Conservative Racist Bastards

I am not saying all conservatives are racist. But the history of the Republican Party since the 1960s speaks for itself.

Dave put together this blog post after seeing news stories on the subject below.

Jenn,

There is a new conservative meme out there trying to explain the financial meltdown on, get this... black folks.

Yes, you read that correctly. The poorest segment of the American population has apparently outwitted America's great financial institutions, and took them for all their worth.

This is the new talking point initiated by Neil Cavuto at Faux News. A few days ago, he suggested that giving home mortgages to minorities was the underlying problem. Since the same argument was parroted by both Laura Ingram and John Stossel this evening, discussed at length by the ultra-conservative Investor's Business Daily, and traceable to a Cato Institute rag from January 2008, I thought I ought to look into the matter a bit.

The argument suggests that the Community Reinvestment Act (first passed in 1977, and strengthened in 1995) is responsible for much of the crisis because it supposed "empowered banking regulators to punish banks which do not lend to the poor and minorities at the level that Obama's fellow community organizers would like." Banks were thus given "numerical quotas," which made our powerful financial corporations quake in their boots. Oh no, Big Gummit is comin' to town. And so, the argument goes, "loans started being made on the basis of race, and often little else"

(Pause for laughter and ridicule.)

What was the result? According to conservatives, them minorities just jumped into the market and diluted all our good mortgages with their own bad juju. Since those ingrates refuse to pay back their loans, good white folk are left high and dry.

Here are a few useful and brief responses:

1) "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha haaaaaaaa! What a joke. Oh my god, you CAN'T be serious!"

2) "Black folks owned 9% of the homes in 1994. Eleven years later, they owned the exact same percentage. So there really wasn't any huge racial disparity. And if there wasn't a huge racial disparity, you can't really blame blacks can you? Sorry, no."

3) "Of the subprime loans, only 20% were connected with the Community Revitalization Agency. In other words, 80% of these 'bad' loans had little to no connection to the agency you said caused this thing. Now don't you feel silly?"

4) "If risky loans were a problem, why did Bush change FHA rules in 2005 to allow the government to provide federally-backed, zero-money-down loans for the first time ever? Man, that would have been exceedingly dumb."

5) "The loans themselves aren't the problem; the problem is what happened after the loans were made. Thanks to new rules, loans were swapped and resold dozens of times over, and that's how $1 trillion in subprime loans become a $40 trillion house of cards."

6) "The financial industry earned $3.5 trillion in profits from 1995 to 2007, yet now cry about $2 billion in potentially-bad loans. Since all those profits went in their pockets, shouldn't the bailout come from the same place?"

Oh, those crazy Republicans. They sure know how to divert attention, play on racial stereotypes, and stick their snouts into the public trough, don't they? They'll tell you that the market is king and government should stay out of it, but when those salad days end, they're first in line for a handout. Instead of "trickle down" economics, we just get to "trickle up" our tax dollars.And then magically, the government should just stay out of the market again.

I say no! No to the Wall Street bailout, and yes to helping borrowers and ordinary folks as needed. We really don't need to pay the fat cats first, or listen to claptrap about deregulation. Greed can be both helpful and doleful, which is why regulations are essential for a well-ordered market that serves society.

McCain campaign meltdown

OMG, the last 2 weeks have been BAAAAADDDD for McCain but it just got horrendous in the last 24 hours. Suspending your campaign? REALLY? Skipping the debate? WHAT?

Perhaps 2 things will go down in history as the beginning of the end for the McCain / Palin ticket: McCain canceling his appearance on Letterman and Palin's interview with Katie Couric.

I will pretty much let the clips speak for themselves. First, Letterman. If you haven't seen this, you must.



Some of my favorite things that Letterman said:

"Are we suspending [our campaign] because there is an economic crisis or because our poll numbers are sliding?" To which the audience responds with "Oooooohhhh!" and Paul Schaffer says, "Oops! Oops oops!"

"And let's say there's a time of crisis...and then Sarah Palin takes over as president, well she ought to be ready because she's handled crises like this in the past...oh wait a minute, she really hasn't handled a crisis like this in the past."

And the interview of Sarah Palin with Katie Couric speaks for itself. Here is the worst of it - what will go down in history as "the Russia question":



I am blown away by how...DUMB she sounds. I almost feel sorry for her because I think the McCain campaign really wanted to beef up her foreign policy credentials and they've made her tout the Russia thing even though it sounds SO STUPID.

Goodbye, John McCain & Sarah Palin. Thanks for the blog fodder.

Joining the Apple revolution

So I broke down and just got an iPod nano last night. It's the 16gb in blue, the latest and greatest 4th generation, natch. The iPhone will have to wait till June (so D, quit the hysterical whining about how you want an iPhone before me...we both have to wait now).

But anyhoo...I started the process of preparing my music for an iPod last night. I have a TON of music that is inconveniently not in the correct format (they are mostly WMAs...stupid Windows) and so much to my surprise the latest version of iTunes started to automatically convert these files to types that are okay for an iPod. The process started last night around 630 pm and as of 730 am this morning, it was only about 60% finished with the process. OMG, I have a ton of music. So far, playback time of my library is over 1 week...meaning if I were to listen continuously, it would play for over a week. That's some crazy sh**. So I left my computer running so that it could finish this process. Keep your fingers crossed that this doesn't crash my poor PC laptop! Or that once I get my fancy new nano that it doesn't crash itself or the laptop. Of course, if it did I would have an excuse to get a MacBook.

I'm ridiculous.

Some things you should know re: previous post

Just two weekends ago, I was threatening to break my contract with Verizon just so I could get an iPhone.  

P: "You're going to pay $100 just do you can get an iPhone" *dripping with judgement*

Needless to say, I did not switch.  

Also, my contract should have been up ~8 months ago.  Guess why it's not!  Because P made a change to our contract.  That means I am bound by the new contract (and the new dates).  

AND, I can't afford an iPhone any longer, so if he switches: (1) my monthly plan price will increase, (2) I will have to take over the billing because it is under his name right now, and (3) I will be stuck under his contract until June.

The second day the music died

So I was on my way home from work yesterday (here's your expected response: "OMG, you were working ANOTHER weekend?" Me, indignant and mad, through gritted teeth: "YES") and all of a sudden my stupid Gigabeat (Toshiba's NO LONGER MADE MP3 player) just stopped working. All of a sudden, a screen came up that said, "Send me the f*** back to Toshiba, bitch!" Well, not exactly but you get the gist of it.

I had to send it back once before (see previous blog entry entitled "The day the music died"...too lazy to link you back to it...). So now I'm thinking that I'm done with this and it's time, ladies and gentlemen, to make the switch to Apple. Yes, I want an iPhone. But there are several problems with that and this whole endeavor could be a MAJOR mess:

1) I have been on a PC forEVER and my music collection is huge (yes, you may not know this about me but I am a huge music lover and have A TON of it). It is basically all on there as MP3s that are in Windows Media Player. To boot, I know that iPods and iPhones tend to have trough sync'ing to Toshibas. So how much of a hassle is it going to be to transfer all of that over to a Mac...who knows... and can the "genius bar" at the Apple Store help me? But that brings me to another problem...

2) I want a Mac. My Toshiba laptop has pissed me off more times than I care to count and it's SOOOO SLOW. So can I justify spending about $2500 to get a MacBook Pro? I don't know.

3) I am currently under contract with Verizon and to break my contract (and D's...we are on a Family Share Plan) before June of next year would cost $100 EACH! Apparently there are websites dedicated to swapping with people to get out of your contract but is it worth it? Maybe...

4) I want something now. After all, I am an American and I want NOW NOW NOW! I can't wait for anything! Certainly not till June...and I can't go for even A WEEK without some sort of MP3 device.

OMG! HELP! WHAT SHOULD I DO?

My Crush on Michelle

This is Michelle on Ellen. First of all, I think she is GORGEOUS, secondly, she seems really nice and thirdly, she obviously has a great sense of humor. = *crush*



Here is the intro to the show--it's really cute:

Apt

I was just reading this op-ed piece by The World Is Flat author Thomas Friedman. The part that really struck me (and speaks to my issue):

"there is no sustainable political/military power without economic power, and talking about one without the other is nonsense. Unless we make America the country most able to innovate, compete and win in the age of globalization, our leverage in the world will continue to slowly erode. Those are the issues this election needs to be about, because that is what the next four years need to be about."

You can read the entire article here.

Getting it Together

Dave and I have been watching Design on a Dime. I must say, the ideas on that show are truly inspiring.

This post would be a lot better if I had a picture, so I will try to remember to take one. BUT, I think the next room we will be focusing on (which is funny bc I think my problem is as we are working on one room, I am fantasizing about another and Dave often has to clap to make me focus again) is downstairs.

Challenges: this is our tv room. it is also the cats' bathroom. It's small and dark and the stairs are precarious. There are also a ton of spider sightings this time of year.

Goals: make it cozy and inviting and not smelly or scary.

We've made good headway in that we tore up the old carpet and Dave plugged in some air fresheners. What a difference that all made! Now, we just have to "bring it all together" and add in a few design elements that make it more cozy.

Will report back soon!

One more thing--as Dave and I (okay, more me than him) realize that simplicity is best (ie, not keeping everything), my q for you is: what the heck do we do with all our books?!

My electoral map

The Washington Post has started a contest for people to predict the 2008 election by filling out their own electoral map. Here's a link to mine:

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008/pick-your-president/3907/

OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA!!

Watch SNL this weekend

2 Reasons:

=====================







Oh, and something about some guy named Michael Phelps. Who's that? The Olympics? That's SO 3 weeks ago!

P.S. Did anyone see Sarah Palin's first interview? She sucked. Obviously not ready to be VP. Don't let those Kool Aid drinkers tell you she did well...

Confession

I started another blog.

Now for MY top issue

Okay, it's too hard to narrow down, but I guess my biggest concern in the forthcoming election is the future of this country. Economically, socially, politically. Barack Obama is my President and speaks to my concern.

McCain--nothing against the guy--but... he doesn't even use a computer. How is he supposed to lead us into the future?

What's your top issue?

When I talk to people who say they are going to vote for McCain, I ask them their top three issues. The one recurring issue I hear from McCain voters is "national security". The perception seems to be: McCain = military experience = Commander-in-Chief.

The perception from this side of the fence is:
Barack Obama has held assignments on the Senate Committees for Foreign Relations and Veterans' Affairs and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. He also became Chairman of the Senate's subcommittee on European Affairs. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Obama has made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. He majored in political science with an emphasis in international relations. (Not to mention, of course a law degree.) The guy is Smart (that's with a capital "S") and I don't think even McCain supporters would put McCain on par with Obama as far as intelligence. (Courage and moxie, sure)

Disclosure: McCain had stints on the Armed Services Committee, Commerce Committee and the Indian Affairs Committee.

What I thought was really interesting and revealing, though, are the answers of each of the candidates to the question "If you become President and knew Bin Laden was in Pakistan, would you send US troops in after him?"

Watch the video, but in short:

Obama: "if we have Bin Laden in our sights... we take him out"
McCain: "I'm not going to go there. Pakistan is a sovereign nation"

I am all for the Rule of Law, but international law also says the U.S. could pursue bin Laden in Pakistan as an act of self-defense.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_SOvB5VNvY

Is anyone out there?

Cancer Panic

For those who know me only from the blog, you may not know that I am a bit of a hypochondriac.  Specifically, I am scared that I am going to get every kind of cancer there is.  I cannot imagine a worse fate than cancer.  But, while many hypochondriacs seek out the advice of a physician a little too often, I am too scared to go.  Why?  Because they'll tell me I am going to die of every kind of cancer there is!  

Cut to my arm.  I have a red bump that I first noticed probably two years ago.  At my last job, I had an HMO.  When you have an HMO, you have to get a referral to see a specialist.  So, I went for a physical and casually mentioned the ENORMOUS RED BUMP on my arm.  The Nurse Practitioner (are you KIDDING?!  You don't get to actually SEE a physician with an HMO!) said it was nothing, but she offered to lance it off for me.  I said I'd "think about it" which is code for "you'll never see me again".  

About a year ago, my Aunt died of cancer.  This scared me enough to go back to the physician for the ENORMOUS RED BUMP on my arm that I had convinced myself was growing.  I now have a PPO.  Two things: (1) it's much more expensive to have a PPO and (2) you no longer need a referral.  Too bad I didn't know that last part.  I scheduled an appointment and went on my lunch hour (which turned into my lunch two hour when I had to sit in the waiting room for 45 minutes).  When I actually saw the physician (lovely woman, btw), she looked at me like I was nuts when I said I wanted her to look at my mole.  She handed me a card for dermatology and suggested I call.  I said I'd "think about it" which is code for "not on your life".  

But then I read something about skin cancer recently, which scared me enough to make an appointment with the dermatologist.  This was exactly four weeks ago today.  I work for a small University which is part of a major medical center here in the city.  Turns out, the person examining me was none other than a student who I had just helped in my office.  It also turns out that not only did they want to check the ENORMOUS RED BUMP on my arm, but they wanted to do an all-over body check.  Now, when I say all-over, I MEAN all-over.  Soup to nuts *pun*  Alsomyanus.  ANYWAY... turns out the ENORMOUS RED BUMP on my arm is nothing.  Phew!  BUT... the dermatologist found a mole on my back that I didn't even know I had.  He scheduled an appointment with me two weeks later to have it removed.  Meantime he gave me pamphlets on melanoma to read *faint*

Note: do not simply give a hypochondriac a pamphlet to read on some life threatening condition.  Also, do not casually speak about "scooping out" a mole from one's back.  Nor should you casually mention that your patient's entire family should get checked for melanoma immediately.

Two weeks later, the mole was removed.  It left a 1cm hole in my back which will take 8 weeks to heal.  It will leave a scar.  I am applying vaseline and a band-aid to it daily.  I also had to wait two full weeks for the results.

Cut to today, 2:30CST.  I waited for 40 minutes in the waiting room.  I then waited 10 minutes in the exam room.  

Derm: *hurriedly walking in* Sorry I'm late.  Say, did I give you those pamphlets on melanoma last time?

Me: Y-yes.  

Derm: Good.  I need to make some notes in your file here.  I will go over the "path" in a minute.

*five minutes go by as I listen to him clearing his throat and scribbling*

Derm: OK, well it's not cancer.

(THANKS FOR MENTIONING THAT UP FRONT, A-HOLE!)

Derm: But it is a dysplastic nevus.  Your entire family will need to be checked.  Get dressed and meet me in the front and I'll give you copies of this.  

Me: *quickly dress, scoot to front* So what does this MEAN?

Derm: Well, it means you are seven times more likely to get melanoma when you get these types of moles.  It also means I need to see you in six months.  See you soon.

In summary, I am happy I am not going to die tomorrow.  I am not happy that I have to go get prodded and poked by people I see daily every six months.  I am also switching dermatologists. 

Bad Day Act I Scene 2

Recap of scene 1: Paul got to work at 6 AM. At 6:10 AM, when Erik showed up, Paul realized that he looked at the schedule wrong and didn't have to be to work until 7 AM. The day turned out to therefore be almost an hour and a half longer than it should have been.

SCENE 2

It's 9.5 hrs later. Paul is just getting off work. After missing one bus, he finally got on a packed bus. 20 minutes later, he exits the bus and heads towards Jewel-Osco...

Paul: (Thinking to himself) My ass is still wet! I hope that was just rainwater from yesterday on the bus seat.

Paul enters Jewel. After picking up his purchases and paying, he heads to customer service to get 2 rolls of quarters. An old women stands at customer service while looking desperately through her grocery cart that is littered with used / reused plastic grocery bags.

Old woman: OH NO!

Paul: Oh shit. Everytime I need to go to customer service, there is some old woman there making a stink about something. What could it possibly be this time??

Enter stage left fat cow Jewel employee with fake red hair. After obviously seeing 2 people, including an old woman, at her customer service stand, she walks right past and barks commands to some of her employees.

She then approaches the stand and speaks to the woman.

Fat cow: Yeah, what do you want?

Old woman: I spent $90 here.

Fat cow: Yes, that's nice. What's your point? What do you want?

Old woman fumbles with a tied plastic bag. Her old, shriveled, arthritic hands can't open the bag.

Old woman: Here, open this!

Fat cow rips the bag open without even trying to untie it. Inside the bag is 3 roles of adhesive tape.

Old woman: I want to return this. I don't have a receipt. I spent $90 here. They don't work.

Paul: Oh my f***ing gawd! Why does this ALWAYS happen to me.

Fat cow: What do you mean they don't work?

Old woman: They don't open.

Fat cow: Yes they do, see this green thing here? You pull up...

Old woman: Don't you tell me they work! I don't want them. They're old. They're all old and obviously not good anymore. Just give me my money back, I don't want them.

Fat cow: Whatever, you obviously are the expert. You know what you're talking about. But they work.

Old woman: Don't work!

Fat cow: That's nice. What's your point?

Old woman: I've been coming here for 36 years. Don't give me attitude. I come all the way from Dempster.

Fat cow: Yeah? So do I. What's your point.

Old woman: You drive. I take a PACE bus.

Fat cow: What's your point? Here's your money back.

Fat cow slams money on counter in front of old woman.

Fat cow turns to Paul.

Fat cow: Can I help you?

Paul: Can I have 2 rolls of quarters?

Fat cow: I can sell you 2.

Paul: **blank stare** THAT'S FINE.

Paul exits the store exasperated. It's been a long day. About 3 blocks away from Jewel and about 2 blocks from home, he stops.

Paul: F***! I forgot lettuce. I've got to go to the other Jewel. DAMMIT!

Ugh, fine.

The blog is turning very political. I was trying to fight that, but I'm giving in. For those of you who aren't interested in politics, sorry. I spend a lot of time these days watching coverage, so it tends to take up a lot of thought. Also, this is a very important election for those of us who feel like we've been living in an alien nation for the last eight years. I grew up (at least when I was becoming the person I am today) during the Clinton years, so this has really been something. Also, I'm gay. Also, I like to think that the government should help people. Anyway...  

I guess my biggest problem with "Barracuda" (which dictionary.com defines as slang for "a treacherous, greedy person" -- but the campaign is calling her that. I didn't make it up!) is probably something everyone who was old enough to vote during the Bush/Quayle elections went through. "Oh my God, what happens if the VP has to take over?!" That said, and assuming McCain wins the election and becomes incapacitated, I will thank Jeebus himself that we have a gubment of checks and balances. But wait... I've seen what that gubment does in times of "terror" and fright. It bends to the will of the moment instead of looking at the situation sans emotion (see the wars we are entrenched in for more information). Probably one of the most frightening things a country could go through is the death of their leader, so I guess that's why I'm scared. McCain is 72. Assuming he stays in office for eight years, he will be 80. It's no secret that the stresses of office tend to age a President anyway. You can see where I'm going with this.

Also, I'm offended on behalf of women everywhere. Andrea Mitchell (from MSNBC) said just this morning that she thinks Palin was a "smart pick" for McCain to attract women, and that women are moving to Palin in increasing numbers. Now, if you are a woman and you agree with Palin, that's one thing. But who in their right mind would vote FOR someone because they have a vagina EVEN IF they feel differently about what you can do with that vagina? I mean, I am sure there are people out there like that, but come on! Is that most of us? I hope not. The people they are interviewing are coming out to see the McCain campaign when it totters through town. That leads me to believe they would have done that anyway (or at the least would have voted for McCain come November). And it's not just the abortion issue. She's uber conservative on all issues that I've heard her talk about.  

That leads me to: her positions. Dear Media, stop saying she's trying to attract Hillary voters. She is the Anti-Hillary. She believes nothing that Hillary does. Deep down, she HATES Hillary. Personally, I tend to agree with Hillary's positions (yes, there are exceptions). Therefore, I find Palin to be a nightmare in terms of who I would like to see leading the country. That is precisely why I vote, even in the most mundane of elections (see County Water Commissioner election of recent history).

Oh yeah, and here's another reason. No spousal rights for gay couples, and if that wasn't enough... let's try to get them into lasting straight relationships. FU, Barracuda. To be fair, Palin hasn't officially endorsed converting people from gay to straight, but it's not a giant leap. Only bad people would want to keep committed couples from being able to visit their loved ones in the hospital as if they were married (= spousal rights). Luckily for me, that would never be an issue. P's and my families are very loving and accept us both with open arms. Other couples aren't so lucky.

Things that made me angry this week

Hey all...P here. Sorry I've been away. I know the blog has suffered in my absence. And to the blog's loyal fans, I am sorry for this lapse. I could make excuses (working too much, my brother's wedding, finishing a manuscript, miserable job...I could go on) but I...just did.


Anyhoo, in the spirit of the Republican National Convention, I'm going to use this blog to talk about what makes me angry instead of giving my fans a blog of substance. So here's to you, right-wing assholes.

Things that made me angry this week:

1) Sarah Palin. Not only is McCain's pick of her as a running mate an obvious political one (an attempt to get women and pander to his crazy right-wing nutjob base) but she would be a scary person to be a heartbeat away from the presidency. Can you imagine her being the leader of the free world? Oh my god, where should I move...Montreal or Vancouver? And is it just me or is her voice like nails on a chalkboard? Something like Francis McDormand's character in "Fargo" only more high pitched and histrionic. And is it just me or is it totally insulting that this woman is out there smugly insulting Barack Obama and the democrats considering she is a NOBODY that NOBODY has heard of from po dunk Alaska. And I'm sorry, don't give the media a hard time for wanting to know about your background...you are asking us to pick you as second in command of this country and you think it's unreasonable that we want to know more? DOUCHE!!

2) John McCain. I'm sorry but I'm supposed to believe that you are going to reform the Republican party while being in power? Sorry, but it doesn't work that way. You now get a time out to think about what you've done for the last eight years. And when you are ready to really admit how YOU AND YOUR PARTY are the ones that have put us on the wrong track over the past eight years, well then maybe we'll let you come out and collect speaking fees for talking to nursing homes and VFW posts. So go to your corner and face the wall. P.S. your speech sucked, didn't inspire at all and presented nothing of substance regarding how you would "change" this country. My ass you are an agent of change.

3) Residents and nurses that talk down to me like I'm dumb and beneath them. I reported 2 choice (dripping w/ sarcasm) people this week at work because they used these lines on me when I called them out on violating a protocol: "I put the order in, I'm the doctor...this is holding up the patient from going to the OR. I need this now," "Who is your manager?" and "This is ridiculous, I'm tired of dealing with this." Oh really, you are tired of dealing with evidence-based medicine and playing by the same rules as everyone else? TOUGH! (I'd explain this more but it would take a whole post).

4) M. Night Shyamalan and "Lady in the Water". This was by far one of the dumbest movies I've ever seen in my life. Horrible acting from good actors (mostly due to a bad script), a bad script (mostly due to a bad writer) and a bad writer (all due to M. Night Shamamlalanon). It's become apparent that he got lucky with "Sixth Sense" and "Signs". I would reserve my Republicanesque rancor and spare M. were it not for his massive ego and complete lack of humility (I'm sorry but you wrote, directed and starred in this film...I just threw up a little bit in my mouth). GIVE ME BACK THE LAST 110 MINUTES OF MY LIFE!!

Those things are really the only things I wanted to rant about. Did I sound like Sarah Palin because I didn't offer anything of substance, only criticism and partisan vitriol? Oh, sorry...that WAS MY GOAL.

Two things

1. Since this blog is now overrun with political posts (J), I won't go on forever. But I feel I need to say this. John McCain is a D-Bag. There. I said what everyone was thinking even IF they aren't going to admit it.
   
2. Today on the train ("Oh boy! Another train story!" say our loyal readers), I was just about to sit down when this mentally challenged* man accosted me. I was literally in the act of sitting, about to let gravity take over, when this man came running on to my train and squeezed between me and the seat. He then hooked his foot around mine and starting pushing me away from the seat. All the while he was saying things like "don't stand there, you're going to fall" and "get out of my way" and "you need to move".
   
   *I say "mentally challenged" which is true. I'm just not sure if that is how he was born or if he did it to himself. He DID have a coke nail.
   
   In any event, I let him have the seat. After I moved, he continued to yell at me about invading his space (!) until he decided it was time to pick on the unlucky passenger that decided to sit down next to him. He pointed out that her fat butt was hanging over the center line. Her reaction was priceless, but I'll leave her to blog about that on her own site.

Happy weekend!

My latest idea

I am tired of the personal attacks (of which I hear in the media both sides are guilty, but after what I heard this week at the RNC, I call bullsh*t). I think the election this November is going to come down to policy. And, even as interested as I am, I still need to brush up on and be able to speak about. So. My latest idea is to host a Liberal Study Group. I will structure it around Don't think of an Elephant
by George Lakoff.

I haven't read it yet, but 1. it's SHORT and 2. Dave has and he raved about it.

My idea is to get passionate people to be super-informed so that they can speak intelligently about the issues and point out the weaknesses of the republicans' platform (change?? really??).

If any of you are looking for a party idea, you could do it, too!

FOR EXAMPLE, some of the things Dave mentioned reading in the book were very apparent last night in McCain's speech. (paraphrasing) "Let the government work for you... (well, not ALL of you, just you, you and you)" "The government is the problem, don't trust the government" "Taxes are bad and the government is too big" --the ideas seem to be to leave ordinary people OUT of government and trust some rich white men to run it for you. Whereas I genuinely feel that Obama's campaign reiterates the message of community organizing and involvement--that it's not ME, it's US; that only with the help of people who passionately care about the fate of our country can we succeed at this critical point in our history.

Whatever people think about Obama or Democrats, you gotta admit, it's not a bad idea to get people involved and to remind Americans that this is a participatory democracy.

Don't Think of an Elephant! is the definitive handbook for understanding what happened in the 2004 election and communicating effectively about key issues facing America today. Author George Lakoff has become a key advisor to the Democratic party, helping them develop their message and frame the political debate.

In this book Lakoff explains how conservatives think, and how to counter their arguments. He outlines in detail the traditional American values that progressives hold, but are often unable to articulate. Lakoff also breaks down the ways in which conservatives have framed the issues, and provides examples of how progressives can reframe the debate.

Lakoff's years of research and work with environmental and political leaders have been distilled into this essential guide, which shows progressives how to think in terms of values instead of programs, and why people vote their values and identities, often against their best interests.

Don't Think of An Elephant! is the antidote to the last forty years of conservative strategizing and the right wing's stranglehold on political dialogue in the United States.

Read it, take action—and help take America back.

More of the Crowd Chanting

Barack Obama

Other pictures

Notice the snipers.

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter








Colorado Congresswoman Diana DeGette



Al Gore

Standing Ovation for Gore

Video Clip of Exiting the Stadium

The Convention

(That is a picture I took last night after I figured out the panoramic setting on my camera!)

For those of you who watched the convention last night, you can imagine how amazing it was to actually BE there. (And yes, the fireworks WERE real!) There were a couple of people asking to buy tickets while we were in line, but we had the impression 99% of everyone who was there wouldn't have traded it for the world! It was so amazing to be a part of the excitement. I wish I could re-create it for all of you!

We left the house about 1:45, parked about 2 miles from the stadium and walked. On the way, we walked through a legalize pot demonstration at La Alma park (with free music on a truck I had seen the night before: Party for the People). There were TONS of freewheelin bicyclists which made me regret not getting a couple of bikes for us! I mean, really: what were we thinking?!

Anywhoo, we arrived near the stadium around 2:30--we got IN to the stadium 2 hours later and I think we were LUCKY. Here is what the line looked like when we arrived:


AND, it wrapped around. We weren't even in the parking lot at this point. Once there, the corrals wrapped around. It seemed interminable. But, we made it!

It was hot. And all the vendors were selling BUTTONS. FOOLS! They would have made a FORTUNE on water! But, once we got in to the parking lot, Coke gave out free water (and encouraged recycling with some catchy slogan like, "that bottle's not done"--I can't remember, I was about to pass out by the time we got to them).

The general atmosphere was that everyone was so happy to be there. There wasn't the usual complaining about lines or heat or anything in the crowd. (Ok, except for me, but I am an old lady)

Here is Dave and me with our cool passes:


(tilted one way, you saw just a flag; tilted the other, you saw Barack Obama in front of the flag)

We were in the way top level, but with the jumbo trons, I couldn't complain. (Plus, we were maybe 20 feet from where they shot off the fireworks! Thrilling!)

The early speeches were eh.

The music was great! will.i.am and John Legend came out and sang just the regular version of Yes We Can (considering Dave and I spent almost an entire evening watching the video over and over, I think they could have done an extended remix and gotten the crowd more involved.) Sheryl Crow played 3 songs I think--I liked that she played "A Change Will Do You Good". Stevie Wonder played a couple of songs including "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" which he dedicated to the Obamas. Michael MacDonald played "America the Beautiful" which was good... except that he asked us to sing along (which, as you know, I was ready to do) to his "jazzy" version, making it stilted and awkward ("Aaaaaaaa-merica. Aaaaaaaaa-merica...")

The speeches geared up with Bill Richardson. I guess I haven't seen him make many speeches, but his was very good. Then Al Gore. Man! I do not remember HIM being such a great speaker! He really was inspiring. I also thought the retired general did great as well as the 6 regular people who got to join Barack backstage.

And then, the main event. Well, you saw it. I will have to see it on tv to really see it considering I was taking pictures, screaming and/or crying most of the time. In fact, I have a video featuring my lungs. (I still have my voice!) I may post that at some point, but it's LONG.

Here is the stadium after the big show:

Our Ts

Mine has a quote from Michelle: "I've seen people who are hungry to be unified around some basic common issues, and it's made me proud."

















Dave's: "I face this challenge with
profound humility and
knowledge of
my own
limitations, but
I also face it
with
limitless faith
in the capacity of
the American people." (FRONT)

"America, this is our moment. This is our time, our time to turn the page on the policies of the past, our time to bring new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face, our time to offer a new direction for this country that we love. The journey will be difficult. The road will be long." (BACK)

Catching you up on the DNC Action!

Sorry! I had hoped to blog from my phone and have pictures to upload from my camera daily, but 1. I don't yet know how to blog from my phone and 2. Dave lost the battery charger to my camera!
BUT--he has been taking video and I should be able to post clips eventually.

Day 1 - Mon eve I met Dave downtown. Well, actually, I was walking along 16th Street Mall when I saw a TON of SWAT police jump off a huge RV of some sort and set up barricades. There were a ton of gawkers, so I inquired of one what had happened. He animatedly told me that the police were setting up private areas to interrogate and beat protesters but that all the people with cameras weren't going to let that happen. Me: "okaaaay" The real story was that some Recreate '68 protesters got out of hand. Apparently some pepper spray/devices were used. I know I am going to sound all establishment here, but the protestors really annoyed me. They all looked like young college kids who have probably done alright thanks to said establishment up to this point in their lives and are just looking for trouble. Dave thinks I have totally sold out.

That being said, I do find all the police both impressive and frightening. Dave had been at the Pepsi Center when I called to tell him about the police, so he came down my way and we met up. At one point, the police shouted something and, what with my bad back, I about panicked realizing I wouldn't EXACTLY be able to get out of the way if they had to chase some protesters down. Good thing Dave is strong and could carry me--HA!

Dave had already spotted the following: Vernon Jordan, Bill O'Reilly and Arianna Huffington. Dave is A LOT better at political-celebrity spotting than I. We headed back donw 16th and saw these awesome, AWESOME street performers--one guy rapping and a woman singing along with drums. We also saw a LOT of people. We ended up at the Martini Ranch to see Michelle Obama speak and everyone there was totally enraptured by the tvs. The bartenders even gave us a shot--an Obama Bomber--once she was done and we toasted the next President of the United States. Then Dave and I went back to the Pepsi Center to watch everyone pour out. That's when we saw Morgan Spurlock, Madeline Albright... maybe someone else--I will check the reel.

Also, I had made these shirts for Dave (Dave's) and me (mine) and a woman from NPR news stopped us to take our picture and asked our names, so keep your eyes peeled! (On their website, not on the radio)

After that, we started walking home. We first went by the Performing Arts Center where they were having some sort of soiree in the Sewell Ballroom, but that's up high, so we couldn't really see anything. But there was an outdoor concert on the lawn below (where the dancers statues are). Unfortunately, it was a PRIVATE outdoor concert, sponsored by the funding committee of the DNC (read: guests = big donors). The Goo Goo Dolls were playing, but we couldn't get the security people to spill the beans on who else was there.

So we continued walking home, but not before local anchor Ed Greene passed us on a bike. He even turned and waved when I said his name! (and didn't fall off like I feared).


We then stopped at Denver Diner for a bite to eat. It had been a long evening. There were a few tables of delegates, but it wasn't busy at all. I will be curious to know how the area businesses fare.

Okay. I need to focus on work. Will blog more about Day Two and Day Three (today!) later!

Why isn't Jenn on the TV?

I just keep WAITING to see J on the Democratic Convention coverage in Denver, and so far: nothin'. Those of you who have ever been at an event with J that is being taped/broadcast on a Jumbotron/not being broadcast anywhere probably can picture the "J Wave". She puts her arm over her head and waves as hard as she can so that she can see if there's movement on the monitor. J, if you are able to blog from the floor, please do that wave.

Actually, I don't think J is there. But I would be in the crowd outside at the very least if I still lived there. I'd be stalking Anderson Cooper. My guess: he'll show up at JR's at some point. Do we have a Denver volunteer to be a JR's correspondent? I have a shiny penny here that says we do *sing-songy*

Also, and on a completely unrelated note: remember when P was a part of this blog?

You know how sometimes things that are real seem like hoaxes because it's just too freakin' exciting?!

UPDATE: IT'S REAL!!! Dave just picked up our credentials!!! We're going to see Obama at Mile High!!!

THANK GOD I switched my flight to Chi!!!


I just got an e-mail that looks legit saying I can pick up my credentials to see Barack Obama's speech at Mile High next Thurs.

I called the Obama headquarters and the woman I spoke with confirmed.

*pee all over my chair and floor at work... and a little bit on the wall*

Barack and Michelle giving me a shout-out

Madonna wishing Elizabeth Taylor a Happy Birthday

Random, I know, but see D's prior post.

Remember that time...

GLADIATOR!

Things to do in Denver when you're Dem

This post is inspired by one found on Face the State

In it, the independent Colorado state and local politics news source laments outsiders (such as the Economist and NYT) trying to sum up what to do in Denver during the Convention and makes a few of its own suggestions.

To which, I would add:

1. Eat Uptown - 17th Ave between downtown and York is always hopping after work and through the late dinner hour (which seems to be around 7pm in Denver). Restaurants include Uptown Tavern, Steuben's, Hamburger Mary's, Las Delicias, Strings, and Pasquini's, to name a few. Further down, there are a handful more restaurants which are smaller, but close to the cool spots of St. mark's Coffee Shop and The Thin Man (bar). ALSO, smack in between is JR's (a gay bar, but SO fun who would notice) and the vegetarian mecca, Watercourse restaurant and bakery. 17th Ave is also dotted with other unique places like the Wrangler (another gay bar) and that breakfast place where the waiters serve you in drag...

2. Cruise Colfax - It's the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, people! As described by Jack Kerouac when he lived in Denver. While Colfax still has a seedy reputation, you can safely walk from Downtown eastward... until you get to La Cueva (which is the end of my personal experience walking along Colfax). Highlights are too numerous to mention here, but TRUST ME - the places you find on Colfax will be the ones you remember, whether it be the hip new places or the hip old places (broken up by the inbetween divey places). Also, Denver's own Tattered Cover bookstore is now on Colfax and definitely a place to visit. If you like books.

3. Shop and Bar-Hop Along Broadway - I am partial to Broadway because I live one block away. Broadway is home to the indepent theatre, the Mayan. During the day, you can check out Broadway's unique shops (my fave: Decade), the thrift stores (the new Goodwill is AWESOME, but don't forget BigLots and Arc (a little further down). There are numerous bars and pub crawls along Broadway are always a good time. The ones that come to mind (and, keep in mind, I am neither a big drinker nor a regular pub crawler): the Hornet, 3 Kings, Irish Rover and SoBo. There are also some really good restaurants (Mona's, Blue Bonnet) and some good dance clubs (Vinyl).

4. Don't Forget Lincoln - Which reminds me, Lincoln (the street I live on) is also very cool. Basically, Broadway south of 3rd Ave is the place to be; Lincoln north of 6th--got it? On Lincoln: DC10 bar and club (I have only been once, but I picture very pretty people there--all the servers wear '60s throwback stewardess outfits), Sutra (another lcub, but the bar attached seems to have good drink specials), the Church, Dazzle (a jazz club, even for those who aren't into jazz) and the Funky Buddha (think martinis and techno spun by a DJ, but also a great rooftop area). Plus, the Beauvallon (a residential development around 10th--you can't miss it) has a bunch of restaurants and bars. The one on the corner (of 11th, I think) is great--basically a gourmet take on comfort food (they have Rice Krispy treats on their dessert menu). Oh! and Le Central which is a truly affordable French restaurant.

So, I guess I would lump the places on Lincoln as more upscale than those on Broadway, but not by much.

Anyways, there is much, much more as I have only covered a few areas near where I have recently lived. I will have to post again!

Taxes!

An email is now circulating the Internet touting John McCain’s tax policy. Unfortunately, virtually every statement in that email is a simply not true. Folks are trying to hoodwink you, or scare you into voting against someone rather than for something.

Now look, we all know our country is in bad financial straits. We’ve got an enormous federal deficit…

…a plummeting housing market…

…skyrocketing oil prices…

…and an increasing disparity in wealth.

How did this happen?

Despite their claim of “understanding the economy,” economic growth under Republican presidents has been consistently poor.

Ever since the Reagan Revolution, they've used budget deficits to fund their “tax cuts”, effectively taxing future generations.

And who benefits? Let’s just say that income disparity increases every time a Republican inhabits the White House.

So what can we take away from all this?

In this election, the candidates’ tax policies are very different and very important. But they’re not very surprising or new.

As GOP standardbearer, John McCain wants to continue the Bush/Cheney policies. Though he used to be against tax cuts for the wealthy, he’s now for them. He also used to be against offshore drilling and subsidies to big oil companies, but now he’s for those too.

In contrast, Barack Obama would cut taxes for 95% of America’s households, eliminating the Bush/Cheney tax cuts for the rich. He would ensure a level-playing ground, and enforce a pay-as-you-go mandate within the federal government.

The net result…

According to a full report by the conservative Tax Policy Center…

• If your individual income is more than $250,000 (5% of us), McCain will cut your taxes a great deal.

• If your individual income is less than $100,000 (85% of us), Obama's tax policies will save you far more money.
  
  

• If you're in the remaining 10%... you're on your own.

See the graph below for an overview.

DNC Fever

If you have it too, go to http://www.demconvention.com/

If you don't, go to http://www.demconvention.com/

I think my feelings are one part love for Barack Obama, one part being a good Democrat, but TWO parts hometown pride. I love Denver ANYWAY, but everything they are doing to show the country its best side makes me even MORE proud of the city we call home.

Now that we're down to the last 2 weeks before the Convention, I think I will blog more about preparations. That means I will have to take my camera and waddle towards downtown... but it's my chance to show off Denver, too (and for the benefit of all of you who formerly lived in Colorado).

Annoyance of the Evening

The good news:

1. Our sink has water pressure again!  Two years ago, just after we took over our apt lease from P's brother, our sink exploded.  It leaked into the unit downstairs.  All of the pipes had to be replaced, along with the cabinet.  Our water pressure has been nonexistent ever since.
2. The sprayer also works!  That hasn't worked since BEFORE P's brother moved in (which was about a year before us).

The bad news:

1. As you can see, the cabinet that was installed in place of the old one (about two years ago) isn't an end cabinet.  It's a center cabinet.  Can you see the MDF that sticks out like a sore thumb?  Any suggestions on what we should do with it?  We thought about tiling it, but I think that might look weird.  We don't have any tools to cut a piece to fit the space, though Home Depot could probably cut us one.  Also, the cabinet doesn't match the rest of the cabinets.  The rest are white.
2. After replacing the cabinet, there was a VERY large gap between the new countertop and the existing drywall.  The "repairman" used spackle to try and fill the entire half-inch gap around the wall.  He then painted ONLY THE SPACKLED AREA with paint of an entirely different color than what was on the wall.  We ended up painting the entire kitchen as a result.  We like the orange.
3. The man who fixed our sink (this was the third attempt at doing so, btw) took two full nights.  I watched a DIY.com video, and it took the man in the video five minutes.  He bought the cheapest fixture possible.  Also, in process of fixing the water pressure, he managed to soak the entire bottom of our (relatively new) cabinet, get some substance on the lovely orange wall that won't come off, break something glass (we still haven't figured out what that is) and he switched the hot and cold lines.  So, the cold knob is hot, and hot is cold.  Neat, huh?!
4. Our cats have had to be locked up for 28 hours straight in my office.  As of last night, there were chemicals all over our kitchen from under the sink.  (Method, here we come!)  Also, they cut a very large hole in the side of the new cabinet when it was installed for the pipes to go through.  I am 100% positive that given the opportunity, Sheila would have been back there, lost forever in the bowels of our kitchen.
5. The original call to our landlord was because one of the ceramic knobs on our bathroom sink broke in P's hand.  He had to go to the emergency room to stop the bleeding.  They still haven't fixed that sink.

Tornado

So last night was the first time I have heard tornado sirens go off in the city.  If I don't ever hear them again, I'm ok with that.  My television viewing was interrupted five different times with warnings that got progressively more ominous.  First, severe weather was heading for "southern Cook County", then it was "moving closer to the city", until finally it was going to hit Montrose harbor (= not far from our place) in ten minutes.  

I've practiced panicking throughout my entire life, and I'm a pro at it.  I calmly got up and turned off the TV.  I then opened the window to confirm that all those sirens I was hearing were real (and presumably not caused by a slowly growing tumor in my head.  You all know I also have cancer panic, yes?).  Sure enough, they were real.  So then I closed the window, and casually walked to P's office.  He was inside practicing for a presentation.  

*soft knock* "Paul?  The TV just said that the storm is going to hit Montrose harbor soon, and I think I heard sirens." (See how I tempered my response to keep myself calm?  "I think I heard sirens.")

So P came out and gawked at the clouds for about five minutes.  While he was distracted, I casually loaded Sheila into her carrier.  I tried to get Cole in his carrier by myself, but he would have none of it.  By this time, P realized what I was doing and came to help.  That's when I really started to panic.  P normally laughs off my illogical fears, but we were clearly on the same page.  We finally got Cole loaded into his carrier, and then we headed down the back steps to the basement.  

The cats were instantly wet, and started yowling.  We were only in the basement for like five minutes.  Well, I should say I was only in the basement for five minutes.  P was gawking at the weather again.  When we got back upstairs, we quickly realized P had locked the back door (as if someone was going to rob us in the downpour).  I made him go around to the front.  

After we got inside, I refused to let the cats out of their carriers "just in case", but they were clearly traumatized.  When I finally let them out, I discovered that Cole had left a little surprise in his carrier.  I call it "squeeging" and it only happens when he's extremely scared.  He liquid poops on himself, and it smells like death.  So, I got to clean his carrier and give a scared cat a bath.

Also, I should note that we were the only people in our building to go to the basement.  We are on the third (top) floor.  Right below our unit is a family with a newborn baby.  Below them, a family with two kids.  And I know we weren't just overreacting, because a woman at work said a 100 year old tree in her yard put a giant hole through her roof when she was huddled in her basement with her family.  

Slate's Leave Barack Alone! video

Also, I thought this was pretty funny:

The DNC is in DENVER this year!

It's starting to get pretty exciting around here. For example, the recent issues of 5280 arrived in the mail:


Also, random parts of the city re getting prettied up. We were at City Park tonight and it's all sodded up and ready to impress.

I am hoping that a certain someone from the Mayor's office will show up to weed our front yard. What? Hickenlooper shoveled snow during the blizzard!

I was also trying to read up on all the protests. There will be an anti-immigration protest in Congress Park. As one blogger advertises it:

We've got some BIG NEWS for you -- the all-star lineup of speakers at the MASSIVE Anti-Illegal Immigration Rall Rally Against Illegal Immigration just got even BETTER!

We've just confirmed that Ambassador Alan Keyes, Congressman Bob Barr, and Reverend Chuck Baldwin -- all of them running for U.S. President -- will ALL be speaking at the day-long rally, RIGHT THERE near the Democrat National Convention!

Ummm... not exacttl "RIGHT THERE". But what REALLY cracked me up were the pictures of the noted speaker above which had THIS GUY lumped in:

Although, when I right-clicked it, I recognized the name as some outspoken opponent of immigration.

It's just... this is exactly what I picture when I read the excerpted piece above, what with it's strong anti-immigration (what? like, none at ALL?) stance and alternately CAPPED and UNDERLINED (or shall I say capped AND underlined) talking points.

Like, EXACTLY.

I'm a Banana Republic whore.

Seriously, I am. Easily 90% of my entire wardrobe is from BR. At the same time, I'm generally not a fan of Gap or Old Navy, which is interesting to me. I guess I like to spend a lot more on the clothes I buy, even though they are made in exactly the same place as the "lower end" items. Actually, I think it's that BR clothing is more tailored than the other two stores. But this really isn't the point of the post.

P's brother is getting married in three weeks. I've been asked to do a reading at the wedding, and so I feel as though I should wear a suit. I bought a suit a couple of years ago. I really don't wear suits that often, but it just so happened that I needed one for work recently. I pulled out my suit and put it on, and it no longer fits. I think the walking in Chicago has been good for me. I really need to have it taken in. But, even if I did have it taken in, I really do need a more tailored suit for my frame. I look like a little kid playing dress up. As if I needed MORE justification to shop at BR.

I have been eyeing several suits there. The problem: they tend not to have my size. A week or two ago, I went to BR specifically looking for a suit. They didn't have one pair of pants or one jacket in my size. So, at the recommendation of the store, I went online to look. I have BR's Luxe card. For those who don't know what that is, you're better off. Essentially what it means is, I spend FAR too much at the store in a single calendar year. In celebration of my poor spending habits, BR has awarded me a special shopper status. It's like BR platinum. I get VIP invites to special events (P and I went to a LUXE-only premier party -- yes, I said party -- at a BR in San Francisco*. At said event, we each got a goody bag for making a purchase. We also got complimentary appetizers and wine. There was even a DJ), free alterations, free shipping online, and I earn coupons for purchases more quickly than non-LUXE card holders. I have a $20 giftcard that has been burning a hole in my pocket, so I planned on using that to get a suit.

* We didn't go to SF FOR this party. We happened to be there visiting because I had a conference for work. I don't have that much of an addiction.

Last night, I added the brown pinstripe suit of my dreams to my cart on BR.com, and then thought, "oh what the hell, let's google 'banana republic coupon codes' and see what comes up". Turns out, there is private sale going on for friends and family of BR employees. Employees get ten invites through which participants receive 25% off their entire order. The problem is, I don't know any BR employees. After looking through 14 pages of google search results, I decided to check ebay to see if any employees were selling their discounts. Sure enough, many were! I bought a discount for $4. After applying it to my cart, I got a discount of $118, PLUS free shipping! You know you have a problem when you get high from getting a deal.

Now, I just wait patiently for my suit to arrive. I plan to stand around just like this in it:


I think I like the orange tie. And I DO still have my $20 coupon...