Hello, Switchercat, and welcome to Wikipedia! Thank you for your contributions. I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:
I hope you enjoy editing here and being a Wikipedian! Please sign your name on talk pages using four tildes (~~~~); this will automatically produce your name and the date. If you need help, check out Wikipedia:Questions, ask me on my talk page, or place {{helpme}} on your talk page and someone will show up shortly to answer your questions. Again, welcome! --He:ah?21:23, 7 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Hi. May I be so bold as to ask how come you'r an FTM and a teenager..? How young are you..? in what age did you tranform...? how extensive have you gone till now ?--Procrastinating@talk2me21:47, 13 July 2006 (UTC)
(On the other hand I may not be so bold, and you may erase this)[reply]
I'm young enough to not want to say my age. :P I have not yet medically transitioned from female to male; socially, I am only referred to as a male by a certain group of trusted friends. However, I do consider myself a boy, and pretty much look like one at a glance. »»» Switchercattalkcontribs22:14, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Cool. way to go man! Assuming you are underaged(<18), this is probably a rare transformation and a difficult social one, something that may prerequisite a very pluralistic and tolerant society, and obviously guardians. in what country do you live in then ? (You may answer me through Icq if you'd like.)--Procrastinating@talk2me11:17, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
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I am not sure what you mean by mind-boggling; do you mean you don't understand the HTML? The series of font tags produces a gradient effect on the text affected by it. Or did it take a mind-bogglingly long time to load on your browser? Sorry if that's the case. Is this current signature satisfactory? It is 218 characters. Switchercattalkcont03:21, 24 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Mind-boggling as in, stunned that someone had an >800-character sig. I'd still put the new one in the lengthy category, but then I'm a sig minimalist. Definitely a dramatic improvement, thanks. Opabinia regalis03:25, 24 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
This new one is definitely long when looked at in the context of the sig guideline, but I don't believe it'll cause any trouble. Eh, what can I say, I just like being able to easily identify my signature on a talk page. :P Hee. I go a bit overboard on formatting sometimes -- you should see the titles on my school papers... Switchercattalkcont03:29, 24 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If you find a userbox that you think should go in my collection, lemme know. Another way to help is to use AWB to change ppls userpages to point to my box instead of the old boxen. —Disavian (talk/contribs) 03:14, 30 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Great work on the article. We need to get some non copyrighted pictures there, something less accute than a full double lip plate, which rare even in those african lands. I'm considering uploading my own pic, but that'll probably stay there too famous for too mcuh time..Procrastinating@talk2me22:06, 23 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Those lip plates are ... extreme. Yeah.
I took two photos today; do you like them enough to add them in? One is here and the other is here. The second one is crappy quality, IMO, but it's a pretty clear representation.
You have a huge ass signature, really try considering trimming it. one blue Is enough..no? :)
Your ear is hardly stretched at all.(sorry)
Instrument photo is cool and ofhigh res, yet not Really Very instrumental. please add it somewhere in ther article..we still do neen a photo of a wikipedian with some lobes though. Any cool people around editing en encyclopedia..for fun..? :)
Dude, no problem. But if you're doing ppl's userpages, leave them something, too, as why, not everyone reads their watch page and the comments on them like I do, k? StarLotus
Thank you for welcoming me, Switchercat. You are 1 of 2 people who left a message on my talk page that didn't have trouble finding me. Thanks! I am using my IP. Please respond. Thanks again, by the way! User:Bethicalyna2
I also would like to add my thanks for welcoming me. I know it took me some time but it is better late than never. (VMRO18:38, 29 August 2006 (UTC))[reply]
Hi
Hi. I was trying to see if 'orgonite' has any place in fact (apparently it doesn't) and found your comment at Therianthropy. I think we might have a lot in common. Do you want to be friends? Haha. SpaceJaggy10:25, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Sure :D Hi Swift. Sorry I couldn't talk to you for long on the telephone in Denver, I'm terrible at phone conversations.
Orgonite! The page's been deleted, it seems. I skimmed Google and it seems to be some sort of rock with orgone energy in it ... ? I've heard of orgone, mentioned in a book about psuedoscience, but I didn't know it had a stone too.
Which comment -- the one about the links, or about 'therianism'? I'm itching to take that links section out. Maybe I should propose further changes or something. Switchercattalkcont22:06, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Well, yeah, and his user page. :P Have you been doing anything that you think might annoy him -- making edits he doesn't like, or something? Your contribs don't really show anything malicious, but I see you're both editing anime-related pages.
I welcomed Kenshin -Himura a while back, so perhaps he's under the assumption that I have much power here on Wikipedia. I would expect that's why it's been brought up on my talk page. Switchercattalkcont01:21, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Holy hell, you're everywhere. I was looking up fellow synaesthetic Wikipedians, and lo and behold... I'm deeply_confused on LiveJournal, by the way. How strange! Thorns Among Our Leaves02:18, 10 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Ha! I would say the same of you. I don't know if I'm everywhere, I tend to stay on LJ and Wikipedia, but statistically speaking we do seem to bump into each other a lot. Guess it's just one of those things. :P »»» Switchercattalkcontribs02:30, 10 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
A couple of months later... May I add you on LiveJournal? You seem like such a smart person, and I'd really like to get to know you better through speaking with you. You seem so cool. Thorns Among Our Leaves01:27, 15 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you. :) Sure, if you like. I'm ... notably odd, in a lot of ways, and so a lot of what I write about seems initially insane/obscure. I'm not much of a heavy commenter, either. But if you can get over that, go ahead. Switchercattalkcont02:10, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Hello
Hello and thank you for the warm welcome. While I have much to learn about Wikipedia, I hope to become a full-fleged Wikipedian soon enough. Thank you for taking the time to greet myself and many others. I have made only very minor edits or added basic facts, and I don't doubt I've made a mistake already, I appreciate your courtesy and willingness to take the time to welcome me and many others and help point us in the right direction.
How do you give someone a barnstar? Because there is someone i know who diserves one and i (if possible) would like 2 b the one to give it to him.--Kenshin -Himura20:02, 27 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I was wondering how you got your username to have diffent colors. I have looked all over my profile, and I can't find the place to fix mine.Solon Olrek18:04, 5 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks for helping John out with Big Cat Week! He had to shoot off so I came to tidy it up and ta-da! Done already :) He only joined like an hour ago so thats a farly fantastic effort I think! Maybe you'd know better (guessing by your username!) - what's the best cat type of category to add it to? You rock! Glen21:00, 21 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Wow, thanks yourself! :D An hour ago? Nifty -- he's being bold already, I guess. I would suggest [[Category:Films about cats]], but that's films, and from the wording of the article I'm not certain whether or not this thing is a film or a TV series, or both. Glad to help! Switchercattalkcont21:36, 21 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Userpage vandalism
Thanks, Switchercat - much appreciated. This goes back to persistent vandalism which the same user has been inflicting on the Jobcentre Plus article over a matter of several weeks (since the beginning of the college term/trimester).
To be honest, I didn't know how to deal with this until I waded through the Wikipedia guidelines last night and issued him with a first (and final) warning yesterday evening. His response has been to vandalise my own Userpage twice today.
Your intervention is timely, and I'd be grateful for any help you can give to get rid of this idiot, who had caused mayhem to an otherwise useful article, which has had so may changes made – because other editors were reverting in good faith, but not always to the most recent version - it got quite confusing. Took me a while to sort all that out, as you will see from the History.
Your recent edit to Lion (diff) was reverted by an automated bot that attempts to recognize and repair vandalism to Wikipedia articles. If the bot reverted a legitimate edit, please accept my humble creator's apologies – if you bring it to the attention of the bot's owner, we may be able to improve its behavior. Click here for frequently asked questions about the bot and this warning. // AntiVandalBot21:26, 9 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Okay, sure, but how was I to know that you had anything to do with "Hamedog" just from one edit? I thought you were doing a good job, were new to the 'pedia, and welcomed you. If I offended you by welcoming an established user, sorry, but there was nothing on your talkpage to indicate that. Switchercattalkcont01:54, 13 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I have removed the speedy tag that you placed on 8-mop and I want to explain why. The article fails to meet the specified criteria (spam) as it deals with a generic product and not a proprietary drug. It overlaps with Methoxsalen into which I have merged the content. TerriersFan23:04, 12 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Mmkay. It was written in a VERY spammy way, and by a user who had also written another spam article for a drug in a similar format. I figured that that individual article was unsalvageable, even if the drug was notable and did exist, because of the tone of the article. That's why I put the tag on. Glad you could find a solution that didn't involve deletion, though. :) Switchercattalkcont23:12, 12 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You helped choose Death as this week's WP:AID winner
I removed the almost all of the material in the Gary Fong article. He is a notable photographer, and his Lightsphere is a notable product. However, he is famous as a self-promoter too and needs to be watched. Hu19:10, 16 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Articles you might like to edit, from SuggestBot
SuggestBot predicts that you will enjoy editing some of these articles. Have fun!
SuggestBot picks articles in a number of ways based on other articles you've edited, including straight text similarity, following wikilinks, and matching your editing patterns against those of other Wikipedians. It tries to recommend only articles that other Wikipedians have marked as needing work. Your contributions make Wikipedia better -- thanks for helping.
If you have feedback on how to make SuggestBot better, please tell me on SuggestBot's talk page. Thanks from ForteTuba, SuggestBot's caretaker.
We are a growing community of Wikipedia editors dedicated to identifying, categorizing, and improving articles of interest to the LGBT community. Some points that may be helpful:
Our main aim is to help improve LGBT-related articles, so if someone asks for help with an article, please try your hardest to help them if you are able.
hi switchercat. Jenny Boylan here. My email is jfboylan@colby.edu.
I wanted to tell you I am grateful for the work you do on wikipedia, and for the good articles on trans stuff I see here.
I was charmed to see someone had put up a Jennifer Finney Boylan page, although like you, I did blink when I saw that most of the material had been taken from my own personal page. In any case i see that you have now put a flag on that enrty, which strikes me as fair I was flattered, I admit, to have been made an entry in W. It was very cool. I suppose I am hoping that at some point you are able to take a good hard look at the material on the page about me and make that page as accurate as can be.
If I can provide any information about my own doings, I'd be glad to help. Maybe you saw that I played myself--along with a half dozen other trans people of a wide variety of races, ages, ethnicities, and trans embodiments-- on, of all things, ABC"s "All My Children" back in March 2006. I hope to be joiing other trans people for lobby day in DC for trans rights in May. I have a new book coming out next year (2008) which I hope will continue to shine a light on trans issues. anyhow. Thank you for all you do, and let me know if I can be of any help.
I do grant permission for material from my site-- www.colby.edu/personal/jfboylan-- to be used, if you so wish.
DavidShankBone deserves kudos for his current drive to provide quality LGBT photos from the NYC area. One of the more recent photos is posted on Michael Musto, and you can check out the gallery on David's user page.
Project News
There is now the beginning of a list of core topics to possibly be included in the Wikipedia 1.0 release. Your suggestions are welcome; there may be many core LGBT topics still missing.
SatyrTN identified all the articles that were in subcategories of Category:LGBT but not yet tagged with the project's banner, about 1,400 articles. These have been completed, though SatyrBot will make periodic runs through the cats to find any new entries. Thanks Satyr!
The number of articles within our project's spectrum (6,667 currently) should now be relatively stable and only grow with article creation. However, if you find a category that should be included, please let SatyrTN know so it can be included in the bots runs.
Work is underway to improve the LGBT Portal. Please add any good quality (free) photos you come across on LGBT articles to the gallery here. Also if anyone would like to volunteer to help in maintaining the portal, please make yourselves known on the Portal's talkpage.
To stop receiving this newsletter, or to receive it in a different format, please drop me a line. If you have any news or any announcements to be broadcast, do let Dev920 know.
Uh, it's not like I've got anything against the fashion center -- you don't have to prove anything to me, I've not got a vested interest against that article. But an article can be proposed for deletion if it's that short and that unencyclopedic, even if the subject is legitimate. Glad that you could fix it up, though. Switchercattalkcont02:49, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Deletion of page
Further inquiry about the 'speedy deletion' of the Wikipedia page, 'Amelia Catt'. The notability of this page was questioned, and the creator of the page (myself) was not given opportunity to further edit the page to make the notability of the subject more obvious. The subject is a winner of numerous awards in sailing, and is currently writing a novel. A student at 'The Friends' School Hobart' is currently writing a biographical report on 'Amelia Catt', and the page was created to be an assistance to this student and others focusing on 'Amelia Catt' for their reports.
The deletion of the page was uncalled for and unnecessary.
A piece of work which took considerable to time create and was unfinished was deleted.
I am disappointed in this and am encouraging all others editors and creators of pages on Wikipedia
whom I am acquainted with to discontinue their use of the site, as their pages will most likely be deleted
by users who obviously have no idea of what they are doing, and have not even the decency to allow an
extended amount of time for the article to be completed.
Monthly Challenge: June Stub Review! Take a moment and sift through the roughly 3,600 Stub-class LGBT articles. Are they still stubs? If not, make an assessment change. Even better, do you see anything you can add/edit to increase the rating? Let's see if the project can lower the number of stubs down below 3,000!
Project News
WP:LGBT Exceeds 200 Members!!
Two editors have been selected by project members as co-coordinators. Their duties are still a bit unclear, but having a few more janitors around the project will help keep us running smoothly. Please feel free to message Fireplace or SatyrTN if you have any project questions or concerns.
To stop receiving this newsletter, or to receive it in a different format, just ask Dev920. If you have any news or any announcements to be broadcast, do let her know.
Monthly Challenge: Submit an article to our Jumpaclass competition! Languishing unloved, it is a great way to improving that article you always meant to improve but never got round to. Challenge someone else to go head to head and see who can improve their article most!
Our Deputy Coordinators have been doing a fabulous job so far. Well done!
The portal is now looking very snazzy, well done to Fireplace for all his hard work.
The list of LGBT people to be sorted has now beed reduced by 20%. Please help us with it, all of us adding just one person a day would have a dramatic effect!
The Core Topics is now largely complete. The original aim of getting some kind of publication out of it is extremely long term - any short term uses we can make of it are welcome on the project talkpage.
A suggestion was made this month that we start our own wiki. Although the conclusion was that we felt we were a part of Wikipedia rather than a stand alone organisation, it seems there is an LGBT wiki already, at http://lgbt.wikia.com/wiki/Main_page . Members may be interested in getting involved there.
The Collaboration is now getting rather short on suggestions. Article nominations for August through December would be welcome on the talkpage.
There is now a list of Missing LGBT Topics. Help is needed to work out which topics can be made redirects or need to be created. Please contribute is you can.
An LGBT banner that was created for Wikipedia's internal ads system has now been adapted so it can be placed on blogs and websites. The html is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:LGBT"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Qxz-ad48.gif" height="53" width="445"></a> Please credit Miranda and link to her userpage: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Miranda">Miranda</a>. The banner can be seen in action here. If you have a blog or a website, please consider adding the banner, either in a post or as part of your profile.
To stop receiving this newsletter, or to receive it in a different format, please let us know here. If you have any news or any announcements to be broadcast, do let Dev920 know.
Delivered on 16:00, 6 July 2007 (UTC).
User:Switchercat/Sandbox/Honey Dew Donuts
A {{prod}} template has been added to the article User:Switchercat/Sandbox/Honey Dew Donuts, suggesting that it be deleted according to the proposed deletion process. All contributions are appreciated, but this article may not satisfy Wikipedia's criteria for inclusion, and the deletion notice explains why (see also "What Wikipedia is not" and Wikipedia's deletion policy). You may contest the proposed deletion by removing the {{dated prod}} notice, but please explain why you disagree with the proposed deletion in your edit summary or on [[Talk:User:Switchercat/Sandbox/Honey Dew Donuts|its talk page]]. Also, please consider improving the article to address the issues raised. Even though removing the deletion notice will prevent deletion through the proposed deletion process, the article may still be deleted if it matches any of the speedy deletion criteria or it can be sent to Articles for Deletion, where it may be deleted if consensus to delete is reached. If you endorse deletion of the article, and you are the only person who has made substantial edits to the page, please tag it with {{db-author}}. Postcard Cathy00:06, 21 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you for tagging it and letting me know! I hadn't thought about that page in a while. :P I was a bit angry when I got this on my talkpage ("But I'm still working on it! *kneejerk reaction*") but, really, I'm not working on it... so, yep, I've put a speedy-deletion tag on. Switchercattalkcont18:46, 21 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Ariakon Overlord
You proposed the deletion of Ariakon Overlord last May on basis of notability. I just rewrote that article and put in the fact that it is the best selling paintball pistol and it was referenced. I'm not sure where to go from here so I decided to talk to you about it since you were the one who first tagged it. Thanks! DeflagroContribs/Talk14:17, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]
After you responded I looked back at the article and saw most of my edits were reverted which took out the notability part. Ah well. Thanks for responding! DeflagroContribs/Talk01:43, 27 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]
AFUSCO has smiled at you! Smiles promote WikiLove and hopefully this one has made your day better. Spread the WikiLove by smiling at someone else, whether it be someone you have had disagreements with in the past or a good friend. Happy editing! Smile at others by adding {{subst:Smile}} to their talk page with a friendly message.
Message from Coordinator: It's been almost two months since the last newsletter came out, so there are a fair few people who haven't really been kept up with our project. I'd like to welcome all those who have joined and those who have returned, and strongly reccommend that you use the talkpage for any queries or problems you have. Happy editing!
Article News
The ongoing effort to create a comprehensive list of LGB people has begun to bear fruit - /A AND the /W-Z lists have been featured! Congratulations to Dev920 and SatyrTN who nominated them respectively. Please consider pitching in the the remaining lists to help us get them finished before the end of the year.
Project News
WP:LGBT now has an IRC channel! It is #LGBTProject on Freenode. Users without IRC or Xchat can use the java app at java.freenode.net to access the channel from their web browser. Hope to see you in there sometime!
David Shankbone has taken a LOT of photos. An idea has been mooted to create a page for listing people who are willing to take images in their area on request, please give your thoughts here.
Considerable discussion has recently been held on our coverage of same sex marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships. You may be interested to read it.
The list of LGBT people to be sorted has now been reduced by over 30%. Please help us with it, all of us adding just one person a day would have a dramatic effect!
A gay cabal conspiracy ghost has been created to do with what you will. :)
Wooh, massive gay conspiracy...
Member News
Since the last newsletter was released, we have had more members been labelled inactive than who have signed up - please consider recruiting a few more people if you can, a WikiProject is only as good as its members. :)
To stop receiving this newsletter, or to receive it in a different format, please let us know here. If you have any news or any announcements to be broadcast, do let Dev920 know.
Delivered on 16:00, 6 July 2007 (UTC).
Itaici
Hi Switchercat
This article is the first time I've used / contributed to Wikipedia, hence the poor effort HTML and terrible layout.
Itaici Monastery is near my home and thought it worthy or mention, it is important for Jesuit Catholicism in Brasil, although not a Catholic myself I find the place a tranquil site for contemplation.
No, it's fine! I totally understand that you're not entirely experienced in Wiki-markup and layout. The place seems like a worthy topic, although there are no sources in the article as of yet, as I see. Perhaps I'll help flesh it out sometime when I get the chance. Switchercattalkcont02:39, 13 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks for uploading or contributing to Image:BayWindowsNewspaper.jpg. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in Wikipedia articles constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use. Suggestions on how to do so can be found here.
Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to ensure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.
If you have uploaded other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on those pages too. You can find a list of 'image' pages you have edited by clicking on the "my contributions" link (it is located at the very top of any Wikipedia page when you are logged in), and then selecting "Image" from the dropdown box. Note that any non-free media lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you. ~Wikihermit18:11, 7 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
The LGBT studies project has been rather quiet of late. Though we've added over 180 new members in the last year, only a small percentage are active participants. If you haven't visited our project or talk page in a while, please stop by for a look. Also, if you happen to bump into another editor who you feel might enjoy working with us, please extend an invitation. There's lot's do do, and the active members would sincerely appreciate some help.
Our Peer review project is struggling at the present, with only a few people reviewing the articles. While it is certainly possible to submit articles for a general peer review, a review by members of the LGBT community can be of additional value for LGBT specific writing. There are several articles currently up for review on a wide range of topics. At the very least, reading the articles will undoubtedly broaden your intellectual horizons :-)
At the moment, David Le Brocq, Malmö Devilants and Trajectory Hermeneutics are up for deletion review. Please take a look at them and make your voice heard at the deletion review. Articles nominated for deletion also present a challenge for improvement. See what you can do, and watchlist our deletion review page.
The Pederasty articles continue to be a point of controversy both within and outside of our community. Various editors have suggested that to include them as LGBT Project related somehow taints the project and brings Wikipedia into disrepute. Other editors have stated that the articles, and especially the Pederasty article, are part of the core of LGBT studies. Well meaning editors continue to remove our tags from the articles themselves as well as the talk pages. If you have time, please read the articles and watchlist them to protect them from vandalism and well meaning but counterproductive edits.
The list of LGBT people has survived its 4th nomination for deletion. Please watchlist this list to protect it from vandalism and unsourced additions. There are many in Wikipedia who would like to see this Featured status list removed from the project. It is up to us to keep it to such a high caliber that it never is removed.
Our project member David Shankbone is now working as a journalist for Wikinews, as well as continuing to improve our project and Wikipedia as a whole with his photographs. A sincere thank you goes out to him for all of his hard work. Wikipedia would not shine nearly as brightly without your contributions, David.
Happy Halloween, everybody! Be happy and celebrate!
The surviving life partner of prominent LGBT rights activist Barbara Gittings recently called one of our editors and, among other things, complimented us on what a great job our project is doing on Wikipedia. Thanks to everyone who contributes to this project, either through their article edits or support for other project members. We really are making an difference here!
Member assistance
Some of our project members have been having difficulties related to editing on the encyclopedia. If you are feeling frustrated or distressed by your editing experience, please don't keep it to yourself. Wikipedia is a collaborative effort, and we are all here to help one another. Drop a line on our talkpage or on another editor's page, and other members of the LGBT project will happily give you the support you want and need.
Lastly, Halloween is just around the corner. More than most holidays, Halloween is a holiday embraced by and tailor made to our community (though God only knows why we are invisible in the Halloween article here. Perhaps somebody would like to rectify that editing oversight). Have fun, everybody, and remember to both trick and treat!
To stop receiving this newsletter, or to receive it in a different format, please let us know here. If you have any news or any announcements to be broadcast, do let Dev920 know.
Hey, Peeps, it's that time of the month again (no not that time — get your mind out of the gutter): time for another monthly edition of the LGBT Project'sLove Boat newsletter from your cruise directorMiss Julie. So much has been happening this month and I just can't wait to tell you all about it!!!
Alice and her harasser
Let's start with some good news: Alice and the project lost the bothersome sock puppet who had been disrupting many articles we monitor, and now most of us can edit in relative peace. Congratulations, Alice, for being able to come out of semi-retirement. Benjiboi, on the other hand, has gained an anonymous IP stalker who seems to be more Catholic than the Pope and who has a hard-on for the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. We seem to have a sort of Yin and Yang thing going on here, which helps both to keep us in balance and on our toes <bright smiles all around>.
Harry Potter and his homosexual teacher
Albus Dumbledore got outed this month, and was immediately adopted by our project. The international brouhaha surrounding this disclosure reached all the way to Wikiland, and his article was briefly locked due to homophobic vandalism (as well as well meaning editors who just couldn't believe that that nice man could possibly be gay). This is a wonderful article to add to your watchlist, and will surely give you hours of reverting fun on cold winter days.
"My Fellow Americans"
On a more serious note, Fireplace has suggested a new article series about LGBT rights in the United States, state by state. This ambitious topic will surely require many editors and a lot of research, but has the potential to add further prestige to our already prestigious project.
Same name, same sexuality: a riddle for the ages
Francis Bacon (not the new gay one, but the old gay one ... though they're actually both dead, now that I think about it) has also aroused passions here on Wikipedia, with editors opposing his sexuality being disclosed in his biography. The always helpful Haiduc has thoughtfully provided any number of sources, but it is slow going getting his point across. Anyone want to lend a hand?
Beat writer arouses Irish guy
And speaking of passions, Jack Kerouac has inflamed the senses once again with editors, including administrator Irishguy, mounting a spirited defense to keep him as heterosexual as possible for Wikipedia purposes. Why? I don't know. Perhaps some of you can drop by the talk page and ask your questions there. I feel certain a stimulating debate will ensue that will be enjoyed by all.
Love those Texas Longhorns
Did you know that one of our Featured articles, Lawrence v. Texas, lost its shiny gold star? That was a shocker. It has been suggested that we turn our attention to it in an effort to restore it to its former glory. I took a peek, and it does need our help badly. For our American editors, it would seem almost a civic duty to edit it (not that I'm hinting....).
Point and Counterpoint
Though it was far too intellectual a debate for a mere cruise director like myself to take part in, Intersexuality was certainly a hot topic a week or two ago. The thrust of the debate was over inclusion in our project. Lots of good editors had lots of good opinions. For those too lazy to check out the discussion, we decided to leave it out for now.
Drudgery on offer
Peer review is, as always, short staffed and seemingly unloved. Wouldn't you feel better about yourself and the world in general if you took a few minutes to read one of the listed articles and offer some helpful advice? I know I'd feel better if you did.
"My Fellow Americans" redux
The article LGBT movements in the United States certainly raised eyebrows last week, especially when it was discovered that copyrighted content had been added to our article. Tragedy was averted at the last minute, though, when the original hosts of the article where the material had been pilfered agreed to make it free to everyone. Our thanks to them, whoever they are. Busy Bee that I am, I haven't had time to read it, but I'm sure it's sensational.
Not content to run for Best Actress, plucky Bannon won a Best supporting actress Oscar... whoops, I meant to say Ann is also getting more than her share of womanly attention on the Good Article list. Joining her on this exalted plane are Freddy Mercury, Waylon Smithers and Lance Bass. Good articles indeed, and the last one mentioned just goes to show that one needn't admire the subject of an article to appreciate the effort put into making him worthwhile reading. What on earth Britney ever saw in him I'll never know. Truly a riddle cloaked in an enigma and wrapped around a puzzle.
On a personal note, your already overworked cruise director is being cyberly whipped almost daily by Nemissimo, who desperately wants to get the German BDSM translation copy edited and used as a replacement for the current one. It's such a ... err, stimulating topic that I am sure many of you will want to join the copy editing fun. Jump right in, folks! It's so lonely copy editing it all by my lonesome!
Late breaking news
A little birdie just whispered in my ear that our noble collaboration project was delisted from the Community Portal due to inactivity. When asked how this scandalous turn of events could have occurred, the answer I received was "we suck at stuff like that". Well. In the first place, I disagree that sucking should be considered a negative, but to each his or her own. In the second place, I have full confidence that we can and will collaborate with other projects in the future. So let's not view this as a setback (even though it is), but rather a challenge to improve (and good Lord, I sound almost Wikipedian!).
Champagne dreams and caviar kisses
Lastly, the holidays are rapidly approaching. Our American cousins are currently getting ready to slaughter masses of poultry in an effort to show their gratitude and generally peaceful demeanor, and those of the Canadian persuasion, trendsetters that they are, celebrated a bit early this year. I'm sure all us foreigners will join together in wishing them all a very happy Thanksgiving on their respective holidays, both already celebrated and forthcoming... though I would hope somebody would enlighten me as to why they don't celebrate it on the same day. I was awake all last night trying to figure that one out.
In the spirit of this peculiarly North American holiday, let me take a moment to thank all of our editors for their contributions to this project. It's people like you who make people like me...well, a "people person"! May all your Wiki days be bright, and may your Love Boat never turn into a Poseidon.
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