Grandfather

My grandfather from Venezuela died yesterday evening August 19, 2010. It hurts that I couldn't hold his hand as he died. I would have retold him the story of Jesus and held his hand with my little girls caressing him. He only got to meet my oldest daughter when she was about 1yr old. It has been too expensive to fly out to Venezuela. We never saved for a time like this.

My grandmother is still alive. I don't know how much time she has left. I hope I get to go to her funeral, even if I have to leave my girls behind with my sister. I don't know. The plane tickets are $1,300.00 a piece. I need to start praying right now that I could go with my girls so that my grandmother could meet them. It is such a sad thing when a loved one dies.

My grandfather didn't have much money but he never came home from errands empty handed. He always had gum or candy for me and my cousin. And every time the ice cream man walked by jingling his bells my grandfather always bought us a little cup of ice cream.

I remember he would sit on the patio in his rocking chair. I was little and I wondered what he was chewing on; he used to tell me he was eating cockroaches. It was really chewing tobacco. He would spit that stuff out and then he would offer me "his bag of cockroaches". I would always refuse. My uncles would be out there on the patio with him and smoking there cigarettes helping him fool with me some way.

Oh but I sure miss him. I wish I would have gotten to hang out with him some more in his old age. The last time I went my oldest was 1yr old and I would sit out there on that patio with him and be silent but try to spark up a conversation with him. He was too old to really converse with well.

It just would have been nice if he would have met my other daughters and seen how my oldest had grown. I hope not to have to repeat this same grief with my grandmother.

By the way my grandparents are real hamick lovers. I got this most recent picture of him in his hamick. Thank God I have this picture.

Jose- Luis Ledesma

You can also see my grandmother in her hamick here. It was a post I did of her several weeks ago but I later added the picture because I didn't have it at the time of the original posting.


May the only wise God grant you His wisdom for every part of your life.

Life Stuff & Great Blog Home Tour Craft Area

It looks like the blood transfusion was a success…I got blood work today and my red blood cell numbers went from an 8.5 (low) to a 10.1 (normal)…I’ve felt like I’ve had more energy…they will check it again next week to make sure it stays up and then I think I’m on my own…

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I also had an appointment with my radiation doctor today and set up a tentative plan…I’m getting a PET scan tomorrow morning…a CT scan on Sept 1st, and from those results she will determine where they will focus the radiation…she said it is her job to treat the places that she thinks could possibly become cancerous with the least amount of treatment…

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I’m working on my post updating my 101 things list and am excited about my progress…I’m also starting a new book/workbook and want to share that will you as well…

but first…

here is my craft area for the

I set up this area a little over 6 months ago and showed it here but I’ve added to the wall and have some new followers since then so I thought I’d share again…hope you don’t mind…

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Here is an overview…

 

I used some old frames my former roommate had saved from the trash for me and bought some fun print paper at my local craft area to line them…

 

I also found the big letters at the craft store on CLEARENCE baby!

 

this is an old cart where I keep paper and stuff…the top I use to put the things I’m getting ready to mail…I cleaned it off just for this picture (don’t worry it is not always this clean)…

 

My work top…

I got the table at a yard sale for 5 dollars…the spice rack keeps all my little bits and pieces like brads, buttons, and beads ect, it is PERFECT and I love it…The nice lamp was a birthday present from a good friend…and the cracker jar and pink scale were other great yard sale finds…

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I found a way to display my decorated matchboxes using the letter holders from old scrabble games I find at thrift stores…they fit just perfect…and the tiles that are left over are good to use in crafts…I also love how the clothespins look holding the postcards…I just hot glued them to the wall (and it comes off cleanly, I think we have a bit of a gloss on the wall which helps) can you believe the fragile looking pink/leafy postcard made it all the way from the Philippines to here without getting dirty or ripped…an angel must have been protecting it…

This is a fun vintage piece I found at a yard sale for 5 dollars…I love the feel of the legs…I think if I could I would have all my furniture look 50’s…Inside I keep stamps, blank cards…and that ugly misc stuff everyone has…and the top was perfect for mom’s plants…

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Hope you enjoyed seeing my space whether it is your first or third time seeing it *wink, wink*

  Until Later

Afternoon View - Hillside Check-In Cabin

I've just arrived with my loyal companions Aaron and Chris for three days under the trees at Hillside Campground in the Endless Mountains of Pennsylvania. The guys in this photo have had the site next to ours for the last three summers and we always seem to get here at the same time. It's 75 and completely clear, which bodes for a quite chilly evening, as summer nights so often are up on the mountain. Do they make electric sleeping bags?

UPDATE: I've added a photo of our new tent, which much to Chris' everlasting frustration has more ropes and material than we know what to do with. Experience tells us that this will vex him mightily all weekend.

Whining About The Protest At Porno Pete LaBarbera's Hate Academy

From one of Porno Pete's Christofascist supporters.

The Sneaky Ting Tings

If you'd like to hear Hands, the new single by popular dance duo the Ting Tings, you must first "like" them on Facebook, which of course tells your friends that you "like" them. And if you want to hear the remix of Hands (and what fan wouldn't?) you must unlock the mix by sharing it to your page. Clever, clever. Never seen this before.

Fuck Me, Ray Bradbury

Obviously NSFW for the audio. Unrelated to and contrary to what you'd expect of someone getting such a tribute as this song, earlier this week Bradbury decried modern technology. "We have too many cellphones. We've got too many Internets. We have got to get rid of those machines. We have too many machines now."

HomoQuotable - Mark Leno

"This bill simply affirms that California is a diverse state, and that we can all co-exist and make space for each others' beliefs without compromising the tenets of any religious group or individual. With the recent federal court ruling, we know that marriage for same-sex couples in California is on the horizon. Under the Civil Marriage Religious Freedom Act, churches and clergy members who fear their religious views are threatened by marriage equality will have clear and solid protections under state law. In addition, churches that welcome same-sex couples will continue to fully recognize those families within their faith." - California state Sen. Mark Leno, on the state Assembly's passage of his bill guaranteeing that no member of the clergy will ever be forced to perform a same-sex marriage ceremony against their wishes.

Leno's bill has the backing of Equality California and will be signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger after a concurrence vote in the state Senate, who first approved the item in May.

Rachel Maddow On Iraq Withdrawal

Well, that was a few trillion well spent. Thanks, Dubya.

Signorile: Why Won't HRC Change Target's Corporate Equality Rating?

While the Human Rights Campaign has come out uncharacteristically forcefully against Target, the company continues to enjoy a 100% rating on HRC's lauded Corporate Equality Index. Yesterday HRC's Fred Sainz told Michelangelo Signorile that it's just too complicated to change the Index right now. Signorile:

Sainz went onto again explain how complicated it supposedly is to change the Corporate Equality Index criteria (something he told me a week earlier when I had him on the show) and how the group is trying to “grapple” with the new changes since the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United and that they don’t want to make a "knee-jerk" response and that they are working it through but in a "thoughtful” manner. That’s all well and good, but the boycott is now, and as it goes on, HRC is still telling people to shop at Target.

Listen to Signorile's interview with HRC's Fred Sainz.

UPDATE: HRC has issued the following response in which they state that both Target and Best Buy will be removed from their list.

The recent political contributions by Target and Best Buy are cause for reflection on the criteria used for future editions of the Corporate Equality Index (CEI). While considering all of this, it’s important to keep in mind that the CEI has made a tremendous impact in the real lives of LGBT people in large part because it has been a predictable and transparent roadmap for companies to institute fair workplace policies. Instead of making capricious decisions about scoring criteria, we believe that a responsible consideration of all of the facts is the smartest way to move forward.

Already complicated, the Citizens United decision has made campaign finance issues even more complex. HRC is thoughtfully studying the many ramifications of political giving by companies in this new reality. The CEI, upon which the Buyer’s Guide is based, was completed in June 2009. Under that set of criteria, both Target and Best Buy scored 100 percent. The Buyer’s Guide available on our website was released in November 2009 and is representative of the information known to us at the time. Because we understand the impact of leaving Target and Best Buy on the various products associated with the Buyer’s Guide, both companies will soon be removed from it. HRC will not encourage people to shop at either store and believes that consumers should make their own decisions after careful consideration of all of the information available to them.

Bigotry Special At Target

Queer Rising made a customer service announcement at a Target in Madison, Wisconsin, much to the annoyance of store management.

Today In Teabagger Music Videos II

Today In Teabagger Music Videos

Complete with shots of lower Manhattan. Sample YouTube comment:

Ok all you athiest fags who have nothing better to do than try and slander good people can go eat shit. Here' a question for all those libtard butwimps, why did you look up this song if you hate us so much? I know why, because you are too cowardly to say any of this to real men and women's faces so you look for a Christian video to prove yourself to people who aren't staring you in the face. Close enough? You people can kiss me ass! BRING IT ON FAGETS!!!

Musically, it's actually not terrible.

Sarah Palin Retweets Homocon Tammy Bruce In Defense Of Dr. Laura

Do you think Palin knows that Tammy Bruce is a big ole lesbian? Strange, strange bedfellows in Teabagistan these last few days, huh?

OMD - If You Want It

From the coming album History Of Modern. This is OMD's first release since 1996's Universal. My all-time favorite OMD single remains 1984's Talking Loud And Clear.

Morning View - Union Square

Photo Of The Day - Kylie's Happy Bear

The Advocate reports that Facebook took down Kylie Minogue's self-posted photo as too raunchy. A Facebook rep told the disco pixie: "We do not allow photos that contain nudity, drug use or violence." It's just a microphone, kids.

Howard Dean Compares "Civil Unions Compromise" To Mosque Controversy

Dean thinks the downtown NYC mosque should be located elsewhere, a "good reasonable compromise" he compared to the creation of civil unions when he was governor of Vermont.

NOM Loses Again In Maine

NOM has lost yet another court battle to cloak the names of their donors in Maine.

Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, said Thursday his group is disappointed in the ruling, but feels its arguments will hold sway with an appeals court. NOM will pursue an expedited appeal to the U.S. First Circuit Court in Boston, he said, because of the short time before the upcoming election season. Though Thursday's decision will delay NOM's plans for political activity in Maine, Brown said, the group is reviewing the decision to gauge a potential timeline for action. NOM plans activity in Maine both on behalf of candidates that support "redefining marriage," said Brown, and on candidates that support traditional marriage.

He declined to say whether NOM would be active in the state's governor's race, as well as the legislative races. Brown also expressed frustration at the legal hurdles spurred by what he called "frivolous" lawsuits filed by their political opponents, one of which, Californians Against Hate, asked the Maine ethics commission to investigate NOM. That group, one of the primary advocates for preserving California's gay marriage law that was repealed by voters there in 2009, questioned whether NOM raised more than $5,000 to directly repeal Maine's same-sex marriage law.

It's not a complete win for the good guys, however, as the judge also ruled some parts of Maine's campaign finance disclosure laws to be "unconstitutionally vague" and struck down the requirement that donations over $250 be reported within 24 hours.

Arch Homophobe Matt Barber Follows "Shemalevideos" On Twitter?

I noticed a rather interesting Twitter user on Liberty Counsel attorney Matt Barber's follow list last night. (I added his photo to the screen capture.) Fascinating. Like Matt Barber, I follow lots of my enemies on Twitter, but I don't feel the need to follow straight porn sites to know what the haters are up to.

Yale Researchers Discover What Circuit Boys Knew Fifteen Years Ago

Researchers at Yale have published a study touting the horse tranquilizer Ketamine as an effective anti-depressant at low doses. The drug's make-happy effect begins almost immediately, unlike regular anti-depressants which can take weeks to work.

Ketamine, a general anesthetic usually administered to children and pets but perhaps best known as a horse tranquilizer, is also highly effective in low doses as an anti-depressant, according a study published Thursday. Researchers at Yale University wrote in the August 20 issue of the journal Science that unlike most anti-depressants on the market which can take weeks to take full effect ketamine can begin to counter depression in hours. "It's like a magic drug -- one dose can work rapidly and last for seven to 10 days," said Ronald Duman, professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at Yale and senior author of the study. The researchers noted that ketamine was tested as a rapid treatment for people with suicidal thoughts. Traditional anti-depressants can take several weeks to take effect, they noted.

A similar study at the National Institute of Mental Health found that 70% of patients who did not respond to traditional anti-depressants improved within hours of receiving Ketamine. Let's hope the ridiculous War On Drugs doesn't stifle this breakthrough. But don't rush out to self-medicate either, Ketamine remains a Schedule III drug in the U.S. with a penalty for possession of up to five years in prison.

Teabagger T-Shirts

Get them here.

Jewelry Showdown

This post will include all things pretty…I got the jewelry that I earned at my party and at the request of some of my blog friends and cause they are sparkly good I took some pictures of my loot…can I first just tell you how hard it is to take a good picture of jewelry…so these are the best I could do…

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ENJOY!

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this ring is by far my favorite piece…it can be worn together

 

or separate…

 

a bracelet and necklace set…they are really pretty in person, a nice neutral color to go with a lot of different outfits…

 

an awesome red bracelet…I got the matching necklace which is just as chunky and fun as the bracelet but the order got a little confused and they sent me the wrong necklace…I hope to get the right one in soon…for the time being I love the bracelet it is substantial…lets you know you are wearing something on your wrist…

 

a six strand bracelet in a few different finishes…I got this one because it will go with any kind of finish necklace…I think it will be really versatile…plus it has a toggle clasp which I love!

 

a long necklace…that could also be doubled…I will probably double it when I wear it…I’m not huge into long necklaces on myself…

 

a beautiful pin

here is a way you can wear the last two pieces…you use the pin to clasp the two ends of the necklace together around your neck and then you can wear it on the side like I’m showing it (which I LOVE!) or you can wear it like a pendent in the middle or even in the back if you had a pony tail or are BALD like me…

 

another longer necklace it it longer than the other one and this is showing it doubled…it is too short to triple…this is the only one I’m not sure I’m in LOVE with…but it will go with a lot of outfits…it is silver, blues and grays

 

a pearl bracelet my mom picked out for herself

 

this is the only truly horrible picture…I got an adorable little 15inch necklace for my niece…it is silver with a little pink gem…I can’t wait to give it to her for her birthday in Oct…

 

besides the ring this is my favorite…it is the matching piece to the necklace my friends gave me here…

   

now…

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of course I went through everyone’s stuff that ordered at my party so I could see what they got and I want to share a few of my favorites from them…what amazed me was that except for a pair of earrings no one ordered the same piece…

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this is a ring my cousin got…

 

isn’t it wonderfully large…it looks so cool…

 

this one is just a silver necklace it has four layers and would be great dressed up or with jeans…this was on my list of things I might get but didn’t end up ordering it…it has a good weight to it as well…

finally…this fun purple necklace…this is the one I think I would have rather gotten than the silver, blue and grey LONG one above…it is just fun, and would as with most of these pieces go with anything…I tried it on and it looked really good doubled up…

tour over…

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I sent off my first resume in over a year this morning…I know I thought I was going to send one in a couple of weeks ago but didn’t…wouldn’t it be great to have a daytime job to wear my new pretties too? We shall see if they call…

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Until Later…

Blog Award

I have taken way too long to post this. The Sword and the Rose kindly presented me with this blog award several weeks ago and I have been putting this off. I'm sorry Michelle.

 I would also like to present this to 10 bloggers who have brought me the most sunshine and then if you want you in turn can blog this and give it to your sunshine bloggers.

1. Far Above Rubies
2. A Firefighter's Wife
3. Homestead Wannabe's
4. Stitchin' in Hitchins
5. Joyful Mother
6. The growing Stam Family
7. Kristine Remixed
8. The Enchanted Cottage
9. Blessed Femina
10. The Good Woman

The Sword and the Rose would have been on the list but I didn't want to be redundant...lol!

Have a blessed week,

Senate Candidate David Malpass: Obama & Gillibrand Are Destroying Your Way Of Life

He's the alternative, the Reagan alternative!

Olson & Boies May Ask Court To Force Protect Marriage To Pay Their Fees

In the event that Judge Vaughn Walker's overturn of Prop 8 is upheld by the Ninth Circuit, attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies are prepared to demand that Protect Marriage pay their fees. Via Advocate:

In court filings this week, the attorneys requested extended time to consider fees and court costs but have also asked Prop. 8 supporters for an expedited response in the matter—which they opposed in a Wednesday filing. "Plaintiffs seek to drastically shorten [our] time to respond to that motion so that they have more time to prepare an application for attorney’s fees in the event this Court does not grant their motion to enlarge time," Alliance Defense Fund attorney Brian Raum wrote. "Such a burden shift is unwarranted."

The amount that may be requested has not be disclosed, but you can bet that Olson and Boies do not come cheap.

The Minnesota GOP Would Like You To Know That Female Democrats Are Dogs

I looked at this yesterday and dismissed it as typical teabaggery. But today HuffPo reports this bit of assholery is actually the work of the Minnesota Republican Party.

Indian Pole Gymnastics

Wait for the hawt furry little cub.

This Isn't About Coffee

Nice work Oracle, especially the bit about jerking off to a photo of Bill Gates. But you could have at least given a hat tip to Sun Microsystem.

UPDATE: OK, so it's not from Oracle.

SAN DIEGO: 12 Activists Arrested In Marriage Protest At County Clerk's Office

A dozen activists were arrested today at a San Diego county clerk's office when they refused to leave without being issued marriage licenses.

On the day hundreds of gay and lesbian couples statewide planned to obtain their long-awaited marriage licenses, a crowd of about 50 people gathered at the county clerk's office Thursday to protest a federal judge's stay of a federal ruling that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. Three people were taken away in plastic handcuffs by sheriff's deputies early in the demonstration and an additional nine people were removed later. A deputy said they were detained for blocking access to a county office. Tony and Tyler Dylan-Hyde and at least one other couple came to the county clerk's office this morning at 8 a.m. asking to receive their marriage license. "We believe that county officials and the Attorney General have the authority and the obligation to allow marriage licenses to proceed based on both federal court findings and that Prop. 8 is unconstitutional and the governor's filings in Prop. 8 cases," Tyler Dylan-Hyde said. "We are asking you to do what's right."

According to the linked news story, those arrested had blocked the entrance of heterosexual couples with appointments to get licenses.

Servicemembers United Announces DADT Lobby Day To Occur September 16th

Servicemembers United announces via press release:

Servicemembers United, the nation's largest organization of gay and lesbian troops and veterans, announced today that it will host another "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" lobby day for repeal supporters on Thursday, September 16, 2010. The fall lobby day, affectionately nicknamed "The Final Assault," will come at a critical time after the Senate reconvenes but before the chamber is expected to take up the repeal-inclusive defense authorization bill. Participants can register for the September 16th "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" lobby day at Servicemembers United.

"This lobby day will be the last major opportunity for supporters of repeal to come to Washington, make the case for this amendment, and hold their senators accountable on this vote," said Alexander Nicholson, Executive Director of Servicemembers United and a former U.S. Army interrogator who was discharged under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." "Lobbying for repeal is now a lot more complicated than simply saying 'support repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' so we want to be able to explain the nuances of the current situation to repeal supporters and arm them with the detailed information they need to hold their Senators accountable."

Here is SU's just-released ad. Watch this, it's great.

The Australian Sex Party

Australia's just-launched pro-marriage equality Sex Party "wants the government out of our bedrooms."

Giggity Giggity

Fun with photoshop via Buzzfeed.

GOP Candidate For CA Attorney General: I Will Defend Prop 8 In Court

Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley says that if he is elected as state Attorney General in November, he will defend Proposition 8 in court. Current AG Jerry Brown had declined to do so.

"The role of the attorney general is to defend the will of the people," says [Cooley spokesman Kevin] Spillane. "He would defend (Prop. 8) and appeal" U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling that found the anti-gay marriage ballot measure to be unconstitutional. Spillane says Cooley considers his position on Proposition 8 to be a matter of "general policy" if he became the next attorney general, not an issue of whether or not he opposes same-sex marriage. Two weeks ago, Walker found Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot measure that banned gay marriage in California, to be unconstitutional. The ruling has been appealed by proponents of Prop. 8, with the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals taking the case. Legal experts are not certain what role, if any, the next attorney general or governor in California will play in the appeal, but there is a possibility those offices could get involved. California Attorney General Jerry Brown and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger have both refused to defend Prop. 8 in court. Cooley did not endorse or oppose the ballot measure in 2008, Spillane says.

The Democrats' candidate for California AG, Kamala Harris, has been a vocal supporter of marriage equality. GOP candidate for California governor Meg Whitman has not yet said whether she would appeal Judge Walker's decision, were she to be given the opportunity. But we know she would, of course.

Afternoon View - Williamsburg Bridge