"What Makes a family?"

My pastor and friend, Gina Chapman, had an article published in the Whittier Daily News yesterday (on-line) and today in print.  The article was originally written to be published in December 2008; however, the message is still very relevant to day.

My church's website is woefully out of date; however, there is a link to the MCC "mother church" off to the left on this blog if you want more information on the history of the church and its current outreach.

If you want more information from me, just post a comment. 

Second trip around and some follow up

First, the follow up:

I went to the GLBT help site I wrote about earlier today.  This may be a good resource; however, I didn't see anything saying any mental health professional was available to callers or e-mailers (peer counseling was all I found).  Phone volunteers are only available afternoons and evenings during the business week and for a few hours on Saturdays.  I hope the ad in The Advocate helps expand those hours.

Also, they have two physical locations - San Francisco and NYC.  Not really an issue as there are toll-free phone numbers and e-mail.  I hope with the increased use of the service that perhaps the phone system can be expanded to permit others to volunteer by phone or on-line from anywhere in the U.S.

OK - it just sounds like something I'd enjoy doing for a few hours a month and I'm quite a ways away from either locale.

Trip 'round the blogosphere AGAIN ?!?:  OK, aside from Randy's Blog, for which I can't be very objective as he's a good friend of mine and he is always challenging my thought process, there are two "must read" blogs these days:  The Mudflats and Jesus' General (I'll make sure both are listed to the left).  

Mudflats, as always, is a very insightful and well written look at politics in the "small yet large" state of Alaska and with a recent VP candidate from Alaska chatting for over 9 minutes on web video, there is so much to write about.  

Jesus' General has devoted the last few posts to a unique outpost of organized religion here in the U.S.  I cannot stop laughing and I have never visited, via the postings, an ultra-conservative church's website and its connected blogs so often in all my time on the 'net.

Enjoy !

Helping out

Rather than post a rant, complaint, a piece of snark or a diva-licious melt-down over Macy's closing 11 of its stores (first Mervyn's, now Macys? . . oh, yeah, I promised myself I wouldn't do this . .), I want to give you a link to a blog post that serves as a challenge and a website that may be of help to someone.

I read Obama's speech from earlier today to my partner, then went to Huffington Post to see what range of opinion had been posted.  Instead, my eye was drawn to a post by Ms. Huffington with a video-creation competition.

Having not had my post published on her site, I think a 90 second video of myself will most certainly be included in the montage.  OK, maybe I need to meditate on that a bit longer.  This does not mean that you don't have a winning idea for a video, so I say go for it !

AND

I opened the latest print issue of the Advocate (which is now a monthly mag, but we'll still get the same number of issues in the subscription we have remaining).  I found an advertisement for a group I did not know existed for everyone: www.GLBTNationalHelpCenter.org.  It's not just for teens or for those who are asking questions about their sexuality -- it promises to provide "supportive peer-counseling and information to tens of thousands of people struggling with coming-out issues, relationship concerns,and safer-sex questions".  

I don't know anyone who could not benefit from a visit to that site.  Note to self:  visit the site later on.  

Another note to self: keep an eye out for someone who could not benefit from a visit to that site

Official Inauguration Poster Released By Obama Team: Exclusive

As someone out of a job the last 2 1/2 months, I look for anything, ANYTHING, that gives me something for which to look forward. The poster knocked the wind out of me. If I can find some loose change in between the sofa cushions, I might order one. Hey, where in this Mac do ya put in the change I find between the cushions so I can get me one of those posters?



Maybe I'll just host a potluck at the ol' apartment complex. All the tuna casserole and generic soda pop I can serve up? Yum ?



Maybe a giveaway of some of these posters as consolation prizes for those who didn't get inauguration tix in that contest?
About Obama's Inauguration
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Metalhead the Journalist?

I've been unemployed since October 29, 2008, so stories about someone getting a new job are affecting me a little differently than they would had I not been laid off.  I would have attempted a snarky pun or joke about Joe the Plumber getting a new job with pjtv.com; however, I am delighted that Mr. Wurzelbacher has new employment and will have a ten day, who-knows-what expenses paid trip to the Gaza/Israel border so he can start on his new vocation.

As I am not a plumber who is not licensed as a plumber, have never been on John McCain's Straight Talk Express (and that bus never would've kept its name had I stepped foot on it) and have never gone on camera regarding anything political, it looks like my resume would not be a good fit at pjtv.com.  Plus, I would've nit-picked during the employment interview that one of the site's pages had misspelled its most famous conservative pundit's first name --- and I'm sure that would not have won over any of the staff.

So, like the kind people at Crooksandliars.com, I too will be "bookmarking his site" and can't wait to take in what Joe has to offer.  Perhaps I'll pick up a couple of tips on how I could get started on a fantastic journey of my own !

On the other hand, I think I've had my fill of first-hand witness to conflict.  Maybe I'll find someplace that's taking guesses on how long the trip will actually last, if this deal goes through at all.