Friday Fill-in’s #133

Janet’s Friday Fill-in’s #133



1. _Spaghetti_ and _meatballs_ make a quick and easy dinner.

2. _Stone Butch Blues_ is the book I'm reading right now.

3. July brings back memories of _summers up at North Truro on Cape Cod_

4. _The answer is 42 and it_ was obvious.

5. They say if you tell your dreams _bad things will happen to you_.

6. _You don’t have the time_ to think it over.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _driving up to the cottage in New Hampshire_, tomorrow my plans include _lounging on the beach (if it doesn't rain)_ and Sunday, I want to _lounge some more and take life easy for a while_!

Since I will be up at the cottage for the next few days, I will be using dial-up Internet and my laptop that I am still having problems with locking up. So I do not know if I will be able to answer all your comments.

The Questioning Of Judge Sonia Sotomayor

I have been listening to the news and reading about the Senate hearings on Judge Sonia Sotomayor. On the blog the “Boomer Chronicles” Rhea make some very good observations about the tone of the hearings and the questions that they are asking her. I think that they reek of “White Male Privilege.” Can you imaging them asking a man if he thought he could decide a case based on its merits and not because he is a man? Then why is it OK to ask her?

The opposition has jumped all over the comment that Judge Sonia Sotomayor made, “I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.” Well folks we all bring our culture, social economic class and our environment to the table. That is what makes us, us. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said this about the topic in a New York Times interview, “I’m sure she meant no more than what I mean when I say: Yes, women bring a different life experience to the table. All of our differences make the conference better. That I’m a woman, that’s part of it, that I’m Jewish, that’s part of it, that I grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., and I went to summer camp in the Adirondacks, all these things are part of me.”

The thing is that the senators do not even see how this line of questions is so biased. They are so ingrained with male thinking and up bring that they don’t see that it is oppressive, the oppressor never believes that they are oppressing. I have seen the results of “male privilege” from both sides. I have a friend who has her bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering; her master’s in Business Administration and is a project manager. Before her transition when she went to a client for a meeting they treated her like an equal, now they talk over her and dismiss her ideas. This is from clients who do not know of her past and that she is a trans-woman. I have trans-men friends who have seen the opposite, all of a sudden they automatically know what they are talking about and are listened to what they have to say. In addition, they received higher salary offers.

In the end Judge Sonia Sotomayor will be appointed, because she will bow to their questions.

Hate In The News

Yesterday, I wrote about the murderer who was found not guilty after admitting to stabbing a man 61 times. Now there is a trial that began yesterday in the death of a trans-woman in Syracuse NY and in another the case there were arrest made in the beating of a trans-woman in New York City. Earlier in the month a woman was attacked in Jackson Heights NY by two men. Let’s hope that these trials have a better outcome then the Chicago case.

NY to use hate crime law in transgender case

By WILLIAM KATES – 1 day ago

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — It was no secret to friends and family that Lateisha Green was born a boy. She had been living mostly as a female since age 16.

On a Friday night last November, Green — this time dressed as a man — and her brother, Mark Cannon, went to a party. Several guests objected because they thought the two were gay. Several started yelling "profane and vulgar comments," police reports said.

As Green and Cannon were sitting in their car a few minutes later, one of the partygoers emerged from the house with a .22-caliber rifle. Without a word, police say Dwight DeLee fired a single shot. The bullet grazed Cannon's arm, and with a deadly thud hit Green, 22, in the chest.
...
Prosecutors agreed and charged DeLee, 20, with second-degree murder as a hate crime under the state's nine-year-old law. The hate crime label could add years of additional time to DeLee's prison term if he's convicted.

In the second incident...

2 arrested in Queens bias attack on transgender female

BY Irving Dejohn
and Brendan Brosh
DAILY NEWS WRITERS

Updated Friday, July 10th 2009, 1:57 AM

A transgender female walking down a Queens street was attacked by a pair of bigoted thugs who pelted her with rocks and beer bottles, prosecutors said.

"I was being attacked because of who I am," said victim Carmella Etienne, 22.

"I'm pretty traumatized."

Nathaniel Mims, 25, and Rasheed Thomas, 22, allegedly screamed anti-gay slurs and threatened to cut the woman's throat Wednesday night in St. Albans.
...
"They were yelling homophobic slurs at me. They threatened to kill me. Chunky rocks and empty beer bottles they were throwing at me," said the aspiring fashion designer. "Don't ever walk that block anymore or we will slash your throat," one of the defendants said, according to cops.

Etienne is now afraid to leave her home.

In the incident from last week...

Beating was hate crime: LGBT groups
Activists push DA Brown to prosecute Woodside men in transgender attack

By Jeremy Walsh
Wednesday, July 8, 2009 6:04 PM EDT

Elected officials and nonprofits are rallying behind a transgender Jackson Heights woman who was severely beaten by a pair of men in Woodside last month after the Queens district attorney’s office did not initially categorize the attack as a hate crime.

Leslie Mora was walking home around 4:20 a.m. near Roosevelt Avenue and 72nd Street June 19 when she was accosted by two men, Gilberto Ortiz, 32, and Trinidad Tapia, 19, according to a criminal complaint filed by the DA’s office.

The two Woodside men beat Mora with a metal belt buckle before fleeing the scene, the complaint said. Mora suffered bruises all over her body and a cut to her head.

Michael Silverman, Mora’s attorney, said the men repeatedly called Mora “faggot” and did not stop beating her until a passing motorist threatened to call police. The criminal complaint does not mention gay slurs.

Both men were arrested and charged with assault and weapons possession, the DA said. They were released on their own recognizance and scheduled to return to court July 13.

STOP THE HATE

A Man Stabbed A Man 61 Times And Found Not Guilty Of Murder

Do you believe this! It sounds like something out of the fifties, not 2009, how could a jury buy the “Gay Panic” defense. Do you think if a man was murdered by a woman because he made unwanted sexual advances the woman would have been found not guilty? Then why is it OK to murder a gay man if he makes a pass at another man?

He stabbed man 61 times, but acquitted of murder

July 12, 2009

BY KARA SPAK Staff Reporter/kspak@suntimes.com

Joseph Biedermann fatally stabbed his Hoffman Estates neighbor 61 times last year.

On Friday, a Cook County jury acquitted him of first-degree murder, buying his claim that he was defending himself against an unwanted sexual advance, his mother confirmed Saturday.

Still Computer Problems

I am still having computer problems. I uninstalled Firefox and then reinstalled it and I also went back June 30 in the system restore. I think the problem has something to do with Norton.

I have been using my desktop on the second floor, but it is hot up there and it is not as flexible as a laptop.

So keep your fingers crossed.

Computer Problems

I am having computer problems.

My computer locks up after a few minutes on the internet, so

Friday Fill-ins #132

Janet’s Friday Fill-ins #132



1. The last thing I ate was _Bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich_ and _a glass of ice tea_.

2. _A book from Amazon.com_ is something I recently bought.

3. When it rains, it _never ends_

4. _A friend_ was the first person I talked to today.

5. Hugs are _great_.

6. _An extra blanket on this cool summer night will bring_ extra comfort.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _going to the same ‘ol coffeeshop_, tomorrow my plans include _going to a campout in Jacksonville, VT_ and Sunday, I want to _come home_!

Indonesia’s Five Genders

I found this on Helen Boyd's blog, en|Gender...



I sometimes wonder if our western culture is really that much more advanced than the eastern cultures.

Hop River State Park - Rails To Trails

Yesterday, I went walking with a couple of friends on the Bolton Notch section of the rails to trails. This was the first time that I walked since I went to New York City for the Pride parade, there I walked about 10 miles over 5 hours, but yesterday we walked 4.2 mils in about an hour and fifteen minutes. It was a lot faster pace and I felt it this morning, I was stiff getting out of bed. We walked from the parking lot just off of I-384 to Steeles Crossing and the trail goes under I-384 and trough several rock cuts as it winds it’s way to Steeles Crossing.

It is a multiuse trail system that uses old railroad right-of-ways and it is a fantastic use of the right-of-way. I love walking on them because it is level, no hills to climb and no valleys to descend, just flat and smooth. My only comment is that I wish the horse riders would pick up the little deposits that their horses leave behind.

Manic Monday #175

Lisa’s Manic Monday #175



Name two things you consider yourself to be very good at:
Backgammon and a sense of direction.

Name two things you consider yourself to be bad at:
Spelling and grammar

Name one thing not many people know about you:
I broke my right wrist when I was only a couple of months old. I rolled off of my grandmother's bed.

West Side Story Updated

I found this over on Bilerico, it is a video made by CollegeHumor and it is very expertly made. It is an update of West Side Story called Web Site Story...

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Saturday Six - Episode 273

Patrick’s Place Saturday Six - Episode 273

1. What was the very first pet you ever had? How close were you to that pet?
A parakeet, unfortunately I killed it… accidentally. I closed the hall door behind me and I heard a thud and when I opened the door there was Petie lying on the floor. Do you know how traumatic that was for a six year old?

2. What is the most unusual pet you’ve had?
I didn’t have any.

3. How many different kinds of animals have you owned and which type do you think acted the closest to you?
All I had were a parakeet and dogs. The dogs were the closest to me.


4. Take the quiz: What Pet Are You Like?

You Are Like a Dog

You are a natural best friend. You are very loyal and faithful. In your eyes, your friends can do no wrong. You will stick with them no matter what. You have a protective streak, and you can be downright nasty if you're being threatened. More than anything else, you are playful and laid back. You truly live in the moment.

What Pet Are You Like?

5. Do you have any desire to have an “exotic” pet? If so, what exotic pet would you most likely choose?
I have no desire to own any exotic pets.

6. Which exotic pet would you least likely own?
A python or a boa constrictor. A kid had one in the dorm, at first he was feeding it mice but as it got bigger he was going around getting free kittens and puppies to feed it.

Tip On Leaving Comments

In the last couple of days, I had a problem where I could not leave comments on blogs. They would not publish, I write the comment, enter the verification letters and click Publish" and nothing happen. What I wrote stayed in the box and wasn't posted.

The problem started when I tried to use a HTML tag for superscript for July 4^th and there was an error message saying that the tag was not allowed. From then on I could not posted any comments on any blogs (that is why I have not left comments on the blogs of people who posted on my blog).

I found how to correct the problem, you have to clear the cache but pressing "Shift" + reload page, How to Refresh your Blog Page in Browser.

Saturday 9: Yankee Doodle Dandy

Crazy Sam’s Saturday 9: Yankee Doodle Dandy



1. What is your favorite 4th of July memory? (If you aren't in the U.S., then use your own national holiday.)
When I was little I use to go over to a friends house on the 3rd and sleep over so we could start shooting off fireworks the first thing in the morning.

2. Do you consider yourself patriotic?
Yes, but how do you define patriotic?

3. Do you like fireworks?
Love them.

4. What are your plans for this weekend?
I am up at the family lake cottage in New Hampshire until Saturday and driving down to New London CT for a party on the 4th to shoot off fireworks

5. Are you optimistic about the future?
Yes, we go through cycles and we are in a down cycle right now.

6. Do you think everyone should serve in the military?
Yes, I think there should be mandatory government service for both men and women. I think wee are less likely to go to war if it is your sons or daughters in the trenches.

7. Would you support a constitutional ban on flag burning?
No. I believe that it is a political statement made by idiots. Any group that burns the flag, I do not want to be associated with, but it is covered by the First Amendment.

8. What end of the political spectrum are you?
Left, no farther, no even farther left.

9. Where do you get your news?
Television, cable, newspapers, Internet newspapers and blogs.

Friday Fill-ins

Janet’s Friday Fill-ins #131



1. When I heard _President Kennedy was shot, _ I _cried and cried _.

2. _TLC, Tender Loving Care is the_ best medicine.

3. It's late, but _it is worth waiting for_

4. _The chocolate ice cream gets finished first, _ always.

5. My eyes have seen _some things that will remain private _.

6. _I feel everyone should be treated equally very_ strongly.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _being up at our cottage in New Hampshire with my brother’s family_, tomorrow my plans include _driving down to New London, CT for a party at a friend’s house_ and Sunday, I want to _walk to burn off all of the calories that I consumed over the weekend_!

Manic Monday

Lisa’s Manic Monday #174



What is the longest love relationship (partner) you have had, and if it has ended, why?
I think all my relationships ended because the women could sense that I was holding back a part of myself. I always had my gender issues there in the background.

What is on your bedside table?
Lamp, flashlight, fingernail file, body lotion and an alarm clock.

How many pillows do you have on your bed? Do you make your bed every day?
Three pillows and I straighten out my bed each day.

Trans-woman Brutally Beaten in Queens NY

This is from a Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund press release (photo and more details)...

We're sad to bring you the news of another brutal attack on a transgender woman, this one coming during the height of LGBT Pride month. On June 19, 2009, at approximately 2:30 am, Leslie Mora was walking home from a nightclub on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens when she was accosted by two men who brutally beat her with a belt. They stopped only when a passing motorist threatened to call the police.

Throughout the attack, Leslie’s assailants called her a “faggot” in Spanish. The attack left Leslie with multiple injuries, including bruises all over her body, and stitches in her scalp. Police called to the scene found Leslie nearly naked and bleeding on the sidewalk. They also recovered a belt buckle from the assailants that was covered in blood.
...
Her assailants, Trinidad Tapia, 19, and Gilberto Ortiz, 32, fled the scene but were arrested by police soon after the attack. Both were charged with assault with intent to cause physical injury with a weapon, a felony, and released on their own recognizance. The Queens County District Attorney has declined to investigate the attack as a hate crime.

New York City Pride Parade – To Hell and Back

OK, OK, I have to admit I am not a big fan on parades, any type of parades. My father use to drag me kicking and screaming to parades. However, I did march in last year’s Trans Pride parade and it did give me a sense of empowerment. Since this year is the 40th Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, I felt that this was a momentous and that the trans-community should have a strong showing, I over came my reluctance and marched.

We all meet at the New Haven train station and piled on the 8:32AM train to Grand Central Station. There was three friends and myself who at the time did not realize that we were about to take a journey into the Twilight Zone (Cue in theme song).
The trip began innocently enough, we all met at the train station and we bumped into two groups of friends who were also going down to Pride. (Cue Rod Serling voice over). As we were pulling into the South Norwalk station, there was a bright flash from atop of our railroad car and sparks bouncing on the ground outside. The lights in the car went off and the car came to a stop. An announcement came over the intercom saying that there was a problem and they were “looking into the problem”… 2 ½ hours latter, we were on our way again in another train. We were schedule to arrive at 10:12, but it wasn’t until 1:00PM that we arrived at Grand Central station. The problem was with the pantograph that shorted out.

We had miss our 11:00AM muster with the group that we were going to march with, the “Sons and Daughters of Sylvia Rivera”, so we just joined up with the first group that passed by the corner (42nd St. and 5th Ave.) where we were standing, “The Gender Project.”The sun was out and it was hot, but not oppressively hot, every once in awhile there was a cooling breeze when we past a cross street. However, it was LOUD! People screaming, blowing whistles, and floats with music blaring. It was so loud that you had to talk into the ear of the person you were talking with. The sun became brutal as we marched, so I took out my umbrella to give me shade.

The parade went down 5th Ave and turned eventually on to Christopher Street (Stonewall Place) and went by the Stonewall Inn, where the LGBT movement began. Then parade ended. One moment you were in the parade and the next you weren’t.
We found a Bar and Grill and went in and had dinner. when we finished we looked for but none of them wanted to cross the parade route and take us up to Grand Center station. So we started walking back along the parade route, the parade was still going. When the end of the parade past by, it was 5:30 and they had about an hour to go before they got to the end of the parade route.

We then continued on walking back to Grand Central station, we walked about 10 ½ miles (12,900 steps) and we took the 6:34PM train back to New Haven (Cue the Twilight Zone theme song) which was scheduled to arrive at 8:18PM.
We had just left the Harlem 125th Street station when there were two loud bangs and railcar shook violently, knocking all the soot and debris from the overhead. We sat there while they “looked into the problem.” This time we only sat there for forty-five minutes. They moved us out of the last two railcars and disconnected them from the train. The cars that we moved to didn’t have air-conditioning and we sat there sweltering until we got to Stamford where they had another train waiting for us. The problem… the pantograph broke! We speculated that it was same railroad car that we were in, in the morning; did they fix it hap hazardously and put it back in-service? We arrived in New Haven at 9:00, 45 minutes late.

Saturday Six - Episode 272

Patrick’s Place Saturday Six - Episode 272

1. If you know someone who is interested in you happens to be high maintenance, are you as likely to date them anyway?
Yes, I would, because there was something that attracted me to them in the first place

2. Do you get more frustrated by your home being in a state of disarray or your workplace being in a state of disarray?
My home, since I live alone, the only one to blame is myself.

3. You decide to go to the grocery store where you don’t expect to run into anyone you know. How dressed up are you likely to get?
Not very, jeans and a tank top just like I normal dress

4. Take the quiz: Are You High Maintenance?

You Are Low Maintenance

Compared to most people, you are incredibly easy going. To be honest, you are truly a breath of fresh air. You are open minded about trying new things, and you're not upset when things don't work out. You are willing to go along to get along. And your attitude helps you truly enjoy life!

Are You High Maintenance?

5. How important is it to you that the person you would date would be roughly “in your league” lookswise?
Not important, I believe that a person’s heart more important than their looks.

6. Do you prefer spending more on a birthday gift for a close friend of having them spend more on a gift for you?
I’m not a big fan of birthday gifts, I like their company more then what they give me.

Saturday 9: I Want You Back

Crazy Sam’s Saturday 9: I Want You Back



1. Where were you when you heard that Michael Jackson died?
In the kitchen, making supper.

2. How do you think that he will be remembered?
Talented but strange

3. What was your favorite Jackson tune?
I never was a fan of his

4. Did you watch the original Charlie’s Angels?
Of course. I had a crush on Kate Jackson (Sabrina Duncan)

5. Did someone you know have that poster of Farrah?
Nope

6. Did you consider her battle with cancer heroic?
I think everyone who has cancer is heroic

7. Were you a fan of The Tonight Show Starring Johnnie Carson?
No, it was way past my bed time. I had to be at work at 7:00AM

8. Did you like Ed McMahon on the show?
He was OK

9. What else will you remember McMahon for?
The ads for the sweepstakes.

Friday Fill-Ins #130

Janet’s Friday Fill-ins #130



1. She had a great _part in the play_.

2. _My family_ is by my side, always.

3. I know this: _the answer is 42_

4. _It is raining_ still.

5. These words apply to me: _”To thine own self be true”_.

6. _I wish_ the sun was shining.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _going to the coffeehouse_, tomorrow my plans include _cleaning_ and Sunday, I want to _go to New York City to march in the Pride parade_!

The Fun Of Small Town: Politics! Or The Never Ending Saga Of Garbage

The tale begins last fall when the Town Council began looking into automated trash collection as away of saving the town money. After several council meetings where the public could attend, the council decided to go ahead and sign a contact. In February, they signed a contract that was to begin in July, when the old contract expired. The new automated system would be a saving to the town over the old manual system.

Fast forward to the May Town Council meeting where a group of people thought it would be an inconvenience to have to wheel down to the curb the garbage cans. They said that they were going to start a petition to stop the new automated garbage collection from going into affect.

This past Tuesday, we had the referendum, out of over 13000 voters only 3680 voted. The vote was 1,964 on favor of the old manual garbage collection system to 1,716 in favor of the new automated system.

As a result of the vote, the Town Council said at an emergency meeting last night that we should plan on taking our garbage for at least 2 weeks to the town garage. Because it will take that long for the bidding process. The town council said that so far they have not heard from any garbage companies that are interested in bidding.

The Town Council also is setting aside $1,000,000 for the lawsuit that is expected for breach of contract and the mill rate will probably go up by a half mill.

Meanwhile, I have a brand new 95 gal. garbage can sitting in my garage.

# # #

This is why I am against ballot initiatives. It makes for bad government. We elect our public officials to make decisions and if we do not like what they do, we can vote them out of office.

The council spent several months researching the issue and held public meetings that practically no one attended. The opposition started a petition drive a little over a month before the contract went in to effect and were able to collect enough signatures to call for a referendum. They then mounted a slick campaign where they never mentioned the fact that there was a signed contract and we might be sued. Their estimate of the cost of the contract was questionable and they pushed the fact that you had to wheel these “big” cans down to the street. The voter succumbed to the propaganda and voted to overturn the signed contract and got us into the mess that we are now in.