[Fredslist] An Open Letter to Gotham Righties

Mon Feb 1 22:30:02 EST 2010

Dear Tessa,

    At least your heart is in the correct place. I did not say "the right place", because it's dexteriously biased, just like 'leftovers" is (are?) 

john
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Tessa Marquis 
  To: elizmb at tiac.net ; friendl2 at peoplepc.com ; 'John V. Soderberg' ; 'Gil Effron' 
  Cc: fredslist at gothamnetworking.com 
  Sent: Monday, February 01, 2010 10:21 PM
  Subject: RE: [Fredslist] An Open Letter to Gotham Righties

  Interesting sidenote from CT: The reporter from the New Haven Register and the reporter from the Connecticut Post are both left handed. I was at a meeting tonight that they attended and I told them about your Group. When I mentioned scissors they groaned in unison.

  My sister was a Lefty and we accommodated her in every way, including learning how to do things left-handedly. In college during the Microbiology class I even did learned to do a pipette series on raw sewage left handed.

  Coming from California, I refer to it as the Left Coast and even though I am Right Handed, I am politically a Lefty! 

  Tessa Marquis

  Gotham New Haven, to the Left of Long Island
  New Standard Institute, Inc. 
  84 Broad Street  |  Milford, CT 06460  |  USA
  203.783.1582 x101 
  tmarquis at newstandardinstitute.com 

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  From: fredslist-bounces at gothamnetworking.com [mailto:fredslist-bounces at gothamnetworking.com] On Behalf Of elizmb at tiac.net
  Sent: Monday, February 01, 2010 8:19 PM
  To: friendl2 at peoplepc.com; John V. Soderberg; Gil Effron
  Cc: fredslist at gothamnetworking.com
  Subject: Re: [Fredslist] An Open Letter to Gotham Righties

  Hi "Fellow" Lefties,  
  Back in the late 70s / early 80s there was a Lefty store on Lexington Ave, mid-town.  It was Great!  Lefty scissors, ladles, rulers, & ever so much more. 
  Had I known about that store in Sydney when I was there...  
  Something that I'd love to have available: cameras with dual or lefty controls!
  Elizabeth

  Elizabeth Marner-Brooks
  Training The Speaking Voice
  917-374-8984
  Diversity Group

  -----Original Message----- 
  From: friendl2 at peoplepc.com 
  Sent: Feb 1, 2010 5:10 PM 
  To: "John V. Soderberg" , Gil Effron 
  Cc: fredslist at gothamnetworking.com 
  Subject: Re: [Fredslist] An Open Letter to Gotham Righties 

  HI  Guys!  I don't what the hystgeria is about.  You have a non-compete group. I think I know of a few others in Gotham.  Relax and enjoy your exclusive company. 

  In my travels over many years the only store I knew of catering to lefties until just a few years ago was in Sydney Australia.  I know that there has been an expansion of availibility of left handed utensils but it's not something you run into every day.  

  I realize that this is a good opportunity to bring many of your frustratiions to the fore.  Have at it. 

  As far as righties thinking that you are planning a coup, You already have the head that wears the crown, and he does it with aplomb. 

  Enjoy.

  George Fehling  - Diversity

    ----- Original Message ----- 

    From: John V. Soderberg 

    To: Gil Effron 

    Cc: fredslist at gothamnetworking.com 

    Sent: Monday, February 01, 2010 2:41 PM

    Subject: Re: [Fredslist] An Open Letter to Gotham Righties

    Gil,

        Hang in there. You are fast becoming the Martin Luther King of leftie rights! In fact, we should form a Southern Paw Leadership Conference (SPLC) to better organize our long overdue, justified response to our pent up anger and frustration to this on-going right-handed arrogance. 

        I have a dream that one day right-handed children and left-handed children would sit at the table of Thanksgiving dinner and the left-handed children won't have to re-arrange the silverware to accommodate their usage. I have a dream that one day power saw wires will exit directly from the back of the tool and not from the right side so that left-handed handymen won't electrocute themselves when they work around their homes. I have a dream that one day simple paper scissors will be made so that left-handed and right-handed people can use them with equal dexterity. I have a dream that one day they will make cars so that the radio and other devices will be equally accessible to lefties as they now are to righties, I have a dream!

    John

      ----- Original Message ----- 

      From: Gil Effron 

      To: fredslist at gothamnetworking.com 

      Sent: Monday, February 01, 2010 8:12 AM

      Subject: [Fredslist] An Open Letter to Gotham Righties

      An Open Letter to Gotham Righties:

      When Fred first asked me if I would coordinate the upcoming Lefty Group meeting at 12:30 p.m. at the Friars Club on Thursday, February 18, it didn't take but a moment for me to jump on board and agree to help. 

      After all, I am left-handed and I did attend the last two Lefty Group events. I enjoyed the camaraderie and the fun. And, as mentioned in my initial invitation, it was a truly pleasure to sit around a crowded table where lefties and righties were not bumping elbows. We talked and laughed about the challenges left-handers face in our society where only about 10 to 12 percent of the population is left-handed. And we shared stories of our various left-handed adventures, both good and bad. (Contrary to popular opinion, we did not speak about righties behind their backs -- nor were we derogatory or condescending in any way.) 

      Little did I know that this upcoming event would create such upheaval throughout all of Gotham. 

      -- Currently, I'm openly being shunned on the subway. 

      -- I'm receiving at least a dozen anonymous emails every day from people I barely know urging me to "give up the fight for left-handed separatism" and learn to use my right hand. 

      -- I'm receiving hang-ups on my home phone throughout the night. (Thank heaven for caller ID. It's someone named "Blocked.") 

      -- Fred and I are being threatened with lawsuits for discrimination against righties. 

      -- Plus, and most painfully, we are being labeled as acting "unGothamly" and are being blamed for "creating conflict within the tribe." 

      As I write this, a small crowd has gathered outside the main entrance to my apartment building in Riverdale. From the 16th  floor I'm barely able to make out the signs they're carrying. But I think some say, "Righties Rule." Another says, "Tear down that conflict wall." But from this distance I can't be sure. and NO WAY am I going to go outside to take a closer look. I'll stay home today. 

      In addition, since posting the invitation, both Fred and I have been receiving a host of ideas and recommendations as to how and why we could, should, and would be able to include righties. Here are just a few of the over 129 ideas that have come our way from righties: 

      n     Righties allowed to attend if they promise not to eat. but just to listen

      n     Righties allowed to attend, but sit at a different table 

      n     Righties allowed to attend because they're married to someone who is left-handed 

      n     Righties allowed to attend if they would try to eat left-handed, regardless of the mess it could create

      The argument that we have the greatest difficulty dealing with is the one of ambidexterity. 

      Each of us is ambidextrous, at least to some degree. There are times that I pick up the TV remote with my right hand, because that's where my right-handed wife left it. But where exactly would we draw the line? 50-50. 40-60. 80-20? It's a tough call. 

      Fortunately, as I'm writing this, "bribes" are beginning to arrive promising everything from cash to vacations in the Bahamas. While they are tempting (especially the vacation in the Bahamas), I don't think that would be Gothamly. 

      Over the weekend, Fred and I met secretly at an undisclosed location (the site of many secret meetings). 

      Trying to hold our ground that the purpose of the Lefty Group is not to shun righties, but "to bring together those of us who are joined by a common cause," we debated the issue of how to include righties. and, if we did, how we would go about deciding which righties could attend. and how many. where they would sit (because we don't want bumping elbows). and a number of other issues. 

      We entertained the notion of a random drawing. a contest of skill such as crossing Madison Avenue during rush hour carrying a boiled egg in a teaspoon -- left handed, of course. or a competition in which those who wished to attend would write an essay (100 words or less) entitled, "I'm a rightie, but I would like to attend the Lefty Group anyway because." 

      At the end, we determined that we could not and would not make this decision alone (especially given so much pressure from both sides) and that we would seek the opinion of Gotham at-large to answer the question du jour: Should righties be allowed to attend the Lefty Group. and, if so, without causing further discrimination, pain, and anguish to righties, how would we choose who. and how many? 

      In the meantime, we will continue to accept reservations for the Lefty Group meeting from lefties only. Please follow the link below to register. Perhaps the problem will resolve itself when the room fills with lefties. HURRY. 

      Respectfully, 

      Gil Effron

      http://www.gothamnetworking.com/events/eventDetail.php?eventId=1878&eventType=1

      For additional information contact, contact me at. 

      Gil at strategiesforgrowth.net

      347-920-3272

      Gil Effron

      Strategies For Growth

      305 Madison Avenue, Suite 449

      New York, NY 10165

      gil at strategiesforgrowth.net

      800-226-2428 or 347-920-3272

      Fax: 877-805-8037

      Mobile: 914-414-9245

      Don't Just WATCH THE GAP, Eliminate It!

      www.linkedin.com/in/gileffron

      http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Gil_Effron 

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