It’s not only cats who need a good home in this town … From the WSLR website:

WSLR 96.5 low-power FM, Sarasota’s non-profit community radio station, will be among the many public radio stations nationwide participating in the 13th Annual Homelessness Marathon. Featuring 14 hours of consecutive programming about homelessness and the homeless, the 2010 Homeless Marathon national broadcast will originate from Detroit, Michigan beginning Tuesday, February 23rd at 7 p.m. and continuing until 9 a.m. Wednesday, February 24. Listen live at: http://wslr.org/listen-live/

Preempting the national broadcast, WSLR 96.5 FM will feature five hours of local programming addressing homelessness in the Sarasota-Bradenton area. Produced by WSLR and airing from 6 to 10 p.m. Tuesday Feb. 23, and again from 7 to 9 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24, the WSLR programming will include interviews with Sarasota’s homeless residents; interviews with representatives from local agencies that assist the homeless in Sarasota and Bradenton; interviews with representatives of the downtown business community; interviews with representatives of the City of Sarasota and musical interludes reflecting the plight of the homeless.

For more information: www.homelessnessmarathon.org.

Have you read The Road? — Cormac McCarthy’s unblinking view of a not-so-brave, post-apocalyptic United States? If you haven’t read it … or couldn’t read it (for reasons you’d know if you even tried to read it) … you can always see the film of the same name. Or maybe you’ve heard of The Book of Eli with Denzel Washington?

Even documentaries like Food Inc., are like big neon flashing posters of what our world is coming to and who’s going to come out on top and who’s going to be down in the gutter along with the pig entrails and chicken beaks … if we don’t change our ways about how we seed, grow, feed, and consume the stuff that keeps us alive.

And, have you seen those television shows — the ones like Jericho or even, to a lesser extent, Flash Forward and Lost, and even The Good Wife (with its entire raison d’etre based around the initial story of a political figure going down for the count because he was caught nearly in flagrante with a hooker … um, and the “good wife” who, so far, at least, is standing by her man) … doesn’t the world seem awfully pessimistic about the future of our collective, and individual, humanity? Read more »

I just watched Tiger’s press/public statement. Whatever his truth — whatever his past or future — he seemed very genuine, straight, humble(d), and believable. Guess we’ll see.

My biggest interest was when he spoke about his upbringing as a Buddhist. That didn’t surprise me in terms of how focused he’s been on the golf course, but of course, it’s hard to see any traces of his study of Buddhism in his behavior toward women, sexuality, and marriage.

I’ve studied Buddhism and been attracted to its tenets for a long time. I’ve always felt very strongly about its philosophy that it is our craving that is our undoing — whatever it is that we crave. I do try to create a life — day to day — where I have no attachment that would result in a desire to control outcomes or people.

Buddha at the door

It’s extremely hard to do and I’m equally successful and unsuccessful, and accordingly, I try to have no attachment to that success or failure either. If you’re interested, pick up a copy of The Teachings of the Compassionate Buddha. I’m somewhere along the Eightfold Path — but where exactly, I can’t say.

I’ve been harsh about Tiger … and right now, all I’m feeling is compassion. So, if his talk did nothing else than that — I think that’s worth it.

As long as that wasn’t his goal …

But they sure make for a beautiful and welcome sight.

Host: Sarasota County Democratic Party
Date: Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Time: 4:30pm - 5:30pm
Location: Corner of Bahia Vista and Rte 41, Sarasota

Join this rally to sign-wave for real health care reform during rush hour at one of the most visible locations in Sarasota. Parking available in the Midtown Plaza by Starbucks.

Keep it sincerely simple — MC in today’s op/ed section of Sarasota Herald Tribune

Civilities

Lingering

On dating attorneys — poetry as complaint

Moon-howling Mama

Today, at Siesta Key Public Beach, 1 p.m, there will be a protest led by the Sierra Club Manatee-Sarasota expressing opposition to offshore oil drilling.

The protest is called “Hands Across the Sand” — kind of like the idea of drawing a clear line in the sand against offshore oil drilling.

If you care about the beaches, about the water, the environment, and about all the creatures and humans and plant life (not to mention tourism and economies) that would be affected by the construction of drilling rigs and any oil spills — you might want to show up.

Sheesh. Last night after I posted my “woe is me, I don’t got no fun” blog, I realized what a whiner I’ve turned into about this whole “365 days of fun” thing I got myself into for my New Year’s Resolution.

So, I’m going to quit whining about how I’ve frickin’ lost my mojo, or juju, or ya-ya, or whatever the hell it is and JUST DO IT. Read more »