CSTS and Equality Now need your help to do good in the ‘Verse! What if we tell you that there is a way you can help make a difference to raise money for Equality Now and all it would take is maybe a minute of your time?  Sound good?  Well here’s the scoop. There’s a contest for your favorite charity at: http://www.ilovechristiecookies.com/contest/form.asp The link isn’t listed in the drop down menu yet, but with a few more votes it should be up there soon.  So where’s what you need to do. 1.  Click on the drop down menu (“Check to see if your favorite charity is already listed.”) to see if Equality Now is listed.  If it is, click on it and proceed to fill out your information and vote!  (Amanda Sullivan should be the Charity Contact Name) 2.  If it isn’t there, click on the 2nd drop down menu (“Don’t see your charity listed?  Click here add yours.”) and enter in Equality Now.  Fill in the information, use Amanda as the Charity Contact Name and send in your vote. 3.  Tell everyone you know about this and have them go and vote too!  There are 12 prizes in all ranging from first: $10,000, second: $5,000, and 10 prizes of $1,000 each.  There is only one vote per email address (so if you have multiple emails you can use them) The more we pass this on, the better chance we have to raise even more money for Equality Now. Nominations must be submitted on or before October 15, 2009. The winning charities will be announced in No

GUESS WHAT? I have here in my cyber hand something you fine folk have been waiting to read.  No, it’s not a puppy or a shiny sparkling bit of heist (although those things are fine enough in their own regards...) I have here, right here before me... that precious bit o’email from Amanda at Equality Now! What email you ask?  Well for those of you who mighta missed our little missive earlier, it contains two very special names - the names belonging to the shiny winners in part one of the global prize draw... Even I can’t stop the serenity - so now, without any further ado and/or and procrastination of the special shiny announcement - here we go. ::drum roll please:: The winner of the Creation Entertainment Gold Passes is: ✺❥✺ MEGAN MCAFEE-ERSKINE ✺❥✺ of Albuquerque❣ AND The winner of the Browncoat Ball Passes is: ✺❥✺ JOHNNY YARBROUGH ✺❥✺ of Chicago!❣ ✶✳✸✷✵✹✺  CONGRATULATIONS❢  ✺✹✵✷✸✳✶ From all of us here at CSTS central, we say thanks for supporting our awesome sauce cause by supporting your local organizers and whoot for winning!  Be sure to keep checking back because we have more things to share and we’ll also be drawing for the rest of the festive prizes in a couple months. Also, a very special thank you to Amanda Sullivan/Equality Now for agreeing to be our lovely random name/prize puller!  What a team we make and what a way to make a difference! Have a fantabulous La

SHINY!  We’ve sent the following list of lucky first round winners off to our fantabulous friends at Equality Now and at any moment they will be picking the two lucky winners for the Browncoat Ball and Creation Entertainment passes! CREATION ENTERTAINMENT GOLD PASSES Jen Grańa - Boston Cory Seaton - Denver Carl Hewelt - Chicago Craig Dungan - Raleigh Abi Kritzer - Minneapolis Patrick O’Connor - Seattle David West - Pittsburgh Aurora Miracle - Portland Brett Trout - Des Moines Mark Thompson - Vancouver, BC Wendy Scott - Warwick, UK Diana Hall - Nottingham, UK David Hudgins - Arlington Steven Norris - Nashville Tiffany Bell - Melbourne, AUS Jacob Acosta - Dallas Megan McAfee-Erskine - Albuquerque Linda Bourbeau - OC/Irvine Michelle Carlbert - Los Angeles David Bean - San Diego MA Ghaffar - Riverside Lydia Hernandez - Austin Risa Kitaura - San Antonio BROWNCOAT BALL PASSES Dan Morley - New England Erin Card - Denver Johnny Yarbrough - Chicago Amy Preble - Raleigh Grant Johnson - Minneapolis Gary Rawson - Seattle Michele Trader - Pittsburgh Anitra Pavka - Portland Kelly Goergen - Des Moines Laurel Ragen - Vancouver, BC Susan Crean - Warwick, UK Laura Walker - Nottingham, UK Matt Krainik - Arlington Lisa Rish - Nashville Carly Williams - Melbourne, AUS Tracy Yothers - Dallas Chris Laplante - Albuquerque Michelle Evans - OC/Irvine Kate Hopp - Los Angeles Corey Ruhl - San Diego Beth Zorko - Riverside Barbara Slough - Aus

Ni hao!!! Can you feel the excitement in the air?  I’m EXCITED!  Why?  Because we are ready to draw the Global Prizes for the Creation Entertainment Gold Weekend Package AND for the awesome Browncoat Ball Passes!!!   PLUS the lovely gals at Equality Now are standing by (well probably sitting lol) to do the random drawing for us. However, these are the only Browncoat groups I’ve received any entries for to date: Chicago Browncoats Denver Browncoats Des Moines Browncoats Minneapolis Browncoats New England Browncoats* Nottingham Browncoats Pittsburgh Browncoats Portland Browncoats Raleigh Browncoats Seattle Browncoats Vancouver Browncoats Warwick Browncoats *via snail mail (All others were emailed to globalprizedraw@cantstoptheserenity.com) (Las Vegas submitted only one entry and we are waiting for clarification on which prize their winner is suppose to be entered into) It seems we are short a few cities!  We want all everyone who made it to the final round to have a sporting chance so, IF you emailed your entries and are not on this list, I need you to contact me ASAP and resend them.  Only two parties requested a snail mail address and of those only one chose to send them to me in that fashion. For those of you who haven’t sent your entries in yet, I will give you until 8:00 a.m. CST tomorrow to get them in via email at:  globalprizedraw@cantstoptheserenity.com After that time, I will complete the drawing list and send it on to Equalit

This week’s Why We Are Here is a special one.  It is dedicated to all of the caring fathers out there in the world.  Equality moves both ways, and we need to remember that when walking and working with our male counterparts in humanity’s symphony.  There are plenty of wonderful courageous men who work hard for equality right alongside the womenfolk and who practice doing the right thing.  At the same time, there are many who have dedicated themselves to learning how to do the right thing, in spite of thousands of years of cultural influence.  It is because of the education and other programs backed by Equality Now (and other worthy institutions) that these seekers of truth and equality have the chance to change the imbalance. I was asked an honest question the other day, about keeping the signal going and if it really worked.   The question was not derogatory; this was not an attempt at knocking the efforts of the quest for equality.  Instead he wanted to know with hope in his voice and heart, if the actions of Equality Now and individuals connected with EN and other viable organizations, really were making a difference.  “Yes!”  I said.  Then I proceeded to give him examples of how Equality Now achieves victories in world law, perception and deed with their impassioned campaigns and illuminating education. In the process of telling and showing, I came across something more.  I found out about the courageous men who are fighting culture and their place