Ginny Here and There

Funny...

2010-01-02T22:26:00.000-08:00

We were at Ikea tonight - 7ish. Alex walks ahead to scope out a new couch cover. I overhear two women behind me saying "Well, if the baby is crying then obviously something is wrong"

This was as I just finished telling a cranky-crying-tired Iolani, who doesn't want to sit in her stroller to "hush honey, it's okay, you are just tired, nothings wrong"

I just smiled to myself because 2 years ago I probably said the same thing as those two women.

My favorite kid music

2009-12-29T22:07:00.000-08:00

Iolani is really starting to enjoy dancing around to music. I was thinking that we most likely couldn't have her dancing around to...say...Ice-T's copkiller, and the idea of having The Wiggles playing in the car makes be barf just a little.

Here's what Alex and I have to offer to Iolani to prepare her for a future in music-snobbery:

Kimya Dawson (Anything with "Butt" in the title, you know you are going to like)

They Might Be Giants (yes, they are doing kids music, with one song titled Pee-Pee in the Potty)

Any recent Hawaiian music works too. However, be on the lookout for Hawaiian rap. (Yes, Rap) My favorite - recent Hawaiian music about Hawaiian independence.

(Iolani loves that Single Ladies video)

Laurie Berkner...maybe not something you'd want to play at work. Keep in mind, it's not a cartoon character.

Yo Gabba Gabba has been putting out CDs.

When you are watching YGG, and you see a band...they are likely already on iTunes. Like Smoosh...downloaded them tonight... Loving it. Iolani will too!

Finally - anything by Rockabye Baby. Yes - I can listen to all the dirty worded Green Day songs I want...as long as I'm listening to this album.

The post about talking sh*t

2009-12-28T21:12:00.000-08:00

My friends. My dear dear dear friends. My neighbors. My dear neighbors. Dear dear dear neighbors.

I'm going to say something, and I don't want you all to take it the wrong way, but... Maybe I've watched too much "Yo Gabba Gabba" and "Sesame Street"

Here it is:

Don't bite your friends.

Be nice to everyone.

Can't get more kum-by-ya than that. I don't intend to be so cryptic, but I've heard the different rumors running around town and I feel like if I tell you to follow the things I've bolded above...then your day will be much easier.

There is far too much good stuff going on to get caught up in other people's negativity. And stop effing biting your friends.

If you caught up in other's negative energy, well...gimme a call and we can go blow bubbles for Iolani out on the sidewalk. She likes that, and it's good for you to take deep breaths.

Another decade come and gone...

2009-12-24T18:18:00.000-08:00

Not so bad right?

When I was quickly falling asleep last night I was thinking about the past ten years. 1999 was one of those years where it seemed everyone was on edge all the time. And, as December 1999 approached, that level of intensity just got to be so much I think I really just tuned out. But, before that…let’s look back.

February 1999 I remember was super rainy, super grey, and super dark all the time. Hole was big on the radio, and she was singing Malibu. Yahoo was the big search engine at the time. I was in the early part of semester number 3 of 5 at Evergreen. When I mixed the 4 things with a beer (or maybe a couple of beers) I had this brilliant idea to apply to graduate school.

Between February and May I was either in class, with classmates, at the Tacoma Bar and Grill, Grounds for Coffee, the Manette Saloon, at Mud Bay Coffee, or at home. I was also sending out resumes, doing interviews, all in preparation for graduating at the end of the Summer. (yes yes…I had to do summer school)

In April I visited Pepperdine’s campus and quickly decided that this would be a good next move for me. Thankfully it wasn’t up to me, and the decision wouldn’t come easily. I had to think about the $$$,$$$ investment I would be making, weighed with the $$,$$$ I would be making with just my bachelors degree.

So, go figure. June 3, I get two pieces of mail. One was the job offer to move to Portland and translate EIRs into something people could understand. The other piece of mail was the offer letter from Pepperdine. After an informal poll at the coffeeshop, a couple of beers at the Manette Saloon, and a chilly walk home from the bar, it was agreed that I would be going to Pepperdine.

That, and the conversation I had with my Grandfather that ended in him saying “You really do need to get out of Washington, and I think Pepperdine is a great place to improve on that liberal education you received at Evergreen”

Started classes at Pepperdine and Oh-Em-Gee…tough stuff, but I did end up finding an amazing group of people that even to this day, I respect and admire very much. Classes aside, there was still a lot going on in Washington that I could no longer be a part of.

But, I don’t want to tell you about that. I want to tell you about my stupid idea to come home for New Years Eve. Imagine my luck when two guys get picked up in Port Angeles with a car full of bomb-making mess, and ruin my New Years. New Years was C A N C E L L E D at the Space Needle in 1999. And, it was the only reason I traded NYE in Los Angeles for NYE in Seattle. I ended up spending it at the Manette Saloon (even though to Laurie’s credit, she tried to get me out of there before midnight before I made my somewhat regrettable mistake…which isn’t what you think, but…girls wear beer goggles too…LOL).

2000 came and well…George Bush was selected by the Supreme Court. What a way to deflate some balloons.

2001, finished grad school, got a job, quit drinking quite so much (getting a job does that), and started dating Alex.

From 2002 to 2007, I remember Alex, baseball, leaving TRG, starting and ending at eCivis (which will forever likely be known as the only real teenage rebellion I ever had), and going back to TRG.

2007: Alex and I went on a one night cruise to no where. Where, on the front of the boat, in front of a bunch of 50-something ladies, Alex asked me to be his partner forever and ever and ever and ever. And, ever and ever…and so on.

I remember that we were going to plan for something on a train. We were trying for the parlor car on Amtrak.

2008 came around, and so did Iolani. I could easily say that the Stork dropped her off with little warning and leave it at that.

Which brings us to 2009. On the somber side, this is the 15^th Christmas without my Mom around, the 9^th without Mommo, and the 1^st without Margaret. The dwindling number of matriarchs in the family is unsettling, but new ones are slowly appearing. What that really means, I’m not sure. Families aren’t like what they used to be, as Mad Men has shown us. But, I think all in all – in the Brideau household, things are okay.

Things we’ve seen this year…Iolani’s multiple first this or that. Baseball games at the stadium or at home. New parent struggles. Childcare challenges. Vacations. And, of course a big wedding on the Red Car in San Pedro.

When I look back on the whole decade, it is easy to dismiss the huge national challenges…at least I find it easy to dismiss the economic downturn woes (um…because they were expected!!!). The electoral downturns…well…maybe we could consider 2000 the Supreme Courts an exercise of teenage rebellion?

But, if I could just set that all aside and look at the joys of 2009, then everything will be just fine. Happy Holidays to everyone, and raise a glass to the end of this decade and entry of the next.

Pictorial Year in Review

2009-12-17T14:12:00.001-08:00

Here...

Looking back on 2009...

2009-12-16T22:26:00.001-08:00

Putting together the pictures now...

Marching Band coming to Downtown

2009-12-09T11:37:00.001-08:00

***MARCHING BAND ON THE 13TH!!!***

THE PRODUCTION COMPANY: Independent Media
WILL BE FILMING: Northern Trust Bank
UNDER PERMIT: F00022695

LOCATION: Hope Pl, Hope St - Grand Ave

FILMING DATE(S): 12/13/09 FILMING HOURS: 8:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M.

DESCRIPTION OF SCENE: Pending Community Survey Driving shots/ scenes in reverse flow. Camera & equipment on the sidewalk, in the curb lane and across the street. Occasional traffic & pedestrian control. Exterior dialogue. Wetting of the street. 20 piece Marching band. Condor and crane. Generator. Picture vehicles. Fire hydrant, water effects. Detouring traffic from 4th St offramps.

PARKING: 12/13, 7:00 A.M. - 10:00 P.M. West side of Grand Ave from 4th St - Hope Pl.; Both sides of Hope St from 4th St Ramp - Hope Pl.; West side of Hope St from 3rd St - 4th St. STREET CLOSURES: n/a

Home Depot

2009-11-25T20:52:00.000-08:00

Since 2004 we've been downtown, and while initially we were woo-ed with marble, stainless steel, and a bazillion amenities...I'm worn out.

I was reading the comments to this post, and it really hit a nerve. If you skim down through the comments you see someone make reference to "Home Depot" interiors. Don't you think if more developers had used the home depot approach some of the housing that is still sitting vacant might be filled because it seemed more affordable and not extravagant?

Are Ya Thinking About Your Neighborhood Council?

2009-11-24T20:59:00.000-08:00

I came across this email today:

We are pleased to announce our series of Open Dialogues and Candidate Preparation Sessions beginning this fall and ending in the late spring. The series will offer participants an opportunity to learn about civic participation, the Neighborhood Council System, and important information on the upcoming 2010 Neighborhood Council Elections. Participants will acquaint themselves with their local Neighborhood Council and learn about key election dates to become a voter and/or a candidate for their Council board. Please spread the good news about the series of Open Dialogues and Candidate Preparation Sessions with all your stakeholders, friends and community partners. For more information on the series, please see the flyer or call (213) 485-1360.

City Clerk 2010 NC Elections Updates

City Clerk has launched the NC Elections Volunteer Pollworker Program to assist in the 2010 NC elections. For more information on how to volunteer, please click here (THE LINK DIDN'T WORK). To keep track of regional election updates, please visit the City Clerk website.

Hey, who cut the sign?

2009-11-02T23:24:00.000-08:00

Alex was going over email tonight and he said "Oh, someone cut our sign"

Sure enough, popped over to Pastor Sandie's website and there it was.

The Before:

The After

You know, whatever.... You cut our sign, we'll put a bigger sign up there with a big phat rainbox...and we are going to put it somewhere you can't easily cut it.

Baseball season is done, back to cruising everyone!

2009-10-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

Once Halloween is out of the way, time to plan the next Brideau Household Adventure! We are heading back to the boat! The three of us will be taking the cruise to nowhere.

This is how it works:
Board in San Pedro
Eat and sleep and swim and relax for two days
Get off the boat in San Pedro

If you have never been on a cruise, a cruise to nowhere is really the way to go. These cruises are generally inexpensive, the staff is especially relaxed because they are either coming on or off contract, and if you don't like cruising - the boat docks back at home in a couple of days.

Cruising with a baby is no sweat. Our last cruise Iolani was just a hair over 6 months. She loved her tub, all the attention (being the youngest member on the boat has perks), and all the shiny (and incredibly clean) things to touch. This time she has a couple of teeth, isn't drinking formula, and WALKS! We will see if she has sea legs!

So - if you are planning on joining the cruise to no where come the end of November...don't forget to hop onto Cruise Critic and participate in the Roll Call.

Waiting for the new mac

2009-10-27T21:28:00.000-07:00

I ordered the new mac the other day. It will be delivered on the 29th. In the meantime, I am visiting the order tracking page a couple of times a day. Right now my package is in Anchorage, AK. And, then tomorrow - it will travel like this:

This week's to do list The rain is coming...shoot.

2009-10-11T22:23:00.000-07:00

Iolani didn't want to go to bed tonight. We put her down for bed at 8, and by 8:15 she was using her favorite and only complete phrase: "All Done"

Like, she was "All Done" sleeping. LOL. She was sobbing in her room "All Done....All Done....All Done...." It was hard not to laugh when I heard her saying this. Alex and I would take turns going into her room and picking up Mr. Bear off the floor. Alex would give Mr. Bear back to her, and I would simply set Mr. Bear back in the crib. So, if she wanted to throw Mr. Bear again - she would have to get back to the far side of the crib to do anything with him.

Earlier in the evening she was "All Done" at the table after only three bites of food. Then, she was "All Done" with her bath. She knows what it means, or at least she knows what it does - it causes Alex or I to pick her up and move her onto the next thing.

Ah-lllll Done

We couldn't get her to settle down until we turned on the baseball game (Colorado v Philadelphia). Once the game was on she settled down. She was close to falling asleep but then somehow got her hands on the remote. And, with her being so tired - she just crumpled into a sobbing mess when we took the remote away from her. I made her a bottle and let her fall asleep to the game.

She's in bed now and I can get a little bit of work done before tomorrow morning.... Pre-work.

Tomorrow is Monday. I have a dentist and doctor appointment. I'll be skipping the doctor appointment, errr rather rescheduling it. The Dentist and I have been like two ships passing in the night. He's sitting on my invisilines, and our schedules haven't matched for me to go and get them. The doctor appointment is a doctor appointment. Dentist appointments are far more exciting to talk about than doctor appointments.

Tuesday is the last scoping meeting for Wilshire BRT. We will be at the conference center at Good Sam.

Wednesday is the first meeting for the Rosa Parks station project.

And, of course there's the rain. The rain is supposed to get here on Tuesday and leave on Wednesday. I don't want to think the rain won't impact turn out for the two meetings, but I know that it will. Which...of course makes me a bit frustrated. The funny part of it is who can you really be frustrated with - the weather man?

So, I'll do my best to give people good reasons to come to the meetings: I promise to have hot coffee when you walk in the door.

Are you ready for the meetings?

2009-10-03T05:20:00.000-07:00

Most of you know what I do: I sit at the entrance of community meetings, ask you to sign in, and then I record your comments. (I decided that I would come up with a very simple way to explain to children what I do) I do a lot more than this, however for the sake of this blog entry, we will keep it simple.

I’d like to think I’m almost an expert on “public comment” as I’ve written about it a couple of times. In reviewing my calendar I noticed that everyone should be planning for “public comment” opportunities galore come this fall.

So, I’d like to offer some tips. In the interest of full disclosure I am always excited to see people come to community meetings. I think community meetings are educational opportunities, examples of community participation, and a great way to meet your neighbor. However, usually the reason for people to attend a community is that a project may (or may not) be moving forward, and you might (or might not) like it. Either way, I am genuinely glad to see you take time out of your busy schedule to just be in the present. (Que the Cheese Factor)

So turn the ringer off on your phone, feel free to Twitter and text away about what you are seeing and hearing.

My tips:

1) Take your time signing in. You took the time to make it to the meeting, take the time to record your attendance. If you walk in the door, arms full of stuff, you should feel free to set your stuff down on the table, and neatly write your name down. Have kids with you? Feel free to get them settled and come back. Before you leave the table, make sure you have all the materials for the meeting (the agenda, comment form, speaker card, and fact sheet).

2) Even if you are late, browse the boards (if there are any). Usually staff lingers in the back of the room, and you should feel free to engage them. It is a rare staffer who doesn’t like to talk about the project they are working on.

3) Sit Close! It must be human nature to want to sit in the back. Resist this urge. The closer you sit to the front the more likely you are to see the details of the presentation, connect with the speaker, and not get distracted by those wiggling around in the back.

When it comes time for the Question/Answer portion of the meeting, know that it’s just as nerve-racking for the presenter as it is for you once you get to the microphone. Based on watching numerous Question/Answer sessions, here are my suggestions:

1) Take notes. During the presentation, write down what your questions are. You can use the comment form for this. Once you get up to the microphone, you might have 2 minutes to get your question out. Don’t spend your two minutes at the microphone formulating your very important question.

2) Don’t expect an answer. This is the toughest part about community meetings. Your question is important, however it is likely when you ask your question, the person won’t have an answer. This is especially important during “scoping meetings”. The whole purpose of a scoping meeting is to find out what needs to be studied. So, when questions and comments are asked during the scoping process – you are essentially asking someone to study and get back to you. (Which then goes back to you signing in – being able to read your contact information is key)

3) Just because you see a timer, this doesn’t mean that you need to race through your time. The purpose of the timer is to ensure fairness for all – not to limit questioning of a project. Take the time to say your name, and then get into your statement.

If you see a court reporter, recording your comments verbatim – using your regular speech pace is a good idea. Since you know this isn’t a race to get in all the words you can, just slow down. If you run out of time – no worries: If you took my suggestion from above, you can just submit your notes into the comment box.

4) What if there’s no court reporter? Then know that the meeting is either being recorded with an audio recorder, or there are 2 or 3 staff members in the back feverishly writing down your comments. I often bring a recorder and take notes concurrently.

5) If you don’t like to speak at the microphone, ran out of time and you still had things to say, or you don’t feel ready to speak at the microphone, you can still send in your comment to the project. Check for a project website, an email address, or phone number. If it doesn’t seem obvious where you can send in your comment, come back to the sign in table, or connect with the presenter…someone will know.

6) Maybe you missed the meeting or came late there are a couple of ways to get caught up on a project. The first is to locate the project website, and review materials from there. If the website seems out of date, check for contact information, send an email and find out where you can find out more information. If you can’t find a project website, search on the internet for it. Not all projects have websites. Sometimes you can find a group for or against a project that is able to put something together. Facebook is another good option.

Still stumped on trying to find a project website – well I guess you could always email me, and I’ll take a look around.

Websites not for you (however ironic that you are reading this website) then consider contacting the agency leading the project, or your elected representatives.

National Coming Out Day Coming Up!

2009-10-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

My dear friends and blogging buddies!

A very special Sunday is coming up: National Coming Out Day!

What is National Coming Out Day?
Wikipedia puts it best:
National Coming Out Day is an internationally-observed civil awareness day for coming out and discussion about gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues. It is observed on October 11 every year[1] by members of the LGBT communities and their supporters (often referred to as "allies").

National Coming Out Day happens to fall on a Sunday this year, and in the times of Post Prop 8, I plan to be at Church celebrating! Our Pastor Sandie will be out of town that day, so she was able to ask Rev. Jonipher Kwon to come give the sermon. And, I couldn't be any more excited.

Pastor Kwon last spoke to our congregation before the passage of Prop 8. That afternoon, when Iolani was just a couple of months old, we were out on our corner, holding up our No On 8 signs.

Okay - this blog entry is a little winding.

Here's the thing...on National Coming Out Day, you should come out! Come out to support your brothers, sisters, cousins, uncles, aunts, mothers, fathers.... In fact, on National Coming Out Day, you need to come out for those who either can't or don't feel like they can't come out and be who they are. You need to come out and tell your friends and neighbors that you believe that if two people are in love and fully committed to one another should be able to be legally married, and to have that marriage equally count in both the eyes of the law and society.

So, I'll close with this...

The First United Methodist Church of Los Angeles welcomes you! We welcome you as a full person. You might think there's an additional catch to this...but there's not. Gay isn't wrong. Hating is. And, our lives are far too short to have this kind of hate in it, and it's a shame that in California we have our hate on the books.

I hope to see you on National Coming Out Day!

Some additional links:

Reconciling Ministries Network Blog

HRC: National Coming Out Day

Don't let me forget!

2009-09-29T07:38:00.001-07:00

I want to tell you something about this!

Unemployment

2009-09-19T23:33:00.000-07:00

Scary title huh?

I was reading about unemployment levels tonight. Take a look.

Ever wonder how the Unemployment level is actually counted? Here's the question: do you think the unemployment rate is determined by the number of people claiming unemployment? Nope. A survey of about 60K households is completed on a monthly basis.

Then...

At the time of the first enumeration of a household, the interviewer prepares a roster of the household members, including their personal characteristics (date of birth, sex, race, Hispanic ethnicity, marital status, educational attainment, veteran status, and so on) and their relationships to the person maintaining the household. This information, relating to all household members 15 years of age and over, is entered by the interviewers into laptop computers; at the end of each day's interviewing, the data collected are transmitted to the Census Bureau's central computer in Washington, D.C. (The labor force measures in the CPS pertain to individuals 16 years and over.) In addition, a portion of the sample is interviewed by phone through three central data collection facilities. (Prior to 1994, the interviews were conducted using a paper questionnaire that had to be mailed in by the interviewers each month.)

Each person is classified according to the activities he or she engaged in during the reference week. Then, the total numbers are "weighted," or adjusted to independent population estimates (based on updated decennial census results). The weighting takes into account the age, sex, race, Hispanic ethnicity, and State of residence of the person, so that these characteristics are reflected in the proper proportions in the final estimates.

A sample is not a total count, and the survey may not produce the same results that would be obtained from interviewing the entire population. But the chances are 90 out of 100 that the monthly estimate of unemployment from the sample is within about 290,000 of the figure obtainable from a total census. Since monthly unemployment totals have ranged between about 7 and 11 million in recent years, the possible error resulting from sampling is not large enough to distort the total unemployment picture.

How the unemployment level is calculated reminds me about a West Wing episode.

Two parts to this: the first being - are you concerned that the unemployment level is determined by interviewing 60K households? The second, and more importantly - I would think the real unemployment level would be terrifying.

Here's why it would be terrifying: if a true unemployment level was identified, the number would have to include stay at home parents, those between 16 and 65 who aren't working for one reason or another, are not generating income, and are no longer looking for work. People who the government would identify as someone NOT in the labor force.

My take on Artwalk (in response to Downtown News)

2009-09-18T06:25:00.000-07:00

Everything is changing; Art Walk is no exception! For years it was a kind of grass-roots organization without a formal structure, but with thousands of people coming to the corner of Spring and 5th every second ~~Tuesday~~ Thursday of the month the Art Walk was ready to take a step forward. For quite some time the Artwalk was a joyfully decentralized effort led by gallery owners, with additionally wonderful (and successful) stakeholders stepping up to be supportive and a part of the action.

The only thing was, people had grown frustrated with the problems presented by the crowds and other kinds of problems, and some of those frustrations had gone unresolved for so long, that the BRAND NEW Artwalk Board was blamed for all the OLD problems.

Richard Schave, Kim Cooper and Chinta Cooper came forward to organize a Board of Directors, and it was the Board who led to incorporate the Art Walk as a 501-c-3 non-profit entity. The Downtown L.A. Artwalk as an entity was born on July 8 2009, with a group of community leaders dedicated to resolving the crowd logistics, supporting and promoting the galleries, promoting other local business, and helping to curate public art and performances for the second Tuesday of the month.

People don't know how hard Richard, Kim, and Chinta have been working to create, print and distribute maps, get a logo, get a great website going, and work with LAPD, and other groups to help make ARTWALK great. And, they are doing it all as volunteers for the time being.

Instead of working together, a small group of frustrated people have blamed the new Art Walk board for problems that have been on-going for at least a year and a half.

I say, let's move forward! End the bitterness! Get behind our community and work together so we can have a fun Art Walk that benefits our community. Two examples of great new things that are happening:

Richard got the owners of the Spring Arcade building to open up the arcade between Spring and Broadway for September's Art Walk. There was a band and some performance artists there. At first there were only a few people, but in about forty minutes, the arcade was full of people, and lots of people came from Broadway to Spring. That's the kind of creative, pro-active work that is being done now.

And, Nick Cha Kim's website galleryrow.org, up for three years has been updated in the past month or so and it looks great! It's a way for Gallery Row to break out from the once-a-month Art Walk label and get people thinking about visiting the galleries all month long. That just shows how once the Art Walk board came in to handle the once-monthly events, galleries can now focus on themselves.

Are there problems? Of course. But we can only solve them if people work together, instead of just complaining and being bitter.

And let's see how we can get the galleries who now close at 6pm to open up again for all of ART WALK!

I see our future...

2009-09-16T22:49:00.001-07:00

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/video.

Taking it on the chin

2009-09-12T00:14:00.000-07:00

From time to time Facebook changes from a happy pink glow of love and joyfulness to a grey no-man's land of discussion.

During the Prop 8 campaign, the political and social beliefs of long-time friends, acquaintances, and professional connections played out on their Facebook walls twitter pages, and blogs. It wasn't until the heat of Prop 8 did I have to teach myself how to "unfriend" or prevent them from contacting me. I did it to just one person, and in retrospect - I kind of wish I hadn't.

In any case, tonight...I posted a link about another tea-party protest and I used a disparaging catch phrase I'd heard on a conservative radio show to describe the event. Yes - I heard it on a conservative radio show...it was a misstep by the radio personality - as tea-bagging is very different from a tea-party. So, here's what is playing out on my facebook page:

So, there it is.

I can appreciate how Scott is feeling. I've been perceived for decades as the folky-crazy-lefty-tree-hugging-tofu-snorting-government handout-loving liberal.

In high school I was the punch line for many off hand remarks about how my afterschool activities raised the taxes of those who couldn't afford it. The moment after graduation, some one told me that I could go out and save all the trees I wanted.

When I started college I was made fun of because I loved the Indigo Girls and Ani Difranco and that I still liked boys.

It gets better.

When I got to Evergreen, while at first a seemingly haven of the super liberal...I was questioned why I would dare to put a Nader poster on my door. I was asked - why not Clinton? Hasn't he done well?

Apparently it was wrong to question TANF and the attempt to "end welfare as we know it"

Then...came Pepperdine.

Why would a liberal-loving girl go to a well-known conservative institution? Well - the weather was nice, I liked the religious component, and I didn't think there would be anything wrong learning about the conservative argument.

I knew that I would be made fun of being a member of the Green Party (and I still am). Since so many people see the Greens as an illegitimate political force. I expected my fellow students to be the most relentless - which wasn't the case. There were two professors in particular who felt they could take additional liberties to do their best to embarrass me and belittle my political and social beliefs.

There were questions about how I could consider baptism and continue to be pro-choice. Outrageous questions about the limits of government, which seemed irrational. Of course I would take a moment to consider the argument. The whole experience forced me to really question my commitment to both my political and social beliefs.

I think that I have good friends who are politically and socially conservative. IMO, the good conservative is one who came to it on their own. They aren't registered as a republican just because their parents were, but rather they came to the conclusion on their own. I have good friends who are politically and socially liberal. Same thing...People who are confident in their beliefs not because it's how their parents were/are, but believe in their beliefs because they are indeed their beliefs.

Now - just to focus on the government spending protesting...

After September 2001, the left mobilized. This mobilization was to support peace, to avoid war. I fully admit there are people who would be very aggressive in "fighting" for peace and "fighting" to avoid war. I've had friends who have died working for peace. I know people who have died in uniform - all in the effort to seek peace. I worry about it all the time, given my brother is in the Navy.

From all of President Bush's decisions to dig the United States deeper into debt, deeper into a very messy and (IMO illegal) war, I take pride that I essentially was protesting years ago against government spending. I was protesting against government spending on war.

Others are taking pride in protesting against government spending on health care, education, and social services.

Here's my promise to the tea-party folks: Protest at the federal building on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays. The "other" anti-spending folks will take Tuesdays and Thursdays. However - let's leave the federal buildings along on Saturday and Sundays so that the feds don't have to schedule extra private security on the weekends.

At the end of the day, I hope that Scott and his wife don't "unfriend" me on Facebook. I like them, they are good people, and we obviously don't agree on a couple of things. And, today - of all days...we can see this as a joyful and prideful example of the American Democracy.

Can I get an Amen? (or what-what if you are so inclined)

Wedding Pictures

2009-09-11T14:26:00.000-07:00

For my family: here are the wedding pictures!

Iolani has fresh video

2009-09-07T18:56:00.001-07:00

http://iolanib.blogspot.com/

Iolani's Baptism Pictures

2009-09-01T23:21:00.001-07:00

They are here!

First Year of Motherhood - Done

2009-08-26T23:22:00.000-07:00

At 11:56 p.m. tomorrow night, Alex and I will have been parents for exactly one year. She's a happy and healthy baby girl. Plus...she's been walking for weeks now. The year has flown by (although there have been some very long nights). I will say that I think our secret to success has been the support of all of our friends and family.

So - here's to Iolani's First Birthday! (Party on Sunday!)

Just for Robby Scharf

2009-08-25T13:59:00.000-07:00

In response to your article

When we moved to the neighborhood in 2004 we realized that we had practically moved into Rural Los Angeles. Here's why: there's no HOA that covers a large area, the NC was trying to get it's legs underneath it, and the neighborhood is divided by a city council district.

So, the question is how do you stay in the loop?

Want to know when to expect a parade, protest, or community festival? LAPD will 9.9 times out of 10 know WTF is going on. And...even better...LAPD sends out these things called "First Amendment Notifications"
Sign up here: http://www.lapdepolicing.org/

Want to know about filming in the neighborhood? Sign up for FilmLA's notices. Be warned: Nearly all of the notices come out between 5:10 and 6:30 at night. Sign up using an email address you can access on the evenings and weekends.
Sign up here: http://filmla.com/enotifications.php

City Council
There are two City Council members who cover most of Downtown. Each have newsletters that you should be interested in:
Huizar and Perry

Finally, DLANC. Your Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council

It will be more email (esp FilmLA) but at least you will be in the know.