I found this video earlier today on Ann’s blog Ann Again…and again who in turn found it on Cheryl’s blog The Daily Blonde.

Over 40 million views and I had missed it completely!

Music is “All the Same” by The Sick Puppies

Here is the story from the YouTube description:

Sometimes, a hug is all that we need. Free Hugs is the real life controversial story of Juan Mann, a man whose sole mission was to reach out and hug a stranger put a smile on their face.

In this age of social-disconnection most all of us lack that simple human touch from another, the effects of the Free Hugs Campaign are now felt around the globe.

As this simple gesture of kindness and hope spread across the city, police and officials ordered the Free Hugs Campaign BANNED. What we then witnessed was the true spirit of humanity as people came together in what can only be described as something awe inspiring.

In the spirit of the Free Hugs Campaign please pass this video to a friend and HUG a stranger! After all, you CAN make a difference.

Ah, there is Sunny’s (and now Starr’s) motto again:  Make a Difference.

We all can!

I have been very busy working in my office this week. Dishes are piling up in the sink, my bed is unmade, dust is moving in. Being secluded in my office, not socializing, lost in tax return hell. I am distracted and at the moment unproductive. Trying, and failing, to gather my thoughts, looking up financial aid information, texting, checking Facebook, wondering if I have remembered everything–knowing that I haven’t, answering urgent* phone calls from Starr. I will get through it, but at the moment…GAH!

However, I did finally get a chance to watch For The Bible Tells Me So yesterday while crunching numbers. It has been on my list for quite a while. I recommend it.

From the website for the BIBLE tells me so:

FILM SYNOPSIS

Can the love between two people ever be an abomination? Is the chasm separating gays and lesbians and Christianity too wide to cross? Is the Bible an excuse to hate?

Through the experiences of five very normal, very Christian, very American families — including those of former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson — we discover how insightful people of faith handle the realization of having a gay child. Informed by such respected voices as Bishop Desmond Tutu, Harvard’s Peter Gomes, Orthodox Rabbi Steve Greenberg and Reverend Jimmy Creech, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO offers healing, clarity and understanding to anyone caught in the crosshairs of scripture and sexual identity.

*She ran out of shampoo…it’s an emergency!

“Fidelity”: Don’t Divorce… from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

On December 19, 2008, Ken Starr and the Prop 8 Legal Defense Fund filed legal briefs defending the constitutionality of Prop 8 and seeking to nullify the marriages of 18,000 devoted same-sex couples solemnized before Prop 8 passed.

In my mind, it’s simple. People are people, we all deserve to live and be treated equally. Always. To find love, to marry, to work, to play.
Courage Campaign

We know that, ultimately, love will prevail, no matter how hard they try to fight it.

As Keith Olberman said in a previous postt regarding the passing of Prop 8:

If you voted for this Proposition or support those who did or the sentiment they expressed, I have some questions, because, truly, I do not understand. Why does this matter to you? What is it to you? In a time of impermanence and fly-by-night relationships, these people over here want the same chance at permanence and happiness that is your option. They don’t want to deny you yours. They don’t want to take anything away from you. They want what you want—a chance to be a little less alone in the world.

Thanks to Jason and his post Please Help Us for the heads up.

Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day weekend with the people you love. Whoever they are!

Some people are just unlucky. We think it’s really important that these people be given better opportunities than they have. So, if you’re luckier than they are, there’s always something you can do to help.

Musicians have a voice, and this is really useful- the people we want to help tend not to have much of a voice at all. The more musicians that get involved, the greater the voice we can give them.

And we feel lucky too. We’re really grateful to artists who have been involved in this project so far, because without them, we wouldn’t have even begun. We also think that people help out most effectively when they believe in what they’re doing. Which is why we gave the artists a choice over the charities they contribute to; everybody will end up making a difference to a cause they actually believe in.

If you’re not a musician, don’t worry. You can still make a huge difference, just by supporting one of the charities on our site. The best way to do this is to pick up a T-shirt designed by an artist you like, order it, and wear it a lot. The charity will get 100% of the profit. You get a cool T-shirt, the artist gets to raise awareness for their favourite charity, you get to raise awareness for your favourite artist, and we feel the satisfaction of a job well done. Everybody wins. Now if that’s not lucky…

War Dance – The Movie

Thanks, again, to Heather at I Am Fuel, You Are Friends for pointing me in the direction of something incredible!

Starr and I watched this yesterday and we loved it. The sadness, the hope. There were both tears and broad smiles.

Shine Global

In a Special Comment, Countdown’s Keith Olbermann disagrees with the passing of Proposition 8 in California and urges people to accept love between people of the same sex.

Sorry to post two MSNBC videos in one day! But I was moved, again, and to quote a friend “I fell a little bit in love!”

This weekend is Starr and Skye’s first annual 5k. They are trying to raise money for their chosen charities, MAPS and Children’s Safe Drinking Water. But more importantly, they are trying to honor Sunny.

There was little Sunny liked more than volunteering….especially when it involved helping children. Her personal motto was “Live to Make a Difference” and she did just that. We love her so much, and miss her intensely.

I haven’t, and wont, post a link to Skye and Starr’s project. It has been my goal to protect Sunny and her family’s privacy. I would, however, like to solicit donations to their cause from my visitors here.

If you would like to give to their efforts, please contact me here and we can talk about how.

I am not a salesman, I am not eloquent, I am exhausted and I have a headache, so I am having difficulty expressing here the importance of this event. In addition to carrying on Sunny’s passion and raising funds benefiting children, the girls are working towards healing. It will be a long road, but it is a step, and having a successful event will help tremendously!

This Monday I had something in mind to post, but I was finding it difficult to sit and think…damn headaches. Thankfully, as I was visiting some of my favorite music blogs this morning, I discovered the following thanks to Some Velvet Blog. It’s a good thing, and trumps my ramblings any day!

Is There Something I Can Do? is a website about making a difference***:

Peter Buffett and Akon are happy to let you know what they are passionate about. But what are you passionate about?

       

Or are you so overwhelmed with what’s going on in the world that you don’t know where to start? Or think that when people are giving millions to a cause (or billions!), how can a few dollars make a difference?

Well… a few dollars – a little time – even a text message can make a difference.

On this site you’ll find places to start getting involved. You’ll have the ability to talk about what you’re into and why — share your stories of how you’re making a difference — and meet others who are trying to do the same.

Just like that.

***I don’t think I’ve mentioned it, but “Live to Make a Difference” was Sunny’s motto, and one that her family and friends are carrying on in her name and in her absence. We miss you so much!