sorry folks, sometimes i just find an op-ed that says it better than i ever could, and today i found two... in the same newspaper.
frank rich on mccain's economic stupidity (with a telling little bit about his interim economic advisor, carly fiorina): http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/20/opinion/20rich.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&oref=slogin
and bob herbert on al gore's challenge to stop being a nation of pussies and get to work ending our dependence on oil and building renewable energy mediums:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/19/opinion/19herbert.html?em&ex=1216699200&en=28ddbf73215baa2d&ei=5087%0A
yeah, i'm a liberal. the government already takes a fat chunk of my money and sends it to build roads and schools in a land atop a rich sea of oil. the thing is, i want my government to use my money here, to create jobs for americans, that will give americans the stability to keep their homes and educate their children. i want an america that's greatly admired and respected, that leads the world in innovative thinking and action. not an america that widens economic inequality (according to the harvard magazine, in only 40 years, the inequality of wealth has seen the ceo's of major corps go from earning 25 times more than the average worker to 250 times more than the average worker. "at the same time, the government is doing less to redistribute income than it has at times in the past." oh and it gets better, "income inequality has been rising since the late 1970's, and now rests at a level not seen since the gilded age..." (sidebar: the gilded age ended with the start of a major depression, called the panic of 1893, caused by railroad overbuilding, shaky financing, and bank failures. sound familiar?)).
i want an america that takes care of america first, not the fattest, richest, greediest fucks perched at the top, the ones who make 250 times more than the average worker while spending millions each year looking for loopholes to avoid paying taxes, instead of spending those annual millions to make america better, stronger, and safer. those same fucks who drive mom and pop out of business because they can afford to cut prices too low for competition to thrive (i mean, that's what happens when taxes are so low. the theory is that companies will use those tax savings to employ a larger workforce, but in reality, the jobs have been shipped overseas and the savings used to lower prices until competition is edged out of the picture).
okay, so this is my saturday night rant, following a day spent talking about obama and not understanding, at all, how any thinking american could possibly want another four years of the bush policies, another four years of disastrous leadership, poor judgment, and backward thinking. how any american could vote to move this country backward instead of forward. how anyone can think it's a good idea to vote for john mcsame...
19 July 2008
random friday
so, i think one of the first rules of blogging is to stay away from the keyboard when drinking. even further away when drunk. oops...
my original plans for the night involved a date with a boy who is probably doing the right thing for himself by canceling his plans with me. he probably feels like he likes me more than i like him, and whether or not that's actually the case, i cannot attest. i can't dictate his feelings on the matter. all i can say is that i like being single, i like making all the rules, and i like that i don't need anyone. i can see how that'd make it harder for boys, especially ones that aren't accustomed to have to work for their girl.
no matter... the point of this post was that my canceled date turned my night epically random. a girlfriend came over for a couple of hours of catch up (if you're not a close friend, be thankful, because if you think you don't get enough of me, imagine being my nearest and dearest who gets none of me), and then i walked over to domestic violence valley so bff and i could start the clock on what would inevitably turn out to be a good night.
once we decided on a place and eventually arrived, there were balloons, trannies and $4 beers. and only a short walk from his place (and mine), then an inability to decide between thai, vietnamese, and mexican for dinner that kept us starved. till jason rolled by in his prius, picked us up, and drove the next three blocks to 4100.
4100. it would be impossible to think of the place for anything but the best time possible. it's one of those bars where you're always talking to someone new or reacquainting with someone who was once new. it's where you go to have a good time, the place where the tab sometimes says $14 and others $145, where the unexpected (whether it be the bill or the proposition) is a promise, not a wish, and from whence someone is always stumbling home.
this time it's not me, even if it doesn't seem like it ;)
my original plans for the night involved a date with a boy who is probably doing the right thing for himself by canceling his plans with me. he probably feels like he likes me more than i like him, and whether or not that's actually the case, i cannot attest. i can't dictate his feelings on the matter. all i can say is that i like being single, i like making all the rules, and i like that i don't need anyone. i can see how that'd make it harder for boys, especially ones that aren't accustomed to have to work for their girl.
no matter... the point of this post was that my canceled date turned my night epically random. a girlfriend came over for a couple of hours of catch up (if you're not a close friend, be thankful, because if you think you don't get enough of me, imagine being my nearest and dearest who gets none of me), and then i walked over to domestic violence valley so bff and i could start the clock on what would inevitably turn out to be a good night.
once we decided on a place and eventually arrived, there were balloons, trannies and $4 beers. and only a short walk from his place (and mine), then an inability to decide between thai, vietnamese, and mexican for dinner that kept us starved. till jason rolled by in his prius, picked us up, and drove the next three blocks to 4100.
4100. it would be impossible to think of the place for anything but the best time possible. it's one of those bars where you're always talking to someone new or reacquainting with someone who was once new. it's where you go to have a good time, the place where the tab sometimes says $14 and others $145, where the unexpected (whether it be the bill or the proposition) is a promise, not a wish, and from whence someone is always stumbling home.
this time it's not me, even if it doesn't seem like it ;)
17 July 2008
what to do in los angeles for obama?
i'm totally committed to this campaign, in seeing it through to the end and beyond. obama must win and i will do whatever it is that i can to make sure that happens. the thing is, i can't figure out where and how to best utilize my particular skills. i'm really hoping you can help me, by voting in my poll, and leaving a comment if you're so inclined.
i love field. i love being with and around people, i love connecting people, and coordinating events. i'm organized and can fairly quickly develop systems for efficiency. i think i could probably hold my own in a communications role (i do like to write), could probably be more than useful in running phone banks because (and i'm not particularly thankful for this "gift" because i really don't like talking on the phone) i'm good on the phones. add to the mix that congressional districts 30, 33 and my own - 31, want me on their teams.
here are the biggest issues facing los angeles, as far as i can tell:
1) the campaign is in no hurry to staff california because we're fer sure blue, and maybe because the grassroots groups are pretty strong and well organized. the problem is, we don't know how the campaign is going to want us to organize and it doesn't seem to appear as though we're 100% confident enough in ourselves to just carry on via precincts, as we did in the primary (i was not a part of the california primary so i can't speak from experience about the way it was organized (it was only after california's primary that i left my job to volunteer organize in texas, indiana, and south dakota )).
2) we have tons o folks who've been signing up to volunteer, but have nowhere to direct them. we're making up voter reg events (really great voter reg events) to keep people engaged while we figure out what the hell we're doing.
3) our greatest problem areas are within the largely african american and latino communities. south and east la, a seeming no brainer voting block for obama, lacks the enthusiasm, or even knowledge that a black man named barack obama is running for president. we needs lots of spanish speaking volunteers, in addition to everyone else who will spend a day canvassing a neighborhood in south la or east la. the votes are there. we just gotta get to them, tell them about barack, empower them to make a difference, and get them out to get out the vote in november.
as for the congressional districts who've offered me leadership roles... one is too far away and already organized, running, and connected. i want to stay involved with them because i think it's important that the city groups work collaboratively. then there's hope's group. man, i love those guys. they are so committed and warm, and have invited me into their group, their homes and their hearts, and i _LOVE_ them. it would be such an honor to join their group. but they're already organized and they don't really need me. while i will definitely keep in their circle and do what i can to help them. and then there's 31. my congressional district. it doesn't seem like anything going on during the primary are still in the mix. maybe we need to get them back and re-organize with the new volunteers.
i do believe i could make a pretty big difference in organizing the shit out of cd 31, but then i think, isn't it already going to go to obama anyway? this is silver lake, downtown, k-town, eagle rock. we're democrats. obama's already won us. or is that false confidence? do we need to be make sure we're organized so we can keep working together after the election?
or do i go to the hood and chat about barack with a group of people who have spent their entire lives disenfranchised? maybe i could make a difference, help them organize, lead them toward the conversation, and teach them how to get involved.
i don't know. i just don't know. what do you think?
cross posted at daily kos
i love field. i love being with and around people, i love connecting people, and coordinating events. i'm organized and can fairly quickly develop systems for efficiency. i think i could probably hold my own in a communications role (i do like to write), could probably be more than useful in running phone banks because (and i'm not particularly thankful for this "gift" because i really don't like talking on the phone) i'm good on the phones. add to the mix that congressional districts 30, 33 and my own - 31, want me on their teams.
here are the biggest issues facing los angeles, as far as i can tell:
1) the campaign is in no hurry to staff california because we're fer sure blue, and maybe because the grassroots groups are pretty strong and well organized. the problem is, we don't know how the campaign is going to want us to organize and it doesn't seem to appear as though we're 100% confident enough in ourselves to just carry on via precincts, as we did in the primary (i was not a part of the california primary so i can't speak from experience about the way it was organized (it was only after california's primary that i left my job to volunteer organize in texas, indiana, and south dakota )).
2) we have tons o folks who've been signing up to volunteer, but have nowhere to direct them. we're making up voter reg events (really great voter reg events) to keep people engaged while we figure out what the hell we're doing.
3) our greatest problem areas are within the largely african american and latino communities. south and east la, a seeming no brainer voting block for obama, lacks the enthusiasm, or even knowledge that a black man named barack obama is running for president. we needs lots of spanish speaking volunteers, in addition to everyone else who will spend a day canvassing a neighborhood in south la or east la. the votes are there. we just gotta get to them, tell them about barack, empower them to make a difference, and get them out to get out the vote in november.
as for the congressional districts who've offered me leadership roles... one is too far away and already organized, running, and connected. i want to stay involved with them because i think it's important that the city groups work collaboratively. then there's hope's group. man, i love those guys. they are so committed and warm, and have invited me into their group, their homes and their hearts, and i _LOVE_ them. it would be such an honor to join their group. but they're already organized and they don't really need me. while i will definitely keep in their circle and do what i can to help them. and then there's 31. my congressional district. it doesn't seem like anything going on during the primary are still in the mix. maybe we need to get them back and re-organize with the new volunteers.
i do believe i could make a pretty big difference in organizing the shit out of cd 31, but then i think, isn't it already going to go to obama anyway? this is silver lake, downtown, k-town, eagle rock. we're democrats. obama's already won us. or is that false confidence? do we need to be make sure we're organized so we can keep working together after the election?
or do i go to the hood and chat about barack with a group of people who have spent their entire lives disenfranchised? maybe i could make a difference, help them organize, lead them toward the conversation, and teach them how to get involved.
i don't know. i just don't know. what do you think?
cross posted at daily kos
16 July 2008
facebook in nuts!
social networking sites are all the rage these days. and not without good reason...
it's an easy way to stay connected to the distant. a group of different friends' faces appear each time i visit the site, and i get a daily summary of what's going on in other people's lives, via their page updates. it's pretty amazing to reconnect with old friends from high school, college, law school, folks i know through organizations and experiences, and connect with groups of new friends and experiences, and to better tie myself in to the greater obama community.
today though, today was kinda weird. i met with a new obama group tonight, "la latinos for obama" (sidenote: i'm trying to figure out where i'm best suited for the la campaign, and the only way to do that is to know what's going on where). i got everyone's names so i can join their mybo groups and connect with them on facebook. in trying to go by memory, i typed in "lucia" (i couldn't remember her last name and assumed that she'd be the first one to pop up because we'd have at least one or two friends in common). she was the first lucia because we have six friends in common. but it was beneath her link that i found the most amazement.
dude, below that lucia were 11 other lucia's with at least 1 friend in common with me. 11 lucia's i don't know, but who do know one of my "friends". 11 (eleven). even crazier is that the 11 lucia's i don't know are friends with someone who i actually know, as opposed to some random person i connected to via facebook. i'm connected to lucia's in mexico, slovakia, new york city, raleigh/durham, upenn, france, unc, and right here in los angeles. that's crazy, right? like maybe a real six degrees of separation moment.
it's an easy way to stay connected to the distant. a group of different friends' faces appear each time i visit the site, and i get a daily summary of what's going on in other people's lives, via their page updates. it's pretty amazing to reconnect with old friends from high school, college, law school, folks i know through organizations and experiences, and connect with groups of new friends and experiences, and to better tie myself in to the greater obama community.
today though, today was kinda weird. i met with a new obama group tonight, "la latinos for obama" (sidenote: i'm trying to figure out where i'm best suited for the la campaign, and the only way to do that is to know what's going on where). i got everyone's names so i can join their mybo groups and connect with them on facebook. in trying to go by memory, i typed in "lucia" (i couldn't remember her last name and assumed that she'd be the first one to pop up because we'd have at least one or two friends in common). she was the first lucia because we have six friends in common. but it was beneath her link that i found the most amazement.
dude, below that lucia were 11 other lucia's with at least 1 friend in common with me. 11 lucia's i don't know, but who do know one of my "friends". 11 (eleven). even crazier is that the 11 lucia's i don't know are friends with someone who i actually know, as opposed to some random person i connected to via facebook. i'm connected to lucia's in mexico, slovakia, new york city, raleigh/durham, upenn, france, unc, and right here in los angeles. that's crazy, right? like maybe a real six degrees of separation moment.
14 July 2008
dear editor of the new yorker
seriously?
come on. i'm a smart girl, love satire, love making fun of people's dumminess, and - to be completely frank - don't shy away from getting a good laugh at someone else's expense (including an appreciation when the butt of the joke is me). but i cannot, for the life of me, fathom what about your obama cover you found in good humor.
the people in this country are already struggling to be okay voting for the black guy, even if that guy happens to be sounder, smarter, and offering a better future for america. those americans, trying so hard not to fall victim to their own biases and fears, get those viral emails and hear stupid rumors about obama being a muslim, his wife hating america, blah, blah, you get where i'm going. and it's not funny because we, americans, have not come far enough in race relationships and enlightenment, generally. the struggle is a daily one for those of us trying to make a difference and there is nothing funny about your cover, not publicly, not to a stinging, scared america, trying to be okay with a changing world. sure, go behind closed doors and laugh at how stupid people are for believing the things they believe, but be smart enough to realize that these are serious issues faced by the campaign and america.
you're not funny, you're not cute, and you're way way wrong. i will give you props for proving that there really is such a thing as bad press, for what it's worth. it's just not funny. and it's so disappointing that a magazine of your stature could be so insensitive and dumb.
and while i will always be the first to tell you that great reward does not come without great risk, and kudos for taking it, but you chose the wrong risk. and it should cost you your job.
(in case you're wondering, i did send this letter to the editor)
come on. i'm a smart girl, love satire, love making fun of people's dumminess, and - to be completely frank - don't shy away from getting a good laugh at someone else's expense (including an appreciation when the butt of the joke is me). but i cannot, for the life of me, fathom what about your obama cover you found in good humor.
the people in this country are already struggling to be okay voting for the black guy, even if that guy happens to be sounder, smarter, and offering a better future for america. those americans, trying so hard not to fall victim to their own biases and fears, get those viral emails and hear stupid rumors about obama being a muslim, his wife hating america, blah, blah, you get where i'm going. and it's not funny because we, americans, have not come far enough in race relationships and enlightenment, generally. the struggle is a daily one for those of us trying to make a difference and there is nothing funny about your cover, not publicly, not to a stinging, scared america, trying to be okay with a changing world. sure, go behind closed doors and laugh at how stupid people are for believing the things they believe, but be smart enough to realize that these are serious issues faced by the campaign and america.
you're not funny, you're not cute, and you're way way wrong. i will give you props for proving that there really is such a thing as bad press, for what it's worth. it's just not funny. and it's so disappointing that a magazine of your stature could be so insensitive and dumb.
and while i will always be the first to tell you that great reward does not come without great risk, and kudos for taking it, but you chose the wrong risk. and it should cost you your job.
(in case you're wondering, i did send this letter to the editor)
10 July 2008
my blog today
is simply a reposting of Gail Collins op-ed piece in today's new york times... shockingly, i have little to add, for now...
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/10/opinion/10collins.html?ref=opinion
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/10/opinion/10collins.html?ref=opinion
08 July 2008
missing my bff
okay, so i'm super lucky to have the world's best bff. he lives at the bottom of my steps, works three buildings over (and comes over for malts when i'm craving an afternoon stomach ache), knows absolutely everything about me, doesn't judge me, and knows in his bones that i feel the same way. and even though we think each other are the most amazing and beautiful creatures on earth, it ends there. we look at each other and we're like, "ew, no way".
but we do have an agreement. you know, the one where we'll get together if we reach that magic age and no one else has come or stayed along. when we're 65.
i hope that made you laugh out loud, by the way. it always does in person...
anyway, the point of this is that my bff is off being a good person this week. he's doing his part to make sure america moves in a better direction. he's doing what i did, and having a blast like i did. and like he was when i was away, i'm a wreck without him. i'm not remembering to set alarms, not sleeping, stressing more about things i shouldn't. i'm just a little bit wrecked. and maybe it's because work just got nutso, my personal life got more complicated, obama kicked up a notch, and i'm juggling a thousand balls... but maybe because on top of all that, my sounding board - he who keeps me sane and gives me a judgment free hour to vent and be me every day (sometimes a lot more) - isn't here to soundboard. and maybe without that, i'm just a little more wrecked than usual...
it might be a little bit crazy, but i sorta kinda hope that everyone out there has a bff just like mine...
but we do have an agreement. you know, the one where we'll get together if we reach that magic age and no one else has come or stayed along. when we're 65.
i hope that made you laugh out loud, by the way. it always does in person...
anyway, the point of this is that my bff is off being a good person this week. he's doing his part to make sure america moves in a better direction. he's doing what i did, and having a blast like i did. and like he was when i was away, i'm a wreck without him. i'm not remembering to set alarms, not sleeping, stressing more about things i shouldn't. i'm just a little bit wrecked. and maybe it's because work just got nutso, my personal life got more complicated, obama kicked up a notch, and i'm juggling a thousand balls... but maybe because on top of all that, my sounding board - he who keeps me sane and gives me a judgment free hour to vent and be me every day (sometimes a lot more) - isn't here to soundboard. and maybe without that, i'm just a little more wrecked than usual...
it might be a little bit crazy, but i sorta kinda hope that everyone out there has a bff just like mine...
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