What eight years of Republican rule can do.
2000
Today
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
UCSF Chancellor lends his voice
Joining comments from UC Berkeley and UC Davis; UCSF Chancellor, Nobel Laureate and longtime LGBT equality champion Michael Bishop (he truly has been a leader for LGBT inclusion, equality, and support in the UC system) has penned a personal letter to the UCSF community regarding Prop 8. (Of course, he is bound by the same legal constraints against campaigning and notes such.)
Dear Colleagues:
Over recent days, some of you have requested information or comments about California Proposition 8, which will be on the November 4 ballot.
In May of this year, the California Supreme Court affirmed the constitutional right to marry for same-sex couples. In its ruling, the Court characterized marriage as a “basic civil right.” Proposition 8 seeks to reverse the ruling.The Regents of the University of California have on separate occasions taken actions to make University policies more inclusive of same-sex partners, including prohibition of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation (1983); and providing domestic-partner health and retirement benefits (1997 and 2002, respectively), as well as transgender (sex-change) health coverage (2003). These actions all reflected the University’s commitment to equal rights for every member of its community. I am proud to have been chancellor during the time several of the actions were taken.
Likewise, the UCSF community and its leadership are firmly committed to equal rights for all, including same-sex partners. This commitment has been a centerpiece of campus policy throughout my tenure as chancellor. We deeply value inclusiveness and the strengths that it brings to the campus community and to fulfillment of our missions.
The University and its campuses are prohibited by law from advocating a particular vote on any ballot proposition, and it is not my purpose to do so here. But I do hope that you will make an informed decision when casting your ballot. More information about Proposition 8, including arguments for and against, can be found [here]. For an independent nonpartisan analysis of the proposition, see [here].
The legal guidelines for comment on propositions by the University are attached.
Please exercise your right and obligation as a citizen: vote on November 4.
Sincerely,
J. Michael Bishop, M.D.
Chancellor
Google Book Project settlement
Interactive, colorful Google explanation here.
Press release:
Major Universities See Promise in Google Book Search Settlement
ANN ARBOR, Mi; PALO ALTO, Ca, OAKLAND, Ca - The University of California, University of Michigan, and Stanford University announce today their joint support for the outstanding public benefits made possible through the proposed settlement agreement submitted to the United States District Court, Southern District of New York by Google Inc. and plaintiffs the Authors Guild, Inc. et al.
The proposed settlement will expand access to books in the Google Book Search project. Google Book Search is an ambitious project to digitize the print collections of the world’s greatest libraries and make them searchable via the Internet. The project will make it possible for libraries to preserve millions of books and assure numerous other public and academic benefits.
"Millions of books are held in our libraries as a public trust," said Daniel Greenstein, Vice Provost at the University of California. "This settlement will help provide broad access to them as well as other public benefits, and it also promises to promote innovation in scholarship. For these reasons, UC is pleased to have given input along with Universities of Michigan and Stanford in support of the public good, and we look forward to playing a continuing role by contributing UC library volumes to the development of this rich online resource."
The universities were not direct parties to the agreement, and there are some aspects of it the universities would change; however they believe it is favorable overall to the principles and intentions that led them to join the program as early as 2004.
Among the important benefits to higher education are:
Press release:
Major Universities See Promise in Google Book Search Settlement
ANN ARBOR, Mi; PALO ALTO, Ca, OAKLAND, Ca - The University of California, University of Michigan, and Stanford University announce today their joint support for the outstanding public benefits made possible through the proposed settlement agreement submitted to the United States District Court, Southern District of New York by Google Inc. and plaintiffs the Authors Guild, Inc. et al.
The proposed settlement will expand access to books in the Google Book Search project. Google Book Search is an ambitious project to digitize the print collections of the world’s greatest libraries and make them searchable via the Internet. The project will make it possible for libraries to preserve millions of books and assure numerous other public and academic benefits.
"Millions of books are held in our libraries as a public trust," said Daniel Greenstein, Vice Provost at the University of California. "This settlement will help provide broad access to them as well as other public benefits, and it also promises to promote innovation in scholarship. For these reasons, UC is pleased to have given input along with Universities of Michigan and Stanford in support of the public good, and we look forward to playing a continuing role by contributing UC library volumes to the development of this rich online resource."The universities were not direct parties to the agreement, and there are some aspects of it the universities would change; however they believe it is favorable overall to the principles and intentions that led them to join the program as early as 2004.
Among the important benefits to higher education are:
- Free full text access at public libraries around the country
- Free preview and ability to either find the book at a local library or through a consumer purchase.
- A first-ever database of both in-copyright and out-of-copyright (public domain) works on which scholars can conduct advanced research (known as the “the research corpus”). For example, a corpus of this sort will allow scholars in the field of comparative linguistics to conduct specialized large scale analysis of language, looking for trends over time and expanding our understanding of language and culture.
- Enabling the sharing of public domain works among scholars, students and institutions. Not only will scholars and students at other universities be able to read these online, but this will make it possible to provide large numbers of texts to individuals wishing to perform research;
- Institutional subscriptions providing access to in-copyright, out-of-print books;
- Working copies of partner libraries' contributed works for searching and web services complementary to Google's.
- Accommodated services for persons with print disabilities – making it possible for persons with print disabilities to view or have text read with the use of reader technology;
- Digital copies of works digitized by Google provided to the partner libraries for long term preservation purposes. This is important because, as university libraries, we are tasked by the public to be repositories of human knowledge and information.
Monday, October 27, 2008
get up on your soapbox
and DANCE! Wait, no, ride!
This weekend is the real San Franciscan Soap Box Derby.
And, not implying anything regarding the safety of this event, it's also Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.
Last weekend was the Red Bull Soap Box Derby 2008 (which I'll get to in a moment), and understandably the Bernal Heights Soap Box Derby people were a little peeved at this usurpation, but the Bernal Heights race has always been a community/San Franciscan thing with well considered craft.
The Red Bull event was almost strictly bridge and tunnel, and the racers were a lot of papier mache. And Lord help Bernal Heights if they get the same crowd though-- an unbelievable 75,000 showed up in Dolores Park last weekend.
I hadn't seen Eli and Rosana in ages and called a couple weeks back to check in. We made time on the calendar to go to the new Academy of Sciences on Saturday morning, as that would be cool for the adults and also very kid friendly-- Eli and Rosana have two kids under five.
Eli and Rosana live at the uphill corner of Dolores Park, so when I told then that the Red Bull Soap Box Derby was going on outside their doorstep on Saturday, we changed our plans. We had no idea it was going to be such a clusterfuck.
First of all, quick MUNI rant. The Nike Women's marathon pre-events were in Golden Gate Park, the Red Bull Soap Box Derby in Dolores Park, and all ads warned of no parking and urged participants to take public transportation. The City and MUNI were in on the deal-- they new what was happening, and the system was woefully inadequate. They were actually running fewer cars and in longer intervals. It took me almost two hours just to get halfway across town (I should have walked by my ankle was screaming). I eventually took a cab, with a driver who could or would not speak English, and refused repeatedly to pay attention when I tried to tell him that Dolores was going to be blocked off and we needed to go around. After he stubbornly pointed and yelled "Dolores! Dolores!" for several blocks, he got a clue when we found ourselves knee-deep in the masses an unable to move. Maddening.
For a City with a "transit first" policy which punishes cars, parking, and even cabs, and which coddles the MUNI unions, the transit infrastructure of SF is continually piss poor.
End rant.
Eli, with both kids attached, and I managed to make it out just as the races were starting.
And that's Vince on the right, Eli's general handyman and all around great guy.
It was insane. The organizers thought there might be 50,000 people out there and had set up several rows of porta potties and three jumbotron screens.
The final estimate of the crowd was over 75,000. The majority took BART over, and you could tell. (I am an SF snob. I am aware of this. The steady river of pedestrians from the BART station was surreal.)
Eli's corner was at the midpoint of the race, at the jump.
We would have a pretty decent view, but for the throngs. Looking around at some of Eli's neighbors, he copied their idea and dashed back into the garage and returned with a couple of ladders. That was genius.
Unfortunately, little Allejandro got sick so Eli took him home to bed. I stayed for a while and watched the races, and met up with some other friends who had walked over.
Some of the best cars:
The TransAmerica Pyramid (after the crash):
Barry Bond's ball number whatever-- the one donated to the Hall of Fame with an asterisk:
and the Death Star.
AKA Team Fully Operational.
Here are my pics and clips of the day.
Red Bull had rented out the 1015 Club for a private after party Saturday night, and I won tickets to it by being caller number 8 to Energy 92.7 when I was home sick from the flu shot earlier in the week. Kevin, who used go there as a teen when he and his "girlfriend" would come into the Big City to dance, joined me for the adventure.
It did not disappoint.
Kevin and I, both independently dressed in western wear, took to the red carpet.
Some of the smaller bars in the complex were open to the public (i.e. B&T asian crowd), but the majority was secured for the private party, and turned out to be a lot of fun.
There was definitely a soap theme going on.
Those are detergent displays above the bar.
And the go go dancers who weren't on skates, were dancing on: soap boxes.
Pretty clever for a corporate gig. I was temped to get up on my soapbox and rant about something, but I didn't have a topic (Prop 8 anyone?) Kevin and I were also happy we cabbed it as there was lots of free booze. Unfortunately, a lot of it was Red Bull-based.
But tasty. Well, tasty enough for me to end up molesting an incredibly sweet contestant, the Emperor from Team Fully Operational. Unfortunately, I don't have a photo of him without the mask.
Although egged on my Kevin (and they say I'm an enabler) I did feel like Dirty Old Man when he told me he was 26. Or was it 27? Anyway, a bit young for me. Never mind straight. Did I mention there was free booze? There is a fine line between "taking advantage" and "willing participant." I stayed on the good guy side of that line.
But Lordy did we have fun.
It was very much that kind of night.
Always make an exit.
This weekend is the real San Franciscan Soap Box Derby.
And, not implying anything regarding the safety of this event, it's also Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.Last weekend was the Red Bull Soap Box Derby 2008 (which I'll get to in a moment), and understandably the Bernal Heights Soap Box Derby people were a little peeved at this usurpation, but the Bernal Heights race has always been a community/San Franciscan thing with well considered craft.
The Red Bull event was almost strictly bridge and tunnel, and the racers were a lot of papier mache. And Lord help Bernal Heights if they get the same crowd though-- an unbelievable 75,000 showed up in Dolores Park last weekend.
I hadn't seen Eli and Rosana in ages and called a couple weeks back to check in. We made time on the calendar to go to the new Academy of Sciences on Saturday morning, as that would be cool for the adults and also very kid friendly-- Eli and Rosana have two kids under five.
Eli and Rosana live at the uphill corner of Dolores Park, so when I told then that the Red Bull Soap Box Derby was going on outside their doorstep on Saturday, we changed our plans. We had no idea it was going to be such a clusterfuck.
First of all, quick MUNI rant. The Nike Women's marathon pre-events were in Golden Gate Park, the Red Bull Soap Box Derby in Dolores Park, and all ads warned of no parking and urged participants to take public transportation. The City and MUNI were in on the deal-- they new what was happening, and the system was woefully inadequate. They were actually running fewer cars and in longer intervals. It took me almost two hours just to get halfway across town (I should have walked by my ankle was screaming). I eventually took a cab, with a driver who could or would not speak English, and refused repeatedly to pay attention when I tried to tell him that Dolores was going to be blocked off and we needed to go around. After he stubbornly pointed and yelled "Dolores! Dolores!" for several blocks, he got a clue when we found ourselves knee-deep in the masses an unable to move. Maddening.
For a City with a "transit first" policy which punishes cars, parking, and even cabs, and which coddles the MUNI unions, the transit infrastructure of SF is continually piss poor.
End rant.
Eli, with both kids attached, and I managed to make it out just as the races were starting.
And that's Vince on the right, Eli's general handyman and all around great guy.
It was insane. The organizers thought there might be 50,000 people out there and had set up several rows of porta potties and three jumbotron screens.
The final estimate of the crowd was over 75,000. The majority took BART over, and you could tell. (I am an SF snob. I am aware of this. The steady river of pedestrians from the BART station was surreal.)
Eli's corner was at the midpoint of the race, at the jump.
We would have a pretty decent view, but for the throngs. Looking around at some of Eli's neighbors, he copied their idea and dashed back into the garage and returned with a couple of ladders. That was genius.
Unfortunately, little Allejandro got sick so Eli took him home to bed. I stayed for a while and watched the races, and met up with some other friends who had walked over.
Some of the best cars:
The TransAmerica Pyramid (after the crash):
Barry Bond's ball number whatever-- the one donated to the Hall of Fame with an asterisk:
and the Death Star.
AKA Team Fully Operational.
Here are my pics and clips of the day.
Red Bull had rented out the 1015 Club for a private after party Saturday night, and I won tickets to it by being caller number 8 to Energy 92.7 when I was home sick from the flu shot earlier in the week. Kevin, who used go there as a teen when he and his "girlfriend" would come into the Big City to dance, joined me for the adventure.
It did not disappoint.
Kevin and I, both independently dressed in western wear, took to the red carpet.
Some of the smaller bars in the complex were open to the public (i.e. B&T asian crowd), but the majority was secured for the private party, and turned out to be a lot of fun.
There was definitely a soap theme going on.
Those are detergent displays above the bar.
And the go go dancers who weren't on skates, were dancing on: soap boxes.
Pretty clever for a corporate gig. I was temped to get up on my soapbox and rant about something, but I didn't have a topic (Prop 8 anyone?) Kevin and I were also happy we cabbed it as there was lots of free booze. Unfortunately, a lot of it was Red Bull-based.
But tasty. Well, tasty enough for me to end up molesting an incredibly sweet contestant, the Emperor from Team Fully Operational. Unfortunately, I don't have a photo of him without the mask.
Although egged on my Kevin (and they say I'm an enabler) I did feel like Dirty Old Man when he told me he was 26. Or was it 27? Anyway, a bit young for me. Never mind straight. Did I mention there was free booze? There is a fine line between "taking advantage" and "willing participant." I stayed on the good guy side of that line.
But Lordy did we have fun.
It was very much that kind of night.
Always make an exit.
nice package
Most of y'all know that I was a professional graphic designer for a while and still enjoy it when I can. I also truly appreciate really good graphic design, especially in packaging.
This wine label design caught my eye and I thought it was rather clever.
Via Bad Banana: Interesting branding for a new Riesling from Australia. The name was chosen to represent the "fear of leaping into the unknown" being felt by the wine's producer, Vina La Linea. I love the falling O. Any resemblance to the falling stock market is purely coincidental.
The newly emerging Hatch (get it? newly emerging? hatching? hello?) design company in San Francisco designed these labels and JAQK cellars' whole brand identity. I think the entire effort was beautifully crafted.
I hope the wine is as good as the labels. I'm looking forward to whatever Hatch hatches next.
This wine label design caught my eye and I thought it was rather clever.
Via Bad Banana: Interesting branding for a new Riesling from Australia. The name was chosen to represent the "fear of leaping into the unknown" being felt by the wine's producer, Vina La Linea. I love the falling O. Any resemblance to the falling stock market is purely coincidental.The newly emerging Hatch (get it? newly emerging? hatching? hello?) design company in San Francisco designed these labels and JAQK cellars' whole brand identity. I think the entire effort was beautifully crafted.
I hope the wine is as good as the labels. I'm looking forward to whatever Hatch hatches next.
stick this down your series of tubes
Alaska Senator Is Convicted of Ethics Breach in Gift Scheme
By NEIL A. LEWIS
Published: October 27, 2008 (The New York Times)
Series of tubes.
By NEIL A. LEWIS
Published: October 27, 2008 (The New York Times)
WASHINGTON — Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, the longest-serving Republican in the Senate’s history and a figure of enormous influence in his state, was found guilty on Monday of violating ethics laws for failing to report gifts and services that he was given by friends.Hopefully now we can get this archaic wingnut out of the Senate and put someone in charge whose technological and social sophistication is above the level of "icebox" and "coloreds."
Series of tubes.
now this is a great Prop 8 ad
The Yes on 8 haters are clearly going to hell.
I believe these guys will have their own private barista in heaven.
Did anyone notice there are no clever or cute or funny YouTube ads in support of Prop 8? Probably because there is nothing clever, cute, or funny about hate and bigotry.
See also:
and
I believe these guys will have their own private barista in heaven.
Did anyone notice there are no clever or cute or funny YouTube ads in support of Prop 8? Probably because there is nothing clever, cute, or funny about hate and bigotry.
See also:
and
Prop 8- protect the children?!
Clearly, the children need to be protected FROM the Yes on 8 haters.
This is so sick.
via Queerty:
Some California parents are royally - and understandably - pissed at the Yes on 8 campaign. The campaign, which hopes to revoke gay citizens' right to marry, recently ran the above ad in which they again claim that same-sex nuptials will infiltrate the public school system. And to prove their point, the commercial's creators used news footage from a field trip in which students went to see their lesbian teacher get married - footage some parents say exploits their children. And now they're fighting back.
At the No on Prop 8 website:
Outraged Parents of Children Featured in Latest Prop 8 TV Ad Demand that Commercial be Taken off the Air Immediately
Latest Campaign Gimmick Termed Exploitative and Shameless by Parents
SACRAMENTO – The parents of the two children most prominently featured in the latest multi-million dollar Prop 8 political spot today termed those ads “distasteful and exploitative” and demanded that the ads be taken off the air immediately.
This is so sick.
via Queerty:
Some California parents are royally - and understandably - pissed at the Yes on 8 campaign. The campaign, which hopes to revoke gay citizens' right to marry, recently ran the above ad in which they again claim that same-sex nuptials will infiltrate the public school system. And to prove their point, the commercial's creators used news footage from a field trip in which students went to see their lesbian teacher get married - footage some parents say exploits their children. And now they're fighting back.
At the No on Prop 8 website:
Outraged Parents of Children Featured in Latest Prop 8 TV Ad Demand that Commercial be Taken off the Air Immediately
Latest Campaign Gimmick Termed Exploitative and Shameless by Parents
SACRAMENTO – The parents of the two children most prominently featured in the latest multi-million dollar Prop 8 political spot today termed those ads “distasteful and exploitative” and demanded that the ads be taken off the air immediately.
Netflix streaming coming to Mac?
About damn time.
From Pete of the Cult of Mac:
From Pete of the Cult of Mac:
I love the graphic they put up at Engadget:Few things rankle a Mac user more than seeing new and interesting products and services rolled out that only work on PC. In my household, Netflix’s “Watch Instantly” is at the top of this maddening list. Basically, anyone with a Netflix account and sufficiently fast PC can watch any of 12,000 movies direct from Netflix servers at no extra charge. It hasn’t come to Macs because the service relies on PC-only DRM. And this drives my wife nuts. As she sees it, she’s already paying Netflix for service, and since that subscription now includes streaming she can’t use, she’s getting charged for a phantom service.
I can’t say I disagree.
At any rate, Netflix today proclaimed that this sad state of affairs won’t continue for long. Starting tomorrow, a limited number of Mac subscribers will be able to use Watch Instantly via a new version of the software rooted in Microsoft’s Silverlight technology (it’s a lot like Flash). Since Silverlight bakes in the PC DRM, it runs fine on a Mac and takes no additional tweaking to function.
Unfortunately, the new platform will be rolled out slowly, with Netflix only promising support for all Intel Mac users by the end of the year. So it might be awhile before Netflix stops getting the stinkeye from my apartment.
the battle over Prop 8
It's getting really nasty out there. And honestly, I'm scared shitless Prop 8 will pass. The proponents have lies on their side, and for claiming the moral high ground on this issue, they are the most malicious, dishonest cretins I have seen since Carl Rove's tactics or McCain's Ayers robocalls.
They have nothing but fear and loathing/lying on their side. And they are winning not the hearts nor minds of the California voters, but their fear and bigotry. Which makes them likely to win. Shilpa spent all weekend trying to bring her parents over to the No on 8 side, but failed painfully.
It makes me physically ill.
Andy Towle has some updates: Lots here, and more here (Hunting Beach report) and here (Bakersfield school official assaults No on 8 youth) and here.
I want to make an ad to subtly shove some of their hypocricy in their faces: "When you pledged your allegiance, with your hand over your heart and the flag in your eyes, for liberty and justice for all, did you mean it?"
They have nothing but fear and loathing/lying on their side. And they are winning not the hearts nor minds of the California voters, but their fear and bigotry. Which makes them likely to win. Shilpa spent all weekend trying to bring her parents over to the No on 8 side, but failed painfully.
It makes me physically ill.
Andy Towle has some updates: Lots here, and more here (Hunting Beach report) and here (Bakersfield school official assaults No on 8 youth) and here.
I want to make an ad to subtly shove some of their hypocricy in their faces: "When you pledged your allegiance, with your hand over your heart and the flag in your eyes, for liberty and justice for all, did you mean it?"
Friday, October 24, 2008
rules are rules
Apparently, there was some behavior that not only resulted in a new house rule, but necessitated a sign.
Seen in the kitchen of friends with a four-year-old (and a one-year old, but he's not reading yet):
No whacking.
Seen in the kitchen of friends with a four-year-old (and a one-year old, but he's not reading yet):
No whacking.
"preaching" to the "choir"
Our family minister is retiring in a couple of weeks after about a thousand years of service. My Brother Mac is Emceeing the farewell luncheon and called on the usual cadre of writers for punchlines and topics for humor. Unfortunately, this cadre's humor runs bit too far into the "things you can't say to a church group" territory.
Typically these things go in a quiz format, with A and B being relevant answers, and C being the punchline.
Mac's examples, which are really only funny if you know KC (and that's sort of the point) are:
"I don't think that what organist means."
Brother Jay, the staid one with the quietly evil sense of humor, suggested:
This banter lead to several jokes based upon the line "Love thy neighbor."
To which Brother Mac added "Love thy neighbor. Repeatedly....and up the butt."
OMFG. ROFL.
We might make t-shirts.
At the least I'm making new cards:
Typically these things go in a quiz format, with A and B being relevant answers, and C being the punchline.
Mac's examples, which are really only funny if you know KC (and that's sort of the point) are:
On the topic of KC's divorce and subsequent marriage to the organist (who was also getting divorced), I suggested the punchline:All great leaders have their nemesis. KC’s is:
A. Satan
B. Methodists
C. The dudes who make black robes
After all these years of preaching at WPC, KC still gets nervous before a sermon because:
A. Butterflies are normal and never go away completely
B. He is afraid he’ll lose his place
C. An overwhelming fear that John Bailey will ask a question
KC’s biggest challenge in retirement will be:
A. What to do with all his leisure time
B. Which worship service to attend
C. Learning to pour wine into a cup from a distance of less than 2 feet
"I don't think that what organist means."
Brother Jay, the staid one with the quietly evil sense of humor, suggested:
KC's greatest management reform was:Of course, I saw this as a gay joke—the new Choir Director is gay, so you know, the man on man action isn't out of the realm of possibility. Except that Keith has parter. He directs the youth music programs.
A. Hiring a full time worship assistant to make sure the service went smoothly
B. Handing over the money mangament to a professional CPA type
C. Hiring a male choir director so he would not be tempted to bone the staff!
This banter lead to several jokes based upon the line "Love thy neighbor."
To which Brother Mac added "Love thy neighbor. Repeatedly....and up the butt."
OMFG. ROFL.
We might make t-shirts.
At the least I'm making new cards:
Love thy neighbor.
Rinse.
Repeat.
Rinse.
Repeat.
Apple steps in to say No on Prop 8
Via Wil Fabrick's FaceBook status:
Apple sent out a notice via RSS and push to Apple browser start pages stating their support of same-sex couples and their poopsition to Prop 8.
Apple sent out a notice via RSS and push to Apple browser start pages stating their support of same-sex couples and their poopsition to Prop 8.
No on Prop 8
Apple is publicly opposing Proposition 8 and making a donation of $100,000 to the No on 8 campaign. Apple was among the first California companies to offer equal rights and benefits to our employees’ same-sex partners, and we strongly believe that a person’s fundamental rights — including the right to marry — should not be affected by their sexual orientation. Apple views this as a civil rights issue, rather than just a political issue, and is therefore speaking out publicly against Proposition 8.
thoughtful, reasoned letter
It's long, but it's really well done.
Via FaceBook— a personal letter from one friend to another. One friend is gay and partnered. The other friend is married and Mormon. The Mormon friend supports Prop 8. Her friend takes her arguments to heart, and breaks them down. It's a pretty exceptional letter.
Kenshi Westover's Notes
Why I Oppose the Prop 8 Ban on Same-Sex Marriage
Via FaceBook— a personal letter from one friend to another. One friend is gay and partnered. The other friend is married and Mormon. The Mormon friend supports Prop 8. Her friend takes her arguments to heart, and breaks them down. It's a pretty exceptional letter.
Kenshi Westover's Notes
Why I Oppose the Prop 8 Ban on Same-Sex Marriage
call now! Gr8 against Prop 8
Jack O'Connell, California Superintendent of Schools, took a bold step and spoke out on the lies associated with the Yes on 8 campaign. One of my colleagues called his office to say thank you and e-mailed this to the Listserv:
I called the number this morning and got the switchboard. I asked for Jack O'Connell's office and the extension was answered "Communication, may I help you?" I said that I was calling to say thank you and express my gratitude for Mr. O'Connell's efforts against Prop 8. The woman on the phone was quite charming and told me that they are generating a report for the Superintendent and they would include my call. I got the sense that they are fielding LOTS of calls, and a few more in the "thank you" category would go a long way.
So please, call. It took me all of one minute. Or e-mail.
Again, that number is 916-319-0800.
I called State Superintendent of Schools Jack O'Connell's office yesterday afternoon to express my gratitude and admiration for his support of "No on 8." (links below, if you haven't seen the ad that came out this week.) A nice woman was taking messages for him. I said that as an educator and a member of the gay & lesbian community I applauded his leadership and was just personally grateful for his support.
The receptionist said "Oh thank you so much -- that will make his day!"
She said she had only gotten two calls of support (!) and had been fielding angry calls from the "yes on 8" people all day.
If you have a moment and would want to call his office, the number is...
916-319-0800
E-mail:
superintendent@cde.ca.gov
I called the number this morning and got the switchboard. I asked for Jack O'Connell's office and the extension was answered "Communication, may I help you?" I said that I was calling to say thank you and express my gratitude for Mr. O'Connell's efforts against Prop 8. The woman on the phone was quite charming and told me that they are generating a report for the Superintendent and they would include my call. I got the sense that they are fielding LOTS of calls, and a few more in the "thank you" category would go a long way.So please, call. It took me all of one minute. Or e-mail.
Again, that number is 916-319-0800.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Now come here and give Mamma a hug....
From Alert Reader Coco: "last measured, Harley was 4 feet long. I think she's getting a new home soon..."
Harley is her snake (You can see him here in the photo captioned "Gay men love to ear boas.")
And there's this in the news today: Pet python killed Va. Beach woman
Harley is her snake (You can see him here in the photo captioned "Gay men love to ear boas.")
And there's this in the news today: Pet python killed Va. Beach woman
Police believe Amanda Ruth Black, 25, was trying to give medication to her 10-foot long reticulated tiger python named Diablo.
Her husband returned home around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday and found her on the floor in front of a large, empty snake cage in an upstairs bedroom of their Maracas Arch home.
The Medical Examiner said the cause of death was "mechanical asphyxia due to constriction by a boa constrictor."
October surprise!
We love the Deb, but when she moved to Sausalito, we saw her less and less. And then she had Roman, which dropped her free time to zero. As much as we try to get together, our quality times are few and far between. We—Deb, Perpetua, Katia, and I- do try to get together every October to celebrate Deb's and Katia's birthdays.
For the "old gang," we had not seen Deb together, and in some cases even each other, in four years or more. It was high time for a reunion. On the pretense of our annual October gathering, I planned drinks and dinner with Deb and Kate Varni (now Leake) . It was an almost Herculean effort to secure Deb at a time and place after work and before Roman's bedtime, and even then we had to reduce the plan from dinner to a promise it was "just for a quick drink to see each other and wish happy birthdays. Lance and Greg generously offered to host at their home, and Beth even more generously offered Sati as a playdate and herself as partygoer/resident mom to make the event kid-friendly.
The evening could not have been a grander success. Deb was thoroughly surprised, and everyone had a wonderful time. Deb brought both her son and her father (whom I had not seen, I believe, since the Christening), and out of the woodwork came Mike Grace, James Hass, Perpetua, Lace and Greg, Kate Varnie Leake and her husband Joe, Paul Day, and David Britt— who also brought his parents. With Beth, Upstairs Greg and Sati, it was a multi-generational surprise party and everyone had a ball.
The Old Gang
Wilson, Kate, Deb, and Mike
Sati had been preparing for the "surprise for Roman" all day, and ad nearly twice his age was his mature host and date for the night. Sati was prepared in a party dress, and Roman appear in his spooky ghost pajamas and fireman boots (at last request, he wants to be a fireman for Halloween). The kids were adorable and got along great together (which is always something I worry about--I didn't always take to the strange kids my parents were want to set me up with).
Without fear for bedtimes or parental responsibility (that is to say responsibility for and/or of Deb's dad), the agreement to stay just for a little while was easily relaxed into a long evening of catching up, cocktails, cooking, cake, and quality time.
ENORMOUS thanks to Beth and Upstairs Greg who spent the majority of the evening looking over Roman and Sati's playtime, enabling the grown-ups to have their own.
Oh dear God. I am a grown-up in this scenario.
Who wants cake?
James wants cake. (Sati has cake.)
Speaking of James, he is not so much a grown-up in this scenario. Lance and Roman were so freaking adorable together. (Roman is a crazy cute kid on his own and adds visual value to anyone nearby.) We tried to get some cute shots of Roman and Lance together, but the timing always seemed to be off to get them both smiling and looking at the camera at the same time. The best shots those, are those with James lurking in the background:
Still, that kid is adorable.
It meant a lot to me to be able to pull this off for Deb. She such a wonderful person and friend and we just never see her any more. The rest of the guests rounded out a quality group too and every moment was a pleasure.
Flickr set
Update:
I got the best thank-you note from Deb. I debated posting it here, but it warmed me so I thought I would share. I love that I could do this for her.
For the "old gang," we had not seen Deb together, and in some cases even each other, in four years or more. It was high time for a reunion. On the pretense of our annual October gathering, I planned drinks and dinner with Deb and Kate Varni (now Leake) . It was an almost Herculean effort to secure Deb at a time and place after work and before Roman's bedtime, and even then we had to reduce the plan from dinner to a promise it was "just for a quick drink to see each other and wish happy birthdays. Lance and Greg generously offered to host at their home, and Beth even more generously offered Sati as a playdate and herself as partygoer/resident mom to make the event kid-friendly.
The evening could not have been a grander success. Deb was thoroughly surprised, and everyone had a wonderful time. Deb brought both her son and her father (whom I had not seen, I believe, since the Christening), and out of the woodwork came Mike Grace, James Hass, Perpetua, Lace and Greg, Kate Varnie Leake and her husband Joe, Paul Day, and David Britt— who also brought his parents. With Beth, Upstairs Greg and Sati, it was a multi-generational surprise party and everyone had a ball.
The Old Gang
Wilson, Kate, Deb, and Mike
Sati had been preparing for the "surprise for Roman" all day, and ad nearly twice his age was his mature host and date for the night. Sati was prepared in a party dress, and Roman appear in his spooky ghost pajamas and fireman boots (at last request, he wants to be a fireman for Halloween). The kids were adorable and got along great together (which is always something I worry about--I didn't always take to the strange kids my parents were want to set me up with).
Without fear for bedtimes or parental responsibility (that is to say responsibility for and/or of Deb's dad), the agreement to stay just for a little while was easily relaxed into a long evening of catching up, cocktails, cooking, cake, and quality time.
ENORMOUS thanks to Beth and Upstairs Greg who spent the majority of the evening looking over Roman and Sati's playtime, enabling the grown-ups to have their own.
Oh dear God. I am a grown-up in this scenario.
Who wants cake?
James wants cake. (Sati has cake.)
Speaking of James, he is not so much a grown-up in this scenario. Lance and Roman were so freaking adorable together. (Roman is a crazy cute kid on his own and adds visual value to anyone nearby.) We tried to get some cute shots of Roman and Lance together, but the timing always seemed to be off to get them both smiling and looking at the camera at the same time. The best shots those, are those with James lurking in the background:
Still, that kid is adorable.
It meant a lot to me to be able to pull this off for Deb. She such a wonderful person and friend and we just never see her any more. The rest of the guests rounded out a quality group too and every moment was a pleasure.
Flickr set
Update:
I got the best thank-you note from Deb. I debated posting it here, but it warmed me so I thought I would share. I love that I could do this for her.
Thank you so very much for the wonderful birthday party last night. You literally had me speechless. I was completely not expecting to see all those wonderful familiar faces, and I couldn’t have thought of a better gift. You are so wonderful, so thoughtful, so amazing. I am so lucky to have you in my life. I hope that someday I am lucky enough to find a man like you – who happens to be straight – because I’d marry your cuteness in a heartbeat.
My dad paid you perhaps the biggest compliment this morning as we were recapping last night. As you know, my dad loves Roman beyond belief, and he said, “Wilson is such a great man, and he’s such a good role model for Roman. You really ought to have Wilson spend an afternoon with Roman at least once or twice a month so Roman can learn what a real man is like”. He doesn’t even say this about my brothers!
I think that pretty much sums up how the family loves you!
Thank you.
Xo xo Deb
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