A lot of people will make the point today that we should leave Afghanistan as soon as possible now that our top goal of going over there has been accomplished. This comes, ironically, eight years to the day after President Bush declared Mission Accomplished in regard to Iraq — and

Cornelia, Mother of the Gracchi, by Pierre-Jules Cavelier, is at the D’Orsay, in the open part of the first floor of the converted train station. It is life-size, carved from a block of marble, approximately pyramidal. The head of Tiberius Gracchus breaks that pyramid, giving it emphasis, and the head of Gaius is sheltered in the middle. The flowing robes give movement to the marble, softening the formal poses. Tiberius is separating from his mother, as befits a young teenager: he clutches a scroll, and is dressed in full patrician Roman garb, complete with a badge at his neck. Cornelia’s arm rests on his shoulder, not clutching him to her, not in a protective gesture, more a loving friend than a dominating mother. Despite his confident stance, his right hand brushes her thigh in a way that reciprocates her gesture. Young Gaius is protected between her knees, but she is not holding him there. He chooses to stay, one hand on his mother’s knee, fingertips of the other touching her cupped hand. The touches and the protective but open hands, coupled with the calm looks, show the love of this family.

Psychophysiological Coherence: “The Groove Is In The Heart”

By now most have seen, or at least heard about, the ad that Jack Conway (D-KY) is running to attack Rand Paul (R-KY) on religion. Conway took, what I consider to be, a cowardly last-ditch effort to discredit Rand Paul. In a race where Paul has been consistently leading Conway

Please share your Seminal story, or perhaps just a fond memory that sticks out in your mind.

I had the distinct pleasure of joining a group of over a hundred members of the United Church of Gainesville (home of the “If they can burn it we can read it” campaign in response to the planned Quran burning) who donned blue shirts reading “Gay and Straight Together” to march down University Avenue to the Bo Diddley Community Plaza as part of Pride Parade 2010. It was a spectacular day and the turnout was tremendous.

The owner of Gold’s Gym put this member in a bind when he supports political groups via corporate contributions. I’m sharing in the diary a comment sent to Gold’s Gym.

In spite of HAMP, there have been very few permanent mortgage modifications. Fannie(and the banks) have an incentive to foreclose, rather than modify mortgages.

Continuation of the Dump Obama series, in which I agree that we need to start looking for a candidate

Barnsdall Art Park is vital part of Los Angeles — and municipal art gallery and park that the LA City Council now wants to privatize, citing budget issues. To do so would limit citizens’ access to enjoy and create art and go against the goals of the land’s donor. Sadly, the privatization seems to be steamrolling ahead with minimal community outrage input as a way to keep Barnsdall open.