Do you know anyone who is transgender? Are you sure? Given the danger transpeople find themselves in just by being who they are, it's really no surprise the lengths they go to in order to hide themselves.* Being outed as trans doesn't just mean potential for loss of friendship, employment or housing - it often means serious injury or loss of life. The Transgender Day of Remembrance was created to memorialize the transgender people who were killed during the course of the past year. Officially Transgender Day of Remembrance is on November 20, but since the 20th is on a Tuesday this year, many events are scheduled during the weekend before. So please, find a Transgender Day of Remembrance event near you and come out to remember the people who were taken from us in the past year, to show solidarity with the trans community, and to show the bigots that what they're doing is not okay with you.
* Not to mention most of them just want to be able to live as "a man" or "a woman," not "a transman" or "a transwoman."
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
New books!
I got my copy of The Inexplicables by Cherie Priest in the mail today. I pre-ordered this as soon as it was announced and I've been eagerly awaiting its arrival ever since. What books have you been looking forward to?
The rich are different from you and me
Well, from me at any rate. I can't can't say for certain about you, but I'd be willing to take a bet they're different from you too.*
It seems to me that the non-rich people of the world can be divided into 2 camps: Those who love reading about the rich, and those who don't. I generally don't. This isn't because I don't like the rich. Hell, given a chance I'd like to be one of them**. It's because, in some perverse distortion of equality, the rich to try deny that they're different. They try to portray themselves as "just regular folks," when anyone with two brain cells to rub together knows that it's just not so.***
A rich man still puts his pants on one leg at a time, but they tend to be much nicer pants. And if they're not, it's because he chose to buy cheap pants - and that's the crucial difference. I'm not naive enough to think that rich people don't have problems, but a great many of their problems can be solved by throwing money at them. And those that can't, can often be ameliorated to some degree or another by throwing money at them.
So rich folks: If you want to write about what it's like to drive a Ferrari, I'm all ears. That's an experience I've never had and that I'm unlikely to ever have. But the moment you start complaining about the costs of maintaining a Ferrari, I'm out of there - I've got plenty of worrying about auto repair costs in my own life, thank you very much. Similarly, if you want to write about your battle with cancer, please do. But if you want me to read it, you'd better be sure to acknowledge how fortunate you are that your dilemma lies in choosing which esteemed specialist you seek treatment with, not in wondering if you're going to be able to find a way to get treatment at all.
The poor recognize that the rich are different. It just seems like the rich people never got the memo.
* In the event you are rich, which it seems no one will ever admit to, I'd love to talk to you about investment opportunities in this blog, but that's another matter entirely.
** Not enough to actually do the sort of things it generally takes to be rich - I lack the killer instinct where business is concerned.
*** This post was prompted when I stopped reading a book in disgust after the author**** was dissatisfied to have received a Honda motorcycle rather than a Harley Davidson as a present from his boss to celebrate his 25th anniversary with the company. Heads-up, Mr. Ungrateful Author: You know what most of us will get after 25 years with a company (should we be so fortunate as to get such a thing)? A 26th year, hopefully to be followed by a 27th, a 28th, etc.
**** Who I will do the favor of not naming here.
It seems to me that the non-rich people of the world can be divided into 2 camps: Those who love reading about the rich, and those who don't. I generally don't. This isn't because I don't like the rich. Hell, given a chance I'd like to be one of them**. It's because, in some perverse distortion of equality, the rich to try deny that they're different. They try to portray themselves as "just regular folks," when anyone with two brain cells to rub together knows that it's just not so.***
A rich man still puts his pants on one leg at a time, but they tend to be much nicer pants. And if they're not, it's because he chose to buy cheap pants - and that's the crucial difference. I'm not naive enough to think that rich people don't have problems, but a great many of their problems can be solved by throwing money at them. And those that can't, can often be ameliorated to some degree or another by throwing money at them.
So rich folks: If you want to write about what it's like to drive a Ferrari, I'm all ears. That's an experience I've never had and that I'm unlikely to ever have. But the moment you start complaining about the costs of maintaining a Ferrari, I'm out of there - I've got plenty of worrying about auto repair costs in my own life, thank you very much. Similarly, if you want to write about your battle with cancer, please do. But if you want me to read it, you'd better be sure to acknowledge how fortunate you are that your dilemma lies in choosing which esteemed specialist you seek treatment with, not in wondering if you're going to be able to find a way to get treatment at all.
The poor recognize that the rich are different. It just seems like the rich people never got the memo.
* In the event you are rich, which it seems no one will ever admit to, I'd love to talk to you about investment opportunities in this blog, but that's another matter entirely.
** Not enough to actually do the sort of things it generally takes to be rich - I lack the killer instinct where business is concerned.
*** This post was prompted when I stopped reading a book in disgust after the author**** was dissatisfied to have received a Honda motorcycle rather than a Harley Davidson as a present from his boss to celebrate his 25th anniversary with the company. Heads-up, Mr. Ungrateful Author: You know what most of us will get after 25 years with a company (should we be so fortunate as to get such a thing)? A 26th year, hopefully to be followed by a 27th, a 28th, etc.
**** Who I will do the favor of not naming here.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Solar eclipse, 13 November 2012
There's a solar eclipse tomorrow. Unfortunately, unless you live in northern Australia (or in the ocean just east of northern Australia), you're not going to be able to see it. Fortunately, there are several sites where you can watch the eclipse online - this article from Space.com gives links and more information. I know I've going to have a tab to one of these sites open in the background while I'm working tomorrow, and I hope that you're able to check out this eclipse as well - no matter many eclipse videos or photographs I see, I continue to be amazed by the phenomenon.
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