the palin edit.....

thank you maggie for the awesome voters guide!!!! you rule!!!

California Voter Guide for Every Sensible Democrat

Hello all!

The days are dwindling toward the fateful moments of November 4th. I hope everyone has registered properly. Some of you may even be involved at the polls ensuring an election free from voter suppression. I have been asked by numerous people about early voting and have also been collecting information about the San Francisco initiatives as well as statewide ballot measures which have been the source of much media attention/confusion. This is a one stop source for California residents (at least I think I covered all bases) in need of early voting info as well as what to vote for and against. Please let me know if there is anything I left out. VOTE EARLY if you can!

Further questions? Problems with voting?
Call Election Protection at 1-866-OUR-VOTE
For more information on the upcoming election in SF, visit the Department of Elections web site or call (415) 554-4375.

FOR THOSE L.A. PERSONS, THIS IS FOR YOU:
Los Angeles residents have two options to vote early in California: apply for an absentee mail-in ballot, go to the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder’s Office in Norwalk. Voters can fill out a ballot at 12400 Imperial Highway for the November 4th election.

SAN FRANCISCO VOTERS
*Early voting began in SF October 6, 2008 on the ground floor of City Hall.
you can do so up until Nov. 4th at:
City Hall Rm 48
Grove St & Polk St
San Francisco CA 94102
Hours: 8a-5p; General Early Voting: 10-6 through Election Day

*The last day to request a vote-by-mail is October 28, 2008.

The Department of Elections has mailed the Voter Information Pamphlet & Sample Ballot. The Voter Information Pamphlet provides important election information and includes candidate statements for local contests and summaries of local ballot measures. On the back cover you can find the location of your polling place and an application for a Vote-by-Mail ballot. The Voter Information Pamphlet and your sample ballot are also available online.

Information on the statewide measures can be found in the Voter Information Guide, which is sent by the California Secretary of State.
Furthermore, a list of links is provided below for measure endorsements and more detailed info.

Ranked-Choice Voting
For the upcoming election, San Francisco voters who live in Supervisorial Districts 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 and 11 will use ranked-choice voting to elect their Member of the Board of Supervisors. Ranked-choice voting allows voters to rank up to three candidates for the same office. This eliminates the need for a separate run off election.

WEBSITES
Dep't Of Elections Website
Declare Yourself
Voter Registration lookup Tool

ENDORSEMENTS AND SUCH
Who is endorsing what
The Guardian/The Best!
Sacramento Bee
League of Women Voters
L.A. Times

And finally, my picks:
President: Obama duh.
Congress, District 6: LYNN WOOLSEY
Congress, District 7: GEORGE MILLER
Congress, District 8: CINDY SHEEHAN, a protest vote against Pelosi.
Congress, District 13: PETE STARK
Superior Court, Seat 12: GERARDO SANDOVAL (Get rid of Mellon, PLEASE)
State Senate, District 3: MARK LENO
State Senate, District 9: LONI HANCOCK
State Assembly, District 12: FIONA MA
State Assembly, District 13: TOM AMMIANO
State Assembly, District 14: NANCY SKINNER

SAN FRANCISCO
Board of Supervisors
District 1: ERIC MAR
District 3: DAVID CHIU, DENISE MCCARTHY, TONY GANTNER
District 4: DAVE FERGUSON
District 5: ROSS MIRKARIMI
District 7: SEAN ELSBERND
District 9: DAVID CAMPOS, ERIC QUEZADA, MARK SANCHEZ
District 11: JOHN AVALOS, RANDY KNOX, JULIO RAMOS

Board of Education
SANDRA FEWER
NORMAN YEE
BARBARA LOPEZ
KIMBERLY WICOFF

Community College Board
MILTON MARKS
CHRIS JACKSON
BRUCE WOLFE

BART Board of Directors
District 7: LYNETTE SWEET
District 9: TOM RADULOVICH

STATE PROPOSITIONS
Proposition 1A
High-speed rail bond: YES

Proposition 2
Farm animal protections: YES

Proposition 3
Children's hospital bonds: NO, with many reservations!

Proposition 4
Parental notification and wait period for abortion: NO

Proposition 5
Treatment instead of jail: YES

Proposition 6
Prison spending: NO

Proposition 7
Renewable-energy generation: NO, with many reservations!

Proposition 8
Ban on same-sex marriage: NO

Proposition 9
Restrictions on parole: NO

Proposition 10
Alternative-fuel vehicles bond: NO

Proposition 11
Redistricting commission: NO

Proposition 12
Veterans bond act: YES

SAN FRANCISCO MEASURES

Proposition A
San Francisco General Hospital bonds: YES

Proposition B
Affordable housing fund: YES

Proposition C
Ban city employees from commissions: NO

Proposition D
Financing Pier 70 waterfront district: YES

Proposition E
Recall reform: YES

Proposition F
Mayoral election in even-numbered years: YES

Proposition G
Retirement system credit for unpaid parental leave: YES

Proposition H
Clean Energy Act: YES

Proposition I
Independent ratepayer advocate: NO

Proposition J
Historic preservation commission: YES

Proposition K
Decriminalizing sex work: YES

Proposition L
Funding the Community Justice Center: NO

Proposition M
Tenants' rights: YES

Proposition N
Real property transfer tax: YES

Proposition O
Emergency response fee: YES

Proposition P
Transportation Authority changes: NO

Proposition Q
Modifying the payroll tax: YES, HOWever...I recently received the following info:
Prop Q is a tax increase on the small businesses that are the lifeblood of our city. It is disguised as a tax cut, but is really a substantial tax increase on businesses with as few as 3 or 4 employees. Prop Q redefines 'payroll', deviating from the state and federal definitions so that the City can start charging a 1.5% income tax on the profits of small businesses. This money goes from the pockets of small businesses to the City's general funds. It is bad tax policy and bad economic policy.


Proposition R
Naming sewage plant after Bush: NO

Proposition S
Budget set-aside policy: NO

Proposition T
Free and low-cost substance abuse treatment: YES

Proposition U
Defunding the Iraq War: YES

Proposition V
Bringing back JROTC: NO

Ok, I am done. Hooray, 3 hours later, you guys better read this stuff!

are you better off?....

this is a website, made by the talented people i work with......
mega-awesome......
http://www.betteroff08.com/

Keith Olbermann's Special Comment: Divisive Politics is Anti-American

Thank you Keith,
Your voice cuts to the ugly parts that can no longer be hidden.
Your ardent follower,
Margaret

a jelly doughnut, telling it like it is....

everyone gets....

See more Hayden Panettiere videos at Funny or Die

The Great Schlep

The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

government IS the problem

Download this bitches

Around minute 45 there is a special section for Edison....

Republicrats

The old version of Republican and Democrat no longer apply. It's not about actual issues anymore. It's about blue and red. It's about us and them. It's about Olbermann and O'Reilly. Why isn't Obama debating Ron Paul or Ralph Nader? Why isn't anybody paying attention to the actual substance (or lack-therof) in this polical campaign?

Don't take it from me. Take it from the son of William F. Buckley.

"This campaign has changed John McCain," Buckley wrote. "It has made him inauthentic. A once-first class temperament has become irascible and snarly; his positions change, and lack coherence; he makes unrealistic promises, such as balancing the federal budget 'by the end of my first term.' Who, really, believes that?

"Then there was the self-dramatizing and feckless suspension of his campaign over the financial crisis," Buckley added. "His ninth-inning attack ads are mean-spirited and pointless. And finally, not to belabor it, there was the Palin nomination. What on earth can he have been thinking?"

But Buckley made clear he's not just voting against McCain, praising Obama for his "first-class temperament and first-class intellect.

Republicans are the new Democrats.

If we have to move to Canada...

I hate red eyes

It's Wednesday morning. 4:28 AM PDT. I am sitting at the airport in Dulles. Not sleeping. Surfing the internet for pundit opinions on the debate.

Who won?

Who lost?

Who cares?

I'm an addict.

P.S. Please Please Please stop talking about clean coal like it's actually something real.

palin in 60 seconds

too perfect....



whos got your goodies!?
im onna roll today

the word game....

Link: Keating Economics Documentary

http://www.barackobama.com/images/keating/keatingeconomics.mov

post-debate syndrome

An everlasting cringe took a hold of me while watching the vice presidential debate the other night, amidst a room full of my close friends. We all knew that Palin was a wind-up doll (the cute, winking kind). With her mind crammed full of McCain campaign one-liners, two liners, and zingers that will sound great when taken out of context and played as sound bytes on Fox news, a full on shudder emerged as Palin puked her first words. No, you may not call him Joe. Discomfort extended throughout the painful process, with tivo to exacerbate the issue (many pause and bitch sessions). To say the least, it took us almost 3 hours to watch. One person had to leave the room (you can guess who). WE knew better, but I am afraid that by this point I can recognize the rhetoric that ramps up the right wing repubs like nothing else. I was saddened at the realization. Some people were actually cheering her on, somewhere, hopefully far from me but nonetheless. The shudder turned into fear.

Where does this country draw the line? Why do some people run blindly into walls? Should we have a special school somewhere that teaches common sense? I am ready for this to be over, as I am tired of being let down by the stubborn ignorance that is plaguing us. I sound a bit extreme, but extremities are inevitable in this dog and pony show. At least we get Tina Fey to come back around and give us a laugh again.

Palin Debate Flow Chart

Thanks Katie!

Estrogen Blog

When I was in high school, I excelled in math and science. I remember talking to my guidance councilor about my future career options and he suggested I become a math teacher. I became an electrical engineer. Now while this choice certainly wasn't average, there is nothing really extraordinary about it. Plenty of people are electrical engineers. And most of them are probably better at it than I am. But whenever I mention that this is my career of choice I generally get a look of surprise followed by one of the following responses:

"You don't LOOK like an electrical engineer"
"Well you are the prettiest electrical engineer I've ever seen."
"Wow. That must have been really tough. Weren't you like the only girl?"

Although I do not attribute any of the above statements to sexism, they do point to a kind of gender stereotyping that can be dangerous. Throughout school and my career I have experienced a significant amount of sexism. Most of it was subtle. I always tried to deal with it internally. There were probably times I should have been more vocal, but it IS intimidating being a minority. And you come up with defense mechanisms that may or may not be in your best interest.

Now I have been and Obama supporter since I started paying attention, but I loved Hillary Clinton. I didn't always love the way she ran her campaign. But I loved how intelligent and well spoken she was. I loved the way that she was representing women in politics. I understand why so many women felt so passionately about her. And this may be an unpopular thing to say, but I thought that she had every right to call people out on sexism when she did. I realize that it was part of the political game, but I don’t think that she used the so-called "gender card" lightly. That is something that I could relate to.

That is why it is so excruciating for me to watch this Sarah Palin debacle. She is pretty. She is popular. She is everything that Hillary is not. But that is not what this is about. This is about the future of our country. This is about our environment and our freedom of choice. This is about our jobs and our troops overseas. And John McCain has essentially nominated Paris Hilton as his running-mate. I'm sick. I'm sick of watching the right abuse the "gender card" after crucifying Clinton for even mentioning it. I'm sick of wathing the left refer to her as a "Bimbo". I'm sick of watching Katie Couric cringe while she gets caught up in Palin's nonsense.

Sarah Palin is ignorant. She is small minded. She is uneducated. She CANNOT represent my gender in politics. She CANNOT be the one that young girls and women look up to. This is a huge setback for women in politics. I think that this Slate.com article sums it up pretty well:

"But Palin's gender is at the center of another set of reactions I've been hearing and reading among women who don't support her ticket, filled with ambivalence over how bad she is. Laugh at the Tina Fey parodies that make Palin ridiculous just by quoting her verbatim. And then cry. When Palin tanks, it's good for the country if you want Obama and Biden to win, but it's bad for the future of women in national politics. I'm in this boat, too. Should we feel sorry for Sarah Palin? No. But if she fails miserably, we might be excused for feeling a bit sorry for ourselves.

Palin is the most prominent woman on the political stage at the moment. By taking unprepared hesitancy and lack of preparation to a sentence-stopping level, she's yanking us back to the old assumption that women can't hack it at these heights. We know that's not true—we've just watched Hillary Clinton power through a campaign with a masterful grasp of policy and detail. Clinton lost in part because she was the girl grind. Complex sentences, the names of Supreme Court cases, and bizarre warnings about foreign heads of state invading our airspace weren't her problem. The fear now is that Palin is the anti-Hillary and that her lack of competence threatens to undo what the Democratic primary did for women. Palin won't bust through the ceiling that has Hillary's 18 million cracks in it. She'll give men an excuse to replace it with a new one."