Pac'a Photos

It's been hot in the NW! The record heat just confirms my suspicion that we're all doomed to lots of future inconveniences. Pac'a on the other hand isn't too worried ... .

Even at Magnuson Park, where the dogs act like hippos in a watering hole, Pac'a still won't do more than wade around the edges.


At a backyard BBQ with friends, Pac'a preferred the indoors.

What We're Eating And Talking About

I'll post more photos soon. I'll also recount cute anectdotes involving Pac'a and bodies of water, babies, and other dogs.

First things first though. My mom and aunt fed and fattened us for two days on lasagna (FN 1), bbq'd pork ribs from their favorite NW meat source, cowboy cookies, nectarine/raspberry crisp, salads with home grown veggies, and so much more.

Now we're in Seattle where we have twice dined on the most delicious of the salmons available -- Copper River wild salmon. Mmm.

We're staying at the New Agency HQ where we're learning all sorts of things. Last night we played a game of stumping each other with Three Letter Acronyms (TLAs). I liked SCA and TMI the best. I don't think TNA should count.

FN 1 -- Elias's favorite palindrome is GO HANG A SALAMI, I'M A LASAGNA HOG.

We're On Vacation

We're on a road trip, and Pac'a is enjoying herself very much thank you. In the photo above, you can see what she looked like in Tokeland, WA.

Kind Of Like Florida, Only This Time My Guy Won

The elections were two weeks ago, and Oakland has only now unofficially called the mayoral race -- Dellums!

If it all works out, I will credit myself for being part of the local labor council's Get Out The Vote efforts that were targeted to infrequent voters. I've done my share of phone banking and precinct walking for the cause, but I've never been part of a last minute push that turned out to be so decisive. I'm almost giddy.

It's Upon Us

The World Cup
The World Cup is here (and we're not even through the Dallas and Miami Championship series!).

As I write this, Argentina and the Ivory Coast are playing. See Xui's pieces if you want to learn more.

I know the rules sort of. Like many people who grew up in Northern California, I played league soccer as a child. Until high school, it was fun, pizza parties, and niceness. I cried once when I got a yellow card for an offense I didn't commit. I think I played on a team with Cloudy when we were high school freshmen. Maybe I just remember playing against her. Anyway, she was quite a jock back then. After junior high, league soccer was co-ed, and I got my ass kicked by aggressive male players. I couldn't take it, and I didn't play team sports again until I got in to ultimate frisbee in my mid-20s. Yes, ultimate frisbee (I was living in Seattle after all!).

Other Sports and Entertainment News
I meant to post something about the death of Zarqawi. It reminded me of the part in Starship Troopers when they caught the big bug. The soldiers felt heroic and duped at the same time.

Go See This Movie

Elias's friend Jud sent this email message:

Pretty astonishing review of "An Inconvenient Truth" by Roger Ebert.

An excerpt:

"In 39 years, I have never written these words in a movie review, but here they are: You owe it to yourself to see this film. If you do not, and you have grandchildren, you should explain to them why you decided not to.

Am I acting as an advocate in this review? Yes, I am. I believe that to be "impartial" and "balanced" on global warming means one must take a position like Gore's. There is no other view that can be defended. Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Environment Committee, has said, "Global warming is the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people." I hope he takes his job seriously enough to see this film. I think he has a responsibility to do that."

I agree.

Me too. The movie was amazing, and I'm so scared for our planet! Elias is sad we got stuck with Bush. Check out the website and go see it yourself.

Tuesday Is Election Day In California

Just so you know, I'm voting with labor this year. I'm also doing Get Out The Vote (GOTV for those ITK) for the next 2 days. That means I'm voting for Angelides, a politician I liked before this race. He's for increasing the tax base in a time when California funds everything with bonds. I know we need to pay for things, but reliance on bonds makes investors richer and puts the repayment on the backs of future generations. It's a scheme I despise. Rich people win all kinds of tax breaks and get richer by making loans for public services like schools and roads that already subsidize the production of their goods and services.

The LA Times has a voter apathy piece that must be intended to make people feel good for not voting. I'm so tired of journalism that feeds and develops the contrived sentiment that people can't be bothered to vote because the candidates are soooo negative. I've seen some of the ads. Angelides has an ad showing photo after photo of Westly with the current governor (insinuating he's gay or a Republican). Westly has one showing environmental degradation in Sacramento that is all Angelides's fault. The holier-than-thou sentiment, the one that can't stand one more negative ad, was invented to keep turnout low and let people off the hook for being lazy and dumb. I just can't believe this supposed group of nonvoters are all so perfect and never treat people poorly. I can't believe they're not just like me -- full of gossip and willing to trash even their closest friends and relatives some times. The least they could do is get out and vote for the nicest guy.

Surprisingly, the Chronicle has a comprehensive piece on Angelides and Westly -- the latest campaign stops, expenditures (YIKES!), and positions on things that matter to me like health care and education. It baffles me, however, that the paper thinks there is no difference between the two. I guess a Republican might think there's no difference, but this is the primary race. The Republican is supposed to be the big contrast! Schwarzenegger, and his support of extensive border patrol and assaults on workers' rights, provides the ultimate comparison. We get to vote on the big differences in November.

I see differences that matter now. Angelides understands that California has to get revenue from tax sources; bonds and the Lottery aren't cutting it. Angelides takes the bold step of supporting a single payer plan to solve California's health care coverage crisis, and Westly doesn't.

Even if you don't agree with me, make sure you vote on Tuesday. If you already have, good for you!