“My ballot’s here!” I wrote on my Facebook status. It’s been a long time since I was this thrilled about an upcoming election. Yesterday on the Thom Hartmann program Greg Palast said that mailing your ballot is a bad idea. In Washington’s King County, you can take it to a ballot drop box. At least this way you don’t have to pay for your vote with postage.

Here are some progressive endorsements:
Washington Conservation Voters

Fuse Washington: I’m on their mailing list (Is everyone on their mailing list an “email captain?” Not sure how I got that title.) and they asked for volunteer input. They actually did take some changes I mentioned. At least, I like to think it was *my* input and none of the other millions of people they sent this to. One important change is that they almost gave John Burbank in the 36th district a free endorsement from The Sierra Club. I let them know that this is not the case, and they actually did remove it.

The Stranger’s is definitely the most entertaining. They also do a good job of explaining their local endorsements.

Also, someone wrote in the comments: “Gregoire is rumored to be on the short list for a Cabinet position in the upcoming Obama administration. If she’s tapped, the Lt. Gov will step in as Gov, which makes that race almost as important as the Christine/Dino bloodbath above it.” It’s something to think about. But anyway, Go Gregoire!

On October 19, the husband and I trekked to Tacoma to see Joe Biden. The pictures from the rally are here. When I watched the democratic debates, I would tell my husband “I like that Joe Biden.” Lots of local politicians were there too. It’s funny, you would think we were at a rock concert. I never would have anticipated a crowd getting so excited over policies.

Here’s a walk down election year memory lane. Happy Voting!

Obama Rally at Seattle’s Key Arena

Gregoire endorsing Obama

Barack Obama

Signs at the 36th District Caucus

Snotty Bird is also a Latte Sipping Liberal for Obama

Democrats unable to contain excitement

Some goofy smiling Delegate

Voting at the Caucus

We The People
The picture set is here.
You can read about it here.

Reuven Carlyle and John Burbank at the 36th district debate

I like Carlyle because he is more tech saavy and has been endorsed by environmental organizations.  (He also has more charisma than a boat.) He mentioned the environment at least 3 times during the debate. Burbank did not mention it once, and while he mentioned a whole bunch of times that he is not taking money from corporations, he name-dropped Bill Gates Senior 3 times. Which is it then? If you don’t like corporations, then why associate with people connected to big corporations?

Anyway, the husband and I voted on Saturday. If you are performing your citizen duty tomorrow, have fun!

Thank you, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and et cetera!

Brother: Can you believe it’s November already?

Me: I know! Only 2 more days!!

Brother: No, I’m not talking about the election. It’s just that it’s November and I can’t believe it.

Me: Um, yeah. It’s November. But I can’t believe the election’s only in 2 days!!!

Every now and then, I read an article about some interesting genre or niche. Then I search modthesims2.com.

After reading this article about the steampunk convention,  I plugged in the keyword, “steampunk,” and sure enough, a few downloads turned up. You can also find the steampunk theme and gobs of others over at Parsimonious.org.

I read an article in Bust magazine about gothic lolitas, and a recent search for “lolita” turns up 172 downloads.

One niche mimmicking another niche. Mind boggling.

You can also learn about the history of fashion or the latest trends. At the Biden rally, I recognized the “squid” hairstyle.

Watch Barack Obama talk about his Blueprint for Change here.

From Defenders of Wildlife:

Have you ever heard of aerial hunting? It’s a brutal practice. Wolves are shot from low-flying aircraft or chased to exhaustion, then killed at point-blank range.

We have to get the word out about this! Please watch this powerful new television ad by Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, and then share it with every wildlife lover you know:

http://actionfund.defenders.org/palintvwolf

My dad e-mailed this to me. For more information on Judaism, take a look at Jewfaq.org.

Interesting Jewish Trivia Jewish Trivia (You may or may not know – Enjoy!) The Roosevelts were Jewish Dutch, arriving in NYC in 1682 (Originally named Claes Rosenvelt before name change to Nicholas Roosevelt) Sarah Delano, FDR’s mother, was descended from Sephardic Jews. Joseph Stalin was originally named Joseph David Djugashvili (translating into “son of a Jew.”) As well, all 3 of the women he married were Jewish. Dwight Eisenhower’s father was a Swedish Jew and was so identified in the West Point Yearbook of 1915. INTERESTING JEWISH FACTS 1. Lillian Friedman married Cruz Rivera. They named their baby Geraldo Miguel Rivera (Funny, it doesn’t sound Jewish.) Since, according to Jewish law, anyone born to a Jewish mother is Jewish, Geraldo Rivera is Jewish. As were, among others: Fiorello Laguardia, Winston Churchill and Cary Grant, as explained below. 2. Fiorello Laguardia’s mother’s name was Jacobson. His father was not Jewish. Laguardia spoke seven languages — including Hebrew and Yiddish – fluently. 3. Winston Churchill’s mother’s name was Jenny Jerome. 4. Cary Grant’s mother, Elsie, was Jewish. His father, Elias Leach, was not. Grant’s original name was Archibald Alexander Leach. (Robin Leach is his first cousin). 5. Peter Sellers’ mother, Margaret Marks, was Jewish. His father, Bill Sellers, was Protestant. Peter’s real name is Richard Henry Sellers. 6. David Bowie’s mother is Jewish, his father is not. One of Bowie ’s album covers discusses his Jewish ancestry. His real name: David Stenton Haywood Jones. 7. Robert DeNiro’s mother is Jewish; his father is not. 8. Shari Belafonte’s mother is Jewish. Her father, Harry, has a Jewish grandfather. 9. Olivia Newton John’s Jewish grandfather was a Nobel Prize winning physicist. 10. Harrison Ford’s mother is Russian Jewish, his father is Irish Catholic. ALWAYS GOOD TO KNOW AND REMEMBER! Fact: The first theater to be used solely for the showing of motion pictures was built by a Jew (Adolf Zukor). Fact: The first full-length sound picture, The Jazz Singer was produced by the Jewish Samuel L. Goldwyn & Louis B. Mayer (MGM). Fact: A Jew (Dr. Abraham Waksman) coined the term antibiotics. Fact: A Polish Jew (Casimir Funk) who pioneered a new field of medical research gave us a word now common in our language – vitamins. Fact: The first successful operation for appendicitis was performed by a Jewish surgeon (Dr. Simon Baruch) Fact: The doctor (Dr. Abraham Jacobi) hailed as America ’s father of pediatrics was a Jew. Fact: Until a Jewish doctor (Dr. Siccary) showed differently, Americans believed the tomato was poisonous. Fact: Jewish Levi “Levi’s” Strauss (inventor of jeans) is the largest clothing retailer in the world. Fact: In 1909, four Jews were among the 60 multi cultural signers of the call to the National Action, which resulted in the creation of the NAACP. Fact: A Jew (Emile Berliner) is the man who developed the modern day phonograph. While Thomas Edison was working out a type of phonograph that used a cylinder as a record, Berliner invented a machine that would play a disc. The machine he patented was called the gramophone, and the famous RCA trademark is a picture of a dog listening to “his master’s voice” on Berliner’s device. The gramophone was superior to Edison ’s machine. In short, Emile Berliner made possible the modern record industry. His company was eventually absorbed by the Victor Talking Machine Company, now known as RCA. Fact: Jewish Louis B. Mayer (MGM) created the idea for the Oscar. Fact: European Jews are the founding fathers of all the Hollywood Studios. Fact: Jews comprise a mere 1/4 of 1% (13 million) of the population (6 billion). Fact: 99% of the world is non Jewish. Fact: Three of greatest & most influential thinkers dominating the 20th century were Jewish – Einstein, Freud, and Marx. Fact: The most popular selling Christmas song (“White Christmas”) was written by a Jew. (Irving Berlin) Fact: Of the 660 Nobel prizes from 1901 – 1990, 160 have been won by Jews. In the end, Jews win more Nobel prizes than any other ethnicity. They win 40x more than should be expected of them, based upon their small population numbers. Fact: A Jew (Dr. Jonas Salk) is the creator of the first Polio Vaccine. Fact: Jews (Hayam Solomon & Isaac Moses) are responsible for creating the first modern banking institutions. Fact: Jews also created the first department stores of the 19th century: The Altmans, Gimbels, Kaufmanns, Lazaruses, Magnins, Mays, Strausses became leaders of major department stores. Julius Rosenwald revolutionized the way Americans purchased goods by improving Sears Roebuck’s mail order merchandising. Hart, Schaffner, Marx, Kuppenheimer and Levi Strauss became household names in men’s clothing. Fact: Jewish Marc Chagall (born Segal , Russia ) is one of the great 20th century painters. Fact: English Jewish financiers such as Isaac Goldsmid, Nathan Rothschild, David Salomons, and Moses Montefiore, whose fortunes helped England become an empire. Fact: In 1918, Detroit , a Jew (Max Goldberg) opened the “first” commercial parking lot. Fact: In 1910, a Jew (Louis Blaustein) and his son opened the “first” gas station, eventually founding AMOCO OIL. One of the richest oil families in the world. Fact: A Jew (Dr. Albert Sabin) developed the first “oral polio vaccine.” Fact: A Jew (Steven Spielberg) is the most successful filmmaker since the advent of film. Fact: A Jewish poet’s (Emma Lazarus) famous poem, “give me your tired..your poor. your huddled masses,” appears as the inscription on the Statue Of Liberty Fact: Jewish Harry Houdini (Weiss) is the father of Magic/Illusion. Fact: Dr. Sigmund Freud (Jew) is the father of psychiatry. Fact: Jewish Abraham is the father of the world’s 3 major religions:  Judaism, Christianity & Islam (ancestors of the Hebrew & Arabic peoples).  Jesus (formerly known as “sweet Jewish Jesus”) is still worshipped by billions. Fact: Jews are the oldest of any people on earth still around with their national identity and cultural heritage intact. Fact: George & Ira Gershwin & Irving Berlin (Jews) are three of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. Fact: Isadore & Nathan Straus (Jews) – “Abraham & Straus,” eventually became sole owners of Macy’s (world’s largest department store) in 1896. Fact: Dr. Paul “magic bullet” Ehrlich (Jew) – physician, Nobel Prize in 1908 for curing syphilis. Fact: Armand Hammer (Jew) – “Arm & Hammer,” physician & businessman who originated the largest trade between U. S. and Russia. Fact: Louis Santanel (Jew) was the financier who provided the funds for Columbus ‘ voyage to America . Fact: Sherry Lansing (Jew) of Paramount Pictures, became the first woman president of a major Hollywood studio. Fact: Flo Zigfield (Jew) of “Zigfield Follies,” is the creator of American burlesque. Fact: Jews were the brains behind the Confederacy: Fact: Maj. Adolph Proskauer led the unit at Gettysburg . Fact: Judah P. Benjamin held 4 cabinet positions: Attorney General, February 25 to September 17, 1861; Secretary of War, September 17, 1861, to March 18, 1862; acting Secretary of War, March 18 to 23, 1862 ; Secretary of State, March 18, 1862 , until the end of the war) and was referred to as “the brains of the confederacy.” Fact: Rabbi Max Michelbacher was a confidant and spiritual advisor to General Robert E. Lee. Fact: A great many Jews fought for the Confederacy, and the overwhelming were recent immigrants from Germany & East Europe who felt they were fighting for Democracy. They fought far out of proportion to their numbers.

]]> http://catblue.wordpress.com/2008/07/12/for-the-next-game-of-trivial-pursuit-the-jewish-version/feed/ 0 Rachel http://catblue.wordpress.com/2008/07/08/play-on/ http://catblue.wordpress.com/2008/07/08/play-on/#comments Wed, 09 Jul 2008 03:32:43 +0000 Rachel http://catblue.wordpress.com/?p=107 ]]>

The husband gave me a bunch of new music yesterday. W00t! I love filling my iPod up with new music.

Here’s what I got:
Aimee Mann @#%&*! Smilers
Alanis Morissette Flavors of Entanglement
Amy Seely Call it Life and The Trees are Glad You’re Back
Beck Modern Guilt
Big Blue Ball Peter Gabriel and Friends
Cold Play Viva La Vida
Joseph Arthur Vagabond Skies

Right now I’m listening to Big Blue Ball. It is a gorgeous collaboration of musicians from all over the world. The project was initiated and produced by Peter Gabriel and Karl Wallinger. Go check it out.

On Friday we were going to have a picnic. I wanted to try one of Mark Bittman’s 101 simple picnic recipes, but just looking at the list made me nervous. Where to start? The husband thoguht that maybe it was better to buy something from the high class salad bar. On an empty stomach, I was easily convinced.

As we were driving to central market, I was reminiscing about the camambert baguette I ate when I visited Paris with my mom. At the store, I found brie and a mini-baguette. Then I got a small box of taboule and shrimp salad from the salad bar.

Back home, there was a peach on our counter, and I wondered if a peach would be okay with brie. I searched the food network and found Giada’s Taleggio and Pear Panini--a recipe I had wanted to try for about a year and a half. I used all of the alternative ingredients and broiled the baguette for a couple minutes since I didn’t have a panini maker.
The husband and I were amused that I wound up cooking anyway.

We packed our picnic backpack and drove over to Carkeek park. Lots of people had the same idea. But since we knew this would be the case, we were better prepared. We found a bench to sit on where we could peoplewatch without being bothered, and watched the beautiful body of water in front of us–whichever one it is.

Dinner

The sandwhich was better than I imagined. In my Sigg bottle is lemonade–with a kick.

Afterwards, we walked around. Eric started skipping stones. Then a bunch of kids decided to copy him.

After a while he decided to just throw them in the water and take a picture.

From my Del.icio.us tags:

She breathed a sigh. The kind of sigh that said: “I wish I was whisked away to a tropical island, relaxing on a hammock between two palm trees.” But alas, she was stuck here in the land of Reality: a storm brewing out the window and documents filled with the most boring gobbledygook ever.

Maui