Archive for December, 2009
-
SEND A GLAAD HOLIDAY CARD and support EQUALITY
GLAAD needs your help. At the GLAAD site, you will find 6 storie of advancements made towards full equality this year.
Please take a moment to choose your favorite media moment ecard and send it to 10 or more friends, family members or colleagues, asking them to consider a contribution to GLAAD to support their work. By helping GLAAD share their stories, you are helping to amplify the words and images that matter, and that make a difference in our society. You are also helping GLAAD by encouraging the financial support that is critical to ensure GLAAD continues our work.
In 2010, GLAAD performed specific work around adoption, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, marriage equality, defamation, sports, communities of African descent, Spanish language media and faith-based programs. States like Florida, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, California and other states and cities around the country will require GLAAD’s help in creating public awareness campaigns that impact results when it comes time for a vote.
Please take 5 minutes out of your day to help us with this special project. Your 5 minutes together with the 5 minutes given by thousands of other GLAAD members across the country will add up to the $250,000 we need to make our goal.
VISIT GLAAD.org to send a card.
-
BIG LAUGH: THE MOST DIVERSE HOLIDAY PARTY
**We wanted to share with you this forward about what happens when people try to think about everyone and be as diverse as possible. As you know, that is our platform and we treasured that hilarious way that this email came together. This HOLIDAY season, we want to remind everyone to ensure that in their greetings they remember everyone. Happy Holiday!
Company Memo
FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Employees
DATE: October 1, 2009
RE: Gala Christmas Party
I’m happy to inform you that the company Christmas Party will take place on December 23rd, starting at noon in the private function room at the Grill House. There will be a cash bar and plenty of drinks! We’ll have a small band playing traditional carols… feel free to sing along. And don’t be surprised if our CEO shows up dressed as Santa Claus! A Christmas tree will be lit at 1:00 PM. Exchanges of gifts among employees can be done at that time; however, no gift should be over $10.00 to make the giving of gifts easy for everyone’s pockets. This gathering is only for employees!
Our CEO will make a special announcement at that time!
Merry Christmas to you and your family,
Patty
——————————————————————————–
——————————————————————————–
Company Memo
FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Employees
DATE: October 2, 2009
RE: Gala Holiday Party
In no way was yesterday’s memo intended to exclude our Jewish employees. We recognize that Hanukkah is an important holiday, which often coincides with Christmas, though unfortunately not this year. However, from now on, we’re calling it our “Holiday Party.” The same policy applies to any other employees who are not Christians and to those still celebrating Reconciliation Day. There will be no Christmas tree and no Christmas carols will be sung. We will have other types of music for your enjoyment.
Happy now?
Happy Holidays to you and your family,
Patty
——————————————————————————–
Company Memo
FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Employees
DATE: October 3, 2009
RE: Holiday Party
Regarding the note I received from a member of Alcoholics Anonymous requesting a non-drinking table, you didn’t sign your name. I’m happy to accommodate this request, but if I put a sign on a table that reads, “AA Only”, you wouldn’t be anonymous anymore. How am I supposed to handle this?
Somebody?
And sorry, but forget about the gift exchange, no gifts are allowed since the union members feel that $10.00 is too much money and the executives believe $10.00 is a little chintzy.
REMEMBER: NO GIFTS EXCHANGE WILL BE ALLOWED.
——————————————————————————–
Company Memo
FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
To: All Employees
DATE: October 4, 2009
RE: Generic Holiday Party
What a diverse group we are! I had no idea that December 20th begins the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which forbids eating and drinking during daylight hours. There goes the party! Seriously, we can appreciate how a luncheon at this time of year does not accommodate our Muslim employees’ beliefs. Perhaps the Grill House can hold off on serving your meal until the end of the party or else package everything for you to take it home in little foil doggy baggy. Will that work?
Meanwhile, I’ve arranged for members of Weight Watchers to sit farthest from the dessert buffet, and pregnant women will get the table closest to the restrooms.
Gays are allowed to sit with each other. Lesbians do not have to sit with Gay men, each group will have their own table. Yes, there will be flower arrangement for the Gay men’s table.
To the person asking permission to cross dress, the Grill House asks that no cross-dressing be allowed, apparently because of concerns about confusion in the restrooms. Sorry.
We will have booster seats for short people.
Low-fat food will be available for those on a diet.
I am sorry to report that we cannot control the amount of salt used in the food. The Grill House suggests that people with high blood pressure taste a bite first.
There will be fresh “low sugar” fruits as dessert for diabetics, but the restaurant cannot supply “no sugar” desserts. Sorry!
Did I miss anything?!?!?
Patty
——————————————————————————–
Company Memo
FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All F*%^ing Employees
DATE: October 5, 2009
RE: The F*%^ing Holiday Party
I’ve had it with you vegetarian pricks!!! We’re going to keep this party at the Grill House whether you like it or not, so you can sit quietly at the table furthest from the “grill of death,” as you so quaintly put it, and you’ll get your f*%^ing salad bar, including organic tomatoes. But you know, tomatoes have feelings, too. They scream when you slice them. I’ve heard them scream. I’m hearing them scream right NOW!
The rest of you f*%^ing weirdoes can kiss my *ss. I hope you all have a rotten holiday!
Drive drunk and die,
The B*tch from H*ll!!!
——————————————————————————–
——————————————————————————–
Company Memo
FROM: Joan Bishop, Acting Human Resources Director
DATE: October 6, 2009
RE: Patty Lewis and Holiday Party
I’m sure I speak for all of us in wishing Patty Lewis a speedy recovery and I’ll continue to forward your cards to her.
In the meantime, management has decided to cancel our Holiday Party and give everyone the afternoon of the 23rd off with full pay.
Happy Holidays!
Joan
***THIS EMAIL was not CREATED BY THE RAINBOW COLLECTIVE.COM. This is from a forward.
-
Five Ways to Give Back This Holiday
It is certainly the season for shopping if anything else. It was just after Halloween started to get out their holiday decorations and go to town in grand fashion. Fifth avenue in New York is a sight for sore eyes. The Cartier building is wrapped in a big red bow and even in the daylight, it sparkles. The tourists are snapping pictures and everyone is going wild. However, as we strike off another item on the holiday list or scratch our heads about where the money will come from for a present, there are many ways we can gift back this holiday season.
Toys for Tots
If you have a little kid in the family, you can kill two birds with one stone. You can buy them a gift and another child by donating to Toys for Tots before you complete your purchase.Habitat for Humanity
Who says gift cards are no good? Habitat for Humanity accepts monetary and committments for volunteers.
Feel free to visithabitat.com to donate.Save the world: Give a Green Gift
Green gits are in. After seeing the film 2012, I want to commit to personally reducing my impact. You can to with a green gift. Visit http://greenholidaygiftguide.inhabitat.com/ for green gift giving ideas.SOUP KITCHEN
Take some time out to research ways to help with your local soup kitchen.GIVE WHAT YOU GOT
If you receive something that doesn’t fit or you don’t like, no need to pout. Visit your local GOODWILL or SALVATION ARMY to make use of that sweater that is one size too big or small.HAVE A LITTLE MORE TIME? WANT SOMETHING SPECIFIC?
If you are one of many who want to give back by using your skills, visit VOLUNTEER MATCH to find current opportunities to give.
-
Maurice Runea The Show Holiday Special
Maurice Runea The Show leaves 2009 as messy as it came in. Wrapping up Season 3 in grand style, Romeo and Maurice take time to prepare some treats and laugh about their favorite moments from the past season. As they evaluate how naughty or nice they have been, they leave us with enough belly laughs to carry us to 2010. Don’t miss I Want to Work for Diddy’s and the upcoming film, “T”, Laverne Cox, Escuelita’s resident comedian, SuggaPieKoKo, Slutty Summer’s JR Rolley(actor) and GLAAD Top 100 artist Lucas Stoffel. It is a happy holiday present for all the faithful fans. It doesn’t get more messy than this.
Watch large format or smaller format below
-
Findng Me Truth Trailer: Sequel to Best Gay Film Revealed
OmeProductions LLC Films, the production company that brought you Finding Me, the story of Faybien Allan finding love in NYC despite his father’s homophobia, self-loathing and mis-direction, now brings you Finding Me Truth. Here is the official first look at the sequel to Finding Me premiering 2010.
Visit FINDINGMETRUTH.WORDPRESS.COM for the latest updates.
Photo Credit: Josh DeHonney Photography
-
Tiger Woods Person of the Year
If there is one thing 2009 we learned in 2009, is that CELEBRITIES are HUMAN. For some reason, a majority of us started to think that celebrities could never do any wrong. Others thought that celebrities were somehow above their demons and that their cookie-cutter images were truly real. However, after the unncessary Tiger Woods fallout, the Chris Brown debaucle and most recently Brittany Murphy, hopefully, we can come to realization. Celebrities are humans. Humans are fallible. We all make mistakes and are prone to a fall or two.
In today’s New York Times, FRANK RICH, sums up the 2009 year of Humans at fault nicely. We even have a nice flashback to the Bush era. TIGER MAN OF THE YEAR Someone should suggest that the NY Post get a clue and stop trying to come up with new creative ways to make puns out Tiger. However, I must admit, “CHEETAH” is by far my favorite.
-
Do not Forget Climate Change: Deal Made in Copenhagen
As we march forward toward 2010, let us not forget climate change. The negotiations in Copenhagen despite all the signs of destruction on the Earth, was close to being brought to a complete halt. With moments left to spare, Obama landed in Copenhagen and talked with nearly 20 other world leaders, including UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in an attempt to salvage a deal.
Here is the official report from the “Copenhagen Climate Council” below.
For two hours, more than 1,000 journalists, crowded into the Media Center, watched a live feed from the plenary hall as we waited for Obama and other leaders to address the assembled delegates. The delay owed to the impromptu confab, as well as to a nearly hour-long private meeting between Obama and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
When Obama did address delegates in the plenary hall, his countenance and cadence revealed his frustration. It was clear that he had anticipated landing in Copenhagen with the talks much further along than they turned out to be. A telling illustration, one first reported by the sharp-eyed Mother Jones Washington Bureau Chief David Corn, was Obama’s departure (there were several others) from his prepared remarks. At one point, Obama said that “after months of talk, and two weeks of negotiations, I believe that the pieces of that accord should now be clear” (emphasis added). The prepared remarks read “are now clear.”
More talks followed into the afternoon and evening, with Premier Wen sending emissaries to talk with Obama (a slight that infuriated US and EU officials). At a climactic moment late in the high-wire day, Obama even burst into a meeting between Singh, Wen, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and South African President Jacob Zuma, over the objections of Chinese protocol officials, because he didn’t want them negotiating in secret. Obama and the four leaders eventually met for an hour and a half.
In that meeting, they put the final touches on what would be called the Copenhagen Accord, a three-page political declaration, with two appendices to be completed by January 31, 2010 – one to list 2020 economy-wide emissions reduction targets for developed (that is, Annex 1) countries, and another for nationally appropriate mitigation actions of the United States and developing countries.
The Accord, ultimately brokered by leaders from more than two-dozen of the 193 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), has already been widely described as inadequate, even by those who, like Obama, worked feverishly to reach agreement.
Obama himself said in a briefing with reporters just before leaving for Washington that “I want to be very clear that ultimately this issue is going to be dictated by the science, and the science indicates that we’re going to have to take more aggressive steps in the future.”
In a statement released on Saturday, UNFCCC chief Yvo de Boer was equally candid about the Accord’s shortcomings. “We must be honest about what we have got. The world walks away from Copenhagen with a deal. But clearly ambitions to reduce emissions must be raised significantly if we are to hold the world to 2 degrees.
“We now have a package to work with and begin immediate action. However, we need to be clear that it is a letter of intent and is not precise about what needs to be done in legal terms. So the challenge is now to turn what we have agreed politically in Copenhagen into something real, measurable and verifiable,” he said.
The deal does not include a target to halve global emissions by 2050 (a rich country wish); it does not set a deadline, as many hoped, to complete, by the end of 2010, the international treaty that will go into force after the first commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012; it does not specify what legal instrument[s] will extend or replace the Kyoto Protocol; it was not agreed to by all parties to the UNFCCC , and those who did so agreed merely to “take note” of the Accord; and of course, as de Boer noted, it is not legally binding.
What does it do? It recognizes the scientific view that the average increase in global temperature should be below 2°C; it calls for a review of the Accord, to be completed by 2015, to determine if emission cuts and curbs on offer are sufficient to prevent the 2°C temperature rise, and to consider whether the long-term target should be 1.5°C; it establishes a “Copenhagen Green Climate Fund” under the UNFCCC through which developed countries commit to directing some $30 billion over the next three years to the most vulnerable developing countries, and an aspirational goal to mobilize $100 billion a year by 2020 for mitigation and adaptation in the developing world; and it obliges many developing countries, including major emerging economies, to communicate their efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions every two years, listing their voluntary pledges in the appendix and before the deadline I mentioned above.
Most importantly, the Copenhagen Accord signaled that a concerted global effort to address climate change is possible. Yes, the Accord is weaker than science demands. But, we can’t forget two things. First, for eight years, including one entire year of the Bali Action Plan, which set the deadline for Copenhagen, the government of the world’s biggest economy and second largest emitter, the US, was not just disengaged from the climate change fight, it was actively working against it. Under the Obama administration that is no longer the case. But it might take two terms of an Obama presidency or longer to rebuild trust.
Second, for the first time major developing countries – China, India, Brazil, South Africa, and others – acknowledged, however grudgingly, a responsibility to take mitigating action. It is a fact that nearly all the growth in emissions in the coming decades will come from developing countries, and that countries required to cut emissions under the Kyoto Protocol account for just 30% of global emissions. Without developing countries actively engaged, the fight is lost.
Obama summed up the truth of where we are now at during his late-night press briefing. Reiterating his administration’s intention to conclude a legally-binding treaty, he said: “This is a classic example of a situation where if we just waited for [a legally-binding treaty], then we would not make any progress. And in fact I think there might be such frustration and cynicism that rather than taking one step forward, we ended up taking two steps back.
“But this is going to be hard. This is hard within countries; it’s going to be even harder between countries. One of the things that I’ve felt very strongly about during the course of this year is that hard stuff requires not paralysis, but it requires going ahead and making the best of the situation that you’re in at this point, and then continually trying to improve and make progress from there.”
Credit: http://www.copenhagenclimatecouncil.com
![What makes a Terrorist? [Car bomb in New York Times Square]](http://www.therainbowcollective.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/times_square_grab_h2-150x150.jpg)
