Tag: politics

they wanted to go to work

On January 30, 2006, a woman killed a former neighbor with whom she had argued. She then went to the mail processing plant in Goleta, California, gained access to the grounds, stole a badge from an employee who she told to leave, and entered the facility. In different areas, she shot and killed six employees using her Smith & Wesson 910 pistol before turning the gun on herself and taking her own life.

• Ze Vang Fairchild (37 years old)
• Beverly Ann Graham (54) (shot at home)
• Nicola Michelle Grant (42)
• Maleka M. Higgins (28)
• Dexter E. Shannon (57)
• Guadalupe Swartz (52)
• Charlotte Colton (44)

The Big (and Better) Gay Picture

Michael Jensen has delivered good news in New Jersey’s Laurel Hester story. I’m sure this battle was won because many voices were heard in support of one individual who deserved fair treatment–not just the voices of activists, but New Jersey citizens, other governing bodies, ministers, and reporters.

It was also won because a man who describes himself as a straight, middle-aged conservative white guy, Dane Wells, was motivated by the professional respect he’d developed for Laurel Hester over the years to fight tirelessly on her behalf. Michael, thank you for your thorough coverage of this case, and when you speak to Mr. Wells, thank him from all of us who recognize what a difference he’s made.

One thing I believe is important. When people do the right thing, whether from a change of heart or political expediency, we should be just as vocal with our praise as we were with our criticism. I’m writing the freeholders at CountyConnection@co.ocean.nj.us to thank them for making the right decision.

I hope Laurel and her partner can now have the privacy and peace they deserve.

They’re coming to take me away

Apparently, when the Feds asked various companies who provide Internet search engines to turn over their records of all searches made during an “unspecified week,” all of them (including Yahoo) bleated a little lamblike noise that sounded remarkably like, “Okay!” Except Google, who expressed concern about protecting customer privacy (but who I suspect is probably more concerned with protecting proprietary information about how they do that thing they do).
Continue reading “They’re coming to take me away”

Reality hits home

I was reading about the case in New Jersey wherein the lesbian partner of a terminally ill police officer is being denied survivor benefits. But I’m not going to rant about that. I’m not going to rant about her TWENTY-FOUR years of service as a POLICE OFFICER in New Jersey. I’m not going to mention that STATE employees have domestic partnership benefits in New Jersey, but it was left to counties to make their own decisions about their employees, and Ocean County has said NO.
Continue reading “Reality hits home”

Get well, Jerry

This may seem odd coming from a Yellow Dawg Democrat*, but I wish former President Gerald Ford a speedy recovery from pneumonia. I’ve always felt a lot of affection for him and his family, and great respect for his wife. As to whether Tim has really been a “guest” of her clinic, no comment.

*I wasn’t always a YDD. Republicans turned me into one.