Sound of Music - Central Station Antwerp, Belgium

If only this could happen at Munich's Central Station....! Enjoy!
Yes, it's a bit EuroTrashy, but j'adore nonetheless!

“Happy Eastern“

…as many Germans tend to say when they mean to wish you “Happy Easter” in English. It’s a charming mistake that cracks me up year to year and one I choose not to correct simply because I enjoy hearing it so much!

We’re flying down to Lisbon on Friday for the long Easter weekend - I’m really looking forward to the mini-break. I’ve never been to Portugal, so it will certainly be exciting to explore a new city for a few days. If you have any tips, drop me an email!

So, wishing you and yours a “Happy Eastern” weekend! I hope the Easter bunny is especially good to you this year.

Well said, Mr. President!

President Obama made the following statement today in Strassbourg, France while attending NATO's 60th anniversary summit meeting there:

In America, there is a failure to appreciate Europe's leading role in the world. Instead of celebrating your dynamic union and seeking to partner with you to meet common challenges, there have been times where America has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive. But in Europe, there is an anti-Americanism that is at once casual, but can also be insidious. Instead of recognizing the good that America so often does in the world, there have been times where Europeans choose to blame America for much of what is bad. On both sides of the Atlantic, these attitudes have become all too common. They are not wise. They do not represent the truth. They threaten to widen the divide across the Atlantic and leave us both more isolated. They fail to acknowledge the fundamental truth that America cannot confront the challenges of this century alone, but that Europe cannot confront them without America.

The President went on to say:

It's more difficult to break down walls of division than to simply allow our differences to build and our resentments to fester," he said. "So we must be honest with ourselves. In recent years, we've allowed our alliance to drift. I know that there have been honest disagreements over policy, but we also know that there is something more that has crept into our relationship... This is our generation, this is our time, and I am confident that we can meet any challenges as long as we are together.

These are words we can all be proud of and don't they sound refreshing?!

Be an Activist!

During these times of uncertainty, the ones who tend to suffer the most are non-profit organizations who rely on the donations and generosity of others. One such organization which needs your help is YouthPride, located in my hometown of Atlanta, GA. YouthPride is an organization which was founded back in the mid-90s in order to provide a safe and supportive environment for Atlanta's gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. YouthPride provides theses kids with a safe-haven where they can come during the often difficult coming-out process, for HIV testing, counseling and, most importantly, fellowship and for the feeling of belonging. The organization is almost exclusively supported by volunteers and generous donors so let's make sure this place is allowed to flourish for generations of youth to come.

Check out the their website and I think you'll find a reason or two or three to spare a few of your hard-earned Dollars, Euros or whatever to this very special place.

www.youthpride.org/donate

I'm Back!

Yes, I am still here... sorry for the extended period of silence. I guess I needed a break from blogging. I've had just so much going on over the last few weeks, I've just not gotten around to updating LLA. There's been plenty to write about, lord knows!

Let's see... in summary, I stood trial in German court earlier this month, I sat next to the would-be king of Bavaria on a flight from London last month, Jackie paid us a brief visit, my best friend here is pregnant, another gave birth, gave up alcohol for Lent which lasted all of 3 weeks (thanks Jack), AIG paid out millions of dollars of taxpayer money for unwarranted bonuses and I'm finally finished with my graduate school applications. So, there you have it - you're up to speed!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Everyone deserves the chance to love!

A Portrait of Lincoln

Today marks the 200th birthday of America's 16th president, Abraham Lincoln. Let there be no question, we are at this point in our history due to the sacrifices and unifying leadership of this man. His undying belief in democracy and the common rights of man shall never be forgotten.

"Government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish from the earth".

Portraits of America

As I flew into DC for the Inauguration last month, the US Customs and Border Protection was playing this video on monitors throughout the arrival hall. Yes, I was completely delusional and exhausted after flying for 11 hours, but I have to admit that I was immediately taken in by it.

Enjoy!

A New Day

In addition to other promising agenda items posted on the new White House website (www.whitehouse.gov), President Obama outlines his support for the LGBT community - this is the first time a United States president has made such a clear statement in favor of civil rights for this community. I commend this man and his willingness to stand on the right side of history when we need it most.

Here is the excerpt from the new White House site:

Support for the LGBT Community

"While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect."
-- Barack Obama, June 1, 2007

Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: In 2004, crimes against LGBT Americans constituted the third-highest category of hate crime reported and made up more than 15 percent of such crimes. President Obama cosponsored legislation that would expand federal jurisdiction to include violent hate crimes perpetrated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical disability. As a state senator, President Obama passed tough legislation that made hate crimes and conspiracy to commit them against the law.

Fight Workplace Discrimination: President Obama supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and believes that our anti-discrimination employment laws should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. While an increasing number of employers have extended benefits to their employees' domestic partners, discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace occurs with no federal legal remedy. The President also sponsored legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples: President Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples. Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions. These rights and benefits include the right to assist a loved one in times of emergency, the right to equal health insurance and other employment benefits, and property rights.

Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage: President Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006 which would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman and prevented judicial extension of marriage-like rights to same-sex or other unmarried couples.

Repeal Don't Ask-Don't Tell: President Obama agrees with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili and other military experts that we need to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The key test for military service should be patriotism, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve. Discrimination should be prohibited. The U.S. government has spent millions of dollars replacing troops kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation. Additionally, more than 300 language experts have been fired under this policy, including more than 50 who are fluent in Arabic. The President will work with military leaders to repeal the current policy and ensure it helps accomplish our national defense goals.

Expand Adoption Rights: President Obama believes that we must ensure adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation. He thinks that a child will benefit from a healthy and loving home, whether the parents are gay or not.

Promote AIDS Prevention: In the first year of his presidency, President Obama will develop and begin to implement a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strategy that includes all federal agencies. The strategy will be designed to reduce HIV infections, increase access to care and reduce HIV-related health disparities. The President will support common sense approaches including age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception, combating infection within our prison population through education and contraception, and distributing contraceptives through our public health system. The President also supports lifting the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users. President Obama has also been willing to confront the stigma -- too often tied to homophobia -- that continues to surround HIV/AIDS.

Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS: In the United States, the percentage of women diagnosed with AIDS has quadrupled over the last 20 years. Today, women account for more than one quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. President Obama introduced the Microbicide Development Act, which will accelerate the development of products that empower women in the battle against AIDS. Microbicides are a class of products currently under development that women apply topically to prevent transmission of HIV and other infections.

An amazing concert....