Looking for the "feel good" liberal movie of the year? Look no further than Measure H on the San Francisco Ballot, coming this November 4th.
A ragtag group of freedom fighters known as the "Board of Supervisors" fights an uphill battle for green energy against the evil forces of PG&E. Along the way, they are faced with opposition from rogue supervisors, the shadowy and elusive Frau Feinstein, and their arch nemesis Great Overlord Gavin Newsom. The Board concocts and ingenious plan to pass their green energy initiatives by asking citizens to help them authorize a "study" to determine whether the City should be responsible for providing clean energy from renewable sources. Time is running out for the Board. Can they pass Measure H before PG&E and its cronies destroy all hope for the City?
Sadly, like any bad, D-rated movie, Measure H fails to deliver. Proponents of Measure H say that the proposal only authorizes a study, and will not cost taxpayers a cent in higher taxes. What they fail to mention, is that once the study concludes that there is a benefit for the City to be the sole energy provider to San Francisco residents, the Board of Supervisors will be free to follow through with those findings "without voter approval." It's true. Sure, it will initially cost you as a taxpayer, absolutely nothing to authorize the study. But once the study is over, so is the party. According to the City Controller, the cost to build power plants and distributors could be in the billions. And the PUC intends to pay for those costs by issuing bonds; bonds that would not be subject to voter review. Bonds that would increase the cost to San Francisco's residents dramatically.
But all good things come with a price, correct? It would be silly for me to assume that we could have clean, green energy without investing significant funds into the reasearch and development of alternative energy sources. Point duly noted. However, it is naive to think that our problems will be solved by putting our energy needs into the hands of the City, and telling PG&E to take a hike. Consider another City-run institution: MUNI. We all know that the City runs a tight ship with MUNI, right? I have yet to board a train or bus that was running on time. You won't find any MUNI schedules at our house. Predicting the arrival of a MUNI bus/train is impossible. I'd have an easier time predicting Paris Hilton's BFF of the week. Putting the City in charge of our utilities is a step backwards for energy independence.
There is a better way for us to achieve cleaner, greener energy. The City and the State both need to work with PG&E to meet renewable energy standards in a concrete, effective manner. PG&E is already working to produce more renewable energy to the tune of of a 20% increase by 2010. With the national focus on a greater need for renewable energy, it is without a doubt that PG&E will follow the trend and work towards meeting that need. After all, energy is energy, and there is money to be made, whether it is renewable or non-renewable.
Bottom line, your time and money is better spent elsewhere. Measure H fails to deliver.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Colin the General
I am not one to stubbornly cling to a belief after I have been proven wrong. And make no mistake, I have often changed my mind about many things once I've given it further thought, or as the circumstances changed. However, I never thought that I would ever like Colin Powell. Until this weekend, that is.
As a central pillar of the Bush Administration Part I, Colin Powell earned my derision with his involvement in the first Gulf War. Though I was a young child, I knew my parents' feelings about the Gulf War, and I knew that war usually led to the deaths of innocent civilians. I remember that the only people I disliked more than Colin Powell were Norman Schwarzkopf and Bush Sr.
With his appointment to the post of Secretary of State in the Bush Administration Part II, Powell was a key player in building the case for going to war with Iraq in 2003. By that time, I was able to formulate my own opinions, and not rely on my parents' emotional vibes to make a decision about Powell's character. I thought even less of him when he flipflopped a year later, saying that it was unlikely that WMDs would ever be found in Iraq.
It was ultimately, his resignation that swayed my opinion of General Powell. To me, it seemed that he just could not, in good conscience, be a part of the tomfoolery and utter chaos that the Bush Administration was engaging in. With his resignation, Colin Powell was somewhat elevated in my mind.
But it is his endorsement of Senator Obama for President has redeemed General Powell in my eyes. Never before have I heard the case for Senator Obama been made so rationally, so clearly. The fact that General Powell is a long time friend of Senator McCain, and that he still considers himself a Republican, underscores the fact that his endorsement Obama is incredibly significant.
But leave it to the hypocritical Right, a la Rush Limbaugh, to try to diminish the significance of General Powell's endorsement. As Limbaugh sees it:
"Secretary Powell says his endorsement is not about race. OK, fine. I am now researching his past endorsements to see if I can find all the inexperienced, very liberal, white candidates he has endorsed. I'll let you know what I come up with."
Actually, according to Powell, the decision to deny his good friend and ally his coveted endorsement and give it to a relative unknown was due in part to the negative campaign that McCain and crew have been running. General Powell said that he was disturbed by the McCain campaign's insistence to pursue Obama's connections to "washed up terrorist" William Ayers, and the repeated accusations of Obama's proposals being "socialist." As Powell put it:
"Now, I understand what politics is all about, I know how you can go after one another and that's good. But I think this goes too far, and I think it has made the McCain campaign look a little narrow. It's not what the American people are looking for."
But let me tell you, it was his willingness to address the "Muslim" issue that made Colin Powell a true hero in my eyes:
"Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian. He's always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, 'He's a Muslim and he might be associated terrorists.' This is not the way we should be doing it in America."
As a Muslim, an American and a mother to a little boy who may one day want to be President of this great nation, I applaud General Powell's strong stance on the issue. So what? If Barack Obama was a Muslim, would his ability to lead be diminished? Would his love for his country somehow be less valuable than a Christian, a Jew, or a Buddhist? Would his religion make him any less capable to deal with the very demanding job of being President? The answer is a resounding 'No.' And I am glad that someone has the courage to say that, and be the voice of reason in this crazy election season.
And what political rant would be complete without a tidbit about my favorite Alaskan, Governor Sarah Palin? Having had the opportunity to know her for close to seven weeks, Colin Powell echoed the sentiments of most rational, moderate Americans: "I don't believe she's ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of the vice president," Powell said. "And so that raised some question in my mind as to the judgment that Senator McCain made."
It was obvious to all, that McCain's veep pick was geared towards appeasing The Right. It is patently clear that this move has backfired; because while The Right is about as excited as a pig in a mudpuddle, McCain has effectively turned off middle of the way Republicans and Independents, and energized the Liberals as well. Colin Powell speaks to the concerns of those moderate Republicans and Independents. In a way, I feel that General Powell is more of an "everyman" American than "Joe the Plumber." Yes, General Powell is a decorated war hero, and lives an above average lifestyle, with above average intelligence and education, but he speaks to the issues that concern most Americans. He abhors the negative campaigning, the robocalls, the allegations of terrorism and socialism aimed at rivals. He rejects the credibility of Governor Palin as an effective or even functioning head of government. He sees an America that is meant for people of all races, creeds and color. Colin Powell just became my Joe the Plumber. And if someone mentions Colin the General two dozen times on TV, I don't think that I would be opposed to that.
As a central pillar of the Bush Administration Part I, Colin Powell earned my derision with his involvement in the first Gulf War. Though I was a young child, I knew my parents' feelings about the Gulf War, and I knew that war usually led to the deaths of innocent civilians. I remember that the only people I disliked more than Colin Powell were Norman Schwarzkopf and Bush Sr.
With his appointment to the post of Secretary of State in the Bush Administration Part II, Powell was a key player in building the case for going to war with Iraq in 2003. By that time, I was able to formulate my own opinions, and not rely on my parents' emotional vibes to make a decision about Powell's character. I thought even less of him when he flipflopped a year later, saying that it was unlikely that WMDs would ever be found in Iraq.
It was ultimately, his resignation that swayed my opinion of General Powell. To me, it seemed that he just could not, in good conscience, be a part of the tomfoolery and utter chaos that the Bush Administration was engaging in. With his resignation, Colin Powell was somewhat elevated in my mind.
But it is his endorsement of Senator Obama for President has redeemed General Powell in my eyes. Never before have I heard the case for Senator Obama been made so rationally, so clearly. The fact that General Powell is a long time friend of Senator McCain, and that he still considers himself a Republican, underscores the fact that his endorsement Obama is incredibly significant.
But leave it to the hypocritical Right, a la Rush Limbaugh, to try to diminish the significance of General Powell's endorsement. As Limbaugh sees it:
"Secretary Powell says his endorsement is not about race. OK, fine. I am now researching his past endorsements to see if I can find all the inexperienced, very liberal, white candidates he has endorsed. I'll let you know what I come up with."
Actually, according to Powell, the decision to deny his good friend and ally his coveted endorsement and give it to a relative unknown was due in part to the negative campaign that McCain and crew have been running. General Powell said that he was disturbed by the McCain campaign's insistence to pursue Obama's connections to "washed up terrorist" William Ayers, and the repeated accusations of Obama's proposals being "socialist." As Powell put it:
"Now, I understand what politics is all about, I know how you can go after one another and that's good. But I think this goes too far, and I think it has made the McCain campaign look a little narrow. It's not what the American people are looking for."
But let me tell you, it was his willingness to address the "Muslim" issue that made Colin Powell a true hero in my eyes:
"Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian. He's always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, 'He's a Muslim and he might be associated terrorists.' This is not the way we should be doing it in America."
As a Muslim, an American and a mother to a little boy who may one day want to be President of this great nation, I applaud General Powell's strong stance on the issue. So what? If Barack Obama was a Muslim, would his ability to lead be diminished? Would his love for his country somehow be less valuable than a Christian, a Jew, or a Buddhist? Would his religion make him any less capable to deal with the very demanding job of being President? The answer is a resounding 'No.' And I am glad that someone has the courage to say that, and be the voice of reason in this crazy election season.
And what political rant would be complete without a tidbit about my favorite Alaskan, Governor Sarah Palin? Having had the opportunity to know her for close to seven weeks, Colin Powell echoed the sentiments of most rational, moderate Americans: "I don't believe she's ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of the vice president," Powell said. "And so that raised some question in my mind as to the judgment that Senator McCain made."
It was obvious to all, that McCain's veep pick was geared towards appeasing The Right. It is patently clear that this move has backfired; because while The Right is about as excited as a pig in a mudpuddle, McCain has effectively turned off middle of the way Republicans and Independents, and energized the Liberals as well. Colin Powell speaks to the concerns of those moderate Republicans and Independents. In a way, I feel that General Powell is more of an "everyman" American than "Joe the Plumber." Yes, General Powell is a decorated war hero, and lives an above average lifestyle, with above average intelligence and education, but he speaks to the issues that concern most Americans. He abhors the negative campaigning, the robocalls, the allegations of terrorism and socialism aimed at rivals. He rejects the credibility of Governor Palin as an effective or even functioning head of government. He sees an America that is meant for people of all races, creeds and color. Colin Powell just became my Joe the Plumber. And if someone mentions Colin the General two dozen times on TV, I don't think that I would be opposed to that.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Bedtime Battle : The Prologue
Insomnia probably runs in the family. It's the only explanation for my 10 week old son's refusal to go to sleep at 11:30pm. It isn't as if he gets long naps in the day; he cat naps two or three times for 5-10 minutes at a time. Yet, here I am, sitting awake because the boy doesn't want to sleep. We talked baby talk for about half an hour or more, and we had a lovely conversation, of which, I didn't understand a word (and I'm sure that he didn't either) but was the most enjoyable conversation that I've ever had.
*******************************************************************
Okay! Back from reading the blogs. I am thoroughly wiped out now. And as luck would have it, my dear boy is finally nodding off. I forsee a lot of this bedtime back and forth in the future. I'll just hope and pray that McCain-Palin fails at the polls, so SNL has no more Palin fodder for late night TV. Otherwise, I'll be fighting my son into the late night hours on a Saturday trying to pry him away from the TV. Oh wait....we don't have a TV.
Anyhoo. Time for bed!
*******************************************************************
Okay! Back from reading the blogs. I am thoroughly wiped out now. And as luck would have it, my dear boy is finally nodding off. I forsee a lot of this bedtime back and forth in the future. I'll just hope and pray that McCain-Palin fails at the polls, so SNL has no more Palin fodder for late night TV. Otherwise, I'll be fighting my son into the late night hours on a Saturday trying to pry him away from the TV. Oh wait....we don't have a TV.
Anyhoo. Time for bed!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Obama K.O.'s McCain....Again.
The third and final presidential debate of the election season, was by far the most interesting debate. Bob Schieffer did an excellent job as moderator, picking thoughtful questions that forced the candidates to be answer them in a detailed and decisive manner. Without making a big fuss, Mr. Schieffer prodded both candidates to remain on point, stay within the time limits, and refused to let either candidate slide out from underneath a question. I noticed that Mr. Schieffer called out both Senator Obama and Senator McCain at least once for dodging a question. BRAVO!
I have to give it to McCain: He really showed a lot more poise at the beginning of the debate. He was calm, collected, and was taking the lead as he answered the first two questions. I think it was the question about negative campaigning, that his "Straight Talk Express" completely derailed, and he boarded the "Shit Talk Express." McCain postured antagonistically, attempting to go on the offensive. Instead of putting Obama on the spot, McCain succeeded in appearing like a petulant first-grader, hurling accusations, and muttering "No I'm not. No I'm not" when Obama returned fire. McCain seemed visibly agitated and sulked throughout the remainder of the debate.
In typical Republican style, he latched onto a narrative about Joe the Plumber and tried to present himself as a man of the people; a man that sides with the average Joe wanting to achieve the American Dream of owning his own business. Unfortunately, the tactic backfired. Frankly, I found it annoying, and I'm pretty sure that more people disliked McCain's repeated reference to Joe the Plumber than those who found it endearing. CNN's panel of undecided voters in Ohio certainly tired of McCain's Plumber Joe refrain.
To his credit, McCain did also provide the highlight of the campaign when he said "Senator Obama, I am not President Bush. If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago." But aside from pointing out that he was in fact, not Mr. Bush, McCain did little to differentiate himself from his frenemy, George. He was not without opportunity to do so; Obama has pointed out on numerous occasions, that McCain votes with Bush 90% of the time. Instead of the "I'm a maverick and I've got the scars to prove it, gosh darnit!" song and dance routine, McCain should have at least mentioned Bush's rabid dog attacks when they were competing for the Republican nomination in 2000. That would have humanized him, and illustrated a very real emotional distance between Bush and McCain. How could McCain support a guy who ran an "anonymous" smear campaign against him, and humiliated him with such accusations of being mentally unstable, or having a drug addict wife? Regardless, Obama countered, "that if I occasionally have mistaken your policies for George Bush's policies, it's because on the core economic issues that matter to the American people, on tax policy, on energy policy, on spending priorities, you have been a vigorous supporter of President Bush." Boo-Yah.
The low point of the debate also came from McCain, when Mr. Schieffer asked both candidates about the negative campaigning that has dominated the tone of both campaigns int he recent weeks. McCain expressed disappointment that Obama did not call on Congressman John Lewis to repudiate his remarks in reference to a McCain-Palin rally where people shouted "Terrorist!" and "Kill Him!" when Obama's name was mentioned. Congressman Lewis likened McCain and Palin's refusal to condemn those people at the rally to that of segregationist, George Wallace. Lewis said that like Wallace, McCain and Palin were creating "the climate and the conditions that encouraged vicious attacks against innocent Americans." Obama said that he had put out a statement condemning Lewis's remarks, and that Lewis also issued a statement saying that the comment was inappropriate. Yet McCain never apologized for the hate-filled comments at his own rallies, defending himself by saying: "And I'm not going to stand for somebody saying that because someone yelled something at a rally -- there's a lot of things that have been yelled at your rallies, Senator Obama, that I'm not happy about either. In fact, some T-shirts that are very...unacceptable."
Really? You can justify such despicable behaivior at your OWN rallies because of some T-Shirts that are "unacceptable?" C'mon, give me a break! Death threats are okay because some fools made shirts that hurt your feelings?? Ridiculous! McCain should have simply apologized for the behavior of his "die-hard fans," and promise to take swift action if anyone else were to get out of line at future rallies. Instead, McCain childishly points to a T-Shirt in a "he started it!" fashion, and expects that issue to drop.
If you notice, every time McCain was asked a question, he glossed over some details before attacking Obama. Obama was consistently calm and answered each accusation clearly and definitively, at which point McCain would attack him again, on an unrelated issue.
I guess the "Shit Talk Express" is going to keep rolling full steam ahead. Luckily for us, the American people aren't buying it. McCain is struggling in what were once reliably red states, like Virginia. I'm sensing a landslide for Obama, and that will effectively put an end to the McCain-Palin "Shit Talk Express." Alllll aboooooard......NOT!
I have to give it to McCain: He really showed a lot more poise at the beginning of the debate. He was calm, collected, and was taking the lead as he answered the first two questions. I think it was the question about negative campaigning, that his "Straight Talk Express" completely derailed, and he boarded the "Shit Talk Express." McCain postured antagonistically, attempting to go on the offensive. Instead of putting Obama on the spot, McCain succeeded in appearing like a petulant first-grader, hurling accusations, and muttering "No I'm not. No I'm not" when Obama returned fire. McCain seemed visibly agitated and sulked throughout the remainder of the debate.
In typical Republican style, he latched onto a narrative about Joe the Plumber and tried to present himself as a man of the people; a man that sides with the average Joe wanting to achieve the American Dream of owning his own business. Unfortunately, the tactic backfired. Frankly, I found it annoying, and I'm pretty sure that more people disliked McCain's repeated reference to Joe the Plumber than those who found it endearing. CNN's panel of undecided voters in Ohio certainly tired of McCain's Plumber Joe refrain.
To his credit, McCain did also provide the highlight of the campaign when he said "Senator Obama, I am not President Bush. If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago." But aside from pointing out that he was in fact, not Mr. Bush, McCain did little to differentiate himself from his frenemy, George. He was not without opportunity to do so; Obama has pointed out on numerous occasions, that McCain votes with Bush 90% of the time. Instead of the "I'm a maverick and I've got the scars to prove it, gosh darnit!" song and dance routine, McCain should have at least mentioned Bush's rabid dog attacks when they were competing for the Republican nomination in 2000. That would have humanized him, and illustrated a very real emotional distance between Bush and McCain. How could McCain support a guy who ran an "anonymous" smear campaign against him, and humiliated him with such accusations of being mentally unstable, or having a drug addict wife? Regardless, Obama countered, "that if I occasionally have mistaken your policies for George Bush's policies, it's because on the core economic issues that matter to the American people, on tax policy, on energy policy, on spending priorities, you have been a vigorous supporter of President Bush." Boo-Yah.
The low point of the debate also came from McCain, when Mr. Schieffer asked both candidates about the negative campaigning that has dominated the tone of both campaigns int he recent weeks. McCain expressed disappointment that Obama did not call on Congressman John Lewis to repudiate his remarks in reference to a McCain-Palin rally where people shouted "Terrorist!" and "Kill Him!" when Obama's name was mentioned. Congressman Lewis likened McCain and Palin's refusal to condemn those people at the rally to that of segregationist, George Wallace. Lewis said that like Wallace, McCain and Palin were creating "the climate and the conditions that encouraged vicious attacks against innocent Americans." Obama said that he had put out a statement condemning Lewis's remarks, and that Lewis also issued a statement saying that the comment was inappropriate. Yet McCain never apologized for the hate-filled comments at his own rallies, defending himself by saying: "And I'm not going to stand for somebody saying that because someone yelled something at a rally -- there's a lot of things that have been yelled at your rallies, Senator Obama, that I'm not happy about either. In fact, some T-shirts that are very...unacceptable."
Really? You can justify such despicable behaivior at your OWN rallies because of some T-Shirts that are "unacceptable?" C'mon, give me a break! Death threats are okay because some fools made shirts that hurt your feelings?? Ridiculous! McCain should have simply apologized for the behavior of his "die-hard fans," and promise to take swift action if anyone else were to get out of line at future rallies. Instead, McCain childishly points to a T-Shirt in a "he started it!" fashion, and expects that issue to drop.
If you notice, every time McCain was asked a question, he glossed over some details before attacking Obama. Obama was consistently calm and answered each accusation clearly and definitively, at which point McCain would attack him again, on an unrelated issue.
I guess the "Shit Talk Express" is going to keep rolling full steam ahead. Luckily for us, the American people aren't buying it. McCain is struggling in what were once reliably red states, like Virginia. I'm sensing a landslide for Obama, and that will effectively put an end to the McCain-Palin "Shit Talk Express." Alllll aboooooard......NOT!
Friday, October 10, 2008
Back from Hiatus
Whew! Talk about a rough day. I've had a rough couple of weeks! Almost a month ago, I had a really high fever all weekend, the chills, uncontrollable shaking, and I was so cold, I thought I would die. I found myself at home with a 107.7 fever, and had to call an ambulance to take me to the ER. Turns out, that when I delivered my beautiful baby boy, he left behind a little piece of placenta, which calicifed, and resulted in a massive blood infection. I had surgery to remove it the same night, which meant getting a C-section cut in my lower abdomen, an IV jammed into my neck, and then being on antibiotics for two weeks! Needless to say, I've had a rough road to recovery, and it's only now, that I can think clearly enough to make coherent sentences (barely).
As an added bonus, because I had IVs in both my arms, I wasn't able to use them for anything else except getting on and off the bed, so I was unable to breastfeed for the week I was in the hospital, and then another two weeks while I was in recovery and on antibiotics. So when I was finally recovered enough to nurse my son, I found that I am now unable to, because I'm not producing anymore. DAMN IT! It's been a really shitty month for me.
Tomorrow I'm going to see the Blue Angels' Air Show, because nothing makes me feel better than speed. Not the kind that comes in tablets. The kind that comes from engines. YAY! Honestly, I don't think anyone has had a worse time with their delivery and post natal period (okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a leeeetle bit).
This leaves me only three weeks to get into shape for my cousin's wedding in November. I had started some pilates routines before I ended up on an ambulance gurney, but now all that work has gone to waste, and I don't think that the "spare tire look" is IN for fall. Tomorrow (before the Air Show yippeee!) I'll go to the gym and see if I can't start working out again.
As an added bonus, because I had IVs in both my arms, I wasn't able to use them for anything else except getting on and off the bed, so I was unable to breastfeed for the week I was in the hospital, and then another two weeks while I was in recovery and on antibiotics. So when I was finally recovered enough to nurse my son, I found that I am now unable to, because I'm not producing anymore. DAMN IT! It's been a really shitty month for me.
Tomorrow I'm going to see the Blue Angels' Air Show, because nothing makes me feel better than speed. Not the kind that comes in tablets. The kind that comes from engines. YAY! Honestly, I don't think anyone has had a worse time with their delivery and post natal period (okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a leeeetle bit).
This leaves me only three weeks to get into shape for my cousin's wedding in November. I had started some pilates routines before I ended up on an ambulance gurney, but now all that work has gone to waste, and I don't think that the "spare tire look" is IN for fall. Tomorrow (before the Air Show yippeee!) I'll go to the gym and see if I can't start working out again.
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