Strange Week

This week was mucho stressful. My day job is turning into an overtime nightmare. Lots of work and lots of getting up in the wee hours or logging in late after I close the store.

I had a couple things happen that really made me step back. One, a friend from a long time ago who found me on Facebook earlier this year unfriended me in a really big way. You see she's become a die hard Republican robot who literally shoots out platitudes from the party like witty little factless bumper stickers. At first I thought maybe I can teach her something because on Facebook I am pretty much an open book, it's the best and usually only way I get to communicate with family and friends. So I really don't hold back on anything there, my opinions, mainly political go from my brain to the website without filters. Also because so many people who knew me back when as a very shy and assumed straight kid, now get to see someone very different. So anyway, no loss on losing her friendship, over the White House HOLIDAY Tree of all things. But it did make me think about being diplomatic and I now know you cannot be diplomatic while being teabagged by a birther.

The second thing was an e-mail conversation with a friend. Not to make too much of it but one part of the discussion was an honest take on the fact that I am very political man and it turns some people off. I live for politics, I read about it, discuss it at websites, follow the latest news on it, join boycotts, spread information on it and try to change it in my former and current nations. It's what I do and I asked myself why tonight. I spent many years not knowing the difference between a Republican or Democrat. I watched Reagan's first innaugural with awe because I was home sick from the 7th grade with the flu. I didn't realize he was my enemy at the time (his choosing not mine). I spent the 90's as a young gay man who didn't give a rats ass about our rights. By then I knew to vote Dem but really didn't know why.

So tonight I asked myself, why am I annoyingly political to some people? (in a Carrie Bradshaw kind of way) I found out very quickly why. When I met Emilio I quickly I have no rights, I am a powerless American citizen who met a guy who was my dream come true and I had no way of preserving the relationship I wanted all my life because the nation I was born in is a fucked up mess. The only way I can fight back is by being political, teaching people, staying informed and being passionate about our rights and for fairness and equality in every area, not just for gays. So I say I am proud I became annoyingly political and don't care if people don't like it. It's who I am.... take it or leave it.

New Arrivals

Hunter and Abrahan arrived safely late Saturday night and we were lucky to have them stop by the store Sunday. We spent an enjoyable afternoon talking about the move and hopefully taking away some of the anxiety of being in a new country.

In fact Hunter just called me to say they think they found an apartment nearby to us. Very exciting!

We welcome our newest friends to Toronto and hope they love it here as much as we do.

This and That

Today was supposed to be the settlement hearing for my court case against Restaurant Liquidators. Fortunately I requested a phone conference because the defendant did not show up, just his lawyer did. So I was awarded $100 compensation for my troubles and got a postponement. The funny thing is Restaurant Liquidators is on the same street as the court in London, Ont and Adam couldn't get there. It bodes well for my complaint against him not showing or calling when the equipment broke.

Good news on the horizon, Hunter and Abrahan arrive this weekend. The latest bi-national couple to arrive to our wonderful Canada. They are traveling quite a bit to get here since no US stopovers are allowed. Emilio and I know about that craziness all to well.

We had a lovely Thanksgiving with Adam and Eric. Originally we were invited to Doug and Rich's but we declined as it was our first day off since May and we really needed to rest in, which we did until 1:00pm. Eric came up with the brilliant idea of eating at the revolving restaurant at the CN Tower. 5pm dinner allowed us to have the view in day light and the second revolution in darkness. It was spectacular to say the least. The food was good, company was great and the view awesome.

Michael Coren is a disgrace

I don't normally watch Michael Coren because the two times that I tried he came across as a whiney Catholic victim. But today I saw that Bishop Lahey of Nova Scotia was arrested for child pornography on his laptop. The Bishop was someone who brokered a multi million dollar deal for victims of priest abuse. So I turned on his show and as usual Michael Coren the church's apologist eluded the bishop was unfairly chosen from the line of people at the airport to be searched (ergo his usual catholic victimhood).

He goes on to say 85% of the cases were homosexual in nature and that the church tried to purge gays from the priesthood to solve the problem. Someone needs to teach this man that the church is a breeding ground for pedophiles, that they choose the profession as a power position of unquestionable authority to gain access to their victims, it has nothing to do with sexual orientation.

The reality is Michael Coren is more likely a molestor than the average gay man since the majority of sexual abuse cases come from straight identified men who are head of the household, related or know the family of the victim. Perhaps it's time we seek to deny him equal rights as a danger to society.

Later in the show he supported the ban on gays donating blood due to promiscuity (another swarmy look from his gap toothed pious face)

Then he chastized David Lettermen for his affairs. I only wish he had such harshness for his bishop.

Settling things

We settled our differences with the IRS, basically they screwed us, threatened and I had to decide between visiting family in the future or paying them. The hurt I saw in my Mom's face this summer when I said I might not be able to come down was enough for me to pay the bastards. They still never paid Emilio or I any of the stimulus money everyone else received for 2007. Typical of why I am so glad to be in Canada.

I finally got through to the court and received some great advice. I am going into the settlement hearing with confidence next month. I also decided I can in fact do a phone conference saving me the 4 hour round trip drive and from taking off either job.

Emilio and I are preparing for fall and winter at the store. Hot Chocolate, Waffles, Panini and Soup will be added. The equipment is in and Emilio installed a exhaust system this week. He's been working on perfecting recipes.

I am feeling much better than last week. I've accepted the challenges before me will knock them off one at a time.

I spoke to Hunter earlier this week, he and his hubby will arrive in October. We're excited to have another successfull landing of a couple seperated by ignorance and bigotry in the US. Yesterday Silas stopped by the store to catch up, he and Willy are settling in nicely to Toronto. I was happy to find out he is an old movie buff just like me.

Also last week Gito and Juan and the ever adorable Fang and Trouble gave me a surprise visit during their road trip to Ottawa. So nice to see our friends from Windsor.

Onward, forward and the rest of the yadda yadda yadda.

Tough Noogies

Lately I just can't seem to keep my head above water. Between work, the store, IRS, our crappy developer Willowfield Winchester and the court case against Restaurant Liquidators, I just can't stand the stress. It's overwhelming and it really all needs to just go away. A guy can only take so much.

Last weekend was the hardest working weekend of my life. There was the Cabbagetown Festival and it was a great success. We got our butts kicked with so many customers. I feel bad for being short with one woman, I was just way over-doing it and I was rude. I wish I could go back and apologize.

Just taking it one day at a time. It's all I can do.

ENDA MUST BE PASSED IN THE US

In 29 states it is legal to fire someone for being gay, in 38 states it is legal to fire someone for being transgender, in all 50 states it is illegal to fire someone for their choice of religion, there is something wrong with this picture.

Bishop Hypocrite also gave $150,000 for Opposite Marriage Only

Houses of worship close as house of bishop eats up cash: The more the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland shutters its churches and puts them on the real estate market, the larger the question looms: Should Maine's bishop still be living in a million-dollar mansion?

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It's on Portland's tony Western Promenade. According to city tax records, the 6,970-square-foot, three-story "mansion" has six bedrooms, 4 baths, an 840-square-foot garage and an assessed value of $1,126,000.

In short, pretty nice digs by anyone's standards. Too nice, according to at least one perennial thorn in the side of Bishop Richard Malone.

"It's not about Richard Malone," said Paul Kendrick, a Roman Catholic who for years has publicly decried the church's handling of the sexual abuse of children by priests. "It's about 'What kind of church is this?'"

Kendrick fired off a mass-distribution e-mail this week after hearing that five churches – Notre Dame de Lourdes Church in Saco, St. Mary of the Assumption and St. Andre churches in Biddeford, and St. Joseph and St. Patrick churches in Lewiston – will close this year and next because of shrinking congregations, growing costs to maintain the buildings and the need to protect religious programs and services from ever-increasing parish deficits.

"Bishop Malone wants Maine's Catholics to cut costs, spend less and do without," observed Kendrick. "Everyone, that is, but him."

Tough words, to be sure, from a man who last year was threatened with official church sanctions (not to mention police arrest) if he didn't steer clear of Malone.

Still, it's not the first time in recent years that the opulence of a bishop's residence has raised eyebrows – and in a few cases, led to "For Sale" signs.

Six years ago, as the Archdiocese of Boston struggled to pay for legal claims by those sexually abused by priests, Cardinal Sean O'Malley sold the palatial cardinal's residence in Brighton, Mass., and moved into the rectory of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston's South End. The move, which caught many by surprise, won O'Malley widespread praise, even from the archdiocese's harshest critics.

Last fall, Bishop David Zubik of the Diocese of Pittsburgh put his residence up for sale and moved into a seminary to be closer to those studying to be priests. The Rev. Ronald Lengwin, spokesman for the diocese, said this week that the property, valued last fall at $1.5 million, is now under contract and will likely be sold within the next few weeks.

Zubik told the media last fall that his decision reflects "more pressing concerns" facing the diocese as it struggles to make ends meet and at the same time fulfill its basic missions, including "reaching out to the poor."

"People think it's good that he is moving in with the seminarians," said Lengwin. "And that it's good for the church."

Then there's the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio, where Bishop George Murry put his suburban residence on the market for $339,000 three months ago and moved into a smaller home in the city. Murry also announced that many furnishings from the stately five-bedroom home would be donated to Catholic Charities.

Diocese of Youngstown Chancellor Nancy Yuhasz said Thursday that although the property has not yet been sold, Murry's decision has been "received very well by the parishioners and the clergy."

The old residence "is so large and such an expense," Yuhasz said. "It shows we're trying to be good stewards of our resources."

Back here in Portland, diocesan spokeswoman Sue Bernard said it would be a mistake to assume a connection between what it costs to run the diocese – including, for example, the $19,620 annual property-tax bill for the bishop's residence – and the ongoing efforts to bring various parishes' property more in line with their current needs.

(The diocese's operations are funded from a variety of sources, Bernard said, including a 12 percent levy on each parish's total revenue and a bishop's fundraising appeal made directly each year to Maine's estimated 200,000 Roman Catholics.)

Malone's charge to the parishes, Bernard noted, has been to determine "What do you need? Take a look at what you need and see if there's an excess there."

But might the same challenge be put to the bishop? Considering that he lives alone, does he truly need six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a three-car garage?

Bernard noted that the mansion, which has served as the bishop's residence since Bishop Joseph McCarthy purchased it for the diocese back in 1939, is used to entertain visitors to the diocese and for other social functions.

"He lives there by himself," she said, "but he isn't the only one who uses it."

What's more, Bernard said, while it's in a "lovely neighborhood," the interior could use some work. "There's wallpaper coming off in some places, peeling paint."

So why not sell it and move into the rectory at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, where Maine's bishops lived before 1939?

In addition to generating, say, a million dollars from a sale and saving another $25,000 or so in annual operating expenses, might not such a downsizing send a powerful message to Maine's Roman Catholics about living within one's needs in these austere times?

"I'm sure there are people who would agree," Bernard conceded.

Starting, of course, with Kendrick, who titled his latest missive "Do Catholics in Biddeford, Saco and Lewiston know about this?"

"We're talking about the parishioners' money," Kendrick said, "and there's too much else to do with it."

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