sundries

[rm]

My perpetually late werewolf story is going to be done TODAY. I have been plowing through it this morning and will continue to do so. Because it needs finish. And the editor needs it like forever ago.

Bristol: still don't know. Trying not to obsess (as opposed to what I've been doing for weeks?)

Patty has a cold.

Nothing sucks more than finding out about a conference stuff I'm working on would be perfect four 5 days after the abstract deadline.

‘Whitening’ the Résumé. I've heard about this before from friends, and I've even been told to use Rachel on my own resume lest my own unusual name trigger racist assumptions. Even so, the article is still shocking to me and a really clear sort of look at "here's one result of systemic racism."

Twenty years ago today 28 people at École Polytechnique were shot by a gunman who ultimately killed himself. He actively targeted women, separating men from women in some rooms he entered and then shooting the women, to, he declared "fight feminism."

Los Angeles Episcopalians elect lesbian bishop.

The IAF auction is almost over. It ends tomorrow, in fact. There's some gorgeous stuff bid now It all benefits the Interstitial Arts Foundation, which supports the type of art many of you reading about this care about.

Bizarre YouTube thing on a look back at the Beatles from the year 3,000.

You know what I like? When my Amazon ranking has only three digits!

New upstairs neighbors. I'll be frank, they sound like the sort of very straight and normal 20-something women that intimidate me.

Yesterday was filled with Costco related aggravation in which I at first could not join because I don't have a driver's license and then was told over and over my passport would be acceptable if it was a "New York State" one. I had to explain, OVER AND OVER again that passports are not issued by the state, but by the federal government, and then come home in a snow/sleet-storm to get various proofs of address. I was finally able to join (and hey, they're gluten-free chicken basil meatballs are amazing) and had another irritating conversation with them about a household card for Patty ("do we have to prove domestic partnership or just her address?" "what do you mean?" "the form says close family, we are gay, do you need a domestic partnership certificate? or just proof that we live in the same house?" all of which somehow lead us back to this idea of New York State Passports).

Comments

[bethynyc.livejournal.com]

You probably know about the non-driver ID that you can get through the DMV. It looks just like a license only without that pesky driving thing, and with Non-Driver Identification at the top!

and ::headdesk:: at the idea of NYS Passports.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yup. Weirdly, some places wont take those as ID. Normally I just rely on my passport. And then, there was ysterday.

[bethynyc.livejournal.com]

That is so weird. I never have an issue with mine, but who knows? I guess non-drivers don't exist to those people who won't take them.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Some bars and clubs won't take then, and they are not, amusingly, a valid form of ID towards getting a passport.

[bethynyc.livejournal.com]

Wow...didn't know that! I used my expired passport as ID to get a new one, so it didn't come up. And I am a boring person who does not go to bars and clubs.

Looking forward to seeing your play in January!

[realtsunamigirl.livejournal.com]

Twenty years ago today 28 people at École Polytechnique were shot by a gunman who ultimately killed himself.

This is a major emotional matter for me happening as it did when I was in early puberty and just learning what it meant to be a woman. It was especially affecting as it occurred in my own country.

I have written about it in the past, here and here if you or anyone else wants to see how this has affected a Canadian woman.

regarding point six

[newwaytowrite.livejournal.com]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/a-survivor-speaks/article1390009/

her response to question three I thought was brilliant and so simple.

[realtsunamigirl.livejournal.com]

Sorry, the first link wasn't going through properly, this one should.

[kirby-crow.livejournal.com]

You know what I like? When my Amazon ranking has only three digits!

YES! :) Congrats!

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

I find the idea of Costco up there so weird, because I associate it with suburbia and people driving giant SUVS to buy huge stuff in bulk. How do you get any of that stuff home?

Now I will never have all the answers to your previous mysterious upstairs neighbors and their furniture moving sounds.

[rm.livejournal.com]

We have a granny cart and the Costco is 10 blocks from us! A lot of the stuff is jsut too big for us to buy, but some of the food options and spices and stuff are really good, especially if having a party. I also want to get us a new TV soon and some new luggage for the cruise, so those were big reasons we joined. Also we have a friend who lives near by, so I'm thinking we go shopping with her and split up some of the packages.

[aviv-b.livejournal.com]

State passports - what a good idea! I don't know about you, but there are some states I travel to that do seem like foreign countries. And in NY where lots of folks don't drive or have cars, I wouldn't think that would be that unusual.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

Ahh that makes sense. The only time I've ever been in those kind of places was to buy beer for end of semester parties. (Mel's dad had a card she borrowed)

I thought of you, as Mike is learning to play The Ship Song.

[delchi.livejournal.com]

Well you know I offered to give you driving lessons years ago .... ;)

[delchi.livejournal.com]

WHERE did you get the granny cart? I've searched both walmart, k mart, and other expected places and people just don't have them! I ended up buying a coleman cooler with a handle and wheels.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Local hardware stores have 'em.

[delchi.livejournal.com]

Domestic partnership certificate? WTF? My roomate in VA and I had costco cards and all I had to do was ask for a second card, and they handed it over. Something smells here.

Also LOL on the state passports. I used to joke about needing a passport to go from NJ to NYC.

[realtsunamigirl.livejournal.com]

And apparently I had even more to say on the topic. I don't know if anyone is interested but here's some more.

[delchi.livejournal.com]

I'll have a look next time I'm around. More motivation to clean out the trunk of my car.

Oddity , I cleaned out a storage unit I had out here and found the family TV from the 80's. JC Penny brand. hard to believe that was my portal to reality for so many years.

Then again, I carry a didge in my car as well, so strange stuff is no surprise.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

ID's are a funny thing.

I have a diver's license (17 year old angst!face!), a student card, my military service ID (I was blonde!) and my Ministry of the Interior issued ID that I had to get when I was 16 (and boy was that a bad hair day) - it's a law to have a form of ID on our person at all times.

It's only when I read posts like this that I realise that it's odd to carry my "papers" every where, to present them to security guards when they don't like the way I look (which they usually don't, my politics are worn on my sleeve, or around my neck, or on my bag).

State passports, now that's a comedy of errors waiting to happen!

[requiella]

I had a bank refuse to accect my passport as ID. They kept asking for "goverment ID". I eventually spoke to a manager saying a passport is ~federal~ ID. This was to withdraw $200.00.

[delchi.livejournal.com]

There is something similar going on in the tech industry with CVs. Although it is not expressly racist it is 'just plain wrong'.

As it turns out many HR departments are pre-screening CVs before sending them on to department heads. The HR people are instructed to look for certifications ( MCSE , CCNA, etc ... ) and if the Cv does not have any listed to trash it. The sad thing is these HR people have no clue, what they are looking for , they just look for the alphabet soup. The department heads complain that all tehy are getting is resumes from people who have just taken tests and have no real experience, while the people with enough experience and do not need the certifications ( 15 yrs experience for example ) are having their resumes tossed.

There are alot of evil things that go on with the whole CV business. It's become less and less of a display of skills but tailoring the document to get you past the drones who open the mail and into the office of the decision maker. This includes racist bits like you mentioned , as well as other sneaky bits. Luckily for me I have made a name for myself in the industry and usually ( at least over the past few obs ) the CV is just a formality after someone decides to hire me. Some people would use the dreaded "P-word" here , but I don't think it applies. I have worked long and hard both at my job and presenting my work at conventions and in papers to establish a reputation and history of knowing my job, and doing it well.

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

i work in tech and have for the past fifteen years.

what you mention here does in fact suck, but has so very little to do with what rm's link mentioned that i'm really amazed about how you can make everything all about you. (rm, please do not then laugh at what i'm about to post. ;)

[guruwench.livejournal.com]

I remember the Polytechniqe Massacre very well... thank you for mentioning it. May we all remember.

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

my resume (for tech support/system administration, a traditionally white male field), says "e.a. lastname" and has for years. i have a recognizably swedish last name and live in a state that is mostly of scandinavian descent. so for someone just reading my resume, it's easy to imagine that i'll, what do we call it now... "fit in with the team".

sucks, but i'd rather be employed than not. and i'm sad but not surprised to hear that it also works along other lines of oppression.