May 2012
About last night...
Runoff. Holy hell.
Turn out was already incredibly low. In a district that has 350K registered voters less than 10k voted in our race and only those voters who went to the polls (even if they undervoted in the race) that are in that district during the primary are eligible to vote in the runoff.
I’m allowing the frustration to kick in for a tiny millisecond before I begin to say, “what’s next”…
We can still do this. I still believe that. It will be harder, but here we go….
Last night, in the middle of good Greek food and at the end of the evening, I heard a Greek saying that was translated roughly, which I’m going to use for the rest of my life:
“If you’re invited to the dance and if you go to the dance, you have to keep dancing until the dance ends.”
I thought it was a great philosophy for a few things in life. So, I’ma be dancing… until it ends.
Can't Help Falling In Love
Fleet Foxes
{can’t help falling in love with you - fleet foxes}
sweetest thing i’ve heard all day.
So many covers of this… this one is pretty far up there…
Tuesday, May 29th
Tomorrow is a day of jubilee for a girl like me. First off, it’s President Kennedy’s birthday.
Secondly, it is (FINALLY) Primary Day in Texas. A day or so ago, I got an insulting email in my inbox, on behalf of Hector Nieto, who is in charge of Texas operations for the Obama / Biden campaign. The President doesn’t have to worry about his name being at the top of the ballot, despite having three primary challengers. (Who are these people?) And yet, instead of encouraging people on GOTV efforts that are actually necessary and mandatory for change in Texas, the Obama campaign has largely decided that their volunteers should take time away from local races to phone bank on behalf of the President.
Now, I love me some President Barack Obama. I have his U.S. Senate Bumper Sticker (it actually needs to be framed…) I was dedicated from 2006 and told my parents in 2007 that it would be Obama, every time I saw them, despite my father telling me it wouldn’t. However, I have a bone to pick with OFA and the DNC. They keep sucking the money out of Texas. (Actually, they keep sucking the money out of many states, including Wisconsin, where they’ve recently rescinded that disastrous decision.) According to the POTUS, his campaign, and the DNC, the best thing he can do to get other Democrats elected is to get himself elected.
What a load of hogwash!
There are areas of Texas that could be extremely competitive this year, because of how far the Republican party has gone, because of Rick Perry’s decisions regarding Planned Parenthood and the Women’s Health Program. But, instead of helping us out, they choose to drain our donors of all possible money. We are the bank of Texas, where no deposits are made, but withdrawals are plentiful.
I’d like the President to ask his party and his supporters to help him not only get reelected in 2012, but to actually be able to accomplish EVERYTHING he wants to do. Give him a Congress that will work with him, because if he doesn’t and we don’t, we’re going to see the last two years repeated ad nauseum for four more years.
So, that’s my little rant on that…
Anyhow, tomorrow I’m out of the house no later than 6:15ish… in the morning… (Good Lord) Apparently, that’s allowed. Who knew? And then, hopefully partying into the evening… Polls are open all across Texas from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and we won’t get Early Vote numbers, until 7 p.m. Sometime around 2 p.m. tomorrow (probably noon) I’ll be getting antsy… and nervous… and wondering what more we could have done. I will need my bottle of Pepto Bismal starting around then, and I will be refreshing the Harris County Clerk’s election website every two or three seconds, until early vote comes in… Turn out has been abysmal… so, if you know someone in this great state, ask them to vote tomorrow? If they live in Culberson’s district, ask them to consider voting in the Democratic primary, for James Cargas? (Don’t make me give you the sad eyes!!!)
I’m currently in getting ready mode, by watching Season Two of the West Wing. Ask me why I’m working for the candidate I am, I’ll refer you to Episode Two of that season, about 8 and a half minutes in: where Josh taps on the glass while Sam is conducting a meeting. That face? That face of just knowing you have “the” candidate? Yeah… they don’t come along often… “the” candidates… and when you see them? That Joshua Lyman face is exactly what you have, if you’re a girl like me…
“The heterosexuality or homosexuality of many individuals is not an all-or-none proposition.”
—
- Alfred Kinsey, in Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (1948). Kinsey was an early researcher in the field of human sexuality. His Kinsey Scale first introduced the idea that sexual orientation was a continuum.
(via plannedparenthood)
“The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor primary elections on May 29, 2012, in Fort Bend, Harris and Jefferson Counties in Texas, to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other federal voting rights statutes. The Voting Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the election process on the basis of race, color or membership in a minority language group. In addition, the act requires certain covered jurisdictions to provide language assistance during the election process.
Under the Voting Rights Act, the Justice Department is authorized to ask the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to send federal observers to jurisdictions that are certified by the attorney general or by a federal court order. Federal observers will be assigned to monitor polling place activities in Fort Bend and Jefferson Counties based on the attorney general’s certification. In addition, Fort Bend is subject to a court order entered in 2009, which requires the jurisdiction to comply with the minority language and assistor of choice requirements of the Voting Rights Act, as well as the requirements of the Help America Vote Act. The observers will watch and record activities during voting hours at polling locations in these counties, and Civil Rights Division attorneys will coordinate the federal activities and maintain contact with local election officials.
In addition, Justice Department personnel will monitor polling place activities in Harris County. A Civil Rights Division attorney will coordinate federal activities and maintain contact with local election officials.
Each year, the Justice Department deploys hundreds of federal observers from OPM, as well as departmental staff, to monitor elections across the country. To file complaints about discriminatory voting practices, including acts of harassment or intimidation, voters may call the Voting Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division at 1-800-253-3931.
Visit www.justice.gov/crt/voting/index.php for more information about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws.” — Justice Department Press Release, dated Friday, May 25, 2012
Under the Voting Rights Act, the Justice Department is authorized to ask the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to send federal observers to jurisdictions that are certified by the attorney general or by a federal court order. Federal observers will be assigned to monitor polling place activities in Fort Bend and Jefferson Counties based on the attorney general’s certification. In addition, Fort Bend is subject to a court order entered in 2009, which requires the jurisdiction to comply with the minority language and assistor of choice requirements of the Voting Rights Act, as well as the requirements of the Help America Vote Act. The observers will watch and record activities during voting hours at polling locations in these counties, and Civil Rights Division attorneys will coordinate the federal activities and maintain contact with local election officials.
In addition, Justice Department personnel will monitor polling place activities in Harris County. A Civil Rights Division attorney will coordinate federal activities and maintain contact with local election officials.
Each year, the Justice Department deploys hundreds of federal observers from OPM, as well as departmental staff, to monitor elections across the country. To file complaints about discriminatory voting practices, including acts of harassment or intimidation, voters may call the Voting Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division at 1-800-253-3931.
Visit www.justice.gov/crt/voting/index.php for more information about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws.” — Justice Department Press Release, dated Friday, May 25, 2012
For the worried: I appear to be feeling a little bit better as my hormone levels seem to be righting themselves, however painfully that process is occurring.
I’m extremely nauseous now, so, while I offered other reasons why I won’t be drinking tonight, add that to the list.
I’m off to find something to eat, and curl up… Tuesday is primary day… Kind of finding it difficult to get worked up about it, unless that’s what the nausea is all about (I doubt it.) I’m “working” on behalf of the best qualified and, best candidate to beat the incumbent in the general. With how women feel all across this state, this candidate actually had a shot, but some decisions were made months ago that may affect the outcome of Tuesday. In the last few weeks, we’ve tried to do what we can to pre-empt that. I’m nervous about it, but, also feel like our real work starts on Wednesday. (Hopefully.)
Someone close to me let me down this week. It broke my heart. I hope she finds what she’s looking for and hope she doesn’t get hurt in the process. I also hope that she never feels the hurt I just went through. Unfortunately, I think it’s time to let go forever.
I was talking to someone last night, who actually shoos herself off the phone quickly, as if she’s disturbing me (you’re not)… I gave her a bit of advice, that I think is pertinent:
“Why do you care about what other people think that give you the impression that they don’t want you around? Why are you trying to impress them? Why are you wasting your time on them? You have a finite amount of it. You should be “wasting” your time with people that are happy to see you, happy to talk to you, happy to know you… love you despite your flaws, and have a positive impact in your life. If they don’t: let them go.”
Yes… it really is that simple.
“If you let one (truant student) run loose, what are you gonna’ do with the rest of ‘em? Let them go too?”
—
Houston judge Lanny Moriarty • On his decision to sentence a 17-year-old honor student, who (since her parents divorced and both skipped town) has had to work both a full and a part time job just to support two siblings, to spend a day in jail, after she missed school recently. Diane Tran, who also takes dual-credit college-level courses, says that she’s often so tired that she finds it difficult to wake up for school. But that didn’t sway Moriarty, who chose to make an example of Tran. If you think this sucks, we direct you to this Change.org petition. (via shortformblog)
On behalf of Houston, I humbly apologize for our judge’s insanity. There are good sane ones, I promise.
“No one is [immune]. And this slow suicide — as the great Molly Ivins called it — will continue unabated until the industry swallows hard and takes its product — every last newspaper — behind a paywall.”
—
David Simon on the news that the Times-Picayune will no longer be a daily paper (Source).
Mr Simon, while I appreciate your work on The Wire, I can’t disagree more. Putting content behind a paywall isn’t going to save newspapers, but only further their decline and death. The salvation of the newspaper industry will be to follow the example of media outlets like the Texas Tribune, which is a non-profit corporation funded by donors and thriving while other papers are declining (e.g., the Fort Worth Star-Telegram recently closed their Austin bureau).
(via zachvaughn)
I love Molly Ivins, like every Texas woman should (represent respect!), but she died well before social media began to take off. Using her words to prophesies and argue for decisions in today’s media market, would be like trying to talk about the cotton industry prior to the cotton gin’s invention after the cotton gin had been in use for five years. It changed the very nature of the industry. She would have been the first one to rail against using her words in such context.
My Left Breast
On Saturday, in the midst of a very emotionally charged few days, I took a shower. As I was lathering up my body, my left breast in particular, I stopped. Cold. I nearly dropped my loofah.
A lump? I probably gulped. How can a lump that big be in my body? How could I have not felt it before now? I take showers daily, I repeat this procedure daily. There’s no way that just developed overnight, if it’s serious.
The wave of questions entered my head. My sister just told me a few weeks ago that she has cysts. Okay… and, I am (or was) closerthanthis to my monthly emotional hormonal cycle. No need to panic. Wait it out.
I am, very much, from a family that doesn’t go to the ER lightly. When my mom fell at Target, and bashed her glasses into her skin, so deep that she was severely bleeding, she wanted me to take her “home or to the doctor’s office”. I knew if my dad saw her, he’d get in the car and take her to the ER, himself, and I knew the doctor would just refer us to the ER, so I took her there, under her protests. Hours later, she had stitches just below her eye.
That’s our family philosophy, though. We don’t panic, not easily. And we don’t rush off. We wait things out.
Even still, a lump - any lump - makes you ask certain questions. It puts you on guard. There’s no moment where you’re not thinking of cancer treatments, shaved heads, or even the unthinkable. In my case, the myriad of questions centered around costs. What does my life cost?
Don’t panic, it’s likely not something to worry about. Don’t panic. Don’t panic… Breathe. Test. Feel. Don’t panic.
It also makes you constantly touch yourself. Is it still there? The first day alone, I touched both breasts so much that they began to ache. I’ve also done a lot of research. Apparently, if the lump stays in the same place / position, it’s something to be worried about, less likely so if it doesn’t stay in the same place / position. Since this is the latter, instead of the former, that’s been a bit reassuring.
I still have a few days to go on my cycle… and, my mind is still flaring with difficult questions… the size seems to be improved, the location seems to be ever shifting. In short, I think this is a part of my body, my breast, and my cycle. I’ll continue to monitor it, because it’s constantly there, in the back of my mind, anyway… and hope for the best.
“You can either complain about the political system, which actually accomplishes even less than the system itself, or work to change it. I have chosen to try to change it. So, either shut up, because simply complaining about it won’t fix it and get out of the way, or shut up and get to work, because we could use all the help we can get.”
—
- Me
My new philosophy… It may be broken, but unless you’re willing to tell me what you’re willing to do to change it, I don’t want to hear it.
“No, you can’t deny women their basic rights and pretend it’s about your ‘religious freedom.’ If you don’t like birth control, don’t use it. Religious freedom doesn’t mean you can force others to live by your own beliefs.”
—
President Barack Obama
(via barackobama)
“Ted Poe - One of the top conservatives in Congress, always ready to fight for bat shit crazy our principles. A former top-rate State District Judge who is a level-headed leader for now and the future. Hawk on spending who would go further than the Ryan budget plan.”
—
- From the Texas Conservative Review (no way in hell am I linking that… google it.)
Ted Poe is my Congressman. FML and F redistricting, too. Once every ten years, despite the best efforts of my party, the Republicans demand that we bend over for their redistricting bullshit to creatively redraw maps, ensuring that heavy, hardcore Democratic precincts and Democratic strongholds in the Texas Legislature and in our Representation in the U.S. Congress are both diminished. So, if my language is a bit harsh, I’ve been through this two times. The Texas GOP is a special brand of evil… I mean, going further than the Ryan budget plan?
Seriously?
“So congratulations, North Carolina. Last night, you struck a decisive blow for loneliness. And tonight, as you go to sleep beside your heterosexual life mate, you can rest assured that all across your great state, a gay man or lesbian woman is crying themselves to sleep in solitude and making your relationship stronger with each tear.”
—STEPHEN COLBERT, The Colbert Report (via inothernews)
Texas's State Senate's Soap Opera: Carona to Patrick: I never said you were divorcing. Or gay. →
blog.chron.com
Question: what happens when you let a blow hard like sports commentator Dan Patrick into your State Senate?
Answer: Absolute hilarity when he falsely accuses another sitting state Senator of telling lies about the state of his marriage.
Can’t wait for the 2014 GOP State Primary. (Dan Patrick is my State Senator. He also openly opposes public education. Period. He believes we should not teach children to read or write or arithmetic.)
“I like flaws and feel more comfortable around people who have them. I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions.”
—“Magical Thinking: True Stories” by Augusten Burroughs (via julie911)
