One Young Man's Emotional Story about Gay Conversion Therapy and Self-Acceptance

by Nomad

Under the influence of the evangelicals, the Republican party has for years now endorsed the practice of attempting to alter or reverse an individual's sexual orientation using psychological or spiritual interventions. Otherwise known as gay conversion therapy.
Some have compared it to Victorian efforts to impose conformity by converting left-handers into "normal" right-handed socially-approved human beings. However, as the linked video below suggests, the implications for this kind of forced suppression/inhibition of sexual orientation can be psychologically-devastating to the individuals.

More fundamentally, perhaps, the majority of medical professionals strongly doubt that the "corrective" techniques are ever successful.

Sanity Sunday - Luna Lee and the Gayageum

by Nomad

The word "gayageum" might sound like a senior LGBT organization but in fact, it is a traditional 12- string Korean musical instrument. The Gayageum was probably manufactured around the 6th century, in the time of King Kasil in the Kaya Kingdom.

One musician who plays contemporary music on the gayageum is Luna Lee. She has performed covers songs by such groups as
Rolling Stones, Queen, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. 

"The gayageum has a beautiful sound and amazing potential so I wanted to share my music with many people."

Allan Law, the Sandwich Man of Minneapolis

by Nomad

You've probably never heard of Allan Law. There's no reason you should have. This former teacher's not a man in search of fame. However, I think he does deserve a bit of recognition for the selfless work he has done for the last 12 years.
Every night, while most of us are sleeping.
And when you ask Law, why he does all this good work, he just says,"Because somebody has to care."

Sanity Sunday- Mathieu Terrade on the Harpejji

by Nomad

It must be one of life's greatest rewards to be acclaimed as a master at something. When it comes to playing the harpejji, French musician Mathieu Terrade is probably the most celebrated.
A few "notes" about this unique instrument:

• Developed in 2007 by Tim Meeks, founder of Marcodi Musical Products.
• The instrument aims to bridge the gap in sound and technique between the guitar, bass guitar, and piano.
• Stevie Wonder features the instrument in his stage performance
• There are no formal rules on how to play the instrument and new techniques are emerging all the time. 

Ungovernable: How Partisanship Wrecked US Politics Just as George Washington Predicted

by Nomad

Trump the Partisan President

Commentator John Dickerson on a recent episode of the podcast Slate's Political Gabfest, was talking to the show's host, David Plotz, about why President Donald Trump represents something new and foreboding in American politics.

He pointed out:

"One thing we are witnessing is our first purely partisan president. The rise of partisan politics in the presidency has been increasing since 1980 for a variety of reasons. But the idea of the president who could build a coalition from members of both parties- kind of fly above the party fights and pass legislation- has been declining.

According to Dickerson, there has been a sea change in the rhetoric under Trump. There was a time when a president would, at the least, give a nod to the idea of  Americans' putting aside their differences and working together. True, most of it was less than sincere when push came to shove.