Saturday, January 27, 2018

Another Look at FBI Director Comey's Decision to Re-open the Clinton Email Investigation

by Nomad


One of the many as-yet unclear events of last year's election concerns former FBI director James Comey's decision to reopen a probe into Hillary Clinton days before the vote. 

After finding State Department emails on a computer belonging to former Rep. Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of Clinton's aide, Huma Abedin, on 28 October, Comey sent a letter to eight Congressional committees, informing them that the Clinton email probe was- at least, partially re-opened. 


Only 11 days before the election, the timing for the Clinton campaign could hardly have been worse. 
Comey's decision has been called "a mistake of world-historic proportions."
Given the consequences, it's not quite as inflated an exaggeration as it initially sounds. Together with probable Russia interference, this event helped put a man who was clearly unfit to be president in the White House. 

Thursday, January 25, 2018

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.

Sunday, January 21, 2018

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."

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

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."

Sunday, January 14, 2018

Sanity Sunday- Mathieu Terrade on the Harpejji

by Nomad

harpejji

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.