Recently in interesting to me Category

*emphasis mine*

According to a press release from Equality Forum, 463 of the 2007 Fortune 500 companies voluntarily include sexual orientation in their employment nondiscrimination policies.

There is currently no federal workplace protection based on sexual orientation, and only 20 states include sexual orientation nondiscrimination in their workplace statutes.

There are 37 Fortune 500 companies that are non compliant, and 15 of them are based in Texas. However, of the 55 companies total that are headquartered in Texas, 41 do provide sexual orientation workplace equality.

Story found at...

My Thoughts...
I wonder where the other 17 are?
and people wonder why I don't want to live in TX?
In FL, the laws are just as bad, but peoples attitudes are better! In TX people seem proud to discriminate against gays, where in FL people don't realize the laws are what they are...not that ignorance is an excuse, but at least you can educate ignorance!

One of the hazzards of me going to sleep WAY to early last night...is I'm not able to sleep now so I decided a bit of an update was in order...
I'm finally figuring out a few settings on this upgraded MT, like how to let comments be posted from actual people, and not let the spam through (a very good thing with some I host!) I still have to rehack the front page to bits and get it the way I want...but all in time *read, when I have time!*
The PJob (primary job) is going well, things are finally starting to settle down now that w-2's have gone out. We're opening the doors on our new resturant next Monday! And I feel like a have a moment to breathe again while I'm at work, instead of constantly answering the phone dealing with people who want to blame me that they didn't update their address and why didn't their w-2 come in the mail, and am I not a mind reader that can figure all of this out?!?!?
Speaking of Pjob, M and I are going to CT in April (hopefully it will be a bit warmer by then!) so I can meet a couple of my favorite managers I'm excited about this for several reasons...the first being I get to meet them (finally! after 2 years) and the second being I want to see how things work on their side of the buisness (like what do they have to do to get us our information, etc...)
Oh, and another interesting tidbit...my department was 'rewarded' by the higher ups in the company after the GM conference a couple weeks ago...it seems that they (the GM's) couldn't stop bragging about us to the executives and telling them what a great job we were doing! That was a very nice surprise...She (one of the execs) told us that it wasn't always that way, that she constantly got complaints about her (former person) and it was so nice to have people in the department that did their job so well! I cannot say enough, how nice it is to work for a company that is so wonderful to their employees...hard to find places like that anymore! (and people wonder why I would never consider leaving there! )
Now, as for the PTJob (part time job) I was supposed to be transfering to another store...but now I'm not sure if that's going to happen
Was going to transfer, because the manager who has always been honest with me, and went to the mat for me more times than I can count is there...it's closer to where I live, and honestly, I can make more money there.
Don't get me wrong, I love the people I work with now, we have a lot of fun, I enjoy my guests/regulars that come in...I only work overnights on Fri. and Sat. so the drunks are so entertaining
Not sure if it's going to happen because it seems suddenly that 'they can't do without me' (and I just found out moments, literally, ago, that my co-worker on the overnights is in the hospital! ) No wonder I woke up and can't go back to sleep....

Real post coming soon, but for now, I leave you with this...Happy Turkey Day!!

BY MITCH ALBOM
FREE PRESS COLUMNIST

I'll take Thanksgiving.

You can have Halloween, New Year's, Christmas, Fourth of July, Easter, Hanukkah and any day dedicated to presidents.
You can stack them all up on one side, and the turkey and I will stand on the other.
I'll take Thanksgiving.
It is, to me, exactly what a holiday should be.
For one thing, there are no gifts. You never have to worry about what to get someone for Thanksgiving or how much to spend. There are no lectures about "greed" or "commercialization" or how we're "forgetting the spirit" of Thanksgiving. No way. The spirit of Thanksgiving is eating.
Who could forget that?
Second, it comes with football. What other holiday does that? New Year's Day? At least with Thanksgiving, you don't have a hangover.
Also, there is no "right" place to go on Thanksgiving -- except home. There is no church or synagogue. No graves that must be visited. No trekking out to watch fireworks.
You just sit on the couch, or sit at the table, and you laugh and eat and laugh and burp and -- ta-da! -- you are credited with knowing the "true meaning" of the holiday.
Also, it comes with a parade.

No history lesson needed
Did I mention the dressing? Not the turkey dressing. The human dressing. There isn't any! Oh, sure, maybe you put on a nice pair of pants. Maybe. But who really dresses up for Thanksgiving? You can celebrate in a sweatshirt. Can you say that about New Year's Eve? Not unless you're a lonely, pathetic loser.
And Thanksgiving doesn't require some smarty-pants history known only by your geeky cousin from Baltimore. Uh-uh. There's no quoting Lincoln or Washington. No reading from the Declaration of Independence.
What do you need to know about Thanksgiving? The Pilgrims and the Indians had dinner. Pass the gravy.
Thanksgiving never moves. It is always on a Thursday, strategically placed so that you might as well take off Friday as well, since Saturday and Sunday are next, and, while you're at it, maybe half of Wednesday just to pick up everyone from the airport. Thanksgiving gets you half a week off.
What does Labor Day get you? Monday?
And there is no shopping on Thanksgiving, unlike Memorial Day or Presidents' Day. Sure, there are Thanksgiving sales, but you do them on FRIDAY! How cool is that?
Also, there are no masks. You don't beg for candy from strangers. And nobody eggs your house.
Have I mentioned stuffing?

And plenty of time to nap
There is no more celebratory food -- short of dessert -- than stuffing. Be honest. When you were young, you couldn't get enough of it, right? Maybe you hated cranberry sauce, but all kids loved stuffing. It was everything great about bread and pudding and hot, mushy food wrapped into one.
Tell me you don't still feel that.
Tell me there's anything better than a meal that goes all night, that doesn't have an event tied to it, that doesn't come with a bill at the end.
Tell me there's anything better than only having to catch up with your aunts, uncles and cousins to feel as if you did the holiday proud. Tell me there's anything easier than passing plates. Tell me there's a better place to appreciate what you have than in a kitchen filled with good smells.
Tell me there's a better invention than "the kids' table."
And what holiday not only condones but pretty much expects you to fall asleep on the couch?
So let's sum up. No costumes, no presents, no services, no tuxedos, no time limit, no guilt trips, and all the food, naps and football you want.
I'll take Thanksgiving. After all, no one tries to sit on the turkey's lap and ask for an Xbox.

Be gay to participate.
But if you are a single, coupled, or married gay parent, or a straight, supportive, or just know someone who is a gay parent and would like to participate...would you please consider going to the Blogging for LGBT Families post and joining in.

Thank you for your support!

:gmorning
I just realized yesterday, when I had no time, that I had once again let all my posts slide off into the archives :hum
I also realize, that since this is April 1st, and I'm posting, that I'm running the risk of everyone that reads here (all 3 of you?) thinking that it's an april fools gag...
Trust me, this is an honest update, I suck at pranks...I admire those that can pull them off, but never have managed that art...

Well, where to begin, since really nothing exciting has been happening since the recent scare (thank the goddess for that!)

Oh, it was brought to my attention recently, that I've negelected to update my readers on some things....I could have swore I did.
I bought a new (to me) car...and isn't it amazing how after you make such a purchase, everyone you know has one they're selling, for less than you paid, and with a lot less problems than the one you bought :uhoh3
Yes, said car was bought from 'friends' and has been in the shop 3 times to get it running properly :brick

Melissa is coming to Jax!! I found out yesterday after tickets went on sale...and yes, M, Ran, and I are going!! :banana
I'm still amazed she's coming here!! :1luvu

The sites have all been moved to the new server, it went fairly smoothly, only losing the banner ads over at Problem Adults and those have since been fixed (ok, that's all I've noticed were missing, hopefully that's the case!)
I have noticed that anything going to an aol account is bouncing, so I hope to get that matter cleared up soon.

With the move complete, I have a new project that I'm playing with...hope to have progress on that in the coming week, as I would really like to have it up and running by the 7th :biggrin

other than that...nothing really to report here...hope everyone is doing well, and don't fall for to many pranks today!!
:wavey

and lately...I've needed this on a t-shirt

Top-10 Hints for Heterosexuals

1. Do not run screaming from the room. This is rude.


2. If you do have to back away, do so slowly and with discretion.


3. Do not assume we are attracted to you.


4. Do not assume we are not.


5. Do not expect us to be as excited about meeting a heterosexual as you are about meeting a gay person.


6. Do not immediately start talking about your boyfriend/girlfriend, husband/wife in order to make it clear that you are straight.


7. Do not ask us why we got this way. Instead, ask yourself how you got the way you are.


8. Do not assume we are dying to talk about being gay.


9. Do not expect us to refrain from talking about being gay.


10. Do not trivialize our experiences by assuming this is a bedroom issue only. We are gay 24-hours a day.

I swear, they must be there...
in my last post, I could have swore I talked about Saturday...in which the major event was another dear friend of ours who's moved to the other side of the state, stopping by to see us! (we miss you guys so much :cry ) before they went to dinner and over to mulletville...
however, in re-reading my post, I see that I skipped right over Saturday and went right to Sunday :uhoh3

The shopping trip went ok...one of these days I hope to find someone willing to do it for me though :lol
4 stores and one trip to Carino's (love those job perks!) later...I managed to find an outfit that I can live with. (side note...I did find an awesome pair of boots that my wife helped me pick out...lets just say, with the exception of the color, they're the ones I've been wanting for years! :biggrin )
My wonderful wife, on the other hand...was unable to find anything (which means we have to do this again :scared ) but did manage to find the Star Wars III DVD :banana

After all of that...getting in way to late last night, her (and Ran) having to work this morning...I got to go fix my friend D's computer...let me tell you, Destiny was NOT happy at getting up at 7am this morning (neither was I to tell the truth!) and I did manage to get a little something to entertain my kids when they come down! (and I'm sure my wife will like it to...big kid that she is :rofl )

ok, I know the page has been blank a few days, so sue me (you won't get far, as I'm one broke lesbian! :lol)
where to start....
Last Thursday, as most people know was thanksgiving...we celebrated by going over to M's mom's house, eating entirely to much, bringing home 1/2 of the leftovers, and going to see our friend D, who we hadn't seen much lately. (ok, at ALL...she's been starting a new business and is harder to get ahold of than we are)

Friday, some of us had to work (namely ME) Ran had gone to her moms for another turkey day dinner, and then on to work...so we met up with our dear friend who moved 1/2 way across the state :cry and her girlfriend for dinner at E Street. More good food, good conversation, what more could you ask for? (except for her to move her as back to Jax...and you knew I would say that!)
afterwards, it's back over to D's house to pick up a couple things, hang out some more, and head back home, since the next day it's my lovely wife's turn to work.

Sunday...she decides that now that it's after thanksgiving, it's time to start decorating the house...ok...I'm a scrooge, but if you want to then by all means, more power to you (although, I am in the mood for my usual holiday baking, which is better than the last 2 years)
well, she started...from the looks of the living room, it might be 2006 before she gets done though! :scared

and to close this entry...I would ask you all to please keep me in your thoughts this weekend...
you see, my wife and I are going to my office X-mas party...which means I have to go shopping...and we all know how much I just LOVE to do that :drunk
especially this time of year :shakehead

this week...has been a week from hell!
there's really nothing 'specific' I can point to that made it that way for me...
Monday was about the same as usual at my job...extremely busy, but that makes it go by faster...seems like there were more mistakes that people didn't catch that we had to, and therefore had to fix.
Tuesday was more of the same...plus we discovered two people got overpaid, one was not an issue, but the second one it's going to take a bit more doing to fix the problem.
Wed. I don't think the phone quit ringing all day...of course it was with issues that people wanted fixed for this payday, but we wrap things up and transmit in the morning...they all know this...any and all changes have to be in BEFORE that :shakehead
Thursday it just seemed like everyone had an attitude, plus finding out that the problem we thought we fixed Tuesday wasn't fixed, and actually caused other issues :brick
and Friday...umm..can I get a do-over on Friday? one whole division's direct deposits didn't go through...this wouldn't normally be a big deal, except that it was a manager pay week, so it affected A LOT more people :hammer and none of them were very happy about it! plus the fact that the people that process our payroll outright lied to us about what was going on...it was a very stressful day, to top off a very stressful week.
but the good news..is my wife did a little shift changing, and so has all of tomorrow off, which will be the first day we've gotten the ENTIRE day together in quite some time!! :flames

ok...to wrap this up, the pictures I promised!
M and I, plus 2 of my coworkers
yes, I was losing my 'teeth' on that one!
me and the crazy people I work with
My cubicle all decorated for my birthday

I borrowed this from some friends at LJ, thought it might be interesting to put here :lol

Leave one memory of you and me together. It doesn't matter if I know you a little or a lot, anything you remember. Next, post this in your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you.

My oldest boy called me tonight...they had their last game this evening

they WON!!
:groupwave

which means they've only lost one game this season (and it was the one he didn't get to play! :flames )

had to brag a bit :biggrin

and her party is tonight

Happy Birthday RanRan

no, before you ask, I don' t have it working the way I want to yet...but we're not going there tonight! :errrr

tonight, I'm in to good a mood to even think about it...

I have the most awesome job...and reason number 5963+ why I think so

We get 50.00 gift cards to use in the restaurants we own here in Jax every month
My company has season tickets to the Jag's games...every week (in order) someone gets 2 tickets (touchdown club) and a parking pass...this week was my week (yes, I know I'm not into football, but it will be my first NFL game!)
every year we're 'reviewed'. that just happened, and we were #1, so we all got gift cards to target for a job well done (it's so nice to work someplace where they SHOW how much you're appreciated!)

'home life' is going well...it's funny, someone and I were talking about that today at work, I don't think they quite understood our life here...but it works for us
nice, quiet, and drama free...that's a very good thing!
we all support each other, help each other...if someone doesn't feel like doing something (ie: cooking, cleaning the kitchen, etc...) chances are someone else will...and if not, that's ok too. We all have our moments and we're all OK with that.
If I had thought not very long ago, I would go from living alone (for the most part) to where I am now...I would have thought someone was crazy...
But now, I wouldn't want it any other way! :biggrin

after many plans to my wife and I managed to get up and see a sunrise.
:sun_smiley
Yes, Sunday morning we got up before dawn showed her crack and drove out to the beach (before coming back home and taking a nap before she went to work :lol )
other than that...there is really nothing going on here...
we had to reschedule our trip this weekend (mini-honeymoon) due to circumstances beyond our control :sad
My oldest's team has won 3 out of 4 of their games to date! :banana
3 weeks from today I get to see my kids!!!!
:groupwave
other than this...I can't think of anything else I want to say in this post...:shrug

till next time...

Borrowed from "MoveOn.org"

Timeline

Friday, Aug. 26: Gov. Kathleen Blanco declares a state of emergency in Louisiana and requests troop assistance.

Saturday, Aug. 27: Gov. Blanco asks for federal state of emergency. A federal emergency is declared giving federal officials the authority to get involved.

Sunday, Aug. 28: Mayor Ray Nagin orders mandatory evacuation of New Orleans. President Bush warned of Levee failure by National Hurricane Center. National Weather Service predicts area will be "uninhabitable" after Hurricane arrives. First reports of water toppling over the levee appear in local paper.

Monday, Aug. 29: Levee breaches and New Orleans begins to fill with water, Bush travels to Arizona and California to discuss Medicare. FEMA chief finally responds to federal emergency, dispatching employees but giving them two days to arrive on site.

Tuesday, Aug. 30: Mass looting reported, security shortage cited in New Orleans. Pentagon says that local authorities have adequate National Guard units to handle hurricane needs despite governor's earlier request. Bush returns to Crawford for final day of vacation. TV coverage is around-the-clock Hurricane news.

Wednesday, Aug. 31: Tens of thousands trapped in New Orleans including at Convention Center and Superdome in "medieval" conditions. President Bush finally returns to Washington to establish a task force to coordinate federal response. Local authorities run out of food and water supplies.

Thursday, Sept. 1: New Orleans descends into anarchy. New Orleans Mayor issues a "Desperate SOS" to federal government. Bush claims nobody predicted the breach of the levees despite multiple warnings and his earlier briefing.

Friday, Sept. 2: Karl Rove begins Bush administration campaign to blame state and local officials—despite their repeated requests for help. Bush stages a photo-op—diverting Coast Guard helicopters and crew to act as backdrop for cameras. Levee repair work orchestrated for president's visit and White House press corps.

Saturday, Sept. 3: Bush blames state and local officials. Senior administration official (possibly Rove) caught in a lie claiming Gov. Blanco had not declared a state of emergency or asked for help.

Monday, Sept. 5: New Orleans officials begin to collect their dead.

Those are the facts. State and local officials BEGGED for help as people in their city suffered. The Bush administration didn't get the job done and when their failure became an embarrassment they attacked those asking for help.

The New York Times reported on Friday that Karl Rove and White House communications director Dan Bartlett "rolled out a plan...to contain the political damage from the administration's response to Hurricane Katrina." The core of the strategy is "to shift the blame away from the White House and toward officials of New Orleans and Louisiana."

I think my Ex seriously needs to read this!!

How to talk to kids about gays, lesbians

First, and the last thing I will say in this matter on here...no matter what anyone says, I did not lose custody of my kids, I can show you the papers if you like that state I have joint custody of them.
Now, back to our normal (whatever that is) lives...

I'm fairly certain that this weekend marks the last I will be working at BW...due to them changing the system and me not willing to take time out of my other job to go to the training...I'm not exactly a novice at computers or motels, and if they seriously think it's something I can't pick up in an hour or less, then it's really to damn confusing for most of the people working there to be using anyway :rofl

Speaking of jobs, it makes you feel really good when your new boss comes in and asks you what days you want to take off around the holidays...meaning the ones in Nov. and Dec...definitally a good sign they plan on keeping me around!! :banana Or so I would think anyway :biggrin
Yes, I am enjoying the hell out of it...tracking down reasons why payroll's not balancing, data entry, deadlines, etc...and yes, I realize I'm a bit strange liking that sort of thing, but it fits me to a ~T~ (pun intended)

In other news...apparently while I was at work yesterday we had a bit of a power surge...enough to fry my graphic card and corrupt the hard drive :scared
fortunately, since all the crap I've replaced on this thing that didn't need to be...I had another card...and the windows disk was able to get rid of the BSOD :fdup
Which is a VERY good thing...since my girl can email me at work now when she's home :groupwave

I get sick of listening to straight people complain about, "Well, hey, we don't have a heterosexual-pride day, why do you need a gay-pride day?" I remember when I was a kid I'd always ask my mom: "Why don't we have a Kid's Day? We have a Mother's Day and a Father's Day, but why don't we have a Kid's Day?" My mom would always say, "Every day is Kid's Day." To all those heterosexuals that bitch about gay pride, I say the same thing: Every day is heterosexual-pride day! Can't you people enjoy your banquet and not piss on those of us enjoying our crumbs over here in the corner?
~Rob Nash

I've seen and heard it said, especially lately, why we feel the 'need' to be so vocal about who and what we are. For example, the bumper stickers on my van, the quotes on my site, and the fact we feel the need to 'announce' it to everyone.
If we could just 'live and let live' 'be who we are' and the like, we wouldn't have discrimination, we wouldn't have people voting to keep us 'separate' from them, if it wasn't an issue then it wouldn't BE an issue, no one would have to worry about gay marriage rights, or getting fired from a job because you're gay, because it wouldn't be an issue.
No, you don't have to tell everyone you're straight. Hell, if I didn't say anything most people from looking at me would probably assume I was!! I can't tell you how many times I get hit on at work, sometimes even after they know! :lol That is why I do the things I do, I'm not ashamed to be who I am. and btw, I have seen a lot of bumper stickers allude to people being straight for that matter.

In my mind, I guess what it boils down to is this...we want to be visible, we want people to know we're here and we're not going away, and if you look at us, get to know us, then perhaps you'll see we're really not that different from you! Perhaps someday, people won't think anything more about seeing two women kissing than they think about seeing a man and woman kissing. Maybe someday they'll just take it for what it is, two people who care about each other and want to show that.

Enjoy the other quotes I found below...

Going to fill out the paperwork today for my new job that I start Monday, and mulling over what to do in my head, I finally decided when I got there.
I ended up laying all my cards on the table, telling him that I wanted to talk about his company's discrimination policy, to which, he looked rather confused at that statement.
I told him I probably shouldn't bring it up, but since having first hand experience with it in the past, it was a concern of mine.
He asked what I was talking about.
I said, 'ok, to put it bluntly, I'm gay'
He looked at me and said, ok, so?
good answer :rofl

I then told him the story of the last place I worked at through the agency, and what my suspicions were, he was very understanding about why I would be so concerned about it, and assured me it was not a problem for him, and if anyone else said anything about it in the company, let him know and it would definitely be taken care of :biggrin

I then went to talk to my managers at BW...
yea, I was not looking forward to that...to put it mildly...
so after my GM saying that "you cannot leave" and the front desk manager assuring me that they will work with me...I'm going to be there on a part-time basis until they can find someone to take my place...hopefully I will manage to get out of debt working both jobs, and still manage to get some sleep time in there somewhere! :scared
I guess we'll see...

so today...my friend D, who cleans houses for Fannie May came by. One of the last houses they cleaned they found 3 abandoned kittens, their eyes barely open, mama cat nowhere to be found, and they thought they had found a home for them with their boss, who's dog had just had puppies.
Well, apparently 2 of them needed extra care, one was the runt, who wasn't able to get enough to eat, the other was one that between the puppies and it's siblings, was not able to eat...D's roommate was attached to the runt, so she brought the other one over to see us...
she doesn't have a name yet, and yes, this brings the count up to 4 cats in the house
but how could we resist her?!?!

View image
View image

especially after she curled up next to me and fell asleep :blush
and I had just woken up...so was a very weak moment...
OK, so it sounds good :rofl

OK WhiteTiger, just because of your recent comment, I'm posting dammit!! :lol
I do have a valid excuse however, my computer, my baby, is having 'issues'...for some reason at random intervals it will reboot on me...I've replaced the processor, the power supply, hard drive (was blank, so clean install of the OS) so about the only thing left that it could be is the memory or the motherboard :scared
so today (being payday) I'm taking a trip to Comp-USA to pick up some memory...if nothing else by the time this is over with I'll have a brand new computer :rofl
or I'll throw the damn thing out the window :devil
can we tell I'm a tad bit frustrated? :pummel

And because this post is pretty much just for ~S~...you know I worry about you girl, so call me dammit!!! :cry :kisses :wink
Miss you!!

yes, we are alive here
no, we are not unpacked
between working nights (me) and second shift (my wife-to-be and 'daughter') the progress we HAVE made is impressive :lol
and to those 1-2 who might have wondered if I'd dropped off the face of the earth...no such luck, bellsouth, in their infinite wisdom, dropped the ball more times than I care to count on getting the dsl back up and running, however, finally managed to get that accomplished last night.
I need more sleep :sleeping...more of an update later (it's Friday you know!) :woo

I do a lot of reading...
I try to keep up on current events and what's going on in the world around me, like most people, in relation to how it affects me...
in other words, not a day goes by that I don't read something about one religious 'leader', politician, judge, etc, is trying to save the rest of the world against me and my 'chosen' lifestyle!

I have a very simple question to ask everyone out there reading this blog...WHY would anyone CHOOSE to be gay?
Why would you wake up one morning, and decide "I think today, I'll join a group of people who its still OK to discriminate against, you can be fired from your job for belonging to (yes, that is still legal in most areas) your tax dollars mean nothing because even though you pay in as much as everyone else, you don't have the same rights and freedoms the rest of the country has (with the exception of MA, and even they can't file joint on their federal returns)"
why would you do that?
YOU WOULDN'T!!
So why in the hell do all these people think you would? Does this make any sense to anyone out there? Because if it does, please explain it to me!!

I know, to a point, we can 'choose' who we fall in love with, I'm sure to some that would be a simple as choosing a man over a woman (such as in mine and my friends case) however, it's just not that simple...
I can assure you, most of us have tried that route, a lot of us have biological children (the 'old fashioned' way), were engaged or married to the opposite sex at one point or another, and knew that it just wasn't what we were, we were lying to ourselves, the only "choice" we made was to stop doing that.

In closing, if it was something you could 'choose' then I ask all my straight readers out there, is it something you chose? or did you just know you were all your life?
See, we're really not that different after all, are we?

so I got it :biggrin
click on the thumbnail for the full view

looking at this really made me realize just HOW much the scorpion needs recolored however...

as most know, I've been waiting a long time to get this one...I had to get the eagle done first, because I'd been waiting on that one for many years...this one was deeply personal, as, of course, they all are...but this one was for my babies, my life, my boys...maybe some cannot understand why I wanted this one so badly...that's ok, I don't expect everyone to...but I did...

so, today, finally, I am going to get my next tat...the one I've been waiting to get with my kids names on it
pictures to follow after it's done :wink

Fear is preventing the legal recognition of gay marriage

what I've been saying all along, just worded so much better :smile

and another great article

Ease your paranoia; Buster the Bunny is not recruiting

as a dear friend of mine pointed out to me the other day, my blog has been blank, unfortunately, my mind has not!
as most of you know, I now live in Jacksonville, FL, as I'm sure some of you who pay attention to that sort of thing know, the super bowl was here last weekend...and as very few of you know, I started a new job last week, I'm once again working in a best western motel...here in Jax...:errrr
to say we were busy would be putting it mildly, however, I put in 54 hours last week, of which I desperately needed!! (yea overtime!!) so between work and sleep, have not been on-line much :wink
I also bit the bullet and got the front end of my van fixed...both idler arms and a serpentine belt later...she's running fine, but goddess I hope my tax return gets here SOON! :lol
so the extremely good news about this new job, is they're trying to arrange it where I have the same day's off as my girl :banana, so far so good in this first week after the super bowl...we both had yesterday off, and next week we have both our day's off together...it was so nice just to spend time together, even though we tried and didn't manage to get much accomplished around the house :rofl, it's been so long since we had a day together where we could just sit around and not have to go do anything. I'm looking forward to many more day's like that!
in other news, has the world gone nuts?? I sit and wonder every day what the hell people are so afraid of, and what could possibly make them think they are right when they try to legislate discrimination at the federal and state levels. what is so wrong about two people who love each other wanting to spend their lives together? and how in the hell does it affect heterosexuals and their sacred institute of marriage?
what is up with this?
Majority must oppose gay district: 'I call it the road to Sodom and Gomorrah and this, The anti-gay blizzard and in rebut to all the 'Christian arguments' out there Alex Locke/ Student Columnist Thursday, February 10, 2005, FYI, the last one is a STRAIGHT teenager, yet, he still gets what many grown people do not!
no I'm not trying to convert anyone, just trying to get you to open your mind and take a look at what you are doing, we are still human beings here, and yes, we hurt when you try to take steps like this to make us less than that!

I like this guy more every time I read him
yes, a lot of what he writes is satirical, however, that doesn't make it any less true! and that makes it all the more frightening.

but now that I do, I want to go!!
GLBT Historical Society
This is awesome!

Their Website

and I hate California....:rofl

6 months ago tomorrow (since it is now after midnight, and officially the 13th) I met someone, who I refer to on here as M...we've been together every night with the exception of one since then.
Tonight, we went out, since on the 'official' night, we are working opposite shifts :cry
I'm not going to go into ALL the details, since I have to be to work at 6am, and you can see from the time at the bottom of this post, that it's not long from that now...but I will post the song she had dedicated to me...

this is something I saw on a message board I frequent, not sure who wrote it, but if you know who needs credit, please let me know...
I promise a real post soon!! just been very very busy here!!

Until the people we deal with realize that we are human we will not be accepted.

..... I am not the flaming queen you see on the 5pm news at the local gay parade.

..... I still bleed red blood when I am cut.. I still cry when I am hurt.

..... No, I dont want your wife just because YOU think she is the bomb.

..... No, I dont go around having wild sex with everyone I see or meet.

..... No, I dont want to convert/recruit/corrupt your precious child

..... this list could go on and on...

My point being.. that when I have contact with others, whether I want to, or like it, I represent this community. How I conduct myself around people has a direct impact on how they see me (of course) and the impressions they walk away with of our community as a whole.

If I am able to show one or two people what we are really like, then perhaps they will realize that we are not ogres. Yes, we have our wild times, as does everyone else. But we are all still human.

Why should I deny who I am? Why should I let their possible prejudice deter me from being who I am? Why should I let their possible negative opinions force me to hide who I am? Why should I let their possible negative feelings/opinions allow me to deny who I love?

And lastly, WHY would I let a chance to change someone's opinion go by without even giving it a try?

Every time I am given the chance to show off my girl or show others that I am still just a human, I will take that chance.. because *I* deserve that chance and so do they.

go read THIS!!

and I would tell you to comment on it, but unless she's got them fixed, you can't yet :wink

I found this very interesting...for those of you, women expecially, who don't think your vote counts for anything...go read this and tell me if it changes your mind
As Oprah Slaps Bush
With 30 states poised to smack down women's rights again, the one true savior emerges

THE ULTIMATE SILENCE October 12, 1998



Listen to the mustn'ts, child.
Listen to the don'ts.
Listen to the shouldn'ts,
The impossibles, the won'ts.
Listen to the never haves,
Then listen close to me ...
Anything can happen, child.
Anything can be.

~ Shel Silverstein

Six years ago today, Matthew Shepard was murdered for being homosexual.

What will you do to end the silence?

Click here to post this on your own page or weblog

I found this over at Faiths, :biggrin and thought it looked like a good way to kill time here at work...the bolded one's I've actually DONE, and I liked her idea of commentary in italics so I'm stealing that to :lol

01. Bought everyone in the pub a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid (hopefully sometime before I die!)
06. Held a tarantula (and don't plan on it, thanks!)
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it (currently, on a daily basis)
09. Hugged a tree
10. Done a striptease
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris (another before I die thing...)
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long, and watched the sun rise I worked nights, remember?)
15. Seen the Northern Lights (yet another...)
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Touched an iceberg
20. Slept under the stars
21. Changed a baby's diaper (to dang many!)
22. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
23. Watched a meteor shower
24. Gotten drunk on champagne
25. Given more than you can afford to charity
26. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
27. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
28. Had a food fight
29. Bet on a winning horse
30. Taken a sick day when you're not ill (oh tell me you haven't!)
31. Asked out a stranger
32. Had a snowball fight
33. Photocopied your bottom on the office photocopier
34. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
35. Held a lamb
36. Enacted a favorite fantasy
37. Taken a midnight skinny dip
38. Taken an ice cold bath
39. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
40. Seen a total eclipse (plenty of partial ones though)
41. Ridden a roller coaster (LOVE those things!!)
42. Hit a home run
43. Fit three weeks miraculously into three days
44. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
45. Adopted an accent for an entire day
46. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
47. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
48. Had two hard drives for your computer
49. Visited all 50 states
50. Loved your job on all accounts
51. Taken care of someone who was shit faced
52. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
53. Had amazing friends (and I still do :biggrin)
54. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
55. Watched wild whales
56. Stolen a sign
57. Backpacked in Europe (got to get there first)
58. Taken a road-trip
59. Rock climbing
60. Lied to foreign government's official in that country to avoid notice
61. Midnight walk on the beach
62. Sky diving
63. Visited Ireland
64. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
65. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
66. Visited Japan (lets not go here....)
67. Benchpressed your own weight
68. Milked a cow
69. Alphabetized your records
70. Pretended to be a superhero (I think I was 5 at the time...)
71. Sung karaoke (and no intention of doing it either!)
72. Lounged around in bed all day
73. Posed nude in front of strangers (see #71 comment)
74. Scuba diving
75. Got it on to "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye
76. Kissed in the rain
77. Played in the mud
78. Played in the rain
79. Gone to a drive-in theater
80. Done something you should regret, but don't regret it (regret nothing)
81. Visited the Great Wall of China
82. Discovered that someone who's not supposed to have known about your blog has discovered your blog (happened to Scorpion's Sting...after a certain ex-jerk of mine got nosey)
83. Dropped Windows in favor of something better
84. Started a business
85. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
86. Toured ancient sites
87. Taken a martial arts class
88. Swordfought for the honor of a woman
89. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
90. Gotten married (BIG Mistake!!)
91. Been in a movie
92. Crashed a party
93. Loved someone you shouldn't have (haven't we all...)
94. Kissed someone so passionately it made them dizzy
95. Gotten divorced (yes i did regain my sanity!)
96. Had sex at the office (but not the one I currently work at)
97. Gone without food for 5 days
98. Made cookies from scratch
99. Won first prize in a costume contest
100. Ridden a gondola in Venice
101. Gotten a tattoo
102. Found that the texture of some materials can turn you on (please don't ask)
103. Rafted the Snake River
104. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
105. Got flowers for no reason
106. Masturbated in a public place
107. Got so drunk you don't remember anything
108. Been addicted to some form of illegal drug
109. Performed on stage
110. Been to Las Vegas (twice)
111. Recorded music
112. Eaten shark
113. Had a one-night stand
114. Gone to Thailand
115. Seen Siouxsie live
116. Bought a house
117. Been in a combat zone
118. Buried one/both of your parents
119. Shaved or waxed your pubic hair off
120. Been on a cruise ship
121. Spoken more than one language fluently
122. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
123. Bounced a check
124. Performed in Rocky Horror
125. Read - and understood - your credit report
126. Raised children
127. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
128. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
129. Created and named your own constellation of stars
130. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
131. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
132. Called or written your Congress person
133. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
134. ...more than once? - More than thrice?
135. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
136. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
137. Had an abortion or your female partner did (NO I didn't, but an ex-girlfriend of mine did)
138. Had plastic surgery
139. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
140. Wrote articles for a large publication
141. Lost over 100 pounds
142. Held someone while they were having a flashback
143. Piloted an airplane
144. Petted a stingray
145. Broken someone's heart
146. Helped an animal give birth
147. Been fired or laid off from a job
148. Won money on a T.V. game show
149. Broken a bone
150. Killed a human being (plotting doesn't count, right?)
151. Gone on an African photo safari
152. Ridden a motorcycle (owned one ffs)
153. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100mph
154. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
155. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
156. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
157. Ridden a horse
158. Had major surgery
159. Had sex on a moving train
160. Had a snake as a pet
161. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
162. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
163. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
164. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
165. Visited all 7 continents
166. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
167. Eaten kangaroo meat
168. Fallen in love at an ancient Mayan burial ground
169. Been a sperm or egg donor
170. Eaten sushi
171. Had your picture in the newspaper
172. Had 2 (or more) healthy romantic relationships for over a year in your lifetime (although the 'healthy' part could be debated)
173. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
174. Gotten someone fired for their actions
175. Gone back to school
176. Parasailed
177. Changed your name (getting married counts, right?)
178. Petted a cockroach
179. Eaten fried green tomatoes
180. Read The Iliad
181. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
182. Dined in a restaurant and stolen silverware, plates, cups because your apartment needed them
183. ...and gotten 86'ed from the restaurant because you did it so many times, they figured out it was you
184. Taught yourself an art from scratch
185. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
186. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
187. Skipped all your school reunions (I've only had one ffs)
188. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
189. Been elected to public office
190. Written your own computer language
191. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
192. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
193. Built your own PC from parts (my favorite pastime)
194. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
195. Had a booth at a street fair
196: Dyed your hair
197: Been a DJ
198: Found out someone was going to dump you via LiveJournal
199: Written your own role playing game
200: Been arrested

You exhibit a slight twitch when introduced to anyone with the first names of Charley, Frances or Ivan

If an airboat is parked in your drive instead of a car.

Your freezer never has more than $20 worth of food in it any given time

You're looking at paint swatches for the plywood on your windows, to accent the house color

You think of your hall closet/safe room as "cozy"

Your pool is more accurately described as "framed in" than "screened in"

Your freezer in the garage now only has homemade ice in it

You no longer worry about relatives visiting during the summer months

You too haven't heard back from the insurance adjuster

You've ordered gas cans via FedEx

You now understand what that little "2% hurricane deductible" phrase really means

You're putting a collage together on your driveway of roof shingles from your neighborhood

You were once proud of your 16" electric chain saw

Your Street has more than 3 " NO WAKE" signs posted

You now own 5 large ice chests

Your parrot can now say" hammered, pounded and hunker down"

You recognize people in line at the free ice, gas and plywood locations

You stop what you're doing and clap and wave when you see a convoy of power company trucks come down your street

Your depressed when they don't stop

You have the personal cell phone numbers of the managers for: plywood, roofing supplies and generators at Home Depot on your speed dialer

You've spent more than $20 on "Tall white kitchen bags" to make your own sand bags

You're considering upgrading from a 16" to a 20" chainsaw

You know what "Bar chain oil" is

You're thinking of getting your wife the hardhat with the ear protector, face shield for Christmas

You now think the $6000 whole house generator seems reasonable

You look forward to discussions about the merits of "cubed, block and dry ice"

Your therapist refers to your condition as "generator envy"

You fight the urge to put on your winter coat and wool cap and parade around in front of your picture window, when you finally get power and your neighbor across the street, with the noisy generator doesn't get electric

And finally you might be a Floridian if

You ask your sister up north to start saving the Sunday Real Estate Classifieds

I received this last night in an email...now granted, I haven't been a Floridian for that long...(and I live in the more NE area than SW...) but still...I got a kick out of this, and thought some of you might also :biggrin

Ran sent me this...she was so hot I had to post her :biggrin

just cause I can :wink

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

It takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them

My Friend.....I wish you enough!

You are talking about what you need in a way that is more detached from your emotions than is typical for you. This newfound ability can be helpful as you struggle to deal with your most intimate relationships. Even surprises are not a surprise now. You have become accustomed to expecting the unexpected. Your truth, as it reaches the surface, may also be a surprise. Whatever it is, get it out into the open.

gee, and what if I don't feel like dealing with things or getting them into the open? :lol

ok, i promise, a real update coming soon!!

It's all about what you say now. You have the power to dwell on the most difficult aspects of a situation. You also have the power to live your life according to the integrity for which you strive for. This is a social time for you Scorpions, but you may be preoccupied with issues of having to express yourself. Don't worry too much about this feeling of disconnection. It won't last through the week. Hang tight and the connection with your own feelings will get strong.
ok, these are starting to hit a bit to close to home...

considering some of the things I've read today...I found this facinating...

Your romantic life needs to go on the back burner today. To have a friend is to be a friend, they say, and a really good friend needs you right now. The person you're crushed out on will be impressed by your loyalty.

Horoscope for 07-21-04
Your future has arrived at your doorstep and it feels much closer to the present moment than you thought it would. Your deepest values are undergoing profound changes and there is little you can do to stop the process that began a couple of months ago as Venus began her retrograde phase. Today, things are looking better as you see the opportunities spread out before your eyes. You don't need to make a decision today -- just let yourself dream about the possibilities.

and to those out there with the smart ass comments, I know what you're thinking...and no, that's not it.
but maybe I'm becoming more open to the possibility it could possibly happen
*now where did I put those running shoes*

now granted...I do have a vivid imagination...however, it rarely becomes reality...so :wtf

When you close your eyes, you can see fantastic images representing your passions and your desires. When you open your eyes, you see the same thing. No, you're not crazy. The planets have conspired to let your imagination run wild and then to take whatever you've dreamed and throw the illusion of it into your reality. Deal with it. After all, you did dream it.

I love this group, downloaded 2 of their albums last night...

doesn't do much for a bad mood if you're in one anyway...but what the hell...

*edited to add: anyone else think it's odd this is my 4th post today?*

I believe there is a reason and purpose to most things that happen to us in life...whether it be the people we meet, things we do, or the way we act...believing this I've always tried to treat others the way i would want them to treat me, and do what i believe is right...
when i see a friend going through something, i try to help, whether it be a shoulder to lean on, an ear to listen, or whatever i am able to give, i try...peoples patience at times...but still...

I don't understand people who use others, lie to people they say they care about, or do things they know will hurt others...

what i understand even less is people who do things like this, then turn around and say they've changed...when they've done the same things over and over...i'm sorry, maybe you have, but don't expect me to believe it or forget...i will forgive a lot, but i don't forget much, nor will i put myself out there to be hurt once again by someone like that...and i can forgive you from afar, you will not be a part of my life again, just in case the leopards spots decide to return...

and in closing, i want to say this...once you've asked for forgiveness, whether it is given or not, your reason is done, you don't have to keep going over and over it again, and trying to change the heart and mind of the one you hurt...that is nothing more than the same game you were playing before...
the only problem is, no one wins...

In the midst of change, your feelings stabilize enough for you to realize how far you've come, but your words tend to show more emotion than stability. You may not reach the goals that you or