When is an election not an election?

Iraqis voted today in their "national" election. The media is covering it as an example of extraordinary progress for all of Iraq. They don't happen to mention that the media is allowed to report from only four polling places in the entire country. And the media isn't even complaining. "Yip! Yip!" say the lapdogs.

------

I just finished reading, "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" by John Perkins. This is one of those "I was an asshole for imperialism, but now I'm admitting my crimes" tell-all books. Every few years one of these jokers comes around. I remember Phillip Agee and Robert Stockwell from 20 years ago revealing nefarious deeds they participated in while working for U.S. intelligence agencies in Central America and Angola. This author is no different.

What always amazes me about these people is that they understand the evil that they've done to further U.S. global dominance.Yet they consider there experience as an aberration from true capitalism. None of them ever question the very basics of the system. All capitalism needs is a bit of tweaking and everything will come out smelling like roses.

Perkins is even worse. He's decided that all we need do is learn the secrets of proper living from shamanistic tribes. But guess who gets paid to tell us all about it? The shamans themselves? Of course not! What we need is a disillusioned white man, Perkins himself, to show us the way at a conference that will cost you a mere $1,000! Yeah, he's certainly gotten over exploiting people, hasn't he?

And yet, this kind of book will get through to certain people who are just beginning to question the myths they've been told about the beauty and goodness of capitalism. They won't listen unless they hear it from somebody who benefitted from the system and rejected it nevertheless. A struggling worker is just jealous of rich people or expressing sour grapes. A rich person is more credible on the topic.

Yeah, maybe. But I don't have to like it, now do I?

New Quiz!!

You scored as Intrapersonal. You prefer your own inner world, you like to be alone, and you are aware of your own strengths, weaknesses, and feelings. You learn best by engaging in independent study projects rather than working on group projects. People like you include entrepreneurs, philosophers and psychologists.

Musical/Rhythmic		75%
Intrapersonal		75%
Verbal/Linguistic		71%
Visual/Spatial		68%
Interpersonal		68%
Bodily/Kinesthetic		32%
Logical/Mathematical		29%

The Rogers Indicator of Multiple Intelligences
created with QuizFarm.com

The DisappearanceÖ

Winter arrived in Minnesota and blog time diminished to zero. We finally got our inch plus of snow -- more than 12 days later than any other winter! Seven inches of snow fell last Friday. I spent the weekend shoveling out our house and my brother-in-law's, since he is taking a training course for work in Phoenix. Because he is kind enough to do his neighbor's house, we did that as well. All of which resulted in total exhaustion followed by a full-blown migraine on Monday. But I am back and healthy and happy to be feeling normal again.

There is a lot of information out there about the so-called elections in Iraq coming up next week. The ballots are secret, the candidates are secret, polling places are secret and about half the country will not be voting. Yet it will be hailed as progress. For many people, the very fact that an election occurs, no matter how fake it might be, is reason enough to rejoice. Which is why the entire concept of "demonstration elections" has always worked over the years. I remember these same bogus charades occurring in Latin America in the '80s.

A recent poll suggested that a majority of U.S. citizens were opposed to one of the basic foundations of our constitution: the right to due process. These people believe our government should be allowed to round up Muslims and immigrants from Muslim countries and incarcerate them without evidence and without any of the basic protections written into the justice system.

The rationale for this belief is that the danger we face now from terrorism is so dire and so immediate, that we must give up our idealistic ways and resign ourselves to a partial police state. There are so many reasons why this is wrong. One of the fallacies that sticks in my mind is that some people believe the dangers we face today are worse than any danger the U.S. has faced before. This shows an incredible ignorance of our nation's history and the struggles our ancestors endured over the years. There's an essay in there somewhere, but I haven't written it nor have I found it in searching the internet.

Meanwhile, there is a "Women in War" event on Thursday evening. I put together a flyer to hand out there, that urges people to "hold the date" for activities marking the anniversary of the most recent U.S. war against Iraq on March 19. Another day, another leaflet!

A brief commercial interruption....

I've been reading up on Social Security reform -- lots of good information out there for people who are interested. I'm struck by the transformation of thinking about the whole program. Social Security used to be a program we supported because it took care of other, deserving people who should be able to relax after 50 years of work and struggle. Now, the discussion is all about "my money" and "my account" and "me, me, me."

If you are on the side of folks who care about the retired and disabled, here's a quick simple petition you can sign at MoveOn.org. I have a lot of problems with that organization's support of the Democratic Party, but this petition is very straightforward and worthwhile. Head on over and add your name:

MoveOn peition on social security.

R.I.P., James Forman who I had the great pleasure of meeting in Washington, D.C. in April of 1985. I was with a group of people setting up early for a national march against U.S. policy on Central America. We had fliers we were hoping to get out, he had his books and a pamphlet to distribute. Forman knew some of the people I came to the march with and they introduced us. As we each waited for our friends to gather, we talked and he spoke about SNCC and his years of activism. He gave me or I purchased (I can't remember which) his book "The Making of Black Revolutionaries."

What differentiated him from many of the movement "leaders" I have met over the years, was his willingness to do the grunt work involved in keeping a movement viable. Some of the big-name speakers would show up at the demonstration hours later in time for their speech and then be whisked off to another important gathering. Not Forman: he was there at the crack of dawn, with books and pamphlets at the ready, eager to speak to other activists -- even a complete stranger from the Midwest.

About Forman's contributions to the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) -- pronounced "Snick":

"He imbued the organization with a camaraderie and collegiality that I've never seen in any organization before or since," said Julian Bond, chairman of the NAACP and SNCC's communications director during Mr. Forman's tenure.

-----

Sunday's StarTribune had an article about the reactions of local refugees to the elections in Palestine. Ayman Balshe, a local activist, is quoted along with his mother. Hanan. I managed to meet this family last summer when Ayman was playing a lead role in the play
With Love from Ramallah. At only 23, Ayman has become an eloquent spokesman for Palestinians in the Midwest.

------

And in another local-global connection, St. Joan of Arc church posted a letter from Sami Rasouli, Minneapolis' unofficial Ambassador from Iraq. Sami moved back to Iraq in November to help his family and his country rebuild. A poet and a wonderful friend, Sami's reports make my heart break even as it fills with hope for the Iraqi people.

------

Quote of the Day

From an article by economist Paul Hawken:

I once gave a talk at an elementary school to third graders, and I told them that there are a billion people in the world who want to work and can't work.

A girl raised her hand and said, "Is all the work done?"

Monday, January 10, 2005

I spent tonight working on a leaflet for the Women in War event. Turned out pretty nice but it took up a lot of my computer time. So I'm posting just two (too) cute animal stories. Enjoy:

Lucy memorialized

By COOKY McCLUNG
Special to The Star Democrat
January 7, 2005

CHESTERTOWN ó Lucy the Goose was memorialized last Friday with a service fit for a high-ranking diplomat. Which, in a way, she was, having served faithfully, if sometimes cantankerously, as Chestertown's avian ambassador for at least a dozen years.

I found her dead Dec. 19 on my daily pre-dawn walk, pausing to burst into tears before dashing home to call Chestertown Town Manager Bill Ingersoll. He responded immediately by contacting Ned Stirling, head of town maintenance, who had Lucy removed from the marshes where she lay. Even before Ned arrived, however, another early morning walker, noticing Lucy's lifeless body, immediately called 9-1-1. Our police responded with compassion, checking to make sure the goose's death was not a result of someone harming her. They found she had died of natural causes.

Lucy was cremated at the Humane Society of Kent County, and her ashes remained in Mayor Margo Bailey's desk until Friday's service, when more than 200 people came to the water's edge at the end of Cannon Street to say goodbye to Lucy. More than a few tears were shed as the mayor eulogized Lucy with a lovely selection of readings emphasizing the importance of all creatures large and small in our lives. I was privileged to spread her ashes in the river while well-known musician Tom McHugh sang a poignant song in her honor.

There are those who may have thought holding this service was pretty quirky. I think there's a lot to be said for a town that mourns a goose.

Many in the crowd offered their own stories about knowing Lucy.

I often wrote about Lucy while I was working for The Kent News, including stories of when Tri-State Bird Rescue veterinarian Dr. Heidi Stout and her team had to pick up Lucy and take her to their facility to remove a "bathtub ring" she'd acquired from some mysteriously sticky substance that had been dumped in the river; Treated as the royalty she was, the goose was not put in a cage, but allowed free range of an entire room at the facility.

"We don't want to cause her any stress," Stout told me. "After all, this is Lucy we're dealing with."

One of my favorite stories, however, resulted from the time a group of Muslim students from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, visited Washington College for several weeks. Lucy raucously introduced herself to them as they headed for the pier to board the Sultana. Flapping and honking officiously, Lucy still allowed the students to pet her head and back, thus enchanting them while escorting them up the pier. Many of the youngsters made several return visits to Lucy throughout their stay, and correspondence I received from some of them after they returned home assured me that meeting Lucy was the high point of a trip that had included visits to Washington, New York and downtown Baltimore.

They were lucky, since Lucy was not always so gracious to visitors. In fact, it was quite clear who she liked and who she decided did not belong in "her area." Her judgment was instant and punitive, spreading her wings and rushing at full throttle towards a hapless visitor in the "not like" category, grabbing their legs or, her favorite mode of attack, untying their shoelaces. It was never clear how she judged who would be friend or foe. Perhaps that's just how royalty behaves.

At the time of her death, Lucy might have been 12 or 20. While no one knew her true age, some locals remember first seeing her about a dozen years ago when she apparently just decided to float across the Chester River from a Queen Anne's goose farm and take up residence on neighboring Kent County.

Those who knew her early on, including kind employees of The Old Wharf Restaurant who first began feeding her, say Lucy was a bit of a wild woman in those early days, and it took a lot of leftovers to gain her trust and tame those flailing wings.

In time, however, Lucy began to take on the role of greeter for visitors to the town, often escorting them to the restaurant or, later, on to the dock to visit the Schooner Sultana. While she received no salary for her duties, which she took seriously 24 hours a day, she felt she was fairly compensated with corn and bread and even the occasional piece of mud pie.

In addition to staying in the memory of many Chestertown visitors, Lucy forged close friendships with countless residents of all ages.

I met Lucy about eight years ago on a beautiful, springlike afternoon when I strolled down to the river to sit outside and eat my sandwich. I had barely sat down on the curb when Lucy popped out of the water, shook herself off and strode over to me with a raucous honk, wings fearfully outspread.

Hoping to keep most of my fingers, I tore off a bit of the buttermilk bread and offered it to her. She put her wings down and accepted it with ladylike grace, cementing our friendship as long as she lived.

Almost every single morning over the past eight years, I took my pre-dawn walk to the river with a piece of buttermilk bread tucked in my pocket. As I cross over Water Street, Lucy never failed to start honking good morning. Then we'd sit together sharing breakfast and solving world problems as we watched the sun come up over the river. I've never found a better way to start each day.

The day before Lucy died, I noticed her arthritis was so severe she could barely walk. Her appetite, which had been declining for more than a week, could not be coaxed even by her favorite buttermilk bread. As I sat with her that last morning, trying to coax her with another bite, Lucy leaned against my shoulder and gently laid her face against my cheek. There's not a doubt in my mind she was saying goodbye.

I'll really miss that old bird.


-----
Odd couple makes friends in Kenya

Last Updated: Thursday, 6 January, 2005, 17:01 GMT

A baby hippo rescued after floods in Kenya last week has befriended a 100-year-old tortoise in Kenya.

The one-year-old hippo calf christened Owen was found alone and dehydrated by wildlife rangers near the Indian Ocean.

He was placed in an enclosure at a wildlife sanctuary in the coastal city of Mombasa and befriended a male tortoise of a similar colour.

According to a park official, they sleep together, eat together and "have become inseparable".

"Since Owen arrived on the 27 December, the tortoise behaves like a mother to it," Haller Park tourism manager Pauline Kimoti told the BBC News website.

"The hippo follows the tortoise around and licks his face," she said.

The tortoise is named Mzee, which is Swahili for old man.

Ms Kimoti said that if the 300kg hippo continued to thrive then in the next few weeks they would allow the public to see the unlikely pair together before they are separated.

The sanctuary, which is on the site of a former cement factory, plans eventually to get the help of the Kenya Wildlife Service to place Owen with Cleo, a lonely female hippo in a separate enclosure.

This is the latest in a series of unusual bondings in the wild that have surprised and delighted zoologists in Kenya.

In 2002, a lioness at Samburu National Park adopted a succession of baby oryx.

Wednesday, January 5, 2005

I'm guessing one can find extensive theories explaining personality traits by separating people into groups according to which version of Law and Order they favor and which character they like the most. I'm definitely a Lenny-lover. I was saddened at the recent death of Jerry Orbach. Just for fun, you can generate an L&O plot with just one click at the Random Law and Order Plot Generator.

Random Law and Order Plot Generator.

For example:

Tonight on Law and Order:

A stabbing victim is discovered in central park by a hardened cleaning crew. Lenny and Curtis initially pin the crime on a loan shark, but after Curtis uses an internet chat room, they arrest Lt. Van Buren. McCoy and Kincaid prosecute, but McCoy must make a deal to win. The old DA nods knowingly and says "Always forgive your enemies...they hate that !" Glarkonman 2000 guest stars.

-------

Merry Christmasô

"Tis the Season.is a short story by British writer China Mieville in "Socialist Review" about a future when holidays celebrations are wholly owned subsidiaries of mega-corporations. It's definitely worth a read. Here's an excerpt:

Don't get me wrong. I haven't got shares in YuleCo, and I can't afford a one-day end-user licence, so I couldn't have a legal party. I'd briefly considered buying from one of the budget competitors like XmasTym, or a spinoff from a non-specialist like Coca-Crissmas, but the idea of doing it on the cheap was just depressing.

-------

Thank a geographer!

As the daughter of geographers, my heart went pitty-pat when I read this article from Thailand:

Girl, 10, used geography lesson to save lives

(Filed: 01/01/2005)

A 10-year-old girl saved her family and 100 other tourists from the Asian tsunami because she had learnt about the giant waves in a geography lesson, it has emerged.

Tilly Smith, from Oxshott, Surrey, was holidaying with her parents and seven-year-old sister on Maikhao beach in Phuket, Thailand, when the tide rushed out.

As the other tourists watched in amazement, the water began to bubble and the boats on the horizon started to violently bob up and down.

Tilly, who had studied tsunamis in a geography class two weeks earlier, quickly realised they were in danger.

She told her mother they had to get off the beach immediately and warned that it could be a tsunami.

She explained she had just completed a school project on the huge waves and said they were seeing the warning signs that a tsunami was minutes away.

Her parents alerted the other holidaymakers and staff at their hotel, which was quickly evacuated. The wave crashed a few minutes later, but no one on the beach was killed or seriously injured.

In an interview with the Sun, Tilly gave the credit to her geography teacher, Andrew Kearney, at Oxshott's Danes Hill Prep School.

She said "Last term Mr. Kearney taught us about earthquakes and how they can cause tsunamis.

"I was on the beach and the water started to go funny. There were bubbles and the tide went out all of a sudden.

"I recognised what was happening and had a feeling there was going to be a tsunami. I told mummy."

Sunday evening

Another day of relaxing. I am half way through Louise Erdich's The Master Butcherís Singing Club about a German family who emigrated to Argus, North Dakota. I love the passage when Franz brings his wife over from Europe and she first encounters the prairie:

Even with the houses and shops, the land seemed barren as a moonscape. On the way to Argus, as the train took them cross-country, she had watched the signs of human presence diminish and felt a combination of horror and grief.

Tonight I got a call about creating a flyer for a series called "Women of the World in War" being organized by Women Against Military Madness. Every month they plan to have a woman from a country that is at war or has recently been through war to talk about her experiences and the role women have played in recovering from the devastation of war. So far, they have women from Iraq, Iran and Guatemala lined up to speak. It would be nice to create a series logo that expresses the theme and can be used over the months. I've got my thinking cap on.

Tsunami continued

We get more information on the tsunami's effects every day. The death toll is already up to 125,000 and there are still areas that have not been reached. Foreign aid is growing both in individual donations, corporate donations and country donations. The Bush Administration raised it's promised donation to $350 million after criticism about the original $15 million promise.

Twice today I heard reports about the value of U.S. aircraft carriers and their helicopter fleets in this situation. They can get to places no one else can since the roads and railroads are wiped out. One carrier arrived and made great strides in areas that had been untouched in the week since the tsunami hit. Given that, it seems unconscionable that anyone would conceive of using the power of the military and its resources for anything outside of mass humanitarian relief efforts around the world. Our country could do more for its own reputation by turning its greatest minds, bodies and energies toward helping others rather than attacking others.

That said, it is sad that the issue of how much the U.S. donates got so much play in the media this past week. It has always been true that the poorest countries around the world give a larger percentage of their earnings to charity that those of us in the U.S. have. Even in the U.S., it is the poorest -- the people of Alabama -- that give the greatest percentage of their income to charity, while the richest -- the people of New Hampshire -- give the least. Yet the fact that the U.S. economy is so much larger than almost all other economies combined, the total given by the U.S. will always be more than what is given from most countries. Although Japan is donating more in actual funds than the U.S. at this point.

No matter what the facts are or how you read the numbers, the argument that western countries are "stingy" as one U.N. official said last week, is ill-timed and unfortunate. It will only support those in America who believe the world hates Americans and is ungrateful for all the good that Americans do. It will not lead to a positive discussion about what can be done. It will not help people to honestly consider their personal contributions to charity.

What I do hope will become common knowledge in this country is the incredible efforts that are being made by Asians to deal quickly with an Asian disaster. Already the reports of spontaneous actions by individuals and corporations in the country to immediately rush to aid their countrymen reminds me of the way so many of us reacted after 9/11. It is something we can share and learn from each other.

-----

Today I gave the web address to this blog out for the first time. Welcome friends and I hope you find at least some of this interesting. Feel free to comment by clicking on the icon at the end of the thread or by e-mailing me directly.

Happy New Year!

I managed to stay up until 11 pm -- watched the ball drop in NYC on TV. Then I crashed.

Yesterday my long hours at work took their toll. I slept late and then napped for several hours in the afternoon, still ended up sleeping all night as well. My internet explorations yesterday involved looking at reports from the European Social Forum and finding some interesting sites in which red-green alliances seem to be flourishing.

Red Pepper magazine in England looks interesting.

Voice of the Turtle has a couple of articles I've enjoyed.

And lately, Left I on the News has been a great source of updates on the news with a far-left point of view..

On the other hand, I read a lengthy article from Front Page magazine called The Psychology Underlying "Liberalism". The article shattered the myth I had that only liberals use psychology to "pathologize" people whose political and economic views they dislike. Unfortunately, the author claims Hitler was a "leftist" and therefore violates Godwin's Law. His argument would have been much more effective, I believe, by focusing on actual American political liberals ala Hillary and Bill Clinton and showing their self-serving activities, which are pretty easy to find.

I finished KJ Erickson's . Alone at Night". and cried like a baby through the last few chapters. Like Kent Krueger's latest book, this book careens into national and international politics in a way that seems unnecessary. And yet, the novel works and the suspense is wonderfully paced. Best of all, the women in this novel are awesome -- strong, intelligent and fierce. I love this about Erickson's books. Although the lead character is a man, he surrounds himself with intelligent women that he respects and admires. The same trait is found in John Sandford's books. A delightful read.

Finally, the new list of Banished Words> is out:

Lake Superior State University
2005 List of Banished Words

BLUE STATES/RED STATES ñ Whoís who, anyway? "I remember when I was a kid and Georgia was purple," says Peter Pietrangelo, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. "A good map has more than two colors."

FLIP FLOP/FLIP FLOPPER/FLIP FLOPPING ñ They belong at the beach, not in a political dialogue. "Republicans used it; Democrats used it back. Flip-flop back and forth it goes." ñ Jeff Lewis, Ada, Mich.

BATTLEGROUND STATE ñ "During an election, every state is a battleground." -- Austin White, West Hartford, Conn.
"Did it mean Bush and Kerry would go toe-to-toe?" ñ Evan Cornell, Ligonier, Penn.

"Ö AND I APPROVE THIS MESSAGE" ñ Received the most nominations of the words and phrases that came out of the presidential election. From political ads to auto partsÖ
"What started in political ads is spiraling out of control." ñ Jim Blashill, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
"Iíve heard three local car commercials where the morons use that phrase!" ñ John Venezia, Colorado Springs, Colo. ñ"Would a political candidate approve a message they did not agree with?" ñ John Gorsline, Albuquerque, NM. "Iím Kristina and I approve this nomination." ñ Kristina, Granite City, Ill.

POCKETS OF RESISTANCE ñ "Are we talking about someone not buying a round of drinks or people shooting at each other?" ñ Rob of Crawley, West Sussex, UK.
"Sounds like someone having trouble pulling their hands out of their pants pockets." ñ Joe Hutley, Las Vegas, NV.

IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE ñ As opposed to what used to be referred to as a bomb or mine. "Is this anything like a bomb or is it more (or less) sinister?" ñ Harold Blackwood, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

ENEMY COMBATANT ñ "Makes no sense. Do we have friendly combatants? Neutral combatants? Or how about enemy bystanders? If they are your enemy, just say so." ñ Bill Sellers, Hampton, Va.

CARBS ñ low carbs, high carbs, no carbs, carb-friendlyÖ Meant ëcarburetorí in a previous life. Needs to be purged from our system.
"Youíre not fat because you eat bread; youíre fat because you eat too much!" ñ Emily Price, Norfolk, Va.
"Whatís the point of low-carb beer? A person that concerned about ëcarbsí shouldnít even be drinking beer." Roger Briskey, Orlando, Fla.

YOUíRE FIRED! ñ "Öand the little hand movement, too!" ñ Jason Ranville, State College, Penn.
One nominator suggested that to say it would soon constitute a trademark infringement.

‹BER ñ Nominated by many over the past few years, including Paul Freedman, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. "Since when has this become a prefix for everything? Thatís ¸ber-rific!" ñ Lolina, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
"ÖEverything that is big, amazing, unique is described as ¸ber." ñ Sue, Colorado Springs, Co.

ëIZZLEí ñ SPEAK ñ By far, the abomination that received the most nominations. Some sort of ëRap-Latiní suffix, as in faíshizzle, which means ëfor sure.í
"It was clever for about five minutes, or should I say five ëminizzles?í" ñ R. Glover, Waterford, Mich.
Derek Hogan of Misssissauga, Ontario, said it was cool when a rapper came up with it a few years ago, but now itís over-used and is even being used in television commercials.
"Like Superbowl excesses, it is too much of too much," ñ Daniel Baisden, Savannah, Ga.

WARDROBE MALFUNCTION ñ "Janet Jacksonís bodice did not ëmalfunction,í" says John Wetterholt, Woodstock, Ill. "Justin Timberlake pulled too much and too far and I could hear the cogs turning in his publicistís head trying to come up with that excuse!"
"It wasnít the wardrobeís fault!" ñ Jane Starr, Edmonton, Alberta
"Sure to be this generationís Watergate, misapplied to all situations both imaginable and not so." ñ David Edgar, Sydney, Australia

BLOG ñ and its variations, including blogger, blogged, blogging, blogosphere. Many who nominated it were unsure of the meaning. Sounds like something your mother would slap you for saying.
"Sounds like a Vikingís drink thatís better than grog, or a technique to kill a frog." Teri Vaughn, Anaheim, Calif.
"Maybe itís something that would be stuck in my toilet." ñ Adrian Whittaker, Dundalk, Ontario. "I think the words ëjournalí and ëdiaryí need to come back." ñ T. J. Allen, Shreveport, La.

WEBINAR ñ for ëseminar on the web.í "Itís silly. Next weíll have a Dutch ëdunchí Ö bring your own lunch for a digital lunch meeting." ñ Karen Nolan, Charlotte, NC.

ZERO PERCENT APR FINANCING ñ sending a dollar to do a nickelís worth of work. Michael Hehn, Ferrysburg, Mich. "They could just say ëno interest.í

SAFE AND EFFECTIVE ñ "Try the new, clinically proven, safe and effective wonder drug you never knew you neededÖSafe and effective should not be a selling point, it should be an FDA requirement!" CW Estes, Roanoke Texas.

ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION ñ Do we need to hear about it daily on TV and radio, even on racecars? Firmly rejected by the committee. "Too much information!" Carolyn Jamsa, Chillicothe, Ill.

JOURNEY ñ "Every single person on every reality show comments on how amazing the ëjourneyí was. Since when does dating a dozen nerds over a six-week span or conniving to win a million dollars over 15 other people qualify as a ëjourneyí"? ñ Cindy, Victoria, British Columbia.

BODY WASH ñ "Also known as ësoap.í" -- Ray Hill, Jackson, Mich.

SALE EVENT ñ "Year-end sales are now ësales events.í Now most have shortened it to ëevent.í Does the sale exist any longer? ëHey, nice new Chevy, Bob!í ëThanks, it was on event at the dealer last week.í" ñ Allan Dregseth, Fargo, ND.

ALL NEW ñ referring to television showsÖ "Of course itís all new. Why canít they just say ënewí? There are no partially-new episodes, no repeat of last Tuesdayís episode with a slightly reworked Act 2." ñ Greg Ellis, Bellevue, Wash.

AND MORE! ñ The merchants way of giving you something "value added." "Every merchant offers carpets, flooring and more. Can we envision baskets, caskets and more? Need I say less?" ñ Ray of Willard, Ohio.
"Goods and services no longer have limits! Everything marketed can be something else! ëItís a hamburger meal, but itís much, much moreÖItís a time machine, too!" ñ Mark of Kanata, Ontario.

--------

Thursday, December 30, 2004

Another busy day at work. It just never seems to end.

Off the clock I stayed at work an hour or so to put together a leaflet for the January 20 anti-inaugural anti-war demonstration in January. The leaflet was a riff on the leaflet put out by the Answer Coalition in Washington, D.C. The internet and Acrobat PDFs made it possible for me to rip off the art and headline type of the D.C. event and then add in our own local demo information. Years ago, I would have needed a hard copy of the D.C. flyer, a knife and a whole lot of wax to piece together something I did in a matter of minutes today. Progress has occurred, for those who doubt it! If I can find a way to link the PDF here, I will post it in a day or so.

The news from Asia is stunningly, shockingly bad. The death toll has risen over 100,000 and still climbs. I don't think it is possible to understand on any level what is going on there right now. I wish we could all just drop every petty thing we are doing right now and do whatever it takes to help out the people affected. Each day another example of incredible selflessness and generosity is revealed on the part of individuals and organizations all across the world. One shocking thing I heard today: that the survivors who collect the dead are cutting off fingers and saving them to use for print identification before disposing of the bodies.

I am reminded of the floods in the Red River Valley a few years ago and how the local newspapers and radio stations transformed themselves into bulletin boards for people trying to find each other after that disaster. I imagine that in this time of crisis, amazing progress will be made in all such areas in order to solve some of the many problems that result from such tragedies. And yet, the tragedy is still beyond anything we can ever imagine.

Is it just Wednesday?

It's been feeling like Friday all week long! The problem with putting in 12 hour days at work, over and over, is that there is no time left over for real life. I need to re-acquaint myself with the Haymarket martyrs before this becomes a habit. The good news is that I've composed and edited my farewell statement for a community I have decided to depart and I'm feeling pretty good about it. The good far outweighs the bad and I think that comes through in what I say. If not, well, it's not because I didn't make the effort.

Today we had a holiday party at lunch. It was a "white elephant" gift exchange. I wrapped up the "13 going on 30" VHS as my contribution to the exchange. I had it in my hand as I was going out the door this morning. But when I got to work, I couldn't find it. This is what getting old is all about! When I got home the wrapped present was sitting on the cat tower. Sheesh!

I got a quick gift from the company store and wrapped it up in the hour before our party. The mascot was surprisingly popular. In the gift exchange I ended up with a lovely scarf that obviously came out of the sample pile at work. It's quite striking and I'm happy with it.

The problem with working too much is that I neglect the important things. Family. Friends. Cats. All of which is far more important that whatever overtime pay I get for my overzealous time-clock participation.

This week two of my favorite role models died: Susan Sontag and Jerry Orbach, each of whom made my life better. Both lost their lives to cancer. Fucking cancer.

Some U.N. official complained this week that the western countries were "stingy" in giving aid to poorer countries. Which was pretty fucking stupid. The obvious response will be a backlash against "anti-American" sentiments by foreigners. What will be lost is any actual facts about aid money per capita or aid money as a percentage of income -- the real testement as to whether a people are generous or stingy.

Democracy Now, the radio show, came through with some frightening statistics about U.S. aid to the victims of the earthquake/tsunami in Asia. The U.S. is sending several millions of dollars to help out. That donation is equal to the amount G.W. Bush plans to spend on his inauguration party on January 20 OR the amount spent every 4 hours for the war in Iraq.

Enough said.

The Star Tribune had an article about last night's Candlelight Service here which was written as a letter to the children of Iraq:

Last update: December 29, 2004 at 6:52 AM

Dear children of Iraq ...
†
There was a candlelight vigil in your honor Tuesday at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. The people at the vigil were thinking about you and others your age who have become victims during the conflicts in Fallujah, Mosul, Najaf, Samarra and, of course, Baghdad.

Steve Clemens, 54, of Minneapolis told the crowd of more than 300 people of all ages and many backgrounds that more than 1,300 American service members have died in Iraq as of Monday and that countless Iraqi children also have lost their loved ones.

Like many of those in attendance, he remembers the day of carnage two months ago on which 34 children were killed in a series of car bombs in Baghdad and northern Iraq.

"We wonder what the future will hold for our children and grandchildren and the children of Iraq if the current hostilities continue," Clemens said.

Inspired, those in the audience responded, "We must awaken the conscience of our nation. Let us have the courage to act."

Meg Novak, 30, of Minneapolis, who traveled to Iraq to see children like you two years ago, challenged the audience to think about what thousands of you are going through, and even encouraged them to talk with family and friends who may not share the same beliefs.

She said, "What kind of world are we creating for these children when the massacre of children can happen and we don't stop what we are doing for one minute to think about it? Have the courage to feel, to lose it, at this insanity. Next time you are touched by this, cry, scream, pull your hair. "Let your barriers fall and feel the pain. ... The future of the world is depending on each one of us."

The mood grew more somber and tears started flowing as Mel Duncan, 54, of St. Paul, addressed the audience. He told them how painfully he misses his 24-year-old son, Elmer, a sergeant with an Army National Guard unit from Anoka stationed 35 miles northeast of Baghdad. He said he has nightmares about two soldiers arriving at his door in a dark blue sedan to say that his "son is no more."

Yet, like your parents, he also is worried about you, thousands of miles away, amidst all of the conflict.

"We stand with our children," Duncan said. "We recommit to defend our children, whether they be named Omar, Rieke or Elmer ... in these dark times such actions require even deeper acts of courage and hope...."

Terry Collins,
Star Tribune Staff Writer

Monday, again.

Another busy day at work. Surprise, surprise.

Spent some time reading opinion pieces from many different sources about the coverage of what is going on Iraq these days. The mess in Fallujah will have an impact we can only imagine at this point. It was an awesome display of the power of the U.S. military and its modern machinery to annihilate an entire city. What little news trickles out is terrifying -- piles of rubble, the entire infrastructure destroyed, rotting corpses everywhere. As a show of terrible manmade force, it is unbeaten in the modern age. Those who dream up new and better ways to destroy the world are understandably proud of this impressive display of their ruthless efficiency. Phrases such as "We won" and "Victory" have been spoken by U.S. military personnel on the ground in Iraq.

Yeah, well we won Vietnam if the measure of winning is who can create the most destruction. I do believe the U.S. has now won the World Series/Stanley Cup/World Soccer Championship of destruction. So how do we go from that to being a force for democracy in the Middle East? Guess we'll have to work on that pesky problem, eh? Yes, Virginia, that is sarcasm.

It is so odd to learn about this kind of destruction on the same day we learn about the after-effects of a 9.0 earthquake in the Indian Ocean. The quake and its accompanying tsunamis have racked up over 21,000 estimated deaths so far and created mass destruction across huge tracts of land. It will be days or weeks before the full effect will be known.

With all the opportunities that living on this planet can provide us in clean-up efforts, why would we choose to add to the mess by going to war against each other? I do understand that imperialism has to be defeated. But it is such a distraction from the real work of creating progress for our planet and its inhabitants.

Today's political work was limited to catching up on news from Iraq and putting out a press release for an inter-faith memorial service tomorrow to remember the children who have died through war this year. We won't attend the service, but we'll help by alerting the local press-titutes of the activity.

News Alert

A Candlelight Service for The Children of Iraq And Other Child Victims of War

Tuesday, December 28, 2004, 6:30 pm
St. Joan of Arc Church
4537 - 3rd Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN

A coalition of Twin Cities area churches and other faith-based groups will hold a candlelight service for the children of Iraq.

The service will be held on Tuesday, December 28 starting at 6:30PM at St. Joan of Arc Church, 4537 3rd Ave. South in Minneapolis.

The event is sponsored by the Twin Cities Peace Campaign.

A statement issued by organizers says in part, "In this service, we will commemorate the children who have been and continue to be victimized by war. By keeping alive in our hearts the memory of these innocent children, we hope to renew and re-energize our resolve to change the conditions that caused their suffering and death, and to recommit ourselves to speaking out publicly against war, injustice and the "politics of fear."

For more information 612- XXX-XXXX.

-- 30 -

A couple of links:

Via metafilter, a metal sculptor who does marvelous things with armor for your pets!

Via presurfer, a wonderful animation illustrating the rock-paper-scissors odyssey.

A lovely weekend.

It's been a wonderful weekend. On Friday, my Mom, my daughter and my brother in law were here for dinner. We had the traditional Swedish sausage, Swedish meatballs, jello salad and rolls. Yum Yum.

On Saturday, we opened presents. This year was a spare year for presents because money is tight and the focus is more on being together than on spending. I got a couple of books I wanted and a beautiful cross-stitch that my Mom made. My brother in law and daughter came in around 12:30 and we had lunch. Ham, potatoes, seven-layer salad and rolls. Around 3:00 my other daughter arrived with her husband and my grand-daughter who had already had an exhausting day. It took a while for Ravengranddaughter to get into the spirit, but soon she was opening up everybody's presents for them. My uncle and aunt arrived around 3:30 and we had pies. Everyone but my brother in law left by 5:00 and then we sat around reading books while "The Sound of Music" aired with the sound turned down low on TV.

This morning Ravenhub made brunch and then Mom headed out to my visit with my uncle. Then it was time for chores to get back to work tomorrow.

A couple of important things to note:

The Public Housing workers won their strike and our back to work already. Good for them!

This month CenterPoint energy, in violation of the Cold Weather Rule, turned the heat off in hundreds -- maybe even a thousand -- homes this month. There was a minor notice in the paper on Wednesday and the Tenants Union stirred it up into a huge story. Apparently people who couldn't pay their bills were not properly informed of their rights. CenterPoint tried to pass it off as a few employees forgetting to do their jobs. Funny, how it is always the fault of the workers, eh? By Friday night it was a huge story and the attorney general for Minnesota is considering action against the utility.

It is just another example of how even when we have won battles, we have to keep struggling to ensure our rights. The Cold Weather Rule was a major victory when I first got active in politics in the early 1980s. COACT and ACORN won that fight by making it unlawful for the heat to be turned off if there was an honest effort by home owners and renters to pay their bill. In Minnesota, shutting off the heat can be deadly. And yet, today, CenterPoint tries to weasel out of their obligations.

Over the weekend I read William Kent Krueger's book, "The Devil's Bed." It has a great lead character in Bo Thorsen but the political stuff as well as the hints at romance, were awkward. There is a deliciously flawed murderer in David Moses. But what took me right out of the story is when Thorsen's entire back story was "told not shown". Moses, the murderer, breaks into Thorsen's apartment , looks through his personal belongings and "tells" us all about Thorsen's life up until now. It felt like cheating. Let us get to know Thorsen through his memory or flashbacks, not through an info dump disguised as a chapter.

This book included the President, the First Lady and Washington politics. One is supposed to conclude that a naive President was misled by evil political operatives. The problem is that a President who is so stupid that he can be manipulated by these guys is not the sort of person to be admired. Not Krueger's best work, even though a couple of the characters were very interesting.

Next up: KJ Erickson's latest Marshall Bahr novel.

Attack in Iraq.

Yesterday we learned that an attack hit a mess tent full of soldiers in Mosul, Iraq, killing 22 and wounding at least 66 more. I'm sure the details will change over the next few days. They aren't even saying whether it was a rocket or something that exploded from inside the tent. It is a sad day for many American families and one of the worst attacks on American forces in over a year.

This morning, a common response seems to be along the lines of: the war was a huge mistake, but this attack proves we have to stay the course in Iraq. This is so familiar -- it is exactly what was said about Vietnam. And it's also why I find arguments made based on flooding the U.S. public with the truth about the horrors of war ultimately fail.

These war supporters aren't stupid. They understand the horrors of war. No list of horrors, no casualty figures, no amount of disabled veterans will ever convince these people to change their minds about the war. They are willing to pay the price. Of course, the price is paid in the blood and misery of others. But that isn't the point I'm trying to make. I believe these people would make personal sacrifices willingly -- they probably have made donations to soldiers and their families -- to continue a war they know was a mistake from the start.

Because at some point, "staying the course" becomes a code of honor. The discussion moves from realities on the ground, to a belief in something mythological. One part of that myth is the belief that leaving Iraq now would dishonor those who died in the effort so far. It is an idea that should have been put to rest after Vietnam. But that lesson will have to be learned again. But the myth is broader than that. It contains the belief that any presence of Americans in Iraq must be better for the Iraqi people than no American presence in Iraq.

I constantly hear the refrain that removing the U.S. presence in Iraq would lead to chaos. Well, they've got that already, haven't they?

For 30 years, the Iraqis never knew of a world without Saddam Hussein in power and for that they have paid dearly. But Iraqis have also paid dearly at the hands of the U.S. military -- through two wars and 12 years of sanctions. Being free of Hussein was a start in rebuilding Iraq. True rebuilding, as well as real democracy, will not return to Iraq until the Iraqi people are also free of U.S. military occupation as well.

-------

Today we had a potluck at work. Lots of fun food and good conversation with people. For the first time in over a week I feel as if I'm getting caught up at work and actually have time to do some of my long-term projects.

I'm still reading "Mystic River". I can already tell that the book would have been a much more enjoyable experience if I didn't know the ending. Lehane is doing a great job of keeping several possibilities open and I'm pretty sure I would still be wondering "who done it" if I didn't already know.

------

I've been meaning to post about the tendencies of some Christians to believe there is a massive war out to make American a non-Christian nation, ever since I heard that mentioned during an interview on Fresh Air last week. But James Woolcott beat me to it with this great commentary on a recent discussion about whether one should say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays":

This "fear of Christmas" is a phantom menace conjured every year so that certain crybaby Christians can adopt victim status and model a pained expression over the sad fact that not everyone around them isn't carrying on like the Cratchits. This thin-skinned grievance-collecting gives birth to all sorts of urban legends and rumors about big institutions being hostile to Christ's birthday, such as the one that swirled on WOR radio last week about how Macy's employees had been instructed not to say "Merry Christmas!" to shoppers. A fiction that was put to rest when the host hit Macy's website and saw its "Merry Christmas" greeting, and Macy's employees chimed in over the phones to say there was no such policy. To read conservative pundits, you'd think everybody was wishing each other Happy Kwanzaa! and averting their eyes from oh so gauche Nativity scenes. I've got news: Even here on the godless, liberal Upper West Side, people wish each other Merry Christmas without staggering three steps backward, thunderstruck and covered with chagrin.

-------

I read a great poem this morning that has meaning -- for solstice and for a problem I am dealing with personally. It's from a wonderful book called "Open Mind -- Women's Daily Inspiration for Becoming Mindful" by Diane Mariechild. The author is Buddhist, but the readings come from a variety of spiritual sources. Today's reading started with a poem by my favorite author, Marge Piercy:

I was trained to be numb, I was born to be numbered and pegged,
I was bred and conditioned to passivity, like a milk cow.
Waking is the sharpest pain I have ever known.
Every barrier that goes down takes part of my flesh
Leaving me bloody. How can I live wide open?

Very soon I will be leaving an online community that has been my home for many years. In addition, I will be opening this blog up to a wider audience. It is both frightening and exhilarating. The combination of solstice and the New Year should give me the strength to take this step soon.

That pesky election!

The presidential election is still a topic of discussion on the boards and recounts are in the offing. At the last demo, a Green Party member went on and on about the election and was shocked ("shocked!") to find irregularities. I still can't see that as anything but a distraction from real political work.

Our elections have always been rigged. Read any accurate political history of our great nation and, time after time, you will learn about all the shenanigans and back-door dealing that has gone on. Some of our greatest leaders got there by cheating. It has always happened and it will continue to happen until our society is significantly transformed.

In the first place, there is no doubt in the world that only rich people can be successful as politicians. That's been proven time and time again. So why cry foul about a system that is already ... well ... foul? There are concrete methods to make elections more democratic. But our country has chosen not to use those methods.

The only way -- the only way I know -- to make any difference at all, is by the thankless, dauntless and endless task of grassroots individuals pushing that damn rock back up the hill. So has it always been, so shall it always be.

Today I read an interview with Larry Kramer of "Act Up" fame that was in the Village Voice. His advice is the best I've heard yet:

"You can never not fight back!"

Amen, brother.

Ice!

Mother Nature put on a show this morning during rush hour: freezing rain. Yikes! I could barely make it from the the car to the door at work. It continued all day and I managed to hit the pavement twice on the way home from work. Ah, well. No damage done.

Work is still busy. I put in 11 hours again. After finishing up another huge job, I created a Secret Santa gift for one of my co-workers. It's based on the motto "Speed is Life" -- but I made sure that I made every mistake a production artist could make if she works way too fast on a job. I even poured coffee on the project. I think Margery will adore it.

Tonight we're hiding inside. There were dozens of accidents today and there's no need to add to the totals. Just a couple of links to add:


The 12 Sexually Transmitted Infections of Christmas!

Probably not safe for work, although the stick figures have tiny stick penuses. You can find it
here.

Scared of Santa photo gallery

Real pictures of people not quite enjoying their visit to Santa Claus can be found here.

More tomorrow!

Friday:
Friday was a bear at work once again. Never really got caught up. Plus, the office snitch was on a rampage demanding to know where everybody was at all times and trying to hand out work. It was infuriating.

Friday night we decided we just wanted to stay home and see something silly. Our first choice is always to re-watch "The Ref" -- a very well-written movie with Dennis Leary and Kevin Spacey in it. We've probably watched it 30 times and still enjoy it. But Ravenhub couldn't find it -- it disappeared in the big cleanup before Thanksgiving.

Since we were also running low on junk food I decided to hit the store downtown after work. Bought cookies, nuts, the book "Mystic River" and then started looking for a movie. Man, we are going to have to break down a get a TV built after 1985 so we can hook up a DVD player because Target has reduced their VHS offerings to a row of cassettes for children and one shelf with the top ten movies. That was picked dry, but I decided to try out "13 going on 30". When I got home we took the car, got some wine, picked up some burgers from O'Brien's and flipped the tape in the player.

Jennifer Garner was great at portraying the physical awkwardness of being 13. But the movie spent way too long focusing on shopping trips. Yuck. Of course, the star discovers that childhood isn't as bad as she thought, but this has the added plus of her realizing that her best friend, the boring boy next door, is the man she should have gotten involved with all along. It was a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours but this is not a keeper. I'm thinking I'll give it to somebody at work to enjoy.

Saturday:
Saturday morning we were up early to prepare for the anti-war demonstration. I got out my X-acto and my old metal straight-edge to cut down tag board to a 12x18 pieces. Ravenhub tacked on "Bring the Troops Home Now!" signs I made and he copied. He also spent the morning sending out press releases on our fancy fax machine.

We got to Uptown around 10:30 a.m. Ravenhub had more copying to do and I wanted to go over to Orr Books to see if they had some of the broadsides I'd bought from the Laurel Poetry Collective. It turned out they had only the chapbooks. I wandered across to other used bookstores and picked up a book about political posters from the 80s and 90s and also picked up the book "Rat King" by Meiville (sp?). He is apparently a socialist Brit who writes science fiction.

The demo began at noon and about 100 people showed up. Pretty amazing considering the temperatures were hovering around 10 degrees F and dropping. The response from passersby was excellent -- a majority of them honking or giving us the thumbs up. We chanted and marched up and down the block. Three counter-protestors showed up with their bizarre signs that are supposed to be ironic -- they says "Stop the War" and in smaller letters say something snotty like, "I want to buy more lattes." But the type is so small most people can't read it. We ignored them, they didn't bother us.

The Counter-Propaganda coalition brought a bunch of anti-Christmas carols that people enjoyed singing after getting thoroughly cold. At one point a driver pulled over to the curb, rolled down the window on the passenger side and told John, "I'm home on leave from Iraq and I just want to thank you for what you are doing out here." Awesome.

After the rally, Ravenhub and I tried to catch a quick meal. But after being ignored at a local diner we gave up and went to his favorite coffeeshop where they serve sandwiches. This is a great place that is the haunt of mostly gays and lesbians. They have a whole room for smokers, which makes Ravenhub happy. We ate sandwiches and then I headed off to my book group.

All six of us made it to group this time for the first time in a while. We handed out holiday presents and got caught up with each other. Susan, our ex-member who moved to Phoenix sent us each a bag of nuts (typecasting?) and a great card. Priscilla found a book that we can share with great writings by women. We got tea and wine and books. It was wonderful to be together. I brought the three broadsides I had purchased and asked them to pick. They surprised me -- each picking different ones, so I'm glad I didn't decide for myself. We meet again in January.

I went back Uptown to meet with Ravenhub who had gone to the office for a couple of hours. We decided to eat dinner at the Green Mill, then head up to a holiday party. I had shrimp linguini in garlic. Bad idea -- the first thing I did at the party was lose my supper. I've never been able to handle garlic! But I felt better and stayed around for a little while to see old friends and hang out with their four dogs who didn't mind my constant petting. We ended up home at about 8 p.m., completely exhausted and fell into bed.

This morning I slept until ten, did some reading, and slept some more. Basically, we tried to relax, while getting chores done. I went to the dry clothes at the laundry at 5:30. I drove home through very light snow. This probably won't stick -- it's too cold and dry for the fluffy snow -- more like getting a bit of lint thrown about! But it's still cold -- below 10 and staying there for a while.

I'm halfway through Mystic River. I'm not at all surprised that it's much better than the movie. There's lots more about class differences within the neighborhood as well as the encroachment of gentrifiers from the suburbs. There's a lot about Jimmy Marcus being tied in with the Savage family and unable to escape despite his pledge to go straight while raising his daughter alone. I'm sure that will make a great contrast between him and Brendan, who is apparently able to retain his ability to be kind even though he also comes from a criminal family and lives in the midst of it.


Some links:

I saw a similar sculpture on a medical show by Jonathan Miller many years ago on PBS. This one differs in that it is anatomically correct and pretty damn scary!

http://jwz.livejournal.com/422384.html
Sensory homunculus: "This model shows what a man's body would look like if each part grew in proportion to the area of the cortex of the brain concerned with its sensory perception."

You Are From Neptune

You are dreamy and mystical, with a natural psychic ability. You love music, poetry, dance, and (most of all) the open sea. Your soul is filled with possibilities, and your heart overflows with compassion. You can be in a room full of friendly people and feel all alone. If you don't get carried away with one idea, your spiritual nature will see you through anything.

What Planet Are You From?

Work just plain sucked today. I reached my quota of confusion at some point and pretty much gave up. It happens. No biggie.

It took me a long while to decompress after work and Ravenhub wisely avoided me, while supplying me with a healthy dinner. I drove him over to Mayday Books for an anti-war meeting. Then I drove over to Query Books to participate in a book club honoring local GBLT writers. Ellen Hawley spoke about her book, "Trip Sheets" in general terms. It was a small, intimate group and quite fun to be a part of. They had a drawing for prizes and I won a T-shirt for the coffeehouse attached to the book store, Wilde Roast. The slogan on the back says, "I can resist anything except temptation." :) That Wilde was one witty fellow.

Next month Ann Degroot will be leading a discussion about "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde. I bought a copy for less than $6 -- a real steal these days. I read this book long ago and enjoyed it for its sci-fi, magical components and probably missed tons of social commentary because I knew nothing about Victorian England and/or Wilde. It should be interesting reading it again. Especially interesting to be reading it at a time of new attacks on gay marriage, et al. Some southern legislator is on the warpath now to ban any book from school libraries that contains a homosexual character. Reminds me of the little kid who covers his own eyes and says, "You can't see me!"

In February Ida Swearingen will be talking about her book "Owl in the Dessert." I picked that book up while waiting for a meeting to start at Amazon Bookstore Cooperative. Then I sat down next to a stranger at the meeting. Turns out the stranger was Ida, the author of the book, who graciously signed my copy for me. It's a mystery novel with a fabulous female lead character. I'll try to read it again before the February meeting.

After the reading at Query, I drove back over to Mayday to pick up Ravenhub. The meeting was not yet over, so I hung about and checked out new books. Lots of great new stuff, but nothing that inspired me to buy.

Home by 9 p.m. and I wandered the web again, looking for left-wing women bloggers. I found a site called "What She Said" that collects the name of women who identify as leftist, even though most of them are rather mainstream liberals. Cruised through about 20 sites without finding much of interest. I continue to have faith there must be somebody out there!

Ravenhub and I got out the door early this morning so we could join a picket line for workers at the Public Housing Authority. The event was up on 10th and Washington on the near north side. When we got there, the pickets were already in a circle. The Teamsters had pulled their huge semi-truck up along the sidewalk. It has fancy lights and pro-labor slogans all over it. We'd stopped for coffee and tea on our way. We walked on up and joined in the line. Seemed like everyone else there had on uniform jackets so we were a bit out of place. But people were very friendly, met our eyes and mouthed the word "thanks". We chanted along with the rest. "What do we want? Contract! When do we want it? Now?" and "Hey hey! Ho ho! Union busting's got to go!"

I counted about 75 people there -- overwhelmingly workers. After a while a couple of people came up beside us to ask us who we were and why we were there. I said I was a typesetter and that I'd gotten an e-mail about the demonstration from the Central Labor Council activist list. A bit later a man with a bullhorn came up and asked me to step into the middle with him. He told the crowd that I was there from the typesetter's union to support them. I got a round of applause! One of the older women came over to talk to me. She said she's been working there for 18 years and still doesn't earn top pay. Supposedly you get top pay after 12 years, but they find all sorts of reasons to not fulfill their obligation. I said, "Well you are such slow learners, right?" She laughed at that. As part of their work agreement, they take lots of classes to improve their construction skills. In return, the city is supposed to increase their pay, but they haven't done that either.

Many of these workers are basically supers for the buildings they work in. They get called day and night and have to handle anything that arises: plumbing, carpentry, electric. Plus they become friends to the tenants -- earn their trust and become like part of the family. These people make very real differences in the lives of so many people, and yet they can't get treated decently by the city. I met one of the union officers -- I shook his hand and said, "Hi, I'm a typesetter." He said, "I know! Thanks for being here." Later Ravenhub said that this same man said he recognized us from the work we did with the transit workers and the clerks at the University. Apparently we have street cred! LOL!

We discussed finding ways that the tenants can help the workers. I hope to find a way to help them educate people about their issues. There really needs to be some kind of informational leaflet that they can hand out that explains their issues and what the public can do to help support them. The only thing I could find was an article on Workday Minnesota. Which is good, but not enough.

Work was another long day with a lot to do, but I finally feel as if I got a handle on the book for February. Yes, it's complicated but there is a logic to it that I'm finally understanding. I got lots of help from the freelancers and we made good progress today. I hope I have a chance to look through everything tomorrow so I have some level of confidence going into internal proofs next week.

After work I attended the annual meeting of the Minnesota Tenants Union. A small, but productive group. It could be so much more, but nobody has the energy to build it right now. Even so, the success we had in the last year is awesome. The passage of the Application Fee ordinance in Minneapolis AND the protection of immigrants rights in St. Paul were both done over the past year. Next year will be about spreading the word and getting the suburbs on the bandwagon.

Via "Left i on the news" I heard about the Koufax Awards -- awards given for bloggers on the left-wing side of politics. I checked the award winners for the years before and was disappointed to find that much of what they call "left" seems to be fairly mainstream liberal thinking. It came up tonight when Hans was talking about the difference between United Way organizations and organizations that belong to the Community Solutions Fund. "UW supports groups who apply bandaids. CSF groups work to prevent the injuries from happening."

Liberals think the system can be fixed. Leftists know it must be transformed. I'm sure there are committed leftists on the web, I'm just having trouble tracking them down.

Another long day at work. 11 hours before I forced myself away from the computer. Oy vey! Got the 57-page book done. Got lots of help from my co-workers on all the other work. Still haven't figured out my February book, but Vicki and Muriel will train me in tomorrow and that's good.

We had a team meeting which I can't talk about, but one of the results was that I came up with the idea of creating "Best Practices" fact sheets that we can send to our vendors. This is for tedious discussion of things such as hanging punctuation, proper use of tabs, etc. We really need to create a way to interact with our vendors productively and see some progress in their abilities to meet our standards. Of course, I don't have any time to produce such documents, but I would love to see it happen. Somehow. Some day. Maybe I can track down a couple of typography teachers and see if they would be willing to provide feedback on the project. I'm thinking of Nick Shin and Ilene S for this sort of thing.

After about eight hours of plowing through jobs, I spent a couple of hours just clearing off my desk and setting aside the projects I need to finish when I have time to work on them. I need to write a couple of paragraphs and find pictures of Mom's 80th birthday party to share in the team newsletter. I have to update the auxiliary dictionary instructions. And I have to finish up my IDP -- Individual Development Plan. Like I'm gonna find that time. Yikes!

A couple of good things this week: two of my co-workers commented on jobs that I had started, but fobbed off the edits because I was tied up on the huge book. Both mentioned that the files were set up in a way that showed somebody really cared about quality work and made it easier for the edits by planning the documents correctly in the first place. It was great to hear because it's the sort of thing I do, but never know whether it's worth the effort.

I updated the flyer I did for the December 18th anti-war protest. I killed a reverse I did because the cheap printers we are using are unable to maintain the black without blurring the whites. Just goes to show you that creativity means nothing if the printer can't print it!

Ravenhub is having trouble with his ankle causing sharp pains in the cold weather. I keep bugging him to call the doctor or go to urgent care, he keeps putting if off. I know the feeling, so I'm not about to whine too much. It's easy to avoid the doctor. But this pain seems over-the-top and has lasted over a week. He claims he will check on it tomorrow. We'll see.

Side note: Our 10-year-old neighbor once told us that "We'll see" was the equivalent to an 80% "No." -- he was working on percentages in math class and found a way to apply it in a real-life situation.

Got an e-mail from the Central Labor Union about a protest tomorrow at 7 am. The Public Housing workers have gone on strike. We're gonna try to make it. It will be cold and dark. Why can't we plan all our labor disputes for the summer? LOL!

Tomorrow night I'm going to the annual meeting of the Minnesota Tenants Union. It should be short and sweet. Some good victories this year -- especially the rental application fee ordinances. Not bad at all!