Clinton

Just a regular day at the office. I was working like mad to send off a document to our provost when I happened to look out my office window and saw Bill Clinton. He was on his cell phone and waving to people standing across the street. He was on campus giving a speech.

Later, I was thinking back to the 1992 campaign and how it seemed like we kept running into the Clintons since Missouri was a swing state (turns out a co-worker also had multiple run-ins with Bill). My group of fellow VISTA volunteers were really into the election. We started off our Clinton spree with a campaign speech on Labor Day in Independence, Missouri, at the Harry Truman place. We tried to get closer to Clinton by jumping over a couple of barricades and bushes but we never got close. We also avoided arrest. A month or so later, Clinton was in KC to prepare for the debates. We got up early on a Saturday morning to join him at the end of a fun run that was somewhere north of KC. As he finished up the race, he stood there shaking hands with people. I was shaking his hand when someone asked him a question. He didn't let go because he was distracted. My roommate nudged me to let go otherwise I would come across as needy. Hours later, we ended up at the Crown Plaza complex to do some shopping. We quickly realized that his debate preparations were taking place in the building. We lingered around and then just walked up to the front of the room and waited for him to come out. I remember chatting with James Carville and trying to discreetly tell my friends who I had just been joking around with. Bill and Hillary came out and talked to us. Shook their hands again and we talked to Hillary about our VISTA volunteer experiences.

Two days later, we saw Hillary twice in one day. We drove to Lawrence to see her speak to KU students. We dashed back to KC to hear her give a different speech at Democratic Headquarters. We soaked all of it in. We had a big sleepover to watch election results. The next day we had to drive to Sedalia, Missouri, for a VISTA training. We had Clinton signs all over the car and were obnoxious whenever we saw someone driving with a Republican bumpersticker.

My two favorite memories of that time in Missouri involve different politicians. We started following a candidate, Geri Rothman-Serot, who was running against Kit Bond. We despised Kit Bond. We started volunteering for her campaign even though we really had no idea what she stood for other than she gave excellent speeches and wasn't Kit. We were told to show up one day outside of a local television station and demonstrate against Kit and show our support for Geri. We showed up and discovered that we made up 5 of the 7 protesters. I actually felt bad for Kit when he walked out and saw us standing there with our anti-Kit signs. As you can probably guess, I had a sarcastic sign that I tried to hide.

Finally, my least favorite Missouri politican was William Webster. He was well-known for his fight against the Kansas City desegregation case and his anti-abortion fights (think Webster vs Reproductive Health Services). I took a lot of pleasure in his downfall and in his earlier defeat by Mel Carnahan. It was a great day when he was indicted. I happened to be at the Kansas City airport picking up a friend when I saw him hiding from reporters. I walked down 10 or so gates and told the reporters where they could find Webster. His stupid mug couldn't hide from me!

Those were the days. I've come a long way from my political stalking. The former me would have probably jumped out my office window to hug Bill. Now I know how to play it cool.

The Good and the Bad

I mentioned Dith Pran awhile ago here on the blog. He died today. NY Times has a nice slideshow of some of his work.

I was sick all weekend. I only left the apartment to walk the dog. Barely ate and slept a lot. I am tired of my couch. When I wasn't sleeping, I had to do some work.

Jayhawks. It was stressful. Relief. Huge sigh of relief.

Idiot of the week

Whoever came up with the brilliant idea of the commercial with the VW car in the show room and someone setting off the beeping noise needs to be taken outside and kicked into the street.

Some kind of sign

I had a fairly horrible day. Just lots of frustrating things that all happened on the same day. It didn't help that I am not feeling well, so I wasn't able to cope as well as I would have liked. All of this was followed by some fairly stupid things. I am only exposing my flakiness as a warning sign in case this continues throughout the week. Anyone who will be around me should be warned.

1) I had to run off somewhere after I got home from work. When I started up the car, I heard an old Sleater-Kinney song. I thought, "this is cool that the radio station is playing this song. It must be the half hour show, perfect playlist, and this is on someone's list." Song ends. Another old, rare Sleater-Kinney song. Wow. Now I started to wonder three things - is this a new show where they play two songs by the same artist? Or, did they decide to end their hiatus and this is the radio station celebrating the news? Why didn't I hear about this earlier in the day? How can Janet play in both Sleater-Kinney and also with the Jicks? Or, did something really bad happen and that is why they are playing lots of old Sleater-Kinney. I know. I always go to the dark places. I went to turn up the volume and noticed that I was playing a cd and it wasn't the radio. Hello? Anyone in there?

2) Came home from my after-work adventure and decided to make a super quick dinner. Super quick as in a frozen pizza from Trader Joe's. Put the pizza in. Timer goes off. Cut up pizza. Look at it and wonder why it doesn't look quite right. Look at the oven instructions on the box. Discover that I cooked it at the microwave minutes and not the oven minutes. Folks, when I can't even handle cooking a frozen pizza then there is a problem.

Please give me back my brain.

Oh yea, Obama

Not to leave you with the impression that all I did this weekend was watch basketball, I did get out on Friday morning to hear Barack Obama speak in Portland. I joined the 20,000 or so people who got up really early to hear him speak. I was grateful that my friend, Brian, arrived before I did and held a spot for me in line. As a result, we had decent seats. I've never been to a political event that had so many people. In the '92 campaign, I saw the Clintons a lot because Missouri was a swing state. Hillary's speech at KU was memorable and inspiring as she implored students to get out and vote. It was also my first encounter with Fred Phelps and his band of crazy family members.

5 years ago, I heard Obama speak at the anti-war rally in Daley Plaza. I went to the rally so I could hear Studs Terkel speak. I was right up front and off to the side by the media so I could get a clear view of Studs. At the time, Obama was in his Senate primary campaign. As I stood there listening to the other speaker, he was being interviewed by local news for his stance on the pending war. I barely paid attention to him. I didn't think he had a chance of winning the more conservative section of Illinois. Who would have thought that I would hear him 5 years later as he ran for president with a much larger audience? I couldn't help think back to that day in Daley Plaza or the really small posted streetpost signs that would just say "Barack" as he ran against Bobby Rush in the House of Representatives race. He lost that race and the Chicago Reader covered this upstart politician from the South Side who would dare to take on Bobby Rush. For years, I would see those "Barack" signs and wonder what he was up to. Well, he is for real. It also shows that anything is possible.

We had the added benefit of seeing Bill Richardson endorse him. I know that it can be easy to dismiss Obama as someone who is just a great orator and says the right things. It is more than that. My favorite moment of the speech was when he described why he didn't wait to run in a future election. I can't adequately describe the energy that was in the arena. It was like nothing I've ever seen before. It was encouraging to see so many engaged younger people in attendance. Who says the younger generation is apathetic?

I do have to say that Portland doesn't disappoint in crazy. I had the pleasure of chatting with someone in the coffee line who gave me his opinion on Clinton. He thinks her talk about experience is a bunch of crap. After all, she had 8 years to change her hairstyle and she never met with success. He repeated this over and over. Considering that I waver back and forth between the candidates, I wasn't into hearing a lot of Clinton bashing. I definitely didn't want to hear illogical Clinton bashing. Pick a policy to bicker about but not her hair.

Yea, Obama is pretty awesome.

Second Round

So many good games this weekend.

Butler/Tennessee - I had a hard time deciding who I wanted to win. I have Tennessee in the final four but Butler....

Davidson/Georgetown - I wish I could have seen more of this game. Davidson could beat Wisconsin.

Memphis/Mississippi State - I would have loved to have seen Miss. State pull this one out.

Marquette/Stanford - this is the first time I have seen Stanford play all season. The game against Texas is going to be great.

Miami/Texas - way too close for me. I couldn't believe the score when I saw how Miami had come back. How did that happen??

UCLA/Texas A&M - I really hated the officiating in this game. They weren't calling anything on UCLA even though they were banging on people. Am I the only one who thought this? I really wanted Texas A&M to pull the upset.

West Virginia/Duke - forget my previous post about Huggins. I can forget all of my ill feelings towards him for this game.

Best of all, Kansas survived the first weekend.

4 days of non-stop basketball. Perfect.

First Round Thoughts

Kansas looked great against Portland State. Did I expect anything else? I have been burned too many times by Kansas losses in the first or second round. It wasn't until this season that I started to really like Brandon Rush. His last few games have really shown him to be an all-around player who doesn't just hit a lot of 3 point shots. I can't help but think how this team would perform if Julian Wright was still in the college game. Poor Portland State. I hope they make it back next year. Oh and Mangino in the crowd? I would hate sitting next to him. That dude is huge.

Why would they bump basketball for Price is Right or Dr. Phil?

I have never liked Bob Huggins, so it is painful to see his current team succeed. I really liked West Virginia under John Beilein.

The Duke-Belmont game. Coach K looked ill most of the game. If only....

I think all coaches should refuse to have their pre-game speeches televised. They always make the coaches look like idiots. They have made Pat Summit sound dumb. The George Mason coach (who I like) sounded even dumber. I laughed when he said that they should make the Notre Dame leprechaun disappear, crumpled up a photo of the Irish guy and threw it into the trash. I don't think giggling is the reaction he is looking for from his audience. I am grateful for the pre-game speech from Bruce Weber when Illinois actually went far in the tourney (4 years ago?) Ever since then, I have always remembered his psychotic eyes and orange suit and have ignored everything else about his coaching.

Oregon played horrible ball. I never thought they deserved their bid and definitely not their seed. I know...I know...blasphemy. They played flat. Should we bet on how long before Kent is fired?

Hansborough - I read a quote the other day that describes how I feel about Tyler's play. Someone said that he would run down the court with his arms in a windmill fashion, knocking everyone down as his eyes bug out and he screams. Perfect.

I have to admit that I napped through the UConn overtime loss.

And, we are off

That time of year again. I am breaking the rules I've had for the last 2 years by having KU going past the second round. I know I am setting myself up for disappointment but I have a good feeling this year. Anyone who watched the Sunday game against Texas can't imagine them leaving the tournament early.

I took my usual first two days of the tournament off from work. I call them my personal holidays. I am making three exceptions to all-basketball all of the time for the next 4 days.

1) Retirement party for my boss. I am taking a break for an hour sometime this afternoon. I told him that it depended on the game but I feel comfortable knowing I am not missing anything too big. Plus, I need to get some provisions for the next few days, so I can hit the grocery store on my way home.

2) Obama is in Portland tomorrow morning, so I am going to hear him talk. The doors open at 7:30 and he talks at 9:30. He better be on time. Seriously.

3) Possibly an open house with B on Sunday.

I love this time of year.

Where are they now?

For all of you Encyclopedia Brown fans, here is a great article.

Man...

I am listening to a NPR recorded concert of The National. It is bringing back fond memories of their live shows I've seen in NYC and Portland. I wish I could play drums. If I could, I would want to sound like their drummer.

One of those days

I couldn't read on the bus today because I kept falling asleep. I grabbed the i-Pod. I tried Prince and Barry White before I settled on Arcade Fire. Now that I am at work, I am facing an entire day of meetings and I am still really sleepy. My cure besides a ton of coffee? Lots of Sleater-Kinney. I have my own little "guitar hero" going on in my little head.

Tastings

I could write about Eliot Spitzer being an idiot but I think I will pass. Actually, I do want to make two comments. Why do politicians do this type of stuff knowing the risks of getting caught? I find it really disappointing because I had a lot of respect for him. I feel horrible for his wife.

On to better news. The theme the last few days has been tasting. First, I went with friends to a wine festival at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville. Not only was there good wine, we also saw the Spruce Goose. I climbed around in a plane and generally acted a little silly after a couple of wine flights.



Tonight was a meet the brewer event with Ninkasi Brewery. The Tricerahops Double IPA was my favorite. Why wasn't this brewery in Eugene when I lived there?

Thoughts

I read this morning about the illness of Dith Pran. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December. While pancreatic cancer is in the news these days with Patrick Swayze's recent diagnosis, I am more shocked and saddened by Pran's prognosis. One of my top 5 movies of all time is The Killing Fields that tells the story of Pran and Sidney Schanberg in Cambodia. I saw this movie with my parents when I was 14 years old. Looking back, I am a little surprised they took me to see a movie that dealt with so much death and violence. But, I am so thankful because it opened my eyes to genocide and that we never did learn our lesson from the Holocaust.

I recently blogged about the recent trials of Khmer Rouge leaders and how justice has been long delayed. Sad news.

Rock and Roll

Tonight was one of the best nights I've had in a long time. I went to the premiere of Girls Rock. Run to the theatre to see this documentary. Seriously. I went with my friend, BP. We decided to pay a little extra and go for the VIP thing. It included a pre-party at one of the board members of the Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls. One of the mayoral candidates hosted the party. It was just a cool gathering of people. Some kids were on the front porch playing a little riot grrl rock. Members of the Portland roller derby team escorted us to the theatre.

This movie is amazing. First, it made me laugh really hard. Second, I was really touched at how inspiring and thoughtful these kids were. I was never that clued in when I was that age. Third, these girls rock. There were so many moments and lines of the movie that I wish I could remember. I was definitely affected the most by Amelia. I don't know if she reminds me of when I was her age or if it is because my niece has some of her similarities. The fact that she writes songs about her dog (I just blog about mine) and sings songs about not knowing how to tune a taco just endeared her to me. Some of the kids were there, including Amelia, so I had to go up to her and tell her she did a great job. I wish I had been that cool when I was growing up.

B and I are seriously contemplating ladies rock camp. Drums? Guitar? I can't decide.

Go see this movie. Please.

Indiespensable

Moving to Portland created a dilemma for me. How would I curb my book spending if I lived in the same city as Powell's Books? My income kinda solved that issue, along with living above a public library branch. I have done remarkably well considering it is one of the things I tend to splurge on.

I couldn't resist signing up for their brand new book club. Today, I received my first shipment. It is so cool. First, was the actual book. It is in a really nice binding and slipcover with the author's signature. Second, was a cookie from Elephant's Deli. Kinda cute since it was in the shape of an elephant. Not that I really noticed because I was starving (why don't I eat lunch or snack when I work from home but when I am at work, I need to graze?). The third thing was this packet of stuff that included: 5 favorite things on a particular Portland street; information on the author; interview with the author; how the club was created; cards autographed by other authors; and probably a few other things. I love all of the surprise stuff that came with the book. It is like Christmas.

I want another cookie.

Addiction

It has been 9 days. 9 days without any Greenies. It has not been a drama-free 9 days. Can you see the pain in her eyes?
I couldn't afford Greenie rehab for her. I couldn't explain that one of the primary reasons why she is Greenie free is because I was waiting for payday. She doesn't understand the concept of cash. I decided to take the opportunity to see if going cold turkey would help her get over the addiction.

I started worrying about her crankiness. Instead of patiently waiting for walks, she would start saying to me, "take me out now *&*^(&*^*&." It just wasn't cool.

I would wake up in the night because I sensed I was being watched. I was. She would be sitting there and just staring at me. I swear she was whispering, "Greenies. Greenies for the dog. Please ma'am. Please. More Greenies."

I had to make a phone call to the Greenie Addiciton Hotline when she started walking up to other dogs on her walks and shaking them down for a Greenie. So not cool. The counselor just told me hold out a little longer.

I tried until today. I woke up to this:

Arranging her animals and making them listen to her stories about her addiction is too much. Especially when they became so frustrated they staged a walk-out. The fox and the raccoon told me later that these sessions have been going on all week while I was at work.


She made her point. I am going to get Greenies tomorrow morning.