As the Word Turns

Another week of 2009 is rocking and rolling away, as I tap it all out in this forum. It's that thing that I do each day that brings you the latest updates, links, commentary and breaking news for the GLBTQ community and beyond. Why wait, let's just get down to business...

OH Oscar!: And the winner is... Those are the defining words of the Academy Awards which will splash about this Sunday, 3.22.09. I use to make a point of watching this show, but somehow it's not on my priority list as Oscar has lost it's glitter for moi. Yet, I still sorta enjoy handicapping the nominees for those coveted statuettes. I just haven't had time to see this years great crop of films with story lines that are entertaining and provoking. Will Sean Penn get the Oscar nod for his tour de force performance in MILK? I think not. I believe that Mickey R's wrestling show stopper will walk with the O for best Actor. Kate Winslet will grab a Oscar for The Reader and I predict that Slumdog Millionaire will be Best Picture. Well, of course it will all go down this Sunday when they say those magic words. Got predictions? Then let's hear about them quick before the show!

Clinton School releases report on stimulus bill’s impact on public service
Dateline:Little Rock. While the economic stimulus package will likely mitigate a number of problems facing America, it heightens the need for more and better-prepared public servants, according to a report released today by the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. I've been trying my best to wrap my head around this entire Stimulus mash up as well as try to understand if or how this cash deluge will affect me personally. I get many e-blast from the Clinton Center where I've attended lectures and other offerings. In case you haven't had a chance to check out any of their programming, you need to get on board for some great cerebral exercises.
The report highlights examples of more than $180 billion of spending in the $787 billion package that directly target Americans who have been most affected by the economic crisis. Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodala will be in Wahsington D.C. next week with other mayors getting the skinny how many of those dollars will flow to the local coffers. Uses of these funds include rural housing loans, increases for food stamps, creating new jobs for the unemployed, tax cuts for the poor, improving achievement in public schools and providing new technologies for under served areas.
Click here to review the report, or here for a summary.

TransGender in the Bright Lights: Oprah had the pregnant man,Thomas Beatie, Sundance Channel has had the show Transgeneration, movies like Boys don't Cry and now comes Sex Change Hospital featuring Dr. Marci Bowers who transistioned from the male visage of Mark Bowers. I've seen the show and it's quite interesting. Meanwhile giving you some fascinating insight into the "trans" world that you may not get otherwise. Based in Trinidad Colorado, now known as the "sex change capital of the world," the show highlights the lives and challenges of it's transgender cast. Dr. Bowers states that she does at least 5 surgeries a week and about 20 a month on indiviudals from coast to coast and globally in her clinic. Boy is she busy!! I've known a few individuals who have made the "transition" via re-assignment surgery that they say creates the wholeness they seek and desire. Yet, it's really not all about the dramatic surgery, but the lifelong journey that these indivduals undergo to completion. The often agony and setbacks while finding medical assistance plus the overall societal interaction makes me wonder if it's really worth it all. However, I've learned that this pursuit is not for the faint of heart but rather a committed endeavor that each person embraces intensely. The GLBT construct is a complex one and trans people are apart of that mix that sometimes gets lackluster attention. I saw this locally on the Discovery Health channel on Comcast. But, it's also on the WE TV channel on perhaps other cable providers. See it for another teachable moment that will enhance your understanding the next time you share some space with a transgendered person.