RT @usmannrana Why #Muslims should embrace same-sex marriage #LGBT #Gay #GayMarriage via @gaystarnews Marriage is not about me, me, me but a bond between two people who are in love and want to show the world their commitment to each other. This is a something the opponents of gay marriage – religious or otherwise – do not seem to grasp. It’s why gay marriage is important and necessary, so we can be equal to our heterosexual friends and companions. As GSN has pointed out there is a big difference between marriage and civil partnership. And to those who oppose equal gay and lesbian marriage, the answer is simple – if you do not like gay marriage don’t marry someone who is gay. In the eyes of the law, marriage is not a religious institution but a civil issue. In the case of the UK, religious groups that oppose gay marriage have nothing to fear. Religious institutions including some in my own, Islam, have expressed their concern on the redefinition of marriage, but their arguments have no basis. In my interpretation of Islam and understanding of the Quran, homosexuality is not a sin.
About International Women's Day 2014 - Glenda Stone re. Global IWD Arts This video was kindly provided by International Women's Day has been observed since in the early 1900's, a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies. 1908 Great unrest and critical debate was occurring amongst women. Women's oppression and inequality was spurring women to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change. 1909 In accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America, the first National Woman's Day (NWD) was observed across the United States on 28 February. 1910 n 1910 a second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen. 1911 Following the decision agreed at Copenhagen in 1911, International Women's Day (IWD) was honoured the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on 19 March. However, great improvements have been made. So make a difference, think globally and act locally !! About this internationalwomensday.com website
92% of Latinos Who Support Same-Sex Immigration Reform Want It Included in #CIR via @HuffPostPol WASHINGTON -- Nearly two-thirds of Latino voters support allowing same-sex couples equal immigration rights, according to a poll released Friday, contradicting the often-repeated line that those voters are more socially conservative than average. The poll was conducted by polling firm Latino Decisions for the group Immigration Equality, which advocates for same-sex couples to be included in reform. Under current law, same-sex couples do not have the same immigration rights as heterosexual ones. An American can't petition for legal status for their same-sex partner because even legal marriages are not recognized at the federal level under the Defense of Marriage Act. When asked whether same-sex partners should be allowed to petition for legal residency for a spouse, 64 percent of Latino voters said they would support such a policy, while 24 percent said they would oppose it. Most Latinos who self-identified as Catholic or evangelical also supported provisions for same-sex couples.
International Women's Day, 8 March "Countries with more gender equality have better economic growth. Companies with more women leaders perform better. Peace agreements that include women are more durable. Parliaments with more women enact more legislation on key social issues such as health, education, anti-discrimination and child support. The evidence is clear: equality for women means progress for all." International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities. This year’s theme, “Equality for women is progress for all” emphasizes how gender equality, empowerment of women, women’s full enjoyment of human rights and the eradication of poverty are essential to economic and social development. Tweets about "#IWD2014 "
RT @AAUWHigherEd @KatieMillerOS on the next frontier for #LGBT & the military We sat down with Katie Miller — a leading advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) service members and a 2013 NCCWSL Woman of Distinction — to talk about her experience coming out as a lesbian to the world and the recent policy changes surrounding female and LGBT service members. Q: Can you describe the day you decided to resign from the U.S. Military Academy and what it was like to publicly come out to America? A: Coming out to the world … I actually did an interview on The Rachel Maddow Show before I was formally discharged and there was no way I was going to be able to leave post to give this interview, and West Point certainly didn’t want that to happen. So I ended up setting up Skype so I could do a live interview with Rachel Maddow from my computer. And I remember when I was giving this interview I had this bad habit of looking up and looking at my image on the screen instead of looking directly at the camera, which is just poor aesthetics. College Women!
We Can Do It! Byte Podcast 365 – Primeras impresiones del BlackBerry Z10 y Xperia ZL by BytePodcast (David Ochoa B.) Llega el segundo episodio de esta semana, Byte Podcast 365, con nuestras primeras impresiones de los smartphones BlackBerry Z10 y el Sony Xperia ZL, que saldrán a la venta en cuestión de semanas, en México y algunos países de Latinoamérica. También tenemos noticias que incluyen el anuncio por parte de Twitter de que descontinuará algunas versiones de Tweetdeck; el anuncio de nuevos cambios en Facebook; la edición 2013 de Aldea Digital en México y su cambio de formato; el video del nuevo evento “Unpacked” de Samsung en la que presentarán su nuevo Galaxy, y el ganador mexicano del Google Apps Developer Challenge 2012. En Bookmarks les recomendamos un sitio que les enseñará la historia del Internet, con el formato de un museo virtual. Byte Podcast # 365 – Descarga directa Byte, tecnología aplicada… a la vida. Aldea Digital México 2013Jeremy, el mensajero de Samsung Unpacked 2013The Big Internet Museum94 Seconds, gratis para iOS (iPhone, iPad y iPod Touch)
8th March TOMASZ STANKO - Almost Green (Leo 1979) "Almost Green" is fourth and last record by great Stanko Quartet with Vesala and Szukalski, this time with wonderful dwarf Palle Danielsson on bass. Released by Finnish label Leo Records in 1979, this album was preceeded by "TWET" (Muza 1974), "Balladyna" (ECM 1976) and "Live at Remont" (Helicon 1978), each with different bassist. But always the rhythm section sounded pretty heavy and whole quartet freshly and recognizably. Maybe it is wishful thinking from my side, but I often thought when listening to "Balladyna" that there are some similarities with great Elton Dean Quintet's "Boundaries", and I got that feeling again with "Live at Remont" and "Almost Green", which were completely new to me during last weeks... Thanks to original uploader svantetic and his former blog Almost Black, and to mew23, who kept this rip and shared it with us. BTW, "From Greenhills" theme is reprised as title track of Stanko's 1999 ECM album "From The Green Hill". 1. 1-5 by Stanko, 6 by Vesala
History of International Women's Day, 8 March Introduction International Women's Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. International Women's Day first emerged from the activities of labour movements at the turn of the twentieth century in North America and across Europe. Since those early years, International Women's Day has assumed a new global dimension for women in developed and developing countries alike. The growing international women's movement, which has been strengthened by four global United Nations women's conferences, has helped make the commemoration a rallying point to build support for women's rights and participation in the political and economic arenas. The UN and Gender Equality The Charter of the United Nations, signed in 1945, was the first international agreement to affirm the principle of equality between women and men. Activism
Top story: Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling « Aerogramme Writers' Studio see more These rules were originally tweeted by Emma Coats, Pixar’s Story Artist. Number 9 on the list – When you’re stuck, make a list of what wouldn’t happen next – is a great one and can apply to writers in all genres. You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.You gotta keep in mind what’s interesting to you as an audience, not what’s fun to do as a writer. Top story: State Level Immigration Legislation and the Essential Economy » Immigrat… see more We often take for granted the important role “behind the scenes” workers – farm labor, restaurant work, and home health care – play in driving our economy. That’s one of the many conclusions of a new report from the Essential Economy Council, which studied the economic and social value of industries that make up what they have coined the “essential economy.” The report identifies six industrial sectors important to our daily way of life, including: agriculture and poultry; hospitality and restaurants; light construction and landscaping; personal care and assisted living; building maintenance and facilities service; and distribution and logistics. For the state of Georgia, the essential economy is a significant component of the state’s overall economy. While the report highlights the importance of the essential economy, its conclusions and recommendations primarily suggest we need further research and data on the various nuances and key metrics of the economy.
La Primavera - Concerto delle Donne “Italian Music of the 17th Century by Female Composers” “Italian Music of the 17th Century by Female Composers” reads this album’s title. So much is true, though I suspect tracing the accumulation of wealth and sophistication in the Italian States that led to higher status for upper-class women of the time would take a good scholarly tome or two to tease out. The composers themselves use texts that are standard for the period: jealous rages, rebellious affections, laments of lost love, meditations on the nature of love, etc. The musical language they deploy is identical to those of their male counterparts. If their works are worth hearing, it isn’t because of gender, but because of intrinsic merit, and fortunately there’s a good deal of that here. Several of these composers have achieved more prominence of late, Barbara Strozzi in particular. Francesca Caccini, daughter of the composer Giulio, is represented by two scenes, and a transcription of a vocal work for recorder with keyboard accompaniment. FANFARE: Barry Brenesal