For the Monday programmers meeting, the usual facilitator usually randomly picks a word and then has a definition. This week’s word was “nugatory”, which means “Of little or no consequence, having no force” He then went on to mention that he had recently heard that word used on TV, which made him feel rather excited.
I quipped that this story about the word “nugatory” was itself nugatory.
Yeah, I can be a bitch. ;)
Yesterday, I was trying to play around with the function in the beta of Trillian to shorten URLs when I post an article to the Erie Gay News site. Whenever I post an article, I try to come up with a for the Erie Gay News account on Twitter so that folks know that we have new content.
I had been using a separate Twitter client before, but it was acting a tad wonky after I reloaded the OS on my PC, so I wondered if I could just use the Trillian interface and handle it that way,
Normally, I copy the article title, copy the URL and paste it into a portion of the client to generate the smaller URL and then put in some hash tags. Since Trillian wasn’t generating the smaller URL, I was sort of resigned to pasting the URL into a web site and generating it.
Then I found a function to generate the shortened URL, which I put onto the page I edit articles so that it is already generated for me to copy and paste. Problem solved! I am debating whether I want to include the short URL anywhere on the article page that displays publicly, as opposed to the administration page that basically only I ever see.
So, I should be able to just copy and paste a few things for the tweet and my only real work is trying to come up with hash tags. I am not sure if I have the best method for hash tags, but it does seem like we have gotten new followers or retweets soon after publishing with hash tags that I don’t think we might otherwise have gotten.
I had been planning to upgrade my PC to Windows 7 this weekend, since it was far enough away from newsletter layout time. I spent a good portion of Friday trying a few things, but it seemed to get to a certain point and then it locked up. My mom called to let me know that she was making leftover turkey soup. So, I took a break and spent a very nice evening over at Mom’s. It was basically everybody that was over the other day. Since I left my 2 dogs at home, Mom’s cat Tiburon was a bit more outgoing. Mom also had a new small camera/camcorder that she was trying to figure out, so we went over that.
When I got home I looked at the PC a bit. I was able to check email on my Palm and iPod, but the iPod cou;dn’t charge, so I thought I would head into work to check email there and charge the iPod. Outlook at work was locking up, and it turned out that our Exchange server had apparently crashed.
Saturday was mostly throwing in the towel and just rebuilding my PC on Windows Vista (which does seem to have cleaned up some issues.)
I decided to head out to the Zone to do at least some interaction with human beings. Towards the end of the evening, my friend Alex said something about a guy who was up for stripping down to his boxers if 10 people asked him to take off his pants. I figured, “What the heck?” and was apparently the 10th person. He was a very nice guy, kind of hot with some tattoos. I believe that he was straight. He was very outgoing and got quite a few of us out on the dance floor for the last song. All in all, it was a fun way to end the night.
I had an absolutely wonderful time at my mom's for Thanksgiving. I picked up my brother's friend Karen, and brought my 2 dogs along. Mom had also invited her neighbor Laura. My brother Steve had to work, so he arrived later. My stepfather Carl was also there. I spent a fair amount of time doing some computer geek stuff on Mom's desktop. It had been crashing, but I couldn’t get it to do that. Nonetheless, I loaded some OS updates and some other stuff.
Wow! What happy news! My cousin Tom is getting married this afternoon to his partner, Robert. They became the proud papas of an adorable son, Mickey, a few years ago, when they were living in New York City. (Mickey had come from a not so great situation, so his life will be much better than it might have otherwise been.) They had moved to Massachusetts a bit ago, and I wondered if they might be thinking of legally married. So, he mentioned it on Facebook.
I am sitting in my cubicle, blinking back tears of joy. Tom is a wonderful guy and Robert is a terrific match for him. It is one thing to argue for marriage equality as an abstract principle, but when it is about your own family, it really hits home that this is ultimately about affirming the dignity and worth of ALL human beings. Everyone deserves love. Everyone deserves equal treatment under the law. This isn’t about whether anyone approves or not. It’s about the 2 people who make a commitment to each other. How can anyone in their right mind be against celebrating love and commitment!
So, throw rice and flowers! There is joy and love in the world and that is a Very Good Thing!
My friend Erin mentioned that she wouldn’t be able to make it to folding tonight, since it was the only night that she could get for a hair appointment. I figured that she wanted to be looking spruced up for the holidays, so very much understandable.
However, it wasn’t about looking smart or stylish, exactly. She showed up at the end of folding with a much shorter cut and it turns out that she had cut off her long hair to donate to charity. My friend Lori’s elementary school age daughter recently did the same thing with her young friend.
Having the wonderful and cheerful volunteers at folding and knowing people who are so thoughtful and selfless makes me feel very lucky indeed. So, this year, I am most grateful for having good people in my life. Whenever things seem scary or difficult, I need to remember that there is lots of good and love in the world, and I am fortunate to be around that.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Sigh. Now I am slightly confused. When I was at the print shop picking up the newsletter, the person I usually deal with when picking it up ran the pricing through the cash register as if he was ringing it up, and we checked what the cost would be if we were 3, 4 or 5 sheets. The 5 sheet copy when he rang it up was less than what the person who called me this AM said. The 4 sheet cost was actually the smallest of the 3, because it must have triggered the discount.
So, being the nervous Nelly that I am, I came home and created a 4 sheet version and uploaded it via the corporate web site, giving it the same number of copies as we used when we were using the register. Eek! The web site returned a figure that was almost $100 higher! So, now I am wondering (and hoping) that the local store has different pricing. If it is, then I upload, enter special instructions, which will force it to calculate at the store.
I looked at some online options and found a place that does it. Oddly enough, it looks like it has the same price for 4 sheets that the register gave pre-tax. However, the other place is in New York City. They have free UPS Ground shipping, but then we would have to worry about scheduling. Truth to tell, I would like to stay with our current print shop if it’s possible, as they have been pretty good, and I like being able to drive and get it.
I am just hoping that this all works out. I will probably be a neurotic wreck for a bit. Like that’s different?
Okay, I am not freaking out quite as much as I had been. When I stopped at the print shop to pick up this month’s issue of Erie Gay News, it turns out that the printing cost is not going up nearly as much as I thought. Actually, if we go to doing a 16 page issue, rather than a 20 page issue, our printing would be slightly less than it is now, even at the new rate. (Oddly enough, a 12 page issue would cost more than a 16 page issue, because it probably just barely hits the discount rate.)
We will be examining some things and ideas, but I am feeling like things are not quite so dark as I thought.
I am touched by those friends who offered suggestions and support. Doing Erie Gay News means a lot to me, so if there is a way that we can continue helping the community, we are so there!
I just had a call from our printer. After the issue of Erie Gay News that I am picking up tonight, our printing costs will go up rather dramatically. This has me feeling pretty scared. We need to find some volunteers and help.
Doing the newsletter has been a passion for Deb and myself over the past 17 years. I really feel that this has been something important and believe that it has helped our community.
Right now, I am just sort of freaking out. I am hoping that we can bounce some ideas around and make some progress at tomorrow’s folding.
We had our weekly programmers’ meeting today. Apparently, one of our staff was researching something from a company named Leatherstocking. I sort of smirked, and asked if it was stocking as in a leg covering (and muttering to myself “DON’T think about chaps”) or stalking as in hiding behind a tree. We all thought it was kind of amusing.
Then they went on to refer to CBT, which means computer based training in this instance. It can also mean cognitive behavior therapy, but playing off of the previous reference to leather, I also considered this meaning. (Warning: it’s kinky!) I was careful to not bring up about that meaning during the meeting.
Deb had noticed yesterday that Mary Lou Panos, the widow of Nick Panos had passed on. Nick and Mary Lou owned the Lizzie Bordon’s, the first local gay bar that I ever went to, and later on the Village (which is now where the Zone is located.)
Mary Lou’s daughter Leslie (Nick’s stepdaughter) took over the running the Village. Leslie, like her late mother, is a friendly and classy lady who makes folks feel welcomed. Deb and I had a nice chat with Leslie when we went to the viewing.
When I first started going out to Lizzie’s, I wasn’t really out yet, and I sort of made it my goal to just say the word “Hi” to at least one person each time I went out. I recall that Mary Lou was always very kind and welcoming.
Mary Lou Clifton Panos (Healy)
Mary Lou (Healy) Clifton Panos, 82, formerly of Lake Shore and South Shore, died Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at Manchester Presbyterian Lodge. Born on December 15, 1927 in Erie, she was a daughter of the late Thomas and Diana Healy. She was preceded in death be her first husband, Edward Clifton and her second husband, Nick Panos. She is survived by her three children, Leslie Clifton of Erie, Ann Clifton Schultz (Dick) of Edinboro and John Clifton (Marybeth) of Fairview. She is further survived by her sister Diana Healy and three grandchildren, Derek Schultz, Mitchell Clifton and Allison Schultz, also by three stepsons, George, Emmanuel and John Panos. Mary Lou was a 1946 graduate of Strong Vincent. She began her family with Edward in the community of Lake Shore where she resided for many years and was a member of Lake Shore Country Club. Several years after Edward's death, she married Nick Panos, with whom she owned several businesses, notably Lizzie Borden's, Pap's AM, Rascals, The Greeks and The Village Supper Club. Mary Lou's charm and wit often complimented Nick's business sense, and when combined, created a powerful and magnetic couple. They both felt strongly about volunteerism and contributed extensively to AHA; they were ardent supporters of their late friend Vincent Jenco's St. Paul's Neighborhood Free Clinic. She will be sadly missed, not only by her family, but by all who were touched by her compassion and generous spirit. Mary Lou had an unerring sense of elegance in everything she did, yet her appreciation of the absurd and wry humor will be her legacy to her children. Friends may call at Brugger Home for Funerals, 1595 West 38th St. at Greengarden Blvd., Sunday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Funeral services will be held there on Monday at 10 a.m. with Fr. Geoffrey Howson. Interment will take place at Wintergreen Gorge Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Manchester Presbyterian Lodge. Condolences at: www.bruggerfuneralhomes.com
VERY important, and we really need everyone to pitch in and help to pass this very important legislation. Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper has been generally supportive of GLBT issues, but she has not as yet signed on as a co-sponsor for HR 3017, the Employment Non Discrimination Act of 2009. You can call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
If your congress member is someone other than Kathy Dahlkemper, please call them their Washington DC to make sure that they are a co-sponsor of HR 3017. If you aren't sure who your congress member is, then just give your zip code when you call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
Please do this right now! We need everyone here! The number of calls that we make has a direct bearing on what happens.
(The above is a message that I sent to the Erie GLBT News and Events email list.)
The message was a response to a forwarded email from Lambda Legal:
The next few weeks may mark a critical milestone for LGBT rights: The House Education and Labor Committee is scheduled to consider the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) in the next few weeks, and a vote in the full House could happen soon after!
We've been working closely with committee staff members for the past few weeks and will continue to do so to ensure the bill that goes to committee vote is the strongest possible. Introduced in June 2009 by Rep. Barney Frank, the bill, also known as H.R. 3017, would prohibit workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Rep. George Miller chairs the House Education and Labor Committee.
Congressmembers tell us that what influences them most are calls and emails from people back home.
Make a difference. Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Give your zip code and ask to be connected to your Representative.
Say: My name is _____ and I’m a proud resident of (your city, state). I am calling in support of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 3017), to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from job discrimination. Please pass ENDA before the end of the year. I can be reached at _______ (give your phone number). Thank you.
Or, you can send the same message via email to your Representative.
Lambda Legal has long prioritized workplace fairness for the LGBT community. We currently represent Vandy Beth Glenn, a transgender woman who was fired from her job as a legislative editor by the Georgia General Assembly simply for being true to who she is. In September, she testified before Congress, urging members to enact ENDA so that others will not be fired or face discrimination in employment based on their gender identity and expression or sexual orientation.
Lambda Legal has set aside today to urge our supporters to contact their representatives in support of ENDA. Please call or email Congress today to let lawmakers know how important ENDA is to all of us who care about equality. Let's burn up the phone lines and tell them that the time to pass ENDA is now.
I was going over with a customer some changes to the physical inventory system for bar coding. We decided to do a small sample of just one product to test. She picked the product code and said that they would count the item. So, she let me know by saying that they were now going to practice on mattresses. (That happened to be the test product.)
I remarked that it sounded possibly unseemly and concluded by jokingly saying, “You hussy!” It got a laugh.
I tend to think of myself as being probably fairly open. I have been accused of “oversharing” on more than a few occasions.
However, even I have my limits. The only way I would get onto this device is if a gun were held to my head. And even then, it would be a tough call.
There are certainly other tools for tracking that kind of info. For some folks, maybe sharing how they are progressing on their fitness program is a great idea.
I wonder how the devices distinguishes between multiple people, and how it configures for a Twitter account for each.
In LOLSpeak: DO NOT WANT! And I am thinking that probably thinking that I would not be alone in this. And if you forgot to weigh yourself for a while, would your Twitter followers just assume that you were packing on the pounds and were too afraid to step onto the scale, lest your weight gain be apparent. (“It’s been 5 whole days since Morty last weighed himself – he must be as big as a house by now!”)
Nope, I also wouldn’t want something that broadcast my bank balance (or finances), how often I used the restroom, was sexually active or anything like that. Even oversharing moi has limits!
Twitter-equipped bathroom scale tells the world how much you weigh
November 10, 2009 | 4:12 pm
This bathroom scale knows how much you weigh and it can blab it to your Twitter friends. Credit: Withings.
The most embarrassing new tech product of the year just got more embarrassing.
Last month, we let you know about the Wi-Fi Body Scale, the first bathroom scale equipped with a wireless connection to send your weight and body fat information directly to your Web page and iPhone.
But weight, there's more.
Twitter-equipped bathroom scale tells the world how much you weigh | Technology | Los Angeles Times
I am really hoping that they are able to get marriage equality in New Jersey within the short time frame that they have. It was so disheartening to lose Maine.
Below is an excerpt from the article I just posted at Erie Gay News.
Incidentally, I was due to have lunch with Thomas Waters and his partner, and I wanted to get this article posted as quickly as possible. The contact at Attorney.org had kindly provided us with the text ready to go. I waas able to paste in and then dash off to lunch. Cool beans!
Legalize Same-Sex Marriage in NJ
By: Attorney.org staff
Following Tuesday's narrow rejection of same-sex marriage in Maine, the latest front in the battle over gay rights has moved to New Jersey. The Democrat-controlled legislature in New Jersey, which currently recognizes same-sex couples in civil unions, is under pressure to pass a bill that would authorize gay marriage before Jon Corzine ends his term in mid-January. Corzine, who was unseated in Tuesday's election, said he would sign such a bill.
On the contrary, his successor, Republican Chris Christie, has taken a stand against same-sex marriages and has stated that he would veto it as governor.Read the rest of this article here.
Progressives are closer than ever to a victory on health care reform. As 2009 comes to a close, we've moved forward on other issues. But what's looming up ahead could be a disappointment.
On Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009- less than a week away- there will be critical votes on on LGBT equality in three states: Washington State, Maine, and Michigan. With so much attention devoted to other issues in the political realm, bloggers have banded together to ensure we don't forget the ones with a firm deadline next week.
For that reason, we've joined with these three campaigns to put together a summary of who, what, and how. If you haven't heard of these campaigns, and/or haven't done anything yet to support them, please consider helping out. If you are a blogger please feel free to grab this content whole cloth and use it for your blog posts. Scroll down to the bottom to grab the formatted HTML to drop into a post.
Last year, as Obama and Democrats were winning across the country, we lost marriage equality in California. It was a bittersweet victory. Pitch in to make sure 2009 isn't a bittersweet year. Take action to support LGBT equality TODAY.
Charlene Strong, from the documentary "For my Wife", who lost her partner in the floods of 2006, makes personal pitch for your help in the countdown to equality. See it here.
Change your facebook profile picture to show your support!
Who we are: Approve Referendum 71 is the campaign to preserve domestic partnerships in Washington State. By voting to approve, voters retain the domestic partnership laws that were passed during this year's legislative session, including using sick leave to care for a partner, adoption rights, insurance rights, and more.
What we need: We need phone bankers to get our supporters out to vote. Washington is an all mail-in ballot state, and we need to ensure our supporters put their ballots in the mail. Also, youth turnout is a critical component of our campaign, and youth turnout historically drops in off-year elections. So we need a lot of help to turn them out.
How you do it: Sign up here to make remote calls for Approve 71. We'll then contact you for a training, and you can make GOTV calls.
Who we are: The No On 1/Protect Maine Equality campaign is working to protect Maine's recently-passed law legalizing marriage equality for same-sex couples. Our opponents have put the issue on the ballot for Nov 3, 2009. Because of Maine's early voting election laws, people are already voting at the polls, so we need help immediately to turn out our side at the polls.
What we need: We need you to devote a few hours to Call for Equality. Call for Equality is a virtual phonebank set up so that you can call Maine voters wherever you are. Much of Maine is rural, where canvassing isn't effective, so we need to reach these voters- along with other supporters- by phone. All you need is a phone and internet connection. No experience required! We'll provide the training, and all you need is a a few hours to help get a win in Maine.
How you do it: Click here to sign up for a training and your shift. There are lots of times available for your convenience.
Who We Are: The Yes on Ordinance 1856 / One Kalamazoo campaign is working in Michigan to support the City Commission of Kalamazoo's twice approved ordinance for housing, employment, and public accommodation protections for gay and transgender residents. Opponents forced a public referendum on the ordinance so dedicated local volunteers, led by former Stonewall Democrats Executive Director Jon Hoadley, are working to ensure voters say YES to fairness and equality and keep Ordinance 1856.
Why The Urgency: In the final weeks, the opposition has gone all out with aggressive disinformation and misleading red herrings to try to defeat the ordinance. This includes signs that say "No to Discrimination" (even though voting No actually supports continued discrimination of GLBT residents), transphobic door hangers and fliers, and now radio ads that falsely suggest that criminal behavior will become legal when this simply isn't true. The Yes on Ordinance 1856 supporters are better organized but many voters who want to vote for gay and transgender people are getting confused by the opposition.
How To Help:
1) Help the One Kalamazoo campaign raise a final $10,000 specifically dedicated to fight back against the lies on the local TV and radio airwaves and fully fund the campaign's final field and GOTV efforts.
Give here: http://www.actblue.com/page/3-2-1-countdown
2) If you live nearby and can physically volunteer in Kalamazoo sign up here. If you know anyone that lives in Kalamazoo, use the One Kalamazoo campaign's online canvass tool to remind those voters that they need to vote on November 3rd and vote YES on Ordinance 1856 to support equality for gay and transgender people.
Contact voters: http://www.onekalamazoo.com/tellfriends2
At our weekly programmer meeting, one of my co-workers (who is very much into Halloween) mentioned that she had been a witch all weekend. I softly said that some of us did it year round. ;)
The Beast make up came off fairly easily on Saturday night. Actually, it was more of a problem keeping it on. However, I felt an itch in my ear this morning and ended up with a blue smeared Q-tip.
Still waiting to get some photos from James, but some folks have already posted photos at Facebook. Check out one here. See the album here. Also, another album is here. After taking some photos, I asked if taking photos that included someone dressed as the Falcon meant that I was getting the bird.
Oddly enough, despite my concerns about people asking me if I was Grover or Cookie Monster (or maybe a Smurf), the person who had confusion was local drag diva Michelle Michaels. The outfit was the White Queen, a villainess from the Hellfire Club. However, people kept asking her if she was Storm. Um, The White Queen (and Michelle Michaels) are Caucasian, and Storm is African.
Eventually, she just sort of sighed and let it go. I shared about going to the boat cruise in Pittsburgh a few years ago. I had thrown on some army camouflage just to sort of have an outfit that wouldn’t be too irksome to drive in. After the 50th person asked me if I was Fidel Castro, I just yielded and said “Sure. Whatever.” (If you are a bearded guy in army camouflage, you are Fidel Castro, regardless of your original intent.)
