text:
Tag Archives: LGBTQ
Fuller House Thinks My Family is Awesome
SPOILER ALERT: I can't believe I'm saying this, but if you're concerned about spoilers for Season 3 of Fuller House, then you should hold off on reading this column until after you've watched it. Also, Soylent Green is made out of people! It's people!
Back in 2012, I wrote a post called Modern Family Thinks My Family is Creepy, about a particularly disappointing episode of a show I love. In the episode, Claire, played by Julie Bowen, suggests that she could donate an egg for her brother, have it fertilized by his husband and have the embryo carried by a surrogate. Then, they all decide that this would make her "Aunt Mommy," which they all find "creepy". It stung because that's exactly how my husband and I created our family. My sperm, his sister's egg and a surrogate. Now we have twins, a boy and a girl who are 8 years old. Everybody's happy, nobody's "Aunt Mommy," and none of us have anything but overwhelming gratitude for the way it all worked out.
"Modern Family" remains a wonderful show that's progressive, honest and funny about, well, modern families, so I don't hold a grudge. (In 2016, Jesse Tyler Ferguson even read my Modern Love essay, about how my family was created, for the Modern Love Podcast. Wuzzup, JTF?)
Now, I'm happy to report that another popular sitcom has tackled the issue of sisterly surrogacy (it's been on two sitcoms, so as far as I'm concerned, it's now officially a thing) in a much more open-minded way. And it's that cutting-edge, ahead-of-its-time show known as Fuller House.
I know, right?
Well, kudos, Fuller House, for being bolder than most sitcoms would ever be, by taking on a complicated and potentially controversial topic in a straight-forward, family-positive way and getting it wonderfully right.
My sister-in-law/hero Susie, posing with her daughter and the four nieces and nephews who wouldn't be here without her help
In the show, Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin), learns that she's unable to carry a baby of her own, but that she does have a few viable eggs left. That leads her to consider surrogacy, which is when her sister D.J. (Candace Cameron), tells her there's nothing she'd love more than to carry a baby for her and make her sister a mom. (And I should point out that after my amazing sister-in-law Susie provided eggs for my kids, she went on to become a surrogate — but not egg donor — for her other brother and his husband, twice. Yes, she's really that awesome.)
Unfortunately, for medical and personal reasons, D.J. isn't a good candidate to be a surrogate, but the fact that she wanted so badly to do it, and that the show treated this as nothing but the beautiful, loving gesture that it is, was so welcome and refreshing.
I've been watching Fuller House with my kids since it started. (Say what you will. It's funny, it has a perfect sense of nostalgia, and it's one of the few programs I can watch with my kids that we can all enjoy.) So it was a fabulous treat to watch with them as this plotline unfolded. It gave us so much to talk about, and it helped my kids appreciate the way our family was created even more than they already do. Everybody wants to see their lives reflected in popular culture, but I never dreamed my kids would see shows they could relate to like this.
As the story unfolded, (again, spoiler warning to my fellow Fuller Housers!) Steph's one-time rival Kimmy Gibbler — practically a sister figure herself — stepped up to carry the baby. We'll have to wait for Season Four to see how it all turns out, but this is a sitcom, so I'm guessing hilarious conflict, wacky shenanigans and ultimately, over-the-top sappiness will ensue. (Hey, I'm not crying. You're crying!)
Another spoiler: by Season 6, this new baby will be covered in slime for some reason
The best part is, I'm not even worried about how the show will handle this going forward. Full House/Fuller House has always been a show about non-traditional families. (Hey, we only have two dads in our family — they had three!) While the surrogacy storyline was unfolding, they've also had a sweet running subplot about Jesse & Becky adopting, not to mention single mom DJ and whatever's going on between Kimmy and Fernando.
That's because (cue the sappy music)… from the very beginning, Full House has shown us that life doesn't deal everyone the same hand, so you put together the best one you can. Ultimately, it's not important whether your cards looks like everyone else's, because it's not pairs or straights that matter. It's love that makes a full house.
Hey, I'm not crying! You're crying!
If you like this post, please share it. And if you want to read more about non-traditional families going through wacky situations and somehow making it all work, why not check out my MY ROTTEN STEPBROTHER RUINED FAIRY TALES series from Capstone Publishing? They're now available at your favorite bookstore or online retailer, and you can read all about them on my other site, www.jerrymahoneybooks.com. (I also recommend my book BUTTHEADS FROM OUTER SPACE, coming out in March 2018. No sappy messages. Just fart jokes galore!)
By Jerry Mahoney • Posted in Gay Parenting, Makin' Gaybies, Our Story, Past Posts Revisited	• Tagged Andrea Barber, Candace Cameron, family, Full House, Fuller House, gay families, gay parenting, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jodie Sweetin, Kimmy Gibbler, LGBTQ, LGBTQ parenting, Modern Family, Netflix, parenting, same-sex parenting, sisterly surrogacy, surrogacy, surrogate, zaniness
My Surprising Father's Day Gift
Unless you're a straight white male or Bill Cosby, it's been a pretty crummy year so far. Well, it's not much, but for me, there's been a small bright side, and it's that card pictured above. It may not seem like a big deal to you, especially if you're a straight white male. But that is the card I got my husband for Father's Day this year, and it felt pretty awesome to do it.
Anyone who's gay can relate to the challenge of finding greeting cards for special occasions. Whether it's Valentine's Day or anniversaries, there just aren't a lot of options for us, at least not in the usual venues. Sure, there have long been some great out-of-the-way stores and underpromoted websites geared for folks like us, and I highly recommend giving them your business. But not everyone can trek to the gay part of town for a greeting card or wait to have a gift shipped to them.
As someone who's LGBTQ, that leaves you with a few options: buy a blank card, make your own card, find a card so generic that it's not gender-specific or buy a card that says "To my husband" and cross out all the references to "wife" and/or cartoons of the girl squirrel holding the boy squirrel's hand (or vice-versa). (Special props to my brother-in-law, who bought two identical wedding cards when Drew and I tied the knot. He snipped out the grooms and put them both on the same card, to make a homemade gay wedding card.)
As hard as gay relationship cards are to find, gay parent cards are even more of a challenge. So when I went to Rite Aid to get a Father's Day card for my husband Drew, I was planning to do some creative thinking, as usual, to turn a card for someone else into a card for us.
Then I saw something I hadn't expected to see – a label in the Father's Day section that said "Two Dads." There was only one card there, and it wasn't exactly what I wanted to say. (I would've gone with "the two luckiest guys" instead of "two of the luckiest.") But it felt so good to be acknowledged.
In a Rite Aid.
With a card from American Greetings.
This was unthinkable when we started dating 14 years ago… and when our kids were born 7 years ago… and even when we got married 3 years ago. But there it was, with all the other cards, just no big deal. When I took it up to the register and bought it, the cashier said, "Happy Father's Day," and almost before those words were out of her mouth, she yelled, "Next!" and waved me away.
Sure, this one greeting card doesn't do anything to help Muslims, women, African-Americans, Jews or any of the other people who've been having a tough time since this new administration took over (and since long before that), and it barely does anything for LGBTQ people. But for me, it was a reminder that you can't stop progress, even in an otherwise rotten time for progress. And even while we're fighting for our rights, there are appropriate moments to stop and reflect on how far we've come.
It may have been noteworthy to my husband and me, but of course, our kids had no idea why this greeting card was different from any other one.
And that's probably the best part of all.
Happy Father's Day to all the gay dads out there — and to you straight ones, too!
I know it's been a while since I've posted, but that's because I've been busy with my kids' books! My series MY ROTTEN STEPBROTHER RUINED FAIRY TALES comes out August 1, 2017 from Capstone, and you can preorder them nowpreorder them now! Also, check out my new website for my middle grade and young adult writing, jerrymahoneybooks.com. [End of shameless plug.] 🙂
By Jerry Mahoney • Posted in Gay Parenting	• Tagged #AmericanGreetings, #fathersday, #RiteAid, gay dad, gay greeting card, gay parenting, jerry mahoney, LGBTQ, LGBTQ parenting, My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Fairy Tales
Let's Move "T" to the Front of LGBTQ
It's pretty obvious that trans people need our help these days, so I suggest we update our acronym to TLGBQ as a show of support.
When I was in college in the early 90's, I was still a few years away from coming out as gay, but I did notice when the campus' main gay organization changed its name from the GLA (Gay & Lesbian Association) to the LGBC (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Coalition). They felt like the group was becoming too exclusive, and they wanted to make lesbians and bisexuals feel more welcome.
It was the right idea, but looking back now, it's glaring that even in the reshuffling, the letter "T" didn't find its way in there at the time. It's only recently that T has become a permanent fixture of LGBTQ. I won't go into the debate about whether transgender rights should be considered part of gay rights. As far as I'm concerned, it's settled. They should be, and they are, and if you disagree, you can go form your own movement, because there's no room for transphobia in mine.
Let's remember who fought back at Stonewall. Some of the most prominent protesters were transgender women like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. The L's, G's and B's of that period in history, in most cases, were happy to blend in or live in the shadows or the closet. Trans people, on the other hand, refused to or couldn't fit in, and at some point, they'd had it with being abused and marginalized. As far as I'm concerned, we're lucky they let us join their movement.
And what have us cisgender LGBQ's done to thank them and show them our support? Well, at some point, we tacked a "T" onto our acronym and started including them in our nondiscrimination laws.
Especially today, when trans rights are under attack, we need to do everything we can to let transgender people know we have their backs and we're going to fight for them the way they've always fought for us.
It's disgusting that Donald Trump has taken away protections for trans students. There's no question what this shameful move will do to trans kids across the country:
It will kill them.
It will drive more trans students toward suicide suicide and embolden bullies to attack them even more than they already do. We've seen how the anti-Semitism in Trump's administration has led to a rise in anti-Semitic harassment (which Trump refuses to adequately condemn).
The same goes for Muslims and immigrants, who this administration has come after as well. There's no doubt that an increase in transphobic attacks is on the horizon.
And then which group is next?
Would any of us be surprised if it's the rest of the LGBTQ community?
Still, it's clear which members of our community they've chosen to attack first, who they consider the most vulnerable and the easiest to defeat. Let's not give them any impression that trans rights are in any way an afterthought to our movement. Let's put our trans allies right up front.
TLGBQ
Sure, the people who already make fun of our cumbersome acronym will have a field day.
Let them.
They'll do all the publicity for us, and we can focus on calling our representatives to support TLGBQ rights and fighting the government in court.
Start using it now.
Do it to thank the trans community for giving birth to the movement.
Do it because they need our support.
Do it to show the bullies in our government that if they want to come for trans rights, they're going to have to go through all of us, and we're going to stand together and fight like Hell.
By Jerry Mahoney • Posted in Uncategorized	• Tagged Donald Trump, gay rights, LGBT, LGBTQ, Stonewall, TQLGB, trans rights, transgender
JTF is my BFF! (Jesse Tyler Ferguson Reads My Essay!)
Have I mentioned that Jesse Tyler Ferguson is one of my favorite people? Well, he is, and not just because he chose my essay to read for the Modern Love podcast this week. He also did a great job of it.
Seriously, you should check it out here. (You can also hear an update from me and a teary interview with Susie as well. Get your Kleenex ready!)
Can't wait to see JTF (I can call him that now. We're tight.) in Fully Committed on Broadway this spring!
Yes, I'm shamelessly plugging his show. It's the least I can do for my new BFF. Break a leg, pal!
Are you new here? Well, you can be my BFF, too, by subscribing to this blog, following me on Twitter or, best of all, buying my book! The essay was just a small part of my story. You'll never believe the rest of the crazy, emotional jiggery-pokery my husband and I went through to become dads. (Just try to act surprised now that you know the ending.)
By Jerry Mahoney • Posted in I'm Doing a Thing, Uncategorized	• Tagged Fully Committed, gay parenting, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, jiggery-pokery, LGBT parenting, LGBTQ, Modern Familiy, Modern Love, Modern Love Podcast, Mommy Man
"Captain Underpants" and the Not-So-Stinky Same-Sex Surprise
Here's something worth talking about besides the never-ending nonsense in Kentucky. The "Captain Underpants" series, which is widely beloved by children and widely poo-poo'ed by fuddy-duddies, went out with a major mic drop last week.
If you haven't read "Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-a-Lot" yet, consider this a spoiler warning. In the 12th and reportedly final book in the series, author Dav Pilkey reveals very quietly that one of the major characters that kids have been reading about for almost 20 years now, will grow up to marry a man. It happens when the two friends at the center of the story travel to the future and see themselves with their future families. One of those families looks like this:
"Soon, everyone had gathered together in Old Geroge's studio. Old George, his wife, and their kids, Meena and Nik, sat on the couch, while Old Harold, his husband, and their twins, Owen and Kei, plopped down in the giant beanbag chair."
And that's it. Then comes another 86 pages of time travel, stinky gas and three helpful creatures that are half bionic hamsters and half pterodactyls.
I wouldn't even call this a "twist". If Harold's sexual orientation was never mentioned before in the series, it's only because he's 10 years old when the rest of the story takes place. 10-year-old boys have about a million concerns more pressing than who they're going to marry someday, so I'm not surprised that the issue didn't arise while they were battling farts and whatnot.
Of course, I especially loved hearing this news because my family looks a lot like Harold's family.
I only wish I had been able to see that picture when I was 10 years old. It would've made the following 20 years or so a lot more bearable to know that I was going to have a husband and kids when I grew up. So the thought of Harold getting that glimpse of his future made me very happy, not so much for the fictional character as for the hordes of real-life kids who'll get a chance to see something I never got to see when I was their age.
Because I'm a sadist, I went to the book's Amazon page to see what reviewers were saying about this revelation. Not surprisingly, some people accused Pilkey of having a political agenda. I was about in mid-eyeroll from that accusation when I saw that the book also had a bunch of jokes about the GOP ("Grouchy Old People") and FOX News.
The "GOP", according to Dav Pilkey
So maybe this was a calculated move on Pilkey's part. If so, good for him. There's always been room for controversial topics in middle grade fiction. Ask anyone who grew up reading Judy Blume. Ultimately, I suspect Pilkey didn't make his creative choice for attention or because he's beholden to some radical gay agenda. He did it because he knows and cares about his readers. He knows some of them will grow up to be gay, and pretty much all of them will grow up knowing and caring about someone who's gay. A few of them will even go to school with my kids, and when they get to that part of "Sir Stinks-a-Lot", they'll go, "Oh, yeah. That's like my friends' family!"
Most importantly, though, I'd imagine Pilkey wrote the book this way because he knows his characters, and he's probably been aware for a while that Harold is gay.
Oh, and it looks like George, the African-American kid, may have married a Caucasian woman, if that's worth noting at all. (No one on Amazon seems to care, at least.)
The good news is that as I read the Amazon reviews, I noticed two important things about the one-star smackdowns: First, they made up a mere 8% of the book's total reviews (which I know is likely to change if some Grouchy Old People decide to start a hate campaign against the book), and second, they're all from grown-ups.
The kids who reviewed the book — the actual intended audience — mostly gave it rave reviews. 77% of them (as of the publication of this post) rated it 4 or 5 stars.
OK, OK, but how did the kids feel about the big reveal that Harold was gay?
It's hard to say, honestly. Only a handful of them even bothered to mention it.
Pics reprinted from "Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-a-Lot" by Dav Pilkey (Scholastic, Inc., copyright 2015).
By Jerry Mahoney • Posted in Miscellaneous Rants	• Tagged Books, Captain Underpants, Gay, gay dads, gay parenting, Kim Davis, LGBT parenting, LGBTQ, middle grade
I Know Who Gets My Vote
My husband was reading a book about Barack Obama to the kids tonight, and it mentioned that he was the 44th president overall but the first who was African-American.
Me: "Did you guys know that? He's the first African-American president?"
Bennett: "So all the 43 other presidents were our color?"
Bennett: "That's crazy."
Me: "I agree. And they were all men, too. There still hasn't been a woman president."
Sutton: "I just want the next one to be a woman, like Shirley (sic) Clinton! Are there any other women who want to be president?"
Me: "Right now, just one. Her name is Carly Fiorina, but we don't like her."
Sutton: "Why not?"
Me: "Well, for one thing, she doesn't think Daddy and I should be able to get married."
Sutton: "WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?"
Me: "Really. I told you there were people like that, right? Well, she doesn't think two men should be allowed to marry each other."
Sutton: "And does she not think a woman should be able to marry a woman?"
Me: "That's right. She doesn't."
Sutton: "So she doesn't think people should be GAY?!"
Me: "You could say that."
Sutton: "That's CRAZY!!!"
Me: "Isn't it?"
Sutton: "Daddy, I think she would be a VERY bad president."
Well, I know someone who would make a very good president…. someday…
By Jerry Mahoney • Posted in Kids Are Funny	• Tagged Barack Obama, Carly Fiorina, Gay, gay dad, hilary Clinton, LGBT parenting, LGBTQ, politics, race, Same-sex marriage
I've had a great response to Part 1 of my interview with Anne, a young woman born through surrogacy in 1993. The comments have been incredibly supportive, understanding and appreciative of her perspective. That's been so gratifying to me, as a dad of two children born through surrogacy myself. Now that some of these kids are reaching adulthood and beyond, and now that surrogacy is becoming more and more common, it's important to listen to the people who've lived through it.
I did only minor editing on Anne's responses, because I wanted to make sure her view was as unfiltered as possible. She's very well-adjusted and in touch with her origin story, as we call it here. Needless to say, though, there were things that were painful or difficult for her growing up. At the risk of stirring up the anti-surrogacy people, I've let Anne speak her mind. I'm hoping that doing so will help lots of parents like me understand our kids' needs and do the best we can to help them grow up into people as awesome as Anne.
If you haven't read Part 1 yet, you can find it here. Now, here's the conclusion of my interview.
How many of your friends today know your origin story? How long do you usually know someone before you tell them, or is it even an issue at all? Do you feel like you constantly have to "come out" about your nontraditional family?
Honestly, I can't think of any of my friends that don't know. I tell people pretty quickly. It's just easier to explain family dynamics and my upbringing that way because it has shaped me a good bit. I do feel like I have to come out, though, and there are times when it's scary to "come out" about it. I think with coworkers that's the only hesitancy I have because it's a weirdly personal thing to bring up. I've only been in the "real world" for about a year but, from what I hear, talking about your dad's sperm isn't something that should be brought up often.
I spoke with my mom some about this, and she said that she's never met someone who hasn't thought it was cool/interesting/etc. and that she doesn't plan on seeking those people out. I also think there's an internal radar within each of us that knows when it's safe to say certain things. In terms of coming out in my mind, it's a bigger deal for me to tell someone I'm bisexual than it is for me to talk about my surrogacy, if that gives any perspective.
Anne and her parents
Do you look like your mom? What do you say if someone tells you that you look just like her (when you know you don't actually share her DNA)? Or what if they say you look nothing like her?
Other than the blond hair, I don't really. I'm going to have to use my mom's response to the "you look just like her" or "I can see where she got her gorgeous hair"… She would just say something like "Yup, she definitely got it from her mom!" (emphasizing mom) and then wink at me. In terms of looking nothing like her, she's a bit older that most moms but it's never come up that I can remember. I also think I was quick to tell people throughout my life if I could so if someone said something about looking like my mom I would just tell them and it wouldn't come up again. I also was and am in many ways still am a huge tomboy so it's hard to know what someone looks like in an oversized hoodie and jeans to begin with. Combine all of this with her being 48 years older than me and I was more likely to have someone ask me if that was my grandmother than anything else.
What about the fact that your surrogate was paid to carry you? I used to worry that my kids would think they were the product of a business transaction rather than an act of love. Did you ever feel that way?
This is actually a question I get a good bit early into the conversation about my "origin story". In college at one point, I sat down with a guy who was writing a paper on surrogacy. The question of cost came up, and I called my parents on the spot asking them how much they paid. I don't even remember how much the ballpark estimate was, which is a testament to how much I don't really think about it.
In fact, the reason my birth mom had me had to do with her having an abortion previously. She wanted a way to give back after doing so and decided to be a surrogate. For a while, I thought that maybe I was just a redo after a mistake. That thought process quickly dissipates though when you actually break down the facts of how much time goes into being a surrogate mother. It's not just a transaction, especially when I hear how fond my parents are of my birth mom and vice versa.
The money aspect never really bothered me too much. I think one of the harder parts of being a surrogate though has to do with the fact that I have really no reason to be upset at my birth mom or to not know her. It's almost the opposite reaction to the money question: "Wow, someone did this for x dollars?". In many ways, my birth mom did an incredible thing for my parents and gave up a huge chunk of four years of her life basically to do so. If anything, the money aspect is secondary but the "what kind of awesome person would do this?!" comes to mind.
OK, every teenager goes through a phase when they'll say whatever they can to hurt their parents' feelings. Did you ever, in a fit of anger, say, "You're not my real mom!" or, as Scott Evil says in Austin Powers, "I wish I was never artificially created in a lab!"? And if so, how did your parents handle it? I'm just trying to get a sense of what I'm in for with my kids when they get older, so I can start thinking of some snappy comebacks.
I never said it as a teenager but I do remember saying it as a very very very young child. I was upset about something and said "I want my real mom". I don't really remember what happened exactly but I do know my mom just hugged me anyway and asked if it was okay if she was there for me. I think the fact of the matter is that we (my mom and I) both are very aware we aren't related. Saying "You aren't my real mom" doesn't take away from the fact that she helped me with homework assignments, changed my diaper, helped me apply to college, let me practice the same speech a thousand times to her, checked my papers for mistakes, etc. If I were you, I would say something like "I know I'm not but I am someone who loves you dearly and am doing everything I can to support you".
I apologize if this is like one of those job interview questions where they try to throw a curveball at you, but what do you feel has been the best part of being a child of surrogacy? Is there anything it's given you that you wouldn't have had otherwise?
I think it has made me incredibly self aware and curious about others. I'm not sure if I was just born that way or if it's a result, but I definitely think just the complexity of my family has made me that way. Beyond that, I think having a broader definition of family has allowed me to have deeper relationships than most with my parents (with time) and friends. I've also learned purely as a result of my being here that there is an incredibly good and beautiful side to humanity. It's taught me the importance of giving back and of doing things for others that they may not be able to do for themselves. Yes, me being born in an economic sense is nothing more than a transaction. The same is true from a legal standpoint: I'm a result of a legal contract. However, me being born in the anthropological sense shows an incredibly fascinating and wonderful next step for humans. Me being born in a sociological sense shows change in a variety of institutions (medical, legal, etc.), social opinion, and simply how people interact. I can ramble about this for a while but you get the point. Come to think of it, this may explain why I stuck to subjects like anthropology and sociology more than economics over the years 🙂 It's a more human explanation for a human situation.
I think being a surrogate baby has simply given me a perspective on the world that very few have. It's given me a million reasons to understand myself better and to view things from a variety of perspectives (my parents, my technically half brother, my birthmom, my birthmom's kids, etc.). It also let me blur the lines of family and let more people in as a result. I'm also very comfortable with the "messiness" of life and I think that's been a huge asset for me.
Looking back, is there anything you wish your parents had handled differently in how they raised you? Anything having to do with when or how they discussed your origin story or the level of contact you had with your surrogate?
I wish my parents had acknowledged the differences between my brother and me a bit more. This may sound odd but I think they were so focused on trying to make sure we were treated equally that I sometimes didn't get the help I needed. They tried to make things SO normal that there wasn't a ton of time to talk about how I was different. I needed structured time to have a conversation about it whereas I think they waited for me to just bring it up. I was a very emotional kid and still am that way as an adult whereas my brother is extremely logical and quite void of intense emotions almost. While I think they wanted to make sure I had a normal existence and didn't have to think/talk about my birth mom, I think I needed to more than we did. The one off remarks about her and, as you say, my origin story were reassuring but I never felt I had a complete understanding and always felt like I had to be the one to bring it up. I told them this about two years ago but I wish they had just asked me from time to time "How do you feel about being a surrogate baby? Do you like your relationship with your birthmom? Do you tell your friends about this?". I just wish we had a bit of a deeper and more thorough dialogue beyond "She's a great person! You look just like her!".
Otherwise, I have zero complaints. My mom has handled everything with complete grace and they are ALWAYS open to talking about it honestly even if I have to start the conversations. I think for them the hard part of having kids was the not being able to have them. As a result, I don't think they understand the perspective of it being hard for me. I don't think it ever really crossed their mind which has been a positive in that it has made me secure about my family.
What's the weirdest or most offensive thing anyone's ever said to you about surrogacy and/or your origin story?
Before visiting my birth mom in college there was talk of my friend and I possibly staying with her to save money. My friend said something to the effect of "you don't know her – she could be crazy. I don't know if this is smart" and it really threw me for a loop. I was offended because it was technically my genetic mom and it made me feel like she thought I was crazy. I also was hurt because she was right – I don't know her and I don't know what she is like. I ended up calling my dad in a panic not knowing what to do or how to process it. He basically calmed me down and we ended the conversation laughing about the whole thing. Still though, it left me feeling pretty uneasy and weird for obvious reasons. Also, not the best thing to say to someone when they are just meeting their birth mom for the second time (if the first time even counted).
Would you ever consider being a surrogate yourself, and if so, under what circumstances? (For a friend/sibling? Traditional/gestational? "Hell to the no!"?)
I have very little desire to have kids right now so this is hard for me to answer. The idea of having a baby just reminds me of the Alien vs. Predator movie scene where the alien busts out of that person's chest. Kidding aside, I'm reading a book right not called Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon that dives into the parent – child relationship in terms of how our identities are developed. I highly recommend reading it purely because it breaks apart the importance of correctly identifying illness (something that can be fixed) vs identity (something that needs be accepted) as well as offering a solid study into vertical (genetic/family) vs horizontal (social) identities. I want to study this more, meet more surrogates, meet more surrogate babies, and understand the parent-child relationships a bit better before diving into having kids of my own or kids for other people.
When my husband and I first met with our surrogacy agency, they told us we were "pioneers", but your parents really earned that term much more than we did, given that you were born in 1993. Is there any advice you'd have for people considering surrogacy today?
I would say the best advice is to take a child development class and to meet other people who have gone through it. I took a child development class as part of my college education and, wow, everyone considering to be parents needs to take one (seriously). Beyond that, I would think long and hard about two questions:
1. Do you want to tell your child? Are you willing to deal with the consequences of telling them or not telling them?
2. What do you want your relationship and your child's relationship to be like with the birthmom? The lack of research around surrogates in this case is what is mostly causing the problem. It's a natural reaction to fear something you don't understand, don't hear about, and, for most people, don't have a need for. It's a different story when you are struggling with fertility issues. It's ironic to me that they would be against surrogacy when it's basically a hyper planned pregnancy with the sole goal of delivering a baby to two parents who really want the child.
My two cents: tell your kids and have an open relationship with the birthmom.
Are you aware of the anti-surrogacy movement? There are some people who don't think surrogacy should be legal, because it exploits women and/or because it's unfair to the kids who result from it. How would you respond to those people?
I am aware of the anti-surrogacy movement. I can see why it can be thought of that way from people who may not really understand how surrogacy is being used in the real world. The screening in place for surrogate mothers is intense, at least in the United States. I think that should be the case everywhere if it's not already (I can't speak with authority on that). Moreover, I think the screening for parents who want to use surrogacy should be just as intense and rigorous, which I currently think it is. My parents have spoken to me of strict standards even back at the very beginning of this so I can't imagine they have fallen to the wayside now. By having these standards in place, I think you actually prevent many of the fears anti-surrogacy people have as you can weed out those who are doing it for the wrong reasons, which could potentially result in the exploitation of women and a level of unfairness to the kids. However, I think if you actually surveyed surrogates and surrogate babies, you would find a much different story.
For the last question, I want you to speak directly to my kids. Knowing that they were also conceived through surrogacy, what would you want to say to them?
Gah. I know there may be times when your identity feels pulled in a million directions and you're not sure who you got your laugh or nose from but know that deep down inside you are so incredibly loved. Know that family goes much farther and deeper beyond blood and genetics. Know that it's okay to talk about surrogacy and that you should never be ashamed of it. Don't ever be afraid to ask questions but recognize that everyone involved in your life is going through this for the first time too (give them and yourself a break). You can never have too many people who love you and want you to be here – you, like me, have one extra person from the very beginning loving you. See your origin story as something that gives you insight into yourself and those around you. Question yourself deeply – you have a rare perspective on the world. Talk to others – often the fears or concerns you might have about being a surrogate baby can come from not having a greater perspective about how you get here in the first place. Ultimately though, be kind – everyone has their own origin story in their own way and use yours to connect rather than to divide.
Is there anything else you want to add? If not, feel free to tell me how wonderful my questions were, because that would be a super ego boost for me.
I think for me I'm at a place now where I more so just want to understand the surrogate's perspective. In many ways, the surrogate baby is "set up" to seek the birth mom whereas the birth mom is "set up" to let go of the child she gave birth to for someone else. That's an oversimplification of course but I think I'm realizing after so many years I think I now have the emotional energy and confidence to dive into building a relationship with her rather than theorizing about how she might feel. You can really drive yourself nuts if you want to trying to understand surrogacy and I've found that simplifying it to the core of it being an act of altruism in many ways helps bring me peace.
One last ramble… being a surrogate baby is basically like half being adopted and half being a stepchild without any drama of a divorce. It leaves you in a weird place because you have some angst of "why did my mom give me up" but not nearly to the extent that you do if you were adopted. The angst that is there as a result often goes away when you release how selfless it was to do. However, you do feel a bit like a stepchild in that you aren't fully related to one of your parents (at least for my kind of surrogacy). BUT you were so wanted by this parent that they planned for years to have you! As a result, it's this weird mix of more common social norms in our society that leaves you feeling both like you have people who "get it" yet still a bit alone. I've balanced it by realizing as we all do that there will be very few if any people who totally get your story. There are some friends who I can talk to about my sexual identity but who may not understand the surrogacy/family side and vice versa. Fortunately, I have a variety of people who I can turn to for different things and, ultimately, as a collective group of people I have never felt alone in this.
I think my favorite part of what Anne said is this: "Don't ever be afraid to ask questions but recognize that everyone involved in your life is going through this for the first time too (give them and yourself a break)." That's such an incredibly empathetic, self-aware statement, and we're definitely still in a world where that is true for most families undergoing surrogacy.
I'd like to point out, for the sake of clarity, that my kids were created through a different type of surrogacy than Anne was. Her parents underwent what's commonly called "traditional surrogacy", in which the surrogate carrier uses her own egg but does not retain custody of the child. (Thus, Anne's use of the term "birth mom," which we don't use in our family.) Traditional surrogacy has become less common with the advances in IVF technology since the 90's, although some intended parents still choose that route. My husband and I underwent "gestational surrogacy," which is more common today. In gestational surrogacy, embryos are created in vitro using a donor's eggs, and they're then transfered to a surrogate who has no genetic link to the child.
Thanks again to Anne for her openness and honesty in responding to my incredibly direct and invasive questions. She is an inspiration to me, and I'm sure she will be to my kids as they get older. If you'd like to get to know Anne even better, you should follow her on Twitter @annezazu
By Jerry Mahoney • Posted in Interviews	• Tagged Alien vs. Predator, family, gay parenting, interview, LGBT, LGBT parenting, LGBTQ, nontraditional families, parenting, surrogacy, Traditional surrogacy
Meet Anne: A Slap-In-The-Face Interview With a Child of Surrogacy
Last month, I was lucky enough to be invited to speak at the first ever WordPress-sponsored Press Publish conference in Portland, Oregon. While I was there, I met tons of awesome people, but the one who probably sticks out the most to me was a young woman named Anne who spoke to me after my presentation. She wanted me to know that she was born through surrogacy herself. She was curious to meet my kids, because she'd never met anyone else who was born through surrogacy.
She was a wonderful person — smart, polite, down-to-Earth, and we had a very nice chat. I promised to put her in touch with some people who might be able to help her find other people her age born through surrogacy, and she gave me her card.
But I couldn't stop thinking about her, because I often wonder how my kids will feel about their birth story as they get older. Will they be confused? Alienated? Bored to tears? Anne was so cool about where she came from, so I emailed and asked if I could interview her for this site.
Now, in honor of Surrogate and Egg Donor Day (a/k/a Other's Day), which my family celebrates every year on the day before Mother's Day, here are her thoughtful, honest, eye-opening responses.
Before I start, I want to say that Anne gave me permission to be totally blunt and intrusive and ask the kind of questions that would normally earn me a slap in the face. In return, I gave her permission to respond "You horrible bastard!" to any question that was particularly rude, and then just move on. I would not normally be this direct when talking to someone with a nontraditional birth story, nor would I recommend you be. But if you want to know how they might answer if you ever were so bold, here you go.
In order to avoid any confusion, I also want to point out that when I refer to Anne's "mom" or "mother" in these questions, I mean the woman who raised her. If I'm talking about her surrogate, I'll use the term "surrogate".
Hi Anne! First of all, can you tell me about your family and about how you were conceived? It was through traditional surrogacy, right, meaning the surrogate used her own egg, along with your father's sperm?
Yes, I am a result of a traditional surrogacy! My mom dealt with fertility issues, which led them to consider surrogacy. Through the Center for Surrogate Parenting, they met my birth mom. The first attempt ended in a miscarriage, and after that, it took them almost 4 years to have me.
Before my second question, I want to apologize for my first question, because no one should ever have to hear, say or think about a phrase like "your father's sperm". Most of us have the luxury of never having to ponder the specifics of how our parents created us — whether it was on their honeymoon, there was a broken condom or they were crazy drunk and our dad actually thought he was hooking up with our mom's identical twin sister or something. I don't know those things about myself, and I don't want to. Do you ever get annoyed that people are so curious about the specifics of your birth story, or that you have to talk about it more than most people do?
Hahah oh my gosh. In some ways, I'm lucky my birth was SO planned. They REALLY wanted me, so much so that they went through this intense process to have me. Honestly, I get more annoyed with people who try to pretend like I didn't just say anything about surrogacy when I mention it than those who see me as an interesting biology and social experiment. "That's nice – what are you doing this weekend" feels a lot worse than "Wait – how long have you known?!".
If I don't want to talk about it I don't have to. Either way, most of the time when I do bring it up or when family is brought up an interesting conversation results, which is always fun.
What kind of communication do you have with your surrogate, and what do you call her? Is she your "surrogate mother", or do you avoid the "m" word, like we do in our family?
I call her by her first name actually. I had to take a second to think about that. If I'm describing her to other people, I'll say birth mom like I am now. Otherwise though, I had major speech problems until I was about 9 and surrogate mother would have come out like "I haff a shuwoogathe mothwa" which sounds like it could be a disease.
I didn't have much communication with her growing up. Looking back, that's something I wish I had more of but she was living her life, most likely trying to give my parents distance to raise me. I remember getting cards on Christmas and for my birthday every once in a while.
When I was 12, I met her for the first time. Apparently, organizations associated with surrogacy think 12 is a good age. Real quick: think back to when you were 12 and imagine meeting your parent for the first time?! It threw me for a loop for sure. I think 12 was just too awkward and emotional of an age for that to happen. We only went out to dinner and my parents were there the entire time. I don't remember saying much because what do you have to say when you're 12?
After that, I remember reaching a point in my freshman or sophomore year where I hacked into my dad's email looking for her email address. This was the beginning of social media and all that jazz so I was determined to see if I could find her. I found her email address, then found her on Facebook. Long story short, we became Facebook friends my junior year and basically liked each other's posts for a while.
Midway through college, I realized I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to my birth mom and I hadn't met her as an adult. I decided to make the trip my junior year to visit her. I dragged one of my close friends along for the road trip and am so happy I did, as I definitely would've been too nervous to drive to dinner by myself. We met up with her and her husband and had dinner. Since then we've mostly kept up very randomly via texting but I'm planning on going to see her sometime in the next year again. My relationship with her is definitely something I want to develop as I do think I'm lucky to have such an open relationship with her.
Anne's family
When did your parents first tell you that you were conceived through surrogacy, and what was your initial reaction? Did you feel like a weirdo, some kind of superkid or somewhere in between?
This is a hard question to answer, because I can't think of a time when I didn't know. My family always talked about it, never in a way of "You're different" but more of a "We're so lucky to have you!"
In terms of how I felt, there were definitely times I felt a bit different. It was more centered on me not knowing my biological mom. I think it made me wonder if I was missing anything. I know that I felt a bit out of place within my family at times. I do remember daydreaming about meeting my birth mom and what I would say to her or what would happen if we didn't get along. I think more than anything I just wondered if she was like me. I wrote about it a bit on an old private blog. Here are some excerpts:
"my half sister messaged me a bit ago about wanting to get together and go on vacation or at least meet up. isnt that strange? isnt that lovely? i love it. every bit of it. it's weird that there is someone genetically related to me living their own life doing their own thing and i am only following from a distance on facebook. same with [my birth mom]. will i ever know her? know what her face looks like when shes mad or happy? know what her favorite song is. favorite candy. favorite meal. what time she goes to bed. how she cuts a steak. what her laugh sounds like. the little things." – December 31, 2012
"i saw my birth mom almost two weeks ago. i am at work and can't write too much about it but let's just say that the connection was made. the synapse was complete. i can now think about my birth mom and there is a mental endpoint. there are less questions. there is more peace. it was amazing to see myself in her. to sit across from her and feel so calm. i wasnt worried about what i was saying or doing. i just was being. it was a lot less scary than i thought it would be and a lot more natural." -November 5, 2013
Based on these two you can see a glimpse of how I felt before and how I feel now. When I think about her now there isn't this nagging feeling that I need to see her. There's a much broader sense of calm and peace about it.
Growing up, how many of your friends knew about your unique birth story? (Just to make you feel more like a superhero, we'll call it your "origin story".) Did other kids ever tease you about your family?
I don't ever recall being teased but I do remember outing myself, so to speak, about being a surrogate baby when a friend of mine who was adopted was being picked on. I think the other kids were so shocked by what I said they just didn't pick on her again! I have some memories in 1st – 5th grade of telling people, but it was always just passed over. My mom told me recently that she had some parents come up to her asking for the story so they could explain it a bit better to their kids. After 6th or 7th grade, I remember telling my close friends more often. It was one of those "secrets" that came out after a certain period of time. In college, I would say it casually if there were moments it came up in conversation about family life, etc. I mentioned it to a Lyft driver the other day after making a comment about being born where he was from but only living there for a week. If the opportunity comes up, I'll say something but it's definitely not a natural thing you throw into conversation.
Did you feel different from your friends with more traditional families, and did you ever wish you could just have a "normal" family like everyone else?
I do have some really funny memories from a doctor's visit when I was probably 6 where I said some really insane stuff about not letting my mom's blood go inside my body because we aren't related. I definitely had moments where I felt like my brother was closer to my mom. My dad and I like the same candy, wake up early in the morning, have similar mannerisms, etc. I felt like I could feel the biological connection more than I could with my mom. How can you prove that? If I didn't know I was a surrogate baby, would I even notice anything? I firmly believe I wouldn't.
At some point when I was growing up, though, I realized that having blurred lines about what exactly family is allowed me to develop closer relationships with people. To explain a bit further, by expanding my definition of family, I was able to let more people in. I think this way of viewing things helped me not worry as much about what a "normal" family is. Plus, the second you really talk to anyone about family, you realize there is no normal 🙂
Anne and her brother
Tell me a bit about your brother. While your parents were struggling to conceive with the surrogate, they actually conceived naturally, and your brother was born. Is that right?
That's correct! My brother was basically a miracle baby. My mom had stopped fertility treatments when she found out she was pregnant with him!
So if your parents' goal was to have a baby, why did they continue to pursue surrogacy after they had a biological child of their own? I think that's something that might confuse some people.
Simply put, they wanted two kids 🙂 I think just having one kid would have been a miracle enough, but the chance to have two… they couldn't pass it up. I think at that point they were already heavily invested in the idea of surrogacy and decided to go for it.
Did you ever feel different from your brother, like he had some connection to your mom that you lacked? Did you ever feel like your parents treated you differently? And be honest, because every kid in history who has siblings has at one point or another said, "You like him better than me!"
I am about as different from my brother as I can be. We butt heads, as I seem to have taken all the emotions between the two of us. I would say despite my parents' best efforts, we were treated differently. I think having different genetics meant I needed to be treated differently. I'm much more emotional than my brother and needed different responses in certain situations. I spoke to my parents about this a couple of years ago and they said they just never thought of it that way but can see how they could have done things differently.
When you think about everything your parents went through to have you, do you ever wonder, "Why didn't they just adopt?" Is that something other people have asked? (My husband and I get that sometimes when we mention we had a surrogate.)
For some reason, I think my parents would have had a harder time adopting than having a surrogate. I'm 22 and my mom just turned 70 about a week ago. My dad is 60.
I just called my mom and asked. Here's a summary of her response:
"We tried everything. We started with adoption and it's not that easy when you're our age. Because at this day and age, birthmothers have a big say and I was probably older than most of their moms. The short answer is we tried, and when we had the funds to go for surrogacy we jumped for it. Having the possibility of surrogacy was a more attractive option because you would have more of a likelihood that you would have a baby and there would be a genetic connection. It was an evolution – it wasn't an either/or."
As a backstory, The generation gap is something that did cause issues but, now that I'm older and wiser myself, I'm SO happy to have had older parents as there was a maturity that I think made this entire process easier. In terms of other people asking about adoption, I've actually never been asked that!
Coming up in part two, I'll ask Anne about how she deals with being a child of surrogacy now that she's grown up. Does it still come up? Would she consider being a surrogate herself? What would she say to kids like mine who were also born through surrogacy, and to people who don't think surrogacy should be legal?
Check back for the second part of my interview or subscribe to my blog to get it emailed to you as soon as it becomes available. And Happy Surrogate and Egg Donor Day!
By Jerry Mahoney • Posted in Interviews	• Tagged family, interview, LGBT, LGBTQ, nontraditional families, parenting, surrogacy, Traditional surrogacy
It's Time to End "Traditional Gay Marriage"
One of the nuttier arguments against same-sex marriage — and there's a hotly contested battle for that distinction — is that gay people already have the right to marry. If they want to, they can marry someone of the opposite sex, just like anyone else.
Of course, that's exactly what gay people have been doing since marriage was invented. Marriage is such an attractive institution that many, if not most, LGBTQ people throughout history have entered into it the only way they've legally been allowed: by marrying someone of the opposite sex. Those marriages then typically involve one gay person and one straight person.
Let's call this "traditional gay marriage".
So what kind of unions does traditional gay marriage create? Usually, ones built on a foundation of lies, where one partner believes the other is totally committed to them, and the other is just looking for some sort of societal approval they'd never get by being true to themselves.
It stands to reason that people in traditional gay marriages are more likely to cheat, because neither of them is likely to be sexually satisfied within the marriage. Even if everyone involved is faithful, they're bound to get frustrated. The straight spouse may someday realize he or she deserves better, or the gay spouse may someday come out of the closet, bringing the marriage to an abrupt and painful end.
Gay marriage foes claim to be very concerned with children, but what kind of family does traditional gay marriage provide for kids? They'll never really know who one of their parents truly is, and they'll have to live with the tension between two people who really weren't a match made in Heaven. That could manifest as anything from chilly passive-aggressiveness to physical and emotional abuse. How will they figure out what love is, or what they should be looking for in a mate, when the role models in their own home are so dysfunctional?
There's no way to know how many straight marriages have been ruined by the legalization of same-sex marriage, though most people would put the estimate around 0. Traditional gay marriage, on the other hand, has led to countless divorces, scandals, broken homes and surely therapy bills totaling higher than the national debt.
If you still think traditional gay marriage is a good idea, ask yourself if you'd wish it on your own son or daughter. Would you want your daughter marrying a closeted gay man, or your son to shack up with a woman who's always wishing he could be someone else? Because that's the world you're advocating when you want to put an end to same-sex marriage. Plenty of those gay people are still going to get married, and they might just marry you or someone you care about.
Now look at the alternative. When gay marriage is legal, fewer of those fraudulent marriages will exist. LGBTQ people will see that they don't have to stay in the closet and deceive someone they care about in order to reap the benefits of marriage. They'll know that they can marry the person they love and society will treat them just the same as any other couple. They'll even be able to have kids, like my husband and I and so many other gay couples do, if that's something they're interested in. There will be no more incentive for traditional gay marriage, and people will have less reason to worry that their spouse is more interested in convenience than mutual affection.
The Supreme Court is hearing arguments on legalizing same-sex marriage today, and I hope they'll hear something like this, because the world before legalized gay marriage was never as perfect as the gay marriage opponents would make it seem.
To them, I say this: If you're really worried about gay people weakening the sacred institution of marriage, stop telling them to marry straight people.
If you like this and you agree that it's time to end traditional gay marriage, I hope you'll share it using the buttons below, especially if you happen to know Justice Kennedy or Roberts.
Hey, I have a book!
By Jerry Mahoney • Posted in Miscellaneous Rants	• Tagged gay marriage, LGBT parenting, LGBTQ, Same-sex marriage, Supreme Court
So What If My Kids Are Gay?


text:
Tag Archives: crisis
Some Good News!
Sanremo, 31st March 2020
We have received a press release issued by the French Nautical Federation (FIN). You will find here below for your review an in-house translation.
The press release states that the French government has agreed to postpone the application of the new tax regulation related to charter hire (VAT due on the exact time of navigation in EU waters and the abolition of the 50% lump sum reduction).
This certainly would come as great news to our industry during these difficult times however we are waiting for the official confirmation to be issued from the French government in this regard.
Please find below the translated text from the FIN's press release:
PRESS RELEASE | 25 March 2020, Paris
Applicable VAT Regime on charter hire: the Federation obtains a postponement of the new measure.
Following constructive contacts with the office of the Minister of the Economy, the FIN informs the professionals in the nautical sector of the suspension of the reform project aimed at modifying the 50% lump sum VAT reduction that applies when navigation outside the territorial waters of the European Union occurs during a charter.
"For several months now, we have been working in close coordination with the Government services on this subject. Until the Covid-19 crisis, we were moving forward on a common position with our Italian counterparts. This work will resume after the health crisis. We have pleaded with the government for the suspension of the measure that should have applied on 1 April. This is a relief today. This decision should be made official in the next few hours," said Yves Lyon-Caen, President of the FIN
In the light of this the French Finance Minister has cancelled the implementation of the new regulation (see more here) due to the current situation of COVID-19 pandemic.
As the changes made to the conditions for determining the taxable base have been withdrawn, the VAT lump sum reduction (20% on 50% of the charter fee) is still applicable in the case of cruising in international waters (BOI-TVA-CHAMP-20-50-30).
For what is concerned to Italy the UCINA Confindustria Nautica is currently dealing with the Italian Authorities to do take analogous measures and therefore to postpone the application of the new rules in order to keep the old taxation law for all Charters to execute during season 2020 (taxation at 22% on 30% of the agreed Charter Fee).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


For the past couple of years, the use of mobile application products, e-commerce, online payments and online booking has been on a rapid increase. Of these, many of them are start-ups and self-financed products or services. Many such start-ups emerged as leading service providers now, others just collapsed after months. Rapido is one such initiative, which could be giant service provider by changing the entire taxi or vehicle renting culture of our country.
Rapido is a product developed by a bunch of IIT graduates, who looks forward to improve the traffic and driving culture of our country. It is basically a platform, where one can book a bike ride through their mobile application while traveling solo, similar to online taxi booking. The main difference lies within the fare and efficiency. It will be 60% cost-effective than cars, not only that here ride booking is done only to those bikes which are traveling towards the desired location or direction. By sharing your ride with another person, you can earn some amount, which could be added to your monthly income. Moreover, ride sharing principle works here, rather than renting a ride for particular time. Thus, Rapido Bike Pooling helps in reducing everyday travel issue like parking, driving, traffic and hike in fuel prices.
It is economical, faster and most convenient way of traveling as it saves a lot of time especially during peak hours. Not only that, it is rather helpful in bringing down the Carbon content in the atmosphere, as one is sharing their ride with another. As a first step Rapido bike pooling has started their activities in Bangalore. The success of Bangalore will take Rapido to newer cities and states.
*It can solve one of the biggest issue of transportation problem in our main cities.
*More the ride you share more you earn.
Last updated on 06-02-2017. Published on 06-02-2017.


Welcome to UPMC Mercy, where our very name reflects the spirit of our calling and the special promise of our care.
We take great pride in being part of UPMC's nationally ranked health care system, which enables us to offer outstanding, life-changing medicine that is rooted in innovation and service excellence.
As the region's only Catholic hospital, we also have been entrusted with continuing the great spiritual and social mission of our founders, the Sisters of Mercy. While the health care needs of our community have changed dramatically since they began their ministry in 1847, the need for faith-based care remains just as valid and compelling now as it was then.
Every day, the work of our doctors, nurses, therapists, and staff demonstrates the power of faith in action: serving God through excellence in medicine, service, and compassionate care. Whatever your faith — whether you are a patient, visitor, or employee — at UPMC Mercy you will be welcomed and valued with dignity and respect. You have our promise that we will always strive to ensure the quality of life and spiritual well-being of our patients, their families, our staff, and our community.


WHAT IS THE BEST AND PERFECT WAY OF ADORING GOD?
In a previous post, we have briefly enumerated the Top 5 Reasons Why We Need to Go to Holy Mass Every Sunday. In this post, we shall answer the question: What is the best and perfect way to adore and thank God?
Attending the Holy Mass is the best and perfect way of adoring and thanking God. It is the best and perfect way to repair for our sins and to ask not only for our needs, but for the needs of the humanity as well. Why?
Below you have an excerpt from the Catholic best-seller, "In Conversation with God," vol. 2, no. 30.3, which explains why.
The Holy Mass "is essentially identical with the Sacrifice of the Cross," and the Sacrifice of the Mass has an infinite value. In each Mass there is offered to God the Father an infinite act of adoration, thanksgiving and reparation, quite independent of the specific dispositions of the people attending, or of the celebrant. This is because Christ is at once the principal Offerer and the Victim who offers himself. Thus there is no more perfect way of adoring God than by offering the Mass, in which his Son, Jesus Christ, is offered as the Victim, and at the same time acts as High Priest.
There is no more perfect way of thanking God for everything that He is and for his continual mercy towards us: there is nothing on earth that can be more pleasing to God than the Sacrifice of the altar. Each time Holy Mass is celebrated, reparation is made for all the sins of the world, because of the infinite dignity of the Priest and of the Victim. We have here the only perfect and adequate reparation, to which we must unite our acts of sorrow. It is the only adequate sacrifice that we men can offer, and through it our daily occupations; our sorrows and our joys can take on in it an infinite value. The Holy Mass is really the heart and the centre of the Christian world (John Paul II, Homily at the Seminary of Venegono, 21 May 1983). In this holy sacrifice, There is engraved whatever is most profound in the life of every human being: the life of the father, the mother, the child, the elderly person, the young man and the young woman, the teacher and the student, the man of culture and the uneducated man, the nun and the priest – of each one without exception. It is in this way that man's life becomes inserted, by means of the Eucharist, into the mystery of the living God (idem, Homily at 20th Italian National Eucharistic Congress, 22 May 1983).
The fruits of each Mass are infinite, but in us they are conditioned by our personal dispositions, and thus limited.
Mother Church invites us to share conscientiously, actively and piously in the most sublime action which takes place each day (cf Second Vatican Council, Sacrosanctum Concilium, 48 and 11). We have to try to be attentive and recollected, particularly at the moment of the Consecration. For these moments we will try to penetrate into the soul of him who is at once Priest and Victim in his loving oblation to God the Father, just as on Calvary. This Sacrifice will then be the central point of our daily life, as it is of the liturgy and of the life of the Church. Our union with Christ at the moment of the Consecration will be the more complete the greater our identification with God's will; the greater our dispositions of self-giving. In unity with the Son we offer the Holy Mass to the Father and, at the same time, we offer ourselves through him, with him and in him. This act of union must be so profound and true that it permeates the whole of our day and has a decisive influence on our work, on our relations with others, on our joys and failures: in fact, on everything we do.
With the above-mentioned profound theological reasons, we realise not only the immense, but above all, the infinite value of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. If we believe in all that our Catholic faith teaches us about the Sacrament of the Holy Mass or Holy Eucharist, we will translate our faith in it into a frequent attendance of the Holy Mass during the week and deeds of love towards Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist.
Below you have the entire podcast of the meditation from which the excerpt was taken.
I would like to go to India on a sabbatical to learn and to connect more with Jesus forever.


your fan at the ready, because these secrets are hot!
French Knickers in your husband's dry cleaning can only mean one thing, right?
eyes behind that mask, doesn't she?
apart, or bring them closer than ever?
or so he thinks, until the suitcase breaks and he discovers her secret.
cheeks burned. How dare she?
Thank you for sharing our Secrets!


Interior News ad campaign raised $600 for the Smithers Minor Hockey Association.
Otto Koldyk, Interior News salesperson, hands over a $600 cheque to Dave Turko of the Smithers Minor Hockey Association. The funds were raised as part of an ad campaign that saw The Interior News donate $200 for every page of advertising sold.


text:
$76,000 in 1916 is worth $1,943,940.55 today
$76,000 in 1920 → 2022
Value of $76,000 from 1916 to 2022
$76,000 in 1916 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $1,943,940.55 today, an increase of $1,867,940.55 over 106 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 3.11% per year between 1916 and today, producing a cumulative price increase of 2,457.82%.
The inflation rate in 1916 was 7.92%. The current year-over-year inflation rate (2021 to 2022) is now 7.04%. If this number holds, $76,000 today will be equivalent in buying power to $81,347.67 next year. The current inflation rate page gives more detail on the latest inflation rates.
Buying Power of $76,000
Converted amount ($76,000 base) $1,943,940.55
Price difference ($76,000 base) $1,867,940.55
$76,000 in 1916 $1,943,940.55 in 2022
Buying power of $76,000 in 1916
This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for $76,000 in 1916 (price index tracking began in 1635).
For example, if you started with $76,000, you would need to end with $1,943,940.55 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").
When $76,000 is equivalent to $1,943,940.55 over time, that means that the "real value" of a single U.S. dollar decreases over time. In other words, a dollar will pay for fewer items at the store.
This effect explains how inflation erodes the value of a dollar over time. By calculating the value in 1916 dollars, the chart below shows how $76,000 is worth less over 106 years.
1918 $105,284.40 17.97%
1921 $124,807.34 -10.50%
1993 $1,007,522.94 2.99%
2009 $1,495,854.31 -0.36%
2022 $1,943,940.55 2.89%*
Inflation can vary widely by city, even within the United States. Here's how some cities fared in 1916 to 2022 (figures shown are purchasing power equivalents of $76,000):
San Francisco, California: 3.40% average rate, $76,000 → $2,538,497.73, cumulative change of 3,240.13%
Seattle, Washington: 3.36% average rate, $76,000 → $2,451,002.08, cumulative change of 3,125.00%
New York: 3.25% average rate, $76,000 → $2,177,940.82, cumulative change of 2,765.71%
Boston, Massachusetts: 3.19% average rate, $76,000 → $2,053,409.71, cumulative change of 2,601.85%
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: 3.15% average rate, $76,000 → $1,963,330.09, cumulative change of 2,483.33%
Houston, Texas: 3.11% average rate, $76,000 → $1,885,207.66, cumulative change of 2,380.54%
Chicago, Illinois: 3.10% average rate, $76,000 → $1,872,318.93, cumulative change of 2,363.58%
Detroit, Michigan: 3.08% average rate, $76,000 → $1,837,669.48, cumulative change of 2,317.99%
San Francisco, California experienced the highest rate of inflation during the 106 years between 1916 and 2022 (3.40%).
Detroit, Michigan experienced the lowest rate of inflation during the 106 years between 1916 and 2022 (3.08%).
Inflation can also vary widely by country. For comparison, in the UK £76,000.00 in 1916 would be equivalent to £7,043,882.04 in 2022, an absolute change of £6,967,882.04 and a cumulative change of 9,168.27%.
In Canada, CA$76,000.00 in 1916 would be equivalent to CA$1,639,780.55 in 2022, an absolute change of CA$1,563,780.55 and a cumulative change of 2,057.61%.
Compare these numbers to the US's overall absolute change of $1,867,940.55 and total percent change of 2,457.82%.
Food and beverages 3.90 5,697.19 4,405,867.16
Housing 4.18 7,558.68 5,820,593.94
Apparel 1.87 610.38 539,891.14
Transportation 3.29 3,006.21 2,360,722.72
Medical care 4.69 12,778.87 9,787,943.65
Recreation 1.15 236.62 255,832.16
Education and communication 1.84 591.68 525,678.45
Other goods and services 4.95 16,686.34 12,757,619.37
How to Calculate Inflation Rate for $76,000 since 1916
$76,000 in 1916 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $1,943,940.55 in 2022.
To help put this inflation into perspective, if we had invested $76,000 in the S&P 500 index in 1916, our investment would be nominally worth approximately $2,585,827,743.26 in 2022. This is a return on investment of 3,402,304.93%, with an absolute return of $2,585,751,743.26 on top of the original $76,000.
The compounding effect of inflation would account for 96.09% of returns ($2,484,732,620.55) during this period. This means the inflation-adjusted real return of our $76,000 investment is $101,019,122.71. You may also want to account for capital gains tax, which would take your real return down to around $85,866,254 for most people.
Nominal $76,000 $2,585,827,743.26 3,402,304.93%
Inflation Adjusted $76,000 $101,095,122.71 132,919.90%
Ottoman forces successfully defend access to Constantinople, leading to ANZAC forces withdrawal from the Gallipoli Peninsula.
An estimated 1 million men are killed during the Battle of Verdun.
The Easter Rising ends after Irish republicans abandon the post office in Dublin and surrenders.
Tanks known as 'Little Willies' are used for the first time at the Battle of the Somme.
The first aerial combat in France is won by Manfred von Richthofen, known as The Red Baron, German Luftstreitkrafte flying ace.
You may use the following MLA citation for this page: "$76,000 in 1916 → 2022 | Inflation Calculator." Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 22 Jan. 2022, https://www.officialdata.org/us/inflation/1916?amount=76000.


Inspirational 2019 Mclaren – Through the thousands of pictures on the internet regarding 2019 mclaren, we choices the very best collections having best quality exclusively for you all, and now this pictures is usually one of photos choices inside our very best photos gallery with regards to Inspirational 2019 Mclaren. Lets hope you will as it.
This photograph (2019 Mclaren Elegant 2019 Mclaren 570gt 2019 Mclaren 570gt Hot 2017 Mclaren 570s Msrp New) over is usually labelled with: all for you.
Submitted simply by walper from 2017-04-26 14:40:14. To find out just about all graphics with Inspirational 2019 Mclaren pictures gallery make sure you comply with this hyperlink.


While most hair loss is caused by genetic factors, your lifestyle and diet choices can also have an impact on the health of your hair. Take salt, for instance. In addition to contributing to a host of medical problems, including high blood pressure and heart disease, too much sodium in your diet can lead to hair loss.
High levels of salt can be toxic to hair, as sodium deposits can build up around the hair follicles and prevent important nutrients from entering your follicles. When your hair follicles don't get these nutrients, hair loss can gradually occur.
Potassium is an essential mineral that facilitates electrical and cellular functions in the body. While it's absolutely crucial for the proper functioning of your heart, kidneys, and other organs, it's also important for hair growth. One of the ways your potassium levels can be depleted is through urination. High salt intake can lead to increased urination, which can reduce your potassium levels.
If your diet is high in salt, it's important to increase potassium in your diet through foods such as bananas and whole grains, or supplements. Having a balanced mix of potassium and sodium can help prevent hair loss related to high sodium levels.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends consuming less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day. For those over 50 years old, especially with pre-existing conditions like hypertension, diabetes, or kidney disease, the recommendation is only 1,500 milligrams. Unfortunately, the average American adult consumes 3,436 milligrams of salt every day on average.
Cook your food from scratch.
Avoid packaged and highly processed foods.
Look for products with a "reduced sodium" label at the supermarket.
Season your foods with herb blends instead of using the salt shaker at meals.
While high levels of sodium can affect your hair health, the most common cause of hair loss is actually a hereditary condition. If you're suffering from hereditary hair loss, reducing your sodium intake isn't going to do anything to reverse it.
If you're unsure about what's causing your hair loss and want to learn more, schedule a consultation with a Bosley specialist today. Our experienced physicians can help you identify the cause of your hair loss and design a custom hair restoration plan. To learn more about your hair restoration options, download Bosley's FREE guidebook, The Complete Book on Hair Restoration, to see how great your hair can look.


When we remove the true color from a scene, we remove some of the reality.
When we remove some of the reality, our pictures can look more artistic and creative.
Above: Yellow 2 effect. Below: Neutral effect.
I also use Nik Software's Color Efex Pro to remove some of the reality from an image. Below: Duplex Filter effect.
As John Lennon said: Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.
You can get a discount on all Nik Software plug-ins, and all the plug-ins I use on my Creative Plug-Ins page.
P.S. If you enjoy photographing wildlife, my apps offer tons of tips.


This year's golf Masters champ is the thirty-three-year-old Floridian Bubba Watson. Winning his first Masters Tournament is not the only big change underway in his life right now. Along with his wife Angie Watson, the current world number-four has adopted a son and placed his summertime lakeside home in Lexington, North Carolina on the market. The address is 178 Foxglove Lane and the home's being sold for $1.45 million.
Bubba, whose birth name is Gerry Lester Watson, Jr., put what once served as a summertime residence for sale in February. The agent responsible for the listing is Tim Taylor; he works at his namesake real estate business, Tim Taylor Realty. The three-story house sits on high ground and overlooks North Carolina's second largest lake, High Rock Lake.
This beautiful home encompasses 5,000 square feet and has views of the grand lake from three sides. Inside its lofty accommodations one finds four bedrooms, five bathrooms, and two indoor kitchens. There's also an outdoor kitchen, a heated pool, and a private pier. A guesthouse/staff quarters sits above a spacious three-car garage. The athletic couple — Angie was a standout basketball player — is leaving the house behind because they must reside in Orland, Fla., until their son's adoption process is finalized.


I know this might not be my typical fashion/beauty related post, but every now and then when I get bored, I like open Photoshop and play around. And that's when it hit me – why not do something nice and make some phone wallpaper designs for everyone to use? I don't know about you, but I'm the type of person who changes their iPhone lockscreen ridiculously often. And if you're like me, you're more than happy to find new and unique designs to personalize your phone with.
There are three pairs in this batch, each image being 750 x 1334; the reason why I made them in pairs is because I thought that maybe you want to have one separately for the lockscreen and the other for the home screen, or maybe you want to have matching wallpapers with someone. Either way, enjoy them!
Click on the image to download the full, high quality version.


The Global Investigative Journalism Conference (GIJC) is the premier international gathering of investigative and data journalists, held once every two years. This year, the 11th conference will be held in Hamburg, Germany, from September 26 to 29, and is being co-hosted by the Global Investigative Journalism Network, Netzwerk Recherche and Interlink Academy.
GIJC19 will feature over 150 exciting panels, workshops, and networking sessions, ranging from cross-border collaboration and corruption to advanced data analysis. We will have special tracks on documentaries, sustainability strategies, safety and security, and more. Here's a chance to learn from the best in the field and enhance your skills with the latest tips and tools.
With the support of our sponsors, the conference is offering more than 200 fellowships to both established and young promising journalists in developing and transitioning countries, and for journalists from specific communities such as indigenous peoples, to participate in this prestigious event. Competition is keen so you need to convince us that you will make great use of the training GIJC19 offers.
To stay up-to-date on the fellowships, the global conference, and other opportunities from GIJN, you can subscribe to the GIJN Bulletin.
+ Sorry, Western journalists based overseas are not eligible.
Following the conference, fellows are required to either produce a story directly related to #GIJC19 or give a presentation of the knowledge you have gained at #GIJC19 in your home country to other colleagues or the journalism community at-large. Examples here.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: May 5, 2019. Successful fellows will be notified via email by June 30, 2019.
I am not a journalist but I wish to attend this conference because I like to get ideas on what journalism is and the importance.
I am a criminal justice student and will be graduating in June. I am a young Liberian that wish to study or do my master in computer security outside of my country if I have a full scholarship abroad. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
I am so interested to the training. I will be happy if you think I fit and give me chance in it!
This is a great opportunity i hope to take to advance my investigative journalism skills and be able to apply the acquired knowledge in my practice for better service to my community.


I'm a bit picky when it comes to mascara's. I've long lashes and it's really hard to find the perfect mascara. With perfect I mean: make my lashes black, don't let my lashes stick together and curl them a little.
There are millions of mascara's in stores so it's really hard to find a good one. For now I've tried these four mascara's the last few months and I'd like to tell you my opinion about them.
This mascara looks beautifull, it's short, a dark purple package and the letters shimmer in the light, I really like it.
The brush is thick, that scared me in the beginning. I thought I was going to poke in my eye. But I didn't. And the brush has soft "hairs" on the end. I don't really like soft brushes because I don't feel like it makes my lashes look as I want them to look. My lashes has to curl and get black because the length is good enough and most soft brushes don't do that. And this brush did its work perfectly. I loved the way it curled my lashes and made them black without sticking my lashes together. I didn't expect much from this mascara but actually it's pretty good. I really like the results. And I'm going to buy this one definitely again.
This one disappointed me the most and I really regret buying it. It was a waste of money for me. I choose this mascara because of the "ball" on top of the brush. I thought that it would be useful but I don't know why I thought that. Also the mascara is not very liquid. When I opened it for the first time it looked like it was an old mascara I found after cleaning my room or something. It had a lot of lumps and when I try to put it on my lashes it barely coloured my lashes black. It looked like it was dried out. One good thing about the brush is that it spread my lashes really good. They didn't stick together, what always happens when I put mascara on, because it was a hard plastic brush and that's a plus. But I'm also thinking, my lashes didn't stick together because it was dried out. I will not buy this mascara again.
In combination with the scandal eyes mascara brush they work really well. First I use the scandal eyes to spread my lashes that they won't stick together and then I put on the lash accelerator to make my lashes black. This mascara is very liquid. This is a mascara that allright and does its work pretty well in combination with another brush.
This cheap one surprised me! I always used expensive mascara's but when I didn't had enough money to buy expensive make-up I tried this Miss Sporty mascara. And the results were surprising! The wand is long and the brush is really good, it's hard plastic but not too hard. The mascara is liquid enough to spread my lashes and make them black! It's easy to apply the mascara because the end of the wand is bend in the way my lashes are. For sure I'm going to use this mascara again. I really like it.
So this was my opinion about these mascara's. I really want to know what your favourite mascara is. You can leave it in the comments below!


He is the key person in management of the patients under his/her care.
Similar Jobs For "Endocrinology Consultant – Security Forces Hospital Program Dammam"
Note: This job listing with titled "Endocrinology Consultant – Security Forces Hospital Program Dammam" was indexed from different job portals. This job might be expired or closed for accepting CV's so we suggest to browse it from the new jobs menu of this site. Our website is an open community website for assisting job seeker so if you found some broken links or error in our site don't hesitate to contact us to fix the issue. Thank you for using our free services.


My site has many authors to contribute their articles. I use sharethis plugin to let users to share the articles. Is any way to store locally the count of shares for each post, and for each author. So users can sort the post with the count of share or sort the author with the count of share.
For example, there are 3 posts --A, B ,C -- and 2 authors --X,Y --on the website. X posted A and B, and Y post C.
3. How do I filter posts as per count of shares, and filter authors as per count of shares.
i think custom field can help you in this situation.
For post use custom post meta.
For authors use custom user meta.
You can filter the content or in the single.php add +1 to the post and the author.
Can you please explain more on the "You can filter the content or in the single.php add +1 to the post and the author" ? I don't know how to store the count of share to a custom field of author profile. Also if the authors posted more than 2 posts, how do I store the sum of count of shares for all his/her posts?
Thanks Luis, but what I would like to know is how to store locally the counts of "shares".
Requirement has been understood and people provided the solution with custom fields.
Does this answer the question? Or you are looking for implementation on top of "share this" sharing script?
If latter is expected than let me know, I can get both done on your site please reach me at contact details provided in my profile.
Thanks Hardeep, yes I am looking for the implementation of sharing script. It does not necessary on top of "sharethis" as long as there is better solution to store the count of shares ( facebook, google+,...etc) for each post and for each author.
I will contact you soon if you can help.
I am fine to work on this.
Let's get on Skype to discuss and close.
Regarding with you question on how to count the number of people who share the certain post, in facebook and in google.
I think this could not be solve by wordpress codes, this can be done through scapping using php scripts,. the script will get the number of people who shares in facebook and in google then sum up those and will be recorded to you database.
I am available to work for this one and can be done in less than two(2) hours.
Hi ej_emma, can it be used on top of "share this" plugin ? How do I reach you?
I just send you pm.


text:
[TICKET GIVEAWAY] PVRIS w/ Lights & Party Nails | Oct. 6 @ Marathon Music Works
Out in support of their stellar new sophomore album, All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell, breakout Massachusetts alt rock/dark electropop trio PVRIS are set to return to Nashville on Oct. 6 for their largest local headliner to date, at Marathon Music Works, on the heels of a high-profile supporting slot earlier this year at Ascend with Muse and Thirty Seconds to Mars. PVRIS alone is exciting, but making this show even more essential is the addition of beloved electropop singer Lights, whose latest, Skin & Earth, pushes her artistic medium and conceptual nature to new heights, and buzzy up and comer Party Nails. Tickets are still available right here, and whether you're a die-hard fan or new to these acts, we encourage you to take the plunge and catch what promises to be one of the best shows of the fall. We're so excited, in fact, that we're giving away a pair of tickets to one lucky fan! Read on for more about the lineup, and enter for a chance to win below!
Thanks to their unbelievably strong 2014 debut LP White Noise, buzzworthy Massachusetts alt rock/dark electropop trio PVRIS have, over the last few years, ascended from a tiny touring entity (they've played plenty of Nashville dives and DIY spots in the past) to a certifiable, mainstream rock juggernaut, earning critical praise and radio buzz, and nabbing appearances at high profile festivals and on the late night TV circuit. After re-releasing a deluxe edition of White Noise last year, then following up a huge tour with Muse and Thirty Seconds to Mars with their highly-anticipated sophomore effort, All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell, earlier this summer, PVRIS feel inevitably poised to become one of the biggest new acts in rock, as evidenced by their largest headlining show in Nashville to date this time around. An absolute live juggernaut, propelled by the immense talent of frontwoman Lynn Gunn, PVRIS are a band you must see live to fully appreciate, and now that they've had a few years to cut their teeth, they're as inspired and engaging as ever. Formed only in 2012, the young trio are likely to soon leapfrog the alt/punk scene, and graduate to the mainstream echelon, so far following a similar career trajectory to breakout acts like Paramore and twenty one pilots. An absolute band you need to know, if you've somehow slept on them up to this point, this is a must-see show to understand what all of the hype is about. You won't be disappointed.
Though she claims Toronto as her home base, Lights (that's really her legal name these days, though she was born Valerie Poxleitner) was raised by missionaries, moving around through various corners of the world. Gravitating towards playing in bands at a young age, Lights developed her signature synth-heavy pop sound in the mid-'00s, largely a DIY writing effort, finding swift and significant success with her self-titled debut EP and subsequent LP, The Listening. With even more acclaim and award recognition in her native Canada, the singer connected with the punk community in the U.S., nabbing an early spot on Warped Tour and gaining further attention with a national ad campaign with Old Navy. Though her debut is a near-perfect pop album, later releases would incorporate both more conventional instrumentation and broader EDM, hip hop, and dubstep-dervived influences, helping Lights connect with a wider and even more eclectic audience. Through years of touring with a wide array of acts, she's developed an unbelievable live show to match, boasting a full backing band, light show, tons of synths, and incredibly polished performance chops. With her recent fourth album, Skin & Earth, her most ambitious to date, the singer also incorporates her love of comic books, going full-on concept album and broadening her medium with a great tie-in comic series. Distinctly different but well matched for PVRIS, Lights on her own would be worth the price of admission.
PARTY NAILS
Los Angeles based Party Nails, the live alias of New York native Elana Belle Carroll, has more in common with Lights' shimmering electropop than PVRIS' more rock-oriented sound, but should nonetheless be a treat for fans of both, crafting lush, infectious hooks and indie pop bliss. A relative newcomer, the promising singer has been earning up buzz and drumming up a following thanks to a string of great singles over the past couple of years, and just dropped her debut EP, Come Again, earlier this year. Show up early!
ENTER TO WIN TICKETS
Enter to win tickets by filling out the form below. If you experience any trouble with the contest widget, or have any questions, feel free to email us at [email protected].
Winner will be announced Thursday, Oct. 5 at 12 p.m. CDT, and will receive one pair of tickets. Good luck!
[contesthopper contest="88946″]
PVRIS, Lights, and Party Nails will perform Friday, Oct. 6 at Marathon Music Works. The show is all ages, begins at 8 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.), and tickets are available to purchase for $25-99.
Tags: LightsMarathon Music WorksNashville Music BlogNashville Music CalendarParty NailsPVRISTicket Giveaway
[REMINDER] Don't Miss San Fermin w/ Pavo Pavo | TONIGHT @ Exit/In


We carry gas and electric cars.
At Strickland's Golf Carts we know you will find a golf cart or utility vehicle to match your needs. We have been in business for over 17 years and have gained the trust of many clients. We sell and service gas and electric utility vehicles from many leading brands, including EZ Go and Club Car brands. Whether you need a vehicle for hauling cargo or new golf cart, we will find the perfect fit for you.
Contact us today to find the perfect cart for your needs!


text:
Q: Vertically align div to middle of element So basically, I want my page to look like this. The logo (green triangle) is "images/logo.png", and the three other boxes are Username input/Password input/Submit button.

The code I have tried does not work - it squashes it all up on the left side of the page.

{{ form_widget(form.username, {'attr': {'class': 'form-control', 'placeholder': 'authentication.username'|trans } }) }}

{{ form_widget(form.password, {'attr': {'class': 'form-control', 'placeholder': 'authentication.password'|trans } }) }}

{{ form_widget(form.log_in, {'attr': {'class': 'btn btn-lg btn-primary btn-block'}, 'label': 'authentication.log.in'|trans }) }}

What am I doing wrong?
Thanks

A: Let's assume your parent element is 100% height and width of the viewport.
You can easily vertically align any element, if you don't mind using the transform property, with a few lines of code.
.class {
    position: relative;
    top: 50%;
    -webkit-transform: translateY(-50%);
    transform: translateY(-50%);
}

You can throw in a margin: 0 auto; if you want to horizontally align it as well (and it is a block type element).
Fiddle Here
To apply it to your code:

*

*Make sure the parent of login-box is the element with 100% height and width.

*Apply the above styles to the login-box class.

A: I have created a example demo with some dummy data but you will get the idea how to achieve it
.col-sm-2, .col-sm-10 {
min-height: 100vh;
display: flex;
align-items : center;
}

A: You might consider using the col-sm-offset to change the position of your image and your fields.  Try:

Play with "col-sm-offset-x" until you get it positioned correctly.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange