Friday, November 28, 2008
Google on Xgender Remembrance Day
Wow. I am impressed, inspired and reassured by this post on Google's official blog site.
Transgender Remembrance Day happens every November 20th.
(Oh, and regarding the title, I frequently use x as shorthand for "trans." Also as shorthand for "christ," though the two are not necessarily to be equated, just because they share a homonymic prefix.)
lyrics: "You live on Avenue Q. Your friends do too." - Avenue Q Theme
color: impressed.
mood:
chant/prayer/mantra:
pax hominibus,
agape to all,
joel
Transgender Remembrance Day happens every November 20th.
(Oh, and regarding the title, I frequently use x as shorthand for "trans." Also as shorthand for "christ," though the two are not necessarily to be equated, just because they share a homonymic prefix.)
lyrics: "You live on Avenue Q. Your friends do too." - Avenue Q Theme
color: impressed.
mood:
chant/prayer/mantra:
pax hominibus,
agape to all,
joel
Labels: anti-oppression, google, LGBT
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Thanksgiving/Thanksgrieving
.
Here is a rich version of the story.
chant/prayer/mantra: A lot to be thankful for.
pax hominibus,
agape to all,
joel
Here is a rich version of the story.
chant/prayer/mantra: A lot to be thankful for.
pax hominibus,
agape to all,
joel
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Google Starting to Suck?
Well, I'm starting to wonder about Google. Not that they're distrustable with respect to all the sensitive information they hold, like they might use it for nefarious purposes. I'm starting to wonder about their programming practices.
I've been coming across bugs and unresolved issues lately. While I realize that these aren't as big of a problem as world hunger, race-relations, etc, they are little things that add up.
1. When trying to update the description up near the top that talks about the 70s PSA and the Wagon Wheel, blogger straight up fails, and shows me this error page. The Google Help group I'm invited to visit is vaguely reminiscent of other methods of shunting tech support off into a no-man's land. I don't expect somebody to come visit me, but a real place to report a bug would be nice. I have a feeling this help group is not one of those.
2. Firefox 2.0 just updated itself to 2.0.0.18, and now Gmail doesn't load, except when using https, and my Google bookmarks don't load. I tried using Firefox 3, but the Google bookmarks just silently fail there as well.
3. Google's own browser (a beta, naturally) doesn't even support Google bookmarks in any integrated way. I just need to browse to them on my portal page.
4. And for cryin' out loud, I've been requesting this for years. I can't be the only Gmail user who wants this, and Google has got to know that users would want it. PLEASE ADD A PREF TO HAVE THE AUTOSIG AT THE TOP OF THE MESSAGE INSTEAD OF AT THE BOTTOM LIKE SO MUCH ASCII DETRITUS. Whenever I respond to somebody's message, I have to scroll down to the bottom and retrieve it, and cut/paste it to the top where it belongs. Otherwise a long thread between me and another Gmail user ends up having TEN of these autosigs all just kind of hanging out at the bottom.
For example:
I do realize that in the scope of problems in the world, this is relatively small, but being among many users who have begun to really like and trust Google and use their software tools every day, I am hoping that they will turn out fully-fledged tools, and work to get things from 90% done to 99% done. And I know there are diminishing returns, but those returns are the difference between abandonware and stuff that is adopted. So I ask again, is Google nearing (or getting to) the point where they're big enough that they don't care when their products are starting to perform poorly?
pax hominibus,
agape to all,
joel
I've been coming across bugs and unresolved issues lately. While I realize that these aren't as big of a problem as world hunger, race-relations, etc, they are little things that add up.
1. When trying to update the description up near the top that talks about the 70s PSA and the Wagon Wheel, blogger straight up fails, and shows me this error page. The Google Help group I'm invited to visit is vaguely reminiscent of other methods of shunting tech support off into a no-man's land. I don't expect somebody to come visit me, but a real place to report a bug would be nice. I have a feeling this help group is not one of those.
2. Firefox 2.0 just updated itself to 2.0.0.18, and now Gmail doesn't load, except when using https, and my Google bookmarks don't load. I tried using Firefox 3, but the Google bookmarks just silently fail there as well.
3. Google's own browser (a beta, naturally) doesn't even support Google bookmarks in any integrated way. I just need to browse to them on my portal page.
4. And for cryin' out loud, I've been requesting this for years. I can't be the only Gmail user who wants this, and Google has got to know that users would want it. PLEASE ADD A PREF TO HAVE THE AUTOSIG AT THE TOP OF THE MESSAGE INSTEAD OF AT THE BOTTOM LIKE SO MUCH ASCII DETRITUS. Whenever I respond to somebody's message, I have to scroll down to the bottom and retrieve it, and cut/paste it to the top where it belongs. Otherwise a long thread between me and another Gmail user ends up having TEN of these autosigs all just kind of hanging out at the bottom.
For example:
2008/11/10 Joel wrote:- Hide quoted text -
Yep, I just got it today. I sure do wish I could update the text on the most visible part of my blog.
Grrr,
Joel
2008/11/4 Chuck wrote:
Oh, I hear you. Did you get the bX-rvly7y error message yet? That's the pits.
Chuck
2008/10/30 Joel wrote:
Yeah, I'm pretty good. Except that my Google bookmarks aren't working so well in Firefox or Chrome, and I'm upset about racism, sexism, homophobia, poverty, prison conditions, and the complicity of the media in these issues not getting a fair conversation. Having my Google bookmarks not working slows me down from being as effective as I'd like to be.
Joel
2008/10/27 Chuck wrote:
Hey Joel -
Super. U?
--- On Mon, 10/27/08, Joel wrote:
> From: Joel
> Subject: Hi
>
>Hi Chuck, how you doin?
>
>--
>pax hominibus,
>agape to all,
>joel
>
> http://revjd.blogspot.com/
>
> "The purpose of art is to lay bare the questions which
> have been hidden by
> the answers."
> -James Baldwin
>--
>Hugs and kisses,
>Chuck
>
>"When I do pushups, I'm not pushing myself up. I'm pushing the earth down."
>
>
>--
>pax hominibus,
>agape to all,
>joel
>
> http://revjd.blogspot.com/
>
> "The purpose of art is to lay bare the questions which
> have been hidden by
> the answers."
> -James Baldwin
>--
>Hugs and kisses,
>Chuck
>
>"When I do pushups, I'm not pushing myself up. I'm pushing the earth down."
>
>
>--
>pax hominibus,
>agape to all,
>joel
>
> http://revjd.blogspot.com/
>
> "The purpose of art is to lay bare the questions which
> have been hidden by
> the answers."
> -James Baldwin
>--
>Hugs and kisses,
>Chuck
>
>"When I do pushups, I'm not pushing myself up. I'm pushing the earth down."
>
>
I do realize that in the scope of problems in the world, this is relatively small, but being among many users who have begun to really like and trust Google and use their software tools every day, I am hoping that they will turn out fully-fledged tools, and work to get things from 90% done to 99% done. And I know there are diminishing returns, but those returns are the difference between abandonware and stuff that is adopted. So I ask again, is Google nearing (or getting to) the point where they're big enough that they don't care when their products are starting to perform poorly?
pax hominibus,
agape to all,
joel
Labels: anti-oppression, C-Nor, google, indifferent corporations, technology
Prop 8: Too Narrow a Focus
This evening I read a few different posts by people I've only recently become acquainted with, or know through other people.
It has come to my attention that there are people in the LGBT community who are pointing fingers of blame at communities of color, notably black folks, because there was a tendency among black and latino voters to vote yes on prop 8. Note that neither of these communities are monoliths, just as not all white people are John McCain or John Kerry supporters.
We really need to come together. REALLY. There is not time to wait on this. We've got to get together, and sit at the table and stay at the table. This includes those in the GLBT community, the black and Latino communities, women, anybody else who has experienced oppression, and allies of all stripes. My hope is that this present animosity is the beginning of a dialog that needs to happen. And I am hoping through communities coming together, this dialog can ride the fast track.
The media and the advertising, and the coordinated Yes on 8 effort by Mormons and the Catholic church are nearer to the root of this problem. And the problem has many roots, certainly. There are bigots in California, and in America. Bigoted by race, by sexual identity, sexual affinity, and many other dimensions. And there are people who were bamboozled by too many ads, or voted according to the way their church told them. I highly doubt that there were many people of color who voted out of spite or to "spread the oppression around." At the very least, that is cutting off one's nose to spite one's own face, since the LGBT community intersects with every culture in America (though some cultures try harder to push it back into the closet).
Here's an interesting thing: Among all the press coverage that prop 8 has gotten, does anybody know how Prop 9 turned out? Well, it passed. Prop 9 is one of those "get tough on crime" things that means a lot of money (from a fairly dry pool in CA) is going to go toward the prison system. As a person who speaks out on behalf of marginalized people in the prison system (many of whom are of color), I wonder why this hasn't received as much attention as Prop 8?
lyrics: "And as she turns the volume down, he's getting smaller with the sound..." Angie Baby, by Helen Reddy
colors: Get it together.
mood: Tired, distracted.
chant/prayer/mantra: For peace, and divine connection between us all. Amen.
pax hominibus,
agape to all,
joel
lyrics: "And as she turns the volume down, he's getting smaller with the sound..." Angie Baby, by Helen Reddy
colors: Get it together.
mood: Tired, distracted.
chant/prayer/mantra: For peace, and divine connection between us all. Amen.
pax hominibus,
agape to all,
joel
Labels: angry at organized religions, anti-oppression, changing the prison paradigm, LGBT, oppression, racism
Friday, November 14, 2008
Reducing the Risk of Human Extinction, and Carpooling
I didn't actually get a chance to read either of these articles, but I plan to, because they're of serious interest to me. In the meantime, I'll share them with you.
If anybody knows of a good online carpooling system, I'd like to hear about it.
pax hominibus,
agape to all,
joel
If anybody knows of a good online carpooling system, I'd like to hear about it.
pax hominibus,
agape to all,
joel
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Now Studying: Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics
Specifically, Book V, which deals with the ethics of justice, especially distributive justice.
His argument is very enlightening, inspired, and full of holes. But not as many as the Beatles encounter in the Sea of Holes.
lyrics: "Please don't be long." From Blue Jay Way, by the Beatles.
chant/prayer/mantra: Justice. Powerful. Grounded. By fiat, if all else fails.
pax hominibus,
agape to all,
joel
His argument is very enlightening, inspired, and full of holes. But not as many as the Beatles encounter in the Sea of Holes.
lyrics: "Please don't be long." From Blue Jay Way, by the Beatles.
chant/prayer/mantra: Justice. Powerful. Grounded. By fiat, if all else fails.
pax hominibus,
agape to all,
joel
Labels: anti-oppression, economics, politics, theological sources, theology
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Keith Olbermann on Love and Prop 8
This editorial piece almost brought me to tears.
No matter who you are, if you haven't seen it, it's worth viewing.
peace and love,
joel
No matter who you are, if you haven't seen it, it's worth viewing.
peace and love,
joel
Labels: equal rights, LGBT, media
Friday, November 7, 2008
Obama launches Change.gov
The site is designed to detail all the intended changes during the transition period from Bush to Obama. Pretty impressive that they're already ready to go with this. They must've been working on it for a long time prior to the election.
lyrics: "Long time coming, but I know that change is gonna come." Otis Redding
colors: What is the color of change?
chant/prayer/mantra: may it be smooth.
pax hominibus,
agape to all,
joel
lyrics: "Long time coming, but I know that change is gonna come." Otis Redding
colors: What is the color of change?
chant/prayer/mantra: may it be smooth.
pax hominibus,
agape to all,
joel
Labels: paradigm shift, pax hominibus/bright shiny future, politics
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Haiku Posted During Class
Compassion unbound
Avalokiteshvara
Steps into struggles
Avalokiteshvara
Steps into struggles
--
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Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Maynard James Keenan of musical group Tool to autograph wine bottles in Las Vegas
Wow.
--
pax hominibus,
agape to all,
joel
http://revjd.blogspot.com/
"Imagination is our greatest natural resource."
-Michael Garfield
"Everybody believes in something and everybody, by virtue of the fact that they believe in something, use that something to support their own existence."
- Frank Zappa
"The purpose of art is to lay bare the questions which have been hidden by the answers."
-James Baldwin
--
pax hominibus,
agape to all,
joel
http://revjd.blogspot.com/
"Imagination is our greatest natural resource."
-Michael Garfield
"Everybody believes in something and everybody, by virtue of the fact that they believe in something, use that something to support their own existence."
- Frank Zappa
"The purpose of art is to lay bare the questions which have been hidden by the answers."
-James Baldwin
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Obama!!! (wins!!)
Obama has 206 electoral votes already statistically declared by the U.S. press exit polls, and these don't include California, Oregon, and Washington, which are going to definitely go to Obama. In other words, he has 206 + 73 electoral votes, which is greater than 270.
Therefore..........................President Obama.
lyrics: I wonder what is going to happen.
colors: Red, White, Blue, Green, Orange, Yellow, Indigo, Violet, Brown, Beige, and Pink.
mood: Amazed, and excited. And ready to rebegin again.
chant/prayer/mantra: May our world surrender, open, and surrender to a new loving embrace!
pax hominibus,
agape to all,
joel
ps - now we'll need to wait a little bit to see how proposition 8 turns out this electoral round.
Therefore..........................President Obama.
lyrics: I wonder what is going to happen.
colors: Red, White, Blue, Green, Orange, Yellow, Indigo, Violet, Brown, Beige, and Pink.
mood: Amazed, and excited. And ready to rebegin again.
chant/prayer/mantra: May our world surrender, open, and surrender to a new loving embrace!
pax hominibus,
agape to all,
joel
ps - now we'll need to wait a little bit to see how proposition 8 turns out this electoral round.
Labels: pax hominibus/bright shiny future, politics, racism, USA
