#and the lady called them a no show. the next appointment is october 14

[ruthlesslistener]

The deeply frustrating and slightly terrifying feeling of needing your partner to get help desperately and yet being completely incapable of being able to reach it because the system is cold and uncaring is driving me up the fucking wall

[trans-advice]

WINDY CITY MEDIA GROUP

NATIONAL Biden tracker, Task Force, trans journalist, Cuomo, West Virginia

by Windy City Times staff

2021-03-14

GLAAD announced the launch of its Biden Equality Accountability Tracker—a real-time record of the Biden administration's executive orders, announcements, legislative support and speeches that impact LGBTQ people and rights, a press release noted. GLAAD has tracked at least 24 pro-equality moves in the first 50 days, as well as noted LGBTQ Cabinet and staff appointments in the first days of the administration. GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis introduced the tracker in her op-ed in Reuters, and in the statement. See https:// Article Link Here .

The National LGBTQ Task Force announced the addition of two new staff members and the consolidation of two departments as part of the organization's growth and restructure under the leadership of recently named Executive Director Kierra Johnson, a press release noted. Former Creating Change Conference Director Andy Garcia will now head a combined department of conference, policy and advocacy staff as director of the Advocacy and Action Department. Also, Ashawnda Fleming joins the Task Force Development Department and Leadership Team as the new chief development officer and Desiree Luckey has been appointed senior policy counsel, focusing on the organization's democracy work.

Trans sports journalist Christina Kahrl—a longtime ESPN senior editor and co-founder of both the Baseball Prospectus think tank and the Baseball Writers' Association of America—announced on Twitter that she will be the next sports editor of the legendary San Francisco Chronicle newspaper, Outsports noted. She will become the first out transgender editor of a major, metropolitan mainstream media outlet in the country when she takes the reins of sports coverage of the largest newspaper in Northern California. The Chronicle is the state's second major newspaper after the Los Angeles Times. In a message to Outsports, Kahrl said she recognizes the importance of her platform.

Many of New York's LGBTQ lawmakers are echoing growing calls for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign in response to numerous disturbing allegations of inappropriate behavior and sexual harassment, Gay City News reported. U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, became the highest-ranking LGBTQ elected official in the state to call on Cuomo to step down when he issued a statement on March 12—the same day that new allegations surfaced. Congressmen Mondaire Jones and Ritchie Torres have also asked for the governor to step down.

Researchers at UCLA partnered with a researcher at West Virginia University (WVU) to publish a report addressing discrimination against the LGBT community in West Virginia, WDTV.com reported. Some of the key findings were that LGBT people in West Virginia experience discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. For example, data show 39% of LGBT adults in West Virginia reported having a household income below $24,000, compared to 26% of non-LGBT adults.

A Houston bakery is facing two separate lawsuits from former employees alleging they were fired due to anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination, out.com noted. Gilbert Johnson and Katherine Phillips told OutSmart the Dessert Gallery Bakery & Cafe fired them because Johnson is gay and Phillips is a lesbian. Johnson further alleged he was fired in part for hiring a transgender employee. "We take seriously any allegations like those outlined in these complaints but stand firm that these allegations are simply not true," Dessert Gallery said in a statement. "We believe the proper place to disclose the facts of this case is in the courtroom and look forward to that opportunity."

A bill to strengthen the sexually transmitted disease public-health infrastructure of California is better than a similar effort that had initially been introduced last year, a principal co-author of the legislation told the Bay Area Reporter. Gay state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) co-authored Senate Bill 306 with Sen. Dr. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), who introduced it Feb. 4. According to a news release from Wiener's office, the legislation will "permit the Family [Planning Access Care Treatment] program to offer covered benefits to income-eligible patients, even if contraception is not discussed during the patient encounter; update California's [Expedited Partner Therapy] statute to include provider liability protections used in other states; permit HIV counselors to administer rapid STD tests; update state law to require congenital syphilis testing during the third trimester of pregnancy; [and] require coverage of home STD tests by public and private insurers."

Former First Lady Michelle Obama spoke candidly in a People Magazine interview about her struggles with low-grade depression during the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges of 2020, encouraging people to speak more openly about their mental health, CNN.com noted. Obama told People magazine that she "needed to acknowledge what I was going through, because a lot of times we feel like we have to cover that part of ourselves up, that we always have to rise above and look as if we're not paddling hard underneath the water." She added, "We had the continued killing of Black men at the hands of police. Just seeing the video of George Floyd, experiencing that eight minutes. That's a lot to take on, not to mention being in the middle of a quarantine."

Thousands of Texans are slated to lose their healthcare provider after Travis County Civil District Court Judge Lora Livingston allowed the state to remove Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program, CNN.com reported. Texas has long sought to ban Planned Parenthood, which provides abortions in Texas, from Medicaid. Medicaid funding does not cover abortions except in cases of rape or incest or when the woman's life is at risk, due to the Hyde Amendment, dating back to 1976. In 2019, Planned Parenthood provided health care to more than 8,000 Medicaid recipients in Texas.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem signed Senate Bill 124, a religious refusal bill that could grant a license to discriminate against LGBTQ people across a wide range of goods and services in the state, a Human Rights Campaign (HRC) statement noted. HRC President Alphonso David said, "While she may see discrimination as a path to the national far right spotlight, she should understand the damage she is doing to the state of South Dakota and LGBTQ people who are simply looking to live their lives free of fear and exclusion." Noem also signed legislation that would bar transgender girls and women from participating in female sports leagues.

Over objections from Democrats, Georgia House Republicans passed a sweeping elections bill that would enact more restrictions on absentee voting and cut back on weekend early voting hours favored by larger counties, among other changes, NPR reported. The bill's sponsor—GOP Rep. Barry Fleming, who chairs the House Special Committee on Election Integrity—said the 66-page measure "is designed to begin to bring back the confidence of our voters back into our election system" after Republicans lost confidence in the GOP-backed voting system following Democrats' victories in the November presidential contest and both of Georgia's U.S. Senate races.

The National AIDS Memorial announced Isabel Fatima (Ima) Diawara, of Los Angeles, as the first recipient of the Mary Bowman Arts in Activism Award, a press release noted. The newly created and inspiring program, funded through a multi-year grant from ViiV Healthcare, offers support to artist-activists who are working and committed to making a difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The Mary Bowman Arts in Activism Award honors the life of Mary Bowman—a poet, advocate, author, singer and young person living with AIDS who passed away in early 2019 at age 30.

A statue of late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was erected in her hometown of Brooklyn on March 12—three days before her 88th birthday, USA Today noted. The unveiling also comes in the middle of Women's History Month as another way to honor Ginsburg's legacy and her fight for women's rights. The statue is part of a larger series called Statues for Equality, which has worked to increase the representation of women in public sculptures around New York City and beyond.

LGBTQ-rights advocates are uniting to support Noel Koenke, a former employee at St. Joseph's University who's appealing the dismissal of her LGBT-related anti-bias case against the university before it could reach a jury, Philadelphia Gay News reported. Koenke worked as an assistant director of music and worship at the university; however, pressure to stay in the closet eventually caused her to attempt suicide and resulted in the dissolution of her marriage�and she resigned in November 2017. Koenke filed suit in October 2019, claiming the university violated Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in educational programs receiving federal funds.

New York-based fashion designer Alexander Wang responded, again, to a growing number of sexual assault and harassment allegations, out.com reported. Wang had previously called the initial allegations "baseless," and said they were "fabricated"—but now, his tenor has changed starkly. On Instagram, he posted, "It was not easy for [the alleged victims] to share their stories, and I regret acting in a way that caused them pain. While we disagree with some of the details of these personal interactions, I will set a better example and use my visibility and influence to encourage others to recognize harmful behaviors. Life is about learning and growth, and now that I know better, I will do better." Attorney Lisa Bloom—who reportedly is representing 11 of those who have allegations against Wang—responded on Twitter, "We have met with Alexander Wang and his team. My clients had the opportunity to speak their truth to him and expressed their pain and hurt. We acknowledge Mr. Wang's apology and we are moving forward. We have no further comment on this matter."

Fox personality Geraldo Rivera posted a tweet announcing that he was pondering running for the seat that will be left vacant by retiring Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, who will not be seeking re-election in 2022, Yahoo! noted. Rivera—who regularly butts heads with Sean Hannity and Fox News contributor Dan Bongino for his moderate stances on things like immigration—said he would have run as a moderate Republican. But his political ambitions didn't last long as he posted another tweet less than 24 hours after the first one, saying that the run is not going to happen.

Lawyers for former U.S. Rep. Katie Hill and her ex-husband, Kenneth Heslep, told a Los Angeles judge that they remain hopeful of settling her allegations of harassment and years of abuse—but they still asked that the groundwork be laid for a possible trial of whether Hill's stay-away order should be extended, the Los Angeles Daily News reported. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lawrence Riff ordered both sides to prepare lists of witnesses and exhibits they would use during the trial and submit them a week in advance of April 8, when a trial-setting hearing is scheduled. The judge said he was extending the temporary restraining order Judge Anne Richardson granted Hill on Dec. 8 until April 30. Heslep has denied allegations of abusing Hill, who resigned her seat in 2019 after nude photos of her were published and news emerged that she had a three-way relationship with her husband and a female campaign staffer.

On March 8, the Cambridge (Massachusetts) City Council passed a historic domestic partnership ordinance aimed at recognizing and protecting polyamorous and other multi-partner families and relationships, according to an item from the Polyamory Legal Advocacy Coalition (PLAC). The ordinance was developed with detailed input from the PLAC, and is the first of what advocates hope will be a wave of legal recognition for polyamorous families and relationships in 2021. Last year, Somerville (also in Massachusetts) became the first U.S. city to allow domestic partnerships of three or more partners.

In California, the second annual "Pride Ride" returns to Homewood Mountain Resort March 25-28, The Bay Area Reporter noted. Along with skiing and riding, there will be a variety of mini-events on and off the mountain, including a dual slalom drag race, ski parade down Rainbow Ridge, virtual scavenger hunt and more. See https:// Article Link Here .

[mychemicalimagines]

The One Where Rooster Got The Girl

Summary: Colt dated Melissa Roth after him and Abby broke up, he shows up and dumps her leaving her pregnant without knowing. He comes back and finds out about the baby he lost and that she married to Rooster..How will this change everything.

Roosters full name is Jameson Bennett, so when Melissa talks about James, she’s talking about him.

Gifs are not mine.

Warnings: Talks of baby’s death and cussing.

Sorry there isn’t much Lovey in this. I just wanted to put this out here quickly and over the very emotional moments. If you have any concerns or comments, please comment or message me.

If you like it please leave feedback through messages, my ask box or the comment section(:

Tags: @thorman-barnes s @supernova1737 @hurricaneharleyhusky

I sit in the passengers seat of Beau’s truck. Just listening to the radio with Drake, the Bennett’s dog, in my lap. I look over at Beau.

“Do you think Rooster took a look at the tractor?” I ask. He smiles over at me.

“It’s Rooster, of course not.” he answers. I laugh as we pull in the drive way.

We went to the local Tractor Supply to grab more fencing for around the yard. Some of the lines are about to break. I get out of the truck after Beau parks and he lets Drake out on his side. We walk up the porch and I sit down. I can’t stand wearing my work boots around the house. I feel like i’m going to track something through the house. Beau kisses my head and goes to the door.

“Rooster you home?” Beau yells inside.

“Yes sir!” Rooster yells back. “Living room!”

I laugh quietly, “Got him trained.”

Beau winks at me and goes inside.

“I thought you were going to take a look at that tractor and try and see-“Beau gets cut off.

“Check it out. Colts home,” Rooster says loud enough so I can hear him.

“What the hell are you going here? I thought you were in Canada playing amatures football?” Beau asks. I decide to take my boots off slowly. I don’t want to see Colt right now.

“Semi-Pro. I was playing for the Saskatoon Cold. It’s like Maimi Heat, but you know. cold” Colt clarifies. I roll my eyes. We knew that.

“Yeah we know. We also heard you got arrested for flashing Shani Twain while you were up there,” Beau says. I can tell he was smirking.

When it hit our local paper, he put it on the fridge to show his perfect Colt wasn’t so perfect. I dated Colt for 2 years about 7 years ago. He only came to town to see me and one time years ago he stopped by for a try out close to town and came over to talk for a bit, we had sex, then as he was leaving he broke up with me. “We just want different things right now” he said. Then drove away in Roosters truck. If it wasn’t for that night, I wouldnt be where i am now. I smile to myself. I stand up and walk in the front door, closing the screen door quietly.

“I remember last time you stopped by. Said you were done with football. You wanted to start helping around here. How long ago was that, Rooster? About 6 years?” Beau asks Rooster.

“Yes sir. It was on my birthday. We picked Melissa up and was supposed to go to dinner, but you guys fought the whole time. Hey I got ten bucks anyone here knows how old I am.” Rooster says sitting forward in his chair. He looks over to the door when I move my arms. He smiles, and I put 3 fingers up on my right hand, 5 on my left hand. I smile when he winks at me and pats his pocket meaning I’ll get the money later.

“Then you snuck out of here in the middle of the night. Took your brothers truck. Went and dumped your beautiful girlfriend. You left the damn gate open!” Beau snaps, then he notices me standing near the table making his frown weaken. He hates being angry in front of me.

“Okay that wasn’t my fault! Rooster was chasing me yelling ‘that’s my truck.’And so I thought he was gonna close it” Colt tries to explain. He has only thought of himself his entire existence. He didn’t see the point that he dumped me and stole his brothers truck. It’s always someone else’s fault.

“Our cows were all over town. After you dumped Mel, she found one standing in the Sizzler parking lot, just staring at a picture of a rib-eye.”Beau says.

“I’m 35,” Rooster says trying to defuse the tension. I take off my jacket and lay it on the kitchen island, then i lean on it. I gotta see how this conversation ends. Colt sighs and puts his foot on the table.

Beau looks down, “what the fuck is on your feet?” I can’t see but I can see the humerus look on Roosters face.

“They’re boots,” Colt says in a duh voice.

“Those are not boots,” Beau says.

“They’re Uggs,” Colt says. I cover my mouth to keep from laughing. What guy wears Uggs? Rooster would never wear my boots. “That’s Australian for boots” Colt says.

“They’re ladies shoes. I just bought some for Mel for her birthday” Beau says. It’s true I wear them to Maggie’s all the time. They’re so comfy.

“Okay that’s the forth time you guys brought up Melissa. Quit it, we broke up years ago. She was nothing but a rebound after Abby! I never liked her! I pityed her! She ended up being a whore anyway.” Colt says putting his foot down from the table angrily.

“Hey!” Rooster says, “Don’t you dare say anything bad about her.”

“Why not? I know she cheated on me!” Colt says and Beau cuts him off.

“She had everything going for her and you had to fuck it up!” Beau says.

“How? So what, i dumped her big deal! She wanted me back, wouldn’t stop calling me. I had to change my damn number” Colt says.

“She kept calling you to tell you she was pregnant!” Rooster snaps.

Colt looks at him, “what?”

“She was pregnant Colt, that was the only reason she was calling you,” Beau says.

“How do we know it’s mine? She slept around-“ Colt starts. Before I could say anything, Rooster stops him.

“She slept with 2 guys in her life time. Dad took a test and it came back that the baby and dad were 100% related. The kid was yours.”

“If she was pregnant the kid would be about 5 now, right? Where is it? Did she take it and leave?” Colt says smartassly throwing out his hands.

“Jameson Beau Bennett was born October 13th at 11:58 pm” I say, finally letting Colt know I was in the room. He quickly turns around. He gets a shocked look on his face. I guess he noticed my transformation.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Colt asks walking over.

“Oh you mean the thousands of calls that you ignored?” I say still leaning on the island.

“Could have left a voice mail.” He says.

“Oh right,” i put my fingers to my ears acting like i’m on a phone, “Hey Colt I’m pregnant. Don’t worry Mr.Football Star, James and Beau are helping me, and James is raising it as his own bye,” I say acting like I left a voice mail.

“Wait Rooster raised him?” Colt asks turning around, “Where is Jameson? Wait you even named him after Rooster? What the fuck?”

I push off the island and walk up to Colt. Being 5’3” isn’t good when you’re trying to be intimidating.

“Because James was more of a father to Jay than you would ever be,” I say in a stern voice.

“I didn’t get a choice!” Colt snaps at me. I glare and Rooster runs around Colt and pulls me back knowing I’d do something i’d regret.

“I called you all the fucking time! I gave you a choice, either answer the fucking phone or not learn about your child!” I snap trying to pull away from Rooster but he holds me still.

“Where is he then? I’ll let him know who his father is!” Colt says looking around.

“Jameson passed away October 14th at 1:03 am,” Beau says walking over to Rooster and I.

“What?” Colt whispers. “how?”

“He didn’t get enough oxygen through his umbilical cord, so when she went into premature labor they noticed his lungs weren’t developed enough to survive,” Rooster answers for me because i start tearing up.

“I’m sorry Mel, I didn’t know-“ he starts.

“Because you didn’t want to know! If you would have answered your damn phone you would have known!” I snap. Rooster wraps his arms around me lovingly and Colt glares a bit.

“What you guys dating now?” He asks.

“Nope,” Rooster says.

“Then why are you holding her like that?” He asks smartly.

“Next week we’ll be married 3 years,” Rooster smirks.

“Married?!” Colts yells.

“Yeah,” I say questioning.

“First you try and steal my kid, then you marry my ex?” Colt asks, ”What the fuck?”

“I love her Colt, get over it” Rooster says.

“You don’t love, you fuck and release,” Colt glares at Rooster.

“Drop it Colt, you weren’t here to see how much James helped me! He made sure i was healthy enough to grow Jay. When i gave birth and Jay passed away I wanted to die! James helped me through it all. He helped me realize that this was a bump in the road called life. I can’t let this control me. I won’t forget Jay but I had to move on. I fell in love with him for all of that.” I say wiping the tears from my eyes.

Colt looks down then back up at me, “What can I do?”

“Nothing, everything was paid for. We had him cremated,” I pull my necklace from my shirt. He sees a small locket. “We have some of his ashes on us at all times, so he’s always with us.” I say.

Colt looks over Rooster and as he pulls out his chain Colt stops him and points to his tattoo on his forearm,”You got tattoos too?”

Jameson Beau

10-13-10 10-14-10

Rest Easy Angel, Fly High

with his footprints.

“Mel and I got matching ones,” he says.

“Who signed the birth certificate,” Colt asks.

“I did,” Rooster says. “I was gonna raise him, he might not have been my actual son but I was gonna raise him as such.”

“He was my son!” Colt yells.

“Colt, shut up. He was pretty much Roosters son! He took her to all the appointments. Made sure she took all her medication, felt the first kick. Loved him since the moment Mel told him she was pregnant. We never questioned her on if it was yours or not. We did the test because we knew you’d ask that!” Beau snaps.

“It’s okay Beau, I’m done with this conversation. Colt, James is right. You weren’t there to sign it. He wasn’t using me as a rebound as you said you were doing before. James actually loves me for me, if you can’t accept that, oh fucking well” I wipe my eyes as I tear more.

Rooster looks at Colt, “I love her and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Colt looks down and goes to speak but i put my hand up to silence him, “I’m going to see Carla, she’s pregnant.”

I turn to Rooster and stand on my tip toes and softly capture his lips with mine into a passionate kiss. He deepens the kiss by putting his hand on my neck.

Colt coughs falsely causing us to pull away and I roll my eyes and I press my lips to his quickly. I walk to the kitchen and grab my jacket and walk out the door. Great just what I need on a day like this.

I know this kinda sucked and i’m sorry. Thanks for reading!

[anastpaul]

Saint of the Day – 29 October – St Gaetano Errico (1791-1860) – Priest, Founder of the Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in 1836, Teacher, Confessor, Apostle of Charity, Eucharistic Adoration devotee, – born on 19 October 1791 in Secondigliano, Naples, Italy and died at 10am on 29 October 1860 in Secondigliano, Naples, Italy of natural causes. The Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, are a religious congregation of priests and brothers, dedicated to serving the needs of God’s family, while witnessing the great love present in the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary – St Gaetano is their Patron.

Gaetano Errico was born on 19 October 1791 in Secondigliano, a small village on the northern boundary of the City of Naples, Italy.   He was the second of nine children born to Pasquale and Marie (Marseglia) Errico.   His father managed a small pasta factory and his mother worked at the loom weaving plush.

As a child he was known in the small village as a good and obedient child, who helped his father in the pasta factory and eagerly shared his parent’s deep faith.   By age 14 Gaetano felt called to the priesthood and religious life.   Many congregations during this time did accept young men at an earlier age than is prevalent today.   However, Gaetano’s first choices, the Capuchins and the Redemptorists rejected his application because of his age.   At the age of 16 he proceeded to apply for the Archdiocesan Seminary of Naples and was accepted.   In January 1808, having received the habit of the Diocese, he began his studies.   His family’s meagre income did not allow him to reside at the seminary.   He therefore registered as a day student which required him to walk the eight kilometers to the seminary and back each day.

During his years of formation in the seminary, he did very well in his studies.   He was deeply faithful to his spiritual life never missing daily Mass and reception of the Eucharist.   While still living at home with his parents, he managed to help them as well. The villagers noted his diligence in filling his days with the studies for the priesthood, visiting the sick on Thursday and even on Sunday he walked through the town encouraging the children to attend their catechism classes.

On 23 September 1815, in the Chapel of St Restituta within the confines of the Cathedral of Naples, Gaetano was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Ruffo Scilla.   Soon after ordination he was appointed to a position as a teacher.   For the next twenty years, he taught his students with exemplary dedication.   Entrusted to his care, his students received both the elements of a good education and spiritual formation.   With great care and ambitious zeal, he imparted the tenets of Christian doctrine and moral values.

He also served with loving commitment in pastoral service at the Parish Church of Saint Cosmas and Damian.   His ministry was characterised by four principle concerns – Proclamation of the Word;  Ministry of Reconciliation;  material and spiritual assistance to the sick and selfless charity.   Each principle held for Gaetano the way to proclaim and make known to all men and women, that in God they have a Father, who loves them.

Every year, he travelled to Pagani (in Salerno), a Redemptorist house, for his annual retreat.   In the year 1818 while praying, an extraordinary event occurred – an event that would change his life forever.   St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) appeared to him in a vision and told him that God wanted him to found a new religious congregation.   Further, as a sign of this desire, he was to build a church in Secondigliano in honour of Our Lady of Sorrows.   With this vision of Our Lady in his mind, Gaetano was assured that he would succeed.   At first, the people of Secondigliano welcomed with joy the news that God wanted a church in honour of the Sorrowful Mother of Jesus in their little village.   However, human weakness being ever apparent, some were opposed.   Although their numbers were few, their jealousy and distrust made the task more difficult for Gaetano.   He never lost sight of the goal, however and against all odds, the Church was built as God wanted.   The Church of Our Lady of Sorrows was blessed on 9 December 1830.

When the Church was nearly completed, Fr Gaetano began the construction of a house to serve as the first home of the future congregation.   A small house was built and Fr Errico resided there with a lay brother who maintained the Church.   From such humble beginnings, he proceeded to reach out, welcoming priests to come for retreat, hoping to inspire within their hearts a desire to commit themselves to the missions and religious life.

Upon completion of the Church and house, Fr Gaetano commissioned Francesco Verzella, a famous Neapolitan sculptor, to create an image of Our Lady of Sorrows.   It has been said that the sculptor had to redo the statue several times.   The vision of her face of sorrow was clear in Fr Errico’s mind.   Finally, the sculptor got it right and Fr Errico exclaimed, “It is so!”   The statue arrived in Secondigliano in May of 1835 and from then on drew an unending number of pilgrims.

The following year, again while Fr Errico was on retreat in Pagani, God revealed to him that the new congregation to be founded must be in honour of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.   Fr Errico already possessed within himself a most abiding devotion to the Sacred Hearts.   Now he became even more ardent in sharing this love through all his apostolic and missionary activity.   The love of the Sacred Hearts urged him to seek sinners and bring them back to God, to give of himself tirelessly.   With a burning drive within his heart, he especially searched out the most vulnerable, those in danger, the sick, the abandoned and shunned and the spiritually bereft.   He wanted everyone to feel the touch of a loving father who was ever ready to forgive and slow to anger.

He gained approval for the new congregation and its statutes on 14 March 1836 and in October of that year opened a novitiate with eight novices.   He sought papal approval in May 1838.   On 30 June the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars issued the decree.   In order to strengthen his Congregation, he sought royal approval which was granted on 13 May 1840.   In April 1846, he once again went to Rome to ask for final approval.   The Congregation by now had grown, the number of its members had increased and new houses had been opened in southern Italy.   On 7 August1846, Blessed Pius IX issued the Apostolic Brief of Approbation. Gaetano was unanimously elected Superior General.

Fr Gaetano was truly a man of God, a man with a mission, a man on fire with an unquenchable love of Jesus and Mary.   The first secret of his holiness was prayer.   Ever on his knees, his small room in the house in Secondigliano bears the indentations on the floor where, kneeling, he found refuge and strength.   Penance further sustained his holiness.   He fasted continuously, often only taking bread and water in order to give his share of food to the poor.   Self-flagellation was part of his penance, offered humbly for the many sins that wounded the Heart of Jesus.   He was never too tired to travel on, preaching, hearing confessions, encouraging the reception of the Body and Blood of Christ.   His comfort and caring presence reminded all of the love of God the Father… leading many in the small towns and villages to call him a saint.

Fr Errico died on 29 October 1860 at 10:00 AM at the age of 69.   His last testament to his missionaries was… “Love one another and be very observant of our Rules.”

“A saint is dead.,” the townspeople of Secondigliano affirmed upon hearing the news of his death.   It still echoes today. Gaetano Errico, affectionately known by all who knew him as “O Superiore” (The Superior), continues to be an example, a reference point, an intercessor, showing the way to God as lived out in the example of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

In December 1876, Pope Leo XIII declared him Venerable and Pope Paul VI declared the heroism of his virtues with an apostolic decree on 4 October 1974.   St Pope John Paul II on 24 April  2001, signed the Decree of Beatification after approving a miracle attributed to the sole intercession of Ven Gaetano Errico.   The process for the investigation of the miracle required for canonisation opened in Naples on 10 November 2004 and concluded its business on 10 October 2005 prior to it being validated in 2006.   It received the papal approval of Pope Benedict XVI in 2007 in which he acknowledged the 2003 healing of Anna Russo.   On 12 October 2008 he was proclaimed a saint by Pope Benedict XVI.

(via Saint of the Day - 29 October - St Gaetano Errico (1791-1860))

[aziraphaleandcrowley]

God I just want to vent somewhere. Lots of medical stuff, period and blood mentions, discussion about being in hospital yada yada you’ve been warned. You don’t need to read this I’m just fed up and want to dump this somewhere before I end up eventually crying about it or some shit.

Long term solution to lighten my periods. We agree that I’ll finish the 21 day course of tablets to lighten my period I’m currently on then start taking the pill. Whilst I try and collect the pill I try and get hold of these other tablets and still the pharmacy hasn’t received a prescription. I go back to reception where they again take my details and promise they’ll look into it. I have two days of meds left at this point which I’ve made extremely clear. The next day I try again and nothing has changed. The receptionist asks me to ring in the morning to get an appointment and I ask how I can do that as last time 2 hours waiting in the queue got me no where. She says she shouldn’t, but she take my details and says she’ll ring me in the morning to try and get me an appointment. In the morning she rings, there’s no appointments left. She says she’ll ring in the afternoon. She doesn’t. I go back to reception and explain again. I have one tablet left at this point. I get told the prescribing lady is there but as there is no record of this medication being prescribed and I’m at risk of blood clots, which is a side effect of the med, she can’t prescribe it without consulting a doctor. She sends an instant message to the doctor and I’m told I will be called back in the afternoon with an update. I’m not. I go back to reception in the evening and ask if there’s an update. There’s not. I’m told all I can do is ring in the morning. I can’t, as I’m working and I can’t sit on hold for hours whilst working in a shop. I go back to reception the next morning at 10am as soon as I’ve finished work. The doctors finally have received my hospital notes and reception allows me to put in an urgent medication request to which the earliest I would receive the medication is 5pm, meaning I’d miss two doses of the medication. The receptionist tells me to ask the pharmacist to see if she can prescribe a couple of meds to tide me over. The pharmacist tells me that she’s not allowed to, and she sends me back to reception to get me to tell the receptionist that she’s not allowed and that the receptionist should stop suggesting that to patients. I’m told to ring the pharmacy at 5pm to check that my prescription is there, and to ring the prescribing line if not. At 4pm I get a phone call to tell me that the medication won’t be prescribed, and if I want to dispute why that is I’ll need to yet again ring up in the morning to speak to a clinician. By tomorrow it’s too late as I’d have missed 3 does of the medication and am instead going to start taking the pill.

So basically I battled with the doctors to get an appointment in the first place and didn’t get one.

Was fobbed off by my urgent care doctor.

Was treated very well in hospital.

Have an amazing consultant.

Only got the pill cos I made an appointment weeks ago

And have pointlessly chased trying to get a medication for 10 days, involving an email, 3 phone calls, and 6 visits each to both the doctors and the pharmacy, just to not be prescribed the tablets I need to finish the course I was prescribed in hospital. In the paperwork for that medication it says that I should have a period-like bleed around 3 days after stopping the medication. I know the pill which I will start taking tonight will help lighten and potentially stop my period, but this still means that in three days I could be bleeding again, just 14 days after my last bleed, which I still haven’t completely recovered from - I’m still anemic and my resting heart rate is still 10bpm above normal, though decreasing everyday. Even though this period should be lighter, it’s still kinda a gut punch to have to bleed again so quickly.

I just really don’t want to end up back in hospital again :(

We still don’t know what caused my pulmonary embolism, though I’m going for a blood test next week to hopefully look into it, so we don’t know how long ill have to take blood thinners for. I didn’t ask for this, but it feels like a constant battle just for the most basic to things. If they won’t prescribe me this med then I’ll just have to deal with it, but why couldn’t this have been told to me a week ago, rather than today after I’ve already run out of meds. If my consultant could get my hospital notes the day or day after I was released from hospital then why couldn’t my doctors surgery? I’ve wasted so much time and effort chasing this medication for absolutely nothing, and I’m just really fed up that I could be dealing with these and related issues for many years to come :(

it just takes so much mental energy to deal with. I was feeling good again before my period from hell, I’d had a week off work where I’d got my life together, I’d contacting the course leader of the uni course I wanna do, my haemoglobin levels were basically back to normal so anaemia wasn’t making me feel tired, and now I feel physically fine again, not perfect, but fine, but mentally not fine. I can’t be bothered for the uni stuff, and I’m even thinking about the one single week I’d actually have to attend uni as part of a distance course as a what if I’m bleeding and end up in hospital in an unknown place already which is Fun, when this wouldn’t be til September/October at the earliest. Fanfic is kinda boring me slightly (the fics are GREAT, I’m just not in the right headspace to really appreciate them). I can’t be bothered to watch stuff. I’m tired cos I’m working early shifts at work and aren’t getting enough sleep cos of it. Just ugh. The only good thing is that work is flying by and I’m getting to do stuff I like doing rather than slogging through putting stock on shelves for hours on end.

Why is it always one step forward, 2 steps back? Feel better mentally and physically than I have in months, followed by worst period of my life leading to the worst physical health I’ve ever had. God.

Gonna stop now and try and do something semi fun/enjoyable/interesting rather than keep dwelling on this shit show. Wish me a light period, folks 🤣

[travelingtheusa]

NEW YORK

14 Nov 2019 (Thu) – I was invited to participate in the Veteran’s Day ceremony on November 11th with the American Legion post.  We went to two sites to perform a formal ceremony then held a public ceremony at the Veterans Park next to town hall.  About 50 people showed up; mostly veterans.  There was a young man from the high school who sang the National Anthem that had the most beautiful, angelic voice.  After the ceremony, everyone was invited to the Post for hot dogs and hamburgers.

     On Wednesday, November 13th, members of the Post were invited to the local schools. First, we went to the high school and participated in a panel.  We each described our service experience but ran out of time for questions from the kids. The students all came in with jackets and back packs which made me think they were getting off the bus and immediately directed to the auditorium.

     After an hour at the high school, we went to the Maud Sherwood elementary school. We were directed to the end of a long hallway while the students (grades 2 through 5) lined up along the walls. Then we walked down the hall with the kids clapping, waving flags, and giving us high fives.  I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.  It was great!  We had a continental breakfast (courtesy of the PTA), then we split up into groups of three (there were nine of us there), and we went into 5th grade classrooms to talk with the kids.  They had prepared questions followed by freewheeling questions.  Some were very insightful.  The day was quite delightful.

     Following the school, I went directly to Toast Coffeehouse in Patchogue to meet my sister, Susan, for lunch.  The food in that place is awesome! We had a very pleasant visit and said our goodbyes.  She invited me to stay with her when I come back to New York for a checkup.

      At 6:00 p.m., we had Miranda, Kenny, and Caiden come over for a Thanksgiving dinner. Since we won’t be here on Thanksgiving Day, we took an opportunity to celebrate together early.  The food and company were all very nice.  Caiden is such a delightful little boy.

     Today, I had a visit with the oncologist.  I took a CT scan on Tuesday and this visit was to find out the results. It was great news!  Many of the lymph nodes are half their size now.  I am responding beautifully to the chemotherapy.  The nurse did a nose swab because I said I thought I had something brewing.  They wanted to make sure I don’t have the flu or pneumonia.  The doctor then gave me three months before coming back for a checkup. Woohoo!!!  We are cleared to hit the road!

9 Nov 2019 (Sat) – We took Caiden and a friend to an amusement area today. We wanted to take him to BounceU in Nesconset but when we arrived, they had birthday parties going on and no open play. So we drove another half hour to Huntington only to discover we were in the wrong town.  After a total of about an hour’s driving time with two very impatient six years olds in the back seat, we arrived at @Play Adventures in Farmingdale. It was a delightful afternoon for the boys – three hours of bounces, rides, and games.  Afterward, we stopped at McDonald’s for lunch.  The boys had a great time.

     Miranda’s best friend’s grandmother passed away.  She had the funeral and lunch this morning (hence, we were watching Caiden).  Later, she went back to the house for a memorial dinner with the family.  I went back into the house to watch Caiden until she and Kenny got back home.

     Yesterday, we went shopping at Kohl’s.  They were advertising 30% discount for veterans.  We spent too much money and it turned out that some items were not eligible for the discount.  Apparently, the manufacturer tells the store they can’t discount their products. Somehow, that seems dishonest. Kohl’s advertises taking the discount but then doesn’t do it.  We bought a new toaster oven with 11 functions (will I really ever use all of them?) that was advertised at $249.99.  The clerk rang it up at $349.99 at the register.  We had to go to customer service for the correction and it turned out we bought the Pro, with was $100 more.  AND there was no 30% discount on it!!

6 November 2019 (Wed – Paul’s Birthday) – It’s been a busy week.  We saw a lawyer to have our wills updated.  She gave us homework to do – lol.  It is hard to decide who your health care proxy and power of attorney should be.  Doing a will is an eye-opening event.  It makes you face your mortality.  Ugh.

     The American Legion post hosted their annual Law & Order dinner.  They honored firemen, two harbormasters, and a police officer who pulled a car off the train tracks minutes before a train rolled through.  One of the firemen was honored for 70 years of service as a volunteer fire fighter with Islip.  It turned out that he was Paul’s cousin! He knew Paul’s mother in high school and served with Paul’s grandfather in the department (his grandfather was a fire chief).  We exchanged information and promised to look each other up this winter when we are down in Florida.

     I took my laptop to Best Buy for tweaking. The tech did not find any viruses.  I saw a gastroenterologist on Monday and had a mammogram on Wednesday.  I took Paul to the Irish Coffee Pub for his birthday. They make the very best potato soup anywhere.

31 October 2019 (Thu - HALLOWEEN) – I had lunch with my daughter, Gina, on Tuesday.  We went to a place called Tula’s Kitchen.  It’s one of those very eclectic health food restaurants that are popping up all over the country.  The food was quite good.  On Wednesday, I had lunch with my sister, Susan.  We went to another eclectic place called Tiger Lily.  Again, the food was very good.

     We had Angel Fence Company come by and we signed a contract for a fence installation along the back of the property.  This it to replace the fence that was damaged during the thunderstorm that rolled through in August.  I sent the estimate to USAA and they already paid off on it – BEFORE we had the work done. I sent a note reminding them it was an estimate and it could wind up costing more depending on what they find when they do the actual installation.

     I spent over two and half hours on the phone in the last two days with Carbonite.  It is a cloud storage service where they back up our computer to the cloud.  When my computer was reset, we lost the program. It would not reinstall properly and I had to get techs to work on the problem.  Apparently, it wasn’t such an easy fix but they finally got it done.

     Today, Paul and I went to the movies to see “The Current Wars.”  It was about the competition among Nikola Tesla, George Westinghouse, and Thomas Edison.  The movie was very interesting and we would highly recommend it.

27 October 2019 (Sun) – It was a busy week.  I watched Lincoln two days this week so Sam could get some extra time in at work.  He is such a pleasant baby.  Always smiling.  Travis started his new job on Wednesday.  Hope it goes well for him.  Also on Wednesday, we went to the ophthalmologist for eye exams.  Paul and I both tested out at 20/25.  The doctor saw some pressure behind my left eye and wants me back in six months.  I’ll see if I can align an appointment with a Sloan Kettering checkup down the road.

     We went to dinner at a Chinese restaurant with friends from the American Legion on Wednesday.  Then we went to dinner at Carrabba’s on Friday with my brother, Dennis, and his lady, Denise.  We had planned to meet them at their apartment before going to dinner but the plans changed.  Dennis & Denise recently moved into their new place and we still want to see it.

     We took Travis and the family to a pumpkin farm yesterday.  It was a small farm but not very busy considering this is the last weekend before Halloween.  They had a play area with bouncy houses and lots of pumpkins to choose from.  There was also a hay ride and a pony taking kids for a ride.

     We went to church this morning.  It was laity Sunday so the service was run by the lay leader. Several of us took part in the service doing readings and leading prayer.  I gave a five minute sermon.  It was a nice service.

21 October 2019 (Mon) – I went to the audiologist at the Northport VA on the 18th.  The doctor found a mild hearing loss in my right ear and a moderate hearing loss in my left ear.  She said it was unusual to have a greater loss in one ear over the other and that I needed to see a doctor to be sure there was not a medical reason for the difference.  She offered to make an appointment at the VA but said I probably wouldn’t get an appointment for two or three months.  We agreed that I would go to a civilian doctor because I could get an appointment sooner.  In the meantime, she would order one hearing aid for my left ear (she said I don’t need one for the right ear).  She also gave me information to download an app for the hearing aid onto my iPhone.  

     I saw a civilian audiologist yesterday.  He insisted on giving me another hearing test.  The results were more symmetrical and he cleared me for the hearing aid.  He suggested I get aids for both ears; the VA doctor refuses to do that.  If I bought the hearing aids at the civilian audiology office, it would cost me $6,000.  Actually, $3,000.  My insurance would pay $3,000 toward the cost.  If I got the hearing aids at the VA, it will cost me nothing.  Guess what I’m doing?

     Miranda and Kenny went to Philly for the weekend and we watched Caiden. We took him to Rise of the Jack O’Lanterns at Old Westbury Gardens on Friday.  They carve 5,000 pumpkins every week for six weeks.  Visitors walk down a trail lined with thousands of pumpkins on display along the walkway.  Several pumpkins had projections that had them singing Halloween songs.  The craftsmanship was simply amazing!

     On Saturday, we went over to the American Legion Hall where we met Samantha and her mother, Sharon.  Together, we set up tables and arranged everything for Lincoln’s baptism party the next day.  On Sunday, Lincoln Alexander Thomas was baptized.  Afterward, we enjoyed a party at the legion hall.  Lincoln was SO good.  He smiled and laughed all day and then just quietly went to sleep in my arms. Not one little tear or fuss escaped him all day.

16 October 2019 (Weds) – Another visit to the doctor brought mixed results.  The bloodwork continues to show a decrease in the cancer cells.  However, I am having some adverse effects from the chemo.  I have a rash on my leg and a drying out of my fingertips.  Neuropathy and cellulitis are common side effects.  The doctor told me to stop the Imbruvica for 3 days.  If the rash hasn’t improved, stay off the medication for 5 days. If there is still no improvement, I have to go back and have him treat me topically.  I’ve been doing so well that I find this to be something of a disappointment.  The rash has been getting better so that keeps me hopeful.

     My birthday was on Monday (October 14) and Paul took me to the Texas Roadhouse for dinner.  I took a picture with a margarita at an angle that made the drink look very large.  We have kind of developed a reputation with the margaritas and now find we have to post pictures of these drinks.  It’s kind of funny.

     We are still waiting for the guy behind us to take down two trees that threaten our property.  Three fence companies have given us quotes for a new fence but we won’t do anything until those trees are taken down.  A good windstorm will blow them down and damage the new fence.  We’ll have to go over there for a third time to ask them to take down those trees.  I don’t want to get into sending registered letters threatening legal action like the insurance company is suggesting we do.  Paul thinks the neighbor just can’t afford to pay for a tree removal.  Hmmmm,  what to do. What to do?

 13 October 2019 (Sun) - We took Caiden to church with us today. Afterward, Paul worked with a crew to take apart a piano that needed to be thrown out.  Jan has been advertising the piano for free to anyone but no one has claimed it so it was time to just throw it out.  Caiden and I played in the nursery area until they were finished.

     It was not a good day for me.  I woke feeling exhausted and nauseous.  At 3:00 p.m., Paul spelled me for an hour and I took a nap.  That was probably one of the best naps I have ever had. I really needed that!  After I woke, I made dinner then took Caiden into the house and gave him a bath.  

     On Friday, we went to an optometrist for eye exams.  I got annoyed with the whole thing.  The doctor was pushy and it seemed like his equipment was rigged so he could do more tests.  You cover one eye, stare at a red spot, and click a switch every time you see a green light.  Everything went fine with the left eye covered.  But when he covered my right eye, I couldn’t really see the red spot. It was faded and disappeared a lot so I just looked around and clicked on the green lights.  When the doctor came back to the room, I said he couldn’t trust the test because I couldn’t see the red light.  He told me not to worry about it.  That didn’t seem right at all.  When I checked with Paul about his test, he had the same experience.  We said we would wait on glasses and left. We won’t go back to him.  I made an appointment with an ophthalmologist.  

10 October 2019 (Thu) – Paul got the heater fixed.  That’s good because the weather has been cool – in the 40s at night.  

     I had an appointment at the VA today.  It is basically a perfunctory checkup.  The doctor knows I am being treated at Sloan Kettering and really just want a backup with the VA in the event I have trouble getting my medication.  She is a very pleasant doctor and completely understands my motivations.  She did make an appointment for me to see someone in dermatology.  I have a small spot on my bottom lip that I thought was chapped lips.  But it has been there a couple of months and now has started to change color.  My sister was just diagnosed with skin cancer and that made me think I should probably get my lip checked out.

     After the VA, I met my sister, Susan, and her daughter, Shay, for lunch at Tula Kitchen.  It is an eclectic restaurant with vegetarian dishes that are very different.  Susan, her husband, Bill, Shay and her boyfriend, Pat, just returned from a trip to Scandinavia.  Susan’s friend, Ronnie, passed away and left Susan and Bill to handle his affairs. Ronnie’s body was cremated and they took the ashes to Sweden where Ronnie was born.  After Sweden, they went to Norway and Iceland.  It was a great trip.

    Travis lost his job.  He has had such rotten luck with work.  Hope he finds a new one quickly.  They are in the middle of having their mortgage modified and this will certainly have an impact.  Lincoln will be baptized on October 20.  I coordinated with the American Legion Post to have a party there after the christening. The commander initially told me I had to pay $300.  When I told him commanders (past and present) were allowed one free rental a year and a second at half price when I was commander, he relented and will let us use the hall at no charge.  That was very nice of him.  We coordinated times to open the building.

8 October 2019 (Tue) – We took Caiden to church with us on Sunday. It was a pretty busy day with him. His father worked from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.  I gave Caiden his bath, read his books, and sang some songs.  He didn’t want to eat steak for dinner.  When I told him that was it for the night.  He didn’t have to eat it but there wouldn’t be anything else. We then went about eating and quietly watched while he ate his steak and a piece of potato.  It was amusing to watch the quiet surrender.

     Kenny was home on Monday so we did not watch Caiden but we did have them come in for dinner.  We had burgers, fries, and corn.  Caiden ate about half his burger, some fries, and made a token effort at the corn then was done.  I gave him chocolate ice cream for dessert.  That sure pumped him up! The sugar rush kept him running back and forth for an hour.

     Today, Kenny worked from 10 to 4.  Paul and I ran some errands.  I picked Kenny up at 4:15 and Paul got Caiden from the bus.  At 5 p.m., Paul and I went down to the church to help clean up after the yard sale.  There were several pieces of furniture (desks, dressers, couches, loveseats) left over that we had to break up and put in the dumpster.  Several of us turned out for the job and it took just over an hour to get it all done.  

 5 October 2019 (Sat) – We returned to New York on September 30 from the SMART National Muster in Urbanna, VA.  We stopped two nights in Washington, D.C. staying on Joint Base Andrews AFB.  The campground certainly could use some TLC.  Everything is run down and looking worn.  It seems weird that they would let it look like that since the President’s plane is kept there.  You’d think since it was a flagship airfield that they would keep it up better.  Paul thinks the only reason Andrews AFB is kept open is because it’s close to D.C.

     Well, I goofed big time.  I was trying to update our travel journal and I got an error message from the computer.  I inadvertently clicked on a RESET button and the computer reset itself back to its default mode.  All the programs and apps that we have loaded on the computer since we bought it six years ago were wiped off.  The version of Word that I have using (Word 2010) was removed and a docx file replaced it. That updated version would not open the older version.  Ugh. Poor Paul has spent hours reloading all those lost programs.  At least when the computer reset itself, it made a list of all those programs that were removed.  There is a list to follow in reestablishing the programs.

     Miranda is in Maine this week.  We have been driving Kenny back and forth to work and watching Caiden in between work and school.  He is a very energetic little boy!

     The church had a yard sale yesterday.  The weather was beautiful and there were yard sales all over town.  I drove down Brook Street (a small back street that cuts between two main roads) and there were four yard sales on that street alone.  It was a long day.  We went down to the church at 8 am and helped set up, then helped with the fair all day until it ended at 3 pm.  I picked Caiden up at noon and he enjoyed visiting at the fair.  At the end of the fair, all the stuff that didn’t sell went into the dumpster.  It was awful! We were throwing new or barely used items away – CDs, DVDs, glassware, toys, games, electronics, furniture, everything!  It all went into the garbage.  It sure seemed like all that stuff could have gone somewhere.  Oh, well.  

[judchuksadmin-blog]

How FIRS is contributing immensely to Nigeria's economy

Tunde Fowler is a public officer, tax administrator and reformer in Nigeria. He is presently the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and in this interview with Boldfaces International he explained how tax works and how Nigerians can benefit from it. Excerpts… Q: For the benefit of our viewers in Nigeria and in Diaspora, please tell us about your background. My name is Tunde Fowler, I’m the Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and I also double as the Chairman of the Joint Task Force. I’m from Lagos State. Both of my parents are from Lagos State. I had my educational background in both Nigeria and the United States of America. I attended Igbobi College Yaba where I had my O and A levels. Thereafter, I left Nigeria to University of Wisconsin USA where I had Bachelors in Economics and also Political Science. I was also interested in international business so I also did Bachelors degree at California State University in Los Angeles. I also did MBA which is the Masters of Business Administration in that same university. So I came to Nigeria to serve in the National youth Service Corps (NYSC). After that I had a brief time at Johnson & Johnson Nigeria then I changed to banking and after 21 years I worked with Lagos State Government as the Pioneer Permanent Secretary Executive the Chairman of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service. After that, I was appointed as the Executive Chairman of the Internal Revenue Service in August 2015 by His Excellency, The President, Federal Republic of Nigeria. Let’s talk about your family; marriage, children. I have one wife Rosemary a lovely lady and have three children one girl and two boys. Tell us about your career and duty as the FIRS boss. The primary duty of any revenue Board is to generate funds. My duty as the Executive Chairman of the Internal Revenue Service is to generate revenue for all tiers of government. Many people don’t realize that the revenue we generate is shared between the Federal, State and Local Governments. I’m also the Chairman of the Joint Tax Board which means that I oversee activities of Immigration, Federal Road Safety, Nigerian Customs, revenue mobilization, Ministry of Finance, all members of these bodies we get together to ensure that there’s uniformity in payment of taxes. And we provide the best services for taxpayers. Can we talk about FIRS operations? We at FIRS understand that taxpayers are very important. In view of this, as a service-oriented organization we try to make things very convenient for taxpayers. For the last 18 months, we deployed a lot of technology to ensure that taxpayers are served efficiently and effectively. We received new innovations that will be deployed in the next one month or thereabout. One such innovation is the electronic stamp duty process which won an award in South Africa and that is currently undergoing testing in Nigeria and it should be deployed in the month of October. So people who have documents they want to stamp can do it inside their bedrooms. It’s all electronic. We have also reduced the registration page from 13 pages to one page. So it’s so much easier to register now as a tax payer. It applies to either individual or tax-paying organizations. We have also opened up new offices to enable taxpayers choose which location is easier for them to keep their tax files. Added to this a lot of transactions can be done on the phone right now. For Nigerians, what are the benefits of paying taxes? It boils down to asking what Nigerians want from government. Nigerians expect to have security, healthcare, education, infrastructure in terms of roads and other services. People travel abroad for holiday because the governments there provide these amenities. If people were not paying taxes the government will not have the resources to provide services they are supposed to provide. Let’s use Lagos as an example. As at 2015, 70 percent of our expenditures came from tax. So when government has good leadership and the resources the people are happy. What are the sanctions put in place for failing to pay taxes? The popular sanction that tax administrators talk about is interest and penalty. It comes with the law. A tax paid late can incur interest and penalty. However these are not the major sanctions. The sanctions I believe are most significant are the impact it has on society. I gave a presentation in Ghana about tax compliance. One highlighted focus was that Nigeria has one of the highest infant mortality when it comes to malaria parasites. What can be done to alleviate the problem? It is just about five thousand naira. So it means that each time a person fails to pay his or her tax, it means that the person indirectly causes loss of life. It even causes people who want to come to the country to go somewhere else because only government can provide these services. What is FIRS’ philosophy? One thing we do now is not to wait for taxpayers to come to us. We go to them. We try to find out what their challenges are and try to fix these issues for them. We also create (FEET) FIRS Engagement and Enlightenment Tax Teams and we go about to make sure that there is compliance. We also use this means to register tax payers who are not registered and also register taxpayers both for States and Federal Government. What are FIRS challenges? One of the challenges we have is the managing of staff. Some fear being deployed while others fear being relieved of their jobs. The second challenge is the so-called arm-chair tax administrators who are used to staying in their offices. They find it difficult to go out and see taxpayers. Another challenge is enforcement. I believe that when you are running a revenue agency there are consequences. So for those tax payers who are not compliant after several discussions we have to embark on enforcement. That is one of the few things we started about six months after I assumed the office. We are now tackling those who have ability to pay but do not want to pay. What are your awareness programmes for those who pay tax? We have gone out to all sectors. We have radio programmes. We advertise in major Nigerian languages. We advertise in Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, pidgin English and English itself. We do these to all tax payers regardless of where they come from. We have also gone out to meet the agricultural sector and other sectors. People are seeing us everywhere even at social concerts and other events. The reason we do so is that some of these people will not come to an office. We have had various meetings with different stakeholders. We have put adverts on newspapers, magazines and TV. These adverts show the advantage of paying VAT supporting government by paying taxes. I believe we have sent the message across Nigeria. Is FIRS involved in CSR programme? Yes. We are involved in a few projects but we don’t make them public. What is TIN and how does it work? That is Tax Identification Number. When you register, you will have what is called unique tax registration number. Any time you make a payment, you are able to track it through this unique number. Both individuals and corporate bodies can have TIN. Now we have made it easy by joining forces with States Internal Board so that states that have different tax numbering are consolidated into one. This enables administrators to cross-check tax payers from another state. All he needs to do is query the system and he will get the information he wants. How do you identify companies that are not paying tax? We are fully computerized and also have access to corporate news and Corporate Affairs Commission. We simply match them with those who are paying tax. It’s that simple when we want to know those who are paying and those who are not. For small businesses not registered with CAC, we give states tax information we have and they also give us the tax information that they have. Through this means we are able to see those who avoided registrations and we follow up on those. The FEET department also finds out about those who have not registered and try to find out why. They get them to register and start paying their taxes. What is your perspective regarding religious organizations? As far as the law is concerned, religious organizations don’t pay tax. But when they run commercial activities, they have to pay tax on those. This applies to religious organizations that run schools. However on all their spiritual activities they don’t pay taxes. What about non-profit organizations? We take a look at their activities, sometimes their activities outside of not-for-profit are also examined as in the case of engaging someone who they pay salary. That individual who is on a salary may be engaged with an NGO but have his salary subject to state tax. How does it feel when you won an award? The last award we won in South Africa was about the innovation on electronic stamp duty and some 38 African countries are benefitting from it. It has helped us to serve tax payers more efficiently. I received the award on behalf of all FIRS staff who took part in putting the package together. They were all happy to be part of it. What would you say about the level or response from Nigerians? Our mandate is to reach 90 percent with our innovation. A number of companies have not being paying taxes for years and we have to clear that backlog. We hope to reach about 40-45 million individuals with our services. Last year, we moved it from about 10 million to about 14 million. There’s still a lot of room for improvement. When we are in a position to fund both federal and state revenues then I think we are satisfied. How are you able to manage the staff strength of this huge organization? I believe that when you treat all staff fairly and you give them what they need I believe you have empowered them. As a leader, you have to provide required resources and then they can do what is expected of them. Here’s a general question. How do you feel about counterfeiting? It’s very bad. I think it’s unfair that somebody sit somewhere and try to deceive you and I. There are laws in place and criminal consequences for counterfeiters. So I discourage anyone who has thoughts about doing this to stop and have a second thought. It not only damages the society it also damages the future of one’s career and family. Please tell us about your family affair. We try to make most of what we can out of the time we spend together. I sometimes have lunch together with my staff. We tend to talk a whole lot and I think it is much better to spend half an hour this way than going out for one hour. It makes my organization better. What’s your favourite type of music? I like jazz, hip-hop and what people call Nigerian music. I love all types of music even though they say sometimes the lyrics are bad. But as a music lover you listen to the beat. For young people who have negative lyrics it will be nice if they can change it but the beat goes on. I have no particular favourite Nigerian artiste but I believe that are those making waves all over the world. A particular young Nigerian has his song played in over 16 countries and it’s also making waves in Europe. Many Nigerians have shown tremendous talent. They should keep it up and eventually they will start paying a lot of taxes. This will also be beneficial to all Nigerians. Do you like sports? I like water sports. Being a person from Lagos I like skiing, boating, fishing, when the opportunity comes and I have time. I jet ski, I go fishing. A lot of people will be surprised but we do have good fish by the Atlantic, we have barracudas, yellow fin, amber jacks and many other natural resources in water. What are the bold steps you’ve taken in your life? The bold step I have taken in my life is joining the Lagos State Government. I have been in the private sector for more than 20 years and by the time I met with former Lagos Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu he told me what the Lagos State Vision is and what he expected to be done. He expected Lagos to be financially independent. I believed I could do it. I don’t think it would be fair if I take up the opportunity and not do well. Then I will be disappointing the entire residents of Lagos but thanks to God, we are making it. We have been able to grow the revenue of Lagos from 6.3 billion to 23 billion per month. This I believe is one bold step I have taken, having joined and serve at the federal level when economy was going down and having the opportunity to improve things. Regardless of the fact that the economic situation is a bit weak, we are expected to make up for the shortfall and fill the gap. What’s your message to the masses and those that are giving up? No one should ever give up. Whatever is happening right now there’s hope. Former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu knew the challenges ahead and he knew we had resistance. He once told me: ‘Mr. Fowler, I have given you this job but to whichever God you serve, you should pray.’ I still remember that. Anyone who is not sure what the future holds or is going through challenging times should hold on to God and pray because with God all things are possible. What’s your message to tax evaders? Tax evaders, look behind yourselves. Realize that your non-payment of taxes is affecting someone who may be close to you. What we are looking for is just a token. So, join the family and contribute to the commonwealth and next time when you decide to spend your holiday choose home.           Click to Post