The First Amendment is the Only Permit We Need

Contrary to popular (or maybe not that popular, depending who was online when and such... I've lost track...) belief, I will be in NYC for the RNC this weekend. Woot! Because the Kerry Campaign is too cool for me, apparently. Hey, that rhymes...

Anyhoo, here's my schedule, or as much as I know:
Thursday arrive in NYC and schmooze with alums from Wes, and also some from such far away places as Yale. Should be networking-tastic, or at least have good food. I'll be in the NJ with the KP
Friday um... not sure... but maybe see a friend from high school. I should really call her...
Saturday move to BSom's; general state-smashing and strike-blowing.
Sunday try not to get too badly pepper-sprayed or tear-gassed... take in a Broadway action?
Monday ...? whatever everyone else is doing I guess...
Tuesday check out the scene; maybe take pictures; come on back up to the MA.

So what are everyone else's plans? I can't wait to see yas! For now, I gotsta pack...

New photos

Tons of new photos at the photo blog! Check it out... and comment! =)

Left-wing Utopia--YES!

Forget friendster.

The latest thing is NationStates.

Join. And then move to my region. It's called Wesleyan. And the password is the nickname of our oh-so-attentive president (no spaces... email if your spelling doesn't seem to agree with mine).

Woot.

When in doubt, try intimidation...

First of all, WTF!?! We really need those UN observers for this election (as if we didn't 4 years ago...) It really is a cleptocracy; it makes me want to scream. I'll get my chance soon enough... The Herbert article also made my mom consider going down to the RNC, so that's cool.

Saw the new high school today. It was huge and barren and boring. It has potential, I guess, but it's no longer the funky unique "different kind of place" (as the school has always boasted of itself) that the old building was. I guess all good things must end...

Since Sunday night I've made myself a new skirt (by hand, mostly) out of an old pair of jeans, and completely repaired my falling-apart cargoes (by machine) by sewing on 6 patches. Tomorrow I'm going to the fabric store! I mean, in absence of job, I still feel compelled to produce something. Or I'm just bored.

Gearing up for the RNC, besides just getting angrier at the neo-cons. Got some goggles, and secured some masks for under bandanas. The hope is, the more prepared I am, the less I'll need anything I bring...

Wow, if I'm not already, this post might definitely put me on some FBI list... I hope y'alls are happy...

noticings

keep a sharp eye...

and, did anyone else notice that the olympic torch looks like a giant joint?

Ooh, democracy in action

So my parents threw this little letter-writing shindig, where people came over and signed, personalized, and addressed letters to single low-income unregestered-to-vote mothers in swing states (who knows how Mainstreet Moms Opposing Bush got that list), telling them to vote for Kerry and including all the forms needed to register to vote. It was supposed to be this one mother to another dealie--just don't tell the recipients I'm not actually a mother (the fathers attending got to fold, stamp, and seal). Fox25 wanted to do a story on it; their phone call to one of the other organizers went something like this:

F25: Hi, is there a Bush-bashers meeting tonight?
Organizer's son: No clue. Here's my mom...
F25: Is there a meeting tonight?
O: I'm sure there are many meetings tonight all over the country.
F25: Are you having a meeting tonight?
O: Yes.
F25: ... So... There's no story?
O: There's no story.
*click*
I guess some kinds of media attention only hurt the cause...

But there were great opportunities for networking! (Oooh... networking...) I was sitting next to a fellow Wes Alum ('94) all evening who almost overnight got super-involved with the Kerry campaign, so then Steve (family friend) starts talking me up, and so she and I exchange emails (I never said I did the networking... but I'm getting better at it, I swear!). So, yeah, exciting.

So there was lots of democracy happening. It made me go all tingly. Or all the writing made my hand go a little tingly... but still. There was definite tingling. (Who knew politics could sound so dirty...)

Also today I signed up for Monster.com. This job thing is moving right along, I'm totally turning the corner. And I worked for a couple hours on my EuroTrip '04 photo site, only to not be able to publish it. I really have to call HelpDesk about that... If they took my webspace away just because I graduated, I'll be pissed... So photos will take a little more time, but are on their way I swear.

i suck at applying for jobs

but i did apply for two today!
unfortunately, the resume i sent had my wes address and phone. so, unless they email me...
i did win settlers of catan tho! so, my settling-cardboard-island skills are still sharp.
and... um... i still have health insurance it turns out, for another month and a half. so i get to see every doctor one last time! woot to new glasses and contacts!
oh and i got an idea for a skirt i want to make, if i can find the right fabric. that's kind of a big if, as it also depends on me going to a store and all. we'll see.
oniondreams is doing fantastically, so y'alls should check it out... and we love comments there too... at least, i do, i guess i can't speak for my partners in crime.

remind me never to go ice climbing in the andes

one might think there's a lot to catch up on since my last post.
one would be mistaken.
helped drive my grandparents to york, maine on sunday. if i ever can't walk without a walker but refuse to use one anyway, somebody please smack me.
anyhoo, that evening went to dinner with the same crowd from the wedding, minus a few i guess. and dinner was a tur-duck-en! i don't think it was deep fried, but it was tasty. there was also much wine and champagne, and a half-assed (in a fun way) game of taboo.
yesterday... well, i meant to do stuff, but didn't. besides trade friendster testimonials and join thefacebook (like an elitist, but also faster, version of friendster). it was a pretty dork-tastic evening.
oh but i did play around on the guitar for the first time in ages.
today i biked over to the pond and went swimming, then cooked tofu for dinner. it was pretty wes-tastic, only in lincoln instead of middletown. and this pond doesn't have leeches.
also, we watched Touching the Void this dramatization/documentary about a couple of guys who almost died while ice climbing in peru. really good, and really intense. i recommend.

... and we contra-dance in the blue states

After a somewhat draining week, the first half of the weekend (at least as long as "weekend" only means saturday and sunday) has been pretty fun. Went to a family friend's wedding reception at the town farm, complete with country-western, square, and contra dancing. So there was much eating, and wine, and dancing. And rejoicing (yaaay). And then after 2 cups of wine the bartender tried carding me... maybe only 21-year-olds get to have 3 drinks. Good thing I am one.

Anyhoo, I always love some good dancing, so now my feet are covered with barn dirt. Any night that ends with dirty feet is a success.

not good enough for the "links" section

but worth checking out... maybe it'll get better...

George's blog

L.L. Cool J=old school
Samuel L. Jackson=badass
Colin Farrell=hot
Olivier Martinez=hotter
L.L. Cool J + Samuel L. Jackson + Colin Farrell + Olivier Martinez = S.W.A.T.

50 years may be enough, but one weekend isn't

Werd, anyone wanna come visit me next? Like the end of winter break, for those who were there, only in summer. This time there are such attractions as the pond, the trampoline, and cooling breezes (I can't say honestly that they are cool, but cooling... if that makes any sense...). Oh and hiking. I dunno, whatev... comment or email. You could even call (ooh... how novel)...

Anyhoo, that's about it... gonna try to learn how to actually post things onto my .web.wesleyan space, and hopefully put pictures up there soon. Might try to learn fancy stuff like javascript too, we'll see...

Oh and on the getting over Nomar being traded front... at least now my Red Sox t-shirt is vintage... =)

a taste of things to come...

I hear a picture is worth a thousand words... since I don't have the time to tell about all my adventures travelling, I'll instead soon be posting all my photos from the trip somewhere on the Internet. Keep a sharp eye...

If I didn't know better I'd say he was throwing double-intenuendres my way...

... it's enough to make any woman heteronausic.
It's been a day full of heat-beating, and an evening of laughs (like NBC always advertises but fails to deliver)
So I actually started looking for a job (woo Idealist!), and got my mom watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so as far as productiveness today was totally successful.
Then it was hot. So we went to the pond (no, not a hip unknown town swimming hole... this one has a membership fee. But I still love it. Yeah, I'm a spoiled brat). According to my little bro, the 82-dergee water was "frigid."
Then The Daily Show rocked, as evidenced by the following aim conversation:
ae... (1:11:01 AM): i laughed my ass off
ae... (1:11:09 AM): and the interview was amazing
rLc... (1:11:11 AM): the interview was amazing
rLc... (1:11:14 AM): lol
ae... (1:11:15 AM): lol
ae... (1:11:18 AM): jinx!
rLc... (1:11:19 AM): jinx...
ae... (1:11:22 AM): well
ae... (1:11:23 AM): fuck
The interview really was amazing. Jon Stewart gave the guy the shovel to just keep digging himself a bigger and bigger hole... I mean, who would ever think Kerry is further left than Ted Kennedy anyway? Even better, I thought, was the interview with the Florida guy who claimed to be homonausic (in case anyone was wondering where this installment's opening comes from... it's a direct Samantha Bee quote. I may be clever, but I'm not that clever).
Now The Princess Bride is on, which is always a good thing. So, all in all, a good day. Woot.

'you can't say nuclear, that really scares me...'

Things that rock (in nearly chronological order):

• Edwards's speech
  
• Kerry's speech
  
• The Daily Show
  
• seeing the gang again--woot!
  
• burritos
  
• my new t-shirt that says nothing but "November 2" (thanks beth!)
  
• the critical mass-ers (critical massholes?), especially those wicked tall bikes
  
• Coney Island!
  
• funnel cakes
  
• the beach
  
• JibJab
  
• Ben's b-day bash!
  
• alliteration
  
• cheap diner food
  
• the chill as spot by the red lighthouse

things that suck (in no particular order)

• This
  
• hot, sticky, muggy, windless city air
  
• seeing such a rawktastic weekend end