As I think about today being World AIDS Day, it is hard for me to separate the facts from feeling the personal heartache of this disease. I know many of you reading this feel the same way. Almost 30 years and 24 million people have died. 24 MILLION...I cannot even fathom this number as it is unreal to me.
I just know that number is compounded by the number of sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, significant others (all naming conventions) and friends that are missing their loved ones. That adds up to far more than 24 million remaining heartaches. Last year 2 million people died and 3 million more became infected.
As I listened to Whoppi on the View this morning start the program with mentioning these stats I felt numb and sad. 50% worldwide are women living with AIDS. I started doing research and confirmed that yes, these numbers are true. As much progress as we have made we still have 33 million people infected with HIV.
33 Million...
I would like to thank Meg who has been a great consistent resource for providing hard to get information. Meg - you rock!
Join us for the return of Seattle Spit on Thursday, December 10th at 8pm at Wildrose!!
Marita Isabel & Broch Bender will be performing and releasing chapbooks. What's a chapbook, you ask? It's a D.I.Y., low-cost, self-published book of writings, rants, poems and/or pictures, make your own today!
OPEN MIC too, so bring your fabulously fierce queerbo & ally selves and your ArtHeart and get ready for a delicious revival of Seattle Spit!!
This queer spoken word event is totes free and open to all, 21+. For more info or to get involved in future Seattle Spit extravaganzas, text us at 206.437.0719.
Our next Seattle Spit will be on January 14, 2010 and we are looking for performers. Holler back!
Check Seattle Announcements Calendar for additional details.
I want to encourage you to look at and use the Seattle Announcements Calendar. I would be bombarding you with emails to tell you all the fabulous events that are available for you to attend. So far for December there are 362 events to choose from with 22 the most on any given day and 5 being the least.
I have not come close to finish adding fun exciting and interesting events for the month. If you are thinking they are not for you because they must be bars or expensive, think again. Many many are FREE FREE FREE as I source no or low cost options as I am a great believer that one can enjoy life without having to pay a great deal for it or needing to ask the age old question -does this bar stool make MY butt look big?
I do highlight events and place them on the calendar but there are many that do not get the attention they deserve...yet. Over time I hope all events will be mentioned but until then...peek at the calendar. I can also send you a link for it (we can talk more about this as you get comfy). This is a two-way relationship...remember, I do this for YOU and want your life to be enriched as a result of what you read, attend and hopefully feel a part of.
I am going to list just a few events that are posted this month to give you a little sense of the variety:
Skate with the Rat City Roller Girls
Saturday, December 6, 2009 at 6:30-8:30pm
Bellevue Skate King
2301 140th Ave NE
Bellevue, WA 98005
(425) 458-4707
The evening will include fun games like snowball toss, candy run, and gift un-wrap relay and, of course, roller skating! Cost is $8, which includes admission and skate rental.
Want to help kids in need enjoy the holiday season? We do! That's why we're inviting our fans and friends to bring a new, unwrapped present (or two or three!) to donate to DAWN (Domestic Abuse Women's Network). Let's brighten the lives of kids in need. If you need a little extra enticement, here's a little secret: some of the Rat City Rollergirls are elves on loan from North Pole. Come find out which ones when you get your picture taken with Santa in our winter wonder land.
On Seattle Announcements Calendar
Have you ever thought about skating like the Rat City Roller Babes? Here is your chance as they are offering a rockin rollin boot camp!
Rat City Boot Camp Wants YOU! Boot camp is December 5th and 6th so don't delay!
Rat City Rollergirls is pleased to announce our first ever preseason bootcamp! This is guaranteed to be an amazing learning experience for beginning and intermediate/advanced skaters, and we are excited to offer this unique opportunity. Thanks to our new training facility, we are able to offer this clinic for a limited number of skaters. Enroll now to secure your spot!
Class Goals: Each class in the bootcamp will have an assigned coach that creates a set of drills to address the problem or skill-set. There will be NON-leading coaches who will give boot camp attendees active feedback and help during the drills. This camp offers one-on-one coaching from some of the northwest's top coaches and players.
Choose Beginner or Intermediate/Advanced Level:
Bootcamp 1 (beginner) -- Sign up for this camp if you are within the first year of your skating experience and looking to improve on the basic skills. Also, if you are a more experienced skater and seek a review of the basics then sign up for this class. TOTAL= 13 hours (9 hours on skates, 4 hours off skates)
Bootcamp 2 (intermediate/advanced) -- Sign up for this camp if you have a season or more of experience. This camp will take a step up from the basics and focus on intermediate and advanced applications of beginning level skills. TOTAL= 13 hours (9 hours on skates, 4 hours off skates)
Registration and Questions: e-mail Primp Daddy if you have questions or wish to register (you can also register online here: www.ratcityrollergirls.com/boot-camp.html)
There are a number of FREE Films that are listed on the Seattle Announcements Calendar (check Friday nights). Here are a few events that may interest and stimulate you that are Free or low cost that are playing over the next couple weeks.
If you were interested in the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez spill this event may interest you. I could not find a cost associated so I *think* it is by donation. Ms T
Saturday, December 5, 2009, 7:00 PM
BLACK WAVE - THE LEGACY OF THE EXXON VALDEZ, FEATURING GUEST SPEAKER RIKI OTT
Trinity Lutheran Church 6215 196th Street Lynnwood near Edmonds near Highway 99.
Dr. Riki Ott will be with us to present the new documentary film, Black Wave, about the Exxon-Valdez oil spill and the effects on her community in Cordova, Alaska and the Prince William Sound region. Please join us for this event, co-sponsored by the Sierra Club (Snohomish Group of the Cascade Chapter), the Snohomish Peace Action Group, the Creation Protection Committee of Trinity Lutheran Church, the Alliance for Democracy, and the Peace & Justice Committee of Maplewood Presbyterian Church in Edmonds. Dr. Ott will discuss her work as it relates to corporate abuse in the U. S. There will be time for Q & A following the film.
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Saturday, December 12, 2009, 7:00PM
“A SEA CHANGE: A WORLD WITHOUT FISH"
Queen Anne United Methodist Church, 1606 5th Avenue W, the pink church next to the Queen Anne Branch Library. Entrance is on W Garfield St .
Timed to coincide with the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, the Queen Anne Movie Guild presents “A SEA CHANGE: A WORLD WITHOUT FISH”, directed by Barbara Ettinger and co-produced by Sven Huseby of Niiji Films. Come explore the oceans with historian Sven Huseby. Learn what scientists in the United States and Norway are saying about ocean acidification and what they think this companion of climate change, already affecting marine organisms, could mean for us. Featured is a beautiful interview with renowned architect, Maya Lin. A segment of this documentary was filmed in Seattle.
Additional information about this documentary, the Queen Anne Movie Guild, and the sponsors who are helping make this free community service possible can be found at: www.queenannemovieguild.org.
Free Showing - Refreshments and discussion immediately following movie
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Thursday, December 17, 2009, 7:00 PM
MEANINGFUL MOVIES AT THE HENRY ART GALLERY:
“THE YES MEN” (…THE FIRST MOVIE) (82 min, Chris Smith, Dan Ollman, 2005)
Henry Art Gallery - 15th Ave NE and NE 41st St, University of Washington Campus
FREE Henry Members and students w/ID; $5 general admission
See the Yes Men’s new film, The Yes Men Save the World, at Northwest Film Forum and then come to the Henry for re-view of their first self-titled release. Yes Men Andy Bichlbaum & Mike Bonanno parody the official website of the World Trade Organization (www.gatt.org) with a mock site so convincing that visitors miss the ruse and start sending event invitations. With poker-faced impersonation as their weapon and corporate irresponsibility as their target, the Yes Men pull off a series of increasingly bold pranks. Henry Art Gallery Associate Curator Sara Krajewski will introduce the film.
Presented by Henry Art Gallery, Community Alliance for Global Justice, Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies, & The Meaningful Movies Project. Members and students free; General Admission: only $5. Link for Henry website: www.henryart.org.
More info on film: http://theyesmen.org/movies/theyesmen, http://www.nwfilmforum.org/live/page/calendar/1118.
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Friday, December 18, 2009, 7:00 PM
FILM: “NO IMPACT MAN” FOLLOWED BY DISCUSSION
Greenwood Senior Center, 525 N 85th St,, Seattle
Colin Beavan decides to completely eliminate his personal impact on the environment for the next year. It means eating vegetarian, buying only local food, and turning off the refrigerator. It also means no elevators, no television, no cars, busses, or airplanes, no toxic cleaning products, no electricity, no material consumption, and no garbage. No problem – at least for Colin – but he and his family live in Manhattan. So when his espresso-guzzling, retail-worshipping wife Michelle and their two-year-old daughter are dragged into the fray, the No Impact Project has an unforeseen impact of its own.
The No Impact Project (NIP) and Center for a New American Dream (CNAD) are doing a nationwide pre-DVD release community screening of the documentary, No Impact Man, and a post-screening discussion about non-consumption in the holiday season. Greenwood Senior Center Will Host The Seattle Screening!
If you enjoy bike riding (as in without a motor) this may be a fun group for you. They meet the first Saturday of the month and bike along established bike routes. You can find their past rides on their web page www.spokespeople.us. This might be just the thing you need after the holiday eating!
Saturday Jan 2, 2009, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Meet at the South end of Wallingford Playfield, at the intersection of N42nd St & Densmore Ave N
Seattle is one of America's best cities for biking. SPOKESPEOPLE will make it even better! Starting at Wallingford Playfield, SPOKESPEOPLE will travel on the first Saturday of every month between neighborhood centers. Spokespeople will gather new and experienced urban cyclists in a fun, low carbon activity. Join us!
info@spokespeople.us; (206)547-9569/ 206-713-6269 day of ride cell
On Seattle Announcements Calendar.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009, 7:00 PM
TALES OF THE DEVINE - With Author, Mythologist and Storyteller Michael Meade
Broadway Performance Hall, 1625 Broadway, Seattle
In ancient myths, the divine presence can be found in things of this world as well as in the eternal realm. The story of creation is not a onetime event, but an ongoing process that requires human attention and involves human destiny.
Join us for an evening that considers how to become a "disciple" in one's own life and how to find one's true worth in the world. This dynamic and surprising array of stories, poems, and commentary offers tools for negotiating the troubles of the modern world while finding paths of purpose, meaning, and destiny. Tickets: www.mosaicvoices.org
Proceeds support Voices of Youth and Intercultural Projects, thanks to Wallingford Neighbors.
On Seattle Announcements Calendar.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009, 6:30 to 8:30 PM
Come share tips about celebrating the holidays more sustainably!
Learn how to make candles, crochet potholders, brew (root) beer, and other fun holiday gifts.
We are looking for a few more teachers with a DIY [do it yourself] skill to share. Please contact meganhorst@hotmail.com to be one of our teachers that night.
Bethany Community Church, 8023 Green Lake Drive N, CE Auditorium, Seattle, WA
Thanks to Wallingford Neighbors. On Seattle Announcements Calendar.
ALTERNATIVE GIFT MARKET
Monday, December 14, 2009, 1:00 - 8:00 PM
Greenwood Senior Center, 525 N 85th St, Seattle
The Greenwood Senior Center is holding its second annual Alternative Gift Market.
An Alternative Gift Market provides people with the ability to designate charitable gifts in the name of their relatives, friends and associates through featured humanitarian projects. Instead of buying a sweater for the holidays, people can donate money in the name of their loved one to purchase a bicycle ambulance for community health workers in Southern Africa.
The fair is on Monday, December 14th from 1-8pm. Contact Emily at the Greenwood Senior Center for any questions: (206) 297-0875 or emily@greenwoodseniorcenter.org
Thanks to Wallinford Neighbors for the details. On the Seattle Announcements Calendar.
Yes, you may have missed me over the last week and I did miss you. Our relationship being a bit odd and at times feeling a wee bit one-sided. I know you are there but a silent partner to my information and one woman rants often written long past the time I should be asleep but am not. I feel obligated to bring you information and when I cannot I do freak-a-bit. I hate to disappoint.
I must share with you why I disappeared but was not really gone. I lay the blame on the evil internet. Ok, not the entire internet but Feedburner specifically. Feedburner quit burning my feeds on Tuesday the 17th which meant you my beloved readers quit getting the GayZette updates via email. This consumed my time and energy from posting new and interesting things as I was researching answers to the problem but found there is not any support available for situations such as this.
I found and tried to fix the problems that Feedburner mentioned that were in the offending posts. Each time I fixed one problem they found another! It felt like an argument that I would never win. I HATE admitting defeat but finally gave up after pulling 3 all nighters and began the process of burning another feed and setting up a new account.
I was left with the question...why do feeds go bad? For multiple reasons as simple as adding quotes or copying other peoples text in a post. I have taken precautions so it will hopefully not happen again. I will be Safe Blogging from this point on. Yes, I am looking for a software solution to assist me and test my posts before they get to you. Mind you...YOU are in no danger, this is a disagreement between HTML and the new XML format. They do NOT play well together.
What does this goobly goop mean to you? For all you fabulous folks that have been receiving the GayZette by email, you will receive a NEW subscription email. My new feed is working as I have tested it. We have a new simplier feed address and the text you receive in the feeds will be a little bit different than before.
Now...I am off to send you all your new email invitations and start posting the important stuff again.
Kindest regards,
Ms T
PS...for those scratching your heads saying -what is a feed? Simply...a feed is a data format so that information can be updated immediately and in a standard format that is recognized and can be read in a Feed Reader. We can subscribe to services to receive the feed via email or via a feed reader. More info can be found here.
