LGBTech

OMFG

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:15:53 GMT

Hmm. I'll be in Toronto and Montreal in the next few weeks. I wonder if I'd get run out of town for wearing this?

via ThinkGeek

Pride and gratitude

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 02:02:53 GMT

Remembering the 40th anniversary of Stonewall today. Thank you to the brave queens, fags and dykes who fought back that day. You've made my life better for it and I am eternally grateful to you all.

My first icon

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:27:38 GMT

What do you think? Honest critiques appreciated. I'm not sure that I'm satisfied with the way the text fades in and out, but I think it's not too bad for my first effort. I'll probably play with it some more to refine it.

Graphic Fun (not as dirty as it sounds)

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:13:18 GMT

So, in my last post I mentioned that I had an idea for an LJ icon that I wanted to make, with animations and everything. This is a rough draft of what I've been working on...

I don't remember how the original idea for the icon came to me. I may have just been looking at cool icons and thinking, I should try making one of those. I had just taken a zillion pictures (actually more like 1230, but who's counting?) of the Indigo Girls at a show last week in Northampton, so I think that imagery sort of coalesced with the whole icon idea along with the lyrics of one of their new songs, True Romantic (listen to it on Last.fm), which has been a recent favorite of mine.

The image I'm using is a photo that I took at the show of one half of the Indigo Girls, Amy Ray, who also wrote True Romantic. (extra details provided for any readers not familiar with IG)

The phrases I wanted to use from the song are in this verse...

Baby, if you took all the good stuff
and put it all together
and you took all the bad stuff
and you threw it all away
would I still be the girl that suits your fancy
would I still be the boy ~~who~~ that rocks your world?

...which I shortened to read "the girl that suits your fancy" and "the boy ~~who~~ that rocks your world". (edited to correct the lyrics, which of course now need to be corrected on the image)

OK, so now that I had a concept I needed some extra pieces. A bit of texture and a cool font or two. There's a website, bittbox.com, that I check out every now and then that posts free textures every week, so I took a look there first and found this awesome sheet music image found here. And then I thought I might try to use a font similar to the one used on the cover of "Poseidon and the Bitter Bug", the album that True Romantic is on. I actually found the exact font! It's called "little insect from another planet". Unfortunately, it's completely illegible when it's really tiny, so I had to scrap that idea. Plan B, look for something in a kind of scrawled handwriting style. I finally found one that I kind of like, Christoper Hand. It's not quite as scrawling as I'd like but the other choices were too sloppy, and again, didn't look good small.

Take "all the good stuff and put it all together." Here is at part of the evolution of what I've done so far... (click images to enlarge)

This is my original image, untouched other than to scale it to a size appropriate for the web.

This is that image cropped.

The cropped image with the sheet music texture and a couple of gradient layers applied to lighten and darken certain areas.

And then the whole thing scaled down to 100 x 100 pixels.

Yet to be done...

I'm thinking of playing with the size and color of individual words to suggest the same emphasis that is present in the song. As far as animating it, I could keep it simple and just have one full phrase fade into the next, but what I really want to do is fade each word in and then out and, ideally, time the fades to the tempo of the phrases in the song.

If anyone has any suggestions for tweaking any of this, I'd be happy for the feedback. Also, if anyone knows of any really good, detailed tutorials for doing what I just described in GIMP with GAP, I would be eternally grateful for any linkage you might be able to provide.

Oh, one more thing. This is a work in progress. Please don't take any of the images. (The best pics from the show will eventually get posted on Flickr.) When the icon is done, I will gladly share as long as you credit me.

Hijacked

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:23:23 GMT

I just wanted to let everyone know that my gmail account got hijacked this afternoon. You may have gotten some crazy mail that appeared to be from me. If you did, I'm sorry about that, even though I had no way to prevent. My account has since been restored to my full control. I will now return to my regularly scheduled lurking.

Holy Ghost

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 18:46:55 GMT

Swiped from Wil Wheaton who swiped it from here.

200 Things

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:53:52 GMT

This is a list of 200 things, bold (and put explanation in parenthesis if you want) if you've done them before.

01. Bought everyone in the pub a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said "I love you" and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Done a striptease
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long, and watch the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Touched an iceberg
20. Slept under the stars
21. Changed a baby's diaper
22. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
23. Watched a meteor shower
24. Gotten drunk on champagne
25. Given more than you can afford to charity
26. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
27. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
28. Had a food fight
29. Bet on a winning horse
30. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
31. Asked out a stranger
32. Had a snowball fight
33. Photocopied your bottom on the office photocopier
34. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
35. Held a lamb
36. Enacted a favorite fantasy
37. Taken a midnight skinny dip
38. Taken an ice cold bath
39. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
40. Seen a total eclipse
41. Ridden a roller coaster
42. Hit a home run
43. Fit three weeks miraculously into three days
44. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
45. Adopted an accent for an entire day
46. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
47. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
48. Had two hard drives for your computer
49. Visited all 50 states
50. Loved your job for all accounts
51. Taken care of someone who was shit faced
52. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
53. Had amazing friends
54. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
55. Watched wild whales
56. Stolen a sign
57. Backpacked in Europe
58. Taken a road-trip
59. Rock climbing
60. Lied to foreign government's official in that country to avoid notice
61. Midnight walk on the beach
62. Sky diving
63. Visited Ireland (really want to do this!)
64. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
65. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
66. Visited Japan
67. Bench pressed your own weight
68. Milked a cow
69. Alphabetized your records
70. Pretended to be a superhero
71. Sung karaoke (hell no!)
72. Lounged around in bed all day
73. Posed nude in front of strangers
74. Scuba diving
75. Got it on to "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye
76. Kissed in the rain
77. Played in the mud
78. Played in the rain
79. Gone to a drive-in theater
80. Done something you should regret, but don't regret it
81. Visited the Great Wall of China
82. Discovered that someone who's not supposed to know about your blog has discovered your blog
83. Dropped Windows in favor of something better
84. Started a business
85. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
86. Toured ancient sites
87. Taken a martial arts class
88. Sword fought for the honor of a woman
89. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
90. Gotten married
91. Been in a movie (worked on a movie, was never on camera)
92. Crashed a party
93. Loved someone you shouldn't have
94. Kissed someone so passionately it made them dizzy (no one has ever told me, so I don't know)
95. Gotten divorced
96. Had sex at the office
97. Gone without food for 5 days
98. Made cookies from scratch (helped, does that count?)
99. Won first prize in a costume contest
100. Ridden a gondola in Venice
101. Gotten a tattoo
102. Found that the texture of some materials can turn you on
103. Rafted the Snake River
104. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
105. Got flowers for no reason
106. Masturbated in a public place
107. Got so drunk you don't remember anything
108. Been addicted to some form of illegal drug
109. Performed on stage
110. Been to Las Vegas
111. Recorded music
112. Eaten shark
113. Had a one-night stand
114. Gone to Thailand
115. Seen Siouxsie live
116. Bought a house
117. Been in a combat zone
118. Buried one/both of your parents
119. Shaved or waxed your pubic hair off
120. Been on a cruise ship
121. Spoken more than one language fluently
122. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
123. Bounced a check
124. Performed in Rocky Horror
125. Read - and understood - your credit report
126. Raised children
127. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
128. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
129. Created and named your own constellation of stars
130. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
131. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
132. Called or written your Member of Congress
132. Had them write back (if you count form letters as writing back)
133. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
134. ... more than once?
135. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
136. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
137. Had an abortion or your female partner did
138. Had plastic surgery
139. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
140. Wrote articles for a large publication
141. Lost over 100 pounds
142. Held someone while they were having a flashback
143. Piloted an airplane
144. Petted a stingray
145. Broken someone's heart
146. Helped an animal give birth
147. Been fired or laid off from a job
148. Won money on a TV game show
149. Broken a bone
150. Killed a human being
151. Gone on an African photo safari
152. Ridden a motorcycle (ridden on a motorcycle)
153. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100mph
154. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
155. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
156. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
157. Ridden a horse
158. Had major surgery
159. Had sex on a moving train (hmm. not yet. ;-P)
160. Had a snake as a pet
161. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
162. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
163. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
164. Visited more foreign countries than US states
165. Visited all 7 continents
166. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
167. Eaten kangaroo meat
168. Fallen in love at an ancient Mayan burial ground
169. Been a sperm or egg donor
170. Eaten sushi
171. Had your picture in the newspaper
172. Had 2 (or more) healthy romantic relationships for over a year in your lifetime (sadly, only one. Luckily, I am still in it. :-) )
173. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
174. Gotten someone fired for their actions
175. Gone back to school
176. Parasailed
177. Changed your name
178. Petted a cockroach
179. Eaten fried green tomatoes
180. Read The Iliad
181. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
182. Dined in a restaurant and stolen silverware, plates, cups because your apartment needed them
183. ... and gotten 86'ed from the restaurant because you did it so many times, they figured out it was you
184. Taught yourself art from scratch
185. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
186. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
187. Skipped all your school reunions
188. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
189. Been elected to public office
190. Written your own computer language
191. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
192. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
193. Built your own PC from parts
194. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
195. Had a booth at a street fair
196. Dyed your hair
197. Been a DJ
198. Found out someone was going to dump you via LiveJournal
199. Written your own role playing game
200. Been arrested

* edited to add a cut, as requested. :-)

This Saturday! Jeremy James w/s/g Nathan Duprey

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:17:45 GMT

CDGLCC
332 Hudson Ave, Albany
$10 / $8 Students, All Ages, Doors open at 7:30 PM
Call 518-462-6138 x-11 for information or reservations

Born and raised in by-God Arkansas and a direct descendant of Jesse James, this alt-country/folk singer-songwriter has steady aim with songs as gritty as Steve Earle and deft storytelling as poignant as John Prine. There are no vague poetic mumblings, just great straight-ahead lyrics about mama, church and politics; his influences ranging from the Indigo Girls to Johnny Cash, y'all. He's got four CDs under his gun belt, including his latest, Landlocked. It's a polished studio album that features popular touring singer-songwriter Namoli Brennet and local Albany, NY, favorites Almost Awake and the Bookdrop Bees.

Don't ask him his favorite places to perform. While he's played in venues ranging from Fagapalooza to coffeehouses, his favorites are the places where the audience really listens. Whether it's a big festival or a tiny bar, it's those folks with attentive faces who make it a good gig.

In 2006 Jeremy was a winner of the Shine Songwriters Contest, a benefit for the arts in schools. He also received an honorable mention in the 2006 PeaceDriven Songwriting Contest for the songs "Christmas in September," "Allegiance," and "The Back Row."

His first album, Wasted Youth, a studio album released in May 2005, was well received. His second release, Grey Gardens, came out in December of that same year. It's less produced, the simplicity of his guitar, voice and songs shining through. In September of 2006 he released Lost Souls, an EP of live and demo songs.

He's shared the stage with Chris Pureka, Adrianne, Namoli Brennet, Mara Levi, and Kris Landherr. His songs have been featured on regional radio as well as internet stations.

" … a hallmark of songwriting talent." – CE Skidmore, Glens Falls PostStar

www.cdglcc.org
www.jeremyjamesmusic.com
www.nathanduprey.com

Girlyman at The Linda this Thursday!!

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 04:09:29 GMT

Thursday, November 1st, 8 PM

Girlyman with special guest Liz Stahler

The Linda: WAMC's Performing Arts Studio, 339 Central Ave, Albany, NY
$15. To purchase tickets call the WAMC box office at 518-465-5233 ext. 4 or visit www.wamcarts.org

Since touring with the Indigo Girls, and releasing their first two CDs (Remember Who I Am and Little Star) on Amy Ray's hugely respected indie Daemon Records, Girlyman has become a national headlining act, selling out major folk venues across the country, playing on internationally syndicated radio shows, and earning a loyal following who frequently drive hundreds of miles from show to show. Always the road warriors, Girlyman is hitting the highways in support of their current release Joyful Sign. "There are people out there who love this music but haven't found Girlyman yet. That's who we're looking for, and there's nothing more joyful than that. "

Special guest Liz Stahler is raw, real and undeniably talented. Her voice is mesmerizing, and truly unique. Her songs are memorable and beautifully crafted. In 2004 Stahler's debut EP "Turn the Lights Down" dazzled fans and critics alike: "Stahler is like a more genuine Sheryl Crow…blessed with gold for a voice and a penchant for songwriting…she can seemingly tell a story with one syllable".

This Event is supported by the New York State Music Fund, established by the New York State Attorney General at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. And by the Capital District Gay and Lesbian Community Council.

How The Cat Wakes You Up In The Morning!

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 14:36:58 GMT

Stolen from Friday Fishwrap

I can has home now plz? kthnx!

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 16:22:08 GMT

This is Kitteh. He is a VERY affection adolescent male cat who desperately needs a home!

He found us late Saturday night as we were coming home from the last Progressions show. He was very happy and excited to have found people that would pet him and hold him (and feed him). Even though he was clearly ravenous, he was more interested in being pet than eating. We could feel his ribs and he had burs in his tail so we believe he was abandoned by people who moved out of the neighborhood. We have made a little "house" for him on the front porch using a cat carrier (minus the door) and a bunch of towels to make it cushy and keep it insulated and we are giving him lots of food and water. He has made himself right at home but we cannot keep him.

I thought I had a home lined up for him, but that fell through so I am going to start calling no-kill shelters today to see if I can get him into one of the adoption systems. I am also hoping that one of the shelters will help us get really cheap or free vet care for him. He looks perfectly healthy but we don't know if he is neutered or anything else about his health. Only a vet can determine that and they cost money that we don't have right now.

Ideally we would like to find a home for him ourselves. If you are interested in adopting a very sweet, lovable adolescent male cat let us know and we'll arrange a meeting.

Had to do it...

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 21:36:38 GMT

I actually identify as a geek, but whatever. I'll take it.

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 17:01:34 GMT

Here is how it works. Copy this list. Leave in the bands you've seen perform live. Delete the ones you haven't and add new ones that you have seen until you reach 25. An asterisk means the previous person had it on their list. Two asterisks means the last two people who did this before you had that band on their list.

1. Patty Larkin**
2. Ani Difranco***
3. Suzanne Vega**
4. Mary Chapin Carpenter**
5. Cheryl Wheeler***
6. The Nields***
8. Eddie From Ohio***
9. Catie Curtis****
10. Patty Griffin***
11. Girlyman****
12. John Gorka**
13. Richard Shindell***
14. Erin McKeown***
15. Indigo Girls****
16. Lindsay Mac***
17. Dar Williams****
18. Ember Swift*
19. Coyote Grace
20. Chris Pureka*
21.Pamela Means*
22. Alix Olson*
23. Kris Delmhorst*
24. Fleetwood Mac*
25. Arlo Guthrie*

I got my list from indigocaz

This Saturday! Progressions Concert Series: Andrea Paquin and Arjuna Greist

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 16:43:05 GMT

Saturday, September 15th

Progressions Concert Series: Andrea Paquin and Arjuna Greist

Capital District Gay and Lesbian Community Center
332 Hudson Ave., Albany, NY
8:00 PM, $10, $8 Students

All ages! Doors open at 7:30 PM. Reservations encouraged and appreciated. For information or to make reservations contact Carrie Knepp at 518.462.6138 x-11 or progressionsconcertseries@cdglcc.org.

Andrea Paquin's voice, at once intimate and powerful, pulls the listener in close to her private world of love, loss, and redemption. She brings positive energy everywhere she plays - her strong yet gentle presence always leaves you feeling refreshed.

Her latest album "Listen" is a collection of songs she has written over the last few years. Andrea's love of life and nature was an inspiration for the album's artwork. She continue to write, already working on ideas for her next album.

Over the years Andrea has shared the stage with Melissa Ferrick, Garrison Starr, Edie Carey, Pamela Means, Anne Heaton, Howie Day, Chris Pureka, Jess Klein and more.

In her acceptance speech for the 2004 Just Plain Folks International Songwriting Award in the Spoken Word category, Arjuna Greist enthused, "I am so honored, and so joyous... the fact that my queer-happy, anti-establishment, freakazoid, punk-ass manifesta passed the muster of my peers to win an award lets me know, in an official way, that messages of peace, and change, and hope, and non-violent revolution are both wanted and needed in this world... we just need to keep getting louder."

Arjuna has been getting louder every year, criss-crossing the continent to bring her deeply personal music and poetry to appreciative audiences at women's festivals, pride events, colleges, coffee houses and living rooms from Southern California to Toronto.

Cross-posted to albanyqueer , pinkaloha and folkfans

Fun Facts

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 20:59:16 GMT

via Morning Paper One of the better things about the internet are the fun facts you run across in random email from others. Granted most forwards are loads of bullocks but some actually seem worth the time you spent reading them. This one for example: In the 1400's a law was set forth in England that a man was allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb. Hence we have "the rule of thumb" Many years ago in Scotland , a new game was invented. It was ruled "Gentlemen Only...Ladies Forbidden"...and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language. The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV were Fred and Wilma Flinstone. Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the U.S.Treasury. Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better. Coca-Cola was originally green. It is impossible to lick your elbow. The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% (now get this...) The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38% The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $6,400 The average number of people airborne over the U.S. in any given hour: 61,000 Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair. The first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer. The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments. Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history: Spades - King David Hearts - Charlemagne Clubs - Alexander, the Great Diamonds - Julius Caesar 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321 If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes. Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later. Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what? A. Their birthplace Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat name requested? A. Obsession Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter "A"? A. One thousand Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers all have in common? A. All were invented by women. Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil? A. Honey Q. Which day are there more collect calls than any other day of the year? A. Father's Day In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase......... "goodnight, sleep tight." It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in- law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon. In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts... So in old England , when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them "Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down." It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's" Many years ago in England , pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. "Wet your whistle" is the phrase inspired by this practice. ~~~~~~~~~~~AND FINALLY~~~~~~~~~~~~ At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow! ------------------------------------------------------ YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2007 when... 1. You accidentally enter your PIN on the microwave. 2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years. 3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three. 4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you. 5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses. 6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries. 7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen. 8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't even have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it. 10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee. 11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : ) 12. You're reading this and nodding and laughing. 13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message. 14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list. 15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list.

This Saturday, 9/16 - Chris Pureka w/ Jeremy James

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 05:20:33 GMT

Can you believe it? Progressions Concert Series is kicking off its THIRD year and it all starts this Saturday! You do not want to miss this show! Keep reading for all of the details...

Saturday, September 16
Progressions Concert Series featuring Chris Pureka w/Jeremy James

8 PM Show, 7:30 PM Doors
3rd Floor of CDGLCC (332 Hudson Ave, Albany, NY Map)
$12 ($10 for students w/ID) - Seating is Limited! Advance Reservations Highly Suggested! (see below for more info)

Also, please note this show is the same day as Larkfest so please allow extra time to find parking, etc. (FYI: parking restrictions in the Lark St area end at 7 PM)

Chris Pureka is preparing to release her new cd, Dryland, on September 26, 2006. Be sure to join us for this very intimate performance by a songwriter who is truly making her mark in the diy singer/songwriter scene. She performed this summer at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival as part of the esteemed Most Wanted Song Swap - an honor that is decided by the votes of the Falcon Ridge audience.

"Chris Pureka is an excellent guitar player. Not an excellent 'woman' guitar player; but, an excellent guitar player, period. She digs in like a true natural. The feel, the tone, the chords, the vibe, the chunk-a-chunk-a, everything. I could listen to her all day. " - Pamela Means, Singer Songwriter

Jeremy James, a local favorite in the Albany acoustic music scene is back to help us kick off the 2006-07 season of Progressions Concert Series.

"James is an old soul whose new release is more colorful than its name suggests. With a voice like Loudon Wainwright's and lyrics like Joni Mitchell's, this one-time country boy is a welcome addition to the neighborhood." - CE Skidmore, Glens Falls Post Star

Reservations can be made via Progressions Concert Series MySpace or telephone (518-462-6138, x.11). Reservations for 5 or more require a credit card to hold the tickets. The credit card will be charged if your party does not show up. You can choose to pay cash the night of the show, or we can go ahead and charge your credit card. Reservations will be held until the start of the show.

My mom rocks!

Fri, 11 Aug 2006 20:01:51 GMT

I sent my mom email about the CNL Hotels thing asking her and my dad to not go to hotels owned by CNL and why. I had to share her response because it was so great...

I agree that the best place to hurt people like this is in the pocketbook. (Don't get mad; get even!) After all, that's why we have boycotted Holiday Inns for something like 35 years * they screwed us, we got mad, we got even! And we tell people why. When a con is at a Holiday Inn and we say, "well sorry, but we either won't be attending or will be staying at the hotel up the road" the first thing they ask is "why not", and then we tell them.

Personally, I am willing to modify our travel plans in future, to the extent of send a letter to any hotels we have stayed at in the past who may be listed, indicating that we will not be doing so in the future because...

What you need to do is disseminate this article as far and wide as possible, not just in the gay community, but also to people who are at least sympathetic or neutral on the subject. A serious boycott is much more effective than a random cancellation here or there.

That turkey talks about Christian values, but he clearly hasn't read (or at least, taken to heart) the parts of the New Testament where Jesus talks about tolerance. These judgmental so-called "Christians" are anything but; they are basically the sort of narrow minded insular bigots who hate anyone or anything that isn't like them * they are essentially back country Jukes and Kallikacks (?sp.) who think that everyone who isn't part of their own little inbred clan is a dangerous stranger. Christianity is just their excuse, "un-Christian" being a label they can put on anything they don't like. As far as I can recall, nowhere in the New Testament is there a single mumbling word said on the subject of sexual orientation. That's Old Testament stuff, and frankly, there aren't even that many references in the Old Testament on the subject.

She followed this up a few minutes later with this...

Of course, it's not enough to just boycott those properties. It loses its point unless they are made aware of "I would have stayed with you, were it not that you are a CNL property and are thus presumably gay-unfriendly".

Good point, Mom! So when you tell a hotel to kiss off be sure to tell them why.

Was that awesome or what?!

Activism through capitalism

Fri, 11 Aug 2006 19:35:18 GMT

So I was catching up on one of my fave blogs, Friday Fishwrap, and came across a link to this story about Tom Hutchinson, the CEO of CNL Hotels and Resorts. Apparently Mr. Hutchinson disapproved of his friend the Mayor of Orange County, Florida passing legislation that would protect gays and lesbians from discrimination in housing and pulled his support from the mayor's reelection campaign. Hutchinson said the he was pulling his support because of the mayor "favoring the absolutely ridiculous vote on legal protection for equal housing for gays... I am not interested in supporting candidates with seemingly zero Christian biblical principals on the issues regarding the alternative gay lifestyle."

If you want to be sure that you never book a room at one of this asshole's hotels here is a list of all of CNL's properties. Be sure to share this information with all of your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, whomever.

another silly quiz

Fri, 11 Aug 2006 04:47:03 GMT

For Lesbians... Where Do You Fall on the Butch-Femme Continuum?

You are a soft-butch... you take on the male role, but still have a strong sensitve side. On a scale of 1-10, one being femme and ten being butch, you'd be a SIX!
Take this quiz!

Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

I'll take songs that begin with the letter "M" for 500, Alex

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 20:03:08 GMT

Name five songs that begin with the letter you've been given. indigokare gave me the letter 'M'. If you want to play, leave a comment and I will give you a letter.

I think the hardest part of this game is limiting myself to only five songs. Heck I could come up with five songs per artist in some cases. So after much agonizing over my ipod, here's what I came up with.

Magnolia Street - Catie Curtis

Mama Louise's H&H - Caroline Aiken

Maori - Girlyman

Means To This End - Beth Amsel

Mystery - Indigo Girls

OK. Who's next?

More Pictures: IG, Girlyman, Lindsay Mac, Michelle Malone, Jules Piper, Alix Olson, Dar Williams

Fri, 04 Aug 2006 20:34:47 GMT

Dar Williams and Girlyman at the Calvin Theater

Michelle Malone at Hamilton College

Alix Olson with special guest Pamela Means in Brattleboro

Lindsay Mac and Jules Piper at Felicia's

Jules Piper and Liz Stahler at Felicia's

Indigo Girls at The Egg

Lindsay Mac at The Elevens

Dixie Chicks Pics

Fri, 04 Aug 2006 00:16:53 GMT

up on Flickr...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lgbtech/sets/72157594222988364/

duh...

Mon, 31 Jul 2006 15:41:55 GMT

For anyone who knows me, this is much more than obvious...

You are a Black Coffee

At your best, you are: low maintenance, friendly, and adaptable

At your worst, you are: cheap and angsty

You drink coffee when: you can get your hands on it

Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

Sold!

Fri, 21 Jul 2006 03:54:57 GMT

I sold both of the Falcon Ridge tickets at the last minute. Thank you, thank you, thank you!