Blow right to the gut

[annathepiper]

To say that I am disappointed in the news that the Washington State Senate has rejected a gay civil rights protection bill is a vast understatement.

But what really makes me simultaneously furious and deeply saddened is the news that solarbird relays here: that Microsoft backed out of supporting this bill because of a fundamentalist preacher leaning hard on them. As many on my Friends list are also on hers, y'all will have probably already seen this. But for those of you who are not, there it is.

I didn't get protest emails sent in time, unfortunately. Because of working--at Microsoft. The staggering irony of this does not elude me. Now I am going to have to figure out what to say to convey my sense of deep and utter betrayal, and who needs to hear it.

And it looks like my next laptop computer is going to be an iBook.

Comments

[howlinhobbit.livejournal.com]

I had just finished reading this (http://www.crystalandclinton.com/clinton/index.php/archives/2005/04/21/come-on-bill/) before I read your post.

Interesting pledge in the above link.

You're not alone!

HH

[annathepiper]

Thanks for the link!

I am >this< close to copying all my data off my laptop, reformatting it, and installing Linux. The only thing holding me back right now is that I do still need to use my Pocket PC handheld on a daily basis, and I have no way of knowing whether torching XP off my laptop would allow me to keep the handheld synchronized with it. :/

Right now I can't afford a new computer and honestly have no real reason to get one, since I got my current laptop only last August and it's a very good machine. But MAN, Linux is looking good right now.

[poetry-lady.livejournal.com]

Hey, I sync'd my Palm with Linux for years...I'm sure you can do it with Linux. It might take a little more effort...here's a link to get you started: google sync pocket pc linux (http://multisync.sourceforge.net/news.php).

I am absolutely disgusted with this move. I know there are some saying "well, they just 'took a neutral stance'." But to say "yes, I support this", and then later say "I'm neutral"?????? FUCK THAT. Silence is assent in this society. Neutral is assent for the status quo. And the thing that fucking pisses me off the most about this is that they're saying "it's not business related". Well, neither is insurance, really, or equal rights. Or anything, really, that has to do with diversity. But they support that other stuff. Because it's still a part and parcel of the fucking "family values". Women are still only 25% of the workforce at Microsoft--and that's COUNTING all the admin/reception/HR/payroll/non-technical positions. What's to stop them from withdrawing support for women's rights issues, once the Religious Reich gets its theocracy in place and starts to send women back to being pregnant, barefoot, and chained to the stove?? NOTHING.

All I can content myself with is that they're paying me money and I use it to fund social causes that are in line with a more global view of "moral family values". Is there a 501(c)3 org that deals with this issue that I can send my donation to and make Microsoft match?? Seriously. This is just fucking ridiculous, and I've got the money...so tell me where to send it to.

Love is love. Infinite love in infinite diversity. Hugs to you BOTH.

[annathepiper]

Thanks for the link, babe. If there are means out there to let me sync up the handheld with a Linux box, this makes me a bit more inclined to go ahead and do this. (After I finish my editing pass through Faerie Blood, get it printed off, and sent to Luna--because overhauling my computer to that extent right now would be horrendously derailing to my writing. After, however....)

I need to go over the information on what's gone down when I get home tonight and start writing up some angry emails.

[poetry-lady.livejournal.com]

I should think it shouldn't be a big deal. You might even try dual-booting for a while until you get the kinks worked out.

If worse comes to worse, VMware WORKS. I used it to have a Linux host OS, which ran a WinXP vmware session that connected to corpnet via a Linux firewall.

And for future reference, Star Office is a SOLID product for your word-processing needs. And it saves as Word no problem (as long as you're not doing really tricky formatting), so you can always generate the needed Word files. I like Star Office so much that when I went back to Windows-only, I got it for Windows. It's much less "helpful" than the latest versions of Word, and therefore MUCH MUCH easier to use.

Do post where are also good places to send letters and emails. I write letters as well as give my money, and this is something I feel strongly about. So many of my friends and friends of those friends are affected by this. And even if I didn't know anyone--it's WRONG in my world-view.

[annathepiper]

There are a whole lot of contact names, email addresses, and phone numbers at this link from Dara's post--it's the blog entry where she got the action alert to begin with.

And yeah, I'm aware of StarOffice; Dara's used it, actually, and liked it.