Our talented photographer, Jonathan, this week takes us to a windless afternoon in Tuscany! The waters are peaceful and perfectly still. The photograph invites us into this magnificent oasis to rest beside the still water. While we all know that 'still waters run deep' the key here is that it is only the exterior since below the surface awaits a world of wonderment.

Perhaps the last moments of the golden age of transatlantic crossings by ship was in the 1950's. World War II had taken a terrible toll on a number of famous ocean liners and some of the European countries were attempting to make a comeback. Little did they know that they would soon be replaced by aircraft and short-hop vacation cruise ships.

Italy, still reeling from the affects of war, built the SS Andrea Doria which had its maiden voyage in 1953. To say the ship was 'the pride of Italy' would be an understatement. Holding over 1,600 passengers it was the ultimate in luxury transatlantic ships.

That is until the night of July 25, 1956 when just off Nantucket Island the huge ocean liner collided with the MS Stockholm. The Stockholm left a huge gash in the side of the ship and instantly killed 46 people in their cabins. Although almost half of the Andrea Doria's lifeboats were in-operational, other ships quickly arrived and managed to save all the rest of the passengers and crew barely averting a 'Titanic' type disaster.

The film below has some reenactments. If you want to get to the meat of the story you can go to about the seven minute mark.

As long as we send our young to die in Afghanistan, every American should be required to watch the feature length documentary "Restrepo." Filmed by renaissance man Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington, this film is haunting in both its powerful images from the frontline and the stories of brave men. Spending a year with a platoon of 15 men in Afghanistan's Korengai Valley, Junger and Hetherington takes us from our living rooms directly into the war.

Korengal Valley is known among soldiers as the battlefield hellhole of the Afghanistan War. Over fifty soldiers have died there in an effort to take the strategic piece of real estate. Living in conditions straight out of the Vietnam War with dugouts, burning feces, cold and total isolation brings the reality of this conflict home to us. The filmmakers make sure they don't push a viewpoint and wonderfully stay out of the film altogether. They have the courage and wisdom to allow the stories of the soldiers and the film to speak for themselves.

And boy, does it speak to us all. The eyes of these young men are etched into my mind. The fear, the loneliness and at times, pure courage are always reflected in their eyes. "Restrepo" is the outpost on top of a mountain overlooking the valley. It was named for the first of their own to die in the Valley - 'Doc' Restrepo. The segment of the film that all the soldiers describe as the lowest point of their year at the outpost, left me on the edge of my seat wondering not only who will get out alive but how they will ever as individuals recover mentally from this horror.

Junger, of "The Perfect Storm" fame, has a best-selling book called "War" that is the written companion piece to this documentary. However, it reminded me of one of the best novel of the year - "Matterhorn" - written by Karl Marlantes. The real live soldiers in "Restrepo" could have been any of the fictional soldiers in the Marlantes epic war novel.

As long as one more soldier is sent to this war, you owe it to them, to your country and to your own conscience to view this film and make your own decisions. The film is now being shown on National Geographic Channel on cable TV and be sure to look for it.

Sebastian Junger always has been a role model for me and a true hero. With this film, my esteem for his work has only grown stronger and I didn't think that was possible.

Open Secrets.org of The Center for Responsive Politics has released one of the most profound reports on LGBT giving in the last election. The bottom line is that a combination of grave disappointment with the Democrats and the sour economy has sent LGBT gifts to an all-time low. These figures belie the statements of the Democratic National Committee that despite a boycott they raised record finds from the LGBT community. Here is the essence of the report but be sure to read the entire article.

Overall contributions from people and political action committees associated with gay rights interests dropped more than 58 percent from the $2 million invested in the 2006 elections, based on a preliminary analysis of campaign finance records by the Center for Responsive Politics. Consistent with past elections, 95 percent of gay rights-oriented campaign contributions during this election cycle went to Democratic candidates.

While donations from PACs — such as the Human Rights Campaign and Log Cabin Republicans — dropped noticeably during the 2010 election cycle, donations from individuals associated with these interests took a nose-dive as well, falling from more than $1.1 million during the 2006 election cycle to just $151,000 so far this go around.

“There are two trains of thought,” Andy Szekeres, a Denver-based political consultant and fundraiser who specializes in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues, explained to OpenSecrets Blog. “For the major donors, the economy is the main factor. But the smaller grassroots donors are holding back more for emotional reasons.”

The National Equality March on Washington was over a year ago. As many of you remember it was hotly debated if it was even needed. Up to the last day, many urged that the march be canceled. At the beginning, some folks said it would cost over two million dollars and be doomed to failure. Well, the march came and over 200,000 marched down Pennsylvania Ave NW. The entire event from start to finish was just under $160,000 which is less than the overhead of some LGBT formal dinners.

Rightfully, many then questioned what good would come out of it. The answer is quite clear. We have seen a new generation of activists like GetEQUAL and so many others that responded to the cause of a new way. Often I encounter young people who speak emotionally about how the march change their lives and got them involved.

This week I received an email from a young activist, Dusty Garner, from Kansas State University and it blew me away. He wanted to share with my readers how the march stimulated action when they returned to Kansas. I will let him speak for himself.

I have long identified as an LGBT activist, and living in Kansas sometimes makes that a difficult title to hold. In an agricultural university, it is very easy to get caught up as the poster boy for all progressive causes, especially when you are one of the only openly HIV+ people on campus. I have spent my last 4 years on the campus of Kansas State University committed to making my presence make a difference. I happen to be a non-traditional student (34 years old), I spent the 10 years before coming back to Kansas traveling and living around the world, so I have the luxury and privilege of seeing something different. Most of our students don't have that luxury. They are from small farm towns, and most of our students return to those town. For many, their college experience is one of very few involving diverse people. I wanted to create an opportunity for young LGBT and allied students that let them see something different. I worked for months to raise the money to transport and house 6 freshmen students to Washington DC for the March on Washington and helped them raise the funds for another 6 to attend as well. All in all, sending 12 students (not counting myself) to the March on Washington.

I wanted you to know what these young people brought home from Washington last year, and what kind of change has been happening in this small town in conservative Kansas. Since returning from Washington, the following has happened:

1. LGBT Resource Center - We wrote a grant to fund a graduate student to run an LGBT resource center. We were awarded that grant. Today, Kansas State University has a resource center for LGBT students and community members that provides amazing advocacy and services throughout campus and the community.

2.  LGBT Library - Working with the new LGBT Resource Center, I donated a collection of 200 books by LGBT authors with a commitment of an additional 2 titles a month for 5 years. In addition to that, we have secured more book donations from alumni, to insure our students never lose their connection to the LGBT community culture and history.

3.  LGBT Art Collection - Housed in the LGBT Resource Center, is the campus' first permanent collection of art by LGBT artists

4.  Non-Discrimination Ordinance - This month, the Manhattan City Commission will be voting on amending the city non-discrimination ordinance to include sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. We have the votes, and in spite of a very nasty campaign by the religious right, we expect it to pass.

5.  The largest pro-LGBT rights demonstration in campus history - tonight, students have organized a rally expecting to bring over 1,000 people together to protest the campus student union's decision to rent space to an anti-gay hate group, in spite of policies against it.

Students are taking a stand, and they are motivating their friends and family to take a stand with them. All of this is because they attended the March on Washington. The march helped these students realize that they have the ability to put pressure on more than just the grass, but rather to create meaningful change.