The Boy Scouts Are About To Become More COLORFUL!

     So Boy Scouts of America voted today to lift the ban on allowing gay Boy Scout members to partake in their manly man activities.
     It's about time BSA. What was the hold up?
     I mean I totally get that it is unthinkable that a gay boy could fulfill the requirements for those MANLY merit badges like railroading and wood carving ... As well as the requirements for the badges in essential life skills of pulp and paper making and Indian Lore.
     I mean, come people, what harm would really come to your precious organization by letting gay boys hang out and learn to swim and hike and build fires with straight kids their age? Children should be incorporated into diverse communities and organizations to grow to their greatest potential and if the BSA has the best interest of their boys in mind, they would have lifted this ban years ago.
     BSA has taken one step in the right direction with the lift on the ban, and now they need to go ahead and  lift the ban on gay leaders - which they have not done. They need to show the children in their organization that acceptance is a key component to how their organization is run and that the actions and words of a man are more definitive of who he is than who he loves.
     It's 2013. Come on, people. Merit badge for acceptance? The BSA should establish one.

You're the saddest bunch I ever met but you can bet before we're through, mister, I'll make a man out of you. (I'll Make A Man Out Of You, Mulan Soundtrack)

Random Ramblings: Why I Like Coming Home From NYC

     This one goes out to besties J&J (no, not Johnson & Johnson, different J's) - two lovely people I work with - who offhandedly inspired what I will be calling Random Ramblings. If you have been following this blog for some time now, you know that most of time the entries stem from some current event or some celebrity gossip or whatnot ... But occasionally, it may be nice to just write about whatevaaaa I darn well please.

     So, on that note, I'd like to explain why, while I love love love New York City ... I also adore getting off NJ Transit at the end of the day and coming home to the suburbs. 

     Yes, I like being close to my friends and family and I like having a lawn and all that good, fun stuff ... But what I really love about pulling on to my driveway after a long day of work is that when you live in the middle of nowhere, on a clear night, you are able to look up and see stars. LOTS AND LOTS OF THEM!

     I know it sounds simple ... but I love stargazing. I always have and always will. There have been nights where I just lie on my driveway and stare at the night sky in all its magnificence. Ever since I was a kid, I've been looking up and wishing on stars - some have been granted and others are still on the back burner. Part of me probably thought I was a Disney princess back in the day wishing on those stars, but it doesn't matter. Until this very day, I still wish on the first star I see at night ...

     And, I hope I never lose that little bit of my childhood that I have brought with me into adulthood.

Like a bolt out of the blue, Fate steps in and sees you through. When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true. (When You Wish Upon A Star, Cliff Edwards)

Crimes Behind The Veil

     Last week, Saudi Arabian masses were introduced to their first ever anti-abuse advertisement ... And it's one of the best advertisements I have ever seen. It features a woman wearing a niqab, and from underneath you can see that she has been given a black eye.
     This ad, which is sponsored by the King Khalid Foundation, helps to shed light on the problem of violence against women in a country where women's rights aren't necessarily a priority. The 2012 Global Gender Gap Report, which ranks countries based on gender disparities, ranked Saudi Arabia 131 out of 135 countries, overall. (Iceland placed first. Yemen placed last. And, if you are wondering, the United States ranked 22, overall).

     Many people have called this the beginning of an anti-domestic-violence campaign, but I beg to differ. The King Khalid Foundation, and the agency behind this ad, went so much further with this advertisement. Although the original ad is in Arabic, having it read "Fighting Women's Abuse Together," crosses all lines, to all relationships - father/daughter, husband/wife, brother/sister ... uncles, bosses, any member of the male sex with (or without authority, really) in Saudi.
     This could be the start of something big in Saudi Arabia. I would assume that a lot of crimes against women go unreported in the country because women are uninformed about where to go to for help. And, as for the people who commit the acts of abuse, they probably think that they are home free because they believe their crimes will never be reported. Well, hopefully this will be the start of a change.

It took a long, long time to get here. It took a brave, brave girl to try. It took one too many excuses, one too many lies. Don't be surprised, don't be surprised if I talk a little louder, if I speak up when you're wrong, if I walk a little taller, I've been under you too long. If you noticed that I'm different, don't take it personally. Don't be mad, it's just the brand new kind of me. That ain't bad, I found a brand new kind of free. (Brand New Me, Alicia Keys)