What did you do in 2008 that you have never done before?
Went to Chicago. Got paid to write about politics. Voted for the guy that actually won.
Did you keep all of last years resolutions?
I resolved not to date losers (again) and I think I’ve kept it.
Have you any resolutions for next year?
I haven’t gotten that far. Mostly I just want to get a job and get back in shape.
What countries did you visit?
The U.S.A. but fun parts.
What would you like to have in 2009 that you didn’t have in 2008?
A real job.
What date in 2008 will remain etched in your memory?
It might be a cliche, but November 4.
What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I don’t know if I can claim the above as an achievement just for me, because that sounds cocky, but really, this year was defined in so many ways by the presidential election.
What was your biggest failure?
Something really, really personal that I ain’t sharing.
Did you suffer any illness or injury?
Nothing major–knock on wood. Just dealt with other people’s.
What was the best thing you bought?
New laptop will probably be it. It wasn’t a year for big purchases.
Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Besides the president? And other politicians? Well, appalled might be the wrong word, but I was definitely depressed by my ex a few times.
Where did most of your money go?
Rent, bills, rent, bills, rent, bills, and food.
What did you get really really really excited about?
Obama! Also, comics. Chicago, BUST, Nick Cave, Boss Hog, new laptop, a crush or two, and Twilight. (Yes, I’m lame. No, I don’t care.)
What do you wish you’d done less of?
Eaten crap food and worried about the ex. And missed Kacie. I wish I didn’t have to miss her.
How will you be spending Christmas?
In South Carolina with the fam.
Which LJ/OD users bloggers did you meet for the first time? Pop Feminist, Belledame, GallingGalla, Kristin (no blog, but she counts), Erik…
Did you fall in love in 2008?
Nope, but I fell in lust a few times.
How many one night stands?
None
What was your favourite TV show?
On a Buffy binge, but that’s DVD. So I must say The Rachel Maddow Show.
Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nope
What was/were the best books you read?
The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano, and a whole bunch of comics (Scalped, Northlanders, Local, Watchmen…)
What was your greatest musical discovery?
I’m hooked right now on the Long Blondes.
What did you want and get?
A certain guy (for a time), some art, my internship at BUST, to go see Nick Cave, new friends, new tattoo.
What did you want and not get?
A few cabinet appointments, the internship at The Nation, a certain other guy.
What was your favourite film this year?
The fucking Dark Knight.
EDIT because I saw Slumdog Millionaire tonight and it was pure movie bliss. Perfect from start to finish, and I’m not even leaving out the dance number in the credits. I LOVED that. I loved The Dark Knight, too, but it loses points for not ending at the logical ending point.
What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
28; had some dinner and drinks with a few good friends. And got a visit from the boy.
What one thing would have made your year more satisfying?
Not having the world’s biggest economic downturn? And something, once again, personal.
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Oh yeah, I remember what it’s like to wear skirts! I can be cute!
What Who kept you sane?
Brian, Lucas, Janelle, Lawson, and my dog.
Which celebrity did you fancy the most?
Rahm Emanuel and James Franco
Which political issue stirred you the most?
See above.
Who did you miss?
Kacie. Lots of other people too, but that one’s for real.
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned this year?
As cheesy as it sounds, sometimes all that hard work and believing pays off.
Quote a song lyric that sums up your year…
And nothing comforts me the same
As my brave friend who says,
“I don’t care if forever never comes
‘Cause I’m holding out for that teenage feeling
I’m holding out for that teenage feeling”
-Neko Case, “That Teenage Feeling”
Around the country today, at coordinated times, people took to the streets to protest the passing of Proposition 8 and other gay marriage bans across the country.
I’ve been in my Obama-victory haze and have admittedly not written as much about this as I should, other than recommending Olbermann’s comment on the subject.
But Karthika and I headed down to City Hall in Philly today to join the fun, and took some pictures on the way.
It’s always amazing to me to see the diversity at events like this. I absolutely love the energy, the straight parents bringing little kids, the older parents holding signs that say “Proud Father of a Gay Son.” The “str8 against 8″ signs were particularly prominent today. And despite the stupid coming from some sectors, people of all ethnicities were represented.
That’s the thing no one tells you about public protest, collective action, etc. How much fun it all is. I’m not happy that Prop 8 passed. But the response to it around the country has been amazing.
For those Obama organizers and volunteers who are genuinely befuddled as to “Now what?” I offer these events as an idea. Electing Obama was a beginning, not an ending. We still have much work to do.
And while I’m talking about Prop 8, I’d like to remember Duanna Johnson, a transgender woman murdered in what is all too common a manner. While we fight for marriage equality, we need to remember that not everyone’s life will be made OK by granting marriage rights.
Theseare the times in which a genius would wish to live. It is not in the still calm of life that great characters are formed. The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties. Great necessities call out great virtues. -Abigail Adams
Ok, so I’m not calling myself a genius. But I just heard this quote on Meet the Press, and it reminded me of the decision I’ve been struggling with for the last few months. And it just crystallized for me.
I’m not going to apply to Ph.D. programs this fall.
Quite simply, I want to go out and DO things now. I’ve been in school and I’ve been sitting behind a computer when I should’ve been out on the street, working, paying attention. This summer when I was out and about, meeting people, doing things, arguing and debating and having a life, I was happy.
There’s a temptation for me always to bury myself in books, to stay home and sit behind the computer, to study things. I can hide out anytime.
The economy is scary, and I know that I could get into a Ph.D. program and get an assistantship and work my tail off for another four or five years without having to think about the job market. Hell, in some ways after Tuesday’s victory it’s even more tempting, to be happy with what we’ve done and allow someone else to have that responsibility for a while.
But I’m not going to do it.
I want, like so many other people, to be a part of fixing this country.
And so in May I’ll take my degree and hit the job market. And I’ll find something. No hiding in the ivory tower because I’m afraid of what might be out there.
Look what we just did. We can do anything. I can do anything.
“Transition advisers to President-elect Barack Obama have compiled a list of about 200 Bush administration actions and executive orders that could be swiftly undone to reverse White House policies on climate change, stem cell research, reproductive rights and other issues, according to congressional Democrats, campaign aides and experts working with the transition team.” (from WashPost)
The specific changes said to be under consideration include lifting limits on embryonic stem cell research, lifting the ban on international family planning groups counseling women on abortion, “the Bush administration’s decision last December to deny California the authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles”, and “declaring that carbon dioxide emissions are endangering human welfare, following an EPA task force recommendation last December that Bush and his aides shunned in order to protect the utility and auto industries.”
These are wonderful changes. After the last eight years, the very idea that they might occur not as the result of a long drawn-out battle, but just like that, is amazing.
Just yesterday I read this post at Hoyden About Town about the One Thing that Obama should do right away. Yep, the Global Gag Rule. And to think that they’re already preparing to do that.
I don’t think it’s a small thing to say that every bit of time I spent volunteering on this campaign will be worth it for just that one thing. Throwing in more?
This is how democracy works. When the people come out in overwhelming numbers and demand their rights. When the pollworker follows people out and makes sure that she’s done everything to ensure that every single person who walks through the polling location door gets to cast their ballot. When people stand in line for three hours and instead of complaining, sing.
I don’t think that anyone who reads this blog needs a reminder to vote on Tuesday, if you haven’t already, but just in case you need one: DO IT.
I probably won’t be updating much because I’ll be out knocking on doors and hanging out at the polls watching for shenanigans.
Also, go download Greg Palast’s “Steal Back Your Vote” investigative comic, because Palast is my hero and protecting our democracy is both his and my passion.
I’ll try to toss things up on Tumblr as they happen, and no doubt will be twittering.
I’ll say it right away: the campaign trail is not for the thin-skinned.
You will have doors slammed in your face, sometimes by sweet old ladies who take one look at your button and scream “NO!”
You will see people peer out through a crack in the blinds and then pretend they’re not home.
More than that, on a presidential campaign, you will have to use the things you like least about your candidate as selling points to “swing” voters. You will have to choke down your anger at blatant racism and sexism to try to keep smiling and convey your point.
Colin Powell was always one of those Republicans I had some respect for (like McCain used to be, but I digress). Powell seemed to have at least some awareness of the world around him and especially of the importance of diplomacy. Like everyone else, I was disappointed when he went before the UN and, well, lied. When he stepped down in the wake of Bush’s re-sort-of-election, I was really angry, because I felt that residual respect and affection for Powell in this country could’ve swung the election for Kerry if he’d resigned before the election. He wouldn’t even have had to make an explicit endorsement–his leaving the ship would’ve been a sign.
Powell was head of the State Department–the department that relies most on performative language, according to Cook. The Secretary of State and his underlings do their job mainly by making statements. Approval, disapproval, etc. are expressed through the media as well as through direct diplomacy.
Powell, then, knew exactly what he was doing when he took to Meet the Press to make his endorsement of Barack Obama.
He didn’t appear on stage with Obama and probably won’t (though you know the ad people are working overtime to cut his words into a spot). He sat in a chair, comfortably, and spoke honestly. He didn’t invoke race once. He prefaced his statement with both respect for and criticism of John McCain, and especially of the choice of Sarah Palin, and then spoke of Obama as a potentially transformational figure.
And most importantly, he called out the Republican party on scare tactics and fearmongering, on xenophobia and hatred. Powell of all people has tremendous power to make the comments that there’s nothing wrong with being Muslim. As a general, as one of the architects of several of our recent wars in the Middle East, he will be accused by no sane person of being a terrorist sympathizer. When he spoke of an American Muslim soldier who died in Iraq, he sounded sincere, unlike McCain’s phony invocations of a bracelet from a soldier’s mother.
Implicit in those statements was an endorsement of Obama as the better leader on Iraq. He didn’t have to say it outright. He invoked Iraq and a fallen soldier in a way that if I didn’t know better I’d call a left-wing dogwhistle. I felt for just a second as if Powell had whispered in my ear, “I’m sorry about that, guys. I’m trying to fix it.”
Powell’s appearance on a news talk show was itself the top headline on the New York Times and the third headline on the Washington Post today. While I’m not going to go into what that says about canned news events and the corporate media here, suffice it to say that once again, we can see that speech is itself a form of action, especially in the executive branch.
