Nov. 19th, 2008 @ 09:06 am Obama posts campaign pledges on LGBT rights
About this Entry
[info]hazumuchan
Leave a comment
Link
Current Mood: optimistic
Current Music: Madonna "American Life
Tags:

http://www.365gay.com/news/obama-posts-campaign-pledges-on-lgbt-rights/

This part of it struck me pretty hard:

"Obama, in his eight-point plan, also supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and says it must include gender identity."
My Goddess! A President-elect saying that we should be included in any sort of protections... I would have never have thought this day would come. I'm crying tears of joy now.
Nov. 19th, 2008 @ 04:56 am ...and on the morning before Transgender Day of Remembrance.
About this Entry
[info]hazumuchan
Leave a comment
Link
Current Mood: sad
Current Music: Three Days Grace "Get Out Alive"
Tags:

Crud. :-(
Syracuse murder victim now identified as transgendered
By 365gay Newscenter Staff 11.18.2008 5:10pm EST

( The text of the Moses Cannon story. )
Nov. 18th, 2008 @ 10:15 pm About the terminology debate
About this Entry
[info]elfwreck
Leave a comment
Link
What would the reaction be, if only Christians were allowed to get "diplomas" from universities, and people of other religions got "certificates of completion of courses?"

If other religions had gone without any official recognition of their education for a long time, they'd snatch at them--but that wouldn't mean they'd accept they were equal.
Nov. 18th, 2008 @ 11:27 pm Now this is something you don't see every day
About this Entry
[info]aristoboule
2 comments
Leave a comment
Link
Tags: ,

Or year, for that matter. On HBO's True Blood site, there's a link to the Just for Fan(g)s Wiki that actually encourages people to post fan fiction, fan art, and even fan videos!

Other than making icons here and there, I don't plan to write any fan fic or make any vids, but wow is this a departure from the fandom as usual I rememberuphill in the snow both ways. I've not seen (nor have I actively tried to track it down, either) anything from the author of the books the series about this issue, but I'd be curious about her take on it.

In fact, I don't think I've ever run across this type of encouragement before, and if there's something out there the precedes this, I'd love to know!
Nov. 18th, 2008 @ 04:24 pm Collecting Anti-Prop-8, pro-marriage slogans
About this Entry
[info]elfwreck
4 comments
Leave a comment
Link
I want a nice big collection of slogans, the kinds that can go on banners & t-shirts & bumper stickers. So far, I've seen:

  • No more Mr. Nice Gay
  • Gay, Straight, Black White,
    Marriage is a civil right
  • Don't undo my I Do
  • When do I get to vote on your marriage?
  • Mormons get ten wives--I only want one!
  • Stop the H8
  • I'm too old for this shit -- Equal Rights Now!
  • Love and let Love
  • Real Family Values Value Every Family
  • Stop blaming God for your bigotry
  • 1 Step Forward, 8 Steps Back (with Obama logo as the "O" in Forward)
  • Repeal 8; Choose Love, not Hate
  • I did NOT learn H8 in School Today! (sign held by a child)
  • I helped elect the first Black president, and all I got was this lousy marriage ban
And lots of variants. Lots of less catchy phrases like "Equal Rights For All!" I'd love to make a big list... anyone else seen nifty & unique ones? Or nice ones that are common, but don't lose impact the thirtieth time you see it?
Nov. 18th, 2008 @ 01:37 pm Transmusic?
About this Entry
[info]hazumuchan
Leave a comment
Link
Current Mood: bitchy
Current Music: Flyleaf "Breathe Today [EP Version]"
Tags:

I'm taking a break from packing and cleaning for this uber-important LJ post!

Mmmkay, this might seem an odd thing to mention, but I'm posting so I'm mentioning. :-P I've been writing songs since I was 13 and was double that age when I started transition from male to female. It took me about 5 years to retrain my speaking voice and to a degree the singing voice. It's been about 5 1/2 months since I quit smoking and my singing voice has markedly improved to the point where I'm 1st Alto instead of 2nd.

My complaint is that I simply don't know how to write music within my current range, and will still head lower the few times I AM writing! No fair, say I. Maybe I should return my defective muse for a newer one, with more estrogen if possible.

And before anyone else says it, yes, I am a silly person. Quite so. :-P
Nov. 18th, 2008 @ 11:14 am Nuisance.
About this Entry
[info]elfwreck
Leave a comment
Link
Current Mood: annoyed

Work, as I've mentioned, has recently installed WebSense & blocked a bunch of pages. (If I sound like I'm harping on it, that's 'cos for the last two years, I could go anywhere that wasn't porn or online gaming sites. At least, I assume I couldn't have visited porn sites; I never tried those. I did run into the fact that I could get to SJGames *forums* but not their main site.)

So. Websense. LJ blocked (which, hey, matters not a whit this morning.) Twitter, blogspot, wordpress, YouTube: Social Networking sites blocked. (IJ apparently under the radar, and could we keep it that way plz?) Photobucket, flickr, megaupload etc. blocked: Personal Network Storage and Backup. Software exchange sites? Blocked as free software exchange sites. (Sourceforge available; portableapps.com is not.)

Join The Impact: available.
Last week, could get to the main site but not the "wetpaint.com" subsections.

Seven Weeks to Equality? Blocked.
This Websense category is filtered: Potentially Damaging Content. Sites in this category may pose a security threat to network resources or private information, and are blocked by your organization.
URL: http://sevenweekstoequality.com/

Erm...

"Civil disobedience" is no threat to our network security.
Nov. 18th, 2008 @ 12:49 pm GRAR!
About this Entry
[info]aristoboule
10 comments
Leave a comment
Link
Current Mood: cranky

Comment notifications aren't working, graaaaaargh! I just now realized people replied to posts I made yesterday, so I will go over thataway to reply!
Nov. 18th, 2008 @ 06:51 am Overwhelmed
About this Entry
[info]hazumuchan
Leave a comment
Link
Current Mood: crazy
Tags: , , , ,

Today: Clean office from top to bottom & pack all extra items still there. Choir practice this evening.

Tomorrow: Finish cleaning and note when AT&T comes to remove the phone system to transfer to new office. Nurse Practitioner's follow-up appointment at 4 pm. Choir practice at 8 pm.

Friday: Do whatever they ask me to do at work. Bake a cake for Allison's birthday.

Saturday: Choir concert in the evening.

Next week, Al is going to her sister's place across the state from Wednesday until the weekend. Unless things change, I'll be spending thanksgiving with Amy and Ken and Amy's family. 3 day weekend at that point...

...I need some time to just relax and deal with some of the internal drek going on. I'm not entirely sure I'm mentally strong enough to do what needs to be done yet, but I think being less-frazzled will help.
Nov. 18th, 2008 @ 12:32 am omg, a post window actually opened.
About this Entry
[info]diachrony
2 comments
Leave a comment
Link
Current Mood: hopeful

This is good news.  I can post at IJ again.

(I have no idea actually how long the bug has been fixed, because I got sucked into a political black hole the past couple months, and stopped trying to get IJ to work.  I'm back to the real world and IJ now ... hopefully.  ::tries to avoid the lure of RSS feeds::)
Nov. 17th, 2008 @ 08:20 pm True Blooooooooooooooood... and spoilers!
About this Entry
[info]aristoboule
14 comments
Leave a comment
Link
Tags: ,

Cut because I care!
( Aieeeeeeeeeeeee!!! )
Nov. 17th, 2008 @ 08:00 pm There is no real reason for this icon
About this Entry
[info]aristoboule
2 comments
Leave a comment
Link
Current Mood: discontent
Tags: , ,

A few things:

I am in a completely wanky/foul/rageful/upset/hurt/stupid/shiteous mood and will be for the next week until this round of doctor's appointments are over. Instead of boring people with it, the basic summary is that my physicians are A+, my body is like a Yugo, and my give a damn is seriously broken. Some of this is my own fault for being a slacker, and I'm angry with myself.

BUT! http://www.deepdiscount.com is having a 25% off sale, WOOHOO! Enter code DEEP or BLUE in the promotion code area in the cart. This ends soon, and it's always a good deal. Pre-orders aren't available.

And for [info]mathteacher: I LOOOOOOOOOOVE my Treo 800w! I tried the voice-guided driving directions GPS today, and it was SO AWESOME. When you don't take the route suggested, it gives a loud chime, updates, the map, and rerouts you with no problem. The voice is clear, but you can't listen to the radio too loudly or it'll get drowned out. Also, the messaging options (AIM, MSN) work well and better than those on older Treos. The bookmarks for web sites took a little getting used to, but are like what you'd find in IE or FireFox. Also, the word recognition for typed words also works well. Overall, I give it an A.
Nov. 17th, 2008 @ 01:34 pm For Best Results, Apply At Least Two Coats
About this Entry
[info]anat_astarte
Leave a comment
Link
Tags:

Title: For Best Results, Apply At Least Two Coats

Genre: Fluffy fluff fluff…and some crack. Also contains drama due to references to canon’s mature themes.

Characters, Pairings: Largely Konan and Itachi, brief appearances from the other members, Pein/Konan, Itachi + Konan, Itachi + Kisame

Rating: R for brief mentions of Pein/Konan sexuality

Warning: Contains spoilers. Mentions of het sex and puberty and implied masturbation- and a teensy tiny little smidgen of Itachi -> Kisame attraction but if you don’t look too hard this can read as Itachi + Kisame gen

A/N: For redbrunja. Prompts were ‘Akatsuki's matching nails and toenail polish’ and ‘who's painting Itachi's toenails…’

 

My second Naruto fandom ficlet! Hah, and both are products that resulted from meme replies. Comments would be loved and greatly appreciated!

 

Summary: Konan maintains order in the Akatsuki while Pein has larger scale things to think about. She gets to know the organization’s recruits as she polishes their nails and bonds with Itachi.

 

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters and settings belong to Kishimoto Masashi. I'm just borrowing them solely for my own amusement and hopefully your enjoyment. Done all for fun, not for profit.


x-posted: here at [info]naruto_asylum
Nov. 17th, 2008 @ 01:26 pm Natural Selection- Tsunade/Orochimaru
About this Entry
[info]anat_astarte
Leave a comment
Link
Tags:

Fandom: Naruto
Title: Natural Selection
Genre:  Character study, pairing
Pairing: Tsunade/Orochimaru
Rating: R 
Warning: Mentions of oral sex
A/N: Based on kalliel’s request for at least a sentence of Tsunade/Orochimaru with the prompt tongue action. This turned into my first Naruto ficlet! Comments would be loved and greatly appreciated!
 
Summary:  Tsunade is a sucker for risky games.
 
Disclaimer:  Naruto and its characters and settings belong to Kishimoto Masashi. I'm just borrowing them solely for my own amusement and hopefully your enjoyment. Done all for fun, not for profit.


x-posted: here at [info]naruto_asylum
Nov. 17th, 2008 @ 05:47 am It was a gay Saturday!
About this Entry
[info]hazumuchan
Leave a comment
Link
Current Mood: tired
Current Music: Tori Amos "Professional Widow"
Tags: , , , ,

First of all, Al & I got up at the butt-crack of dawn on Saturday to help move my employer (a church) out of its old office and into the new one, save for my office, one of the pastor's offices and the office where our server is. Just because the office has moved doesn't mean work stops. After we had gotten all the stuff moved out and checked out the new place (which even I hadn't been in before), Al & I were asked to get something to serve the food with from the old office. By the time we got back, it was 11:30 and time to attempt to find a parking place for the protest here in Saint Louis.

Initially, Allison was given the wrong address for the Prop 8 protest and we ended up several blocks west from where we should have been, but eventually we found some cheap parking near Busch Stadium and walked the 4 or so blocks to the protest. There seemed to be every type of gay & lesbian group at the protest and one of the congregants from my church also spoke. We saw an innumerable amount of protest signs, although they were almost exclusively hand-made and not the graphics that were handed out online. The St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay spoke, as did someone from PROMO (a Missouri LGBT civil rights organization). Al & I took a lot of pictures which you can see by clicking here.

A boy (who couldn't have been more than 15 if he was a day) asked if he could ask me a few questions and I let him, although I forgot to ask what it was for because Amy & Ken showed up as I was finishing up. I was so happy to see them both for different reasons; Amy for obvious ones and Ken for the fact that he's a straight ally. The odd thing is that I'm increasingly finding myself attracted to him, but won't even make an issue out of it because other factors are in play right now.


( Transgender vs. Gay/Lesbian marriage rights ramble )


Getting back to the protest, we saw a little girl there with her moms who was holding a protest sign. One guy brought his dog who was thin-haired and freezing his patootie off. (My Gods, put a coat on him or something!) Amy and I awww'ed over 2 little boys that ran past. (Eeeek! No babies for Katie!) I finally started getting tired after about an hour and 15 minutes of holding signs, taking pictures and cheering, so Al & I headed back and Amy would come over later that night.

All in all, it was pretty neat. I haven't been involved in a LOT of protests, but I think this one means a lot to me, simply because it affects me as a queer woman. If we could have created more conversation surrounding transgender folk, that would be the only thing that could have made me even happier.
Nov. 16th, 2008 @ 09:46 pm Busy busy
About this Entry
[info]versaphile
Leave a comment
Link
Current Mood: tired
Current Music: Two Coconut Shells, A Blow Lamp And A Raspberry
Tags:

This weekend was on the busy side. Saturday was entirely committed to house repairs and laundry. Today I snagged three shrubberies along with my groceries and planted them in the front garden. Cooking-wise, I have my homemade tomato sauce simmering on the stove. I made twice the amount, so I'll probably freeze most of it.

I really need a boost of energy to finish my to-dos tonight. Planting shrubberies really takes it out of you...
Nov. 16th, 2008 @ 09:05 pm Barbier
About this Entry
[info]versaphile
Leave a comment
Link
Tags: ,

NSFW links

I have found the source of David Tennant's Pantaloons: George Barbier, plate depicting Pocahontas meeting John Smith

Also, for sheer pretty:
plate depicting Clodia accompanying her brother
plate depicting the Marquise de Merteuil's visit to Cécile Volanges's bedchamber, in Choderlos de Laclos, Les liaisons dangereuses
"Le soir"
Chez la marchande des pavots
No title, but lovely


All taken from this collection of Barbier.
Nov. 16th, 2008 @ 07:48 pm *zzzzzzz*
About this Entry
[info]nycscribbler
Leave a comment
Link
Room cleaning was accomplished today. Normally, I wouldn't provide this information, but I found my flash drive while doing so. O HAI DERE MEDIEVAL SHAY. (No, seriously. Squire!Shay and warrior!Ashley sparring. And Ketia Swanier just showed up to advance the plot, even if she doesn't know it yet.)

This was plotted out before Shay got cut, but O HAI DERE ESSENCE. Considering that Rutgers and Maryland both translate to knights in that 'verse, I can swap Essence in for Shay and not lose much, if only because the few lines our young squire has had would be in character for both of them.

I've been looking for this for months. I am most pleased.
Nov. 16th, 2008 @ 12:39 pm Seven Weeks: Call to action
About this Entry
[info]elfwreck
Leave a comment
Link
Seven Weeks To Equality:

We call on all supporters of equality to sustain and intensify the nationwide campaign of mass protests and non-violent civil disobedience, for seven weeks, starting on November 27, 2008, the thirtieth anniversary of the assassination of Harvey Milk, and to then gather together in mass, from all corners of our country, in Washington, DC on the morning of Tuesday, January 20, 2009, to honor the inauguration of our President, Barack Obama.

-----
We can accept no compromise.
We can wait no longer.
Now is the time.
We are equal.

PRINCIPLES:
  • Maintain a positive message of hope and change.
  • Keep organizational structure to a minimum.
  • Express anger and determination in creative, thought-provoking and peaceful ways.
  • Respect the media and law enforcement officers you encounter.
  • Avoid attacking people’s religions. Hate language is always inappropriate.
  • “All we want for Christmas is equality!”
  • Reach out immediately to racial and ethnic minorities... and organizations working for social change.
  • When planning civil disobedience, consult with lawyers before proceeding. Insist upon a commitment from all participants to non-violence.
  • Study the history and traditions of non-violent action.
  • Angry marches and rhetoric are exciting and can be cathartic, but do not necessarily help win hearts and minds to our cause.
  • Keep the focus on the demand: immediate action from the Federal Government and President Obama to ensure equality.
  • We are not fighting against anyone, or anything. We are struggling FOR equality.
Nov. 16th, 2008 @ 10:08 am Prop 8 Activism
About this Entry
[info]elfwreck
Leave a comment
Link
Tags: ,

There's room in this for every kind of activism--showy parades, quiet and intense meditational gatherings, letter-writing, legal challenges, word-of-mouth persuasion, donations to useful charities, free concerts, leaflet distribution, blogging, sign-making and slogan distribution, online quizzes, personal anecdote sharing, voting for people and laws, prayer circles, protest marches, seasonal festival gatherings, t-shirts, buttons, employment manual rewrites, exotic costuming as political statement, fanfic ("5 reasons Harry Potter never moved to San Francisco"), poster artwork, essays, chant-leading, semantic debates, comedy, street theatre, boycotts...

This is California. Activism is our state sport.

And we're just getting started.

( Probably more rambly than it should be. )