Pledge to Fight Animal Cruelty

Friday, December 22, 2006

Harry Potter and the...

Well the title for the seventh and final Harry Potter book can be found on J.K. Rowling's website. I have it, not by searching (well a little searching), but I have it. If you are interested in finding the title out yourself, go to J.K. Rowling's site and follow the instruction below to get to a hidden game of Hangman.

  1. Click on the eraser on her desk.
  2. In the mirror to the right, you will see a door in the back. Click the knob on the open door to see the Christmas tree.
  3. Click on the top half of the main door to see a wreath.
  4. Click on the top of the mirror to reveal garland.
  5. Click the spider web next to the mirror.
  6. Click on the 4th chime in the window to get the key to the door.
  7. Drag the key to the door knob to unlock the door.
  8. The door opens to reveal a package.
  9. When you click the bow, the package will open.
  10. Inside is a game of Hangman. Now guess the title of the last Harry Potter Book.
I will publish the title Christmas morning for those of you who can't figure it out.

Enjoy!!!

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Delusional Bush...

When did America start going so wrong? If you’re like my father, you would say when the “dickhead” got his blowjob in the White House. I, on the other hand, believe it was when the current “dickhead” took office. Since he came into power, power has gone to his head. Now it seems like the republicans are finally seeing this as well. His approval rating is staying around the 42% (with a low of 32%), according to the Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll taken during December 8-11, but listen to him talk, he has taken on a position of supreme leader.

When the war started in Iraq three years ago, the commanders on the ground (you know the people that actually understand war and what should be done) told Bush that they needed more troops. Even early in 2006, the commanders were requesting more troops. Bush said no. He also said that he listens to the commanders in the field. Now the commanders have said the mess in Iraq is too far-gone and more troops will be of no use. So what does Bush do – he is sending more young people to die.

On Wednesday’s “Scarborough Country”, Joe Scarborough, a big supporter of Bush, states, “But when all of his generals abandon him, when the Joint Chiefs abandon him, the admirals abandon him, when John Abizaid abandons him, when Colin Powell abandons him, everybody abandons him, he‘s standing alone! He just doesn‘t seem to have any credibility. And this is extraordinarily disturbing to me, as a guy who supported this war and supported this president twice.” How can a President, so beloved by many republicans go into such a dark place that most republicans don’t trust him anylonger? One point of view (a view that many are taking now) is that Bush is delusional.

Mike Barnicle, MSNBC contributor, believes, “This president—this is dangerously close to a delusion that is going to result in death and carnage for years to come in the Middle East, too many Americans and too many people in the Middle East.” The same poll as stated before has only 12% of the American public agreeing with the President that more troops should be sent. ONLY 12%!!! When did this president forget that he works for the American people? His advisors are telling him one thing, the commanders on the ground are telling him the same thing, the Iraqi Study Group, headed by James Baker and Lee Hamilton, are telling him the same thing – This war is a mess and something major has to be done before many more innocent people die (on both sides).

We are no longer there to help free Iraq. We are there in the middle of their civil war, which we helped start. How can we pick sides on this one? Bush created a mess that we have no idea how to get out of. We have a President that doesn’t understand what war means because he bailed on the one he should have served in (Vietnam). This President is delusional and I agree with Mike Barnicle, “We can have Foreign Relations Committee hearings by Joe Biden, find out exactly who wanted the troops and when they wanted them. And if any commander who has been in Iraq or is in Iraq right now says that he does not need any more troops, there, I would submit, is a commander who needs to be relieved of command.”

Lets look at some numbers on the Iraqi War from Information Clearing House:
  1. Number of U.S. Military Personnel Sacrificed (Officially acknowledged) In America's War 2959!!!
  2. Cost of America's War in Iraq $351,929,713,140!!!
  3. Number Of Iraqi Civilians Slaughtered In America's War? At Least 655,000
Read the full transcript. Watch the Scarborough video.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Religion...

When did religion jump the shark? For those of you that don’t know the meaning of “jump the shark”, it is a metaphor that denotes when something (mainly a TV show) was once good has since gone bad or stupid. It was first referenced when Fonzie (of Happy Days) while on water skies jumped a shark. People (geeks mainly) feel this is the time that Happy Days took a turn for the worst and started to go down hill. Since then you can hear people ask, “When did Seinfeld, Fiends, or Dallas jump the shark?” You can even check out the website – jumptheshark.com.

So, when did religion “jump the shark”? If you look at the religious world today, nothing seems to be the way god (or Jesus) would have wanted it. Too many people are manipulating people in the name of God, or telling us this is the way Jesus would have wanted it. It is my understanding that Jesus taught love and understanding, but that isn’t what is being taught today. There are churches/ministers that are telling people that god would want you to harm the “fagot” down the street, hate someone because they believe something different than you, or that money is not the root of all evil. Evangelists are making more money than most of the people I know and are becoming stars in the minds of their followers.

Barbra Walters just aired her “Top 10 Most Fascinating People” last week and one of them made my skin crawl. His name is Rev. Joel Osteen, the Smiling Preacher. As Barbara puts it, “he’s rich, he’s famous and adored by millions of fans on television each week”. He is the head of the largest church in America and why do I dislike him, not because he is teaching religion, but because he is teaching people that money matters. He is teaching what some call “the prosperity gospel”. He told Barbara “God does want us to live the abundant life that we can. To me, prosperity is health, good relationships … and money, of course, is part of it”. Just a note – this church brings in $75 million a year.

Another show I was watching (because we have no good cable) was on the Inspiration Channel. His name is Todd Coontz and he is the founder of the Rock Wealth Ministries. His gimmick is dealing with money as well. There is something heavenly that happens when you “sow a seed of $1000” to his ministries. Why $1000, because some place in the bible he found the number 1000. God looks with praise on people who give money to his organization. He states that within 90 days of receiving the $1000, God will look on you with praise. On his website, he says he “teaches people how to qualify, receive, and manage wealth.” His show is in more than 38 countries.

Then we have the biggest facade of all, the Pope. Who else can get away with wearing a virginal white dress, a mitre (or as drag queens like to call it a tiara), and those fabulous red shoes and then tell me that my life style is sinful? This is the most powerful spiritual leader in the world, but is he right. How can one man make so many decisions that affect so many people? He hates gay people when throughout history gays have been spiritual leaders. He is a racist and a bigot. He was in the Nazi party and he helped cover up the sexual abuse crimes that happened in America by priest. Is this someone we can call a religious leader?

We have to remember that Christianity is not the only religion. There are over 40 religions. One created by a novelist who said, "I'd like to start a religion, thats where the money is!" - L. Ron Hubbard creator/founder of Scientology. With all these religions, who to say which one is correct? All religions have some good in them as all religions have people who make them bad. We need to understand that we have no idea why we are here or if there is a god. Faith is the only thing that tells us that god exists, but if someone told you today that god came and talked to him or her, would you believe? No. Why? Do you not have faith? This is the same ploy that these corrupt people are using and calling themselves “men of god”. If you have the $1000 to send into these men, why not send it to your local homeless shelter, women’s organization, humane society, or give to an organization that you believe in. There are people in this world that need help and religion doesn’t seem to be helping any more. It seems to be only hurting and causing hatred.

Monday, December 18, 2006

Harry Potter, Order...

For those of you who can't wait, here is a little snippet of the next Harry Potter movie. This is a behind the scenes look at the new movie. Harry has grown up (as has Ron and Hermione) and this movie seems darker. For those that don't know the background (and shame on you for not knowing Mark), this should catch you up a little.

From IMDb's website:

Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts for one of his most difficult years yet. Not only must he study for his OWL exams, but as the Ministry of Magic is gradually taking control of Hogwarts and spares no efforts trying to discredit him, he tries to tell the skeptical wizarding world the truth of Voldemort's return...

Trouble brews as Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts begins. The authorities are ignoring Harry and Dumbledore's warnings of Voldemort's return, causing his fellow classmates to view him with disdain. Meanwhile, a new witch assumes control at Hogwarts, throwing the entire school into chaos. Will Harry lose everything?

Behind the scenes:


Trailer:

Merry Little, What...

The number two Christmas song right now is "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" only behind Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song". Although this song is upbeat and happy, do you know that the words you are singing were not the original? Here is the background of the song and the original words.

The song originated in the Judy Garland movie " Meet Me In St. Louis". It was to be sung by Judy to her younger “movie” sister, Margaret O'Brien, to show how depressed they were about moving to New York. When Judy read the lyrics she asked to have the lyrics changed. She knew that if she sang the song the way it was written to a child, her fans would think her a monster. Hugh Martin, who wrote the song, didn’t want to change the lyrics at first, but changed when a friend talked him into it. The original version was never recorded. Even though the song was changed for Judy, in 1957 Frank Sinatra was recording a new album, “A Jolly Christmas”, and he wanted a happier version. He went to Hugh Martin and asked him to rewrite the song again. He did so and now there are two versions that are sung today.

Here are the lyrics:

ORIGINAL VERSION
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
It may be your last

Next year we may all be living in the past

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

Pop that champagne cork

Next year we may all be living in New York

No good times like the olden days

Happy golden days of yore

Faithful friends who were dear to us

Will be near to us no more

But at least we all will be together

If the Lord allows

From now on, we'll have to muddle through somehow

So have yourself a merry little Christmas now


JUDY GARLAND VERSION
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light

Next year all our troubles will be out of sight

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

Make the yuletide gay

Next year all our troubles will be miles away

Once again as in olden days

Happy golden days of yore

Faithful friends who were dear to us

Will be near to us once more

Someday soon we all will be together

If the fates allow

Until then, we'll have to muddle through somehow

So have yourself a merry little Christmas now


FRANK SINATRA VERSION
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light

From now on, our troubles will be out of sight

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

Make the yuletide gay

From now on, our troubles will be miles away

Here we are as in olden days

Happy golden days of yore

Faithful friends who are dear to us

Gather near to us once more

Through the years we all will be together

If the fates allow

Hang a shining star upon the highest bough

And have yourself a merry little Christmas now



To read the whole story of the song, go to Entertainment Weekly. There is so much more to the story.

Friday, December 15, 2006

Our Adoption Process - Pt 2

So we wrote the agency a check for the $6,000 to get the ball rolling. We were handed a binder that was so thick with information that it would make your head spin. The adoption agency filled out some papers, we filled out some papers and the process was begun. So they had our money and now we had to figure out what we needed to do. In the front of the enormous binder was a checklist that we went through.

Attend “Get Acquainted Weekend” – check done that.
Schedule consultation appointment – check done that.
Read, “Who We Are And What We Do” – it’s in the binder, can do that (Have done that).
Complete application and intake form – Well let’s take a look at this.

The application form starts out like any application. It asks for your name, address, and email address, that sort of thing. Then it asks you information on the baby you would like to adopt. Are we OK with and American Indian, African American, Asian, Caucasian, Hispanic, or Middle Eastern child. Mark and I answered yes on all of them. It didn’t matter what race. It only mattered that the baby, wait…that’s the next question. How old do you want the child to be? Are we willing to take a child up to one month? Up to 6 months? Up to 12, 18 or over 18 months old? Mark and I decided that we would take a child up to 6 months. It didn’t matter as long as the baby was healthy, wait…that’s the next question.

We then have to ask ourselves the hard questions. We had to answer the questions that not many parents have to answer, but fall into daily, unaware. Would be willing to adopt a child with Down’s Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Fetal Drug Exposure, HIV, Unknown Birth Father, Unknown Birth Father (Rape), or Conceived in Incest. How can anyone answer these questions? Mark and I didn’t know how to answer. Would the agency look down on us if we answered no to all? Would we be put on the backburner and not get a child because we don’t care enough? These and other thoughts went racing through our heads. What would people think of us? Were not bad people, but were we able to handle some of these things? We left them blank and moved on to the next set of questions.

The next set of questions was dealing with the pregnant parent’s medical history. Here is where my head sort of imploded. How were we to answer these questions? Doctors couldn’t tell me what is happening to the joints in my body, how can they predict what is going to happen to a baby’s body? If the mother/father of the unborn baby had Cystic Fibrosis, hemophilia, Huntington disease, muscular dystrophy, autism, mental retardation, or suicidal (I didn’t list them all because there are 18) would we be willing to adopt this child? Oh god, I don’t know. Then there was more history, alcohol abuse/use, cocaine use, crack use, ecstasy use, heroin use, LSD use, marijuana use, or methadone use. Would we be willing to adopt under these conditions? Too much input and not enough knowledge of what is a real concern and what isn’t.

Since we needed to find a pediatrician, we would ask them for some insight. We were going to use our neighbor’s pediatrician, but she was out of town so we found someone in the same office. Little did we know that our pediatrician was going to be gay. He wore so much cologne that my eyes started to water, but he was nice enough. He tried to answer any questions we had concerning these diseases and prenatal habits. He couldn’t tell us the specifics so he told us to talk with a geneticist. We had planned on calling, but life got in the way.

Mark and I forgot about the application for a while. There were other things that needed to be done. We needed to get our home study done, find a lawyer, get our finger prints taken for an FBI criminal background check as well as any child abuse record, and put together our profile, but first we needed to get the two rooms upstairs completed. If we went “live” before the two rooms were done, there would have been two adults, one baby, three dogs and a cat in about 600 sq feet. Not the best for a newborn. So we (Mark actually) finished the upstairs (I painted) and it looks great. This took all summer. Even though we didn’t have the upstairs completed, we could get our home study done – not sure how, but not complaining either. Getting the home study has to be the hardest part to date.

Part 3 coming soon…

Thursday, December 14, 2006

24...

This is a little post for my “nuthead” neighbor, Jon, who just loves Jack Bauer (in a not-so-healthy way). Season 6 of the hit show “24” will be starting on January 14, 2007. It is a four hour, two night spectacular that only “24” could do. The Chinese release Jack Bauer, but he was traded secretly. What did the U.S. trade for Jack? Does this mean Jack is a free man? Doubtful. Terrorist are using suicide attacks on American soil, but to what end? The new president, Wayne Palmer, has been sworn in and has no idea how to handle these attacks. Charles and Martha Logan (Gregory Itzin and Jean Smart) will be back (rumored) – nothing really on their contribution to season 6.

Wayne Palmer is going to be helped by his sister, Sandra, who is an advocacy lawyer. While Jack is trying to save other’s lives, the most important life he must save this time around is his own. He is still suspected of killing a Chinese diplomat and the Chinese don’t forget to easy. While all this is going on, Jack still has to deal with his love interest, Audrey.


Below is the trailer for season 6 – enjoy Jon.

Would Jesus...

This is too good to pass up. This is a story from the Associated Press (AP) concerning Pastor Joe Phelps. He is asking the question: "Would Jesus shop at Wal*Mart?". Here is the story.

Click here to go the article: Jesus

Here is the ad:

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Marriage vs. Civil Unions...

The fight that started many moons ago is still raging on in America. Lets look at one of the most powerful pieces of paper in America. Not the Bible, but the Declaration of Independence. This is the most cherished symbol of liberty and freedom. Thomas Jefferson drafted it between June 11 and June 28, 1776. 56 representatives of the founding thirteen colonies signed this symbol on July 4, 1776. In this declaration is the words, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” We are not all created equal when my partner and I do not have the same rights granted by the government as married people do.

There are many people who look at Mark and I and think that they shouldn’t have rights. Gay people do not deserve to be put in the same category as their heterosexual counterparts. They do not deserve to be in the same type of relationship that most straight people are in. Lets look at the definition of marriage and civil union from Webster’s.

Marriage:
1 a (1) : the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law (2) : the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage b : the mutual relation of married persons : WEDLOCK c : the institution whereby individuals are joined in a marriage

Civil Union:
The legal status that ensures to same-sex couples specified rights and responsibilities of married couples.

Although Merriam-Webster defines marriage with “same sex”, this is anything but the truth in America (except Massachusetts). Gay people are not allowed to marry in 49 states and in most states they are not allowed to adopt together, but that is another post. My mother told me one day she felt that most gay people will be able to get a civil union in America, but marriage would not happen. Why is this? Except for the Bible being misquoted by so many, there is no law (God or man) that prohibits me from loving any person I want. There is no reason that I shouldn’t be allotted the same benefits that “straight” people have.

First of all, what is Marriage? When people marry, they tend to do so for reasons of love and commitment. But marriage is also a legal status, which comes with rights and responsibilities. Marriage establishes a legal kinship between you and your spouse. It is a relationship that is recognized across cultures, countries and religions.

Civil Unions only exist in two places, Vermont and Connecticut – with New Jersey not far behind. Civil Unions do not follow the people into any other state, even ones that have Civil Unions. This is a nice benefit to have in Vermont, but if we decide to leave, what is going to happen then? If I get sick and I’m in the hospital on my deathbed, Mark can be banned from my room. The doctors don’t have to tell him anything, because I am not a “next of kin”. Don’t think this can happen. Check out these two website – Not Next of Kin and Until We Win Equality

Mark and I have been told by our lawyer and the adoption agency that if we travel, we need to carry all the baby’s paperwork with us at all times. Even though we will adopt together and both our names will be on the document, two men traveling with a child will seem suspicious to some people. If we cannot produce the paperwork, we could be held until we get things cleared up. Does this happen to “straight” married people? No!

So the next time you hear “life liberty and the pursuit of happiness”, this is why gay people fight so hard to have the same respect and equality that straight people take for granted. We want to be able to care for the person that we cherish. We want to know that when something happens, we can be there with our loved ones. And when that fateful days arrives and one goes to a better place, I want to know that I have a house to live in and the government will not come and take my child, my house, my life away from me because we were not allowed the same rights – although “all men are created equal”.

Monday, December 11, 2006

Not In America...

Why is America wound up so tight that you could stick a pencil up our asses and sharpen it. Mark and I were watching CBC (Canadian TV) this weekend (nothing good on old American TV) and we came across two great show for teens. One of the shows deals with young people who want to see a better world. The show is called “Make Some Noise”.

“Make Some Noise is a show about people with abnormally large hearts and big-time guts. About people tired of hearing how crappy the world is, and who are actually doing something to change it. People who know how beautiful this world is and who are fighting to make sure it stays that way.” (from their website). This show is amazing and the young people are outstanding, but I am not talking about this show.

I am talking about another show that came on before “Make Some Noise”. The show is called “Street Cents”. This show deals with topics that would not be touched in our Right Wing over Christianized America. The show we saw dealt with…Wait for it…SEX. Although most American conservatives like to close their eyes and tell themselves that if they can’t see it, it isn’t happening, this show doesn’t pull any punches. Sex is here to stay. Talking truthfully with young adults about sex may be the way to change the path they are going down. Remember, they are listening to their friends. I know I did.

According to the Center for Disease Control:
  1. In 2005, 47% of high school students had ever had sexual intercourse, and 14% of high school students had had four or more sex partners during their life.
  2. In 2005, 34% of currently sexually active high school students did not use a condom during last sexual intercourse.
  3. In 2002, 11% of males and females aged 15-19 had engaged in anal sex with someone of the opposite sex; 3% of males aged 15-19 had had anal sex with a male.
  4. In 2004, an estimated 4,883 young people aged 13-24 in the 33 states reporting to CDC were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, representing about 13% of the persons diagnosed that year.
  5. In 2000, 13% of all pregnancies, or 831,000, occurred among adolescents aged 15-19.
With these staggering figures, why are we so reluctant to talk with our kids?

“Street Cents” talks to young people on their level. In episode 6, they talked about some of the myths on sex that were floating around school even when I was young, such as:
  1. MYTH 2: Pop Kills Sperm
  2. MYTH 5: If You Have Same-Sex Fantasies - Your Gay
  3. MYTH 6: If You Have An STI (STD in America) You’ll Know It
  4. MYTH 7: The Withdrawal Method Works
  5. MYTH 11: HIV is Curable
Street Cents talks about sex truthfully and openly. We, in America, cannot seem to do this. This show would never have made it to television here in the states. Americans like to stick their heads in the sand and hope that it all goes away. Kids are having sex and if we don’t tell them the truth about it, more and more kids will put themselves at risk. Kids are starting to have sex at 13-14 years old (some even younger). I think kids are curious and if we don’t talk with them, they will experiment. I know I did.

But how do we tell our kids that using a condom is safe when the evangelical Christians ban the use of condoms. I cannot use condoms least I go to hell. Why is contraception evil to most (if not all Christians)? According to the Bible, sex is for procreation only. Now tell me that none of you have had sex for fun. Sex is fun, but you also need to be responsible. This is where we need to teach our kids. We need shows like “Street Cents” as well as others. We need to be able to talk with our young adults about life and sex, because if we don’t their peers will.

Saturday, December 9, 2006

Helping AIDS...

Friday December 1st marked the nineteenth annual Worlds Aids Day. Although many people in America see this disease as a “gay” disease, many people around the world are dying daily. Most of the people live in developing countries with little or no health coverage, poor housing and water, little or no education, and very little knowledge of this dreaded disease. By 2030, AIDS will be the number three cause of death just behind heart disease and stroke. Ukraine’s president says that more than 100,000 people have been registered as having HIV/AIDS and more than eight people die daily of this dreaded disease.

How has this epidemic gotten so far out of control? Although abstinence is the best policy, we all know that it is not going to happen. The days of “no sex” until marriage is gone for most young people through out the world. I grew up in the early eighties when AIDS was only known as the “gay cancer”. I knew nothing of this disease, but I also had parents that would talk with me about anything I may ask. They helped guide me and knew what was best for me (although I didn’t see it that way). The problem we have today is the religious community. There are some major players in the religious communities that believe teaching kids to protect themselves is going to push these kids to have sex. We need to open our eyes and understand that the world has changed and is continuing to change.

There is one young man who understands this. His name is Austin Gutwein. When Austin was nine he was writing to a pen pal in Africa. Through his correspondence with his friend, he learned all about Africa. He even learned about the bad side, AIDS. He wanted to do something to help, so he started a fundraiser. It started out with him raising $3,000, which is great for a nine year old, but wasn’t enough for Austin. He reached out to 1000 kids who helped him raise $38,000 for World Vision. This year Austin has set his sights a little higher. He wants to help build a school in Africa. With his efforts and those around him, Austin has helped raise $100,000 for World Vision, who is going to be building the new school next year.

Lets take a lesson from Austin, this 12-year-old miracle worker who wanted to help the less fortunate not only in our country, but the world we all live in. We have to all open our eyes and respect the people that live elsewhere in the world. We have to understand that “god” did not make America for the privileged or the powerful. We are one world and one people. If one little boy can make a difference in the lives of others, where have we lost our way?

Thursday, December 7, 2006

Our Adoption Process - Pt 1

We are getting closer in the adoption process to being "live". We have gotten a call from the person doing our home-study and the home-studies are done. They will be notarized in the next day or two and she will be sending them out on Friday. This means that the adoption agency will have them by Monday. What happens then? We go "live". "Live" mean that we could have a baby at any time.

Let me back up here for a minute and explain what we have done up to this point. When we were living in the wonderful land of hatred (otherwise known as Florida) we started looking into adoption agencies. While doing this, we found that Florida is the only state that has it in their laws: "if you are now or every have been a homosexual" you are not allowed to adopt. You can foster the kids, but if you get too attached and want to give the child a home for life, you are not allowed. How do they differentiate? Only the mind of the government can tell you.

We found an agency her in Vermont (although we were in Fl) and contacted them to see what the process was. They told us that they have to follow the laws of the state in which you reside. So for us at that time we were not allowed to have children because we are evil and dirty according to the state. In a short period of time, Mark happened to get a job in Vermont and after we got settled (or as settled as we could) we contacted the adoption agency to see what had to happen now.

The next step in the process was the "Get Acquainted Weekend" where we spent over $1000 to get a better understanding of the process of adoption. There were about 10-12 couples there. Four of them were gay (including Mark and I) and living in various states (N.Y, Connecticut). Along with breakfast, lunch, and dinner, there was a meeting that included all couples and the staff of the agency. After the meeting we watched a little movie. The movie was about interracial adoption and how to handle it. Mark and I found it very offensive. It more or less told us that we had to be sure we gave our child the understanding that since she/he may be of color that she/he will not have the same benefits as others. We needed to be sure that she/he understands their "culture" and what it meant. The way I took it was that if we got an interracial child, we needed to "dumb" them down to fit into society. I was amazed that they even showed it. Talking with some counselors, they felt the same. This was the first time it was shown to possible adopters and I hope the last.

With that said, we continued with the weekend. The next event was an adoptive family and their child as well as young lady who put the baby up for adoption. They told us the stress and struggles of the process. The holding of your breath every time the phone rings (will explain that later). This was very insightful, but also concerning. There is a chance that the mother of the child will want them and we are left in the cold. Although this didn't happen to this family, it was told to us that it is a possibility. Back to my story. The women who gave up her child was still in high school at the time. She got pregnant when her life seemed to be falling apart. Her grandmother had just passed away and things didn't seem to be going her way. It was very "After School Special" in that she hid the pregnancy from her parents until she was in labor in the hospital. Both families are doing well and the baby was so cute. That was the point that decided the rest of our lives. We knew then, but still needed to talk things over.

After this, we had to meet with a counselor individually (couple wise) to talk about any concerns we had. We actually meet with the Executive Director and founder of the agency. While talking with her, she put all our worries and concerns to rest. We then had to decide (Mark and I) if we wanted to proceed with the process and give them a deposit of $6000 to get the baby ball rolling. Mark and I talked that afternoon about our concerns and excitement, but we knew what we wanted to do. We told the agency that we wanted to meet with them the next day to start the process. Although the total agency fee is $12,000, we wrote them a check for the $6000 with the remaining to be paid in 6 months. Remember, this is just the agency fee. With everything we have to do, it could range from $18,000-25,000 when it is all said and done.

Part 2 will be tomorrow.

Scrubs

So if you haven't seen the best written comedy on TV you should start watching. Scrubs is a medical comedy but in the same vain as Airplane, Naked Gun, and Police Squad. The humor is off the cuff and very original. They have dream sequences that only someone on some good drugs could ever come up with. The show not only makes you laugh, but also pulls at the heart strings on some occasions.

Here are Two clips from Scrubs.


And now for the one to pull at your heartstrings.



I hope you all enjoy the show as much as I do.

Wednesday, December 6, 2006

Studio 60 and Christmas...

For those of you who have not seen it yet, “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” is one of the best-written shows around. Aaron Sorkin, the same person who created “West Wing”, developed “Studio 60”. The concept of the show relies on the back stage drama that goes into putting on a weekly late-night “live” sketch show in the same vain as Saturday Night Live. The only difference is this show is actually funny. Matthew Perry takes on a whole new persona of a comedy writer who is in charge of a group of writers (most who walked out in last week’s episode) to create comedy every week.

This show is not entirely about a show within a show. It’s about the people who work on the show within a show. This last episode had three major plot lines happening (and they rarely get resolved in one episode – love that). Jordan, who is the new network president, is pregnant (found out in the episode from Nov. 27). She is already in hot water and is on the verge of being fired. The second plot lines deals with a live newscast where one reporter was almost hit by a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) in Iraq and said the f-word. The FCC is going to fine the network $325,000 per affiliate that aired the newscast. Not too far fetched from reality. I can see this happening somewhere in America, but again I must not get on my soapbox – just yet. The third is the reality of Christmas. This is the one that resounds the most for me.

Christmas has always been a wonderful time of year, but for some reason most everyone has lost all understanding for the true meaning of Christmas. Think to yourself, what is the true meaning of Christmas? Be truthful. No one else is listening to your thoughts. Most people will say the gifts and the presents. But is that the truest meaning of the season? I am not talking of religion here, because some people like to bastardize what most see as a loving and caring time of year. I am talking of what the season means. Why is it so important that every child have the new PS3 or Wii? Why are people fighting to get the toys their kids want? And if they can’t get the toys, well then the child is going to be devastated. This is so wrong.

Lets look at the bastardization first and what some people feel is meaningful during the Christmas season. The Young Conservatives of Texas created a nativity scene that depicted Gary and Joseph, not Mary and Joseph. They did this to show how wrong the ACLU is because the ACLU supports homosexual marriage. They have Lenin, Marx, and Stalin as the three wise men and a terrorist as an angel. They did this to show why “gay marriage” is wrong? This is a travesty to the Catholic religion and the people who follow the true meaning of Jesus. For the University of Texas to allow this to be put up just shows us that people like Mark and I are not wanted and some people like Mark and I have been killed in the name of god! Isn’t this what the terrorist are doing to America? Killing in the name of “god”! Why are the Young Conservatives of Texas and the Bush administration any different? You can get the whole story here: Gary and Joseph

To me the true meaning of Christmas is love and “giving”. Not the gifts. The giving. Was there a real St. Nick? Yes and here is the earliest account of our definition of “Santa Claus. “270-280AD Birth of St. Nicholas, who was to become the most accurate and actual ancestor of Santa Claus. He was ordained Bishop whilst still a very young man, and spent his life helping the poor and underprivileged. He loved children and often went out at night disguised in a hooded cloak, to leave necessary gifts of money, clothing or food at the windows of unfortunate families.” See website here: Santa Notice the part where it states “the necessary gifts”. This is what I mean by giving. Not the toy that kids will play with for minutes or days, but things people really need. There are numerous charities that can use your money to help underprivileged and needy families. Since humane societies are close to my heart, they are always in need of help (monetary or volunteer). Visit someone in a nursing home or give to a needy family. This is the meaning of Christmas. Not why I want to marry another man.

How this started out as a critique of Studio 60 and ended up here is the fun way I write. Please do watch this show though. It is amazing and I am sure you will like it. If you liked West Wing or just good writing and a wonderful cast, you will like this one as well.

Have a Happy Holidays and a Merry Christmas or just a good December 25!!!

Tuesday, December 5, 2006

Funny Bush Administration Videos...

I just had to add these videos. I think they are funny as hell. Hope you enjoy as much as I did and still do.

Rumsfeld Remembrance - Good Bye and Good Riddance


Is Bush Drinking?


Bush Drinking Part II!

Identity Theft...

Yesterday was somewhat terrifying. I am in the process of getting my degree in Humane Leadership at Duquesne University. As Mark likes to say, the hardest part of going to college is trying to find a way to pay for it. I have some student loans (Stafford and the such), but I still needed a little more. So I got on line and started looking for grants and scholarships that would help me out. This was not to beneficial, but on Duquesne's website I found a company that worked with my college and gave out loans.

I had been working with them for almost four weeks. They needed verification that I lived in the house I say I live in - why? I have no friggin' idea, but thats what they needed. I live about thirty miles from anywhere I could fax anything and I figured that if I had my insurance company fax them a copy of my homeowners insurance that would be good enough, right? My name. My address. That should be fine - NO!!! They couldn't take a COPY of the insurance even though it was coming from the company itself. They said they needed a copy of a utility bill, pay stub (although I had my PO box on them) or something else that I could make up, but not the item from the actual company supplying my service!

I did not know that this was not sufficient paperwork since each time I got a call from them (five to be exact) the person on the other end of the line would tell me that the paperwork I supplied was fine. No problem. You get the money. Great now I can finally register for my classes - Again NO! The loan still has not gone through. I call and they tell me they are still waiting for my address verification. I would go over everything once again and they would say that it was OK then I would get a call from the loan company saying "We need your address verification".

On Tuesday November 29th, Jessica calls me and tells me that she needs my address verification - again! Finally I get so upset that I decide to send them copies of everything I could possibly think of - deed to the house, loan approval information, anything that had my name and address on it. Remember that the person called me and stated that she was from the loan company I was working with. I tell her what I am sending and she said that that should be fine. I once again tell her how pissed I am, but she calms me down and gives me a fax number that I could fax all my information directly to her and she would be sure that she got it going. I think, no prob and take the new fax number down.

I faxed the information on a Wednesday and on Thursday I get a call from some guy telling me that he received all the information and I was good to go. I asked when the college should get the information he said it should be no later than the next day - Friday. I call and email my counselor so I can get my classes set up for Spring. On Saturday I get a call from my counselor telling me that the financial aid department still had not gotten the loan - Shit!!!

Monday I called the loan company and talked to a very unhappy person who could care less of the problems I seem to be having. What happened to customer service in America? I remember when I worked retail. The people I had to deal with were never nice, but I never... I digress and I will save for a later post. I told her I talked to Jessica and she helped me out. She then told me that they didn't have a Jessica that works there. I thought well maybe in a different office - Nope. This was there only office, this nice unhappy lady told me.

I gave her the fax number and she told me that they do not have any number that matched it. I later found out that the fax number was a New York number, not California. At this time my heart starts to pump and I can only think - now some stranger has all of our information - both Mark and me. All I could think was someone was in the process of buying a new Plasma TV or new car. They were getting arrested and gave them my name and information. They decided to eat at that nice restaurant that I always wanted to and couldn't afford. I kept thinking of the friends episode where Manana (Monica) had her identity stolen and all the wonderful things that her new "identity person" was doing. Was this going to be me?

Well here are some pointers to follow if you think your identity is being compromised.

  1. Call the Federal Trade Commission at ONCE! This should be the first thing even if it turns out that you were mistaken. They will take a report and give you a code number that you can follow up with later if you get more information.
  2. Call anyone of the three credit reporters and put a Fraud Alert on your name. You will only need to contact one. The one you contact will send your information to the other two. This is alert is good for 90 days and you will be able to get a "free" credit report. You will want to do this to make sure that nothing was/is happening on you name. Look for new accounts being opened or even inquiries. If you see anything report back to the FTC and then call your local police.
  3. If something does happen and you find that your identity was stolen, check out "How To Get Through Having Your Identity Stolen". This is a great website and explains what happens from someone who had their identity taken.
I did find out that Jessica works in the New York branch. The very unhappy woman I talked to in the morning had no idea that they had a New York branch. She didn't think that her ignorance would toss Mark and me into a nice little panic. Thanks. My blood pressure needed a little test. Today everything should be cleared up since I talked with Linda, the supervisor, and she has taken it into her own hands.

Monday, December 4, 2006

Its Snowing - Finally

Long Johns, check. Gloves, check. Hat, check. Finally after a no (real) snow November, its really snowing. The hardest thing to grasp is the fact that only last week (right after Thanksgiving) it was near 55-60 degrees. This is still Vermont in the winter time, correct? Well I am very happy that the snow has decided to grace us with the wonderfulness of peaceful white.

I remember when I was growing up, we had enough snow to build forts and castles. I cannot remember the last time that was the case. Now days we wonder if we are going to have a white Christmas (or as I like to call it - Big Box Retail Day).

The dogs and I just got back from playing in the wonderful clean fresh air. It is really cold though. This picture is our town clerks office which is right behind our house (well not right behind). We walk down the road and around to what we consider a huge backyard. There is a great dog path that we walk every morning and night. Its the only way to get the craziness out of Phoebe. Once we get more snow, the paths will be ready to go snowshoeing. This year I hate to say we will not be able to take Eva. Being 12 years old her body just can't handle it. Mark will take her for a small walk before we go and then she will be able to have peace and quite from the youngins.

I love the winter weather, but for only a short time. By February/March I am ready to have the fresh smell of spring. See the rebirth of what was once dead.

And so it begins...

The first sentence is always the hardest. There, now that thats done, lets move on. My name is Paul and my partner of six very wonderful years is Mark. We meet on-line through Planet Out's personals. The only problem was Mark was living in Ohio and I in California. This may be boring to most and if so, shut up and jump ahead. For those romantics out there here it goes.

Mark had put his personal on Planet Out before I had and since he had been on there for a while, they gave him a prime spot on the front page. After I added my personal on there, I was surfing (does anyone actually use that term anymore?) and came to the front page with Mark's photo. I instantly linked to his site and read everything I could about him. I contacted him and to see if we could be friends. Since he was living in Ohio, we talked on the phone almost every night. For those that know me, this is a rarity. I hate the phone. We made plans to visit each other often and we did.

We met face-to-face on labor day 2000. I remember this because many wonderful and interesting things happened that weekend. For the romantics - I flew 2000+ miles and got off the plane in Ohio and was waiting for a man I had only talked with. Of course the wonderful thoughts of never being seen again were racing through my mind. How could I just jump on a plan and travel halfway across the country to meet a stranger. This only happens in movies.

As I came down the walkway from the plane I noticed that there were very few people in the waiting area. Remember, this was before 911 and people could actually wait for you at the plane. Once I get off the walkway and the door closed behind me, I turn to see - no one. There is no one there waiting for me. I gave him my flight time and plane number right? He knew I was coming today, right? Now all I can see is this man, I barely know, sitting with his friends telling them what he has done and how big of an ass I was. SHIT! Now I am stranded in Ohio for gods sake and I know nobody. No one at all.

Then I turn towards the escalators and (just like in the old black and white movies) this gorgeous man's head slowly comes into view. He is smiling. That was when my heart just melted. He apologized for being late. Something about traffic or something. Not really sure I wasn't really listening. He helped with my carry-on and we headed off to a wonderful weekend. There was one problem that I wasn't ready for, Eva. I love dogs. I am going for my humane leadership degree, but that will come later. Eva decided that I was taking her man and she would not have that. Mark and I had only been laying on the bed for a short time (yes fully clothed) talking and getting to know one another. We then got up and went to watch TV. This was Eva's chance. When we came back after about an hour, Eva had decided that she was going to make claim to Mark. She had peed in the middle of the bed.

Now Eve was not a puppy. At that time she was about 5 years old. She had never done anything like that before with any of Mark's other dates. I was special. She also did not leave a little mark. She let it all loose!!! There was a lake in the middle of the bed. She was sitting in the corner of the room when we came back in. When I looked at her, could I see a little smile? If it happened today, I would have said yes. She knew exactly what she was doing and I think she was proud of herself.

That was six years ago and I remember it as if it happened yesterday. Eva is now a very young 12 years old and still going strong. She loves me like a dad, but I could never replace the wonderful man who is here dad. She doesn't mark her territory (in the house anyway) and she lets me think I am the dominant one. She has two other sisters, Bailey and Phoebe and one brother, Milo. Milo is a cat who thinks himself to be a dog. He and Phoebe have known each other in a previous life I am sure of that. I have never seen a dog and cat hit it off on the first day like these two have. Stories of them will come in future post. They all have wonderful life stories.

Lets see. What am I going to talk about in this little blog? There are so many things that I would like to discuss and probably will. I love animals so you will hear a lot on that. Mark and I are in the middle of adoption and this is the main reason that I started this blog. I wanted something to help guide, terrify and mystify all the other gay, straight, bi couples or singles who are looking to adopt. I will most defiantly be talking about politics and current news because it affects you and me in so many ways. I will be talking about TV and the shows that I like. If you don't like them, not my problem. It just goes to show that we have different taste and my taste are a little better than yours. My dad can also beat up your dad. I will also be talking of books that I may pick up and read. This will probably be a rarity because I don't read that much sine there is TV and school.

To clarify my like of TV, I had to write a paper for school listing the problems that I would find that may hinder my school work. The paper dealt with TiVo, the new season and so many shows to critique, how was possibly going to find time to do school work. Now Mark and I are getting pregnant, which I can't wait for. Our pregnancy, my school, the dogs/cat, Mark and TV. I need a little more hours in the day.

Other things may show up as well because our lives never seem to stop. For that I am happy. So this is the first post and I could write so much more, but if I do I know people will be falling asleep. So I will stop and move on to other things.