all of her favorite things.
~ Jare
a small Twitter thread from yesterday
General | Posted 8 years ago(...with typos corrected. Please join us there if you haven't already: @Rainbow_ark)
Since February 2004 when it was founded, Rainbow Ark has been a safe zone for LGBT religious people in the furry fandom. We've been about 1/
tolerance, understanding, reminding each person that we're all important and we all have something to add to the whole. Lately, as you've 2/
noticed, we've been more about the state of the USA and civil rights & such. It kinda seems like we've lost focus. But I want to clarify 3/
There is something much more pressing than our original purposes, and it has to do with the well being of our democracy, and really the 4/
continuing (to at least some degree) of, at the risk of sounding melodramatic, the human race. We are at a point where we cannot give up 5/
and just let things go as they are with the corruption in leadership. We need to all step up, try to do better to separate fact from 6/
fiction, disseminate news, share plans, work against the forces which are today trying to obliterate our civil liberties and divide us. 7/
45 must be peaceably and lawfully removed from office as soon as humanly possible. He is the source of the destruction we see around us. 8/
To do that we all need to stay focused, get and stay connected, follow others in the resistance, and I have to believe good will prevail. 9/
Don't hate me if I have to interject a kitten gif now and then. Life goes on through this difficult time and we have to remember there is 10/
beauty and wonder in this world. Take care of yourself, step away at times you have to, but remember to come back. We need you. 11/11
Since February 2004 when it was founded, Rainbow Ark has been a safe zone for LGBT religious people in the furry fandom. We've been about 1/
tolerance, understanding, reminding each person that we're all important and we all have something to add to the whole. Lately, as you've 2/
noticed, we've been more about the state of the USA and civil rights & such. It kinda seems like we've lost focus. But I want to clarify 3/
There is something much more pressing than our original purposes, and it has to do with the well being of our democracy, and really the 4/
continuing (to at least some degree) of, at the risk of sounding melodramatic, the human race. We are at a point where we cannot give up 5/
and just let things go as they are with the corruption in leadership. We need to all step up, try to do better to separate fact from 6/
fiction, disseminate news, share plans, work against the forces which are today trying to obliterate our civil liberties and divide us. 7/
45 must be peaceably and lawfully removed from office as soon as humanly possible. He is the source of the destruction we see around us. 8/
To do that we all need to stay focused, get and stay connected, follow others in the resistance, and I have to believe good will prevail. 9/
Don't hate me if I have to interject a kitten gif now and then. Life goes on through this difficult time and we have to remember there is 10/
beauty and wonder in this world. Take care of yourself, step away at times you have to, but remember to come back. We need you. 11/11
Ghandi's "I Like Your Christ, not Your Christians"
General | Posted 8 years agoHow often have we heard Mahatma Ghandi say: “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
I offer you this commentary from Frank Raj
MIDDLE EAST, INDIA, March 28, 2011 — After twenty centuries all that can be said of Christianity is that it is the world’s largest religion with over 2 billion followers. Its influence on men’s hearts and minds as the truth is highly debatable.
Mahatma Gandhi is perhaps the best example of someone who was discerning enough to reject Christianity not Christ. He was deeply hurt by his experiences with apartheid and “Christians” during his time in South Africa, and it obviously stymied his relationship with Christ.
Like Gandhi millions have been unable to see the Christ obscured by Christianity.
Gandhi was shrewd enough to tell missionaries, “I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” When asked why he did not embrace Christianity, Gandhi said it offered nothing he could not get from his own religion, observing, “…to be a good Hindu also meant that I would be a good Christian. There is no need for me to join your creed to be a believer in the beauty of the teachings of Jesus or try to follow His example.”
The man whose death Nobel prize nominee and legendary missionary E. Stanley Jones described as, “the greatest tragedy since the Son of God died on the cross,” precisely assessed Christianity as being no different from other religions.
Gandhi took the ideas of Christ and tried to implement them by faithfully adhering to Hinduism. But he did not realize there were forces already at work in his lifetime, converting the Hindu religion into, ‘Hindutva’ a fanatic ideology developed by radical Hindus who ultimately murdered the Mahatma.
Today these same forces have acquired political respectability and sit in India’s Parliament as the country’s largest opposition group – the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accountable to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) that bred Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse.
Hinduism is not the only religion that has been perverted by ideology. Christianity has used and misrepresented the name of Christ; Islamism is a corruption of Islam, which basically means submission to the will of God and obedience to His law.
It also works the other way around – ideologies basically seek to become religions, Nazism, Communism, Fascism etc., are good examples. So far Materialism has found the most acceptance globally.
Violent ideologies inflict pain, a materialistic philosophy breeds the love of pleasure in direct contrast to Jesus’ counsel, “’Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Among the religious ‘isms’ of the world Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Catholicism etc., are notable. Islam does not have a suffix but Islamism is associated with extremists.
To what purpose was the name of Christ extended? Does Christianity distance or draw people to Jesus?
In a hopelessly muddled world of religiosity, theology may have obscured the basic good news of eternal salvation. Entrusted mainly to illiterate fishermen at first, the gospel was never meant to be veiled or enhanced by man’s religious knowledge. The finest theological minds could have been divinely employed for that purpose if their learned input was required.
Christianity asks people to follow wise men in a hierarchy; Christ asks people to follow him in Spirit and in Truth. Christianity requires institutional membership; Christ has promised to be anywhere two or three gather in his name. Christianity binds individuals with ritual and tradition; Christ warns that tradition makes God’s Word void in people’s hearts. Christianity has blood on its hands, it is guilty of untold depravity; in John 8:46 Christ demands, “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?”
Because Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam etc., were each founded by one individual, it is assumed that Christianity falls in the same category. But Jesus was not its founder - it was legalized as Rome’s state religion in 317 by the emperor Constantine.
The fact remains truly knowing Christ need have nothing to do with Christianity.
Down the ages with its violent history of power and politics, debauched clergy and widespread division, Christ has been consistently sullied and concealed by what the world accepts as “Christianity.” Often it displays no resemblance to the name it bears. It is man-made and not all Christians consider it authentic or desirable in its current institutional model.
Many are concluding that a choice must be made, and following Christ authentically and simply as he showed how, is the growing preference.
Even the uninitiated in their hearts know that Christ brings peace and unity, all else has been tried and found wanting.
How could one man’s death on a cheap, wooden cross reconcile mankind to God? Why does our perplexed, religiously diverse world struggle with such a possibility?
Why does the Quran confirm his exclusive virgin birth and call Jesus Kalimuttullah – the true Word of God? Was he just a man? Was he just a prophet? Why is he called the Messiah?
Why does the Bible declare that everyone who calls upon the name of Christ shall be saved?
I believe no one can induce people to believe it is Christ who waits at the end of man’s spiritual quest – there is enough evidence God uniquely dialogues with each one of us. It’s a mystery most people ignore or dismiss. Only a few accept the divine invitation for an incomparable, lifelong relational adventure.
Profound theological arguments may refute this, but anyone who has glimpsed the hope of eternal salvation is soon unimpressed by the knowledge and piety of man, clergy or otherwise.
When people surrender their hearts to Christ and discover sin’s grip can be broken, they will not settle for a lofty religion that complicates life and brings no deliverance. Freedom does not always come instantly without trials, but people know it surely comes to broken hearts longing for their “Maker.”
Alternatively some folks prefer to feel safe in the groupthink of organized belief, and uniformly follow something called Christianity or some other religion. One way demands death to pride, the other offers the standard feel-good-about-myself religious experience and self-gratification with group membership in a club of sorts.
The idea that the God of the universe can be bribed with good works, piety, rituals and traditions has widespread acceptance, and millions are shackled and controlled by the idea, which the clergy easily manipulates.
But the scriptures mysteriously indicate that it is God who chooses us, (John 15: 16), offering the free gift of himself. We don’t choose him. We can accept or reject him, but we cannot bribe our way to him using religion.
That pretty much describes authentic, divine, agape love.
So what is of greater worth – the truth that sets people free or the experience of being stuck in a lifelong religious rut?
Frank Raj belongs to an extended Indian-American family; he is based in India and the Middle East where he has lived for over three decades. He is the founding editor and publisher of ‘The International Indian’, (www.theinternationalindian.com) the oldest magazine of Gulf-Indian society and history since 1992. Frank is listed in Arabian Business magazine’s 100 most influential Indians in the Gulf and is co-author of the upcoming publication ‘Universal Book of the Scriptures,’ and author of ‘Desh Aur Diaspora.’
I offer you this commentary from Frank Raj
MIDDLE EAST, INDIA, March 28, 2011 — After twenty centuries all that can be said of Christianity is that it is the world’s largest religion with over 2 billion followers. Its influence on men’s hearts and minds as the truth is highly debatable.
Mahatma Gandhi is perhaps the best example of someone who was discerning enough to reject Christianity not Christ. He was deeply hurt by his experiences with apartheid and “Christians” during his time in South Africa, and it obviously stymied his relationship with Christ.
Like Gandhi millions have been unable to see the Christ obscured by Christianity.
Gandhi was shrewd enough to tell missionaries, “I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” When asked why he did not embrace Christianity, Gandhi said it offered nothing he could not get from his own religion, observing, “…to be a good Hindu also meant that I would be a good Christian. There is no need for me to join your creed to be a believer in the beauty of the teachings of Jesus or try to follow His example.”
The man whose death Nobel prize nominee and legendary missionary E. Stanley Jones described as, “the greatest tragedy since the Son of God died on the cross,” precisely assessed Christianity as being no different from other religions.
Gandhi took the ideas of Christ and tried to implement them by faithfully adhering to Hinduism. But he did not realize there were forces already at work in his lifetime, converting the Hindu religion into, ‘Hindutva’ a fanatic ideology developed by radical Hindus who ultimately murdered the Mahatma.
Today these same forces have acquired political respectability and sit in India’s Parliament as the country’s largest opposition group – the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accountable to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) that bred Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse.
Hinduism is not the only religion that has been perverted by ideology. Christianity has used and misrepresented the name of Christ; Islamism is a corruption of Islam, which basically means submission to the will of God and obedience to His law.
It also works the other way around – ideologies basically seek to become religions, Nazism, Communism, Fascism etc., are good examples. So far Materialism has found the most acceptance globally.
Violent ideologies inflict pain, a materialistic philosophy breeds the love of pleasure in direct contrast to Jesus’ counsel, “’Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Among the religious ‘isms’ of the world Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Catholicism etc., are notable. Islam does not have a suffix but Islamism is associated with extremists.
To what purpose was the name of Christ extended? Does Christianity distance or draw people to Jesus?
In a hopelessly muddled world of religiosity, theology may have obscured the basic good news of eternal salvation. Entrusted mainly to illiterate fishermen at first, the gospel was never meant to be veiled or enhanced by man’s religious knowledge. The finest theological minds could have been divinely employed for that purpose if their learned input was required.
Christianity asks people to follow wise men in a hierarchy; Christ asks people to follow him in Spirit and in Truth. Christianity requires institutional membership; Christ has promised to be anywhere two or three gather in his name. Christianity binds individuals with ritual and tradition; Christ warns that tradition makes God’s Word void in people’s hearts. Christianity has blood on its hands, it is guilty of untold depravity; in John 8:46 Christ demands, “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?”
Because Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam etc., were each founded by one individual, it is assumed that Christianity falls in the same category. But Jesus was not its founder - it was legalized as Rome’s state religion in 317 by the emperor Constantine.
The fact remains truly knowing Christ need have nothing to do with Christianity.
Down the ages with its violent history of power and politics, debauched clergy and widespread division, Christ has been consistently sullied and concealed by what the world accepts as “Christianity.” Often it displays no resemblance to the name it bears. It is man-made and not all Christians consider it authentic or desirable in its current institutional model.
Many are concluding that a choice must be made, and following Christ authentically and simply as he showed how, is the growing preference.
Even the uninitiated in their hearts know that Christ brings peace and unity, all else has been tried and found wanting.
How could one man’s death on a cheap, wooden cross reconcile mankind to God? Why does our perplexed, religiously diverse world struggle with such a possibility?
Why does the Quran confirm his exclusive virgin birth and call Jesus Kalimuttullah – the true Word of God? Was he just a man? Was he just a prophet? Why is he called the Messiah?
Why does the Bible declare that everyone who calls upon the name of Christ shall be saved?
I believe no one can induce people to believe it is Christ who waits at the end of man’s spiritual quest – there is enough evidence God uniquely dialogues with each one of us. It’s a mystery most people ignore or dismiss. Only a few accept the divine invitation for an incomparable, lifelong relational adventure.
Profound theological arguments may refute this, but anyone who has glimpsed the hope of eternal salvation is soon unimpressed by the knowledge and piety of man, clergy or otherwise.
When people surrender their hearts to Christ and discover sin’s grip can be broken, they will not settle for a lofty religion that complicates life and brings no deliverance. Freedom does not always come instantly without trials, but people know it surely comes to broken hearts longing for their “Maker.”
Alternatively some folks prefer to feel safe in the groupthink of organized belief, and uniformly follow something called Christianity or some other religion. One way demands death to pride, the other offers the standard feel-good-about-myself religious experience and self-gratification with group membership in a club of sorts.
The idea that the God of the universe can be bribed with good works, piety, rituals and traditions has widespread acceptance, and millions are shackled and controlled by the idea, which the clergy easily manipulates.
But the scriptures mysteriously indicate that it is God who chooses us, (John 15: 16), offering the free gift of himself. We don’t choose him. We can accept or reject him, but we cannot bribe our way to him using religion.
That pretty much describes authentic, divine, agape love.
So what is of greater worth – the truth that sets people free or the experience of being stuck in a lifelong religious rut?
Frank Raj belongs to an extended Indian-American family; he is based in India and the Middle East where he has lived for over three decades. He is the founding editor and publisher of ‘The International Indian’, (www.theinternationalindian.com) the oldest magazine of Gulf-Indian society and history since 1992. Frank is listed in Arabian Business magazine’s 100 most influential Indians in the Gulf and is co-author of the upcoming publication ‘Universal Book of the Scriptures,’ and author of ‘Desh Aur Diaspora.’
How to Cope With Trump Anxiety
General | Posted 8 years ago
JarrellWoodsby Steven Stosny, Ph.D.
Since last summer, my practice has been overwhelmed with distress calls from people coping with anxiety in our current political environment.
First it was the vitriol and inescapable negativity of the presidential campaign, and now it seems that we wake up daily to an endless stream of shocking executive orders and headlines questioning our national security and the foundation of our electoral process. Our current environment, amplified by 24-hour news outlets and social media, has created a level of stress, nervousness, and resentment that has intruded into many people’s lives and intimate relationships, the likes of which I’ve not seen in nearly 30 years of clinical work.
Some people are worried about losing their health care or about future economic distress. Others are angry about the travel ban while others fear for their civil rights and personal safety. The list of concerns is daunting.
If you’ve been nervous or anxious since the election, you’re not alone. In fact, according to a recent survey, you’re in the majority. “Nervous Nation: An Inside Look at America’s Anxiety in the Age of Trump,” commissioned by the online healthcare site CareDash.com, found that more than half of Americans (59%) are anxious because of the November election results. Half (50%) of Americans are looking for ways to cope with the negative environment; and more than a quarter (26%) are engaging in negative behavior such as drinking or smoking more often, eating unhealthily, or arguing with loved ones more frequently as a result of their election-induced anxiety.
If you’re among the tens of millions currently anxious in our nervous nation, here are few things you can do:
Empower Yourself
Stand up for what you believe. Write letters, demonstrate, lobby Congress, and so on, remembering that you’ll be most effective (and feel better) when focused on the change you want to see rather than merely reacting to what you don’t like. Anxiety and nervousness rise whenever we feel powerless. The first rule of empowerment is focus. If we focus on what we cannot control, like other people’s opinions and behavior, we feel powerless. When we shift focus to what we can control, for example, our own behavior and the meaning of our experience, we feel empowered.
Connect
Connection to others is the best antidote to anxiety. Reach out to friends and family. But don’t just text or email them. Meet them, eat with them, call them, hear their voices and see their faces. Join communities of shared values, goals, or experiences. These can be work, school, parents', professional, neighborhood, religious, or sports associations. And don’t forget your spiritual connection, which can be some expression of religious values or meditative experience or appreciation of natural and creative beauty. Whatever means the most to you, do more of it in these unsettling times.
Appreciate Your Ability to Cope
When anxious, we underestimate our resilience, tolerance, problem-solving capacity, and our overall ability to cope. The perceived ability to cope almost always underestimates actual ability to cope, that is, we usually cope better than we think we will. Recall times when you showed your better qualities under stress.
Get Physical
Walk 30 minutes a day. Studies show that this simple exercise can be as beneficial as anti-anxiety medication, with none of the side effects and lots of health benefits.
Write
Write down your anxious thoughts. When anxious or nervous, our thoughts go by very fast, and the faster they go, the more overwhelming they seem. To slow down the flow, sit down with a pad and paper and write them down in long hand.
Assign Probability and Plan
Next to each of the worries you wrote down, assign a probability, using a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most likely to happen. Anxiety is about unknown possibility, and anything is possible. Reasonable behavior is informed and based on probability - what is most likely to happen. Find out more about what worries you. After you’ve assessed how likely it is to happen, write what you will do if it does occur. This converts unproductive worry into useful contingency planning, which in itself creates a sense of empowerment.
Retain Hope
Personal and national growth typically follow struggles with anxiety. Nervousness forces us to reevaluate what is most important and what we most want for ourselves, our loved ones, and our fellow citizens. From careful reevaluation emerges a course of meaningful behavior based on our deepest values.
The article: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blo.....-trump-anxiety
Independence Day
General | Posted 8 years agoWell, it happened on July 4th, 1776 (Traditionally. That is why the Declaration has the words, “IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776,” at its top, because that is the day the approved last version was signed in Philadelphia).
Happy Independence Day! (it's REAL name). It's a time when we, as Americans, can look back at the rebellion from the King of England back in 1776. When we proclaims our INDEPENDENCE which did not happen right away, by the way.
We are a country of Immigrants, all of us. Even with the land bridge from Russia many millennia ago when this land's Native Ancestors first came to the North American continent. America truly is the "melting pot" of all peoples, and no one has the right to say whose nationality can come in and whose nationality needs to leave.
"The New Colossus" (also known as the Statue of Liberty, Lady Liberty, The Torch Bearer, Mother of Exiles) has a plaque at her feet which reads:
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Dineegla
...and now more than ever it is time to let these words and their meaning soak in.
Happy Independence Day! (it's REAL name). It's a time when we, as Americans, can look back at the rebellion from the King of England back in 1776. When we proclaims our INDEPENDENCE which did not happen right away, by the way.
We are a country of Immigrants, all of us. Even with the land bridge from Russia many millennia ago when this land's Native Ancestors first came to the North American continent. America truly is the "melting pot" of all peoples, and no one has the right to say whose nationality can come in and whose nationality needs to leave.
"The New Colossus" (also known as the Statue of Liberty, Lady Liberty, The Torch Bearer, Mother of Exiles) has a plaque at her feet which reads:
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Dineegla
...and now more than ever it is time to let these words and their meaning soak in.
I realize I haven't posted much, but...
General | Posted 8 years agoI'll be away for an undetermined number of days. My Dad is in the hospital who is the regular caretaker for my Mom who's had two strokes and needs help throughout the day. Where I'll be, there is no internet. I'll likely be back home again by Friday. Please be good to each other.
Jare
Jare
