IN THREE WORDS

In this feature, I'll share a weekly guest with you all, 

and you tell me in only three words what come to mind.

In Three Words...

Francois-Marie Arouet

or simply-Voltaire

CONFESSIONS TIME

The excitement is building.... and we will have to wait and see where this goes and how it does, I could care if the critics like it or not, though Queen Madonna might. I'm just glad she is releasing another grand adventure for us to immerse ourselves in. Her Confessions on the Dancefloor was hugely popular, and like my good handsome friend Sixpence with his post , I'll am right between him in the queue and pre-ordered the album. I wasn't just looking at his ass.

And leave it to our Queen to go deeper, like all else she does. The use of the pink veil by Madonna on her cover does not seem to be merely aesthetic if you ask me. The triangular shape created by the fabric evokes the pink triangle, a symbol with deep historical significance, used in Nazi concentration camps during WWII to identify us gay folk. Decades later, particularly in the 1970's and 80's the symbol was reclaimed by the LGBTQ community as an emblem of strong and powerful resistance and remembrance, and the fight for rights, and then used by ACT UP. The "Silence=Death poster featuring the triangle, became one of the most important icons of activism during the AIDS crisis. Madonna is no dummy...and has always been a true artist and an outspoken ally and fighter for the LGBTQ and a big trans ally in particular. In Madonna's visual aesthetic, the triangle appears more subtly, but I noticed it right quick. This parallel suggests to me that the Madonna may be engaging with this historical memory.  After all she has many , many, ties to our community.

She is Brillant! Whether or not she intended this as a deeper meaning or not, it is how I read into it. Her connecting her imagery to a symbol that represents both oppression and resistance, particularly in the context of the AIDS crisis and her fighting for LGBTQ visibility and being a huge part of the community for support. And at a time when this currently administration is acting out terribly towards the trans community in particular, not to mention acting like a bunch of miserable bastards who don't know what they are doing. Here she is again ...popping up when we could all use some fun, escaping music, with her sending a few messages.

Is this just a coincidence? Who knows...but I'm ready with my veils and unitards and whatever else in needed.

THE C WORD!!!

Have you ever been around me when I spot someone wearing Cr...Cr... cRO.....CROCS?

Yep, pretty much the same two days ago when our customer care manager came in the office and I spotted them upon her feet. Just substitute the name Raven for Emily and it was the same scene.

EARTH DAY

Today is Earth Day, a day many people get involved in Earth activities or it gets swept under the carpet. I have always loved the day. It's a day to celebrate annually, though we should be caring for Mother Earth daily It's a day to highlight environmental protection and promote sustainability. The day can feature many things to get involved with, or we can just change our ways to protect and serve, like neighborhood tree plantings, creating a bird or bee habitat, liter pickups, or just unplugging things not in use frequently or turning off lights and things when not in a room, using grocery reuseable bags or a market basket INSTEAD of those dreaded damn plastic bags! I never go to the farmers market without my trusty basket to put everything in. Or it could be as simple as donating to so many various animal and environmental charities and agencies. I got a small group of us at work to go today to a park in Mechanicsburg to do a litter pick up, and once home, it's a day to make an extra contribution to several of the charities I belong to. Since I was in Philly for the weekend, another great way to have a fun day and do something to make a difference is look into your local parks!!!

I'm amazed at the parks in Philadelphia, which has almost over 63 park spaces in and around the city...Fairmount Park being one of the largest urban landscaped park systems in the US. So, this year I decided my new charity to give to this year is Friends of Rittenhouse Square, since I can't be there in person. I saw a booth this weekend and signed up. Rittenhouse Square, which is the fourth oldest park in the US, is like many other parks in the county. They need care and help, maintaining and improving to keep them around for our respite. Friends of Rittenhouse work tirelessly to help transform the Square into a place of peace and inspiration like litter removal, cleaning graffiti, planting flowers, weeding, and tending to gardens, clearing leaves, mowing lawns...or just donating or volunteering time, to a fund or group if they have one, and some parks even have benches you can buy and have placed in memory of someone. Our parks are more important than ever, what with urban crawl and development, or funds being cut off completely to maintain them. All these photos are fine example of parks in Philly I have taken over the years.

So many ways to give, or donate money or time too this Earth Day. Time to protect the environments and our animal and insect world before it's too late. Here are my primary groups I usually give too on Earth Day.

 

The Sheldrick Trust

The Nature Conservancy

National Audubon Society

World Wildlife Fund

And if interested in parks, check out your Parks and Recreations section of your local or city's website to see if they have a donations section or have a volunteer program.

And Happy Earth Day!

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