Open: Coming out

I have decided to 'come out'. I have not taken this decision lightly. The ramifications to my family and friends have weighed very heavily on me during my hours and days of deliberation of this matter. All that having been said I have decided to make the following declaration:

I am a human being.

There! I said it. Right there in print for all the world to see. I am a human being and I am proud.

For the longest time I was in a state of confusion. I had feelings of not belonging. I felt that there just had to be more. As a closeted 'human being' I segregated myself from others. I felt that I should keep away from those that didn't keep the same human values that I have. I was afraid that once labeled as a 'human' I would be ostracized and shunned.

Then I slowly learned of entire communities of human beings. Open societies that endorsed and embraced human values. Enclaves of like-minded individuals who truly feel that being human, being a human being is the very foundation of equality. And in being a human being we are endowed with unalienable rights.

It even turns out that some of my best friends are human beings.

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I am going to vote for Barack Obama.
I am William "Papa" Meloney and I endorse this message.

Open Seal of Approval

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I am going to vote for Barack Obama.
I am William "Papa" Meloney and I endorse this message.

Open Counterpunching

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I am going to vote for Barack Obama.
I am William "Papa" Meloney and I endorse this message.

Open Urges

[ W A R N I N G ]

As the International Mystery Writers Festival winds down I have been experiencing urges. With the end in sight I am once again becoming nervous. I am developing an itchy blogging finger (Typing style: Christopher Columbus - Discover and land). Here are a few 'ferinstances' . . .

Mary-Jo Foley reports that Microsoft is going to spend an additional $200 Million in advertising. Now doesn't it strike a person silly that M$ would lay out all that green without having a product to tout? (Tell me they aren't going to spend all that to remind the public just how bad Vista is?)

Head Lemur says he is joining the club . . .

Open Space Technology (OST) is a method to run meetings of groups of any size.

• Whoever comes is the right people - this is meant to alert the participants to the fact that whoever attends a session is "right" simply because they care to be there
• Whatever happens is the only thing that could have - this is meant to tell the attendees to pay attention to what is going on at the moment, instead of worrying about what could possibly be
• Whenever it starts is the right time - clarifies that there is no given schedule or structure and emphasises creativity and innovation
• When it's over, it's over - to tell the participants not to waste time, but move on to something else when the fruitful discussion is over

[ This is like the Zen of Meetings. Brilliant! H/T to Euan for the link. ]

and finally Hugh admits he has made another new mistake . . .

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I am going to vote for Barack Obama.
I am William "Papa" Meloney and I endorse this message.

Open Push-back

Dear Friends,

Right now, Fox News is trying to paint Barack Obama as foreign,
un-American, suspicious, and scary. They're trying to send Americans
the message that our country's first viable Black candidate for
President is not "one of us."

I've joined on to ColorOfChange.org's campaign to push back on Fox,
publicly demanding they stop their race-baiting and fear mongering.
If that doesn't work, then we'll go to their advertisers and the FCC.
I wanted to invite you to sign on as well. It takes only a moment:

http://www.colorofchange.org/foxobama/?id=1867-526328

Here's what happened recently:

After Senator Obama won the nomination, he and his wife gave each
other a "pound" in front of the cameras. Fox anchor E.D. Hill called
the act of celebration a "terrorist fist jab." Then last week, a Fox
News on-screen graphic referred to Michelle Obama as "Obama's baby
mama"--slang used to describe the unmarried mother of a man's child.
It was a clear attempt to associate the Obamas with negative cultural
stereotypes about Black people, an insult not only to Michelle Obama
but to women and Black people everywhere.

After each of the incidents mentioned, Fox issued some form of weak
apology. But what does it mean when you slap someone in the face,
apologize the next day, then slap them again on the third? It means
the apology is meaningless.

These aren't one-time incidents--they're part of a pattern that
continues no matter how often Fox is forced to apologize. Fox has a
clear record of attacking and undermining Black institutions, Black
leaders, and Black people in general.

If we don't push back now, we will see more of the same from now until
November. Please join me in helping to bring an end to Fox's
behavior.

http://www.colorofchange.org/foxobama/?id=1867-526328

Thanks.

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I am going to vote for Barack Obama.
I am William "Papa" Meloney and I endorse this message.

Open Country

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I am going to vote for Barack Obama.
I am William "Papa" Meloney and I endorse this message.

Open Annoyances: 2 venues, 5 flavors each

The original post was entitled . . .

The 5 Annoying People You Meet In Kuwait’s Movie Theater

. . . from my point of view it should not just focus on Kuaitis. Here are the bulleted lists. You really should go and read the original author's descriptions.

• The Duckman
• The Gossip Girl
• The Bluetooth Whore
• The Incarnated Children of The Devil
• The Clown Clapper

When I finished reading the posting it suggested I might like . . .

The 5 Annoying People You Meet In Starbucks

• The Writer Who Wants You to Know He’s a Writer
• The Guy Who Hates Starbucks But Goes There Anyway
• Study Groups
• Manager Who Refuses to Recognize the Words Small, Medium, and Large
• The Person Who Peruses the DVD/Music Section As If He Might Purchase Something

Yup, got StarBUCKS exactly right.

Come to think of it here in our little town the same points that apply to movie theater goers applies to library patrons ... except perhaps the clapper ... and there are even a few of those lurking in the stacks :(

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I am going to vote for Barack Obama.
I am William "Papa" Meloney and I endorse this message.

Open Bloom

Leave it to Jeremy to help us remember the really important things . . .

Bloomsday

Today is bloomsday, the day of the year that we celebrate Ulysses by drinking guinness….

[from Too many topics, too little time]

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I am going to vote for Barack Obama.
I am William "Papa" Meloney and I endorse this message.

Open Patriotism

BrightKite

[Hat tip to /Ambivalence NASFW (not always safe for work)]

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I am going to vote for Barack Obama.
I am William "Papa" Meloney and I endorse this message.