Sunday, November 27, 2011

Arizona politics

The month of November brought local elections to Arizona and none were more contentious than the recall voting of Republican State Senator Russell Pearce. If his name sounds familiar, it should. He is the brainchild behind such legislation as SB 1070 and the birthright amendments (both pieces fiercely anti illegal immigration using racial methods).

Initially in the race there were just two candidates, Mr. Pearce and a Mr. Jerry Lewis, also a Republican, but MUCH more moderate. Suddenly in July a third candidate popped up, Olivia Cortez. She had no political experience, was holding no press conferences and turned down calls for volunteers. What was going on?? It seems, (though this has not been officially confirmed but all evidence points to this), Ms. Cortez was recruited by the local Tea Party (big supporters of Pearce) to run in an effort to dilute votes for the moderate Jerry Lewis. Her nominating petitions were filed by the Phoenix East Valley Tea Party chairman. And when it came time for her to disclose who her financial backers were, she drops out of the race. She was a diversionary candidate, to siphon off votes for Jerry Lewis ā€“ that is how things work out here in Arizona; scheming tricks and childish games, instead of challenging on the issues.

This story does have a happy ending, the sham candidate tactic backfired (the Phoenix media picked up on it and ran with it daily) and Jerry Lewis won. Despite the Wild West mentality of this particular election, sensibility somehow prevailed.

Read more about it here ā€“

Link

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/11/opponents_of_russell_pearce_say_recall_is_cautiona.php

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

baby photo contests

Gotta make this quick, at work and have so much to do!! But I am rather tired of neglecting my blog.

Its funny, driving to work, I have all these topics I think about to write in the blog but as soon as Iā€™m faced with the blank page of the computer, my mind wipes clean. Aye!

Traveling back from my in-laws, who live in Sacremento, I picked up the airline magazine and was hugely disappointed. It was awful. It seemed like basically they had pulled press releases from locations and published. There were no thoughtful pieces, nothing interesting. I know airplane magazines are not bastions of exciting reading but really, this is the height of sloppy work. Could not the editors club together something?

I freelance write on the side and am thinking of sending a query ā€“ what do you think? What topics would one want to see in an airline magazine article? I would like to use the fact that I work for the airline as part of the query letter, how should I word that? That I want better articles in the magazine, because it is a reflection of the airline (though the magazine is actually outsourced to a third party and not done in house by the airline).

Also, anyone have tips on entering baby into online baby photo contests?? She is adorable and if she won, would help boost her college fund.

Thanks!

Monday, November 07, 2011

Sadness

Link
Here is the pic as promised - she is a parrot.


Going through the blogs I frequent last week, I read with great sadness that my dear blog friend, Brenda's husband had passed. I was than and continue to remain in shock. He was under 60 and was not unduly sick. It all came on suddenly. The ultimate tragedy is that he was a hard worker but did not have any health insurance, because Brenda and her husband were farmers. What does it say about America that a man dies for lack of health insurance. My God - he could have been living in a village in the Sudan, for all the good living in the wealthiest nation in the world did him!

Reading her post on her beloved husband's death, I am just want to scream at those people who oppose health care for all, shouting about "Obamacare." What do they know, sitting comfortably with their Medicaid cards or their wealthy pensions, so easy to talk about the evils of nationalized health care. Say what you will about Canada's health care but it is still a hell of a lot better than what we have here!

I have never met Brenda or her husband yet through the years of reading her blog, I feel a connection and I wish there was more that I could do to help my dear blog friend. In lieu of being able to deliver a casserole to AK, I am going to continue to fight for better health care options in this country, so these kind of tragedies don't happen to other kind people.