Pasadena Star News supports 9-1-1 immunity bill
Posted on 03. Mar, 2010 by kchristieh in politics
The Pasadena Star News supports AB 1999, the 9-1-1 Immunity bill introduced by Assemblyman Anthony Portantino.
To encourage getting help, we support the granting of immunity from criminal prosecution to underage drinkers who call for help for a friend and then stay until medical help arrives.
Under current law, underage drinkers who call 9-1-1 for someone else can be prosecuted themselves. Under a bill by Pasadena Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, the threat of prosecution – a barrier to getting medical attention for a friend – is removed.
They sum it up especially well at the end:
It shouldn’t be a crime to get help for a friend.
At our recent meeting, the La Canada High School PTSA also voted to endorse this bill. Hopefully others will join in, and it will pass in time to save some lives.
Links:
- Read my original blog post about AB 1999.
- See the Pasadena Star News story about AB 1999.
Gunslinger spotted at local Starbucks
Posted on 23. Feb, 2010 by kchristieh in local news, politics
Until last night, the only thing I feared when I entered my local Starbucks was that I’d order something that I’m allergic to. That was before a friend told me that when she was at the La Canada Starbucks yesterday, a man entered with a pistol in a holster strapped to his thigh. Here’s the email she sent to me:
I was at Starbucks on Gould today. A guy arrived shortly after I arrived with a pistol in a holster strapped to his thigh. He was wearing a blue jump suit with some type of helicopter insignia. I glanced at the insignia and it looked “made up” to me, sort of a pseudo uniform, but I’m not really sure of that. He was with two friends and they sat down outside.
I was with a friend who said, the guy might be reliable, but it looks like it would be easy to distract him and disarm him. What if some nut took the pistol? Then what? My friend also looked around the parking lot for an official vehicle. We didn’t see anything. Wow.
This is still bothering me, eleven hours later.
She emailed me because several days earlier, I’d emailed her a link to a petition from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence that encouraged people to ask Starbucks to prohibit guns on their premises. I’d been spurred to action by an editorial titled, “Who Can Relax This Way?” that I’d read in the New York Times. Here’s the email I had sent her:
Over the past few months, more and more gun owners have been gathering at restaurants and coffee shops like Starbucks with guns strapped to their hips, intimidating fellow patrons. They are testing open carry laws to see how far they can go. Businesses can legally create policies to prohibit guns from being carried in their establishments — and so far, Peet’s Coffee & Tea and California Pizza Kitchen have heeded customer concerns and barred open carrying.
But Starbucks is refusing to prohibit the “open carrying” of firearms in its stores, despite protests from loyal customers. Starbucks has declined to elaborate beyond this statement: “Starbucks supports the federal, state and local laws of the communities in which we do business.”
The practice of packing heat in places like Starbucks is intimidating and could be potentially dangerous to our families and communities — and it must be stopped at Starbucks.
I just signed a petition telling Starbucks to stand up for the safety of their customers and adopt a nationwide, gun-free policy in all Starbucks stores.
This is surreal. I can’t believe this is actually an issue. But it is, and I have no desire to see someone packing a gun the next time I take my sweet 7th grade small group to Starbucks.
Isn’t it ironic that someone can’t smoke in our Starbucks, but they can pack a gun?
Source: Los Angeles Times, Feb. 11, 2010
The Brady Campaign reports that California actually has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, although it scores poorly when it comes to gun shows. Wikipedia sums up California’s open carry gun laws the best:
Personal possession (i.e. carry) of a loaded firearm is prohibited in incorporated areas (such as inside city limits) or prohibited areas of unincorporated territory without a license to carry or other exemption provided for by law.[15] A license to carry “loaded and exposed” may be issued by a Police Chief or County Sheriff in a county with population of less than 200,000 persons at the last census.[16] No license or permit is required to openly carry a loaded firearm in unincorporated areas where discharge is not prohibited by local ordinance.
Despite these restrictions, there is no section of the California penal code that specifically prohibits open carry of an unloaded handgun (though possession may be restricted or prohibited in certain areas such as a State Park (CCR Title 14, Div.3, chap. 1, s 4313 (a), in a school zone (PC626.9) or federal properties like a Post Office or National Park (36 C.F.R. 2.4(a)).
Carrying a loaded magazine separate from the handgun is also not prohibited under the penal code (Subdivision (g) of California Penal Code 12031 defines what constitutes a loaded weapon).
Just because something’s legal, it doesn’t mean you should do it. When a private citizen carries a gun in public, we don’t know his intentions or whether he’s been trained to use the gun safely. When in danger, I’ll call 911, not the guy at the next table. In the editorial, “Message to Open Carry members: It’s time to put the guns away,” the Contra Costa Times pointed out that “the open carry of weapons could prompt all sorts of consequences never intended or considered by the person exercising his or her constitutional right.”
According to the Popehat blog, even the NRA doesn’t allow people to bring guns onto its premises.
Sign the petition and ask Starbucks to do the same. And, for extra measure, ask your elected officials to close up the gun show loophole.
Using Open Government to Create Change – Forum
Posted on 20. Feb, 2010 by kchristieh in politics
Monica Hubbard alerted me to this great League of Women Voters event on March 6th in Pasadena:
From Media Liaison Jackie Knowles:
Subject: Saving democracy
Hedab Tarifi, who was raised in Kuwait, knows what it is like to live under a tyranny and closed government. She relishes the transparency of government in a democracy. But she also knows citizens need to know how to access information and put it to work to improve their communities. A case of use it or lose it.
She will be the keynote speaker at a free public forum, Access to Impact: Using Open Government to Create Change, sponsored by the League of Women Voters Pasadena Area on March 6. Pete Peterson, executive director of Common Sense California, will emcee panelists from media, libraries and government about the challenges and dangers of information gathering.
This community forum is being held on Saturday, March 6, in the vicinity of Northwest Pasadena at the Neighborhood Church to reach a wider audience. Spanish translation will be provided.
This should be an eye-opening event you and your readers/listeners won’t want to miss.
Press Release:
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS PASADENA AREA
NEWS RELEASE BACKGROUND INFORMATION
CONTACT: Monica Hubbard, Social Policy Director League of Women Voters Pasadena Area ()
COMMUNITY INVITED TO FORUM ON CITIZENS RIGHT TO KNOW
Community members in the ten cities served by League of Women Voters Pasadena Area are invited to participate in a forum to discuss open, accessible and transparent government.
“Access to Impact: Using Open Government to Create Change” is scheduled for Saturday, March 6, from 8:30 a.m. to noon at Neighborhood Church, 301 N. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena. The forum is free. An RSVP is requested at or
Links to the articles referencing Access to Impact in the League’s newsletter are here:
LWV Voter articles (page 1 and 4): http://www.lwvpasadenaarea.org/marvoter.pdf
A flier in English and Spanish is here: http://www.lwvpasadenaarea.org/access%28english&spanish%29.pdf
League of Women Voters Pasadena Area
1353 N Hill Ave
Pasadena CA 91104
Tel (LWV Office)
Assemblymember Portantino introduces 911 Immunity bill
Posted on 18. Feb, 2010 by kchristieh in politics
Imagine this: Your underage child is at a party, and like many of his peers, quaffs a few too many brewskis. He manages to remain standing, but one of his buddies falls unconscious on the couch. As the law now stands, if your child calls 911 for his friend, your child could be arrested for the misdemeanor of underage drinking. Therefore, he might decide not to risk calling 911, and hope that his friend “sleeps it off.” That decision could prove deadly. Unfortunately, this decision is made every week in California, sometimes with disastrous results.
California Assemblymember Anthony Portantino has introduced AB 1999 in order to remedy this situation and give young people the incentive to help a friend in need of emergency help. I’d like to think I helped make this happen, as about a month ago I forwarded him an LA Times opinion piece that had been forwarded to me which suggested adopting 911 immunity legislation. I’m proud that our Assemblyman is taking the lead on this. We’d all like to hope that this situation will never occur, but we need to face reality and make sure that when it does, young people have the incentive to do the right thing and help each other out.
Here’s his press release about it:
Assemblymember Portantino Puts Public Safety First With his ‘911 Immunity’ Legislation
Assembly Bill 1999 would protect children seeking assistance for underage drinking.
SACRAMENTO, CA- Assemblymember Anthony Portantino (D- La Cañada Flintridge) introduced AB which would protect children engaged in underaged drinking from being prosecuted for seeking medical attention.
This bill would protect an underage drinker, or one or two peers working in concert, who seek emergency medical attention due to alcohol poisoning by granting immunity from criminal prosecution. The immunity could only be granted to the victim and the one or two underage peers acting in concert if they were the original callers and stayed at the scene until the authorities arrived.
“Let me be clear, this bill does not condone underage drinking,” says Assemblymember Portantino. “What it does is decrease barriers for young people that need emergency medical care but are scared to call because they made a mistake.”
Over the last year, there have been several underage Californians that have died due to suspected alcohol poisoning that may have benefited from this law. Friends of the deceased teens have said that they were scared to call for help because they did not want to get in legal trouble.
“This law is about saving lives,” Assemblymember Portantino continued. “It is important that we make sure young people are getting the medical care they need regardless of the circumstances. After they are safe, the consequences of the young person’s actions will be between him or her and their parents.”
A few other states have adopted similar “911 Immunity” laws, and in each there has had bi-partisan support. If this proposal is adopted, California would join Colorado, New Jersey, and Texas in giving underage drinkers a safe way to call for help.
“Underage drinking is a constant problem that we need to continue to improve on, but this proposal is a harm reduction measure that will make calling 911 easier for underage people that really need it,” Assemblymember Portantino concluded.
The bill reads as follows:
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 25662.5 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:
25662.5.
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, it shall not be a crime for a person under the age of 21 years and one or two other persons to knowingly possess or knowingly consume one or more alcoholic beverages if all of the following circumstances exist:
(1) One of the persons under the age of 21 years called 9-1-1 and reported that another person under the age of 21 years was in need of medical assistance due to alcohol consumption.
(2) The person under the age of 21 years was the first person to make the 9-1-1 report.
(3) The person under the age of 21 years and, if applicable, one or two other persons acting in concert with the person under the age of 21 years who made the 9-1-1 report remained on the scene with the person under the age of 21 years in need of medical assistance until assistance arrived and cooperated with medical assistance and law enforcement personnel on the scene.
(b) Notwithstanding any other law, it shall not be a crime for the person under the age of 21 years who received medical assistance as provided in subdivision (a) to knowingly possess or knowingly consume one or more alcoholic beverages on private
20 property.
(c) Nothing in this section shall affect liability for any offense that involves activities made dangerous by the consumption of alcohol, including, but not limited to, violations of Section 23152 of the Vehicle code.
The Obameter tracks Obama’s promises
Posted on 27. Jan, 2010 by kchristieh in politics, startling statistics
As you consider tonight’s State of the Union speech, you might want to refer back to the Obameter at PolitiFact. This service of the St. Petersburg Times tracks which of President Obama’s more than 500 promises have been kept, broken, stalled or compromised. The current status is shown in the graphic below. I’ve added the total and the percentages of each.
If you click on the underlined categories to the left, you’ll see which promises are in that category, aside a short explanation of the status of the promise.
I wish there was a chart like this for every politician. I bet that most politicians don’t make so many promises, and that they break more than 3% of the promises they do make.
We’re just 1/4 of the way through this presidential term. I think we should be patient, and understand that the wheels of government move slowly.
“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2″ invades our home
Posted on 11. Nov, 2009 by kchristieh in parenting, politics, videos
Yesterday I braved the line at Gamestop to pick up the copy of “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2″ that I’d reserved for my son. I’m not completely comfortable with this purchase: it’s rated “M” and is completely violent. But the graphics are amazing, and at 16, my son’s not much younger than many of our real-life soldiers. Besides, he has a broken leg and all his friends got the game too, so he’d wind up playing anyway.
Here’s the trailer for Modern Warfare 2 to give you an idea of how amazing this game is. It’s eerily realistic. The most disturbing scenes I’ve witnessed so far involve battles inside the White House and in a leafy suburb called “Arcadia.” It reminds me a lot of “24.”
I’m not the only one who’s uncomfortable with this game: The Week has a summary of views that question the timing of the release and a few scenes in the game. After all the hype, it would have been difficult to change the release date, and there probably wouldn’t have ever been a perfect date. As for the airport scene the article mentions, my son says the game warns players that it’s disturbing and gives them a few chances to skip it.
I used to think that violent video games would have more of an effect on a person’s propensity for violence, but I definitely don’t see that happening with my son. I don’t think he’s violent at all, and my biggest concern with him playing this is that he could be doing other more productive things, like reading SAT study guides or classic works of literature.
I wonder if Modern Warfare 2 will encourage anyone to sign up for the military? If so, they might want to take a look at The Onion’s preview of Modern Warfare 3. It portrays a different side of military life, where soldiers repair trucks and fight boredom, depression, and poor cell phone signals, and anxiously await care packages from home.
War stinks for everyone. I’m so grateful for the men and women who have served our country, and dream of a day when they can all come home safely.
The Pasadena Star News should have done its homework before they endorsed La Canada school board candidates
Posted on 30. Oct, 2009 by kchristieh in education, local news, politics, things that bug me
Today’s Pasadena Star News endorses the wrong school board candidates for the wrong reasons. They endorse the three incumbents: Scott Tracy, Joel Peterson, and Susan Boyd. While I agree with their assessment that the incumbents have done a good job in difficult financial times, they also support them because of the following:
The incumbents have fought drug and alcohol use at the high school, developed a new concentration on average teens as well as AP students and have kept class sizes low.
Did the Star-News actually get statistics that support this assertion? Because my impression, and that of the kids and local youth leaders I know, is that they’re wrong on all three counts.
Don’t get me wrong: I love the La Canada schools. I’m happy (and grateful) to send my kids to them, and I’ve put lots of energy and resources into them over the years. But they’re not perfect. And these three points are definitely weak ones. I’ve never heard of as many kids getting busted on and off campus for drug possession as I have this year, and some of the stories I’m hearing about local parties this year would give even the most liberal parent an ulcer. I don’t see much extra effort put into “average” teens, and am not even sure what this effort is supposed to be. This year’s class sizes appear to be either the same or bigger than in past years at the high school level.
The next time the Star-News makes an endorsement, they should do their homework and get the facts from the source instead of taking a candidate’s campaign claims at face value. For democracy to work, we need accurate information.
And yes, for the record, I’m the campaign manager they refer to. I strongly support Neal Millard, and believe that he’ll not only be a good steward of the district’s financial resources, but he’ll tap into his experience with charter and private schools to bring the best ideas from those worlds to our schools. I worked with Neal on the educational foundation board, and found him to be sharp, reliable, creative and diplomatic. Those qualities will allow him to work with teachers, parents and administrators to improve academics, explore new funding avenues, and improve existing programs. You can read more at www.nealmillard.com.
I like all three incumbents: they’re good, hard-working people. I applaud anyone who’s willing to do this tough job, especially these days. I think there’s room for improvement in our schools, however, and believe that Neal Millard brings our best chance for taking our schools to a higher level.
California State PTA rules regarding endorsing candidates
Posted on 02. Oct, 2009 by kchristieh in education, politics
In case you’re curious, and I’m sure some people are, here are the guidelines from page 118 of the CA State PTA Toolkit regarding endorsing candidates. They specify that a PTA officer’s title may not be used in an endorsement, but it doesn’t say the person can’t endorse someone as a private citizen.
A current or former PTA officer/board member must not use his/her title or the name of the PTA to endorse a candidate even for purposes of identification in any print, electronic, or website candidate literature (e.g., campaign mailer, ballot measure, candidate stationery).
A current PTA officer/board member must not use his/her title, the name of the PTA or the trademark of PTA
• in any election venue unless authorized by a vote of the association, following a study of the issue.
• to take action in opposition to the official California State PTA position.Although federal election regulations do not prohibit the use of organizational affiliation for identification purpos- es, the California State PTA sets a standard which is higher than law. Failure to comply may result in a viola- tion of California State PTA policy.
For the purpose of this policy, all elections involving candidates are defined as partisan elections, even those for “nonpartisan” offices such as school board or city council. Use of a PTA’s name or the PTA trademark with participation in any partisan activity will endanger PTA’s nonprofit status.
PTA members are not prohibited from running for public office themselves nor from listing PTA involvement as part of their biographical information and/or campaign literature.
Why you should vote for Neal Millard for La Canada School Board
Posted on 21. Sep, 2009 by kchristieh in education, politics
When Neal Millard asked me to be one of his campaign managers for his run for La Canada Unified School District Governing Board, I said “yes” in an instant. I’ve known Neal since our days on the LCF Educational Foundation board, and he’d always impressed me with his ability to ask probing questions and articulate wise positions.
The more I learn about Neal, the more impressed I become. Because his law practice concentrates on charter schools, he’s exposed to creative solutions to problems that plague many schools, including our own. He also has extensive experience in school finance, and is eager to bring parents, teachers, administrators and students together to make our schools the best they can be.
You can learn more about Neal at the website I created for him at www.nealmillard.com. (My favorite page is the Contact page – love that graphic at the top!)
Please if you’re a registered voter here and would like to endorse Neal!
Protest over President’s speech to schoolchildren reveals true paranoia
Posted on 05. Sep, 2009 by kchristieh in education, politics
Maybe it’s good that some people are protesting President Obama’s speech to schoolchildren this week. By labeling his call for hard work and staying in school part of a Socialist agenda, they’re revealing how illogical and paranoid they are, and therefore lose any shred of credibility they may have had left. Would they protest so much if he weren’t at all Black? I’m guessing not.
Today’s LA Times reports the following LCUSD position:
“We’re an academic institution, and our responsibility is to cover specific content standards,” said James Stratton, superintendent of schools for La Cañada Unified School District, where the school year got off to a late and rocky start because of the nearby wildfires. In his district, he said, the speech will be shown only in those classes where it “has any relation to the California content standards for that particular class.”
Hopefully my kids’ English and Sociology teachers will decide that the speech relates to “content standards.” It may not relate directly to their lesson plans for the day, but it never hurts to hear good messages about diligence and academic success, and it will demonstrate rhetoric and cultural values. I think it’s also a great message to come from our President. And yes, I’d be saying that if Bush were still in office.
Some day when my grandchildren are taking U.S. History and puzzling over this strange incident, I want my children to be able to say that they heard the speech live and it was indeed inspirational.
How Obama gets his cellphone fixed
Posted on 14. Aug, 2009 by kchristieh in politics, shopping, technical
Imagine my surprise when President Obama’s name showed up after mine in the queue at the Verizon store last night! He didn’t push on the “c” hard enough, but I’ve had that problem before, too.
Hopefully the Verizon folks were able to figure out how to work with his phone’s special encryption.
I wonder if he wishes Verizon carried iPhones. I sure do!
Join the “No 710 Tunnel” Facebook group
Posted on 28. May, 2009 by kchristieh in local news, politics
I’ve created a “” Facebook group. Please join!
Separated at birth: Spock and Obama
Posted on 17. May, 2009 by kchristieh in art, politics
| When the new Star Trek movie was released last weekend, there was a rash of articles comparing the cool demeanor and brilliant minds of Spock and Barack Obama. The best part of these articles was the morphed pictures. |  |
| Here are my favorites: | |
Here’s the first one I saw, from Maureen Dowd’s article. As she says,
|
 |
| Princess Sparkle Pony “I STILL keep track of Condoleeza’s hairdo so you don’t have to!” has another great version on her blog. She was ahead of the curve, and blogged about the Spock-Obama connection back on October 17th. Impressive! |  |
| Here’s a great one done in the style of Shepard Fairey. Ironically, it’s on a blog called “Bad Spock Pictures.”My favorite part is the pin on his lapel. |  |
| One of the best Spock-Obama pictures is the caricature that Drew Friedman drew last fall for the New Yorker showing Obama as Spock and McCain as Kirk. Perhaps this summarizes why Obama won. |  |
| Live long and prosper! |  |
Wear pink this Friday in support of California’s public schools
Posted on 11. Mar, 2009 by kchristieh in economy, education, local news, politics
As if California’s public schools aren’t already hurting, the new state budget is going to make things even worse. According to Pink Friday,
California’s public schools, colleges and universities are facing more than $11 billion in state budget cuts. These cuts are going to impact an entire generation of kids and alter public education for years to come.
March 13 is the deadline for school districts to issue preliminary pink slips to California’s teachers. Last year, more than 10,000 teachers got pink slips and nearly 5,000 lost their jobs. And this year could be much worse.
“Pink Friday” is a movement to get people to wear pink this Friday, March 13th (how appropriate!) to protest further school budget cuts. Besides wearing pink, you can also attend an event in your area or write to an elected official.
If you live in , you can also help get out the vote for the proposed parcel tax of $150 per property. It’s a drop in the bucket compared to what you already pay in taxes, but the schools really need it.
Did you know that San Marino has to trim over $5 million from its already lean $29 million budget. OUCH! Thankfully, La Canada has saved its reserves and isn’t in that situation. But things are tight here, too.
Amazing close-up view of inauguration
Posted on 04. Feb, 2009 by kchristieh in cool websites, history, politics
No matter how you voted, you should check the amazingly detailed Fullscreen Gigapan View photo of the inauguration. You can click on the upper lefthand side to zoom in or zoom out, and then drag the picture as you wish.
What an amazing view of history!
The stitching errors are a bit spooky. It looks like Aretha Franklin has a ghost on her lap. She’s in the upper lefthand corner of the second picture I cropped below. You can get MUCH closer than this picture shows.
Today I saw someone who swore she saw me on television at the Neighborhood Ball. I had a hard time convincing her that it wasn’t me, although I wish it had been. She must have had me confused with Shakira. :)
I’m often confused with other people that look like me. I wish I could meet one of these lookalikes sometime!
You can wear Aretha Franklin’s inauguration hat
Posted on 27. Jan, 2009 by kchristieh in art, politics, shopping
Here’s my public service for the day: graphics which allow you to “virtually” don the marvelous “church hat” that Aretha Frankin wore to Barack Obama’s inauguration.
Just copy the images below, remove the backgrounds, and you’re good to go. I’ll also link to a few other formats that have the backgrounds already removed. I’m including one with a bright pink background, since that’ll be easy to remove the background from.
Interested in buying the real thing? According to the blog To Live and Buy in L.A.,
Orders are pouring into Luke Song’s Detroit-based Mr. Song Millinery, a store the Queen of Soul has patronized for 20 of its 25 years. Though the heather-gray wool hat ain’t cheap — it costs upward of $500 — Hsu writes “fans are welcome to drop $179 on a similar satin-ribbon version.”
The following two are jpgs:
Here it is in a PNG and TIFF format.
Track how many of Obama’s 500 promises he keeps
Posted on 24. Jan, 2009 by kchristieh in cool websites, politics
I don’t think I’ve made 500 promises in my whole lifetime, but apparently that’s about how many promises Barack Obama made before he took office.
The St. Petersburg Times’ Politifact.com is tracking President Obama’s progress toward fulfilling his promises. After three full days in office, here’s where he stands:
I think that’s pretty good, so far! I’m sure he’ll knock some of the easy ones out of the way first, as well as the ones that he’s really passionate about. I looked through the first 100, and they looked good to me. I hope he’s able to fulfill as many of his promises as possible.
Here are the ones he’s kept so far:
On a side note, I hadn’t realized he’d made promises regarding autism research and treatment. (See #81, #82 & #91) That’s so specific, and really cool.
The Top 10 Quotes from President Obama’s inauguration speech
Posted on 22. Jan, 2009 by kchristieh in inspirational people, politics, quotes
I love to find quotes that distill timeless wisdom into a few key words or a sentence. It’s rare to hear quotes being spoken for the first time, so I enjoyed hearing some quotable phrases in Barack Obama’s inauguration speech. Sometimes separating quotes from their context can give them more lasting power.
Here are what I consider to be the Top 10 quotes from Obama’s inauguration speech:
- “America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.”
- “We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.”
- “We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things.”
- “It has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor — who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.”
- “Greatness is never a given. It must be earned”
- “They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.”
- “Our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please.”
- “Our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint”
- “As the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself.”
- “To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.”
My favorite is #9. I actually wrote that down when I heard it, to remind myself to remember it.
Reading this speech again makes me proud and grateful to be an American.
Satellite view of the inauguration
Posted on 21. Jan, 2009 by kchristieh in cool websites, politics
There’s Malinee, and Joe, and Gaye, and Vickere…don’t you see them?
If you go to the CNN satellite view of the inauguration, you can zoom in and see your friends, too!
Spell a name or a word with photo art
Posted on 21. Jan, 2009 by kchristieh in art, politics, shopping
Check out Krista’s Creations. You can choose which photograph you want to represent any letter you choose, and spell out a name or a word. Then, you can customize the shading and the background, and pay to have them print it out for you.
Here’s what I chose for today:
Even the White House website is looking good!
Posted on 20. Jan, 2009 by kchristieh in politics
It’s been a looooong time since I’ve visited the White House website. It’s a great-looking site. It looks like it was Obama-cized today. It looks a lot like the Obama campaign site.
I’m going to subscribe to the blog.
A new President who doesn’t look like our other Presidents
Posted on 19. Jan, 2009 by kchristieh in politics, videos
Over two years ago, I blogged about how I wished that Barack Obama would run for President. Even then, I was confident that he’d make a great President, and would provide the intelligent, balanced leadership that our country needs.
I can’t wait until tomorrow!!
Until then, please enjoy this into one another. It’s pretty cool, and it’s amazing how some morph easily but it’s a stretch for others.
I’m proud to live in a nation that can think outside the box and elect the man they think is the best one for the job, not just one who looks like the others who came before him.
The inauguration tchochke I crave the most
Posted on 10. Jan, 2009 by kchristieh in art, inspirational people, my life, politics, shopping
Imagine my delight when I received this invitation in today’s mail:
Of course, my skepto-radar starting beeping wildly. After all, it’s only 10 days before the inauguration, and I didn’t think they’d expect me to get plane tickets and a hotel room at this point. However, I do have an awesome dress, but I’m saving that for Gala. Anyway, I was right: the accompanying literature explained that this was just a “commemorative invitation” that invites my “prescence at any of the public events in what will be the most open and accessible Inauguration in American history.” And then it tried to sell me stuff.
Here’s what I wish they were selling: the Inauguration edition of Marvel’s The Amazing Spiderman #583 comic book. Obama liked Spiderman comic books as a lad, so this must be pretty cool for him to be featured in one. Read more about it here.
It goes on sale on Wed., Jan. 14th. I used the Comic Shop Locator to find the comic book store closest to me, and you bet I’ll be calling them.
If I were in a comic, I’d want to be in Pearls Before Swine. I’d be Pig’s best friend. We’re quite simpatico.
Video of Stealth Bomber flying overhead
Posted on 02. Jan, 2009 by kchristieh in local news, politics, startling statistics
Here’s a very short video of the Stealth (B-2) Bomber flying over yesterday’s Rose Parade:
It was really quiet as it approached, but louder as it flew away. No matter how many times I see this, it’s still really cool. It seemed pretty close from the 9th floor.
Here are some interesting Stealth Bomber facts from Wikipedia:
- The total program cost, which includes development, engineering, and testing, averaged US$2.1 billion per aircraft.
- A procurement of 132 aircraft was planned in the mid-1980s, but this was later reduced to 75. Yielding to budgetary pressures and congressional opposition, in his 1992 State of the Union Address, President George H.W. Bush announced total B-2 production would be limited to 20 aircraft. This reduction was largely a result of the disintegration of the Soviet Union, which effectively rendered void the Spirit’s primary Cold War mission.
- The high development costs also reflect the inefficiencies of separating design teams into different parts of the country for reasons of both design intelligence compartmentalization as a counter-espionage measure, and as a political measure to create lucrative jobs manufacturing different constituent parts of the plane in a variety of Congressional districts across the United States.
As cool as I think the Stealth is, I don’t think it’s worth the cost.
Instead of flying over the start of the parade, the aircraft flew over at exactly 9:00 a.m. Did someone forget what time the parade started???
Stop the presses! I agree with David Dreier on something!!
Posted on 11. Dec, 2008 by kchristieh in politics
Here it is: I would have voted against bailing out the GM, Ford, and Chrysler, just as David Dreier did. And, apparently, as the Senate just did.
Here’s why:
- American automakers have had a long enough time to make their cars more reliable.
- They haven’t responded quickly enough to changing market conditions that want more hybrids and less SUVs.
- Chrysler was bailed out 20 years ago, and it clearly didn’t work well enough.
- Our government is in the business of governing, not manufacturing cars, so I don’t expect the money to make enough difference.
- The industry is saddled with union contracts that make it hard to automate or turn a profit.
- The companies have a culture which stifles innovation.
- , and many “foreign” cars are, so why bail out these guys instead of the others? Oh, that’s right – they don’t need it.
- Why stop here? Why not bail out Talbots? Or the ? Or Office Depot? They all provide American jobs. (I’m not saying we should bail these others out – I’m just noting that they’re hurting, too.) It’s not as if the car makers are critical to national security.
- At that rate, why not bail out parents who have lost what they saved for their kids’ college educations? Or retirees? Or the healthcare system?
I don’t think we should have bailed out AIG or the banks, either. I don’t think the money will have the full benefit that congress expects, and I think it’s shortsighted to put future generations in so much debt.
It’s not about blue collar or white collar: it’s about how the money collected from all of us can best be used to benefit the nation as a whole.
Quote of the Day:
“Christmas is a time when kids tell Santa what they want and adults pay for it. Deficits are when adults tell the government what they want and their kids pay for it.”
~Richard Lamm
Here’s an interesting video about a Ford assembly plant in Brazil that has an efficient, high level of automation that Ford doesn’t/can’t have in the U.S. My latent industrial engineer loves this stuff…
Stand up against hate
Posted on 08. Dec, 2008 by kchristieh in politics
Hate is blooming. All across the country, hate groups are sprouting up and thriving, some in response to the election of Barack Obama. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center,
In New York, a black teen was attacked with a bat on election night by four white men who shouted “Obama.” In Los Angeles, swastikas and racial slurs were painted on cars, sidewalks and houses. In Idaho, schoolchildren on buses chanted “assassinate Obama.”
In addition, hate groups report that membership is surging. We’ve identified 888 organized hate groups — white supremacists, neo-Nazis, anti-immigrant extremists, anti-gay groups and others — represented by the dots on the map.
Thankfully, the Southern Poverty Law Center tracks and exposes hate groups, and uses legal means to put them out of business.
Add yourself to their “Stand Strong Against Hate” map:
As the ranks of hate swell, people of goodwill must stand up and be counted.
Add yourself to our map as a voice for tolerance. Join people across the nation who are standing strong against the hate, racism, and intolerance infecting our communities, schools and political debate.
I think the only state on the map without a hate group in it is New Mexico, but I can’t tell for sure. Let’s hope for a day when there are no more red dots on the map.
Yes on Ate
Posted on 02. Dec, 2008 by kchristieh in politics
I was delighted to receive the “Yes on 8″ sign that I won from the Rattling the Kettle contest in yesterday’s mail. The possibilities of what to do with it were endless, but then my dog spoke up. He said that he’s all about love and acceptance, and wanted to help take care of the sign.
So he did.
Thanks, Ricky! And thank you, Dave, for a fun-filled evening of watching my dog destroy the “Yes on 8″ sign!
What if we run out of ink?
Posted on 26. Nov, 2008 by kchristieh in politics, startling statistics
According to today’s NYTimes,
The Federal Reserve and the Treasury announced $800 billion in new lending programs on Tuesday, sending a message that they would print as much money as needed to revive the nation’s crippled banking system.
Isn’t this throwing good money after bad? Won’t this lead to inflation? Isn’t this something that Third World economies do? What if we run out of ink and paper?
How about this shocking statistic?
In the last year, the government has assumed about $7.8 trillion in direct and indirect financial obligations. That is equal to about half the size of the nation’s entire economy and far eclipses the $700 billion that Congress authorized for the Treasury’s financial rescue plan.
Wow. Our children will be paying this back for a long, long time. Or rather, our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, etc. They’d better be pretty darn great to pay all this back!
After I wrote the above paragraph, I read Thomas Friedman’s excellent analysis of the current economic crisis. Here’s what he says about our progeny:
That’s how we got here — a near total breakdown of responsibility at every link in our financial chain, and now we either bail out the people who brought us here or risk a total systemic crash. These are the wages of our sins. I used to say our kids will pay dearly for this. But actually, it’s our problem. For the next few years we’re all going to be working harder for less money and fewer government services — if we’re lucky.
My POW bracelet: Honoring John George Graf of Glendale, CA
Posted on 11. Nov, 2008 by kchristieh in politics
On November 15, 1969, John George Graf was a crewmember aboard an Army aircraft that was shot down in South Vietnam. He and the pilot, Robert T. White, ejected safely, but were captured by the enemy when they hit the ground.
White was released in 1973, but Graf never made it home. It’s possible that he drowned during an escape attempt in February, 1970, but that hasn’t been confirmed.
I purchased the POW bracelet for John G. Graf when I visited the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. several years ago. His hometown is listed as Glendale, CA, which is the next town over from us. I can’t imagine the pain that comes from the uncertainty of not knowing a loved one’s fate. If you’re reading this blog and you’re related to LCdr. Graf, I’d be honored to give you this bracelet. Click here to see postings by people who wore the same POW bracelet and who knew John (Jack) Graf.
War is lousy. Whether the motives are good or not, it’s a sad commentary on humans that we wage wars.
I respect the people that fight for our country, and pray that they get home safely.
Prop. 8 contributions skew conservative in La Canada
Posted on 07. Nov, 2008 by kchristieh in my life, politics, social networking
Here’s some solid proof that La Canada is a conservative community:
Prop. 8 (Marriage = between a man and a woman):
Opposition:
- 32 people gave a total of $17,940 to oppose Proposition 8. (=avg. $598 / person)
- 4,458 people voted against it.
Support:
- 69 people gave a total of $285,554 to support Proposition 8. (=avg. $4,138.46 / person)
- 4,830 people voted for it.
President:
- Obama: 4,597
- McCain: 4,602
I haven’t blogged about Prop. 8 before, but I wish I had. I voted against it. I understand that many Christians voted for it based upon their beliefs, but I voted against it based on my Christian beliefs. I believe that God made some people gay, and if they truly love someone and want to declare that love publicly, I think that’s a beautiful thing. Not only does it not threaten my 21+ year marriage, but it makes me appreciate my marriage since this is something that homosexuals want so badly. On the other hand, I know people who are turned off from marriage because they’ve witnessed the ugliness of heterosexual divorce. I don’t want to get into a whole theological discussion about this, but I just wish that people would appreciate that one can still believe and yet vote a different way. (Here’s a shout out to my pastor, who told us last week we should prayerfully consider our vote, but didn’t tell us to vote a certain way. Love it!)
Last week I logged onto Facebook and saw a picture of a friend and his husband and daughter (so cute!) at the wedding of another gay couple, and a picture of another friend after her Mormon sealing ceremony. I think both of these people are absolutely wonderful, loving people. I don’t think that either side should assume the other side is evil or malicious, and I appreciate the wonderful people on either side.
On another note, I won the Rattling the Kettle contest to guess the number of electoral votes that Barack Obama would get. Yay!! I won a “Yes on 8″ sign, and need to decide what to do with it. Any suggestions?
Links:
- How La Canada Voted (La Canada Valley Sun)
- Proposition 8 Contributions from La Canadans: For / Against / Summary sorted by name
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