Welcome to The Breakfast Club! We're a disorganized group of rebel lefties who hang out and chat if and when we're not too hungoverwe've been bailed outwe're not too exhausted from last night's (CENSORED) the caffeine kicks in. Join us every weekday morning at 9am (ET) and weekend morning at 10:30am (ET) to talk about current news and our boring lives and to make fun of LaEscapee! If we are ever running late, it's PhilJD's fault.
The Williams Institute at UCLA has announced a couple of new studies it will be initiating lter this year, having received grants for the projects from the NIH.
The Institute received a $3.4 million grant for a five year "Generations" project focusing on lesbian gay and bisexual populations in the US. That grant and an additional $285,000 grant will fund TransPop: US Transgender Population Health Survey.
The yearlong study, which was announced earlier this week, will be the first of its kind to use random sampling methods to obtain data about the transgender community. Researchers expect to find out about the racial distribution of transgender individuals, their socioeconomic backgrounds, their access to health care and their experiences. Ilan Meyer, senior scholar of public policy and researcher at the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, will lead the study.
There's only one time of year when a performance of Handel's Messiah is chronologically correct and that is Easter.
Oh sure, the First Act deals with the birth of Jesus as fulfillment
of Old Testament prophesy and the annunciation of the shepherds, but
it's only one of three. The bulk of them are about his passion and
death, his resurrection, and his ascension (Act II); and redemption, the
Day of Judgement, general resurrection, and the ultimate triumph over
sin and death and the universal acclamation of Christ (Act III).
As a matter of fact that famous Hallelujah Chorus, the only part anyone bothers with generally? Act II Finale.
Sorry to ruin your holiday season folks.
While I'm sure Handel would be gratified by the events that mostly consist of gathering the
largest group possible to unmusically caterwaul a tricky piece to do
well and one that almost nobody knows the right words to as a testament
to his enduring popularity, I suspect that he would agree with me that
they are best listened to buried among the mass of performers under the
influence of an appropriate amount of ek'smas cheer.
The original work is rather modestly scored for a small orchestra
and choir with soloists, to be performed in a hall of medium size. The
fashion for large scale performances didn't start until 1784, 42 years
after the debut. It has always commonly been performed for charitable
benefits.
Another interesting feature of this piece is that it's an archetype of Oratorio structure. Handel made his mark on the English musical scene as a composer of Italian Operas which were very popular from 1711 until about 1730. He wrote over 40 of them. He
amassed a small fortune but was increasingly dependent on wealthy
patrons to stage his oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. One
particular sponsor was Charles Jennens who is generally credited with
the libretto, which is in English. Handel wrote the music in 24 days.
Now this is not unusual for an Opera and that's basically what an
Oratorio is. The 3 Act structure is exactly the same as the Italian
Operas Handel was used to composing and the only distinguishing features
are that there are no costumes, there is no acting, and the sacred
nature of the subject. Handel had composed similar Oratorios when Opera
was temporarily banned in Italy (counter-Reformation Fundamentalism).
Anyway, without further adieu the Messiah, all 2 hours and 38 minutes of it.
On this, my 67th birthday, I found a tear wrenching letter to transgender old people at the Advocate.
Now the letter was not so much aimed at me personally. I did not transition in my 60s. I transitioned 2/3 of my life ago, at the age of 44. That was enough of a problem in itself.
How did you do it? How did you keep yourself going all those decades in the wrong gender? You must be the toughest person alive.
--Marlo Mack
Marlo, there just a wasn't a lot of choice. Survival is a strong motivation.
Welcome to The Breakfast Club! We're a disorganized group of rebel lefties who hang out and chat if and when we're not too hungoverwe've been bailed outwe're not too exhausted from last night's (CENSORED) the caffeine kicks in. Join us every weekday morning at 9am (ET) and
weekend morning at 10:30am (ET) to talk about current news and our
boring lives and to make fun of LaEscapee! If we are ever running late,
it's PhilJD's fault.
This Day in History
Martin Luther King Jr. gives speech before
assasination; Bruno Richard Hauptmann electrocuted for kidnap and murder
of Charles Lindbergh's son; President Harry Truman signs Marshall plan;
Jesse James shot to death; Pony Express begins service; Marlon Brando
is born.
Breakfast Tunes
Something to Think about over Coffee Prozac
A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom.
ABC Nightline followed a transman (identified as Nathan Jones) through four years of transition, from age 14 through graduation from high school.
There is some stereotypical language used.
I've always felt like I've had a boy's brain. And I always felt like I was trapped in this girl's body.
Nathan’s parents ask that you have tolerance in hearing his story. And before judging, know this: In 2015 alone, six transgender teens have already committed suicide, according to news reports, and it's often because they're unsupported by parents or peers. In fact, a staggering 41 percent of transgender youth will commit suicide before age 25.
Welcome to The Breakfast Club! We're a disorganized group of rebel lefties who hang out and chat if and when we're not too hungoverwe've been bailed outwe're not too exhausted from last night's (CENSORED) the caffeine kicks in. Join us every weekday morning at 9am (ET) and weekend morning at 10:30am (ET) to talk about current news and our boring lives and to make fun of LaEscapee! If we are ever running late, it's PhilJD's fault.
Rachel Tudor was hired at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant before she began transition. That link goes to an article published in 2011.
The story now has an update.
When she began transition four years ago, Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs Douglas N. McMillan is reported to have said that Tudor's "lifestyle" offended his Baptist beliefs and asked whether Tudor could just be summarily dismissed.
He was told that action would constitute gender discrimination under Title IX by the Department of Education.
Tudor was informed that being transgender was a "gave offense" to McMillan's religious sensibilities.
Welcome to The Breakfast Club! We're a disorganized group of rebel lefties who hang out and chat if and when we're not too hungoverwe've been bailed outwe're not too exhausted from last night's (CENSORED) the caffeine kicks in. Join us every weekday morning at 9am (ET) and
weekend morning at 10:30am (ET) to talk about current news and our
boring lives and to make fun of LaEscapee! If we are ever running late,
it's PhilJD's fault.
Today is the First Anniversary Of The Breakfast Club founded by That
Group, a bunch of true left wing advocates for democracy and freedom. We
are still here pointing out the lies, the absurd, the truth and still
having a good laugh. We offer a place for the disenfranchised left to
voice their distrust of the government and disgust with the current
political system. It's a place where we can discuss solutions and
ideas. We are here everyday and will be in the future. Our three sites
may not garner the attention that they deserve but we aren't going away.
Thank you all for reading and writing and thinking.
This Day in History
Slobodan Milosevic arrested; US forces invade
Okinawa during WWII; Nazi Germany begins persecuting Jews; Pvt. Jessica
Lynch rescued in Iraq; Marvin Gaye killed.
Breakfast Tunes
Something to Think about over Coffee Prozac
The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year.
On this International Day of Transgender Visibility dueling manifestos have apparently broken out. I've always been a bit wary of manifestos as a general rule, but I suppose they have their place.
In Great Britain (or anywhere) a coming together of the various and sundry transgender constituencies for any purpose is a great feat indeed, but they did so in late 2013, in hopes of creating a bit of focus.
My view about four or five years ago was that protection trans people had in the law exceeded the societal understanding of trans issues but it wouldn’t take very much for that situation to be reversed. I think we’re now at that point. People now understand a lot more about trans issues because of the general publicity. The law is trying to progress, but it’s not progressing anything like as fast as the social understanding.
--Helen Belcher, LGBT Consortium
TransManifesto.org was launched yesterday. It "allows users to view which candidates have indicated their support for the Trans Manifesto, and those who have declined it."
The Williams Institute at UCLA has announced a couple of new studies it will be initiating lter this year, having received grants for the projects from the NIH.
There's only one time of year when a performance of Handel's 
Welcome to The Breakfast Club! We're a disorganized group of rebel lefties who hang out and chat if and when 
On this International Day of Transgender Visibility dueling manifestos have apparently broken out. I've always been a bit wary of manifestos as a general rule, but I suppose they have their place.
