codeamazon's Journal
[Most Recent Entries]
[Calendar View]
[Friends]
Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in
codeamazon's LiveJournal:
[ << Previous 20 ]
| Friday, June 5th, 2009 | | 1:28 pm |
| | Thursday, May 28th, 2009 | | 8:57 am |
Prop8 musings.
So, some folks on my list are posting this interpretation of Prop 8 : in short the court smacked down the Prop8 folks as hard as they legally could by limiting the scope of Prop8 to the term marriage and absolutely nothing else while affirming last year's decision by an even larger margin than last year. Other folks are crushed because words MATTER and separate but equal never is. iiuc that's actually federally established law, though IANAL. The conclusion seems obvious to me: The only clear way for the state to comply with all parts of the constitution is to stop issuing marriage certificates to anyone. I've been waiting YEARS for this obvious outcome of conservatives' actions. Maybe I read too much Greek mythology as a kid, but it has seemed so obvious to me for so long...let the furious backlash against the conservatives begin! | | Thursday, April 9th, 2009 | | 10:24 pm |
| | Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 | | 11:33 am |
Birthday President
For his birthday, my husband got a new President. We spent the morning at an inauguration party. I returned home to much less chatter on my mailing lists and such than I'd expected, and it got me to thinking. When I began to express enthusiasm -- not just selection, but excitement -- for Obama, the general reaction I got was bemused condescension. As though I were not old enough or experienced enough to have cultivated the proper disconnect from politics. So many people told me I would only emerge disappointed. That he, like every other politician, would be first and foremost a politician. Well good. That's what we're paying him for, eh? What those people really meant was "Like every other politician, he will look out for the haves, and he will compromise and he will not do the things you hope." That's inevitably true. He will not make every choice in line with the choices I would make. If he did, he would be a terrible President, not only because my choices are based on insufficient basis, but because politics are indeed a social game. I can sit here and say I would never choose a homophobic speaker -- I have the luxury of not being responsible for bringing together a country divided. And yet, it is precisely this that we must give our President. I must trust him. I must trust him through choices I would disagree with, through mistakes, which of course will be made, and through compromises. I must do this precisely because my own ideals about each decision may be made in a vacuum and require no realism. After all, I will not guide this country to depression or recovery, so I have the luxury of expounding on my ideal for that recovery. When we choose a leader, it is not unlike choosing a spouse. We are selecting someone to join in partnership with who will help guide the direction of our lives. Sometimes our voice is ignored in this selection and we are left to muddle along with a partner we did not elect. But in either case, our lives are improved when we extend our best effort to make the partnership work, particularly through the rough times. Only when it becomes clear that such a relationship is unhealthy should we even consider withdrawal to the easy distance of scorn and detachment. I am fortunate to have enthusiastically embraced this President, and I vow not to view the first bad time as evidence of impending doom. It seems to me that this is the biggest difference between the many-times divorced, and those whose relationships last : when their partner disappoints or angers them, they see it as a temporary condition. They are slow to conclude that there is a basic incompatibility, though this does sometimes happen. In any partnership, be it marriage, employment or election, there will be benefits and there will be times another choice will appear more favourable. There will be disappointments and letdowns, and hopefully also moments of joy and shared exuberance. And sometimes I will need to remember that I chose this leader and that I must support him even at those times when I do not agree with the fine-grained immediate decisions he makes. Unless he proves abusive, as my last leader was, or consistently goes in a direction opposed to my goals, I must give him my faith through the ups and downs. Much like marriage. Barack Hussein Obama, you have my support. I do not expect every decision to be good, and I know sometimes I will be disappointed or angry with you and your administration. I will not like every decision. I vow not to withdraw my support capriciously, but to remember that any partnership requires faith and vision through hard times. You have my faith. | | Thursday, January 15th, 2009 | | 1:26 pm |
For those not so happy just now...
I chatted with a recruiter I've kept in vague touch with since well before I moved. I initially met her through a friend when I was researching work in Seattle. I've never given her the chance to actually connect me to a position, yet she has patiently answered my questions over the years. For those of you looking for work around Seattle, who might be considering using a recruiter, she's been polite, NEVER pushy, and had seemingly accurate information for me over a span of perhaps three years now: Beth Kester-Warner Senior Technology Recruiter LG Consulting (a division of the Laurel Group) Seattle WA || Silicon Valley CA 206.838.4088 (P) || 206.321.0961 (M) || 206.216.5804 (F) http://www.linkedin.com/in/bethkesterView Openings - http://www.lgconsult.com/careers.html | | Tuesday, January 6th, 2009 | | 7:58 am |
Good news...
A friend posted about his assessment -- which miraculously went down to reflect reality. In OUR neck of the woods assessments went up automatically. Turns out they're averaged from two year old data, and new sales data won't be considered for ... two more years. Have to wonder if there is some variance they can use at that point to exclude a 'temporary low'. When we called to inquire about the request for variance we'd *already* filed for when we purchased the house they had no idea where it might be, and were sure we couldn't file because the "deadline for last appraisal was well passed." We debated rules with them -- you can file if purchase price is more than 10% below appraisal here -- and finally baffled the gal by explaining "estate = dead = no you can't talk to the prior owner" several times and explaining enough math to get a supervisor. Who explained they were the number on the appraisal form, but NOT the office that takes appeals. She was also sure that office would have tossed our appeal because it was premature (for the current appraisal) and therefore now defunct. So we threw our hands up and put "file appeal" on our todo list. And procrastinated. As the deadline approached (you get 60 days iirc, and NO MORE) it floated to the top...and just at the point it had reached "honey..you working on that today?" a miracle came in the mail: confirmation that they had received our appeal. Some four months or so after we filed it, they registered our original appeal. Well, that was an easy TODO item, FSVO "easy"... Saturday, maybe two months after that, the finding came. They approved our variance to purchase price pre-rehab portion. Our taxes are now 70% what they were. WOOT! This is a high tax district, so it really matters. We'll make a point of mailing in the acceptance TODAY. You get 20 days. NO MORE. Now we'll see how long it takes THEM to conclude we've taken the house to market-standard and raise those taxes...if we're lucky they'll simply keep it at "sub-standard" indefinitely. Beurocratic chaff seems to be part of the system -- from the incompetent first person we spoke to (twice) all the way through the various strict and arbitrary deadlines. | | Saturday, December 27th, 2008 | | 1:22 am |
Writer's Block: Better to Receive
Eighteen years ago my mother gave me a fancy alarm clock/radio/tape player. And a whole box of home-made tapes from her extensive collection of classics (and a few others.) She'd never spent that kind of time personally making something for me before, and I adored it. I have nothing that plays tapes any more, and not a few have gone by the wayside. Ironically it's the radio that remains -- right by my bed as the primary family alarm. It's old fashioned enough that it baffles LSB frequently when setting the dual alarms, and also old enough it may live forever. :) The only part that doesn't work is the tape player, which became unreliable a decade or so ago. Heh. | | Thursday, November 20th, 2008 | | 1:41 pm |
Holiday shopping thought...
If you're buying books, consider Powell's ( http://www.powells.com/) in Portland Oregon instead of Amazon. Advantages: 1) used books come from the same warehouse, so are included in tallies for free shipping over $50 2) Customer service ROCKS -- I forgot a silly $5.50 paperback I wanted as a Channukah filler -- so I called and they added it to my internet order so I wouldn't have to pay shipping on it. 3) Employees are well treated -- I mentioned how much I like Powell's and the very fabulous fellow started telling me all about how much he loves the job and how they're having "comfort food week" during the busy Dec. season and... [I've had friends at Amazon ... they have been somewhat less than gushingly enthusiastic.] 4) They're just a wicked cool bookstore, and even if you can't go wander stacks that make most libraries look like nada, the web service has always been VERY good IME. 5) shipping on smaller orders is reasonable : $2.99 + .99 per book. 6) I didn't get charged tax -- it's possible that I still have an old OR address in some "master" list, so I'm not sure if this is universal, but it made me happy. I hate sales tax and miss OR every time I pay it. (I won't miss OR this April when I don't have to file income tax though.) 7) Plus my sweetie did a reading there -- not only a lifelong dream, but nice that there remain places that have book readings. (Shout out to Third Place Books here too.) 8) Because of extensive used book reserves, I got 5 gift books for $64! And, generally, I just really think Powell's seems to be the best of all the reasons for supporting small(er) companies rather than behemoths, so when I'm buying books online, I check there first. | | Thursday, November 6th, 2008 | | 2:37 pm |
Just getting started
I would challenge everyone -- Obama supporter or not -- to come up with one concrete thing they can do, or renew, which they feel will help America become the place they would like to live. I see oil dependence as the focal point of a constellation of ills, from environmental destruction to war to dangerous trade imbalances. I have always focused on environmental issues, but I have decided to particularly focus on reducing my dependence on foreign oil specifically as much as I can afford to. I plan to pay attention to this issue and think about it holistically. To begin, LSB and I have agreed to use 100% of any tax windfall from reforms or incentives to ameliorate the costs of implementing energy conservation in our new home and/or the home we had to rent. We'll dig a little deeper to try to make solar work even if it takes a while to break even on it. My mother feels strongly about the electoral process and plans to work for greater transparency, accountability and accuracy. For those of us who worked hard to get Obama elected, it is our _responsibility_ to maintain that fervor. I suspect from his speech tonight that Obama will lead us in that direction -- I hope we will heed the call. For those who oppose Obama, it is even more important that you work for the things you value in this country. If you fear he and the bulk of his followers will not support 2nd amendment rights, now is the time to renew your energy in defending them. For ALL of us, this is the time to roll up our sleeves and get to work. | | Wednesday, November 5th, 2008 | | 10:37 am |
Prop. 8 :(
To everyone in CA, I'm so very sorry. Please remember that not everyone is afraid, and that perhaps better times will bring, as they so often do, more equality and compassion. That and a ban on external funds for state measures -- particularly those that change the constitution. I've never understood why states don't do that. Bitterly ironic to have Utah Mormons fund "one woman one man" legislation. Edit : I've been reminded that the reason we don't ban such funding is that it violates the free speech clause. I think the fact that money == speech is interesting, and one I need to mull over. | | Monday, November 3rd, 2008 | | 2:27 pm |
| | Friday, October 24th, 2008 | | 12:34 pm |
| | Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008 | | 12:32 pm |
Halloween activism!
It all started with a "scariest costume" idea : dress as Palin. Then a friend was bemoaning being 'complimented' with "You look like Palin!" I told her we should go stumping for Obama on Halloween as a Pack 'o Palins. And then it hit me... What if women across America dressed as the scariest woman in America. At parties or door to door we could explain WHY she's the scariest woman in America. Best part is that nervous folks like me can carry the talking points on cards -- it's all part of the costume! Go as a pack and multiply the impact! Go as a team -- one Tina Fey Palin and one Palin Palin and debate each other. "And three people do it, three, can you imagine, three people ..." What say ye? If you like the idea, comment with costume details and talking point suggestions, and feel free to forward with or without attribution. | | Tuesday, October 21st, 2008 | | 9:42 am |
| | Monday, October 20th, 2008 | | 11:15 pm |
| | Thursday, October 2nd, 2008 | | 1:14 pm |
| | Friday, September 5th, 2008 | | 12:16 pm |
Woot!
Just got a call from a marketing wonk to update our annual listing in a trade directory -- call forwarded by my Grandboss. He complimented my meta tags. I joked "I hope you said that to my boss!" He responded "Actually, I did. I was impressed with your listings." WOOT!! | | Thursday, September 4th, 2008 | | 3:16 pm |
On women in politics
A friend posted this : argument that Mrs. Palin should not be criticized for running with a 4 month old premature baby. That it is, in fact, sexist. I couldn't help myself, and composed this: Trig is nursing, and should for at least two more, and ideally 8 more months*. In most developed countries in the world, Mom would still be on full leave, and in some countries, Dad too. Babies require *significant* adjustments from the entire family, and this is a premature baby with Down Syndrome. Getting a new puppy during a Presidential campaign would strike me as irresponsible. Hell, getting a new puppy with MY life would be irresponsible! Sarah Palin has made a big deal out of the fact she *CHOSE* to have this baby despite his disability. She needs to step up and take care of this human being she brought into the world now. Choosing to have a baby but refusing to allow it to impact your life is hardly laudable. You can't have a large family and a special needs infant and then take one of the most time consuming and exhausting jobs in the country (campaigning -- not serving as VP) and claim that you're going to give 100% on all sides. Who is nursing Trig at 2am and 5am? Not Mr. Palin. Not the teen daughter. Sure, she can switch to formula -- Trig picks up that bill. He's already started life with some big debts. I'm sick and tired of the argument that feminism and women's rights require that women don't allow reproduction to impact their career paths even for a few months. I've felt sorry for years for the Chemistry prof who boasted that she returned to the lecturn the day after delivering. That's a day for bonding with your family, not for talking about covalent bonds. Her husband, the Physics prof, shouldn't have been at work either. Come to think of it -- I'm not sure he was. She had something to prove and she lost something precious in the process. That's sexism. She shouldn't have felt pressure to return to work the day after delivering a new person into the world. Her entire department should have assured her that they knew she was serious about her career, but life happens, and now was the time for life. Parity comes when we recognize the enormous importance of fathers and place the same social imperatives on them to be involved from the first day until the child is grown that we do on mothers. Only that stands a chance of leading to a work environment that stops penalizing women when they are subject to the limits of time and energy that every human is limited by. Parity comes when we recognize that women should not be penalized for taking this time -- we're talking the length of a sabbatical, a time honoured way for burned out workers to recharge -- to care for a new child and NEITHER SHOULD FATHERS. The fact that we consider any pause for child-rearing a sign that a parent isn't serious about career is sexism. Babies need to be born if our country is to continue. We can either have a "parent class" to raise those children, or we can acknowledge the our workforce will be composed of many who are parents, and that parenting is a complicated and time-consuming job that requires adult focus at many points in the child's life, and most particularly the first year. Or we can raise generations of children who are not getting their needs met. What harm could that do? Oh...right... Sarah Palin doesn't lose my respect for having five children and running for office. She loses my respect for choosing to accept an all-consuming job months after delivering a child she chose to have knowing he would require additional support. She loses my respect for claiming there is no conflict there. She loses my respect for campaigning against comprehensive sex-ed, but not educating and/or supervising her daughter sufficiently. And she loses my respect for touting her opposition to terminating any pregnancy, then handing off the infant she holds up -- not to her husband, but to her daughter -- at event after event. Poor Trig, poor Bristol, and poor parents of America if we allow this to be the model of a woman's path to a successful career. Excuse me. I have an update to our company site to complete before my son gets home and I go over his homework with him. - Shasta * http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics%3b100/6/1035 | | Wednesday, June 18th, 2008 | | 12:27 pm |
SNORK
The TRUTH about Barack Obama! Tell all your friends! | | Friday, May 9th, 2008 | | 4:16 pm |
gardening..
A couple of folks here are (thinking about) gardening this year, and one of them asked me for thoughts a while back. Haven't had time to chat with her, so thought I'd post a few here for anyone interested. History : I grew up watching and helping my Grandad garden. In Antigua we were close to self-supporting. In NH it was a summer hobby/supplement, but he integrated his veggies and landscaping LONG before anyone was talking about edible landscaping. As an adult, I took some of the UO's urban gardening courses. I've been gardening on and off ever since. These are my experiences in Eugene, OR: -- I have never had a successful crop of brassicas (broccoli, brussels sprouts, etc.) in this part of the country due to aphids. I've tried all the green aphid controls. I buy my brassicas as it is cheaper and easier. -- I have had some good carrot crops, and some poor. Good soil is KEY. -- I have not succeeded with beets or spinach. -- Peas and beans grow beautifully, and I suspect that soybeans do too. The latter would be a rather worthwhile crop IMO, and virtually ANY freshly picked pea or bean is WILDLY better than you can buy. Worth growing, and some varieties have very pretty flowers that make them appropriate for edible landscaping applications. They're also good for your soil, and don't have a lot of pests here. (Peas will get bumpy. If it bothers you, buy shelling peas which are too damned expensive to buy at the store, and not the same product once frozen or canned.) -- lettuce grows beautifully, but will almost certainly have dirt and slugs in it. I used to grow it regularly, but probably won't grow much in my next garden as baby greens are dirt cheap these days. (hahaha) -- parsley is TOTALLY worth growing, and will likely come back the next year IME. It takes forever to grow -- plant the seeds at Passover (Easter) and you should have small plants in spring. After that it grows gangbusters and I love being able to snip some when I want it. -- same for nearly any herb. Except coriander which has a short period of time from "big enough to be worth it" to "seeds" IME. Too bad because I love cilantro. I just buy it. But I always have sage, rosemary, chives (in a submerged pot -- NOT loose) and next time I'll find an out of the way place for mint for Mojitos. (Mint is a pest -- contain it it a plastic milk jug underground and watch for spreading. Better, if you have a narrow strip between concrete and the house, put it there. Unless you have reason to expect lead in the soil.) -- Everyone grows zuchini in the summer, but everyone lets them get too big. If you know someone who will pick them and share them at hot-dog size, share with them. Otherwise, grow a plant -- some years it will likely die off, others thrive. Mine tend to mold and collapse about half the time. Baby zukes are worth growing. "Prizewinning" ones are for feeding pigs. -- patty pan squash and winter squash I have more luck with. They take a lot of room. -- lemon cukes are easy and worth growing! (Or other cukes.) -- Corn grows well, but you need a large enough plot or it won't set well. -- tomatoes are dicey here, but cherry tomatoes work great. I always plant one red, one yellow-plum. -- Garlic grows GREAT. I like Rokanoke because it's cool looking in the landscape. -- leeks grow well, and they're so expensive in the store I think they're worth a bit of effort, especially since they can be a winter crop. -- potatoes can grow well, and heirloom varieties are well worth growing. That's all I can think of right now. Blueberries make a GREAT landscaping addition, if you own your home, but take a few years to settle in. Strawberries are great under other plants (or over bulbs), and will fruit first year. Other fruit is a longer-term investment. There's a good book on the science, but I can't remember the name. If you're really motivated to find it, it's probably still the UO's urban farming textbook. It's written by a guy just outside Eugene, if you're in a garden store looking. When I unearth it from the boxes, I'll post the name. Also, buy local seeds/plants. Varieties are not all the same, and something robust enough to be sold across the country by Burpees won't be what you really want to eat. If you're going to the effort of growing it, get an heirloom variety local to your area. It will be healthier, and almost certainly tastier. Nichol's nursery (near Albany) is a good PNW source for both plants and seeds. I've never been a successful seed-started. Tried for years and years and years. I'll probably keep trying simply because I can't help myself. I don't think I've EVER matched the quality of a seedling from a good garden store. Oh yeah..do NOT buy seedlings from just anywhere. The way they're raised will determine how healthy they stay when you transplant them. And, get the tallest tomato seedling you can (I buy gallon sized -- well worth the jump start) and then bury them up to their necks. They'll sprout roots all along the stem and regrow faster for the better rooting. Which reminds me -- peppers are dicey. Not really hot enough here, and I have never had any of the "coloured plastic mulches" pay off IMO. Small hot peppers are likely to do better than larger ones like bells. Anything small grows faster and doesn't need as long a span of nice weather to perform. |
[ << Previous 20 ]
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
codeamazon's journal