Weekend and April Round Up

This has been a very crazy weekend, international news wise. It started with Prince William and Catherine Middletons Royal Wedding, and ended with Osama bin Laden's death. I stayed up until 5amon friday (having to go to work at 8:30am) to watch the new couple have their first "official" kiss as husband and wife. The Duchess of Cambridge (as she is now known) looked positively glowing, and just as a princess should. I thought her dress was very simple, but stunning, and her sister was just down right hot. The Duke of Cambridge (as Prince William is now known) totally rocked the military uniform. Formal military uniforms are always hot, and Prince Harry was looking pretty sexy too.

I first heard about the bin Laden thing on twitter. One of my cousins retweeted something about a mission accomplished sign being brought out again, and my brow furrowed. "What the heck is happening, world?" I asked myself. I found out quickly enough, and may I say, I am so glad that Obama was the one to give the speech that bin Laden had been killed. I feel like it somehow validates his presidency a little bit further. It also clarifies why he laid to rest the birth certificate issue, which was dumb and a waste of time. I hope those directly affected by the 9/11 attacks and other attacks brought on by Al-Qaeda will find a bit more peace. Surely this will only make for some more unrest, but for now, we can breathe a sigh of ease.

On to less depressing topics, shall we?

Taken yesterday during my walk

This April, I accomplished quite a bit.

• I finally started to focus on my breathing, which has helped tremendously in continuing the c25k training. I'm on week 4 so far. I can't wait to continue it tomorrow!
• I redecorated my blog, made it a little easier to look at, and designed a new header. Also, declared my official exit from the 300's and entry back into the 290's. Quite proud indeed!
• And I completed my second and third walks of the season, a happy 4 mile MS Walk, and this past weekend's Heart Run.

Things that have happened but didn't make it to my blog, I registered for 3 more races!

• June 3rd, Twilight 12k
• June 11th, Alaska Run for Women 5mi
• May 20th, 2012, Portland Rock and Roll Half Marathon

I'm really excited about all these races, but the Portland Rock and Roll Half has got to be the one I'm most excited for.  Just a couple of weeks ago my mom and I were talking about how the only thing our family does during get-togethers is sit around, eat and gossip. And while its fun to catch up on things, it is also not encouraging of healthy behaviors and lifestyles, especially since we all seem to be on a kick start of them recently.

After talking with my absolutely beautiful, wonderful, and most favoritest cousin, Mama T, she decided we would run a half marathon together, and she chose the one in Portland since that is where we grew up. In the week or so since that decision, two of her friends, and several of our other cousins have signed up to run with us. All of a sudden we are having a family reunion based around a half marathon, a first and most epic event in our family history. I am super excited to see her again, and the rest of my family and to sit around, gossip, eat, and run.



Tweet

And The World Spins Madly On...

So. Anchorage. For a minute, I was really proud to live here. And then Dan Sullivan decided to go with the majority and veto AO 64s which added sexual orientation to the anti-discrimination law. So technically we're back to square one. However, there is a chance to get one Ms. Ossiander to change her vote and override the veto. Here is my letter to her.

Ms. Ossiander,

My supervisor who is a registered voter and Alaskan born, is generally very progressive regarding his politics, was confused about AO 64. "Why does it matter if this is passed, isn't apart of federal anti-discrimination law already?" he asked me after seeing my picture in the newspaper from the protest the day before.

I had to explain to him that, no, it's not. It is not mandated by federal court. Any and all protective measures for the LGBT community are at the city and state level currently.

There is a huge problem with discrimination in this town. Its even bigger than anyone thought because even the Mayor is under the impression that it doesn't even exist. The citizens are under the impression if it doesn't exist then it doesn't need protection. However, by saying that it doesn't exist and doesn't deserve a paragraph in Anchorage's anti-discrimination law, you are discriminating. You are refusing to acknowledge the handful of citizens who might be protected by it. Discrimination rarely comes from the minority, but rather the majority.

It is so frustrating to try and explain why this fight is so important. How can we possibly ask for equality in marriage and death and children when we can't even get it at the most basic civil level of housing and employment?

My supervisor was very surprised to learn that LGBT rights is not covered in the EEOC. He assumed that it had been included because why would it not be? As soon as he had learned this fact, his entire opinion and demeanor changed. It changed because he believes in the Declaration of Independence which states, "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

I worry about how many others in this state (and the country, for that matter) don't realize that there isn't that basic protection. I wonder how many votes, how many minds might be swayed if they realized they were wrong to assume it was already a protected right somewhere at the federal level?

I am very lucky to work in a place that I don't have to fear my termination because of my sexual orientation. The fact remains though, my supervisor could fire me for being gay if he so chose.

You have the ability to affect real change. You have the voice, the gavel and the opportunity to do the right thing.

As a resident of anchorage, and a registered voter, I am asking you, please do the right thing Ms. Ossiander, and override Mayor Sullivan's Veto. Take a stand with your fellow assemblymen and show this city, this state, and this country that Anchorage is accepting of all its citizens, regardless of race, creed, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability.



Thanks to henkimaa.com for the pic. I didn't ask.

So gay

In repsonse to Bent Alaska asking us to email the new Mayor dude, Sullivan, I wrote this:


Im going to make this short. You have an opportunity to show this city and this state and this country that Anchorage cares about all of its citizens and their right to be treated equally under the law. The law does not currently protect rental situations and employment situations where I were honest to my landlord or supervisor found out I identify myself as queer, I could be kicked out of my apartment and fired from my job. This is a very real threat to me.

Some might say to not put myself in a situation where that is a possibility. I say you have the ability to make those potential situations an impossibility.

This crossroads is offering you a chance to make a right decision. Protect your grandchildren and your friends and family. Please treat the LGBT community equal to everyone else in this state.


Thank you for your time.

To Assembleyman Chris Birch of District 6 in Anchorage Regarding your No Vote:

On the Gay Rights Ordinance. I don't have any nice to say, and generally I don't say anything if that's the case. After reading this story that states you'll vote NO regardless of the testimony in front of you, I just have to say this:

I hope your children, and grandchildren grow up and realize they're gay. And then I hope they get fired, and evicted for being gay. And then they can blame you because you didn't protect them when you had the chance.

You are a poor representative of this town.

Some say the Apocolypse is a'comin'...

... and others say its just evolution. I don't care either way. But its been a very busy weekend.
GOP Maine Senator behaves in a dumb fashion, out of touch with the realities of today by voting to strip pandemic monies from stimulus fund, Mexico becomes diseased with Swine Flu, which we can't protect ourselves from because of Maine, then has an earthquake, Ms. California still doesn't get the punchline, probably because she's trying to smell a scratch n' sniff at the bottom of a pool.

Good news though, Gays are lining up in Iowa to get married, because their state government doesn't suck as much as the rest of the country's (certain states excluded, of course).

It looks like rain outside, and that makes me sad. I hope I don't get sick.

Lets Fight Back

Could this be the beginning of the end for Amazon?

I'm sure it won't get that bad. But from where I'm sitting, I feel as though we are on the edge of a precarious cliff, and this could be what makes the Fight for Equality go either way.

An Author, Mark Probst has noticed sales rankings being stripped from LGBTQ books on Amazon.


This is going to be huge.

This is the best news I've heard all year!

... Regarding Gale Harold, that is. On May 3rd (a month from now!), Mr. Harold will be returning to Desperate Housewives to reprise his role as Jackson Braddock. Gale has been MIA the last six months due to a motorcycle accident that took place just days after my birthday and ruined the rest of the week for me.

Me and my fangirl friends are thrilled. Pictures of him were released last week of him attending an Oscars party. He looked pretty rough. He looked sallow. Which is not how we like to think of him.

I'm excited!!!! *squeals*

Some Parents Shouldn't be Parents

For instance, this woman who was recently arrested for drugging her daughter so her boyfriend could knock her up.


The daughter is 13.

And the boyfriend is only being held on attempted rape because "she prevented it from happening on three separate occasions".


I'm not impressed. Horrified, yes.

Inconvenient

We waited patiently for weeks for this thing to erupt and now it has, and only 3 days after its first explosion, ash is finally heading towards Anchorage.

EEP! Everybody run for your lives!!!!!11

Steven Colbert in Space!

Stephen asked his viewers to vote for his name being placed on a section of the NASA Space Station.

He won. Of course, NASA can still veto his name, the reserved that right, but still. What a way to motivate people.

Now if he could only use his powers for good.

Zac Efron doesn't do musicals anymore

He's dropped out of Footloose, according to MTV.com, which is excellent news, because even though I never watched the original, I simply cannot stand that music and remaking it would have been the worst idea in the world anyway.

Are there no original ideas anymore?

RE: RE: Oh this woman makes me steam!

Ok, so I lied. She cut the funding for the programs I work with. This source came from my supervisor.

Fucking Bitch.

Oh this woman makes me steam!

I work for a non-profit that deals with education, employment, and basically all the things she just decided to cut. A lot of our grant money could be affected by this. I'm kinda pissed right now.

So hopefully our legislature will do the right thing (accept the rest of it, bitch!) and then I can point and laugh at her for being dumb.

She said no to $160 MILLION for EDUCATION because "I don't want to create more government jobs"

Are you fucking kidding me?

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights

The United States under Bush said, "No. This is not the case. We will not sign this, because somewhere else on this page it says homosexual, and I just can't have that."

But the United States under Obama said, "Yes we can."

*sighs* I love this man.

The iPod Game

Teen tries to steal iPod at gun point. Then goes after another. Cause he wants one real bad, I guess.

Something similar but not quite as serious happened to me a few months, back. Actually, it was only a few weeks. But there was no gun. And it wasn't in Seattle. But he was 17. Does that count?

Re: Girl Scouts; I never was one

It looks like the caught the guy. He's 17. Kids stealing from kids. Very nice.



Still not impressed.

Girls Scouts; I never was one

But I buy their cookies every year, and this year was no exception. Though, if you ask a masked man in Juneau what he thinks could possible be better than Girl Scout cookies, he'll tell you: Their money.


I'm not impressed.

Welcome home to the slums

Did you have a nice trip seeing how the rest of the world lives?

Education is important. Its beyond important, and giving these children a reason to stay in school is wonderful. But if we're grossing millions and millions of dollars, and these kids, who led you to 9 Oscar awards, only recieve thousands at most, then what are we telling them? What are we telling the world about the worth of your origins?

This story makes me want to cry. They're happy to be home, and yet now they know. They really know what they are missing. And maybe they don't want it. But maybe when one's mom gets sick and dies because of lack of healthcare, or a building crumbles on top during an earth quake that kills millions of others, they might become angry because it'll take years to pick up those pieces. The potential resentment here is staggering.

Sean Penn

I know its been posted a million times before, but I love it. Him and Mr. Black were so inspiring I felt like my blog was empty without posting their acceptance speeches. I haven't seen Milk yet, but I'm excited about it, and I hope to see it soon. Congratulations to Mr. Penn and Mr. Black for their Oscar wins.