If anyone says that the war isn't going on back home, they are wrong and I have the pictures to prove it.
If you drive out near Barstow and you look really carefully, you'll find the sign to Fort Irwin, an army post. At Fort Irwin, if you make it past the guard posts without being killed (or turned around) and drive about another 40 minutes into the desert you might, if you're lucky, hit several fake Iraqi or Afghani towns. The National Training Center is one of the last training centers for army troops before they are deployed overseas for battle. They simulate real battle conditions for soldiers, technicians, and every other warm body that is shipped off. They allow civilians to be on base to act as embedded media.
I, instead of rolling on the ground trying to shrapnel while infantry troops knocked down the doors in a small Iraqi village, spent my time roaming around a very calm base with some members of the Aviation crew trying to get soldiers to talk to me.
It took a lot to get through this weekend. I'm uncomfortable with the military and that's putting it mildly. The fact that they recruit mostly from poor communities and communities of color to go and impose policy through brute force upon other nations is only part of it. They build and perpetuate a certain kind of personality and mindset amongst people-- do what you are told, without question, regardless of what the consequences of your actions might be. Given these things in mind, walking onto a room buzzing with soldiers at midnight and then being escorted into a tent with only male soldiers, this weekend wasn't looking too good.
But, as is the Coro way, you suck it up and start asking questions.
Soldiers are trained not to answer. The lower ranking soldiers are so good at this that they barely talk to you if not pushed. The more experienced soldiers and officers know how to gauge civilians, so they'll talk you around in circles before you realize that you might not be getting the real story. This is all true, IF you aren't talking to a Coro Fellow (haha. I'm joking. Okay, not really.)
What I learned this weekend:
- A shocking number of people join the military for the benefits
- They're KIDS. Many join immediately after high school and the most experienced are still under 40 years old...
- They marry early (and meet their spouses in strange and quick ways)
- The guys are like stupid teenage boys that like to punk each other (and drink way too much)
It was hard not to walk away from the base feeling a sadness that these young women and men are going to be deployed in only a few months, facing death and causing it.
This weekend was a lesson in distinguishing the person from the action. I sat across the table from the mechanics who will fix and maintain the Apache helicopters that will drop missiles in a country that is already in shambles because of our actions from a decade and a half before. And those mechanics? They're just... kids.
It was a surreal experience that frequently crossed between dream world and real world. As easy as it was to see that the simulation was not real, it was hard not to forget that it is happening and has been happening half-way across the world.
Now I've just gotten rambly and I apologize.
I guess I'm still just thinking...
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
Twinkle, twinkle little star...
Is it pathetic that I'm genuinely disappointed that I might miss the lunar eclipse on Wednesday night? It's supposed to be a reddish hue this time around, but unfortunately for us West Coasters, it'll occur at moonrise (between the hours of 7:00pm - 7:52pm on Wednesday), so it probably won't be visible to most people. I will also be in a meeting, so whether or not it was a clear night, I wouldn't be able to see it.
Oh well. There goes NerdFest 2008...
NerdFest 2007 was last summer, the night of another lunar eclipse. My friends and I stayed until 3am or so to drive out to the middle of Malibu, where there aren't any streetlights. We parked on the side of the road (after having to change the tire because we got a flat), laid out a few blankets on the car, and drank a few beers (microbrew!) while we waited for the eclipse to happen. It was absolutely gorgeous and we all got to delight in our nerdiness together.
I'm not too sad though. NerdFest 2008 wouldn't be the same with the usual suspects. Who would I talk about umbra's with?
Oh well. There goes NerdFest 2008...
NerdFest 2007 was last summer, the night of another lunar eclipse. My friends and I stayed until 3am or so to drive out to the middle of Malibu, where there aren't any streetlights. We parked on the side of the road (after having to change the tire because we got a flat), laid out a few blankets on the car, and drank a few beers (microbrew!) while we waited for the eclipse to happen. It was absolutely gorgeous and we all got to delight in our nerdiness together.
I'm not too sad though. NerdFest 2008 wouldn't be the same with the usual suspects. Who would I talk about umbra's with?
Sunday, February 17, 2008
She's a smooth operator...
I have spent the last two days brokering a relationship between two warring and uncommunicative parties. It required me to lay out a common language for the two parties to actually communicate and share information with one another; involving the expertise of others on how to ensure a successful union; and at times, craftily manipulating both without their awareness.
Pretty good for someone who is getting over the plague.
What could she possibly be talking about, you may be asking.
Let me translate for you who do not know about the fine art of international negotiation...
Trying to make a PC and a Mac talk to one another is close to impossible.
First of all, Microsoft is nearly incompatible with Apple. Outlook doesn't like Entourage, even though both are Microsoft programs. Outlook doesn't like Apple Mail. Or Address Book. Or iCal. Microsoft Outlook, actually, hates almost everything and everyone. That means having to use another program to take what Outlook has (which is everything, because once you start using Outlook it controls your email, your calendar, your contacts, your tasks list, everything). But, once you have that program talking to Outlook it doesn't mean that program will happily talk to Microsoft Entourage (a mail client primarily for Macs). No, no, no... that would be too easy! That would be too civil. Instead, first program must now speak to program number two in order to get one piece of the original information. The information must now be split between three other programs and they really aren't talking to each other. No, it's like having two feuding 12-year olds-- one plugs up her ears as soon as the other begins speaking, leaving about half the statements to float into nothingness.
Given all of this (and given the fact that I managed to conquer some/most of it), I consider this a pretty successful weekend.
TAKE THAT plague.
//
And to give another update on the hamster, Belly is running furiously in her wheel, stopping every so often to check her increased strength by stretching all the way towards the top, to see if she's gotten any closer to the top of the cage where the opening is.
Clever little bastard.
Pretty good for someone who is getting over the plague.
What could she possibly be talking about, you may be asking.
Let me translate for you who do not know about the fine art of international negotiation...
Trying to make a PC and a Mac talk to one another is close to impossible.
First of all, Microsoft is nearly incompatible with Apple. Outlook doesn't like Entourage, even though both are Microsoft programs. Outlook doesn't like Apple Mail. Or Address Book. Or iCal. Microsoft Outlook, actually, hates almost everything and everyone. That means having to use another program to take what Outlook has (which is everything, because once you start using Outlook it controls your email, your calendar, your contacts, your tasks list, everything). But, once you have that program talking to Outlook it doesn't mean that program will happily talk to Microsoft Entourage (a mail client primarily for Macs). No, no, no... that would be too easy! That would be too civil. Instead, first program must now speak to program number two in order to get one piece of the original information. The information must now be split between three other programs and they really aren't talking to each other. No, it's like having two feuding 12-year olds-- one plugs up her ears as soon as the other begins speaking, leaving about half the statements to float into nothingness.
Given all of this (and given the fact that I managed to conquer some/most of it), I consider this a pretty successful weekend.
TAKE THAT plague.
//
And to give another update on the hamster, Belly is running furiously in her wheel, stopping every so often to check her increased strength by stretching all the way towards the top, to see if she's gotten any closer to the top of the cage where the opening is.
Clever little bastard.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Doing things is what I like to do...
Up until college I was surrounded by some of the most ambitious people I have ever met. By the age of 13, my friends and I were already competing to get into advanced programs and yes, even college. I actually once almost had a fall-out with a friend because I didn't want her to take the same entrance exam that I wanted to take for an early entrance program. Yes, I (we) were that crazy. By the eighth grade, my friends and I were breaking the rules, taking more high school classes than middle school grade classes. We were competing at local, county, and state science fairs.
High school was a lot of the same. I went to a pretty "elite" high school, where you entered only upon application during one's eighth grade year. We began with about 160 students, of cohorts of 30+ students. No one else entered our class. You either made it to graduation or you were kindly asked to leave within the three years preceding it. While a nurturing environment, everyone there was competing for a top at the nation's top universities.
By college, I finally had a chance to mellow out. I think the level of competitiveness I developed by the age of 18 was verging on... well... mental distress. I had my share of good friends, but by no means was I an easy person to work with. (If you think I'm intense now, just think I WAS back then.) College was the time to try and find a balance between succeeding and not destroying other people-- yes it was that sick of a binary at one point.
In my attempt to find that balance, I fear I may have lost my competitive edge entirely. I care about doing my best most of the time, but I don't care about being the best. It seems meaningless to even try anymore. I generally find people who are much better than me (usually standing next to me...) and I am quick to spot out the points where I could have done better. I actually take that back, I think that I don't even care about doing my best anymore. I've come to a point of complacency, where I've figured out that my "okay" is pretty good in comparison, so I can keep getting away with being "okay."
I'm like that lazy underachiever with so much potential, that would do so well, if only... she would try.
Except, I'm like this after having BEEN the kid with so much potential and overachievement.
I'm definitely a little backwards...
A part of me thinks it might be the fact that I'm not surrounded by the same kind of people anymore. While my friends back then used to speak of grandiose projects and ambitions, my friends now are much more reserved about their dreams. My friends are incredibly talented and I am certain they will be leading their fields, if they aren't already. It's just that... well, now, we don't talk about it. I guess it doesn't make for polite conversation. But the silence on future aspirations has made me a bit... complacent I guess. Not hearing much from my friends has led me to not think much about my own plans.
So friends.
Inspire me.
Tell me what you want to do.
I don't want to go back to those days of intense, cut-throat competition (I certainly don't desire that), but I do want to be inspired to reach for more than what appears to be in front of me.
I want to have conversations about how you (even better we!) are going to change the world and leave (y)our mark.
Because we're fully capable of doing that, aren't we?
//
On a completely different note, my hamster Belly is either brilliant or suicidal. She is on this mission to escape her cage. Now, the only way to escape her cage is to go up, so she's been trying to climb on top of her wheel to get towards the top.
I say that she's either brilliant or suicidal, because she is brilliant in her ability to get on top of the wheel; she's suicidal because if she DOES figure a way out, she's probably gonna die...
High school was a lot of the same. I went to a pretty "elite" high school, where you entered only upon application during one's eighth grade year. We began with about 160 students, of cohorts of 30+ students. No one else entered our class. You either made it to graduation or you were kindly asked to leave within the three years preceding it. While a nurturing environment, everyone there was competing for a top at the nation's top universities.
By college, I finally had a chance to mellow out. I think the level of competitiveness I developed by the age of 18 was verging on... well... mental distress. I had my share of good friends, but by no means was I an easy person to work with. (If you think I'm intense now, just think I WAS back then.) College was the time to try and find a balance between succeeding and not destroying other people-- yes it was that sick of a binary at one point.
In my attempt to find that balance, I fear I may have lost my competitive edge entirely. I care about doing my best most of the time, but I don't care about being the best. It seems meaningless to even try anymore. I generally find people who are much better than me (usually standing next to me...) and I am quick to spot out the points where I could have done better. I actually take that back, I think that I don't even care about doing my best anymore. I've come to a point of complacency, where I've figured out that my "okay" is pretty good in comparison, so I can keep getting away with being "okay."
I'm like that lazy underachiever with so much potential, that would do so well, if only... she would try.
Except, I'm like this after having BEEN the kid with so much potential and overachievement.
I'm definitely a little backwards...
A part of me thinks it might be the fact that I'm not surrounded by the same kind of people anymore. While my friends back then used to speak of grandiose projects and ambitions, my friends now are much more reserved about their dreams. My friends are incredibly talented and I am certain they will be leading their fields, if they aren't already. It's just that... well, now, we don't talk about it. I guess it doesn't make for polite conversation. But the silence on future aspirations has made me a bit... complacent I guess. Not hearing much from my friends has led me to not think much about my own plans.
So friends.
Inspire me.
Tell me what you want to do.
I don't want to go back to those days of intense, cut-throat competition (I certainly don't desire that), but I do want to be inspired to reach for more than what appears to be in front of me.
I want to have conversations about how you (even better we!) are going to change the world and leave (y)our mark.
Because we're fully capable of doing that, aren't we?
//
On a completely different note, my hamster Belly is either brilliant or suicidal. She is on this mission to escape her cage. Now, the only way to escape her cage is to go up, so she's been trying to climb on top of her wheel to get towards the top.
I say that she's either brilliant or suicidal, because she is brilliant in her ability to get on top of the wheel; she's suicidal because if she DOES figure a way out, she's probably gonna die...
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Thursday I don't care about you / It's Friday, I'm in love
My dad woke me up this morning with a call to check in on me in all my sickliness and after convincing him that I'm not that sick and that I'm old enough to take care of myself, this conversation occurred:
My dad is the greatest.
I would love to see his 55-year old self kick some 20-something ass.
(And for any of you who thinks he wouldn't do it, you don't know my dad. Where do you think I get my fighting spirit from?)
Dad: So, are you expecting any chocolates or flowers today from guys?
Me: Uh... no...
Dad: What?! None of those guys you work with or have done projects with are getting you anything???
Me: (nervous laughter) No... well, my best friend Devon is sending me flowers from Albania...
Dad: Alright, tell all those guys to line up in front of the store in Compton... In their underwear! I'm going to kick their ass!
Me: Uh...
Dad: Don't make me round them up!
Me: (nervous laughter) Alright dad. I love you.
Dad: Happy Valentine's Day. I love you!
My dad is the greatest.
I would love to see his 55-year old self kick some 20-something ass.
(And for any of you who thinks he wouldn't do it, you don't know my dad. Where do you think I get my fighting spirit from?)
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
If you are chilly, here take my sweater / Your head is aching, I'll make it better
I've been quarantined to my apartment for the last two days by my supervisor. With a staff of three, it is better to have me laid up in bed than risk getting everyone else sick.
I've never really taken time off from work. I've had laryngitis and still gone in-- not an easy task when your supervisor's favorite thing to do is ask questions that require long, well-thought out responses. In between sweating out my fever and putzing about the house looking for something to eat, I've been feeling very guilty about not being in the office and not doing anything particularly productive. I think what's making everything worse is that I'm pretty exhausted, in general, due to Coro, so sleeping all day hasn't been much of a problem for me.
I can't really remember the last time I was actually bed-ridden when I was sick. I'm not sure if I have a super immune system or if I'm just generally sickly so I don't notice, but I'm usually able to get around pretty well whether I'm sick or not. Granted, I'm probably not that pleasant to be around with my snottiness, but I managed to pull through. But this time, my entire body just ached. At some point I got myself into the shower and it hurt to have the water hit my skin. Now, I'm just down to a jarring headache that gets activated every time I cough. And, I have my appetite back.
Hooray.
Now, the question is, what do I eat?
I've never really taken time off from work. I've had laryngitis and still gone in-- not an easy task when your supervisor's favorite thing to do is ask questions that require long, well-thought out responses. In between sweating out my fever and putzing about the house looking for something to eat, I've been feeling very guilty about not being in the office and not doing anything particularly productive. I think what's making everything worse is that I'm pretty exhausted, in general, due to Coro, so sleeping all day hasn't been much of a problem for me.
I can't really remember the last time I was actually bed-ridden when I was sick. I'm not sure if I have a super immune system or if I'm just generally sickly so I don't notice, but I'm usually able to get around pretty well whether I'm sick or not. Granted, I'm probably not that pleasant to be around with my snottiness, but I managed to pull through. But this time, my entire body just ached. At some point I got myself into the shower and it hurt to have the water hit my skin. Now, I'm just down to a jarring headache that gets activated every time I cough. And, I have my appetite back.
Hooray.
Now, the question is, what do I eat?
Monday, February 11, 2008
She's a maniac / maniac on the floor
Note to self: Do not take an early flight in from Vegas after two straight nights of partying and drinking to go work at a non-profit with a very demanding supervisor.
Time is funny in that you can completely warp it as you please, if you're clever enough. This weekend, for example, your standard 2-day weekend, somehow turned into many, many days. In the span of two days I managed to:
It feels like a whole other world... that's for sure. My body has still yet to recover and is craving food and sleep, both of which were a near impossibility up until the very moment. So, hooray for my own bed and Korean sushi rolls!
On a completely different note, who else is excited about tomorrow's primaries? After this kick that Obama has been on... it's hard not to be excited still! I spent most of my day making labels and listening to the Will.I.Am song, "Yes We Can" and looking up old speeches by Obama on YouTube. It's so interesting to hear his 2004 DNC speech now... he begins by saying something like, "I'm not supposed to be standing up here." I remember exactly where I was when I first heard that speech and just getting the chills. It happened again this second time. I want to see him get the nomination, just to see him on that stage again and to see what he would say about that speech 4 years ago.
After Super Tuesday, I've been grappling with the humbling realization that I have much to learn and what I thought was a sharp political acumen is not very... well, sharp. I both over and under estimate the voting public and I still have yet to understand what really makes them tick. I think I need to learn to accept things as they are, rather than viewing them as I would like to see it. I frequently try to give the voting public a sense of strict order and logic and of course that isn't true. It's not that the voting public is stupid or irrational, they just don't fit the order and logic of my brain. I need to learn to take what I observe and accept them. Changing the world, based on what I observe, is the next step, not to be confused as being part of the same one. I think if I could learn this lesson many other aspects of my life would be considerably easier.
Here's to tomorrow... to a long day at work, with limited access to political updates :(
Time is funny in that you can completely warp it as you please, if you're clever enough. This weekend, for example, your standard 2-day weekend, somehow turned into many, many days. In the span of two days I managed to:
- Attend a three hour training on accountability and consensus-building
- Fly to Vegas
- Consume copious amounts of alcohol, both in daylight and in night-light
- Shop
- Get excited about the progress of the Obama campaign after Saturday's primaries
- Get typically undrunk people VERY drunk
It feels like a whole other world... that's for sure. My body has still yet to recover and is craving food and sleep, both of which were a near impossibility up until the very moment. So, hooray for my own bed and Korean sushi rolls!
On a completely different note, who else is excited about tomorrow's primaries? After this kick that Obama has been on... it's hard not to be excited still! I spent most of my day making labels and listening to the Will.I.Am song, "Yes We Can" and looking up old speeches by Obama on YouTube. It's so interesting to hear his 2004 DNC speech now... he begins by saying something like, "I'm not supposed to be standing up here." I remember exactly where I was when I first heard that speech and just getting the chills. It happened again this second time. I want to see him get the nomination, just to see him on that stage again and to see what he would say about that speech 4 years ago.
After Super Tuesday, I've been grappling with the humbling realization that I have much to learn and what I thought was a sharp political acumen is not very... well, sharp. I both over and under estimate the voting public and I still have yet to understand what really makes them tick. I think I need to learn to accept things as they are, rather than viewing them as I would like to see it. I frequently try to give the voting public a sense of strict order and logic and of course that isn't true. It's not that the voting public is stupid or irrational, they just don't fit the order and logic of my brain. I need to learn to take what I observe and accept them. Changing the world, based on what I observe, is the next step, not to be confused as being part of the same one. I think if I could learn this lesson many other aspects of my life would be considerably easier.
Here's to tomorrow... to a long day at work, with limited access to political updates :(
Monday, February 4, 2008
We're just ordinary people...
And we get the chance to shape history and the future!
Yes, as dorky as that sounds, I do believe in the process of voting and the engagement of people, particularly people of color and other marginalized groups, in the democratic process.
With Super Tuesday just HOURS away, I present to you my Voter's Guide to the Presidential Primaries (for the residents of Los Angeles):
Propositions:
Proposition 91 (aka the one about transportation funding)
Yes: http//www.yeson91.net
No: none available (see above)
Haven't heard about this one? Haven't see any ads on late-night television? That's because the supporters pulled their support for this one. It says that it would prohibit gasoline tax money from being left in the general fund (instead of being put in the Transportation Investment Fund). Prop 1A back in November provides the protection for our gas tax, so Prop 91 really isn't needed anymore. If you look at the "pro" argument in your ballot guide, you'll actually see that the proponents are telling you to vote NO.
Tina says vote NO on Proposition 91 because she doesn't like to be redundant.
Proposition 92 (aka the one about community colleges)
Yes: http://www.prop92yes.com
No: http//www.noprop92.org
The proposition basically says that California community colleges will have an independent governing body (a little like the UCs), limit student fees to $15 per unit/semester and future increases, and provides a formula for community college budget appropriation from the legislature. Simply put, it would guarantee a certain amount of money for community colleges from the state and thus would allow student fees to remain steady and provide some amount of independence for the community college system.
Supporters say that it will lower student fees (currently it costs $20 per unit/semester), while establishing a way for community colleges to have stable funding in the future. Opponents argue that this proposition would lock in a spending mandate for the state, without a way to pay for it without cutting into other programs.
Community college funding, like other public higher education funding, comes from the state's General Fund. Now that's in the same pool as other programs like healthcare, prisons, and K-12 education funding. Public higher education programs generally see the ax during hard financial times for the state, being bumped further down on the funding totem pole, so it's understandable that the powers-that-be of the community colleges would want to protect itself. While I agree that public education needs to be prioritized by the state and its elected leaders, I don't know if this is the best way to go about it, especially without the consideration of the other higher ed institutions in the state, like the CSUs and the UCs who will be impacted by this change. My vote for this one is a little hesitant, but ultimately...
Tina says vote NO on Proposition 92 because it doesn't seem like the best solution to the funding problem.
Proposition 93 (aka the one about term limits)
Yes: http://www.termlimitsreform.com
No: http://www.stopthepoliticians.com
Term limits. Political junkies care. Elected officials care. I get the feeling that everyone else... doesn't care very much. However, term limits has a lot to do with how we are governed. This mildly confusing proposition would basically change the maximum number of years allowed in office (at the state legislative level) from 14 years to 12 years. It also changes how one can spend their time in the State Legislature. Right now if you were a career politician you are limited to six years (three 2-year terms) in the Assembly and eight years (two 4-year terms) in the Senate. The proposition would change this so you could spend your entire 12 years in either house (so six 2-year terms in the Assembly or three 4-year terms in the State Senate).
The contentious part of this Proposition is the "transition" clause. It says that in order to allow for the transition of this law, current elected officials could spend a consecutive 12-years in their current house of legislature, regardless of service in either house.
Proponents say that this change would make our government more effective, by balancing new legislators (with their new ideas and new energy) with experienced legislators who have had the time to learn the system, become savvy to California politics, and implement large-term projects. Opponents say that the proposition is written to scam the voters and is actually a trick to lengthen the time politicians could stay in office (that "transition" part of the proposition). The opponents identified 42 incumbent politicians who would benefit from this transition piece.
Tina says vote YES on Proposition 93 because politicians are going to find a way to stay in politics, so let's at least make it so they are doing something while they're playing the game.
Propositions 94-97 (aka the one about Indian gaming)
Yes: http://www.yesforcalifornia.com
No: http//www.nounfairdeals.com
The ever-so contentious gaming propositions. Why is that anytime Indian gaming is talked about it becomes a very furious, very public battle? Native Americans get characterized as both too poor and too greedy in the same breath, simultaneously being cheated by and cheating the government. The four propositions are lumped together because each is the same compact with four different gaming tribes. The propositions would basically allow each tribe to add 5,500 slot machines at their respective casinos, would omit some projects done by the tribes from the purview of the California Environmental Quality Act (and put it under the Tribal Environmental Impact Report), and have the tribes pay $42,500,000 to the state plus a percentage from those slot machines.
Proponents say that it will generate much needed revenue for the state (read: we're broke and we need money!), create jobs, and shares money with other tribes that don't have gaming across the state. Opponents say that these propositions will rapidly expand gambling in the state, would allow tribal casinos to skirt environmental laws, wouldn't protect casino workers, and ultimately could be manipulated so that these large tribes don't really pay their full share to the state.
Again, a hard set of propositions to make a firm decision on. It makes me a little queasy that they won't fall under CEQA. However, given that tribal communities are sovereign nations, they SHOULDN'T have to fall under CEQA. I could honestly care less whether or not these casinos expand (despite the argument that Asian Americans have a gambling problem and expanding casinos would cause more problems for Asian Americans). I also wonder what guarantees are in place so that smaller tribes are also benefiting from the expansion. Given all of these questions...
Tina says NO on Propositions 94-97 because there's a hierarchy within tribes too and that shit just ain't fair.
Measure S (aka the one about the phone tax)
Yes: http://www.propsfacts.com
No: http://noonprops.com
Ahh, Measure S. I should fully disclose at this point that I have worked on this campaign, so while I will attempt to be fair and balanced in my analysis of this measure, I have been on the "yes" side for the last four weeks. The measure basically would change an existing telephone tax on a couple of points. First, it would reduce the existing tax from 10 percent to 9 percent. Second, it would change the language of the tax to cover most telecommunications (so, things like T1 lines that would be setup to provide voice communications would now be included). Two basic changes that are causing a huge uproar. It would maintain the exemption of low-income senior citizens and disabled people, non-profit educational organizations, some media organizations, and a 5% tax for telecommunications companies.
The proponents say that the tax would be fairer because it closes a corporate loophole that kept them from paying their fair share of the tax (that whole use of T1 lines for voice communications). And, it would NOT tax the Internet. The funding is a necessary part of the general fund that provides money for public safety programs, city services, parks and recreations, etc. The opponents say that the tax is illegal, as it is sitting in the appellate court due to a snafu with collection on cellphone usage. It would ultimately be a tax increase, rather than a tax reduction because it would tax more forms of telecommunications.
The pro side and the con side seem to be contradicting each other, right? Right.
Here's the real info. Yes, it is a tax reduction from 10 percent to 9 percent. Yes, it will tax your cellphone calls, but this has already been done and will continue to happen. The appellate courts are deciding whether or not this can happen and under what circumstances it can happen, so while one could argue that a part of the existing tax should not be collected, one cannot argue the ENTIRE tax shouldn't be collected. It won't tax the Internet. Federal law says that the Internet is not to be taxed and there exists a clear line in the law that says that it will follow state and federal laws first and foremost. Yes, there are some companies, organizations, and individuals that will be exempt or have differing versions of the law, but this is how it always was.
I will say this. We have a $155 million projected shortfall in the city's budget. Do we really want to shoot ourselves in the foot by saying that we won't collect anywhere between $240-273 million in the future? If we don't pass this measure, it'll be continued to be collected until a court decision is made. If we pass it, we firmly say that we will collect it and we will collect it in a perfectly legal matter. We need some way to fund our public services...
Tina says vote YES on Measure S (aka Prop S) because it's not really that complicated and we seriously need the money.
Democratic Presidential Primary
Barack: http//www.barackobama.com
Hillary: http://www.hillaryclinton.com
I'm only doing the Democratic Primary candidates because I don't think I would do the Republicans any justice by talking about them. I could try, but it would just be a waste of time for everyone.
We have two candidates left on our ballot (I mean, you are totally free to vote your conscience and vote for some of the other candidates like Edwards or Kucinich, but your vote would seriously be going nowhere...). Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Let's be honest. Both are pretty middle-of-the-road candidates. They have questionable policies on a lot of different issues, be it the war in Iraq, immigration, or healthcare. Clinton voted for the war, while Obama came out against it. Both haven't really done much lately to stop it from continuing. Clinton and Obama both talk about "comprehensive immigration reform," a reform that involves sending people "back to the end of the line." (Question, with the line to enter the United States always growing, where does the "end of the line" start?) One touts experience, while the other promises change. Both would be historic nominees of the Democratic party.
So how does one choose?
I don't imagine either of their policy positions being shockingly to the left. They will both be competent at playing the middle, pulling in those moderate Republicans. Word is, Obama has a better shot against McCain (assuming he is the Republican nominee) than Clinton in the general elections. If you're shooting for the anyone-but-a-republican candidate, than that might help sway your decision.
Bottom line is, both candidates are quite exciting. Both are trying to mobilize groups of voters that get very little attention in this country. (Now if one of them would start courting the Asian American vote, I'm totally in). The question is, who will be able to attract the other's votes for the general elections. Who won't lose members of the excited Democratic Party if they win the nomination?
I'll be honest. I have more faith in Obama, if one could have any amount of faith in an elected official, particularly a national one. I prefer his background to hers (working as a community organizer in Chicago) and the excitement he causes amongst typically disenfranchised voters. His youthfulness could potentially carry young people into a new era of civic engagement. Clinton might have the experience and she may have done good things in her career, but she can't promise the same thing to me.
If I had my way, I'd vote for Jed Bartlett-like candidate, but that isn't going to happen so...
Tina says vote for OBAMA for the Democratic nominee for President because Michelle Obama would make a badass First Spouse.
If this wasn't enough for you, check out www.smartvoter.org, a comprehensive voter guide (the official, really). And do some research. You owe it to yourself, you ordinary person... because dammit, you can do some extraordinary things.
Yes, as dorky as that sounds, I do believe in the process of voting and the engagement of people, particularly people of color and other marginalized groups, in the democratic process.
With Super Tuesday just HOURS away, I present to you my Voter's Guide to the Presidential Primaries (for the residents of Los Angeles):
Propositions:
Proposition 91 (aka the one about transportation funding)
Yes: http//www.yeson91.net
No: none available (see above)
Haven't heard about this one? Haven't see any ads on late-night television? That's because the supporters pulled their support for this one. It says that it would prohibit gasoline tax money from being left in the general fund (instead of being put in the Transportation Investment Fund). Prop 1A back in November provides the protection for our gas tax, so Prop 91 really isn't needed anymore. If you look at the "pro" argument in your ballot guide, you'll actually see that the proponents are telling you to vote NO.
Tina says vote NO on Proposition 91 because she doesn't like to be redundant.
Proposition 92 (aka the one about community colleges)
Yes: http://www.prop92yes.com
No: http//www.noprop92.org
The proposition basically says that California community colleges will have an independent governing body (a little like the UCs), limit student fees to $15 per unit/semester and future increases, and provides a formula for community college budget appropriation from the legislature. Simply put, it would guarantee a certain amount of money for community colleges from the state and thus would allow student fees to remain steady and provide some amount of independence for the community college system.
Supporters say that it will lower student fees (currently it costs $20 per unit/semester), while establishing a way for community colleges to have stable funding in the future. Opponents argue that this proposition would lock in a spending mandate for the state, without a way to pay for it without cutting into other programs.
Community college funding, like other public higher education funding, comes from the state's General Fund. Now that's in the same pool as other programs like healthcare, prisons, and K-12 education funding. Public higher education programs generally see the ax during hard financial times for the state, being bumped further down on the funding totem pole, so it's understandable that the powers-that-be of the community colleges would want to protect itself. While I agree that public education needs to be prioritized by the state and its elected leaders, I don't know if this is the best way to go about it, especially without the consideration of the other higher ed institutions in the state, like the CSUs and the UCs who will be impacted by this change. My vote for this one is a little hesitant, but ultimately...
Tina says vote NO on Proposition 92 because it doesn't seem like the best solution to the funding problem.
Proposition 93 (aka the one about term limits)
Yes: http://www.termlimitsreform.com
No: http://www.stopthepoliticians.com
Term limits. Political junkies care. Elected officials care. I get the feeling that everyone else... doesn't care very much. However, term limits has a lot to do with how we are governed. This mildly confusing proposition would basically change the maximum number of years allowed in office (at the state legislative level) from 14 years to 12 years. It also changes how one can spend their time in the State Legislature. Right now if you were a career politician you are limited to six years (three 2-year terms) in the Assembly and eight years (two 4-year terms) in the Senate. The proposition would change this so you could spend your entire 12 years in either house (so six 2-year terms in the Assembly or three 4-year terms in the State Senate).
The contentious part of this Proposition is the "transition" clause. It says that in order to allow for the transition of this law, current elected officials could spend a consecutive 12-years in their current house of legislature, regardless of service in either house.
Proponents say that this change would make our government more effective, by balancing new legislators (with their new ideas and new energy) with experienced legislators who have had the time to learn the system, become savvy to California politics, and implement large-term projects. Opponents say that the proposition is written to scam the voters and is actually a trick to lengthen the time politicians could stay in office (that "transition" part of the proposition). The opponents identified 42 incumbent politicians who would benefit from this transition piece.
Tina says vote YES on Proposition 93 because politicians are going to find a way to stay in politics, so let's at least make it so they are doing something while they're playing the game.
Propositions 94-97 (aka the one about Indian gaming)
Yes: http://www.yesforcalifornia.com
No: http//www.nounfairdeals.com
The ever-so contentious gaming propositions. Why is that anytime Indian gaming is talked about it becomes a very furious, very public battle? Native Americans get characterized as both too poor and too greedy in the same breath, simultaneously being cheated by and cheating the government. The four propositions are lumped together because each is the same compact with four different gaming tribes. The propositions would basically allow each tribe to add 5,500 slot machines at their respective casinos, would omit some projects done by the tribes from the purview of the California Environmental Quality Act (and put it under the Tribal Environmental Impact Report), and have the tribes pay $42,500,000 to the state plus a percentage from those slot machines.
Proponents say that it will generate much needed revenue for the state (read: we're broke and we need money!), create jobs, and shares money with other tribes that don't have gaming across the state. Opponents say that these propositions will rapidly expand gambling in the state, would allow tribal casinos to skirt environmental laws, wouldn't protect casino workers, and ultimately could be manipulated so that these large tribes don't really pay their full share to the state.
Again, a hard set of propositions to make a firm decision on. It makes me a little queasy that they won't fall under CEQA. However, given that tribal communities are sovereign nations, they SHOULDN'T have to fall under CEQA. I could honestly care less whether or not these casinos expand (despite the argument that Asian Americans have a gambling problem and expanding casinos would cause more problems for Asian Americans). I also wonder what guarantees are in place so that smaller tribes are also benefiting from the expansion. Given all of these questions...
Tina says NO on Propositions 94-97 because there's a hierarchy within tribes too and that shit just ain't fair.
Measure S (aka the one about the phone tax)
Yes: http://www.propsfacts.com
No: http://noonprops.com
Ahh, Measure S. I should fully disclose at this point that I have worked on this campaign, so while I will attempt to be fair and balanced in my analysis of this measure, I have been on the "yes" side for the last four weeks. The measure basically would change an existing telephone tax on a couple of points. First, it would reduce the existing tax from 10 percent to 9 percent. Second, it would change the language of the tax to cover most telecommunications (so, things like T1 lines that would be setup to provide voice communications would now be included). Two basic changes that are causing a huge uproar. It would maintain the exemption of low-income senior citizens and disabled people, non-profit educational organizations, some media organizations, and a 5% tax for telecommunications companies.
The proponents say that the tax would be fairer because it closes a corporate loophole that kept them from paying their fair share of the tax (that whole use of T1 lines for voice communications). And, it would NOT tax the Internet. The funding is a necessary part of the general fund that provides money for public safety programs, city services, parks and recreations, etc. The opponents say that the tax is illegal, as it is sitting in the appellate court due to a snafu with collection on cellphone usage. It would ultimately be a tax increase, rather than a tax reduction because it would tax more forms of telecommunications.
The pro side and the con side seem to be contradicting each other, right? Right.
Here's the real info. Yes, it is a tax reduction from 10 percent to 9 percent. Yes, it will tax your cellphone calls, but this has already been done and will continue to happen. The appellate courts are deciding whether or not this can happen and under what circumstances it can happen, so while one could argue that a part of the existing tax should not be collected, one cannot argue the ENTIRE tax shouldn't be collected. It won't tax the Internet. Federal law says that the Internet is not to be taxed and there exists a clear line in the law that says that it will follow state and federal laws first and foremost. Yes, there are some companies, organizations, and individuals that will be exempt or have differing versions of the law, but this is how it always was.
I will say this. We have a $155 million projected shortfall in the city's budget. Do we really want to shoot ourselves in the foot by saying that we won't collect anywhere between $240-273 million in the future? If we don't pass this measure, it'll be continued to be collected until a court decision is made. If we pass it, we firmly say that we will collect it and we will collect it in a perfectly legal matter. We need some way to fund our public services...
Tina says vote YES on Measure S (aka Prop S) because it's not really that complicated and we seriously need the money.
Democratic Presidential Primary
Barack: http//www.barackobama.com
Hillary: http://www.hillaryclinton.com
I'm only doing the Democratic Primary candidates because I don't think I would do the Republicans any justice by talking about them. I could try, but it would just be a waste of time for everyone.
We have two candidates left on our ballot (I mean, you are totally free to vote your conscience and vote for some of the other candidates like Edwards or Kucinich, but your vote would seriously be going nowhere...). Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Let's be honest. Both are pretty middle-of-the-road candidates. They have questionable policies on a lot of different issues, be it the war in Iraq, immigration, or healthcare. Clinton voted for the war, while Obama came out against it. Both haven't really done much lately to stop it from continuing. Clinton and Obama both talk about "comprehensive immigration reform," a reform that involves sending people "back to the end of the line." (Question, with the line to enter the United States always growing, where does the "end of the line" start?) One touts experience, while the other promises change. Both would be historic nominees of the Democratic party.
So how does one choose?
I don't imagine either of their policy positions being shockingly to the left. They will both be competent at playing the middle, pulling in those moderate Republicans. Word is, Obama has a better shot against McCain (assuming he is the Republican nominee) than Clinton in the general elections. If you're shooting for the anyone-but-a-republican candidate, than that might help sway your decision.
Bottom line is, both candidates are quite exciting. Both are trying to mobilize groups of voters that get very little attention in this country. (Now if one of them would start courting the Asian American vote, I'm totally in). The question is, who will be able to attract the other's votes for the general elections. Who won't lose members of the excited Democratic Party if they win the nomination?
I'll be honest. I have more faith in Obama, if one could have any amount of faith in an elected official, particularly a national one. I prefer his background to hers (working as a community organizer in Chicago) and the excitement he causes amongst typically disenfranchised voters. His youthfulness could potentially carry young people into a new era of civic engagement. Clinton might have the experience and she may have done good things in her career, but she can't promise the same thing to me.
If I had my way, I'd vote for Jed Bartlett-like candidate, but that isn't going to happen so...
Tina says vote for OBAMA for the Democratic nominee for President because Michelle Obama would make a badass First Spouse.
If this wasn't enough for you, check out www.smartvoter.org, a comprehensive voter guide (the official, really). And do some research. You owe it to yourself, you ordinary person... because dammit, you can do some extraordinary things.
She works hard for her money...
It was a shockingly productive weekend, these past two days. It was a happy combination of work, play, and everything in between.
Let's do an inventory, shall we?
- Pseudo-Obama Event #1 (read: dancing with roommate and friends)
- Brunch with Mentor (on the road to finding a job!)
- Fixed headlight
- Dropped off computer for life-saving surgery
- Lunar New Year Party
- Volunteered at Obama Event
- Purchased and Made care package for best friend abroad
- Watched '2046' and gained greater understanding of self (just kidding)
Things I should have done:
- Laundry (although, I'm not nearing the top of the laundry basket, so I'm okay)
- Attend Obama Event #2
- Work on resume
- Look up jobs
It's the month of February. I need to start setting up contacts for different jobs and start meeting with people about it.
Is is bad I just want to sit back and hope that something just falls into my lap (a little like Coro?)
One more day and its Super Tuesday.
While my roommate and I were shouting at the TV watching the Food Network's First Annual Wedding Cake Challenge, my upstairs neighbors were yelling for the Super Bowl. Shows you where our priorities are.
They won't know what hit them come Tuesday. Now THAT'S real excitement and suspense.
Let's do an inventory, shall we?
- Pseudo-Obama Event #1 (read: dancing with roommate and friends)
- Brunch with Mentor (on the road to finding a job!)
- Fixed headlight
- Dropped off computer for life-saving surgery
- Lunar New Year Party
- Volunteered at Obama Event
- Purchased and Made care package for best friend abroad
- Watched '2046' and gained greater understanding of self (just kidding)
Things I should have done:
- Laundry (although, I'm not nearing the top of the laundry basket, so I'm okay)
- Attend Obama Event #2
- Work on resume
- Look up jobs
It's the month of February. I need to start setting up contacts for different jobs and start meeting with people about it.
Is is bad I just want to sit back and hope that something just falls into my lap (a little like Coro?)
One more day and its Super Tuesday.
While my roommate and I were shouting at the TV watching the Food Network's First Annual Wedding Cake Challenge, my upstairs neighbors were yelling for the Super Bowl. Shows you where our priorities are.
They won't know what hit them come Tuesday. Now THAT'S real excitement and suspense.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Suddenly I see / Why the hell it means so much to me...
Standing lost in the aisle, trying to find a seat as close to the front as possible, I'm being passed by Assemblymember Ted Lieu and his wife. Clearly, the front two rows are slim pickings, so I start to move back towards the back, being hustled along by the police officer who is attempting to maintain some semblance of order on the Mezzanine level. I find an open seat (thank goodness for being alone) and grab it. As I'm looking around, I realize that Former Governor Gray Davis is in the aisle now, shaking hands with different people. His wife waves him over and he takes a seat in front of me. She tells him that the seats were offered to them by some other people and they wave to say Thank You. They're waving to Phil Angelides and his posse.
It's a surreal experience to say the least.
I'm surrounded by the creme de la creme of California politics at the California Democratic Presidential Primary Debates. If it weren't for the postcard sized badge hanging from my neck, I would surely be kicked out in a heartbeat.
Former Governor in the front.
Wannabe Governor to the right.
Tribal leaders in the back.
From the corner of my eye I see Richard Schiff (Toby from the West Wing) taking his seat.
What the hell am I doing here?
The Kodak Theater is a strange place to have a oh-my-god-so-that's-it moments in life, but what the hey... I'll take it where I can get it.
I've never been able to get over that "What the hell am I doing here?" moment, wherever I have been.
I'm deeply rooted to what my life, and particular my parents' life, was like. It's strange to give my mom updates on my life and tell her that I was in a meeting with some hot-shot in the business/government world or that I'm going to Washington DC, AGAIN.
My parents immigrated when they were in their early 20s. My dad came first to work for a year or so to earn enough money for my mom and my brother to fly to the states. Their immigration circumstances were extremely fortunate. My dad had an aunt who was already in the states, so he and his brothers were able to take advantage of the Family provision and all come over together with their parents. My dad took a job as a janitor and earned enough to bring my mom and my brother over. There was no dangerous boat journey, or false documentation, or border crossing. My parents were the right people at the right time with the right family members.
For the early part of my life, my mom was a garment worker and my dad was a janitor. I used to go with my dad on the weekends to help him clean these huge office buildings. I would sneak a candy out of the receptionist's jar and hope that my dad didn't notice. My dad also did some minor jobs, doing upkeep for some apartment buildings. We would share the work-- I would clean the windows on the lower half of the entrance doors and my dad would do the high parts. My mom worked from home because my brother and I were still too legally young to stay at home alone. She set up shop in her bedroom, withi large sheets of clear plastic covering her bed and furniture, because the dust would sometimes be thick after a day's work. Sometimes my brother and I would sit with her and help her fold the pieces she made to be bagged up and sent back to the factory. She used to wake me up at 4 in the morning, bundle me up in my blanket, and put me in the passenger seat so she could deliver her week's work and use the carpool lane. She would have to get back in time to make sure my brother was ready for school and without the carpool lane, she would be stuck in rush hour traffic.
My childhood is marked with strange memories.
I remember refusing to get in the car when my dad came to pick me up because he had to borrow an employee's junky car. I was in middle school and I was too embarassed to admit that my family wasn't rich.
I remember sitting in their factory, with the lights only half on, as their friends streamed in to help unstitch the hems of clothes that were sewed incorrectly.
There were weeks where my brother and I didn't see our parents, because they would get up earlier than we woke up and came in close to midnight. Those were the hard times when they were still trying to figure things out.
All these things come to mind when I'm sitting in a room like yesterday.
I'm a child of immigrants.
My father will be voting in his first election since his naturalization last year.
My mother is still waiting to be processed as a citizen.
I went to public schools.
I am an Asian American.
I am a woman.
I am young.
None of these things screams "POLITICS"
If anything, they say that I shouldn't be in the room-- that I shouldn't be taken seriously.
I have difficulty getting past this. No matter how accomplished I am, I will always feel out of place, that I will be asked to leave because I don't belong.
Perhaps this is why I have such a fondness for Obama. I disagree with him on some very core policy issues, which makes it difficult to throw all of my support behind him. But then I look at who he is.
He is the child of an immigrant.
He came up in a single-parent household.
He has half-brothers and sisters... not your idea of the perfect American household.
He admitted to using drugs.
He is black.
He is biracial.
And he sure is skinny.
He doesn't fit the mold in the least bit.
If there is a chance that this country will allow a man like that into its highest position of leadership, perhaps someone like me can sit in a room like yesterday and not have to feel out of place.
If there is a chance that people can support a candidate with his background, it means that there just may be a fundamental shift in how we see people, how we see leadership, how we see... everything.
It's not him that I'm supporting. It's the idea of him. It's the idea that this country is capable of changing itself after 200 years of stupidity and blind judgement.
With all of this, I'm learning what I have to change about myself.
It has nothing to do with confidence or social grace. Those things I can manage pretty well.
My next step, and perhaps my REAL new year's resolution, is to learn how to get those nagging voices out of my head that tell me that I'm not supposed to be here, doing what I'm doing.
It's a surreal experience to say the least.
I'm surrounded by the creme de la creme of California politics at the California Democratic Presidential Primary Debates. If it weren't for the postcard sized badge hanging from my neck, I would surely be kicked out in a heartbeat.
Former Governor in the front.
Wannabe Governor to the right.
Tribal leaders in the back.
From the corner of my eye I see Richard Schiff (Toby from the West Wing) taking his seat.
What the hell am I doing here?
The Kodak Theater is a strange place to have a oh-my-god-so-that's-it moments in life, but what the hey... I'll take it where I can get it.
I've never been able to get over that "What the hell am I doing here?" moment, wherever I have been.
I'm deeply rooted to what my life, and particular my parents' life, was like. It's strange to give my mom updates on my life and tell her that I was in a meeting with some hot-shot in the business/government world or that I'm going to Washington DC, AGAIN.
My parents immigrated when they were in their early 20s. My dad came first to work for a year or so to earn enough money for my mom and my brother to fly to the states. Their immigration circumstances were extremely fortunate. My dad had an aunt who was already in the states, so he and his brothers were able to take advantage of the Family provision and all come over together with their parents. My dad took a job as a janitor and earned enough to bring my mom and my brother over. There was no dangerous boat journey, or false documentation, or border crossing. My parents were the right people at the right time with the right family members.
For the early part of my life, my mom was a garment worker and my dad was a janitor. I used to go with my dad on the weekends to help him clean these huge office buildings. I would sneak a candy out of the receptionist's jar and hope that my dad didn't notice. My dad also did some minor jobs, doing upkeep for some apartment buildings. We would share the work-- I would clean the windows on the lower half of the entrance doors and my dad would do the high parts. My mom worked from home because my brother and I were still too legally young to stay at home alone. She set up shop in her bedroom, withi large sheets of clear plastic covering her bed and furniture, because the dust would sometimes be thick after a day's work. Sometimes my brother and I would sit with her and help her fold the pieces she made to be bagged up and sent back to the factory. She used to wake me up at 4 in the morning, bundle me up in my blanket, and put me in the passenger seat so she could deliver her week's work and use the carpool lane. She would have to get back in time to make sure my brother was ready for school and without the carpool lane, she would be stuck in rush hour traffic.
My childhood is marked with strange memories.
I remember refusing to get in the car when my dad came to pick me up because he had to borrow an employee's junky car. I was in middle school and I was too embarassed to admit that my family wasn't rich.
I remember sitting in their factory, with the lights only half on, as their friends streamed in to help unstitch the hems of clothes that were sewed incorrectly.
There were weeks where my brother and I didn't see our parents, because they would get up earlier than we woke up and came in close to midnight. Those were the hard times when they were still trying to figure things out.
All these things come to mind when I'm sitting in a room like yesterday.
I'm a child of immigrants.
My father will be voting in his first election since his naturalization last year.
My mother is still waiting to be processed as a citizen.
I went to public schools.
I am an Asian American.
I am a woman.
I am young.
None of these things screams "POLITICS"
If anything, they say that I shouldn't be in the room-- that I shouldn't be taken seriously.
I have difficulty getting past this. No matter how accomplished I am, I will always feel out of place, that I will be asked to leave because I don't belong.
Perhaps this is why I have such a fondness for Obama. I disagree with him on some very core policy issues, which makes it difficult to throw all of my support behind him. But then I look at who he is.
He is the child of an immigrant.
He came up in a single-parent household.
He has half-brothers and sisters... not your idea of the perfect American household.
He admitted to using drugs.
He is black.
He is biracial.
And he sure is skinny.
He doesn't fit the mold in the least bit.
If there is a chance that this country will allow a man like that into its highest position of leadership, perhaps someone like me can sit in a room like yesterday and not have to feel out of place.
If there is a chance that people can support a candidate with his background, it means that there just may be a fundamental shift in how we see people, how we see leadership, how we see... everything.
It's not him that I'm supporting. It's the idea of him. It's the idea that this country is capable of changing itself after 200 years of stupidity and blind judgement.
With all of this, I'm learning what I have to change about myself.
It has nothing to do with confidence or social grace. Those things I can manage pretty well.
My next step, and perhaps my REAL new year's resolution, is to learn how to get those nagging voices out of my head that tell me that I'm not supposed to be here, doing what I'm doing.
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