Saturday, December 12, 2009

Adopt A Special Kid: Intro Workshop Dates for Prospective Parents!

Located in Oakland, and serving 21 counties in Northern California, Adopt A Special Kid is the oldest agency in the state working to help children in foster care get adopted into permanent, loving homes. AASK strives to make adoption accessible to a diverse range of families, including: LGBT parents, parents of all ethnic backgrounds, single and partnered parents, homeowners and renters, older parents, and people living with disabilities. AASK provides all social work services necessary to adopt a child from foster care at no cost to our families.

Prospective parents interested in foster care or adoption begin by attending a short informational workshop. An AASK social worker will present an overview of the child welfare system and the foster care and adoption processes. Parents can ask questions in a comfortable atmosphere and schedule an initial interview with a social worker.

Introductory workshops are held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month from 7:00-9:00 on the following dates:

January 12th
February 9th
March 9th
April 13th

E-mail info@aask.org or call (510) 553-1748 ext.12 to sign up for the next date!

The workshop schedule is always available on AASK's website, www.aask.org, under "Resources > News and Events", or via this direct link: http://www.aask.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53&Itemid=61

Monday, November 9, 2009

3 Steps to a Balanced Life

3 Steps to a Balanced Life

It has been a personal dream of mine, to create a tool to help individuals take an in-depth look at their emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. I would like to offer you the opportunity to experience my mind, body, and spirit assessment.

This assessment is a product of my professional and personal experiences as I have witnessed the struggles and transitions we all experience in our lives. When I saw how life’s difficulties can create emotional, physical, and spiritual imbalance, it compelled me to create a tool to help people become more self-aware. I intend for this assessment to bring about major lifestyle changes in order to create a healthy balance.

~Step 1~

The journey begins with this assessment. This section will provide you with a foundation upon which you can begin to learn and assess different areas of your life.

~Step 2~

The second step is to review the results of the assessment and receive an expert interpretation of your responses. This will provide you with an invaluable tool that will help balance your life.

~Step 3~

The third and final step will be to create a customized plan of action, based on the interpretation of your responses. This will provide you with solutions that will help bring balance and harmony into your life, as well as create changes that will become your new lifestyle.

Due to the uniqueness of this system, appointments are filling up very quickly. Please email us at info@HealingCrossroads.com for more information and appointment setting.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Adopt A Special Kid: Intro Workshop Dates for Prospective Parents!

Located in Oakland, and serving 21 counties in Northern California, Adopt A Special Kid is the oldest agency in the state working to help children in foster care get adopted into permanent, loving homes. AASK strives to make adoption accessible to a diverse range of families, including: LGBT parents, parents of all ethnic backgrounds, single and partnered parents, homeowners and renters, older parents, and people living with disabilities. AASK provides all social work services necessary to adopt a child from foster care at no cost to our families.

Prospective parents interested in foster care or adoption begin by attending a short informational workshop. An AASK social worker will present an overview of the child welfare system and the foster care and adoption processes. Parents can ask questions in a comfortable atmosphere and schedule an initial interview with a social worker.

Introductory workshops are held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month from 7:00-9:00 on these dates:

November 10, 2009
January 12, 2010
February 9, 2010
March 9, 2010


E-mail info@aask.org or call (510) 553-1748 ext.12 to sign up for the next date!

The workshop schedule is always available on AASK's website, www.aask.org, under "Resources > News and Events", or via this direct link: http://www.aask.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53&Itemid=61

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Saturn Cafe Receives 2009 Best of Business Award

Small Business Commerce Association’s Award Honors the Achievement

Check out the listing for the Saturn Cafe on GayFriendlyBiz.com

SAN FRANSICO, August 12, 2009, Saturn Cafe has been selected for the 2009 Best of Business Award in the Restaurant category by the Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA)

The Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA) is pleased to announce that Saturn Cafe has been selected for the 2009 Best of Business Award in the Restaurant category.

The SBCA 2009 Award Program recognizes the top 5% of small businesses throughout the country. Using consumer feedback, the SBCA identifies companies that we believe have demonstrated what makes small businesses a vital part of the American economy. The selection committee chooses the award winners from nominees based off information taken from monthly surveys administered by the SBCA, a review of consumer rankings, and other consumer reports. Award winners are a valuable asset to their community and exemplify what makes small businesses great.

About Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA)

Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA) is a San Francisco based organization. The SBCA is a private sector entity that aims to provide tactical guidance with many day to day issues that small business owners face. In addition to our main goal of providing a central repository of small business operational advice; we use consumer feedback to identify companies that exemplify what makes small business a vital part of the American economy.

SOURCE: Small Business Commerce Association

CONTACT:
Small Business Commerce Association
Email: Press@SBCAAwards.org
URL: http://www.SBCAAwards.org

Check out the listing for the Saturn Cafe on GayFriendlyBiz.com

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Tips for Divorcing or Divorced Parents

For many people, a divorce is a highly emotional juncture in their lives. During this time of crisis, sometimes adults forget to keep in mind the interests of their children. The children's needs and interests must be constantly considered in a divorce proceeding. Sometimes a little reminder is all it takes.

For More Info, click on the link below.

http://weinsteinlawoffice.com/In-the-Media.html


Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Gay Group Caribbean Cruise

Come and join us as we set sail on the newest and largest ship on the seas...Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas. The Oasis of the Seas sets sail for her maiden voyage in December and we will be sailing on her April 24 for a gay group cruise. The Oasis of the Seas offers 2 on board surfing locations, an AquaTheater, the Rising Tide bar, as well as numerous dining locations and tons of entertainment. Have you ever wanted to zipline? You can do it aboard the Oasis of the Seas. Did you miss Hairspray The Musical on Broadway? Now you can see it aboard the Oasis of the Seas. For the first time in history a cruise ship will be offering a Broadway musical. Why not join us? Bring your friends or meet new ones! Rates start at $1,149 per person based upon double occupancy. Want to know more? Check out this link for even more details. 7 day Eastern Caribbean cruise sailing aboard Royal Caribbean International's Oasis of the Seas, 4/24/2010

Monday, August 3, 2009

Furnished office space available in professional building in Gurnee.

Furnished office space available in professional building in Gurnee. Excellent location, off I-94. Accessible 24/7; rent as needed, by the hour, full or part-time. Email dana@danasteiner.com.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Twice Blessed: The Joys Not the Oys in Being Jewish and LGBT

Twice Blessed: The Joys Not the Oys in Being Jewish and LGBT is presented by the Jewish Diversity Committee of Congregation Darchei Noam and Co-sponsored by Kulanu Toronto and Jewish Family and Child.
A panel of individuals--gay, lesbian, transgender, single, married, young and old, and the parent of LG kids--will share, inform, and respond to the audience.
This is for everyone who is or knows someone who is LGBT, and their families and friends. It is also for anyone who simply wants to know what it is to be Jewish and LGBT.
The evening includes a musical interlude, informal exchange in a warm inclusive environment, and refreshments.

Sunday evening, June 7th, 2009
7:00-9:30pm
Congregation Darchei Noam
864 Sheppard Ave. Toronto

Friday, May 1, 2009

Upcoming Events at World Forestry Center

Click Here to view our listing on GayFriendlyBiz.com

April 25 - June 21
In Focus: National Geographic Greatest Portraits

In Focus: National Geographic Greatest Portraits is an exhibition consisting of 56 striking color and black-and-white portraits. From fascinating archival images of tribal leaders, fishermen and American workers, to riveting modern pictures of refugees, city dwellers and urban laborers, In Focus takes visitors around the globe and through the heights and depths of human emotion.

Saturday, May 9

TREE-Mendous Second Saturday
World Forestry Center Discovery Museum

Join our Education Forester for talks, walks, and crafts.
Story Time
10:30 - 11:00 am
Crafts
11:00 - 11:30 am
Tree Identification
1:00 - 1:30 pm
Tree Lab
1:30 - 2:00 pm
Guided hike in Hoyt Arboretum
2:00 - 3:00 pm

Sunday, May 31
Museum Warehouse Sale

9:00 am - 3:00 pm
World Forestry Center Cheatham Hall

We're doing some housekeeping and need to clear out storage spaces. We'll have everything from pieces of old exhibits to photography by local and internationally known artists; from taxidermy animals to wood carvings; from computer parts to 8’ banquet tables; and the list goes on... Cash or credit cards will be accepted.

Click Here to view our listing on GayFriendlyBiz.com

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

N.H. Senate Passes Gay Marriage Bill

By ABBY GOODNOUGH. nytimes.com from the Web. April 29, 2009

CONCORD, N.H. -- The New Hampshire Senate voted narrowly on Wednesday to legalize same-sex marriage, paving the way for the state to potentially become the fifth in the nation — and the third this month — to allow gay couples to wed.

The Democratic-controlled Senate voted 13 to 11 in favor of the bill, but only after a last-minute amendment strengthened language granting legal protections for religious groups and organizations that do not want to perform or otherwise help carry out same-sex marriages.

The House, which approved the marriage bill by a seven-vote margin last month, will now vote on the Senate’s amended version. Supporters and opponents both predicted that version would pass the House, which is more liberal and was more enthusiastic about same-sex marriage from the start. The bill probably cannot gain enough support in either house for an override, so its fate almost certainly rests with Gov. John Lynch.

It is unclear whether Gov. Lynch, a Democrat, will veto the law or whether the new language will persuade him to endorse it. Mr. Lynch has consistently opposed same-sex marroiage but has never said whether he would veto the bill or let it be enacted without his signature.

He did not reveal his intentions after the vote but reiterated his belief that the state’s two-year-old civil-union law provides sufficient rights and protections to gay couples.

“To achieve further real progress,” he said in a statement, “the federal government would need to take action to recognize New Hampshire civil unions.”

The Defense of Marriage Act, passed by Congress in 1996, prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriage. It denies federal benefits, like Social Security survivors’ payments, to spouses in such marriages.

Brian Brown, executive director of the National Organization for Marriage, which was established to fight same-sex marriage around the country, said the group would intensively lobby Mr. Lynch to veto it. "This vote is in no way representative of what folks in New Hampshire want," Mr. Brown said, adding that the Senate leadership had used "arm-twisting" to change the votes of a few crucial Democrats. "If the governor is going to stand by his words and his stated position, he will veto this bill."

To some extent, the support for same-sex marriage reflects a sea change in New Hampshire politics since 2006, when Democrats gained control of the legislature for the first time in over a century. But while staunchly conservative on fiscal matters, New Hampshire has been less so about social issues, partly because its citizens’ famous libertarian streak resists government intrusion in personal matters.

But last-minute politicking also played a role. Last week the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 3 to 2 against the marriage measure, and the committee’s chairwoman, Senator Deborah Reynolds, a Democrat, said afterward that New Hampshire was simply not ready for same-sex marriage.

Ms. Reynolds, the only Democrat who opposed the bill in committee, stressed that civil unions were still new in New Hampshire and that Vermont, whose legislature approved same-sex marriage on April 7, had done so only after living with civil unions for nine years.

But on Wednesday, Ms. Reynolds, who represents a fairly conservative region, said the new language made the bill acceptable. She described it as a compromise that was “respectful to both sides of the debate and meets our shared goals of equality under the state laws for all of the people of New Hampshire.”

Gov. Jim Douglas of Vermont, a Republican, vetoed that state’s same-sex marriage bill this month but the Democratic-controlled legislature overrode the veto, making Vermont the first state to adopt same-sex marriage legislatively instead of through the courts. Days earlier, the Iowa Supreme Court found a state law banning same-sex marriage to be a violation of the state Constitution.

The New Hampshire Legislature approved civil unions in 2007, and more than 650 have been registered in the state since they became legal in January 2008.

Same-sex marriage was among several contentious bills that the Senate took up Wednesday, all passed by the House in recent weeks. One, a measure to allow people with certain illnesses to possess marijuana for medical purposes, passed in a 14 to 10 vote. But the Senate voted unanimously against a bill that would guarantee transgender people protection from housing and employment discrimination. It also put off action on a bill to repeal the death penalty.

Democrats hold a 14 to 10 majority in the New Hampshire Senate, but it is generally more centrist and cautious than the House, where Democrats hold a 223 to 175 majority.

Opponents of same-sex marriage appeared somewhat better organized here than in Vermont, where the opposition was relatively small and fragmented. Cornerstone Research Institute waged an intense phone campaign with help from the National Organization for Marriage, but the New Hampshire Freedom to Marry Coalition and other gay-rights groups also lobbied fiercely.

Mo Baxley, the coalition’s executive director, described the Senate bill as a fair compromise.

“It is in keeping with New Hampshire’s live-free-or-die tradition to stand up for individual liberties and against discrimination of any kind,” she said.

“I have to say,” Ms. Baxley added, “America is at a turning point.”

Friday, April 24, 2009

Conn. governor signs gay marriage bill

HARTFORD, Conn. --A decade-long battle for same-sex marriage in Connecticut has ended with the governor's signature on a bill updating the state's laws.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell signed the legislation Thursday, one day after the state House and Senate both approved it.

The bill removes gender references from state marriage laws. It also transforms existing same-sex civil unions into legally recognized marriages as of Oct. 1, 2010.

The law comes after last fall's state Supreme Court ruling that gay couples have the right to wed in Connecticut. Even if the bill hadn't passed, same-sex marriage would still be legal because of the ruling.

Three other states -- Massachusetts, Vermont and Iowa -- also allow gay marriage.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Gregoire OKs transgender hate-crime protection

Published: 04/23/09 11:29 am | Updated: 04/23/09 11:29 am


OLYMPIA -- The same day a Colorado man became the first in the nation to be convicted of the hate-crime murder of a transgender person, Gov. Chris Gregoire signed a law paving the way for similar kinds of prosecutions in Washington.

Senate Bill 5952 added "transgender" to the definition of sexual orientation in the state's hate crime law, meaning people who commit violent crimes against someone because of gender identity or expression can be charged with hate crimes and face harsher penalties.

Washington on Wednesday became the 12th state to have such a law.

"The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community gained much needed protection today," said Sen. Joe McDermott, D-Seattle, the bill's sponsor. "No crime against another person is acceptable. But our laws recognize that some crimes are particularly heinous and deserve harsher punishment."

Statistics from the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs show reported acts of violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people rose 24 percent in 2007 nationwide, and 16 percent of those were motivated by anti-transgender bias.

Mark Lee, executive director of Vista Youth Center in Kennewick, said the law is important because it protects people who might be more often targeted for violence.

"When I think about the youth most often harassed or abused, they almost always are people who are non-gender conforming," Lee said. "An effeminate boy is much more likely to be harassed than a straight-acting gay boy."

Josh Friedes, advocacy director for activist group Equal Rights Washington, said revising the hate crime law to include gender expression protects not only people who are transgender, but those who might be perceived to be transgender but are not.

"Very often, unfortunately, people are brutalized because they appear to be transgender," Friedes said. "This law provides the same type of protections to transgender people that most of us already enjoy because of our religion or race. It is a simple piece of legislation."

Saturday, April 11, 2009


Wedding Planning Franchises Available

Visit our Website
Now that gay marriages are legal in Iowa, Connecticut, Vermont and Massachusetts, it's the ideal time to become a Maui'd Forever franchisee.

The wedding industry is alive and well and expected to continue to do well in all economic climates. It is also a very fragmented industry with many players in each market. There are no national wedding coordination and planning companies that we are aware of. There are plenty of national wedding web sites but these are simply directories of individuals and small organizations that provide wedding services. That is where we will originate, dominate and increase efficiencies with our growth. Maui'd Forever hopes to become the "namesake" in the wedding industry.

This is a ground floor opportunity in the wedding coordination and planning business. You will become part of the first company devoted to doing weddings from A-Z in a specific local market. You will own a website that will generate wedding bookings through our strategic advertising. We do the advertising, with a proven system of generating leads and then organizing them for you in the very best client management program available today.

Becoming a Maui'd Forever franchisee puts you in the forefront in this dynamic industry. As we grow so will you. Our systems make it easy and our advertising will get you clients. You will need some computer skills, the ability to interact with brides and grooms and sell them your services.

We will have you up and running from the start. The first stage of the website will be up and running and initial advertising will begin the moment you become a franchisee. We will then help you integrate the customization that will be necessary for your particular market.

We will assist you with this growth and help you make the right decisions. We then integrate your specific ideas into the national market plan. This will be your individual business with the help of a market leader behind you.
We invite you to join us.

Offering Price: $23,500
Terms: Cash
Ongoing Fees: $600 per month

Contact
Mark Steffan
President, Maui'd Forever Inc.
870 Malulani St.
Kihei HI 96753
808-268-8339 or 800-871-2758
Fax 808-874-9231
Email: mark@mauidforever.com
Website http://mauidforever.com/

Maui'd Forever Inc.
870 Malulani St.
Kihei HI 96753
1-800-395-7807 Bill Armstrong
1-800-871-2758 Mark Steffan
www.mauidforever.com
info@mauidforever.com
Fax 1-808-874-9231