ny

Who is responsible for your company's hot work permit program?    

The short answer: everyone.     Hot work is one of the leading causes of industrial fire. According to the NFPA report Structure Fires Started by Hot Work - September 2016, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 4,440




ny

Balloons, many events highlight Feb. 1-3 Hot Air Affair

Hudson Star-Observer
Published Friday, January 18, 2008


Balloon launches highlight a weekend of activities at the 19th annual Hot Air Affair Friday-Sunday, Feb. 1-3. Mass ascension launches are planned for 7:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 2 and 3. An optional flight is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday, and the popular Moon Glow at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

This year’s Hot Air Affair theme is “Mardi Gras…Balloons & All That Jazz,” according to HAA President Evy Nerbonne. “Our event sponsors have really embraced the theme this year. We have more than 30 restaurants, bars, pubs and retailers doing special menu items, beverage specials and retail events highlighting the New Orleans carnival theme. It’s the weekend for jambalaya, hurricanes, King Cake and lots of beads.”

Balloons

The familiar red, white and blue ReMax hot air balloon has the longest history of Hudson appearances by a commercial balloon. It’s being sponsored by ReMax North Central and ReMax Associates Plus Inc., the owner of the ReMax realty company in Hudson.

Stephen Sinnen, Shakopee, Minn., will pilot the 105,000-cubic-foot aerostat in Hudson. He’s a 24-year pilot, logging more than 1,500 hours in balloons. Sinnen has flown balloons all over the United States and Mexico.

“Some of my more interesting flights have been dropping skydivers at the World Free Fall Convention in Quincy, Ill.,” Sinnen said. He has also carried passengers for Rainbow Ryders, the official passenger carriers for the balloon fiesta in Albuquerque, N.M.

This year’s other commercial balloons are U.S. Bank and M&I Bank. Special-shape balloons include Mr. Biddle, Rubber Duckie and Garfield. The Hot Air Affair, presented by M&I Bank, is one of the largest winter hot air ballooning events in the country.

“Everyone loves the balloons,” said balloon coordinator Carla Timmerman in describing the aerostats. “Commercial and special-shape balloons are what sets us apart from many other rallies.

The Hot Air Affair annually attracts corporate balloons from throughout the country because of the winter flying opportunity.

Pre-event activities start this week and Hot Air Affair isn’t just a spectator event! Here are some options for individual or family participation, some requesting advance registration.

  • Hot Air Affair kick-off Friday, Jan. 18, at Dick’s Bar & Grill, 111 Walnut St. Participants could win trivia contest prizes by correctly answering questions about Mardi Gras and the Hot Air Affair.
  • A family affair at YMCA camp St. Croix, Saturday, Jan. 19, from 1-4 p.m. The event includes hiking, sledding, orienteering and other outdoor activities, what it’s like to pilot and be a ground crew member for a hot air balloon, plus crafts. Aamodt’s Hot Air Balloon Rides will inflate their balloon and pilot John Lewis will offer a ground school for anyone wanting to learn how to crew for a hot air balloon. Paddy Ryan’s Irish Pub will offer beef and Guiness pie and potato/leek soup samples, and the camp will provide s’mores. All activities are free and no pre-registration is required.
  • Candlelight cross country skiing and hiking, Friday, Jan. 25, 6-9 p.m. at Willow River State Park. The event includes two miles of candle-lit ski trails and a mile of hiking trails. Free refreshments will be provided by Art Doyle’s Spokes & Pedals at the Nature Center. Hot air balloon pilots will provide a hot air balloon glow at 6:30 p.m., weather permitting. Hot Air Affair Geocaching Bash coordinate sheets will be available.
  • Phipps family day activity, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2-4 p.m. at Phipps Center for the Arts. Children of all ages and their families can create costumes to wear as they walk behind “The Phipps is for Kids” banner for the Torchlight Parade Friday, Feb. 1. Call (715) 386-2305 to sign up for the free class.
  • Hot Air Affair Geocaching Bash, Friday-Sunday, Feb. 1-3. Pick up coordinate sheets at M&I Bank or the Hudson Area Chamber of Commerce after Jan. 28. Geocache all weekend and turn in your log sheet to M&I Bank or mail it to PO Box 744, Hudson WI 54016 by Feb. 10 for your chance to win prizes.
  • Photo contest, sponsored by PressEnter. Send in your best photos of pre-events or activities Hot Air Affair weekend and you could win a prize. Entries will be accepted through Feb. 29 at PressEnter Internet Business Center, 206 Second St., Hudson.
  • Torchlight Parade, Friday, Feb. 1, 7:08 p.m., in downtown Hudson. This year’s theme is “Mardi Gras…Balloons & All That Jazz.” Parade participants should line up at 6 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Bank parking lot — the parade travels down Second Street and Walnut Street to Lakefront Park. Prizes will be awarded for best overall parade unit, the best “Mardi Gras” unit, the best pilot unit and the best kazoo marching band. Business and individual parade units should pre-register by calling Linda White at (715) 386-8332 or (715) 381-2050. Participants are reminded that no items can be thrown from parade units, and beads and other treats for parade watchers must be delivered street side.
  • Marketplace and craft fair, Saturday, Feb. 2, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at E.P. Rock Elementary School. Booth space is still available; sign up with Char Hipsher at (715) 381-5534. Fee charged for participation.
  • Winter Sports Olympics including volleyball in the snow, darts and horseshoes, Saturday, Feb. 2, 9 a.m. at GB Curlys, Burkhardt. Prizes will be awarded; entry fees are $40 per team for volleyball, $25 per team for darts and horseshoes. Call sponsor GB Curlys at (715) 386-5233 to sign up.
  • Pets at the Plaza, Saturday, Feb. 2, starting at 10 a.m. at Angel’s Pet World at Plaza 94. The annual pet costume contest starts at 11 a.m., and prizes will be awarded for the best Mardi Gras costumes. First prize is $50. Call (715) 386-6740 for contest details and to sign up your pet.
  • Smooshboarding competition, Saturday, Feb. 2, at 1 p.m. at E.P. Rock Elementary School. Resco Print Graphics sponsors the wackiest winter sport at Hot Air Affair when four-person teams on the same pair of smooshboards race a figure-8 course. Entry fee is $10 per team; sign up is at (715) 386-7300. Prizes for best team in competition plus best “Mardi Gras … Balloons & All That Jazz” costumes. Smooshboards are available that day.
  • Thirteenth annual chili cook-off, Sunday, Feb. 3, at 2 p.m. at Dick’s Bar & Grill. Enter your favorite warmup chili concoction and win cash, trophies and prizes. Call (715) 386-5222 for details and registration by Feb. 2; space is limited.

    Complete Hot Air Affair event brochures are available at local businesses and the Hudson Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau office. Information is also available at www.hudsonhotairaffair.com. The Hot Air Affair, presented by M&I Bank, is a non-profit community volunteer organization. Anyone wanting to volunteer to sell merchandise, crew for hot air balloons or help in any way should call (715) 381-2050 or (888) 247-2332 or email hotair2@pressenter.com.




    ny

    Mike Pence and Barron Trump in 'Donny Quest'

    Mike Pence has been heavily meme'd and that level of memery is only growing. The most recent addition to the line of Pence memes has been this 'Fake History' take on Jonny Quest, which features Baron Trump and Pence in place of Jonny and his dad, in a fight against the gays and immigrants. 

    These are basically an extension of Trump Memes, as Mike Pence is his Vice President and joke that poke fun at one is the same as poking fun at the other.




    ny

    'Nancy Pelosi Ripping Paper' Proves The Political Memes Aren't Going Anywhere

    While we would love for election season to be over right about now, we've gotta admit that the resulting political memes have been top-notch. The internet has been loving this particular dank meme, which shows Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ripping up Donald Trump's State of the Union speech.





    ny

    #13: Live in NYC




    ny

    LM Mini #1: Andrew and Melissa in NYC




    ny

    #83: Cover Art or Whose Soul Is It Anyway




    ny

    #162: NYC with Big Whompy




    ny

    #297: Avian Larceny

    Welcome to PotterCast 297! In this episode:

    - What happened in Times Square with Cursed Child, again?

    - In How About That: Hagrid in the first few chapters! How he got to Harry, what he knew, what magic he used, and what was really up with the pink umbrella.

    - HAGRID CAN SPELL HAPPY BIRTHDAY THANK YOU

    - Can you convict an owl of theft?

    - In the drums, Frankie has an announcement! 

    Don't forget that we have a Patreon where you can get extra (sorting-related!) content!

    Produced by Adam Molina // Assoc. Produced by Kylie Madden




    ny

    #300: It’s Funny How That Worked Out – Our 300th Episode!

    LIVE FROM LEAKYCON 2019: BOSTON – OUR 300TH EPISODE!

    In this episode, we discuss our fandom-packed weekend at the 10th anniversary of LeakyCon and discuss the last ten years of PotterCast. We also revisit some of our favorite old-school PotterCast segments – Canonconclundrums (with Chris Rankin!), Are You Smarter Than John Noe?, and a Dueling!We also have our first new shirt in TEN YEARS!

    Visit Mischief Merch to purchase this limited edition PotterCast: After All This Time shirt.Don’t forget that we have a Patreon where you can get extra (sorting-related!) content!

    Don’t forget that we have a Patreon where you can get extra (sorting-related!) content!

    Produced by Adam Molina // Assoc. Produced by Kylie Madden




    ny

    Are cats sorry for anything?




    ny

    Dr. Tinycat aims to please




    ny

    Let Other Studios Race to VOD; Sony Pictures Classics Believes It’s Theaters or Nothing




    ny

    EP 166 - Warframe Updates, Destiny is Dying

    Pradius talks new Warframe updates and content for PC, Xbox One and PS4. As well as talks about the steep decline in Destinys player base.

    Episode 166 - YouTube | Frag Tag Radio

    Questions or comments? Contact us!
    Message us mail@fragtagradio.com. Text or voicemail (1-304-TALK-FTR).




    ny

    GameStop Pro Day - 4/18 - Not Just for Pro Members Anymore

    GameStop’s Pro Day Sale

     

    Note:

    For 4/18 only, Pro Deals for ALL at GameStop.com

    On Saturday only, if you aren't a Pro Member, score 5,000 bonus points when you become a Power Up Rewards member and Pro Members score 2x points per dollar spent. See some of the top offers below!

     

    Top Offers:

    • Save $70 on a Pre-Owned 1TB PlayStation 4 Pro System only $269.99
    • Save $100 on the limited edition Xbox One X 1TB NBA 2K20 Console only $299.99
    • Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle only $16.99 (over 70% off)
    • Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint only $14.99 (75% off)
    • Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order only $38.99 (35% off)
    • $10 off Madden 20 only $19.99
    • $40 off NBA 2K20 only $19.99
    • Mortal Kombat only $18.99 (52% off)
    • $40 off Borderlands 3 only $19.99
    • Buy 2 Get 1 Free All $11.99 Pop! Figures
    • Save $30 on Red Dead Redemption II now only $29.99
    • Save $80 on Arcade1Up Mortal Kombat Arcade Cabinet with Riser now only $299.99
    • Just Dance 2020 only $18.99 (52% off)
    • Only $10 all T-Shirts (Excludes Clearance)
    • Save up to $35 on select games

    GameStop’s Pro Day Sale

     

     

  • -->




    ny

    Mecho Wars: Desert Ashes Is Now Available For Xbox One And Windows 10 (Xbox Play Anywhere)

    Product Info: Developer: Arcade Distillery Publisher: Arcade Distillery Website: Mecho Wars: Desert Ashes Twitter: @ArcadeDistiller




    ny

    Duke Of Defense Is Now Available For Xbox One And Windows 10 (Xbox Play Anywhere)

    Product Info: Developer: Sebastian Nigro, Christ Anselmo Publisher: HItcents Website: Duke Of Defense Twitter: @tophtacular / @Seabass_N / @Hitcents




    ny

    SokoBunny Is Now Available For Digital Pre-order And Pre-download On Xbox One

    NOTE: You may pre-download this game, but it will not be playable until the release date/time: 05/22/2020 – 3:00 AM (check the product page for release date/time in your region).   Product Info: Developer: DillyFrameGames Publisher: DillyFrameGames Website: SokoBunny Twitter: @DillyFrameGames




    ny

    PICO microgarden lets you grow anywhere from home to car

    Indoor gardening offers all the same benefits as a garden in the ground outside. Namely, fresh food and a low environmental impact. But not everyone has the natural space for a garden, which is where indoor planting comes in for the win. While there are many systems and techniques you can implement inside the home, PICO stands out as a versatile option that you can place anywhere and still achieve growing success. [...]




    ny

    This modular, off-grid design can adapt to any landscape

    DIY home design is a life-long dream of many, and today's architects are making it easier than ever to build your own home without toiling for years. Genoa-based firm TEKE Architects has just unveiled the MU50, a modular off-grid home designed to be configurable to virtually any landscape. Using modules of prefabricated timber frames that can be connected in various layouts, the innovative design is meant to be incorporated into any landscape with minimal impact.[...]




    ny

    Relax and unwind in this tiny home with a walk-in hot tub

    From climbing walls to a roaming music studio, we've seen a lot of ingenious tiny house features over the years. But this tiny home on wheels from Movable Roots has a distinct feature we never thought was possible — a walk-in hot tub! The Culp is a 500-square-foot home that, in addition to its accessible, spa-like bathroom, boasts unique cork flooring and an incinerating toilet.[...]




    ny

    Distinctly modern net-zero home sits in harmony with its woodland surroundings

    Chapel Hill-based firm Arielle Condoret Schechter is known for its commitment to building sustainable homes that don't sacrifice elegance or comfort. The company's latest work includes the spacious Haw River House, which was built with several efficient features to create a net-zero energy home that is seamlessly linked with its natural surroundings.[...]




    ny

    Brother sister duo create tropical tiny home in Hawaii

    Tiny homes are still all the rage within the minimalist and wanderlust communities of the world, and what better place to consider tiny living than in the warmth of the big island, Hawaii? If equatorial location is on your must-have list, this tiny home might be just the serving of simplicity and decadence you’re looking for. [...]




    ny

    Researchers Uncover Novel Way to De-anonymize Device IDs to Users' Biometrics

    Researchers have uncovered a potential means to profile and track online users using a novel approach that combines device identifiers with their biometric information. The details come from a newly published research titled "Nowhere to Hide: Cross-modal Identity Leakage between Biometrics and Devices" by a group of academics from the University of Liverpool, New York University, The Chinese




    ny

    Why Would Anyone Reboot 'National Treasure'?

    By Isaac Cabe  Published: May 08th, 2020 





    ny

    Girl Points the Irony of Sexism on the Internet With a Picture of Some Headphones

    Real women have curvy headphones.





    ny

    Episode 549 - Dodgy calls, funny books & 13 years

    On this week's show I take questions from some Arsecast listeners and Arseblog Members on Patreon. We chat about signings that didn't happen, the January window, Freddie Ljungberg's readiness to be a head coach, Granit Xhaka's place in the midfield, why in 2019 it remains difficult for gay footballers to come out, and lots more. Plus some pre-call waffle about a funny book, a podcast anniversary and other stuff besides. 

     

    See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.




    ny

    How Many COVID-19 Tests Are ‘Needed’ to Reopen?

    The Trump administration has repeatedly claimed that there are enough COVID-19 tests for states to begin reopening their economies. While that may be true for select locations, experts say more tests are needed, even if they don’t agree on a particular number.

    The post How Many COVID-19 Tests Are ‘Needed’ to Reopen? appeared first on FactCheck.org.




    ny

    Acronym Flood

    comic: 

    When you need to start a database JUST to manage the acronyms your organization uses.............. reconsider. 




    ny

    Dare to DREAM: Ami Sanyal and how to pitch value-based pricing.


    Value-based pricing is the holy grail of freelancing. It’s how you make a lot of money by showing your clients that you can give them results. It’s also not easy to make the switch to this pricing structure!

    Returning guest Ami Sanyal shares his DREAM framework for getting clients on board with paying you more! Ami walks you through:

    • Discovery
    • Repel
    • Establish Packages
    • Address Risk
    • Money

    Ami breaks down this approach, and how he was able to transform his agency with this approach! 

    Want Ami’s script for this approach? Text EZGROW to 393939 for a step-by-step guide! 

    Today’s links: 

    Want to support the show?

    Order a custom infographic from Easel.ly! Use this link (https://www.easel.ly/infographicdesign/) for a great price! 

    Think you’d be a great fit for the show? Let me know at twitter.com/KCarCFH

    Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or recommend us to a friend. It helps immensely.


    Download here!




    ny

    Emails my mom sent from her NYC co-op

    I stopped talking with my mom a few years ago. She might not have noticed at first. My brothers have all cut her off at times as well. But my mom is pragmatic. She knows she and my dad were terrible parents. She apologizes and by all accounts, she is a much more enjoyable person […]

    The post Emails my mom sent from her NYC co-op appeared first on Penelope Trunk Careers.




    ny

    Next nycdevops meetup: Kubernetes Informers (Wed, June 19)

    Robert Ross (a.k.a. Bobby Tables) will be the speaker at the next nycdevops meetup on Wed, une 19, 2019.

    Full details and RSVP info: https://www.meetup.com/nycdevops/events/261842702/

    NOTE: Different day and location!

    • Title: Staying Informed with Kubernetes Informers
    • Speaker: Robert Ross (Bobby Tables) from FireHydrant
    • Date: Wed, June 19, 2019
    • Location: Compass, 90 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10011

    Kubernetes state is changing all the time. Pods are being created. Deployments are adding more replicas. Load balancers are being created from services. All of these things can happen without anyone noticing. But sometimes we need to notice, however, for when we need to react to such events. What if we need to push the change to an audit log? When if we want to inform a Slack room about a new deployment? In Kubernetes, this is possible with the informers that are baked into the API and Go client. In this talk we'll learn how informers work, and how to receive updates when resources change using a simple Go application.

    SPEAKER BIO:

    Bobby is the founder of FireHydrant.io, and also previously worked as a staff software engineer at Namely, and also built things at DigitalOcean. He likes bleeding edge tech and making software that helps teams build better better systems. From deploying Spinnaker, Istio, and Kubernetes, he has cursed at a lack of docs and code spelunked through the code and loves telling the war stories about them.

    Full details and RSVP info: https://www.meetup.com/nycdevops/events/261842702/




    ny

    November nycdevops meetup: DevSecOps and supply chain attack

    Irina Tishelman from Sonatype will present a talk "Automate or Die - DevSecOps in the Age of Software Supply Chain Attacks" at the November 14, 2019 nycdevops meetup.

    The meetup meets at the Stack Overflow office in NYC.

    https://www.meetup.com/nycdevops/events/265281451/

    You don't want to miss this one!




    ny

    DevOpsDays NYC 2020 Call For Participation!

    DevOpsdays NYC is happening March 3-4, 2020. The Call For Participation (CFP) is now open!

    If you have any ideas that you want to share with the local community please submit your talks using the link below:

    https://www.papercall.io/dodnyc2020




    ny

    Get your DevOpsDays NYC tickets now!

    DevOpsDays is about 2 weeks away! Commencing on Tuesday, March 3 and lasting for 2 days, this is the best NYC-area DevOps conference you can attend. The speaker lineup is very impressive (if I say so myself :-) ).

    The best part about attending a local conference is that your boss only has to approve the ticket price (no hotel or flights, eh?).

    Looking forward to seeing you there!

    P.S. I'm speaking on the last day. It will be all new material that I haven't presented before. Please check it out!




    ny

    I won't be working with Microcosm anymore

    Here is Microcosm's statement and my response.

    Microcosm's Statement:
    It has been way too long since Cindy Crabb asked us to write a public statement regarding allegations of Joe Biel’s history of emotional abuse and manipulation. It is not because we have chosen to ignore this issue. On the contrary, we have spent many hours discussing this topic. But we are not writing today to provide excuses. We hope to provide some answers and to encourage more questions.

    Cindy is right that collectives need to confront abuse in all its forms by members within their collectives, even if it is just a collectively-ran business, but especially when that business lays claim to radical politics. It is for this reason that we want to say that we do recognize Joe’s history of emotional abuse and manipulation. Not just with Alex, but within other relationships as well. We know that Joe has been involved in one failed mediation attempt with Alex. We also know that he was involved in a more recent process that fell apart (this was outlined in posts by Cindy and Alex). Unfortunately, the collective was made aware of this latter accountability process only shortly before it fell apart. We, the collective and Joe, have recently started working with a counselor who is helping us to reconcile many issues within the collective. We do not believe this is a replacement for a larger accountability process, but we do see it as an important first step for our involvement and for the betterment of Microcosm as a collectively-ran company.

    We recognize and agree with the statement put out by the Athens Support Network, who mediated the last accountability process.

    “Joe is in therapy, and we feel that he is making progress through therapy. He has identified a large number of behavior issues and has done work and continues to do work to change them. He believes that he honors Alex’s experience. We, however, feel that he still has extreme problems with control, manipulation, defensiveness, and portraying himself as the victim.”
    We have noticed some positive improvements in Joe’s behavior, but he does have a long way to go. We do believe that he can work through this and therefore choose, at this time, to continue working with him. We welcome suggestions on how we, the collective, can better facilitate this process. In the meantime, we will continue to work through this and figure things out as we go.

    Cindy also pointed out that she would like more transparency about how things are run at microcosm. For that reason, we will soon be releasing some information on our website about how we run things. We honestly want to be a more transparent organization (which is why we’ve started posting annual financial statements). Over the past year, we have begun to change and implement a lot of new policies to help spread power among all of the collective members. We are excited about these changes and equally excited to share them with you.

    Alex was right in that we need to hear from you. We know that Microcosm could be better and we want it to be so. For that reason, we need to know what it is that you think we need to fix. We’ve already heard some great things and we’ve worked to improve those. We’ll share more about that later, though. We want the focus to stay where Cindy and others have asked us to focus it for now - on Joe’s accountability.

    Thank you Cindy, Alex, Ciara, and everyone who has put pressure on us to make change. It is a wonderful example of collective action. And we hope it proves that while we may be relatively large in the zine world, we are still just a small group of people who still love the community we are a part of and hope to make it a better place.

    With sincerity and humility,
    The Microcosm Collective


    In response to Microcosms statement about Joes manipulative and abusive behavior.


    This statement is to let it be known that despite Microcosms recent public statement finally acknowledging Joe Biel’s abusive and manipulative behavior, I will not be distributing Doris though Microcosm any longer. They published Doris 23, the Doris Anthology, the Support zine and Learning Good Consent, so I don’t have control of those publications.

    In July, 2010, I asked Microcosm to write a statement, or have each collective member contact me with a personal statement, as a precondition to my continuing to work with them. I was following my sincere belief that organizations should have a chance to admit to the abusive behaviors of members, and that as long as they show a commitment to change, they should not necessarily be shunned. Below is part of the statement I made.

    I believe that collectives, even when they are just collective businesses, are responsible for confronting issues of patriarchy (and other forms of domination) within their collectives, and working on change and transparency. I believe that Joe's behavior stems from patriarchy … the communication/manipulation models he uses are … patriarchtical.
    In order to feel comfortable continuing to be published by Microcosm, I would need to know either from each collective member or from the collective as a whole (with a minority dissenting opinion) that they don't think Alex was crazy or that the attempts to deal with the situation are a witch-hunt. I would need to know from each member, or the collective as a whole (with a minority dissenting opinion,) that the collective recognizes that Joe still has issues with control and manipulation… I need to feel like the collective takes this seriously and does not put the burden of instigating change on the survivor/s, or on people negatively affected by Joe's behavior.


    I do believe there are good people who work at Microcosm. I don’t want those people to suffer because of Joe’s behavior. I wanted to give the workers at Microcosm a chance to show their commitment to confronting Joe’s manipulative behavior, and a chance to make a strong stance against abuse. The statement that was recently released by Microcosm is too little, too late. I can’t believe it took 6 months to write a statement that could easily be summed up as “we agree with the statement made by the Athens Support Network.” Microcosm’s statement gives the impression that Joe has made more changes than he has.

    I was hopeful that Microcosm might be able to take a strong stand against abuse. I feel like they failed. If this statement had come out immediately, and they had followed up with concrete examples of change months later, that would have been great. If they had waited six months and come up with a statement that firmly placed the responsibility of change on Joe’s feet, discussed concrete changes the collective was making to deal with his abusive behavior, and took a strong stand against abuse, that would have been great. This statement is very weak, particularly considering that Joe’s abuse has been known for years.

    There have also been a number of incidents and issues that have come up since I made my request for a public statement that have contributed to my decision to not work with Microcosm anymore:

    - I had asked that a public statement be made or that each collective member contact me with a statement about their beliefs. I received two statements, both of which referred to problems between Joe and Alex; neither called it abuse.

    - Joe wrote a statement about his behavior, which I found extremely disturbing. Among other problems, it was very minimizing of Alex’s experiences of abuse, and minimizing of the extent of his current manipulative behavioral problems.

    - I had a number of business discussions with people at Microcosm, where the communication was unclear and I felt like I was being manipulated.

    - I was told by someone at Microcosm that they were unclear what exactly Microcosm would need to do for me to continue working with them. This was months after I had made these conditions known. Often, in accountability situations, the perpetrator and the people who benefit from continued friendship/relationship with the perpetrator want to know exactly what needs to be done to fix it. This need for an exact recipe puts the burden back on the survivor/people who support the survivor.

    All of these things have added to my feeling that the collective is not taking Joe’s abusive patterns seriously.

    I would like to take this chance to clear up some misconceptions about the accountability process I was involved in with Joe:

    In late 2009, Joe told me that he had been in intensive therapy, had changed, and had no way of clearing his name. I helped set up an accountability team that was designed to confirm that Joe had recognized and changed his behavior; to help him deal with rumors, and to help him make amends. It was not designed to be a full accountability process.

    Early on, it became clear that Joe still had very abusive/manipulative behaviors and that he was unwilling to own up to most of it. Joe had lied about the level of changes he had made. Because of this, the accountability process was disbanded.

    I am disgusted by Joe’s abuse of his former partner, disgusted by his continuing manipulative behavior. I do not think he has even begun to make the kinds of fundamental changes necessary. I take abuse very seriously and while I think there are some people in Microcosm who are committed to working for a world without abuse, I also think there is complicity within the organization. I have been disturbed by my recent interactions with people working at Microcosm. I am glad they made a public statement, and that they have a counselor helping them deal with internal issues but am skeptical about their priorities, since they have not posted their public statement on their website. I feel mistrustful of the organization. I have a hard time not thinking that most people just signed on to the statement, hoping to save their pants. I understand that they have been working to be more transparent. I hope that they are able to change. I, however, will not be working with Microcosm any longer.




    ny

    do you know any stores that carry zines?

    I'm working on doing more selling zines direct to stores, and since I haven't been traveling around much lately, I need your help! Let me know if you know of any stores that carry zines! I already sell directly to some - like Woodenshoe, Red Emmas, City Lights, Powells, Bound Together, Needles and Pens, Downtown Books and News, Quimbys... but I know there are a lot more stores out there that I don't know about.
    Thanks!!




    ny

    Should Anyone Ever File Personal Bankruptcy?

    Financial planners have a big hate going for bankruptcy. They almost universally nay-say it and point to the many alternatives. CPAs and attorneys, on the other hand, often speak of the advantages to filing bankruptcy and are quick to point out the “fresh start” aspect of the move. But it’s a fact that too many...

    Keep Reading




    ny

    5 fingers is 4 too many.

    Please endanger responsibly… Photo courtesy of Chad H. Found in Changsha, China. 




    ny

    The Sony a7S III May Be Announced in Late June

    The post The Sony a7S III May Be Announced in Late June appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

    Over the past several weeks, rumors of a new Sony full-frame camera have been on the rise. And, taken together, it looks like we may have a Sony a7S II successor before the summer is out. One rumor, originally reported by Sony Alpha Rumors, suggests that a Sony full-frame camera (and a full-frame lens) will […]

    The post The Sony a7S III May Be Announced in Late June appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.




    ny

    VIDEO: MOVIES: CARTOONS: REVIEW: My Little Pony: Equestria Girls (2013)

    VIDEO: MOVIES: CARTOONS: REVIEW: My Little Pony: Equestria Girls (2013) Claire: 4/5 stars, 8/10. Carolyn: 5/5 stars, 8.6/10. “I am a chick and I like cartoons, so I am allowed to love My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.” (Notice how she leaves me in the lurch there?) Jesse: 3/5 stars, 7/10. “OK, I actually enjoyed […]




    ny

    VIDEO: MOVIES: REVIEW: My Little Pony: Equestria Girls 2: Rainbow Rocks (2014)

    [IMDB link] RATINGS: Claire: Netflix: 5/5 stars. IMDB: 8/10. Carolyn: Netflix: 5/5 stars. IMDB: 8/10. The native public rating for this movie is: IMDB: 7.4/10. Netflix strangely doesn’t have this. CAROLYN’S THOUGHTS: My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic had a sequel movie for Equestria Girls where Twilight Sparkle becomes a human in a parallel pony […]




    ny

    VIDEO: MOVIES: REVIEW: My Little Pony: Equestria Girls 3: Friendship Games (2015)

    [IMDB link] RATINGS: Claire: Netflix: 4/5 stars. IMDB: 7/10. Carolyn: Netflix: 4/5 stars. IMDB: 7/10. The native public rating for this movie is: Netflix: N/A/5 stars, IMDB: 7.5/10. CAROLYN’S THOUGHTS: This one seemed lackluster compared to the other two. It doesn’t have the same “oompf” as the previous two movies. Different writer might explain some […]




    ny

    VIDEO: MOVIES: REVIEW: The Colony (2013)

    VIDEO: MOVIES: REVIEW: The Colony (2013) Claire: 3/5 stars, 7/10. Carolyn: 3/5 stars, 7/10. Evan: 3/5 stars, 6.5/10. Native ratings: 5.2/10 IMDB. Not available on Netflix. This was OK, but it could have been better. It started off really strong, and then had a tipping point where you realized it was Just Another Movie(tm). The […]




    ny

    Emily Lemer, NYC

    I have to apologize for not posting in a while. I was traveling and promoting my latest book Advanced Love for a bit and then have been planning for my next project Advanced Pets. I want to send everyone lots of love during these difficult times. Let’s remember to work together, check in on your senior neighbors, friends, and family members who may have already...

    Read More

    The post Emily Lemer, NYC appeared first on Advanced Style.