Tag: teenagers

‎30-40% of Homeless Youth Identify as LGBT

On By Michel McDonaldIn Anti-Gay1 Comment

I saw this link on the Bakersfield Gay and Lesbian Center Facebook page this morning.

Young, Gay And Homeless: Fighting For Resources – NPR

I was a homeless gay teen.  I was kicked out of the house when I was 15 years old for not wanting to visit my mother in the hospital.  I was homeless for 6 months wondering day-to-day when I was going to get my next meal.

I was homeless again when I was 17 years old because my mother rejected me for being gay.  She confronted me about being gay then 2 weeks later kicked me out of the house.  She made me choose between being gay and being her son.

I know what it’s like to be homeless so I understand this story more than anyone in the world.

This article says that there are 3,800 homeless teens in New York City and only 250 beds.  I have a solution if anyone will hear me out.  Anyone who identifies as Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual or Transgendered or even a PFLAG member can invite them into their home to stay with them for a short time.  Help them get their GED (if they didn’t get to graduate high school) and help them find a job.  After 3 months they will have enough money saved up to get their own apartment and it will all be because you helped them.

When I was homeless the second time around, the Salvation Army church helped me but they weren’t allowed to know that I was gay because if they found out, they would have kicked me out.  Being rejected once by your family is one thing but then to be rejected by the church is devastating.  If we are going to tell them that it gets better, we need to prove it by showing them that it gets better by helping them.

Think of it as adopting a child, because they are still children after all.  These children are teenagers but they are still children whose childhood was taken away from them.  Give it back to them by helping them get off the streets.

And you parents, you should be ashamed of yourselves.  Waiting until their 18th birthday to kick out your own child just because they are gay.  Especially around the holidays.  SHAME SHAME SHAME!  You kick them out of the house because your religion says that it’s wrong.  So abandoning them is right?  You think they are going to hell?  So you think that God will approve of how you treated your child?  Think again.

Gay Teens Commit Suicide Thanks to Bullies

On By Michel McDonaldIn Gay RightsLeave a comment

It’s Time to End Teenage Bullying – via The Ellen Degeneres Show

I just heard the news that 5 teenagers have committed suicide in the past 3 weeks. These kids were bullied in school and/or outed on the internet as being gay. They just couldn’t take it anymore so they killed themselves.

I heard that one of the 13-year-old boys hung himself.  13 years old!  You cannot imagine how bad he must have been made to feel to hang himself.  I don’t know the circumstances or the way the other ones killed themselves but things have to be pretty bad to get to that point.

My heart truly goes out to the parents of these children as well as the children who are going through this.  You know, when I was their age I was this close (holds fingers close together) to doing the same thing.  It’s bad.  It really is and I know how they feel.

I would like for all parents out there to please sit down with their children and tell them that being a bully is such a waste of your teenage years.  Stop teaching your kids hatred and to be a bully and start teaching them that it doesn’t matter what color someone is, if they are fat, if they are gay or even the slightest bit different from them.  We are all human beings no matter what.  There is no reason to go around bullying anyone period!

I would also like to send a message out to all of the LGBT children out there.  I know first hand how bad it is for you.  I was a teenager once myself.  I endured the bullying for years but I had to keep telling myself that it’s going to be better someday.  It won’t last forever.  Just keep telling yourself that.  Ignore what the other kids say or what they call you because in 15-30 years they are going to have children and there is a 50/50 chance that their children are going to be gay and come out of the closet.  They will have to learn tolerance then.

Your life is too precious and valuable to do that.  Please, if you feel you need to talk to someone, use these resources that Ellen Degeneres has put on her website (link above).  They can help you in a way that even your parents and family can’t (or won’t).

I promise you, it will get better but you need to give life a chance and talk about it with someone.  Let them be your lifeline.

  • The Trevor Project at 866 4U TREVOR. It’s a 24-hour, national help line for gay and questioning teens. You can learn more about The Trevor Project at their website: thetrevorproject.org.
  • Angels and Doves is a nationwide anti-bullying non-profit organization.  Their website isAngelsandDoves.com
  • The National Center for Bullying Prevention is helping to promote awareness and teach effective ways to respond to bullying. You can learn more about them at their website:Pacer.org/bullying
  • The Matthew Shepard Foundation runs Matthew’s Place, an online community and resource center for LGBTQ youth. The website is matthewsplace.com
  • GLSEN is also a great organization that is working to eradicate bullying and bias in schools. Their website is: glsen.org
  • STOMP Out Bullying is focused on reducing bullying and cyber bullying. Find out more on their website: stompoutbullying.org

We Got Carded for Wood Putty

On By Michel McDonaldIn Daily BlogLeave a comment

Ok, I’ve been carded in my life for cigarettes when I was younger.  I’ve been carded for booze when I went into the bars when I was younger or when buying beer from the store.  No problem.  But I’ve never been carded for buying wood putty.

We went to Home Depot for prices on linoleum floors for the kitchen in the rental and while we were there Darrin needed some wood putty and we went to the self checkout lanes.  I scanned the wood putty and the screen said that we needed assistance from the employee who had to check Chips ID.

I’ve talked about Darrin here in my blog on several occasion.  He is 59 years old and he has gray hair.  He is hardly a person that you would card for something let alone wood putty.

I can understand carding for spray paint because I’m sure teenagers are always buying spray paint but wood putty?  Sheesh.  What could you possibly do with wood putty that would be destructive to someone else’s property?

Whatever.

Thumb Sucking Adults

On By Michel McDonaldIn Daily Blog4 Comments

What is up with thumb sucking adults?  I’ve seen teenagers with a pacifier in his/her mouth or sucking their thumb.  Today we passed this lady in her car sucking her thumb while driving.

I’m not here to make fun of anyone but I just want to know why they do it?  I’ve been reading up on it and apparently it’s all psychological.  But there are problems associated with thumb sucking.  Such as your teeth grow so that your thumb can stay in your mouth and your tongue gets this white coating on it.  Your thumb also can get sores on them where the teeth are biting down on them as well as your skin becomes red and infected because of the constant moisture from the inside of your mouth.

Not only that but your fingers are digging in your purse or pocket, intermingling with objects outside of the mouth such as poles, door handles, money… etc.

It’s a disgusting habit and these adults need to grow up and stop sucking their thumbs and teenagers especially, it doesn’t look cool to either be sucking your thumb or have a pacifier on a necklace around your neck.  Come on, seriously, pick up a different habit because you look like you belong in a psycho ward.  It’s hard to look like a thug with a pacifier in your mouth.  If you come up to me with your jeans around your knees showing me your boxers with that street thug strut, don’t expect me to take you seriously when you have a pacifier or your thumb in your mouth.

Pimp Your Bike

On By Michel McDonaldIn BikeLeave a comment

I just saw this article on the Dvice website.

Pimp your bike with MonkeyLectric LED wheels

This is so cool.  I used to have a little fan that did the same thing, I don’t know where that fan is but they sell them at the store for like $3.  But, who cares about such a small fan when you can have this on your bicycle on both the front and the back wheels.

It has 16 led lights on each side and it straps right to the spokes on the inside of the wheel so it’s not sticking out.  You can put 1 on your wheel or you can put 4 on your wheel or 1-4 on each wheel.  It’s really cool for teenagers at night so they can woo their friends and also be very visible to cars so they don’t get hit… from the side?  Cars can’t really see this from the back.

I wonder if this is street legal though.  I can see it being bicycle trail and skate park legal but what about the street?

This product from MonkeyLectric is only $60 per board and it takes 3AA batteries which are good for 30 hours.

Stargate

On By Michel McDonaldIn TVLeave a comment

I’ve always loved the show Stargate SG-1 but only watched it occasionally but since I wasn’t a regular watcher of the show I was always lost.  So a couple of months ago I decided to sit and watch it every day when it came on Sci-Fi.  I started paying attention to it when Ben Browder came onto the show.  No reason why I paid attention to him, just a coincidence lol.  Don’t put any thought into it lol.

I know that I’m still probably lost and I figured that they would be nearing the end of the last season soon so I can start watching it from the beginning again but I don’t know when that will be.

Stargate Universe will be coming in the fall and I really want to be caught up by then.  Although, it doesn’t look like it’s from the same era, it looks like it might be in the future but I won’t know until it comes on.  I want to be really caught up with SG-1 before I start watching SGU anyway.

Yesterday I bought the original 1994 Stargate movie which I have seen before but I want to start it all over by watching the movie.  Plus I’m sure there are some bonus features.  Maybe.  I’ll have to wait until it comes in the mail.

I also bought another Stargate which I had no idea even existed.  “Stargate Infinity: The Complete Series” which apparently is a cartoon with half hour episodes.  There was only 1 season so it wasn’t a very good one I guess lol.  I can only assume they were trying to target the show to kids because some of the cast members were teenagers lol.  As if Stargate Command would have teenager soldiers fighting the fight.  Hilarious.  I bought it because it’s campy to me.

I was going to start buying each season on DVD but there are 10 seasons at $21 each and I can buy the entire series in a big box for $115 and get 2 bonus discs with all bonus features.  So I’m just going to do that.  I’m going to have to wait until next month though to set aside half then on my birthday pay for the rest so this will be my birthday present to myself lol.

When I’m done with all that then I’m going to buy Stargate Atlantis.  Although, I might wait until they have the entire series in a box.  Right now I think they only have each season sold individually.  I will work on getting that before the fall so I’m REALLy caught up hehe.

Is 17 Mature Enough for Plan-B?

On By Michel McDonaldIn Health, NewsLeave a comment

There is a new debate about the age limit being lowered from 18 to 17 for buying the Plan B pill without a prescription.  They are asking if age 17 is mature enough to buy this new drug.  This drug “Plan B” is meant to prevent a pregnancy within the first 72 hours.  It is not an abortion pill but merely a preventative measure against pregnancy.

I think that if a 17-year-old is mature enough to spread her legs and have unprotected sex with a boy, whether it be consensual or non-consensual, then she is mature enough to buy this over the counter and not need to go to the doctor’s office and have to get her parents permission.  I mean come on, by the time it takes you to get the courage enough to tell your parents that you had sex then you have to wait for the appointment (that is if you don’t go in as a walk-in) a week will have gone by and by then it’s too late.  You can only take this within the first 72 hours for it to work.

Do you really want there to be more 17-year-old mothers in the world?  Yeah, I didn’t think so.  I mean, come on, Maury Povich has cornered the market on finding out who the baby daddy is when it comes to girls who are 12 years old all the way to adulthood.  If a 12-year-old is mature enough to get pregnant I think she should be allowed to buy this too so I think that 17 is way mature enough.

The debate shouldn’t be is a 17-year-old mature enough but instead it should be how can we make sure all teenagers who are old enough to have sex get this pill?

Dell DJ Battery On Hold

On By Michel McDonaldIn Gadgets, MusicLeave a comment

Well, since I bought the pump and frame bag for my bike I now have to wait on the battery for my Dell DJ.  In order to ride my bike I need stuff for it.  If my tire blows I can’t pump it up without the tools in a bag on my bike frame so the Dell DJ is a moot point because the whole reason I wanted to get a new battery was so I could enjoy music while riding the bike, if I can’t ride the bike then no reason for music.

There are a few other things I need as well like a new headlight and backlight preferably the kind that attach to the back wheel that turns on while you are riding the bike.  What can I say, I hate buying batteries.

I also need a bike shirt that absorbs the sweat and makes me cooler while I ride.  Cotton is so bad for riding a bike because it sticks to your skin.  It doesn’t absorb the sweat and then dry while you are riding.  Ok, don’t worry, I won’t subject anybody to bike shorts.  Believe me, it ain’t gonna happen.

I do need a helmet too though.  I know it’s the law for teenagers but it’s only common sense for an adult to wear one.  I tried buying one at this thrift store one time and Darrin laughed at me and it was a very nice one so if he laughs at me then it makes me not want to wear it which is a very dangerous way of thinking because if I got into an accident I’d DIE!

Hopefully when I get all that I need to ride then I will be able to get a battery for my Dell DJ.  I just can’t ride without music.  It’s so boring without it.  I do have a solar charger that plugs into the Dell DJ so that’s not a problem, the solar charger works as a battery.  But still, I’d rather have a proper battery.