Archives for April, 2013
Could Jason Collins’s Coming Out Help Save LGBT Youth?
Yesterday (April 29, 2013), Washington Wizards center Jason Collins announced he was gay, making the 34-year-old NBA star the first male professional athlete for a major American sport to openly come out.
It's 2013, but who's counting? Like the majority of the country (with the exception of NFL player Mike Wallace, perhaps) am proud of Jason Collins. I...
He Stopped Loving Her Today: Country Music Legend George Jones Dies at 81
(Initially, I had another post planned for today's "Weekend Reading," but in light of today's passing of country legend George Jones, I thought it appropriate to switch gears. )
It's a sad day for country music fans, dear readers.
George Jones died earlier today (Friday, April 26, 2013), after checking into Vanderbilt University Hospital April 18, 2013 for a fever and blood pressure issues.
Emotional Listening: Do You Enjoy the Music or Understand the Lyrics?
I love Tumblr. I don't have an account, but I routinely visit certain (and sometimes random) Tumblr blogs just to look at cool pictures, read inspiring quotes, or find some fitness motivation.
(I know the "fitspiration" trend is a somewhat controversial, but personally, if the picture is of some healthy food or a fit person working out or playing a sport, it gets me motivated. Sorry.)
Weekend Watching: Bradley Cooper On Mental Health and Stigma in America
Back in February, Silver Linings Playbook star Bradley Cooper teamed up with former Rhode Island Rep. Patrick Kennedy to do a press conference on the movie industry's progress toward "removing stigma of mental illness."
(If you remember, the DBSA named Kennedy, who was the author and lead sponsor of the Mental Health Parity & Addiction Equity Act of 2008 and co-founder...
DMB Violinist Boyd Tinsley: “My Life Is a [BEEP!] Adventure”
So, I got to meet Boyd Tinsley last Saturday night.
BOYD FREAKING TINSLEY!
Some of you might know him from an awesome little group called Dave Matthews Band and, if you do (and you've been reading this blog for a while), you know how obsessed I am with DMB.
I don't play favorites, but if I did, Boyd and Dave would be it. I just love Boyd, for reasons irrelevant to this post so...
Weekend Reading: Adam Ant On Being Open About Mental Illness
Despite the 17-year album-making hiatus he took after his 1995 album Wonderful, Adam Ant has been around for longer than some of you, I'm willing to bet.
Yet, most of you are probably somewhat familiar with the former frontman of Adam and the Ants. His 1982 hit "Goody Two Shoes" launched his solo career into serious MTV orbit, and he hit the Top 40 several more times before taking the extended break.
So, what happened?
Things That Make You Go Hmm: Are We Bullying Our Young Artists?
We've seen a lot of celebrities step up to stamp out bullying: The cast from True Blood joined in with the It Gets Better project; several famous names including Amy Poehler, Shaq, and Mario Lopez stepped up for the Amplify Your Voice campaign; and Glee got in on the action,
Weekend Reading: Macklemore Talks Fame and Sobriety Struggles
Speaking of recovering addicts and sobriety...
Before he hit it big, rapper Macklemore struggled with substance abuse.
The "Thrift Shop" mastermind went to rehab for drug and alcohol abuse and has been sober since 2008.
However, he opens up in the latest Rolling Stone (March 29) about how, in the wake of his massive success, his sobriety has been hard to hang onto.
...
Jane Velez-Mitchell: Go For It Sober People, Hook Up!
Jane Velez-Mitchell is one of the few nighttime HLN hosts I can stand (note that I said "few" - they don't all make me want to pluck out my eardrums).
It's Jane's mix of no-nonsense and understanding that makes me like her, and I'm sure that comes from her own life experiences.
(Jane is a recovering addict who has a personal stake in LGBT issues and works with humane and environmental causes, too).
