Friday, June 24, 2005
sacramento days, part 1...
So. Sacramento. Interesting.
I'd never been there before, and certainly never to attend a state hearing regarding something that will change how all of California will vote.
But let's go back to the beginning...
The week before I recieved an e-mail from MusicianMan, letting me know that a group of people were headed up to Sacramento on Wednesday to attend a hearing on Thursday regarding the certification of electronic voting machines for use in California and would I want to join them?
Since amongst the machines in question were the same Diebold machines that caused so many problems in Ohio and I'm adamantly against voting machines that 1) are easily hackable, 2) contain proprietary software, 3) are manufactured by a corporation whose CEO declared that he was "committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president," and 4) have no auditable paper trail - well, y'all can imagine I was very interested in going.
So way too early Wednesday morning (6:30am - urgh) I met Mimi Kennedy and MusicianMan near his place and up we drove. I admit, I was a little nervous about meeting Mimi at first because, well, I'm just a nervous sort. But, as I suspected she would, she instantly made me feel comfortable. By the end of the six hour drive I was very impressed by her. A feeling which multiplied once we got to the state capitol and I watched her meet with various assemblymembers, lobbying them regarding our group's position on certifying electonic machines. She was terrific. And for the first time I thought to myself, "Hey, I could totally do what she's doing. And I think some part of me would really enjoy it. Huh."
So we ended up meeting with additional members of our group (California Election Protection Network [CEPN]) from all over the state both before and after the lobbying - some more great folks with whom I may very well keep in contact - and shared information and strategy. Then off to a presentation by Open Voting Consortium re: a machine they've developed with open source coding that would address the concerns of CEPN and other informed voters. Unfortunately, the long day had started to catch up to me by then (and I hadn't slept at all the night before). Once the lights in the room went down for the PowerPoint presentation so did my eyelids. I tried to hang in there, but twenty minutes later I ended up curling up in Mimi's Prius for a fitful little nap that lasted the entire two hour presentation. MusicianMan tapped on the window to waken me, I hopped in the back seat and listened to Mimi's excitement about what she had just seen. MusicianMan, though a bit more reserved - as his nature - also liked what he had seen.
We spent the night in the home of a lovely couple who are very politically active, with me sleeping on a sofa in the upstairs office, Mimi crashing on the living room sofa and MusicianMan taking the twin bed in the guest room due to a bad back. I slept fairly well. And woke up refreshed enough for another full, exciting day ahead...
I'd never been there before, and certainly never to attend a state hearing regarding something that will change how all of California will vote.
But let's go back to the beginning...
The week before I recieved an e-mail from MusicianMan, letting me know that a group of people were headed up to Sacramento on Wednesday to attend a hearing on Thursday regarding the certification of electronic voting machines for use in California and would I want to join them?
Since amongst the machines in question were the same Diebold machines that caused so many problems in Ohio and I'm adamantly against voting machines that 1) are easily hackable, 2) contain proprietary software, 3) are manufactured by a corporation whose CEO declared that he was "committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president," and 4) have no auditable paper trail - well, y'all can imagine I was very interested in going.
So way too early Wednesday morning (6:30am - urgh) I met Mimi Kennedy and MusicianMan near his place and up we drove. I admit, I was a little nervous about meeting Mimi at first because, well, I'm just a nervous sort. But, as I suspected she would, she instantly made me feel comfortable. By the end of the six hour drive I was very impressed by her. A feeling which multiplied once we got to the state capitol and I watched her meet with various assemblymembers, lobbying them regarding our group's position on certifying electonic machines. She was terrific. And for the first time I thought to myself, "Hey, I could totally do what she's doing. And I think some part of me would really enjoy it. Huh."
So we ended up meeting with additional members of our group (California Election Protection Network [CEPN]) from all over the state both before and after the lobbying - some more great folks with whom I may very well keep in contact - and shared information and strategy. Then off to a presentation by Open Voting Consortium re: a machine they've developed with open source coding that would address the concerns of CEPN and other informed voters. Unfortunately, the long day had started to catch up to me by then (and I hadn't slept at all the night before). Once the lights in the room went down for the PowerPoint presentation so did my eyelids. I tried to hang in there, but twenty minutes later I ended up curling up in Mimi's Prius for a fitful little nap that lasted the entire two hour presentation. MusicianMan tapped on the window to waken me, I hopped in the back seat and listened to Mimi's excitement about what she had just seen. MusicianMan, though a bit more reserved - as his nature - also liked what he had seen.
We spent the night in the home of a lovely couple who are very politically active, with me sleeping on a sofa in the upstairs office, Mimi crashing on the living room sofa and MusicianMan taking the twin bed in the guest room due to a bad back. I slept fairly well. And woke up refreshed enough for another full, exciting day ahead...
so i lied...
...so sue me.
I have been working on my Sacramento trip entry, but it's taking longer than I anticipated. Mainly because I don't seem to have much patience for sitting at a computer these days, but also because my mood has been rather low this week, so I haven't felt like writing.
Maybe it's because, after the excitement of last week, I'm feeling a bit of a letdown. Maybe it's because I'm evaluating my lovelife (or lack thereof) and drawing conclusions I've been fighting against, but I may have to face up to. Maybe it's because the last check from my former employer was expected today but it didn't come in the mail, so I'm getting stressed out because I really needed that check TODAY and waiting one more day (I hope it's only one day) is really fucking up some plans, since I was planning on shopping today for BabySis's baby shower tomorrow and I can't do that when I have no money with which to shop, not to mention other plans I had for today and tomorrow.
So yeah, my mood isn't the best right now. But after I post this I'll post day one of Sacramento, so that at least something is up that isn't all pissy.
Don't mind me, I'm just very annoyed with life and humans at the moment...
I have been working on my Sacramento trip entry, but it's taking longer than I anticipated. Mainly because I don't seem to have much patience for sitting at a computer these days, but also because my mood has been rather low this week, so I haven't felt like writing.
Maybe it's because, after the excitement of last week, I'm feeling a bit of a letdown. Maybe it's because I'm evaluating my lovelife (or lack thereof) and drawing conclusions I've been fighting against, but I may have to face up to. Maybe it's because the last check from my former employer was expected today but it didn't come in the mail, so I'm getting stressed out because I really needed that check TODAY and waiting one more day (I hope it's only one day) is really fucking up some plans, since I was planning on shopping today for BabySis's baby shower tomorrow and I can't do that when I have no money with which to shop, not to mention other plans I had for today and tomorrow.
So yeah, my mood isn't the best right now. But after I post this I'll post day one of Sacramento, so that at least something is up that isn't all pissy.
Don't mind me, I'm just very annoyed with life and humans at the moment...
Sunday, June 19, 2005
quick note...
I will be back on a more regular basis starting this coming week, but my time at the moment is rather limited, so just a quick snapshot of my life:
1) Enjoying my time off quite a bit. I've registered with a few employment places and will be meeting with a couple of people this week, but while there have been times where I've stare at my apartment and thought, "Uh, what do I do now?", I've been having fun.
2) This past week has been the Week of Politics. Communications Committee meeting last Sunday, anti-Arnold protest at Santa Monica College Tusday night, an anti-Hummer protest outside a Hummer dealership in the Valley yesteday, with the highlight: three days in Sacramento with MusicianMan and Mimi Kennedy (better known as Dharma's mom on Dharma and Greg) meeting with legislators and testifying at a state hearing regarding certifying electronic voting machines for use in California. I gotta tell ya, I never thought I'd end up testifying in front of a state panel and it was very nerve-wracking, but damned if it wasn't kinda exhilarating too. Ya know, I'd never thought it, but I'm discovering a real passion for this sort of thing. It's very surprising to me. BTW, Mimi Kennedy? I think I'm in love. MusicianMan told me she was a hell of a lady and damned if he wasn't right.
Anywho, I've got to be going, but I'll be back in a couple of days with details of the Sacramento trip. I met some incredible people while up there and have asked our host family if they would like to adopt me, they were so terrific.
Life is getting rather interesting...
1) Enjoying my time off quite a bit. I've registered with a few employment places and will be meeting with a couple of people this week, but while there have been times where I've stare at my apartment and thought, "Uh, what do I do now?", I've been having fun.
2) This past week has been the Week of Politics. Communications Committee meeting last Sunday, anti-Arnold protest at Santa Monica College Tusday night, an anti-Hummer protest outside a Hummer dealership in the Valley yesteday, with the highlight: three days in Sacramento with MusicianMan and Mimi Kennedy (better known as Dharma's mom on Dharma and Greg) meeting with legislators and testifying at a state hearing regarding certifying electronic voting machines for use in California. I gotta tell ya, I never thought I'd end up testifying in front of a state panel and it was very nerve-wracking, but damned if it wasn't kinda exhilarating too. Ya know, I'd never thought it, but I'm discovering a real passion for this sort of thing. It's very surprising to me. BTW, Mimi Kennedy? I think I'm in love. MusicianMan told me she was a hell of a lady and damned if he wasn't right.
Anywho, I've got to be going, but I'll be back in a couple of days with details of the Sacramento trip. I met some incredible people while up there and have asked our host family if they would like to adopt me, they were so terrific.
Life is getting rather interesting...
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
still breathing...
I'm still around, just not in a writin' mood, I guess. Perhaps the writer's block that had been visiting Jim until last month (or was it the month before) has come knockin' on my door. More likely it's the fact that a few things are hitting me at once and I'm just trying to sort them out. Not that bad (or good) things have been happening since I last wrote here. Life has been status quo, more or less. The job has definitely ended as of last Wednesday, so I've been taking care of a few things since then and doing all sorts of registering and e-mailing and unemployment filing and such. But even though the thought of working in an office type environment fills me with dread right now, I'm sure that'll change once my finances start looking dire. Thankfully I'm fine through the end of June - a little tight, perhaps, but nothing I'm not used to.
No, it's more that I'm looking at my future again and feeling it breathe down my neck and wondering if it's time for another kick in the ass. I think I'll be getting that soon enough. Hopefully it'll jumpstart my writing at the same time.
Patience though, my sweets. I will be back soon. Until then, if y'all haven't done so already, check out this episode of A Prairie Home Companion. I watched it live with Boychik, his brother and sister-in-law and MusicianMan at teh Hollywood Bowl. Absolutely wonderful.
No, it's more that I'm looking at my future again and feeling it breathe down my neck and wondering if it's time for another kick in the ass. I think I'll be getting that soon enough. Hopefully it'll jumpstart my writing at the same time.
Patience though, my sweets. I will be back soon. Until then, if y'all haven't done so already, check out this episode of A Prairie Home Companion. I watched it live with Boychik, his brother and sister-in-law and MusicianMan at teh Hollywood Bowl. Absolutely wonderful.
Registered!
This is my blogchalk:
United States, California, Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, English, Carol, Female, 36-40.
