Goodbye Pam’s House Blend After 9 Years

One of the things that I have enjoyed most is the wonderful people that I have been privileged to meet via this blog, particularly the other attendees at the 2008 LGBT Blogger Summit in Washington, DC, financed in significant part by Microsoft and Progressive Insurance.  Among those - and there were many - I was privileged to meet and come to call a friend was Pam Spaulding, the blog mistress of "Pam's Hose Blend."  Indeed, for me Pam became a model of what I hoped to achieve as an LGBT blogger.  Often her wit, charm and amazing use of language made me break out laughing out loud.  Now, after nine (9) years of blogging, Pam is calling it quits for a number of reasons, some of which I well understand, especially the amount of time involved in trying to post meaningful information 365 days a year.  Here are excerpts of how Pam explains her decision:

All good things must come to an end, even after numerous awards and accolades, it’s time to acknowledge that I cannot continue to run on fumes alone. The Blend could continue limping along, but my health and well-being come first; over the last few years burning the candle at both ends with a full-time offline job and PHB. It has taken a severe toll — most readers have learned that I am dealing with chronic pain conditions — fibromylagia, and in the last couple of years, aggressive rheumatoid arthritis.

My decision to close the blog is just as reality-based as its content has been. If I cannot produce material at the frequency or with the same level of quality, enthusiasm and effectiveness, it’s really time to close the doors to this coffeehouse — and work to ensure it continues to have a life as an archive, a snapshot in our digital political history. Pamshouseblend.com will redirect to archives.

Looking back, I churned out pieces at an incredible pace — up to ten posts a day– many long-form pieces, commentary, curating news articles I thought my audience should check out, and occasionally (and increasingly) doing citizen journalism at news events and conferences. All of this while holding down a full-time day job with no connection to politics or activism. And most of of those posts were done in the wee hours, so I didn’t get much sleep over the lifespan of this blog.

Political blogging changed mainstream journalism in many ways. Save for a few who were able to monetize their blogs or who were cherry picked to help traditional outlets get their feet wet in new media, the vast majority of citizen journalists and opinion-makers toiled with little hope of quitting that day job. The LGBT movement was energized by the speed and reach of new media, and at times appeared quite threatened by it — mostly because it was a venue where Beltway orgs, and even the White House, didn’t see any possible way to co-opt or control what was being produced by this first generation of online political rabble rousers and activists. I’ve made a lot of great friends and met a lot of people along the way, and hopefully opened a few eyes, particularly with my posts about the intersection of LGBT and race.

The Blend sat in a unique place in all of this — I brought the perspective of a black lesbian living in the South to the dialogue — broadcasting a voice certainly not represented in the power structure of the LGBT movement. It was the first major blog to feature a transgender contributor, and it was important to me to bring talent to the blog from under-represented regions and voices.

By the way, I’m not disappearing into complete obscurity (though that would be OK as well), I’ll continue to be active on social media and make time to mentor folks as I can. It’s just time for someone else to pick up the ball and run with the daily activist grind, and forge new ground in an ever-shifting new media.

Speaking of which — on FDL, a rebranded blog will debut on the channel with my talented current contributors Laurel Ramseyer, Alvin McEwen and Autumn Sandeen. Look for more information on that effort soon.

I’ll have a “goodbye” post on July 1 that takes a look at some of PHB’s nine-year history.

Pam will always be one of my heroines and I hope she knows how much I love and respect her and all that she has done.  For non-bloggers and activists, it is hard to convey the intensity of some of the cyberspace friendships that can be made.  I myself have thought of shutting down this blog, but so far cannot quite let go of it.  I wish Pam the best of everything and I want to convey how much she will be missed, not only in her posts but quick and dirty advice when e-mailed and asked for information or her take on things.

U.S. Mining Data From 9 Leading Internet Firm - Firms Deny Knowledge

The full scope of the police state like tactics of the U.S. Government's spying on American citizens continues to unfold and, in my view, ought to be very disturbing to those who value privacy and freedom.  Some will say "I have nothing to hide, and I don't care" but that mindset is missing the bigger issue: unless one is a suspect of criminal activities, your personal information and data should not be subject to scrutiny by the government or anyone else.  What we are seeing is that all of us under a level of scrutiny that makes the former Soviet Union's KGB look like a rant beginner in information gathering.  And it needs to be stressed that this program of domestic spying began under Chimperator George W. Bush and Emperor Palpatine Cheney not the Obama administration, although it is troubling that Obama has not ceased some of the worse abuses.  A Washington Post story looks at the fact that the situation with Verizon is merely the tip of the iceberg.  Here are highlights:

The National Security Agency and the FBI are tapping directly into the central servers of nine leading U.S. Internet companies, extracting audio and video chats, photographs, e-mails, documents, and connection logs that enable analysts to track foreign targets, according to a top-secret document obtained by The Washington Post.

The program, code-named PRISM, has not been made public until now. It may be the first of its kind. The NSA prides itself on stealing secrets and breaking codes, and it is accustomed to corporate partnerships that help it divert data traffic or sidestep barriers. But there has never been a Google or Facebook before, and it is unlikely that there are richer troves of valuable intelligence than the ones in Silicon Valley.

Equally unusual is the way the NSA extracts what it wants, according to the document: “Collection directly from the servers of these U.S. Service Providers: Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, PalTalk, AOL, Skype, YouTube, Apple.”

PRISM was launched from the ashes of President George W. Bush’s secret program of warrantless domestic surveillance in 2007, after news media disclosures, lawsuits and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court forced the president to look for new authority.

Congress obliged with the Protect America Act in 2007 and the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, which immunized private companies that cooperated voluntarily with U.S. intelligence collection. PRISM recruited its first partner, Microsoft, and began six years of rapidly growing data collection beneath the surface of a roiling national debate on surveillance and privacy. Late last year, when critics in Congress sought changes in the FISA Amendments Act, the only lawmakers who knew about PRISM were bound by oaths of office to hold their tongues.

Jameel Jaffer, deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, said: “I would just push back on the idea that the court has signed off on it, so why worry? This is a court that meets in secret, allows only the government to appear before it, and publishes almost none of its opinions. It has never been an effective check on government.”

Several companies contacted by The Post said they had no knowledge of the program, did not allow direct government access to their servers and asserted that they responded only to targeted requests for information.

Government officials and the document itself made clear that the NSA regarded the identities of its private partners as PRISM’s most sensitive secret, fearing that the companies would withdraw from the program if exposed. “98 percent of PRISM production is based on Yahoo, Google and Microsoft; we need to make sure we don’t harm these sources,” the briefing’s author wrote in his speaker’s notes.

Firsthand experience with these systems, and horror at their capabilities, is what drove a career intelligence officer to provide PowerPoint slides about PRISM and supporting materials to The Washington Post in order to expose what he believes to be a gross intrusion on privacy. “They quite literally can watch your ideas form as you type,” the officer said.

Every police state has always claimed justification for spying on its citizens.  America has taken this nightmarish surveillance to frightening new levels.  I for one will not be sleeping better at night. 

Bill Gates Gives $500,000 for Washington State Marriage Equality

Brace yourselves for more spittle flecked boycott threats from hate groups like the American Family Association and Family Research Council and the Catholic Church front organization, NOM, in the wake of Bill Gates announcement that he and his wife are donating $500,000.00 to support the effort to secure approval of Referendum 74, the ballot measure that would put Washington State's legislatively-passed marriage equality law into effect.  Komonews has details on the donation and the latest polling results in Washington State..  Here are excerpts:

Bill and Melinda Gates have donated $500,000 to the campaign to uphold the state's gay marriage law.

The donation was announced Tuesday by Washington United for Marriage, which is working to approve Referendum 74. The donation was made on Oct. 15, but didn't publicly post online with the Public Disclosure Commission until Tuesday. Referendum 74 asks voters to either approve or reject the law allowing same-sex marriage that was passed by the Legislature earlier this year.  Bill Gates had made a $100,000 contribution to the campaign earlier this year.

A poll released last week showed that 56.3 percent of registered voters back gay marriage in the state, compared to 35.6 percent who oppose it, with 6.1 percent undecided.

Among likely voters, support decreased to 54.1 percent, with 38.4 percent saying they would vote against the measure, and 5.7 percent undecided.

The poll, conducted by the University of Washington, also included a third prediction, based on whether people answered honestly. Matt Barreto, director of the poll, said that because sometime people answering poll questions feel social pressure to answer a certain way, results can be skewed. In this poll, they weighted the poll based on how they answered two additional questions: if they lied on the survey and if any topics made them uncomfortable. That third prediction reduced those supporting the referendum down to 52.9 percent, and those opposing 46.6 percent.

As with so much else in this years elections, voter turnout will be critical and no one should sit back and think it is safe to stay and home and assume that the good guys will win.  The fear and hate motivated voters of the far right won't be sitting home and neither can those who believe in equality and religious freedom.

Bill Gates and CEO Steve Ballmer Each Donate $100,000 for Marriage Equality

The Bible beaters and the One Million Bitches definitely need to expand their boycott of gay friendly corporations.  The question is, whether there be anything left that they can purchase.  JC Penney, Sears, Ford, Walgreens, Starbucks and a host off other companies are supportive of gay rights and marriage equality.  Over the weekend, I even received a brochure from the Danbury Mint for gay marriage Christmas ornaments.  Now, Bill Gates and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer have each contributed $100,00 to help defeat Referendum 74, which seeks to overturn the law allowing same-sex marriage in Washington state that was enacted earlier this year.  One has to wonder how these boycotting bigots will even be able to e-mail their threats and protests if they avoid all Microsoft products.  Here are highlights from the Seattle Times:  

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and CEO Steve Ballmer are each donating $100,000 to support the campaign to uphold Washington state's new gay marriage law, according to The Associated Press.

That law, which was passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Chris Gregoire in February, faces a referendum vote in November.

The AP cites Zach Silk, campaign manager for Washington United for Marriage, who says the checks were cut on Friday and are being reported to the state Public Disclosure Commission Monday afternoon.

Microsoft has been supportive of gay marriage, signing on to a letter in January with other prominent local companies urging the Legislature to pass the gay-marriage bill. In November, it had joined with about 70 major companies nationwide in a friend-of-the-court brief in support of a challenge to the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage as between one man and one woman.

And with Apple also being supportive of marriage equality, the bigots don't even have the alternative of using their Macs to spread their hate and bigotry.   If the anti-gay forces want to inflict Bronze Age writings and myths on all of society, it is perhaps appropriate that they be forced to use Bronze Age technology.

Microsoft and Major Companies Support Gay Marriage

In sharp contrast to the Commonwealth of Virginia which continues to stigmatize and reduce LGBT citizens to second or third class status, Microsoft and other leading corporations in Washington State have come out in support of the pending same sex legislation in the Washington legislature. Moreover, they say that legally recognizing same sex couples is good for business - a message lost on Virginia Governor Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell who to date has done a mediocre job at best of attracting new jobs and employers to the Commonwealth. The reality is that progressive and innovative companies are not flocking to states where the Republican Party is racing backwards to the 11th Century. Here are highlights from the Seattle Times on the corporate endorse ments of marriage equality:

A letter signed by six prominent companies including Microsoft, was sent to legislative leaders on Thursday stating their support for gay marriage legislation in the state House and Senate.

As letters of support go, it's very short: "We write you today to show the support of our respective companies for SB 6239 and HB 2516 recognizing marriage equality for same-sex couples." In addition to Microsoft, the letter was signed by officials from Vulcan, NIKE, RealNetworks, Group Health Cooperative, and Concur.

Microsoft just issued a short statement explaining it's support:

"Microsoft is joining other Northwest employers Concur, Group Health Cooperative, Nike, RealNetworks and Vulcan Inc. in support of Washington State legislation recognizing marriage equality for same-sex couples. This position builds on our history of supporting corporate and public policies that promote inclusion and equality.

"Microsoft's greatest asset is a talented workforce as diverse as our customers. As other states recognize marriage equality, Washington's employers are at a disadvantage if we cannot offer a similar, equitable and inclusive environment to our talented employees, our top recruits and their families. This legislation would put Washington employers on equal footing with employers in the six other states that already recognize the committed relationships of same-sex couples. Passing the bill would be good for our business and for the state's economy."

Here are some highlights from a more detailed explanation of Microsoft's position penned by Brad Smith, General Counsel & Executive Vice President, Legal & Corporate Affairs:

Every day, the national and global economies are becoming more diverse. The lifeblood of a business is its ability to understand and connect with its customers. We’re no exception. Now more than ever, the most effective workforce is a diverse workforce.

Marriage equality in Washington would put employers here on an equal footing with employers in the six other states that already recognize the committed relationships of same-sex couples – Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont. This in turn will help us continue to compete for talent.

We also recognize that marriage has meaning as both a civil and a religious institution. Like the marriage equality bill passed last year in New York State with bipartisan and business support, this bill preserves religious freedom in Washington’s churches while ending discrimination in Washington law. Like the New York bill, we believe Washington’s legislation should be passed into law. It will make our state and our economy stronger.

If Taliban Bob truly cared about economic Virginia's future - as opposed to being obsessed with giving political fellatio to the most hate-filled elements in Virginia, including the hate merchants at The Family Foundation - he'd be pushing for a repeal of the Marshall-Newman Amendment and passage of legislation like that passed last June in New York State.

Microsoft and Other Leading Companies Say DOMA Hurts Business

There is no way around the reality that the Defense of Marriage Act, a/k/a DOMA is all about religious based discrimination. Something supposedly illegal when engaged in by the federal or state governments under the United States Constitution. But unfortunately, in this country far right Christians continue to be afforded special rights and those who don't conform to far right religious beliefs pay a price, with LGBT citizens being particularly punished for their nonconformity. Now, in the ongoing challenges to DOMA in the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals, 70 corporations have filed an amicus brief attacking DOMA and arguing that it is bad for businesses (a full list of the companies can be seen here). The GOP claims to be the pro-business party, but it is safe to assume this message from businesses will fall on deaf ears as Republican elected officials continue to have their noses so far up the asses of Christianist that it's a wonder they do not suffocate. Here are some highlights fro The Advocate on the court filing:

Top U.S. companies including Google, Microsoft, and Starbucks took the unusual step on Thursday of legally documenting their opposition to the Defense of Marriage Act.

A brief filed in court comes from 70 businesses and organizations that want their voice heard on the constitutionality of DOMA, which bans same-sex marriage from being recognized federally and stops couples married in states such as Massachusetts from having their weddings recognized in less accepting places such as Alabama.

The companies paint the law as an overburdening government regulation that should be repealed.

Their brief points out that the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives is defending DOMA in court on the notion that it imposes "a uniform rule" on whose marriage is recognized. "The perspective of the American employer who must implement DOMA is very different," the companies state. "Employers are obliged to treat one employee spouse differently from another, when each is married, and each marriage is equally lawful."

The companies say DOMA "forces" them "to investigate the gender of the spouses of our lawfully married employees and then to single out those employees with a same-sex spouse." For example, HIPPA laws usually consider marriage a "qualifying event" that automatically enrolls a spouse in an employee's health insurance. Companies now spend time and money weeding out any gay employees who get married.

Companies complain that when a same-sex couple legally marries, it requires them "to maintain two sets of books." That's because the couple is considered married under state law but not married under federal law. "The double entries ripple through human resources, payroll, and benefits administration," they write.

"The burden on the small employer is especially onerous," the companies point out. Small businesses can't afford to hire consultants, and "such burdens, standing alone, might chill a smaller employer from employing an otherwise qualified employee because she happens to be married to a same-sex spouse."

Fundamentalists Launch Shareholder Drive To Fight Microsoft On Gay Rights

As 365gay.com is reporting (http://www.365gay.com/Newscon08/01/010908micro.htm), homophobic and anti-gay bigot Ken Hutcherson along with some other professional gay-haters has formed a corporation to organize a proposed shareholder revolt against what they call Microsoft's funding of the gay agenda. People are starving and going without medical treatment in this country and around the world but instead of ministering to their needs, this ***hole is wasting time, money and manpower of this crap. Not exactly what Jesus would do I suspect. Of course, I would love to know how much money the "Rev." Hutcherson and Messrs. Wildmon and Bauer will somehow receive in the process. Seriously, but for fighting "the gay agenda" would some of these guys even have jobs? Here are some story highlights:

(Seattle, Washington) A group of conservative religious leaders have formed a corporation to organize a shareholder revolt against what they call Microsoft's funding of the gay agenda. AGN Financial is led by Rev. Ken Hutcherson (pictured), a Redmond, Washington pastor who has fought Microsoft on gay issues in the past. It's board of advisors includes longtime gay foes Don Wildmon of the American Family Association and Family Values leader Gay Bauer.

In a statement AGN said "that corporations are donating close to $1 Billion every year to promote the dissolution of family values in our society." Microsoft is the first corporation to be targeted but if the campaign is successful other companies will be added. AGN this week launched its “Buy Three, Donate One” campaign where supporters are urged to buy three Microsoft shares and donate one to AGN.

The AGN Financial Website will allow shareholders "to see what AGN recommendations are backed by Biblical scriptures. For the first time in American History, a single person with only three shares of Microsoft stock, will have the voice of millions or even hundreds of millions of shares shaping the moral decisions of one of the largest companies in the world."

Microsoft has a written anti-discrimination policy and provides health benefits to the partners of gay workers. Microsoft's directors urged shareholders to reject Hutcherson's attempt to kill the policy, and the issue failed to get enough support for a vote.

Microsoft expands in Canada amid U.S. visa crunch

Yahoo News is reporting that Microsoft said it plans to open a Vancouver, British Columbia, facility by the end of the year. It will initially have about 200 workers, and employ about 900 within a couple years. Businesses, particularly technology firms, say they need to recruit foreign nationals, many of whom have received their graduate degrees in the United States, to compensate for a shortage of qualified programmers, engineers and scientists. Microsoft said in a statement that the Vancouver center will "allow the company to continue to recruit and retain highly skilled people affected by the immigration issues in the United States." But company spokesman Lou Gellos said Microsoft's frustration with the U.S. government's visa policy wasn't the only reason for the expansion in Canada.

Having visited Canada and Vancouver (pictured above) in particular, I suspect there is another reason for the move by Microsoft beside those named in the story: namely the intolerant image of the USA growing abroad. Canada is a far more tolerant country and Vancouver has a very diverse population where a cosmopolitan population seems to get along. Moreover, the policies of the Christo-fascists tied to Chimperator Bush's regime and which continue to dominate the GOP hold little sway in Canada. To be candid, when I crossed the border back into the USA, I felt like I was leaving true freedom behind in Canada.

Long term, the damage this administration has done to the nation is huge, with the Iraq disaster being only a small part of the overall damage. For the whole story, see: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070705/wl_canada_nm/canada_microsoft_canada_immigration_col;_ylt=At7N9_6A1t1SrDF_QEhaPzJvaA8F.