Still Waiting

This guy has been standing in front of Prince Music Theatre, apparently trying to hail a cab, for years. Probably no coincidence that he's black.

Sent from my Cricket mobile device

Reaching My Limit

Today I attended a rally called "Let's Help Philly Put Romney-nomics to Rest." But I left after half an hour.

It was just too much like an Obama rally, in all but name. I can vote for a lesser evil -- I've been willing to do that for several years -- but I can't rally for one. That just feels too inauthentic.

Honoring Neil Armstrong

I've created a petition calling on the United Nations to hold a memorial for Neil Armstrong. Others are proposing a state funeral, but I see no reason only one country should honor someone whose achievement was significant for all of humanity. You can see and sign the petition here:

http://www.change.org/petitions/united-nations-organization-hold-a-memorial-service-for-neil-armstrong#

ICSA Special Event: The Traumatizing Narcissist and Post-Cult Trauma

This looks interesting and I hope I can attend. It would cost me $65 at the ex-member discount, not including transportation.

ICSA Special Event: The Traumatizing Narcissist and Post-Cult Trauma
Saturday, October 13, 2012
10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Location: The National Institute for the Psychotherapies 250 West 57th Street, Suite 501 New York, NY 10107

http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3850031548

Progress on Paranoid Guy

Since I last wrote about Paranoid Guy, he's shown some improvement. He no longer tells me that I hear voices, but still always mentions, whenever he sees me, that he hears voices. Once that was cleared up, I urged him to seek psychiatric help at some place that would be free or low-cost, since it looks like he may be homeless. But he told me that he couldn't because he's an undocumented immigrant. (He speaks with what I take to be a Russian accent.)

So I mentioned him to someone I know who's involved with GALAEI, who told me Puentes de Salud won't deny him service for being undocumented; that's largely the population they serve. But Paranoid Guy still insisted they'd require a Social Security number. After Ulises assured me they wouldn't, and PG still resisted, I finally made time last Monday to visit them and ask if they could give me something in writing that I could show him. They had no statement about this, but they gave me a card and wrote in the hours they could see him.

Last night, when I encountered PG at the central library, I gave him the card, repeating what they'd told me. He was still talking over me with his conviction that he can't get help, and I worry he's too "out of it" to act on the information I've given him. Still, I think I've done everything possible. I did, right after getting the card, make a sheetful of copies of it so that, if PG fails to act on it the first time, I can give it to him again.

Call Akin on Slut-Shaming

Why is no one talking about what Todd Akin was implying with his recent remark? By saying "legitimate" victims can't get pregnant, he was calling all pregnant women who seek abortions on account of rape *liars*. This is of a piece with Rush Limbaugh's slut-shaming of all women who want reproductive choice.

In the Small World Department, I ran into my old friend Holly today, who used to live in the same building with me when I was on Broad Street. We caught each other up on some of our activities: my volunteering with the PA Voter ID Coalition, and her starting a business helping people write their resumes. She's also planning to write a book, which I could proofread for credit and possibly royalties. She'll let me know as that plan progresses.