I finished my quilt! It even folds up more or less evenly! (... believe it or not, this has been an issue with past quilts due to my 'measure once and hope for the best' sewing philosophy.) photos to follow, no doubt. Now, since it has been ONE MILLION YEARS (aka 1 day) since my last post, here are some things on my mind:
super tuesday: have fun, all you people who get to vote in the primary tomorrow! Guess when Oregon's primary is? MAY FREAKING TWENTIETH. And when we do finally get to vote (and they do let us vote, despite our generally communist ways), we have to do it by mail! I know it saves a bunch of money and more people vote, blah blah, but I don't feel like I'm getting my democracy fix! I need aged volunteers giving me the squinty look as they scrutinize my voter card! I like trying to guess stealth republicans standing in line! I like trying to find the correct door in a musty church basement! Dropping off an already completed ballot into a box at the library is simply not the same, although I do wait until ELECTION DAY to heighten the drama. (sometimes you have to make your own fun.) Maybe this year I'll make my own "I voted" sticker, too.
valentine cards: I think I figured them out today! There are only about 2000 tiny parts that require gluing, but hardly any sewing. It's a victory though, since it's less complicated than my original idea. I will have to finish one completely and look at it in the morning and see if my reaction is one of hooray or creative despair.
January Experiment: My decision to jump onto Martina's post-a-day in January bandwagon was last minute -- when she first mentioned her plan, I didn't think I'd do it because a) I blog pretty regularly already b) I write every day in some form or another c) my innate laziness. But then, in a rare moment of clarity, I realized that these weren't reasons why I shouldn't do it, these were reasons why I SHOULD do it. I am too complacent by far. It was fun! There were many days when I had no idea what I would end up posting, but some of those days were my favorites. Posting every day isn't something I can sustain indefinitely (although I'll probably be posting more often) but I figured I should try to roll that energy into some kind of ...
February Project: I decided that the 365 days project (self portrait every day for a year) was way beyond my scope or interest, but adapting that project to one month might work; particularly a short month like February. I don't want to take the same picture over and over again, so it's forcing me to think outside of what I would normally consider "a portrait." (the group pool is a good source of inspiration -- plenty of MySpace style phone portraits, but some people get really creative.) I don't love taking pictures of myself, but I figure it's a good exercise and a possible neuroses buster. (or builder! talk to me in March.) Let's just say that it has been SO MUCH FUN (not really) while I've been sick. But it all fits with my larger goal of taking more pictures, period, which I am attempting this month. (digital makes it so easy to experiment -- witness the photo at the top of this post which was achieved by cramming my camera into a kaleidoscope.)
random notes from my stereo: Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons' version of Love Hurts on the Sacred Hearts and Fallen Angels Anthology is fantastic. The song Buzz Me by Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five (from Blowing the Fuse: 27 R&B Classics that rocked the jukebox in 1946) is SO FUN and, when you have a cat named Busby, conveniently lends itself to singing "Busby, Busby Baby." Ooh! god bless youtube, because here's the video of Louis Jordan doing Buzz Me:
I miss going to the local retirement home and having the volunteers locate my name in that big old voter book that looked so far from being anything official. They would locate my name, look at me sorta confused and ask if I went to school with their daughter/son. I would say no, sorry, that must've been my dad. I love voting! In person! In a booth! I miss it, and I don't care that they say more people vote by mail. Since when did democracy become such a bothersome burden that you can't find 60 (fill in the nasty blank) minutes once every two or four, sometimes one, (fill in the nastier balnk) years to vote? Congrats on finishing your quilt. I am looking forward to seeing the finished product.
ReplyDeleteVoting in person -- that's it exactly. I know the goal is to make it as easy as possible for the maximum number of people to participate in their democracy, but I agree that it doesn't seem like TOO MUCH of a burden to stand in line for a while. It's a privilege!
ReplyDeleteSo, now that Edwards has dropped out and the Democrats are left with two choices this Super Tuesday, who would be on your ideal ticket in fall? I don't see Hill or Bar deciding to take the VP slot, so that position seems pretty open. I would say Richardson or Edwards. I love Kucinich but he is like the last person asked to dance, and then it is the kindhearted english teacher that does the asking. He is so smart, but that isn't so important. What's so funny this cycle is that it truly is historical, which is swell, but the smartest man running doesn't have a chance because of his looks. Wow. So progressive.
ReplyDeleteI don't know who would be a good VP. I'm not sure that neither Clinton/Obama would do it, but neither one of them is going to even pretend to CONSIDER it as long as there's a shot at the top of the ticket. Edwards would be good, of course, but I almost think he might be able to get more accomplished in a cabinet position. (but maybe I'm wrong.) I suspect there will be some VP person that I never thought of, though.
ReplyDeleteI don't think looks were the only thing keeping Kucinich from the nomination. Do you, really? ( I should note that I really like kucinich and would love to see him with a position in the new administration.)
I do think his looks definitely held people back from even listening to him. Of course I don't think that looks are to blame for him not going further. I mean I'll admit I have told people that I want, in my lifetime, to vote for a male candidate that I think is dreamy and that man is John Edwards. And he felt like he should drop out, AND he has the looks, so...maybe it was more personality? Howard Dean is a smart man but all he had to do was have that video played over and over and he looks like a mini-Hitler...I hope you know what my point is because I am starting to confuse myself. Maybe my point is that looks aren't everything but are important, and not as important as not creeping people out, and that even the best looking in the bunch doesn't have a chance of winning if they don't play dirty? F.
ReplyDeleteI don't disagree that kuchinich's appearance might have kept some people from even listening to him, but I think that his progressive politics are what prevent him from attaining the nomination. It's too much for a lot of people -- they can't wrap their minds around it and looking a little strange becomes the easy thing to hang that discomfort on.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, Mitt Romney looks and acts like a badly programmed robot -- I can't even believe that he's a serious nominee! and yet he is!
FWIW, I think that at least in the democratic race, they've turned away from the dirty fighting. At least for now. I thought that the last debate was very civil and more importantly, SUBSTANTIVE. I must admit I'm leaning Obama-wards, but I will not be miserable casting my ballot for either one of them. (although I do miss the dreamy John Edwards, whom I loved for his giant poverty-fighting BRAIN.)
I will gladly vote for whichever candidate we are left with, but as time passes I am feeling more thrilled with the idea of voting for Obama. When I look back at the last time we had a Clinton in the White House, I am not so thrilled with all the lies. I know she is not her husband but she agrees with him enough to stand by her man, and it isn't like she is all that great. Her ideas for reforming health care were great in theory but when you see who was actually paying her for all of that? The biggest health care providers! She wanted freedom of choice for patients in picking doctors, but only doctors represented by the umbrella group. Politicians are just so damn dirty! A friend of mine that is lucky enough to live in a SUPER TUESDAY state voted for Kucinich. I loved that. At this point, why not?
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