Life is now

How Gov Sanford Spends Fathers' Day Weekend

Mark Sanford is a hypocrite.  Years of preaching holier-than-thou family values.  Then he takes off to Argentina on Fathers' Day weekend to be with his lover - leaving his wife and kids behind.  Some family values, Gov Sanford.  Spare us all.  Resign.  Frankly, I don't care who you sleep with.  It's your hypocrisy that makes me sick.

Must read:

Sanford, who voted for the impeachment of President Clinton when he was a member of Congress, reacted angrily when confronted with the news that Speaker-designate Bob Livingston had cheated on his wife in 1998.

Indeed, then-Rep Mark Sanford was pretty clear about his views of President Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky and that of Mr. Livingston.

While serving as a U.S. congressman, Sanford was incredibly critical of his colleagues’ marital misdeeds, including the affairs of former congressman Bob Livingston and President Bill Clinton:

“The bottom line, though, is I am sure there will be a lot of legalistic explanations pointing out that the president lied under oath. His situation was not under oath. The bottom line, though, is he still lied. He lied under a different oath, and that is the oath to his wife. So it’s got to be taken very, very seriously.” [Sanford on Livingston, CNN, 12/18/98] 

“We ought to ask questions…rather than circle the wagons for one of our tribe.” [Sanford on how the GOP reacts to affairs, New York Post, 12/20/98] 

“I think it would be much better for the country and for him personally (to resign). I come from the business side. If you had a chairman or president in the business world facing these allegations, he’d be gone.” [Sanford on Clinton, The Post and Courier, 9/12/98] 

“The issue of lying is probably the biggest harm, if you will, to the system of Democratic government, representatives government, because it undermines trust. And if you undermine trust in our system, you undermine everything.” [Sanford on Clinton, CNN, 2/16/99]

Perhaps my favorite quote by the hypocritical Governor Sanford, is one where he parrots the Republican party's family-values mantra, is this:

Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., said he would be "struggling" during Christmas over whether to support Livingston, even though the speaker-designate had not broken the law. "We as a party want to hold ourselves to high standards, period," Sanford said.

Way to uphold those high standards, Governor Sanford. Leaving your wife and sons on Father's Day to fly to Argentina to spend several days with your lover shows just how much stock you put in your "family values."

And with today's revelation, Governor Sanford has admitted to committing a crime(not just against the laws of his God, but against the laws of his state).

SECTION 16-15-60 Adultery or fornication. Any man or woman who shall be guilty of the crime of adultery or fornication shall be liable to indictment and, on conviction, shall be severally punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars or imprisonment for not less than six months nor more than one year or by both fine and imprisonment, at the discretion of the court. 

SECTION 16-15-70 "Adultery" defined. "Adultery" is the living together and carnal intercourse with each other or habitual carnal intercourse with each other without living together of a man and woman when either is lawfully married to some other person.

"The Break Up"

Today consumers - no, people - are in control.  People are in control of the media they consume - when/where/how/to what extent.  The days when brands could get away with talking *at* people during commercial breaks are long gone (thank you DVRs and the internet).  Monologue marketing is dead.

That means brands need to insert themselves in the dialogue with people - in a highly relevant way, of course.  Marketers need to reach people in new ways - by being where they are - in social networks and blogs - and engaging in a dialogue.  Monologue marketing is not going to work in new media either.

If you're having a hard time wrapping your mind around this, then check out this very funny video.  It really brings it home.  I really laughed about the coupons.  Ha.  Enjoy.  :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3qltEtl7H8

italian cypress

Yesterday we added an Italian Cypress to the 19th Street sidewalk garden - a very small one on the right.  It will grow to 60 feet tall.  

same sex marriage forum at Grace Cathedral

Tonight I'm attending a community forum at Grace Cathedral. Topic: same sex marriage - the civil rights issue of our time.  I'm delighted to be part of the dialogue.  Today same sex couples can only marry in three states:  Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Iowa.  Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine are on the way - legal hurdles cleared.  

From HRC's site:

"Currently, same-sex couples are entitled to all of the state-level rights and benefits of marriage in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa.

In Vermont, the state Legislature overrode Gov. Jim Douglas’ veto on April 7, 2009, providing marriage equality under state law for lesbian and gay couples. The law becomes effective Sept. 1, 2009. After this date, there will be no new civil unions in Vermont, but previously granted civil unions will still be recognized.

In Maine, Gov. John Baldacci signed legislation on May 6 recognizing marriage equality for same-sex couples under state law. The law is scheduled to take effect 90 days after the end of the legislative session in June. Opponents of marriage equality have said they will fight to send the issue to a voter referendum in November. If this push is successful, it would delay the date the law would become effective.

In New Hampshire, Gov. John Lynch signed legislation on June 3 recognizing marriage equality for same-sex couples. The marriage bill will take effect Jan. 1, 2010.  No new civil unions will be granted after this date. People who previously entered into civil unions can apply by Jan. 1, 2011 to have their civil unions recognized as marriage.

In addition, same-sex couples in New Jersey are able to enter into state-level civil unions, and there are broad domestic partnership laws in in California, the District of Columbia, Nevada (effective Oct. 1, 2009), Oregon and Washington state (effective July 26, 2009, subject to possible referendum). Also, following a ruling by the California Supreme Court, the approximately 18,000 marriages by same-sex couples that were performed prior to the passage of Proposition 8 in November 2008 remain valid.  In New York, after a 2008 court ruling, valid out-of-state marriages of same-sex couples must be legally recognized."