Ok Everyone…If you don’t know by now we’re getting married in Las Vegas and the big day is August 25th!!!! We are trying to win our dream wedding at Crate and Barrel and need you help…
Go to the link below and vote for us!!! We don’t even need 100,000 so we would be more than willing to host a huge party when we get back for everyone that votes and supports us!!! So get everyone to vote…we only need about 5000 votes to catch up!!!
CNSNews reports that Family Research Council President Tony Perkins’ speaking invitation at a prayer luncheon at Andrews Air Force Base was canceled by the chaplain’s office after the office became aware of Mr. Perkins’ opposition to Obama’s demand to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy of the military.
Air Force Retracted Invitation for Conservative Leader to Speak at Prayer Luncheon After He Criticized Obama’s Position on ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’
Friday, February 26, 2010
By Pete Winn, Senior Writer/Editor
(CNSNews.com) – The U.S. Air Force admits that the chaplain’s office at Andrews Air Force Base retracted an invitation to Family Research Council President Tony Perkins–a former Marine officer–to speak at a prayer luncheon held at the base on Thursday after the conservative leader criticized President Obama’s efforts to end “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”–the military policy on homosexuality.
“The Chaplain’s Office retracted Mr. Perkins’ invitation after his recent public comments made many who planned to attend the event uncomfortable,” the Andrews base public affairs office said in a statement issued late Thursday.
“This was a local decision made by the Chaplain’s Office who wanted the luncheon to be inclusive for the entire base community,” the statement said. “The Chaplain’s Office respects and defends Mr. Perkins right to express his opinions, and regrets any inconvenience to him. We thank and respect him for his prior military service.”
Perkins told CNSNews.com he was invited last October by the Chaplain’s Office to speak at the prayer luncheon, which focused this year on deployed personnel, families and prayer.
“The theme was back to basics – that is exactly what I was going to talk about, the basics – as Christ talks about the two greatest commandments, to love God and to love your neighbor,” he told CNSNews.com.
But Perkins said the comments that got him in trouble were published on the FRC Web site on Jan. 27, after President Obama delivered his State of the Union address.
Obama called on Congress to lift all restrictions on service in the military by open homosexuals, and Perkins admitted he had been very vocal in opposing Obama’s policy. Perkins said he took to the FRC Web site to oppose Obama’s policy proposal, and urged Congress to retain the current law which excludes homosexuals from openly serving in the military.
“Two days after the president’s State of the Union address, I received a letter from the chaplain rescinding the invitation, based upon statements that were on our Web site that were deemed to be ‘incompatible with men and women who serve in the military at the direction of the commander-in-chief,’” Perkins said.
A letter, dated Jan. 29, was sent from the chaplain’s office at Andrews AFB.
“Dear Mr. Perkins: I wish to thank you for accepting our initial invitation to speak at our national prayer luncheon on Feb. 25,” it stated. “(H)owever, we must rescind the invitation due to statements posted on the Family Research Council Web site which are incompatible in our role as military members who serve our elected officials and our commander-in-chief.
“As a former Marine officer, I’m sure you understand the situation in which we find ourselves. As military members, we are sworn to support our commander-in-chief, and are forbidden to make or support statements which run counter to our roles in the armed forces.”
Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, told CNSNews.com he is “terribly disappointed” with the decision to rescind the invitation to the conservative leader–a move he condemned as “tragic” and “political correctness.”
“It is absolutely political correctness, if in the name of inclusiveness we throw out someone who is a Christian or has a view that might be a little bit different than Mr. Obama’s, then we’ve dishonored the very service that fights to uphold and defend the Constitution,” Franks said from the U.S. Capitol.
“It’s especially heartbreaking to me, knowing that the rank-and-file of the United States military is far more in line with the views of Tony Perkins than they will ever be of the views of President Barack Obama,” Franks told CNSNews.com.
Perkins, a conservative leader who is also a minister and former military officer, said he had no intention of being political, had he been allowed to speak.
“I would have never used this venue as a political venue to even mention the president, unless it was to pray for him,” Perkins told CNSNews.com. “This was to focus on the spiritual needs of the men and women in uniform.”
Congressman Franks, meanwhile, indicated he plans to further raise the issue in Congress and took aim at the Air Force’s notion of being “inclusive.”
“We can be ‘inclusive’–we could bring Al Qaeda in there and that’s ‘inclusive–but to suggest somehow that someone like Tony Perkins shouldn’t be welcome on a military base because he has some views that are antithetical to some of Barack Obama’s views, is just outrageous,” Franks said.
Perkins, meanwhile, said he’s unrepentant in opposing Obama’s pro-homosexual agenda.
“What he (the president) was essentially calling the military to do was to violate the law, without a change by Congress,” Perkins told CNSNews.com. “That change of policy would in fact affect national security and in fact affect the lives of men and women who serve in uniform. As a veteran of the Marine Corps, I know exactly the environment and what this could do to the men and women who serve. So it is very troubling.”
Dr. William Donahue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights in New York City condemned the action – and called for an investigation.
“The decision to silence Tony Perkins, an ordained minister and Marine veteran, represents political correctness at a dangerous level,” Donahue said. “There are legitimate reasons to accept and reject the current policy regarding gays in the military. No one, therefore, should be censored from speaking at any private or public forum — much less a military instillation — because of his or her views on this subject.”
Perkins, meanwhile, said the real issue isn’t that he was disinvited to an event – it’s about political correctness in the military on homosexuality.
“This is not about the chaplain, it’s not even about Andrews Air Force Base, it’s about the chilling effect that this policy would have upon Christians who operate from an understanding of what’s right and wrong according to Scripture,” Perkins told CNSNews.com.
Donahue agreed: “While the most immediate issue is the blacklisting of Perkins, the larger issue is the ‘chilling effect’ this decision will have on the free speech and religious liberty rights of all those who serve in the military, especially clergymen.”
CNSNews.com has formally requested an interview with a representative from the chaplain’s office.
For today I have set a priority on being in harmony with the world around me. There has been far too much weirdness in my life of late and that has caused me to respond in ways that only serve go distance e myself from the bodditsatva path, which in my religion is the path of compassion and balance.
I have fallen astray because recent events have tossed me into a storm of brutality and violation.
But it is not these events that have pushed me off the path it is my responses to them. For today I will be one with the rhythm, the Flow. I will fail at moments to be sure. But it is not about the number of times we fall it is the number of times we get back up and resume our path.
I never falk about my religious convictions. But for today I will be mindful of the decisions I am making toward perfect mindfulness. We will see how it goes. Namaste.
Think America needs to get even fatter? Good, so does Denny’s! From now until the end of March the ubiquitous 24 hour, always open food chain, that turned itself into the largest soup kitchen in the world after it’s “Free Grand Slam” Super Bowl ad, is offering free refills on pancakes (both buttermilk and wheat) and french fries.
Says the company spokesman:
“Clearly times are still hard and everyday we’re all looking for ways to stretch hard-earned dollars farther and farther,” said John Dillon, Vice President Marketing, Denny’s Corporation. “By offering unlimited refills on not just one but two favorite items, we are able to provide even more everyday value on items our guests love. Who doesn’t want seconds of pancakes and fries… especially when they’re free?”
Yes, who doesn’t want seconds or thirds or fourths.
Also who wants to get started on the class-action lawsuit for when we all die of cholesterol poisoning?
I wanted to reply to your comments about the Gay Community not being in support of the Gay Pride celebration, and those leading the effort are not from the CSRA. Isaac Kelly is the president of Augusta Pride and he has been in Augusta his whole life and so have most (if not all) member of the Augusta Pride Board. Isaac just wants his home town to be a more open and accepting community for the gay community. Isaac has said himself that he did not want to it be a political thing, but has made the motto “Community for all”
I am conservative and Christian. I happen to be gay as well. I am looking forward to Gay the Pride and hope to show Augusta that most of gay community in the CSRA are conservative and Christian here as well. No, not all gay people are, but we are definitely not what we are accused of being in the rhetoric in the Augusta Chronicle. To call me and my friends pedofiles and hedons? What is the basis for this? Do these people even know me? Me and my partner both work in healthcare and our whole lives are devoted to helping people stay healthy and happy. We are both Christians, but we are constantly faced with this bias and hateful words in this community. So many of our gay friends who were born here are afraid. I have friends who have been in monogomous, loving relationships for 5+ years, but are afraid to tell their own families or let others know out of fear of what might be said or done to them. In Georgia (and I am pretty sure South Carolina too) you can be fired just for being gay.
I give devote my life everyday to helping others out and being who I believe Christ wants me to be. I believe God has put my partner in my life, and together we are better adept to live out our callings in life. I know this is an uphill battle in Augusta, for people to see us for who we are. We are God’s children too and all I want is to be able to proudly talk about my partner at work or in social conversation. But so many in Augusta want me to feel ashamed, or further, seek to damn me because I am in a relationship with a man. That is wrong and just not a Christian way of acting.
The Augusta Gay Pride event is for all of the CSRA, gay and straight. I know this year will be tough because all anyone has to go by is their pre-conceived notions. But hopefully this is something that can be a source of pride for the whole CSRA community, just like the Greek festival or any other celebration.
Answer to the above mentioned question is, Dyke, Faggots, Queers and any other derogatory name you wish to call us. We can die for our country, pay taxes, own property, visit all the straight owned establishments (for the love of our expendable income) but legally we are not allowed to wed and share our lives completly…Timing, “Tica, Tica Timing”, as the song goes; it will be judged soon. Serving openly in the Armed Services and being able to marry, I will see it in my lifetime. All those opposed, I think you should go dance with some snakes and marry your first cousin.
Swelling excited, like getting into a fight you know you can win, was pounding me for a whole week. And bloody hell was it brimming with endurance. I was leaving my tiny decayed, city-of-school to my home, city-of-play to see her. Sure I hadn’t finished my homework, but clearly I was just too nervous. Soz.
Outfits were not planned out, better not to, no expectations, no hurt. You don’t feel like you’re letting yourself be Frank Cotton torn. Vague plans to meet – arranged. Respective friend’s parties to take each other to as dates – check. New haircut – painful, but done (at least it didn’t bleed profusely this time).
DAY 1:
Get off train, rush to meet her and co. at bar. Get lost en route. Fine and dandy, locate bar -give my phone three squeezes- it acts like it knows already. Self assured prick. I walk in. I’ve misplaced the air from my mouth, my fully automatic heart pounding. I really didn’t need that second cigarette.
She says “Hi!” before I see her. I turn and look. “Crap” I think. “She’s even better than I remember.” At this point all witty comments that had been mounting during my four and a half hour train journey regressed back to their little grey cell makers. And I forget how to greet.
Skip to an hour later: In a gallery drinking not/with/her/friends and a bottle of wine later kissing and laughing at the contortionist creeping us out to hip hop. Yes. Hip hop. And I don’t think they’re taught the concept of a beat at freakschool. Even though there was no camel toe my eyes made like Vampire tears. Unattractive.
“This is the girl I’m seeing”
Quick scene change, at friend’s party (mine actually good) all I know, this fantasy is real. It’s being fulfilled. She mounts me. The kiss feels like an urgent static TV glow all over my body. I can’t let it stop. Ever. She. It. Feels just too good and too perfect. And only on reflection do I realise I can’t even compare this to Not-a-vigin-anymore and relish that goodbye.
But then she leaves.
And I want her even more.
Bitch.
DAY 2:
No official plans, but a win for me. I have ‘left’ my paraphernalia with her. Ooops [Props]. Her, I, an Owl, a Pussycat, and a rolled-up tenner. I can’t stop smoking, Probably because I am so nervous? I like to think I’m shaking with infatuation and the pain in my nose. We talk about families, and Henry and June. She is so smart and so unreadable. I don’t even know the best way to impress her. What she’ll laugh at. What will make her turn and rush into my arms. What will excite her. But Boy-0h-Boy am I trying.
She actually stays to watch Marty, where there are no good Tomatoes and only the terrible ‘peck’ exists.
We say Bye at the door. My heart is spat on again.
DAY 3 (not consecutive):
Sunday is skipped. Why? “Oh it’s Valentines day. I don’t know what it’ll be like when I’m dating someone, always having to spend it with “Ex-bf-now-turned-bff”. ” Great.
We meet for lunch. She is almost two hours late, but she has my things. Bagels followed by Booze. Eve tells Alfie that Eve is still in love with E-b-n-t-b and has been sleeping with them the whole time.
“I don’t want casual sex, and I’m really enjoying finally being single”. Single? Really? Then we have a three pint fuelled toilet catch up. Then I’m at the table alone.
Maybe I’m not a GoodGirl. They don’t cut themselves do they?
Watch out, sexual deviants, your humble village crier is back – though I make no promises that I will be better than ever, I’ll probably just be the same old me. After a prolonged hiatus, three straight days of browsing the entire xkcd archives, and a whole lot of debauchery, I think it’s time I stepped back up on the old soap box, and I start yelling into the open space otherwise known as the Internet.
You already know what to expect from me – tardiness, sarcasm, and a whole lot of gay, and I hope that’s enough to keep you coming back. I’m hoping this return will end up something like this: you run into a fling at a bar, someone who you had really, really good sex with (you’re the fling in this scenario, though I don’t think we’ve all slept together… yet), and it either goes terribly awry and you can’t figure out what to say (not the outcome I’m looking for) or you hit it off and continue to hook up as often as you please, forgetting why you left one another in the first place.
Hey, where would I be if my first post didn’t include a hypothetic situation involving sex? On the wrong blog, probably.
Anyway, there will be a real post tomorrow… though seeing as it is quickly nearing 2 am, I suppose there will be a new post later today. So snuggle up by your significant, same-sex, other, and sleep tight, there will be something to laugh about tomorrow.
Regular readers of my blog know that I go through seasons on political posts. Sometimes, like in the few months leading up to Election 2008, political posts were quite dominant. At other times, like the days since the election, I haven’t felt real motivated to dive into those topics. In fact, the last politically themed post I wrote was nearly a year ago on March 11 about New Federalism.
But I’m feeling some drive today to address an interesting topic – that of Gays in the Military. (Same-sex? Homosexuals? LBGT’s? Please insert whatever politically correct term is “in” right now). There has been buzz in the last few days about President Obama repealing the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy – which was instituted in 1993 by Congress, with support from President Clinton. There seems to be quite a bit of energy surrounding the topic – from both sides of the political aisle. Just yesterday, former Vice-President and Defense Secretary Dick Cheney openly supported the repeal (see the Politico article). We can only assume that his position might have something to do with the fact that his own daughter is lesbian.
I’m going to say something that may shock you if you thought you knew my political and spiritual background:
I support the complete repeal of the policy and think gays should be able to serve openly in our military.
I can imagine the shocked hand-wringing from my friends on the right and the standing ovation from my friends on the left right now, but you should understand my reasoning before you get too emotional about my statement. Here is my primary reason for supporting such a policy:
Being a Bible-believing Christian, I am of the opinion that homosexuality is a “sexual sin” that belongs in the same category with adultery, pornography, lust, and pre-marital sex. Understanding that, would we be willing to support the ban of adulterers, porn addicts, the lustful, and anyone who has pre-marital sex from serving in the military? Unless your answer is yes, then the argument should stop right here. Let them serve.
Now let me try to pre-emptively answer some of the counter-arguments that are bound to come.
Q: Does this mean rapists and child-molesters and sexual abusers should also serve? Those are also “sexual sins.”
A: No. Adultery, pornography, lust, and pre-marital sex, while sexual sins, are LEGAL. Rape, molestation, and abuse are CRIMINAL. We should not allow sexual criminals to serve – regardless of their sexual orientation.
Q: Does this mean you also support Same-Sex Marriage?
A: No. In my opinion, marriage is a spiritual matter, not a civil one. God instituted the concept of marriage and His definition is a man and a woman.
Q: Would you support a gay Pastor or Priest?
A: No. Would you support an unrepentant adulterer, or someone who refuses to refrain from pre-marital sex as a Pastor?
Q: How should Christians treat homosexuals?
A: “But God demonstrates his love for us in this that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
A: “So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” John 8:7
A: Jesus ate with and hung out with sinners. Mark 2:16
In short, we are to Lead with Love. Lead as in to lead-off, to go first, to lead the way, to initiate, be proactive, the very first thing you should do is -LOVE THEM. Be a friend. Fellowship with them. Go out to lunch with them. Ask them to share their story with you, and then you share your story with them. BE JESUS TO THEM. You know – the way we’re supposed to treat EVERYONE.
Hording enough whiskey to be properly sulky/belligerent drunk if the conditions call for it; extra talented at that particular breed of unchecked insane drunk. But I also have enough happy booze to cover those bases too. Basically I have enough liquor and beer to drink 10 people into a coma if it comes to it…and since the temps will be in the low 20s…it may well come to it. Or lots of snuggling. This lesbo is an expert camper and is prepared either way.
It could have something to do with suppressing my sexuality for the first 18/19 years of my life, and only fully realizing it this year… but I think I’m a little in love with everything female. Is that normal? I find a pretty woman in every new room I enter. In one of my writing classes, there are about four girls I fall a little bit in love with every single class session. There’s the gorgeous, sensuous and yet understated Indian woman who sits diagonally behind me. Her voice is a beautiful melody that intrigues me as much as it bewilders me. There’s the exotic looking woman who sits across the room– I can’t quite figure out where she must be from– with gorgeous, gorgeous dark eyes and hair that frames her face exactly the same way. She’s smart, really intellectual, but I can’t get her to smile at me to save my life… And then there’s the smattering of other girls who just wear the right outfit that day, or say the right thing, or have the right twinkle in their eye… And suddenly I’m imagining what life with “her” could be like– this woman I know nothing about, but can imagine anything with.
*Sigh*. I’m never going to have happy relationships, I’m too busy falling a little in love with every girl I see. All well, off to sleep for now, to dream of my love for today.
If being a lesbian weren’t tricky enough, it’s hard not to notice that our friends and lovers look eerily alike. How’s a girl supposed to know who to be jealous of, when her partner’s so-called, friends bare a striking resemblance to all of her exes and even to herself, with the most noteworthy similarity being that they’re all female. Yikes! It’s crazy, I tell you.
To make matters worse, lesbians insist on staying friends with their exes much of the time, after the obligatory post breakup, cool down period. New girlfriends are forced to confront their beloved’s exes with a smile on their face, while imagining the two of them together in a liplock. Yikes again! Is this insanity?
For awhile I thought I’d solved this Rubik’s Cube of a social dilemma by hanging out with gay men. How simple is that? Gay men pose no romantic threat, and they are also stronger and often taller, being capable of reaching things on that top shelf of your pantry. And if that’s not enough reason to embrace our gay brethren, they’re also gifted decorators and can give invaluable advice about how to dress for a special occasion. My only problem with this solution is that it is often temporary, as you wind up missing your own kind. Lesbos need lesbos, it seems. I guess there’s no perfect fix.
So shoot me, but I tend to like a certain kind of woman. The women I befriend look a lot like the women I romance. I know what you’re thinking. I would cry foul, but we both know you’re right. Attraction is attraction, and for this reason I have carried a secret torch for years, for some of the women I call my friends.
Oops, now the Jeannie is out of the bottle, and every one of my friends who reads this blog is worried. Such is the nature of blogs and friendship. Deal already! You can’t be sure you’re the one I’m talking about. Get over yourself.
The good news is I never act on these emotions out of respect for my partner and my committment to monogamy. Cheating is not my bag, but then, neither is hanging out with lesbians I am not attracted to, simply to keep my partner from having an anxiety attack. Those worries go with the territory of being a lesbian, unless you’re either super well-adjusted, or oblivious to such things. Unfortunately, I am neither, so, over the years I have learned to cope with my girlfriends’ crushes on their friends. Funny thing is, they think you don’t know they’re attracted to her, but they always forget how well you know them. We love to fool ourselves, don’t we.
In our defense, isn’t it true that humans bond with people they’re attracted to, with physical compatibility being a component of that chemistry. And since I like women, the lines blur somewhat, as on any given day, if I allow my imagination to run free, I may wind up in bed with a friend, in my dreams. So spank me already, I’m bad. But I bet I’m not alone.
Given my ramblings and the fact I’m sure I’m not the only lesbo who understands this situation, it is no wonder we all fear “the other woman.” In the lesbian world, everywhere we turn, she is standing right there. She’s our neighbor, our best friend, our business associate, our realtor and our nurse. It’s no surprise that any intelligent lesbo would be a little paranoid given those circumstances.
But you knew when you signed up, that being a lesbian was not for sissies. With that said, you have no choice but to deal with it and puff up like a peacock as proud as you can, believing that she’d be crazy to go elsewhere when she has the best already. On some days, I can actually do this for myself. But on other days, when my hair looks bad or my checkbook balance is low, it is much harder to maintain that bravado.
So, never, ever, whine in that defensive voice, that she’s just a friend, when your girlfriend gives you that knowing look. Because she gets it. And the reason she gets it, is so obvious, that she has no right to say a word. Your beloved gets it because she has girlfriends too, and she knows about those daydreams you have, and it scares her. The only thing you can do to reassure her, is to love her so well that she finally starts to trust you with your crushes, because she feels safe and knows you’ll always come home to her.
i woke up with my left eyelid completely swollen (and both itchy), the return of a weird associated hand rash and a migraine headache. oh, also every muscle in my body, including in between my fingers (are there even muscles there?), is sore. b/c of yoga. but i’ll get to that in a minute.
let me start off by saying that eyelid swelling is stressful. this is new to me. growing up, there was always some kid who got a mosquito bite on or near his or her eyelid and it would swell up like a big red balloon and i’d be like, woah, dude. that looks bad. i had to look away. and now here i am with my own swollen eyelid (could be plural soon, i’d better watch it). and while it’s not nearly as severe, it’s supremely upsetting, esp. when you don’t know why it’s happening. both eyelids are itchy. as are my hands. this happened around the time of our neighbor “kicking it.” the dermatologist labeled it “contact dermatitis,” which essentially means you’re allergic to something you’ve touched. i’m like, thanks, doc. that’s really vague and not helpful at all. i’ll be sure not to touch anything ever again. then he gave me three creams, two allergy pill prescriptions and a six-day pack of steroids. i pretty much didn’t take anything and it sort of went away.
so my eyelids and hands were itchy and my head was achin like a toothache (as holly might say). let me tell you something about this weather: for migraine headache sufferers, esp. those of us sensitive to barometric pressure changes, impending big storms, like the storm that’s now touching down on the baltimore and dc metro areas, are murderous. so this is day two for me. my head should be nicknamed Storm Watcher. i should get paid for this.
i stumbled into the bathroom and looked at my left eyelid and gawked. i was like BABE. LOOK. AT MY EYELID. (to holly. naturally. did you expect it to be someone else? hah) and she was like, wow, babe. that’s pretty bad. the itchiness and swelling propelled me to the medicine cabinet, where i promptly found the benadryl, which i have in the house from our wedding planning days since i had a stress-induced eye twitch for, like, a year. [holly's eye doctor told me that antihistamines can help with eye twitches. (never worked for me. not a surprise.)] i decided the itchiness and swelling outweighed the headache so i took two.
then i panicked b/c i was like wait, can i even take a migraine pill w/benadryl? so i called two different pharmacies to check (the journalist in me always fact checks) and they were like, yeah, it’s ok, but you might get really drowsy. so i took the pill and got groggy. then i decided to follow up on a game of phone tag w/my neurologist’s office. see, i’m running low on ibuprofen. i take it sometimes for headaches, 800mg pills, which are the equivalent to four advil. i’ve only had one bottle of 90 ever prescribed to me, in june by another neurologist. it saves a LOT of money to get the bottle of 90 800mg pills. it’s like…360 advil (!) for a $5 co-pay. you just can’t beat that. i figured i ought to get my new dr. to call the prescription in for me. they called yesterday and left me a msg that they needed to ask me a question about it. so that’s why i was calling back. i wanted to get it filled before The Big Storm.
the lady on the phone asked me if this dr. prescribed it for me or the other one. i was like, the other one. then she said the doctor didn’t want to prescribe them for me and did i go to the anesthesiologist he recommend (for these steroid neck shots, ugh. haven’t gotten them yet, prob. will try them tho i’m scared). i was like yes, but i haven’t made up my mind if i want to get the shots yet. and she reiterated that he really didn’t want to call in the prescription for me. then i started to get a little mad.
“look,” i said, feeling shaky. “it’s only ibuprofen. can’t you just call it in for me?”
“no, he’d rather you didn’t take them.”
“i’m laid off,” i explained, feeling increasingly desperate. “it’s cheaper this way. i need them.”
“we’re going to have call you back.”
“i can get my other doctor to call them in for me,” i said, trying to sound helpful. no response.
“we’ll call you back.”
i hung up with the realization that this is what a prescription drug addict must feel like. i know it’s only ibruprofen. but still. i didn’t like it.
anyway, they haven’t called back yet. it’s after 5pm. they’re obviously not calling. totally lame.
as for the “contact dermatitis,” i have a theory that all of the alcohol-based anti-bacterial gel we’re all using like mad (it’s pretty much enforced at my physical therapist’s office. you’re required to use it before and after your appt. i don’t blame them) is tearing my skin to shreds. what! i have sensitive skin!
i meant to tell you about yoga. but this entry is already way too long. i’m sure i’ll tell you soon since we’re going to be snowed in for about two weeks. (don’t worry, we have plenty of milk, toilet paper and bread. geez, ppl around here go nuts when it’s about to snow. doesn’t anyone keep anything in their house anymore??) oh wait, i can’t touch my keyboard b/c i might be allergic to it. oh hell, i’ll put gloves on. you’ll hear from me
RENT: the Broadway Tour will be ending it’s run successful run Sunday, February 7, 2010 and be there LIVE AT THE STAGEDOOR! Watch live online!
Link: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nealb-tv
Sunday, February 7, 2010 at 1 PM PST/4 EST
Neal B (www.NealB.tv) and Elisa Schneider (http://www.willingtobelucky.net/) will be live streaming from the stagedoor before RENT’s final matinee.
They will chat with fans, share favorite moments and maybe a few surprises!
Go to: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nealb-tv or http://www.NealB.tv and click the LIVE VIDEO FEED BUTTON.
Also check www.NealB.tv/www.NealBinNYC.wordpress.com for RENT Closing twitter updates, an interview with RENT: The Broadway Tour conductor David Truskinoff and lots more!
This is an article about comments Mags of Nom made. If I did what she and her organization does in research when I was in college or even now in my current position I would have been failed or fired. It never ceases to amaze me the level at which people will stoop to control others with manipulation, lies, and subterfuge. If ever there was a thing I hated… NOM is its name.
Maggie Gallagher commits ’sin of omission’ to make case against marriage equality
Like most groups of people, lesbians often evolve, experiencing certain rites of passage along the way. But unlike their straight counterparts, lesbos often pass through them secretly, without ceremony or discussion, left to figure things out on their own, until they are lucky enough to find lesbian friends and mentors.
If you were one of the lucky ones and grew up in a hip, urban area with progressive parents, your “coming of age” story may be quite similar to any female’s. Unfortunately, it is less likely that your lesbo sisters who live in more rural areas, where religious beliefs often trump compassion and understanding, are enjoying the same acceptance and support.
Don’t get me wrong. “Debby Downer”, I’m not. Things are improving, due to a few high-profile souls, like Ellen. But let’s face it, the world is different for the rich and famous, so don’t get overly excited that Ellen got her own talk show, and believe that her success somehow proves there’s nothing for us lesbos to worry about anymore. It’s gonna take the average Jane to jump on board, demanding fairness, before we will all be taken seriously. So tune into your inner bitch and be strong. Life is hard enough, without settling for less, right out of the gate. No. I swear I’m not a preacher. You’re simply hearing me first thing in the morning before the coffee kicks in. Plus I know how far we’ve come since I came out, and I can see how much farther we have to go. We’re only about halfway there, if you ask me.
But back to rites of passage. Who knows, maybe that first kiss is that much sweeter, as an intimate secret shared only between two innocent girls, instead of discussed with giggling classmates. It has been suggested that anything considered taboo causes the heart to race and excitement to crescendo. In another day and time, I remember the thrill and taste of my first girl kiss. I thought I might spin off the side of the planet, suddenly on fire in places I’d ignored until that moment in my life. Instead of wallowing in adolescent angst of the ordinary variety, I vacillated between feelings of passion for my new love, and worry over being found out and ridiculed as a pervert by my classmates and family.
Speaking of rites of passage, getting married certainly qualifies as a huge affair for us all, regardless of our sexual orientation. For those of us who choose (just kidding) ”the road less traveled” in life, our decisions surrounding marriage and starting a family are often complicated by mothers and fathers who would rather ignore our “so-called” matrimonial unions, where we are already marginalized by society at large, being denied legal recognition in most jurisdictions.
Questions haunt us as we consider breaking free from the legal restraints placed on us by society. If we have a wedding, who should we invite? How will we feel if our parents don’t show up, or worse, humiliate us by ignoring us altogether as we plan the event. Will they show up for the shower, gift in hand and smiling, or will they instead hide in schedule conflicts and other excuses? Who will give us away? Who can we count on? Are we up for the emotional turbulence of testing the family, or will we, instead forgo the drama altogether, by deciding against a formal affair, relegating our own status to that of second-rate citizen, buying what the majority is selling in our actions, if not our words?
If the lesbian marriage dilemma is not enough to fret over for most sappho sisters, then the baby issue is sure to floor all but the most robust of spirit. A young lesbian’s maternal drive will be tested at length as she navigates the turbulent waters of how to have a baby or adopt one, without a man by her side. Many families who are willing to accept a marriage between two women, often frown in disapproval when their daughter considers parenthood, believing that all children need a mother and a father, like that’s the norm in their world of soaring divorce rates and absent fathers.
To my surprise, I have overheard even the most intellectual lesbians question their own motives for wanting children, worried that a child will suffer and be teased for having two mommies. If a lesbian decides it makes more sense to adopt, justifying their maternal drive and conscience more easily by coming to the rescue of an orhpan, then the court system may or may not be as receptive, often willing to leave the child “in the system, parentless,” rather than place them in a loving lesbian home.
You must be saying, tell me something I don’t know. As always, you know I’ll share my opinion. So here goes. The meek do not inherit the earth! It’s true. I don’t care what they told you in Sunday School. And, yes, I realize I may be challenged by some Bible scholar who will swear I have misinterpreted a Bible verse. Deal with it, okay. It happens. You know where I’m going with this, so shut up and stop hiding in the Bible. Even with its inarguable bestseller status, you must admit to the fact that there have been too many editors to really know what the author’s true intentions were. Does the phrase, lost in translation mean anything to you?
Religion aside, it is time to be bold! We have to show up for each other, when our families won’t. Once we claim our rights, as we are slowly doing over time, the heteros will come around. Lesbians are leaders. We have no choice, but to lead others through our own conviction, demonstrated through courageous actions instead of hollow words. If we lead, they will follow. But if we hide and shirk our responsibilities, the status quo will win.
And if you need more motivation than the lure of marriage, children, and basic fairness, then consider the older lesbian’s plight. Someday, if you’re lucky, you will be an older lesbian, if you aren’t right now. That’s when, a few supportive friends will act as family to support you as you pass through menopause and old age, often without children or governmental support systems that the “straights” have in place. If the idea of being treated “less than” in society simply because of who you love doesn’t make you angry enough to fight for equal rights, then consider the fact that you paid your fair share of taxes all your life, the same percentage that the “legally married” heteros paid, but you are forced to forgo the marital inheritance privileges afforded to your “straight” counterparts.
Anger isn’t all bad, despite what they taught you in school. Anger fuels progress. When you get really red-faced, furious about the situation, then you’ll possess the fire in your belly required to force change. “I’m just sayin.” Don’t get comfortable simply because you see a few lesbos on TV. The battle isn’t over. We haven’t heard the fat lady sing yet. That faint song in the background, is her warming up.
Call me crazy. Okay…so K and I have only been talking for about three weeks. BUT if feels like so much longer. Probably because we spend so much time around each other. I’ve literally only spent the night away from her three times since I’ve met her…three times in three weeks. I know…I know. She always asks me to stay…and who wouldn’t want the warm sexy body of their woman of interest next to them all night? SO anyway…we kinda decided that we needed some time away from each other. Although we enjoy each other’s company, we don’t wanna get on each other’s nerves. Afterall…it’s only been THREE weeks. So tonight starts the break. I’m fine with that. It was MY idea to begin with. Here’s where I have the problem: I called her at 10:19 because I hadn’t talked to her all day. She answered. I asked her if she was busy. She said “kinda sorta”…asked me where I was, told me she would call me back and asked me if I was gonna be up. It is now 11:55 and I haven’t heard from her. NOT that I expect to hear from her all the time but what’s really bugging me is what the hell is she doing this late? How is she too busy to talk to me? Am I overthinking things? I mean…really. Even when she’s with her friends she talks to me.
I know that I have trust issues. I’ve been trying to work on that…but really…what am I supposed to think? She’s not officially my girlfriend…but we have both said that that’s what we’re aiming for. So…even if she IS with someone else can I be upset about that…since we’re not official? Because I’m pretty sure I would be hurt by it. She said she’s not a cheater…but it’s not cheating if we’re not together. Ugh. I’m driving myself insane thinking about this. And the killer part is that I’ve only known this chick for three weeks. I’m not in love or anything…I just really want her…I want her to be mine. I’m selfish. Boo hoo!
Maybe I’m just emotional because I’m currently entertaining mother nature. That’s a possibility.
Think America needs to get even fatter? Good, so does Denny’s! From now until the end of March the ubiquitous 24 hour, always open food chain, that turned itself into the largest soup kitchen in the world after it’s “Free Grand Slam” Super Bowl ad, is offering free refills on pancakes (both buttermilk and wheat) and french fries.
Watch out, sexual deviants, your humble village crier is back – though I make no promises that I will be better than ever, I’ll probably just be the same old me. After a prolonged hiatus, three straight days of browsing the entire xkcd archives, and a whole lot of debauchery, I think it’s time I stepped back up on the old soap box, and I start yelling into the open space otherwise known as the Internet.
