Okay gays and gals, I am soooo sorry that I have not been doing a better job with the updates. Those of you that have stuck by me through all of this craziness with the move and everything are the best ever!
My schedule is so crazy lately. I'm up at 5 am every morning and out the door by 6, so I can get to work for training, which starts at 7. Still not internet service at home, so i'm taking advantage of every free wi-fi hotspot I can find, provided I'm not too exhausted after work.
I'm in training for my new job in a call center, where I'll be fielding calls for a Medicare Advantage plan during Open Enrollment this fall. They've really rushed us through our preliminary training and licensing exams. I've passed my state exam for Health, Accident and Life and am now licensed to sell those policies in NC. My group was supposed to receive training on Medicare before that state exam, but we were thrown into product training for the Medicare Advantage plan we'll be selling. The state exam study is to be done on our own time. Fortunately, they have made some trainers available to lead study groups and reviews.
I've passed the first pre-test for Medicare and have another exam to take before taking the state Medicare Exam. I haven't been scheduled for the state exam yet, but I should know the date in the next few days.
Once I'm licensed and finish product training I can get on the phones and start earning commissions, which you can't do without a licence.
Wish me luck!
The Rev
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Candlelight Vigil Held in Charlotte to Protest Homophobic Marriage Amendment
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| Photo, Steve Publicover |
According to an NPR story I heard on the way home tonight, this was a tactical decision on the part of NC Republicans who now have a majority in the legislature. The thinking is that anti-Obama sentiment in the state is enough to get their base to the polls in November, so they're saving the gay thing for May, when they'll need to rally the base once again for the presidential primaries.
Wow! I don't know about you, but I feel sooo important with all this attention!
What the Tarheel Repulitards fail to take into account is the change in public sentiment since the days when Carl Rove used homophobia to get out the vote and secure W's second term. This could either work as they intended or back fire.
I guess it all depends on how badly Obama fucks up between now and then. If he can pull his ass out of the frying pan and give his base a reason to support him agian this time, we may just have a chance to defeat this measure, but I wouldn't put money on it.
Meanwhile, your friendly southern-fried Blog Meister has been trying to make inroads with the local queers in his new home town/state. A friend of mine alerted me to an impromptu candlelight vigil being held by MCC Monday night at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Charlotte. I picked him up and we headed into the city.
The crowd of about 300 packed the small church and listened to the inspirational words of leaders from several religious backgrounds, assuring them that God and history are on our side. The MCC Choir performed and the crowd left feeling revitalized in the face of such a disappointing setback.
It was my first foray into the Charlotte LGBT community and I was so pleased to see so many people come out at the last minute to support their community.
Cher Tells Off Chaz's DWTS Critics (video)
There's been a lot of talk from the haters on the right about what kind of message Dancing With the Stars is sending by including Chaz Bono in this season's line up. They're falling all over themselves trying to see who can spew the most venom. This week, Sonny and Cher's offspring was on Ellen promoting the show and who should call in to comment on the haters, but the mother of all divas herself. Warning, F-Bombs will be dropped. Huffington Post reports.
Nobody puts Chaz Bono down without hearing a few choice words from Cher.
Some fans of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" were unhappy with the decision to cast Bono, who underwent hormone treatment and surgery to transition from woman to man.
Yet, the bigoted backlash has only made him more determined to compete on the ABC competition.
When Chaz Bono stopped by the Ellen DeGeneres Show to chat about competing on the new season of "Dancing With the Stars," he received a surprise phone call from his outspoken mom Cher, who didn't hesitate to lash out at those "terrified" of her child.
"If you got that excess time and that amount of hostility, I'm not so sure that I can say anything to you that would make you change your feelings," said Cher. "I don't know that I would have any magic words to make you feel more comfortable and to soothe you into not being terrified of my child dancing on Dancing With the F-cking Stars."
Although Bono isn't letting all of the negative comments get to him, he admits that there are a few things that he's afraid of.
"The quickstep gives me nightmares, but I'm starting to feel pretty confident," Bono told Ellen Degeneres. "We did it for some of the other people on the show today, and they seem to really like it."
To which, Cher laughingly added, "I got to tell you something. You doing this dance is about as scary as you making 'the change.'"
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Alec Baldwin Calls Out Queen Who Dissed Him in Tweet
So what if his goes off on his kid on an insane voicemail rant every now and then? He's funny, furry and daddy-licious in my book! Not to mention that he's a huge supporter of marriage equality and regularly tiptoes up to the hetero-homo boarder with his humor.
So it is in this light that I can forgive him for his tweet today where he called an uptight queen an "Uptight Queen". How dare she disrespect my future ex-husband like that?!
Hat tip to Joe.My.God.
Poll: Majority in NC Oppose Marriage Amendment, Favor Marriage Equality
Image via WikipediaA recent poll conducted by Elon University shows for the first time that a majority of North Carolinians oppose amending the state constitution to ban marriage equality. The Tar Heel State already has a law on the books defining marriage as only between one man and one woman.
NC Governor Bev Perdue said in a statement last week that state legislators should be focusing their efforts on cleaning up devastated coastal areas in the wake of Hurricane Irene and job creation, instead of social issues. Equality NC reports:
Fifty-six percent (56%) of North Carolina voters oppose or strongly oppose an amendment to the state constitution that would ban same-sex marriage, a five-point jump in the last two years, according to a February 2011 Elon University Poll, a non-partisan polling service.
The poll also showed a strong majority (57%) of North Carolinians support marriage or civil unions for same-sex couples, revealing a dramatic 9% increase in public support for marriage equality in only two years. This result mirrors two separate polls conducted by Public Policy Polling in March and July that also reveal majority support of legal recognitions for same-sex couples.
“Over the past year, Equality North Carolina has had thousands of conversations with citizens from across the state of every age, race and background who oppose this discriminatory legislation and the harm it would cause to LGBT North Carolinans, our economy and our state’s reputation,” said Alex Miller, interim executive director at Equality NC. “These polls reflect these findings and track with national data that suggests the appetite for constitutional bans of same-sex marriage is waning. When our legislators push this anti-gay marriage amendment, they do so without the approval of the majority of the citizens of our state.”Read the full story here.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Passed the State Insurance Test!
I am now officially licensed to sell health, Accident and Life insurance in the State of North Carolina, having passed the state exam on Saturday morning. Thanks to the intensive training provided by my employer, the exam was a breeze. Well, maybe not a breeze, but not as difficult as the exams we had to pass in class.
Starting the training for the job this week, but they've rushed the class through, so my medicare training and testing is on my time, which means staying at work late to use their computers, since I'm still without interwebs at the new house. Working on getting that taken care of this week.
The cats are loving the new house. Plenty of room for them stay out of each others' way.
Battery dying. More later.
Starting the training for the job this week, but they've rushed the class through, so my medicare training and testing is on my time, which means staying at work late to use their computers, since I'm still without interwebs at the new house. Working on getting that taken care of this week.
The cats are loving the new house. Plenty of room for them stay out of each others' way.
Battery dying. More later.
Servicemembers Discharged Under DADT Seek Re-enlistment
Image via WikipediaWith the final nail in the coffin for Don't Ask, Don't Tell, just days away, some gays and lesbians, who were booted out under the Clinton Era policy, are hoping to re-enlist. The New York Times reports: By some estimates, hundreds of gay men and lesbians among the more than 13,000 who were discharged under the policy have contacted recruiters or advocacy groups saying they want to re-enlist after the policy is repealed on Sept. 20.
Bleu Copas is one. He had been in the Army for just three years when someone sent an anonymous e-mail to his commanders telling them he was gay. After he was discharged in 2006 under “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the military’s ban on openly gay troops, “It took away all my value as a person,” he recalled.
Michael Almy is another. When the Air Force began its investigation into whether he was gay, it suspended his security clearance and relieved him of his command. On his final day in service in 2006, police officers escorted him to the gate. “It left kind of a bitter taste,” he said.
Though the Pentagon says it will welcome their applications, former service members discharged for homosexuality will not be granted special treatment. They will have to pass physical fitness tests and prove that they have skills the armed services need right now. Some will have aged to the point that they will need waivers to get back in.
Even if they pass those hurdles, there is no guarantee that they will go back to their former jobs or ranks. And because the armed services are beginning to shrink, some will be rejected because there are no available slots.
Read the full story here.
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