Paul’s Comments (group member since Sep 23, 2008)

Paul’s comments from the Runs with scissors group.

I fear I bring very bad news. This morning, Kim passed away. I do not have full details yet, I am still in shock. Narzain will need all your thoughts and prayers.

I agree, it is insanity of the past revisiting. Sadly, this happens nationwide... EVERY year. We just typically do not hear about it. One school district JUST banned a book about families because it included same sex families. A quick search on Google News and you can find:

A book banned from a high school honors level English program for the "f-word"
http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/...

Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eyes" banned for incest and child molestation
http://theworldlink.com/news/local/ed...

Police called when students hand out copies of a book banned that "contains offensive words "we do not speak in our home," while others objected to a "reference to masturbation," and called the book "anti-Christian."
http://gawker.com/parents-call-cops-t...

AND finally... parents trying to ban sex education books from school for being too graphic (they are drawings!)
http://www.jrn.com/kmtv/news/Parents-...

Yes, we are going tooooo far in this!

As an aside... the McDonald's coffee lawsuit was a valid thing. I read up on this recently... the woman did not just get a little burn. She was severely burned, had to have skin grafts, and McDonald's admitted that their practice was to serve the coffee JUST this side of boiling, despite industry recommendations of serving it about 20 degrees cooler.

I got a phone call from Cleveland.com, and they are interested in publishing and editorial I wrote on their site and/or in the Plain Dealer. Here it is:

An Open Letter to Steve Wiles of North Carolina and to all others that believe marriage is a religious institution:

Marriage is not a religious institution. It is a legal institution that can be observed with a religious ceremony. As an ordained minister I had to get permission from the government to solemnize vows. A couple that comes to me to be married also has to have permission. Additionally, once I solemnize the vows it is still not a legal marriage until I return the papers to the government. Transversely, should a couple choose a judge to solemnize their vows, nothing is needed from any church or minister. How then is marriage a religious institution? You don't get to throw away the history and laws of this country because they don't line up with your religious beliefs. That is a state known as anarchy.

Reverend Patterson

There are books that most of us have read and loved, but over the years the title and author have become lost to us. There is a group here on Goodreads called What's The Name of That Book??? This group has already helped me out, I have found a book that I read 30 years ago and really want to read again... The Day the Oceans Overflowed.

There is also an outside group at whatsthatbook.com

YYYAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Energies sent

In my opinion? To #$^^ with funerals. It has been my experience with people in my family that not ONLY do Bible Thumpers use a time of grief to terrorize/coerce a captive audience into buying their beliefs, there are a LOT of family members boo-hooing great big fake crocodile tears. I have watched people that talked to me about how much they hated someone in the family weep and mourn at the casket. I have ALSO seen people that could not stand the deceased smirking and gloating in the funeral home.

I have let everyone in my family know that there will be no funeral when I die. There will be no grave to desecrate (yes, people in my family steal and throw away OR destroy and leave laying on the grave flowers that are placed on the graves). PEN, Lee-Ann and I all three have decided for straight cremation, no frills. Oh, and THAT alone is a thousand dollars per person currently. At least that's what it cost my sister to cremate her husband.

I know I am an old fart, and rarely go out after dark. Never thought I would be grateful for that!

I am scared now. Very scared. There was a savage gay bashing on my street Saturday night. A gang of about 20 young thug punks beat one gay man. Police were called at least three times in the hour before the attack as the gang was milling around on the street, t-shirts pulled up to cover some of their faces, and trying to get into the bar on the corner. Of course, it being a gay bar, they naturally didn't bother to come out until someone was hurt badly. There is currently a cop car across the street from us, hopefully they are actually investigating.

I so want to move.

Hello. No apologies for this, it is an editorial I am submitting to one of the local news station.

My name is Reverend Paul Patterson. I take great offense at the treatment of the LGBT community as second class citizens. The recent Supreme Court decision is a great triumph for a section of law abiding, tax-paying United States citizens that are heavily discriminated against. Sadly, it has caused a great deal of pot-banging, yet again declaring the need to "protect the sanctity of marriage".

First, marriage IS NOT a religious institution. As a fully ordained minister, I had to prove my ordination to the State of Ohio in order to receive permission to solemnize wedding vows. A couple that comes to me to get married must FIRST get a license (legal permission issued by the State of Ohio). Once they have that license, they can CHOOSE to have their wedding solemnized by a minister, by a judge, by a Mayor, or by a Justice of the Peace. Conversely, that judge, Mayor, or Justice of the Peace requires NO permission from any church or minister. Additionally, the couple getting married requires nothing from the church for their marriage to be legal, encompassing all rights, privileges, protections and responsibilities granted by that LEGAL term.



Additionally, LEGAL recognition of gay marriages WILL NOT force ANY changes on ANY church or minister. No one minister will be required to perform a gay marriage, just as they are now not required to perform a straight wedding. We, as ministers, can refuse to solemnize any marriage for any reason, no questions asked.



People say that marriage is only between one man and one woman for procreation. Does this invalidate marriages of infertile couples? Does this invalidate the marriages of senior citizens that wed late in life? No, it does not because procreation is not a requirement for marriage.



Second, the cry goes out that we need to return to Biblical marriage. I ask what type of marriage do you refer to? The marriage of a man and two of his cousins, purchased from their father in exchange for 14 years of labor as Jacob did in Genesis 29? The marriage of a soldier and his female prisoner of war as in Numbers 3? The marriage that you arranged between two slaves as in Exodus 21? The marriage of a rapist and his victim as in Deuteronomy 22? How about a marriage between a king, 700 wives and 300 concubines as with King Solomon?



It is clear that marriage HAS changed through the years. It is clear that marriage was never restricted to one man and one woman in the Bible, except as recorded in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 for holding an office of bishop, deacon or elder in the church.



The United States guarantees that we are free to worship as we see fit (provided we are not harming others). This is not restricted to Judeo Christian beliefs. It is fine to encompass and celebrate your beliefs, to follow the dogma of your sect/denomination. But you do not have the right to over-rule the religious beliefs of others in differing sects/denominations, let alone other religions. It is past time to recognize that fact. Keep your religion in your church, in your home, in your life, but out of politics.

I am so sorry to hear about the loss. Much comfort to you my friend.

To paraphrase one of my FAVORITE entertainers, Ms. Wanda Sykes, they don't GIVE a #$%^ hehehe. But sadly, it's true.... they really DON'T care about anyone but themselves.

While I understand your point (AND agree with your point) there are some that have a medical reason for what they do. I know that I had to hear PEN gripe and complain about me sniffing my nose instead of blowing it. I had a nasal polyp and blowing the nose did no good. I got sick of him griping before I was able to get the surgery and blew extra hard... the polyp descended into my actual nostril.

No, everyone snorking does NOT have a polyp. Many are just disgusting lazy pigs. But there ARE a few that have medical excuses.

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/...

My condolences dear friend. Huggies.

Thoughts, love and energy heading out my dear. BIG huggies

So... I am having a LOT of pain in my left leg recently, at night. Waking up every two to three hours from the pain. I went to the doctor's office and he diagnosed inflamed bursa and t-strap. He sent me for x-rays and the results posted on mychart. Test results posted on mychart. I now apparently have:
Disk space narrowing, vacuum disk Phenomenon and endplate spurring at the lower four lumbar levels consistent with
degenerative disk disease. Multilevel degenerative facet changes are seen as well. There is mild dextroscoliosis of the lumbar spine. There is mild marginal spurring at the left hip. Mild osteoarthritis at the left hip.

I am going to find a teaching position with insurance how? I am going to work 20 years there how? Color me depressed :(

Comfort and huggies to you my dear, dear friend.

BIG hugs to you my dear. Call me.

Seeing that today, September 7th, is the 46th anniversary of the first broadcast of the first episode of Star Trek: The Original Series (as it is now known lo these many spinoffs later)... food for thought. Without that wonderful comedienne and shrewd business woman Lucille Ball, we would not have Star Trek!

http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Lucil...