Posted on May 15th, 2008 by Fashion Paramedic, under Blogging.
Ok! I’m logged in to Wordpress via the Crackberry. (OMG! I forgot to tell you all I got a new phone! Its the Blackberry Curve . . . Mama LOVES it!)
I just wanted to see if this would work. I don’t have the Wordpress plug-in that allows for instant image upload yet. I don’t want to do any more add-ons until the blog redesign is done.
Hope this post “posts”!
–Fashion Paramedic
Posted on May 15th, 2008 by Fashion Paramedic, under Parenting, faith, family, gays.
So, it’s lunchtime and I cruise over to my Google Reader to catch up on some blogs, and Kadi sucks me into the gay marriage debate:
by kadi on May 15th, 2008
Hmmm…I feel like stirring the embers of debate. Let’s talk about the lift on California’s ban on gay marriage. How will this affect the rest of the country? Do you think it will start a wave of ban lifts? For those of you who live in the Bible belt, what is the general consensus there?
How will this affect parenting and the attitude towards children of same sex marriages, in California? Even with the desegregation of the US, it took a long time for attitudes to change. Some have yet to ditch their racist views. Will same sex marriage follow suit? How long do you think it will take for the whole United States to acknowledge same sex unions?
Let’s discuss!
Here is my response (that took my entire 30 minute lunch to masterfully craft) because I’m not sure it’ll make the comment string:
Kadi–from now on, I shall call you K-Spoon. Because you like to stir it up.
Where do I begin?
I remember back in high school telling a friend (who I knew to be gay but hadn’t come out yet), “You know how people today look back on racism in the Sixties and frown at how we treated black people? I think in ten years [1999], they’ll be doing that with gays.” I remember that she laughed, shook her head, and replied, “that would be nice.”
But it hasn’t happened yet. In fact, we’re nine years past my “invisible line” of a deadline, and the subject of gay marriage is still being debated. Why?
Not everyone reads or believes in the Bible, so we can’t say “Because the Bible says it’s wrong.”
And, we can’t say “because it’s bad for the kids” when every day, every hour, and every three minutes, a man is beating his wife or girlfriend in front of their child[ren] (or BEATING the children). THAT is bad for kids.
Having two parents who love and encourage them is NOT–even if they happen to be husband and husband.
Children of same-sex marriages are just that: children. They shouldn’t be treated any differently because they’re parents are gay.
What cracks me up is the whole “family movement.” Can anyone tell me what the definition of family is?
Go to your local elementary, junior, or high school. Ask around for a definition. The answers will be as different as salt vs. pepper. You might get, “Well, I’ve got two moms (one is my real mom, but dad divorced her for mom #2, but we call her Pam around my real mom) and a brother and a sister.” Or it could be “I have one daddy because mommy left and never came back.” Or it could be two daddies because mom re-married.
Can anyone tell me why we can accept multiple parents and multiple houses due to mulitple divorces, but not “These are my parents: Karen and Cindy . . . they love me very much.”
Oh! And I’m not saying that gays don’t have their fair share of fights. They can argue and hold grudges like nobody’s business.
It just doesn’t seem fair to me to say that we’re “protecting the institution of marriage” by not letting gays marry, while other families disintegrate into “arranged visits” and “yours/his/her weekends with the kids.”
Gays are not the problem. The ones that can’t accept gays–THEY’RE the ones with real issues. Dig deep. What are they so afraid of?
PS: Chemono & Jim–that one was for you.
What would YOU have said?
******UPDATE******
Sharing a comment from my sister–who has deep faith in God, studies scripture, and attends bible study regularly:
Funny, I was just sharing my opinion with a co-worker. The Chief Supreme Court Justice said:
“…(R)etaining the designation of marriage exclusively for opposite sex couples and providing only a separate and distinct designation for same-sex couples may well have the effect of perpetuating a more general premise - now emphatically rejected by this state - that gay individuals and same-sex couples are in some respects “second-class citizens” who may, under the law, be treated differently from, and less favorably than, heterosexual individuals or opposite-sex couples,” the opinion authored by Chief Justice Ronald M. George said.
VERY well said.
Two things:
Marriage is a union of two people in the eyes of God. It is a ‘holy’ sacrament. But how many people do you know get married for that reason. I didn’t, but I will be renewing my vows with that intent. The thing is, marriage isn’t sacred anymore.
And to complicate things further, ‘the people’ used the state of being ‘married’ for the purpose of designating eligibility for benefits. So we not only ace them out of getting married, we ace them out of benefits they are entitled to.
And further, the bible says that you should not engage in ‘immoral sex’. Men should not lie with men and/or women should not have immoral sex with other women. I want to know ‘who’ made the interpretation IN THE BIBLE that immoral sex means ‘homosexual’. At that time, the Romans were big into orgies, and we all know the story of Mary Magdeline, the prostitute. ‘Immoral sex’ (in my Christian opinion) is having sex out of wedlock; without love. It may be hard to believe that there are actually Christian gays and lesbians out there despite being aced out of society. It must feel awful to know sex out of wedlock is immoral, but there is nothing they can do about it. I guess if you’re a true Christian, you know how (‘in the eyes of God’). You don’t need a Pastor to tell you you’re married. That’s just if you want the benefits that you’re entitled to.
My friend Jim shared a story with me on a conversation with a previous (Christian) co-worker about the thought of adopting a child some years ago. The response was, “Why do you want to raise a gay child?” DOH! This is the mentality! And [Fashion Paramedic], you are exactly right to ask, “What are they so afraid of?”
I’m stepping down off the soapbox now…
And this one’s from K-Spoon:
Well, thank you, Fashion Paramedic! I’ve never been blessed with a nickname (besides sweet cheeks, but that’s another story!)
Anyway, how about this blanket statement:
You were asked for your opinions. There never going to be a sure answer to the question, “Is gay marriage and homosexuality right or wrong?” It is all a matter of opinion. Just like everything else is life. We are entitled to our own. We will argue our points, share our views, then walk away with a hand shake and a respect for our differences.
Now for my 2 cents:
Is hate crime against gays okay? No.
Is discrimination against gays okay? No.
Is treating a gay person like anything other than the human being that they are okay? No way.
But…there will always be people who do these things. There will always be gay jokes (I think they are funny.) There will always be dissenters. All because it is taboo, it is a grey area and we will never ever have any way of knowing if it is right or wrong, until we meet our maker. Yes, the Bible speaks out against it. Most Christians, including myself do not agree with it. That does not make us hate mongers any more than it makes a homosexual a hate monger for not being attracted to the opposite sex.
My dad is gay. I have had so many conversations with him on the subject of homosexuality. I am no closer to understanding it now, than I was thirteen years ago. But I love my dad dearly. He is an awesome man. We agree to disagree on certain things. Like his thought that I should not have had so many kids.
As far as homosexual couples raising a child, I ride the fence. Can a male mommy have the same nurturing instinct that a woman mommy has? Likewise, can a woman provide her sons with the guidance that only a male can provide from his own personal experience? Do these things even matter? Do they effect the child’s well being and identity as an adult? I wish I knew.
To follow the rest of the comments, click here.
Posted on May 15th, 2008 by Fashion Paramedic, under Cookie Lee, Cookie Lee Complaints, Cookie Lee Consultants, Cookie Lee Corporate, Cookie Lee Jewelry, Cookie Lee Lawsuit.
Hey Everyone! I forgot to post this a couple of days ago:
So, I’ve got all of the court documents necessary to begin a good story. The problem is that I still need help reading through some of the pages. I don’t speak “lawyer-ese,” so some of the terminology doesn’t make sense to me.
I’m going to take one of the attorneys that I work with out to lunch with me some time this week so she can read the Original Complaint filed by Cookie Lee and then the Counter Complaint filed by the Defendant [former Cookie Lee consultant] and give me a crash course on legal terminology and also get her take on what each side’s chances are in court.
I’m not sure yet if I want to scan the court documents into PDF and post them . . . they are, after all, public documents.
Scandalous!
Posted on May 15th, 2008 by Fashion Paramedic, under Cannes '08, Fashion.
Holy CRAP!! My promise to the LOML to keep the laptop off yesterday has officially come back to bite me! I lost a whole day of writing about Cannes. Ugh!!
I kinda miss the old days back when Jenna Jameson was an aspiring adult starlet stuck in the AVN booth signing posters and there was no red carpet. But, Hollywood has a tendency to take things over, and vah-VOOM! We get photos like these!!
First of all, don’t you just LOVE how Julianne Moore totally owns her freckles?! (Not to mention the fact that she looks absolutely STUNNING in this Christian Lacroix couture gown!)
And in the “I look damn good after just having a baby” category, check out Cate Blanchett in Armani Prive. Damn. I gotta get me a personal trainer!
Posted on May 15th, 2008 by Fashion Paramedic, under Drive-By Blogging, random thoughts.
“Gas prices are so high that if it gets any more expensive, rappers are going to start drinking it.”
–Seth Meyers, SNL Weekend Update
Posted on May 13th, 2008 by Fashion Paramedic, under What Into the Hell.
(If you’re new to my blog and want to know why I say “What INTO the hell” instead of “What the Hell,” then read this post located in my “Frankenstories” section.)
Yeah, I said it.
Fi-yer-FIGH-turs.
Here’s why they’re going to be listed in my “What into the Hell” category (for today, at least):
It’s no secret that we are living in a time where the economy is–in all honesty–jacked up, fuel prices are just stupid, and local governments are having to make difficult choices in the way of cutting funds that pay for our public safety.
Yet, those truths don’t seem to have much impact on firefighters.
I’m not saying I don’t appreciate what firefighters do for us common folk. In fact, in an eerie conversation in an elevator just two weeks prior to 9/11, I told a firefighter that I appreciated him. When he answered, “Thank you . . . we don’t get that very often,” I almost passed out. “Well, then on behalf of everyone whose homes you have been fighting to save (we met at a casino just a few miles west of a raging wildfire), and for all those you have done right by, I hereby declare you properly thanked.”
Now . . . getting back to my rant . . .
Can someone please tell me why–in this time of financial crisis–it takes SEVEN firefighters to go grocery shopping? And not talking “grocery shopping” in the sense of “you two, take this list and get the meat . . . you three take this list and hammer out fresh produce . . . Gene and I will handle everything else in between.”
I’m talking good old-fashioned, stereotypical “five stood and watched while sixth held open bag for seventh who stuffed said bag with three stalks of romaine lettuce.”
I’m not kidding. I saw it with my own eyes. Had I had the presence of mind to do it, I’d have whipped out my phone and snapped some video. But I was so baffled by what I was watching that I completely lost track of the fact that I was on to something pretty kooky.
And why are they driving the fire truck for errands? Diesel fuel (in my area) is roughly $4.50 per gallon. Fire trucks (according to my husband, a fire safety professional) get roughly 5-7 miles per gallon. So I’m not quite sure it’s a good use of the equipment.
Is it not a better idea for half of the crew to hop into the Batallion chief’s truck to go shopping instead?
Now, I understand there could be a logistical (not logical) explanation for this. If the entire department is shopping and they get a distress call, then all are available to hop in the truck (on site) to answer said call. So I’ll digress. For now.
How many enemies am I making with this rant? Am I ill-informed? Should I shut the hell up because I don’t know what I’m talking about?
Posted on May 13th, 2008 by Fashion Paramedic, under Money, Rants & Randomness.
My wallet has been stolen on more than one occasion.
What do you do when this happens to you? For me (and most others), it kinda goes like this:
- Call the bank
- Call the credit card companies
- Go to the DMV and get new driver’s license
- Keep an eye on credit report to see if the thieves tried to make use of our personal belongings
- Swear never to lose sight of wallet again
Sound about right?
What’s missing from that checklist is something that most don’t think about–and it’s as high a priority as contacting the bank:
CALL YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE PROVIDER
Here’s why: An article in yesterday’s Contra Costa Times describes one woman’s experience of having her wallet stolen. Not only did the thieves use her credit cards and checking account before she had the chance to cancel them, she also became a victim of identiy theft–a bank account and Discover card was opened in her name, some bills had already gone to collection, and she received a bill from a hospital for her portion of “maternity services” that were not hers.
Most of us NEVER think to call our health insurance provider to report our wallet being stolen. I know I’ve never done it. But the Times article serves as a dreadful wake-up call to all of us. I can’t remember a time where I’ve been asked to show my driver’s license during a doctor’s visit. Can you imagine what kind of bill one could run up on your insurance card without your knowledge? We carry our insurance cards in our wallet or purse and never think twice that if they were to go missing someone could use them.
And, while we worry about protecting our credit cards from cyber-thieves and worry about protecting the gas tanks of our cars from being emptied by fuel thieves, we’re forgetting about another consumer product that is getting more and more difficult to afford: Health insurance. We need to be aware of the thief who steals our wallet not for the credit card or banking information, but for the insurance card.
Posted on May 12th, 2008 by Fashion Paramedic, under Blogging, MommyFest 2008.
Holy crap! I was so busy over the weekend that I completely forgot to put together my MommyFest 2008 post. So, I’m going to borrow from my Ultimate Blogger Party post. I hope you don’t mind!!
If you haven’t heard of MommyFest, it’s a fantastically awesome networking event hosted by Marie Ynami. There are plenty of bloggers to meet, ideas to share, and lots of prizes to be given away. And . . . the party goes on for days!! It started today (May 12th) and will end this Friday, May 16th.
(PS: If you got here by way of MommyFest, please PLEASE leave me a comment! It’s my goal to respond to and visit all of the MommyFest commenters and bloggers–thanks!)
All-rightee! Now that you know what the party’s all about, I’ll share a little bit about me . . .
I’m a native Northern Californian, I’ve been with the love of my life [LOML] for 14 years (married for 8), and we have two boys. (Jake, age 4 1/2; Ben, 9 months) I often refer to the LOML as my “third” boy.
If you stroll through my archives, you might notice that I started blogging about a year ago, but didn’t get serious about it until last October. Now I’m totally addicted (and serious enough about it) to the point that I’ll be going to the Blogworld Blogger Convention this September.
Last December, I made a pact with myself to become a Frugal Mom. I’ve fallen off the wagon a bit, but not to the extent where we are spending $800 a month eating out. We have made some cuts to monthly spending, and things are a bit better than they were.
I used to be a Cookie Lee Jewelry Consultant. And lately, my blog has become somewhat of a “go-to” point for those who are thinking about, have been in, or are wanting to get out of direct sales. (Cookie Lee, primarily.) I receive e-mails daily from women who have questions that they think are not being answered truthfully by someone who wants to recruit them. I answer them to the best of my ability, and share some of the stories here. I once shared my experience with Mary Kay here too. (Go to my Cookie Lee page for everything I’ve written on direct sales “success and failure.”)
You might also notice that I share lots of stories about my older son, Jake. He’s got a wonderful imagination, and sometimes it gets me into trouble!
Oh yeah! If you’re in the mood for something funny, you might checkout my “catfight” story, or my “cell phone pooping” story. If you spend as much time in the drive-thru as I do, you may also want to read my McDonald’s McSauce Policy post, the reactions to that post, and my recent experience behind what I now call a “LOUD.”
I’m happy that you made it over to my place, visited my family, and stayed long enough to read this whopper of a post! But . . . enough about me. Go have some fun at the party, come back and see what I’ve been up to while partying, and mingle with some of the other bloggers at MommyFest 2008!
Posted on May 12th, 2008 by Fashion Paramedic, under BFF, Blogging, Frankenstories, grown-up fun.
Whew! I had one awesomely fantastical yet busy weekend! But, motherhood and work calls, so I won’t be able to post about it until later.
But, here’s the teaser:
One of the posts will include some details about a fundraiser I attended with my BFF, which include hanging out with a Food Network star, and how we (the BFF & I) ended up at a biker bar with my cousin until 12:30am.
We’ve got another quasi-plagiarist. So, we’re going to have another rant about that. (Remember what happened last time?) Am I going to have to post something in my sidebar that says “Don’t Steal My Sh*t!”? (My friend Corrina has that in her sidebar.)
Oh!! And last, but not least, we’ve got a new FRANKENSTORY!! It involves a conversation that took place yesterday afternoon in my parent’s backyard about my blog. It’s HILARIOUS!
Ok, that’s it for now. Will try to get back to y’all later this evening!
–Fashion Paramedic
Posted on May 9th, 2008 by Fashion Paramedic, under Alexa, Blogging, random thoughts.
Woo hoo!! Thanks to everyone who helped me break the Alexa Million mark.
My ranking was hanging out at about 1,180,000, and then today, it jumped to just over 900,000.
Remember, my goal is to get down to 500,000 by the end of the year. Looks like I’ll get there sooner than that!!
Now, if only my Google Rank would start to climb . . . then I could start doing Pay Per Post again! (Not that I couldn’t do it now, but the offers are better if you’ve got some Page Rank love!)
I’m so obsessed with this stuff!!
LOML = Love of My Life (My Husband)
