The aide says that he is pro- anti-discrimination and for LGBT rights, including gay marriage, although I would love to officially confirm that off-the-cuff statement.  Due to the current leadership in the state, I questioned him more on state issues than LGBT issues.  Our current governator [sic] is seemingly anti-mental health and pro- Philadelphia and LGBT rights.

The first thing I did was ask him if he would do more to promote PA to businesses.  I especially am concerned with getting businesses to come back to small towns.  I grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania and would love to see more work on that front.  People there need fair paying jobs.  He actually knew of my hometown, Warren, which I found interesting.  It is a great place to hunt, fish, boat, hike, and climb.  It’s also the home of the Kinzua Dam and Reservoir which keeps Pittsburgh, among other places from flooding.

My next line of questioning had to do with state run mental health care.  My mother worked at a state mental institution for 23 years, so I have become concerned with a few issues like the closing down of the state hospitals.  This leaves many people who have serious issues out in the cold.  When a state hospital closes, the patients get placed in group homes where they don’t receive quality care.  They may also end up being taken care of by relatives who don’t want them and do not know how to treat them mentally or physically.  If a patient doesn’t end up in a group home or family home, they will be on the street.  Most of those people will end up in the prison system with terrible/no mental health care.

Mental heath care needs to be focused on patient care by trained professionals.  Group homes are mostly hire affordable staff with a low ratio of registered nurses or doctors to patients.  This leaves them with basically little to no quality care.  I propose that we need a standard of care for the mentally ill people who are in group homes.  He found that to be an interesting idea and hopes he takes it to heart.

BUT… politics being politics, at the end of the day getting votes is all about baby kissing!

I learned the hard way that gaining numbers of downloads on a podcast isn’t the right [read: correct] way of creating content for your audience.  I say your audience because there will be a certain number of people that will listen to and enjoy your rantings and ramblings.  You need to make that audience your own.  Jason knows that he can put people to sleep.  Jason knows that a lot of people won’t like his show or points of view… just look at the reviews on iTunes!

Give us a place to stand and we will move the Earth. ~Archimedes

A podcast is like a TV show.  Not everyone is willing to commit the time to watch/listen.  For some reason, people think that everyone will like their blog or podcast while TV shows are geared to a particular audience that likes a particular “thing.”  I do a certain type of show in a certain manner for a certain type of people.  If you don’t like that, I really don’t give a shit; shut up about it.

The whole point of this is to say that you will most likely not have an audience that numbers in the millions… or thousands.  Do what you like to do and what satisfys you!  Also remember that an audience of 50 reading a blog is more than would listen to you preach outside of city hall.  As far as I’m concerned, if I can help just one person, I have been a success.  Podcasting and blogging give us a place to stand from which we may be able to move the Earth.

Photo from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/ / CC BY 2.0

http://www.jasoncable.com/podcasts/com.jasoncable.podcast0158.mp3

I remember my first trip here 22 years ago.  My family came down to the ‘burgh for a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game.  I especially remember driving through the Fort Pitt tunnels and seeing this enormous city come into view.  As a friend of mine in New Jersey put it, “Pittsburgh is the only city in the country with a ‘front door.’”  He was right.  Pittsburgh is a beautiful town which today provides something for everyone. голова болит секс

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We have three major sports teams, a new hundred million dollar casino, the Andy Warhol Museum, a large zoo, history and art museums, three world class universities, two world-famous health care systems, high tech and financial companies, a world-class symphony orchestra, and the list goes on and on.  I’m proud to call Pittsburgh my home and will be staying here for (hopefully) a long time to come.

I didn’t believe it until I heard it on TV, but Pittsburgh still has a nasty, decades old stigma to overcome.  I hope that the 2,600 reporters from around the globe report good things about our city.  The protests were not the story.  People are focusing on them in their blog postings, etcetera, but should have been trying to make our city look good so that we can overcome the folklore of Pittsburgh.  Give Pittsburgh a second chance!

• Assault on Precinct 13 movie download

on October 10 & 11, 2009, with a social meet-n-greet on Friday night.

Whether you are a beginner, intermediate, advanced, or just curious, come out and hear social networking experts talk about their craft.  Hell, if CNN can get on the Twitter-Facebook Express, so can you!  We have seen great examples of the use of social media in the last year from the protests over Iran’s election to the G20 Summit in little old Pittsburgh.

If you’re in the greater Pittsburgh area or some place that doesn’t have a podcamp, come on down and take advantage of this FREE UNconference.  Plus, you can meet me!   Unfortunately, due to medical reasons, I was unable to help organize this year, but I know the people who have and let me tell you, you are in for a good time.  Sign up today and hope to see you there! ~Jason

P.S.: Be sure to pick up a pen or two, donated by this podcast & blog.

Due to the fact that I cannot get married and the abundance of abstinence only education, I will never have sex and should just join the Jesuits and become a Roman Catholic priest.  That might work for some people, but not me!  This episode contains some of your feedback plus a “beginning sex” talk that most of us wish we had when we were much younger.  I’d love to hear your comments/questions/feedback!

http://www.jasoncable.com/podcasts/com.jasoncable.podcast0157.mp3

We’re also looking for people to write articles and contribute ideas on being (or not being) LGBT in the workplace.  Personal stories, anecdotes, suggestions, essays, and articles will be accepted and can be published anonymously.  I’m trying to get information out and available for anyone struggling with the separation of their work and social lives.  It’s tough being the only gay person at work.  We also understand that it is difficult coming out at work.  How do you handle those situations?  How did you handle that situation?  Come start and/or join the conversation over at HomophobicJobs.com.

http://www.jasoncable.com/podcasts/com.jasoncable.podcast0156.mp3

Show Links:

• Gay Life After 40: WGAYonline.com
• HomophobicJobs.com: Reporting where NOT to work.
• Podcamp Pittsburgh 4: October 10-11, 2009.

Green Day was awesome.  I have never seen a band that encourages the audience as much as they do.  Front man Billie Joe Armstrong engages the crowd with the enthusiasm of a five year old.  My introduction to Green Day was only a couple of years ago with their iTunes exclusive cover of I Fought the Law [iTMS] which preceded their now infamous American Idiot [iTMS] album.  Of course, I’m hooked.  You can’t help it with such a great band.  Next time I see them, I will pay for the best seats.  It would have been worth it!  The opening act was The Bravery; they were good, but not my thing.

The final band I went to see was Blink-182 (Wikipedia).  This was the concert I was waiting for.  I have wanted to see them, again, like Jimmie’s Chicken Shack, since 1999.  It was the summer that I was working the evening shift at an Internet service provider (Penncom Internet Company, Warren, PA) as a UNIX system administrator.  During the day I would watch MTV back when they still played videos.

As the date to the concert was approaching, I was dreading the three warm-up acts.  I mean, who in the hell has three warm-up acts!?!?  The concert was at the Post-Gazette Pavilion, about 35 miles from the City of Pittsburgh.  I had never been there before, so it was an interesting experience.  I do NOT like the fact that it is owned by Live Nation, the concert ticket people.  For a $240 VIP ticket, you get a seat in the 4th seated row.  There was a very small general admission area in front of the seats.  You also get a t-shirt and poster, but only if you remember to email them to get them.  Also add on about $35 for VIP parking.  Admission to the VIP lounge was supposed to be included in the ticket, but I think I entered at the wrong gate.  It was super expensive but so worth it.

Blink-182’s show was absolutely fantastic.  I could not have wanted anything more.  They are entertaining and haven’t lost a beat after being on hiatus for almost four years.  I was surprised that they were touring without having put out a new album.  Even with that they packed in a full crowd of 29,000 people just outside of Pittsburgh.

Blink’s warm-up acts were all good.  I did not know any of their material, but they were all great bands.  Fall Out Boy is the best known of the three, but I just don’t like that kind of music.  I find it just a tad too hard/harsh for my refined palate.  Panic at the Disco was the same thing for me.  Now, Chester French, the least known of Blink-182’s warm-up acts really struck a chord with me.  I love them!  I see them going places fast.

Green Day had the pyrotechnics, Blink-182 had the visual effects, and Jimmie’s Chicken Shack had the perfect show for a small venue.  They all put on the most entertaining shows but from very different perspectives.  As the eternal pessimist, I didn’t expect much from any of the bands I saw this summer, but I was wrong.  The summer of concerts was worth the money, time, and expense.  Assuming that I’m able, I will do it again next year.