A high school friend of mine went missing last week, when a dock he was on collapsed, and now they think they've found his body.
He was a person who was full of life, made friends easily, and will be sorely missed.
So I had a post planned for today, talking about how women's rights are being stripped away state-by-state, but I'm not going to post it. Instead, I'm going to send you to Shakesville.
And I will sit here, mourning Jimmy, and mourning our friend Chris, who died in a fire 14 years ago and who I'm missing very much right now.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
My personal pledge
Starting with this cycle, and continuing until I say otherwise, I will not endorse any candidate for any office unless I personally put some shoe leather into the game for that candidate.
No walking? No talking.
If you see me endorsing a candidate here, it will mean I put some sweat equity into their campaign.
I may expand this to candidates I donate trackable money to.
No walking? No talking.
If you see me endorsing a candidate here, it will mean I put some sweat equity into their campaign.
I may expand this to candidates I donate trackable money to.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
From the Inbox
Dear Liz,
It could come down to just 20 minutes.
The McDonnell administration is pulling out all the stops to steamroll through new, overreaching regulations that could force 17 of Virginia’s 21 abortion providers to close their doors.
Tell Gov. McDonnell to veto this bill today.
Last month, cunning anti-choice lawmakers voted to categorize Virginia’s abortion providers as hospitals! This, of course, is not only utterly ridiculous, but downright reckless. Their aim is to shut down clinics. And, if that happens, the majority of women in the Commonwealth will lose access to vital reproductive health care.
We have learned that the process to recategorize abortion providers are hospitals is being fast tracked and that the public will have little to no input. In fact, the Board of Health will only allow 20 minutes for public comment at their September meeting! That’s not how democracy should work!
You can help stop this power grab by putting pressure on Gov. McDonnell. It’s not too late. He has not yet signed this draconian bill into law, but every minute counts. He has until Tuesday, March 29.
After trying to pass this sort of bill into law for 20 years, it could come down to just 20 minutes of public comment - 20 minutes that could shape women’s access to safe, legal abortion in Virginia for the next 20 years and beyond.
The McDonnell administration is attempting to work in secret to eliminate safe, legal abortion care in Virginia. This cannot happen. It’s up to you to stop this attack!
Ask the governor TODAY to veto the bill designed to shut down abortion providers.
If Gov. McDonnell signs this bill into law, we will spend the next six months working tirelessly to make sure new regulations do not severely limit access to abortion in the Commonwealth. We have our work cut out for us, but I know pro-choice Virginia is ready to stand up and tell the McDonnell administration we will not tolerate its harmful anti-choice agenda.
Please stay tuned over the coming weeks to learn more about how we will be fighting this dangerous attempt to limit reproductive care.
For choice,
Tarina Keene
Executive Director
P.S. We will need a lot of support in the coming months to fight these attacks, so please consider making a donation to help us protect Virginia’s valuable abortion providers.
It could come down to just 20 minutes.
The McDonnell administration is pulling out all the stops to steamroll through new, overreaching regulations that could force 17 of Virginia’s 21 abortion providers to close their doors.
Tell Gov. McDonnell to veto this bill today.
Last month, cunning anti-choice lawmakers voted to categorize Virginia’s abortion providers as hospitals! This, of course, is not only utterly ridiculous, but downright reckless. Their aim is to shut down clinics. And, if that happens, the majority of women in the Commonwealth will lose access to vital reproductive health care.
We have learned that the process to recategorize abortion providers are hospitals is being fast tracked and that the public will have little to no input. In fact, the Board of Health will only allow 20 minutes for public comment at their September meeting! That’s not how democracy should work!
You can help stop this power grab by putting pressure on Gov. McDonnell. It’s not too late. He has not yet signed this draconian bill into law, but every minute counts. He has until Tuesday, March 29.
After trying to pass this sort of bill into law for 20 years, it could come down to just 20 minutes of public comment - 20 minutes that could shape women’s access to safe, legal abortion in Virginia for the next 20 years and beyond.
The McDonnell administration is attempting to work in secret to eliminate safe, legal abortion care in Virginia. This cannot happen. It’s up to you to stop this attack!
Ask the governor TODAY to veto the bill designed to shut down abortion providers.
If Gov. McDonnell signs this bill into law, we will spend the next six months working tirelessly to make sure new regulations do not severely limit access to abortion in the Commonwealth. We have our work cut out for us, but I know pro-choice Virginia is ready to stand up and tell the McDonnell administration we will not tolerate its harmful anti-choice agenda.
Please stay tuned over the coming weeks to learn more about how we will be fighting this dangerous attempt to limit reproductive care.
For choice,
Tarina Keene
Executive Director
P.S. We will need a lot of support in the coming months to fight these attacks, so please consider making a donation to help us protect Virginia’s valuable abortion providers.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Dear Anonymous
The answer to your question is, "No."
No, I will not primary Andrea McGimsey. I truly understand the anger and frustration behind the question, but I believe that she has been a very good supervisor, this one decision notwithstanding. Disagreement on one issue isn't a good enough reason to primary an incumbent, when she's done a good job on so many other issues.
I do wish she would change her mind on this one topic (and I wish she took a stronger position on Choice, but that's just me), but I will not run for her seat (or any other) this year.
There is still time for her to change her mind on the districts, see Stevens's blog for more info about that.
No, I will not primary Andrea McGimsey. I truly understand the anger and frustration behind the question, but I believe that she has been a very good supervisor, this one decision notwithstanding. Disagreement on one issue isn't a good enough reason to primary an incumbent, when she's done a good job on so many other issues.
I do wish she would change her mind on this one topic (and I wish she took a stronger position on Choice, but that's just me), but I will not run for her seat (or any other) this year.
There is still time for her to change her mind on the districts, see Stevens's blog for more info about that.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Expanding on my comments
Paradox13 put up a post about the redistricting over at Loudoun Progress. And I made a couple of comments there, which I'm going to expand on here.
Stevens disagrees with me on a lot of what I'm about to say, but this is my blog, my opinion, and here it goes.
I don't care one iota if there is one Western district or two. I think having an HOA or a town kept entirely in one district is a fine desire, but not something that ends up mattering a whole lot on election day. I do think that it matters if a district is contiguous. I do think it matters if you have to leave the district to reach another part of it, but ultimately, I think that there are many ways to split up Loudoun relatively equitably and Miller 5 (unamended) and HOA 4 were two of them.
I've said before that I am partisan only inasmuch as the Democratic party is the party that has, as part of its platform, a pledge (among other things) to protect the rights of women, minorities, LGBT, and people with disabilities.
In this county, we have an elected official whose day job it is to fight against the right of people who are gay.
There was one and only one partisan piece of redistricting that was included in both Miller 5 (unamended) and HOA 4. That piece was including MY precinct, Oak Grove, with Delgaudio's district.
And Sally Kurtz amended it into Andrea McGimsey's district.
Which is so phenomenally stupid that I am flabbergasted that Mike Turner is crowing about it.
Oak Grove has a net 100 reliable Democrats. Delgaudio won last time by 200 votes. Oak Grove was the keystone in the plan to get Delgaudio booted out this November. And the beauty of it was, it wasn't gerrymandering, because Oak Grove BELONGS in Sterling. It is otherwise isolated from the rest of the county. There was no way for Delgaudio to complain about it. It was natural to join it in. OF COURSE it should be joined in.
Now, instead of making the demise of Delgaudio's Board tenure a sure thing, Oak Grove is merely there to increase McGimsey's win margin, in an obvious bit of gerrymandering to pull us into her district.
I really like Andrea. I think she's been a good Supervisor. But if this bit of redistricting sends Delgaudio back to the Board next year (especially if he wins by less than 100 votes), I will never forget that it was she, and Mike Turner, and Sally Kurtz, and Kelly Burk, and Susan Buckley, and Jim Burton who made this happen.
And I will make sure that everyone, everywhere, who has ever heard of Delgaudio knows EXACTLY whose fault it is if he wins.
Stevens disagrees with me on a lot of what I'm about to say, but this is my blog, my opinion, and here it goes.
I don't care one iota if there is one Western district or two. I think having an HOA or a town kept entirely in one district is a fine desire, but not something that ends up mattering a whole lot on election day. I do think that it matters if a district is contiguous. I do think it matters if you have to leave the district to reach another part of it, but ultimately, I think that there are many ways to split up Loudoun relatively equitably and Miller 5 (unamended) and HOA 4 were two of them.
I've said before that I am partisan only inasmuch as the Democratic party is the party that has, as part of its platform, a pledge (among other things) to protect the rights of women, minorities, LGBT, and people with disabilities.
In this county, we have an elected official whose day job it is to fight against the right of people who are gay.
There was one and only one partisan piece of redistricting that was included in both Miller 5 (unamended) and HOA 4. That piece was including MY precinct, Oak Grove, with Delgaudio's district.
And Sally Kurtz amended it into Andrea McGimsey's district.
Which is so phenomenally stupid that I am flabbergasted that Mike Turner is crowing about it.
Oak Grove has a net 100 reliable Democrats. Delgaudio won last time by 200 votes. Oak Grove was the keystone in the plan to get Delgaudio booted out this November. And the beauty of it was, it wasn't gerrymandering, because Oak Grove BELONGS in Sterling. It is otherwise isolated from the rest of the county. There was no way for Delgaudio to complain about it. It was natural to join it in. OF COURSE it should be joined in.
Now, instead of making the demise of Delgaudio's Board tenure a sure thing, Oak Grove is merely there to increase McGimsey's win margin, in an obvious bit of gerrymandering to pull us into her district.
I really like Andrea. I think she's been a good Supervisor. But if this bit of redistricting sends Delgaudio back to the Board next year (especially if he wins by less than 100 votes), I will never forget that it was she, and Mike Turner, and Sally Kurtz, and Kelly Burk, and Susan Buckley, and Jim Burton who made this happen.
And I will make sure that everyone, everywhere, who has ever heard of Delgaudio knows EXACTLY whose fault it is if he wins.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Dear Lori Waters
The answer to your question is, "no".
No. I will not run against Eugene Delgaudio this year if Stevens and I are districted in with him. The LCDC already has three fine gentlemen throwing their hats in that ring, and I will not join them.
Which is not to say it wouldn't be fun.
No. I will not run against Eugene Delgaudio this year if Stevens and I are districted in with him. The LCDC already has three fine gentlemen throwing their hats in that ring, and I will not join them.
Which is not to say it wouldn't be fun.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
It's getting easier to be green
Up until last November, neither of our cars were terribly efficient. I had a 2002 Kia Sedona, he had a 1997 Jeep Wrangler. Both were bought used. The Kia was bought when our son still had a lot of equipment to haul around.
We were thinking about getting more efficient vehicles, but you know what the greenest car is? One that you already have that's in working condition. So we waited...and we dreamed of better than 20 miles to the gallon.
Then I was in a collision, and the Kia was replaced with a 1998 Toyota Camry. People, I regularly get over 30 miles to the gallon in that puppy, just tootling back and forth from work!
And then we had to replace the Jeep. This past weekend, we got a 2002 Honda Civic. It's even more efficient than the Toyota! Plus I work just a few miles from home! This is so exciting!!! Just as Big Oil is taking advantage of unrest in the Middle East to gouge consumers, we're thumbing our noses at them and benefiting local businesses at the same time!!
The Toyota was purchased at Lindsay Volkswagen. We went back to them last week, but they didn't have anything in our price range this time (though they had a sweet red Mini Cooper), so we got the Honda from Honda of Dulles. We had a great experience at each of their stores, and I've recommended them to friends. If you're in the market for a car, you really could not do better than to shop at either of their stores --- and they're even in our district!
We were thinking about getting more efficient vehicles, but you know what the greenest car is? One that you already have that's in working condition. So we waited...and we dreamed of better than 20 miles to the gallon.
Then I was in a collision, and the Kia was replaced with a 1998 Toyota Camry. People, I regularly get over 30 miles to the gallon in that puppy, just tootling back and forth from work!
And then we had to replace the Jeep. This past weekend, we got a 2002 Honda Civic. It's even more efficient than the Toyota! Plus I work just a few miles from home! This is so exciting!!! Just as Big Oil is taking advantage of unrest in the Middle East to gouge consumers, we're thumbing our noses at them and benefiting local businesses at the same time!!
The Toyota was purchased at Lindsay Volkswagen. We went back to them last week, but they didn't have anything in our price range this time (though they had a sweet red Mini Cooper), so we got the Honda from Honda of Dulles. We had a great experience at each of their stores, and I've recommended them to friends. If you're in the market for a car, you really could not do better than to shop at either of their stores --- and they're even in our district!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Here's the thing
Blogging at work, and reading blogs at work, is a major no-no. So I wait until I get home. And then I make dinner, and eat dinner, and play with my son, and watch Red Dwarf, and put my son to bed, and then I read blogs. And then I'm just pooped. So that's what's been going on with the lack of bloggish activity on this here blog.
But there's a whole hell of a lot going on in the world. Wisconsin. OH MY GOD, how much do you love the Dem Senators in Wisconsin? And the protesters? I am so stoked by what's going on there. This is the stuff I read about when I was a kid, and sang songs about at summer camp, and everything. I am totally living vicariously through my Twitter feed.
I think that the Wisconsin GOP are going to get seriously spanked by the voters for this one. And I, for one, can't wait.
Perhaps more federal Dems will take their cue from the Wisconsin 14. Standing firm against stealing from the poor is a Democratic value.
And last but not least, Johnny Mathias who worked on Stevens's campaign for Delegate, is in WI as we speak, and is reporting LIVE! on Facebook and Twitter. He is awesome.
But there's a whole hell of a lot going on in the world. Wisconsin. OH MY GOD, how much do you love the Dem Senators in Wisconsin? And the protesters? I am so stoked by what's going on there. This is the stuff I read about when I was a kid, and sang songs about at summer camp, and everything. I am totally living vicariously through my Twitter feed.
I think that the Wisconsin GOP are going to get seriously spanked by the voters for this one. And I, for one, can't wait.
Perhaps more federal Dems will take their cue from the Wisconsin 14. Standing firm against stealing from the poor is a Democratic value.
And last but not least, Johnny Mathias who worked on Stevens's campaign for Delegate, is in WI as we speak, and is reporting LIVE! on Facebook and Twitter. He is awesome.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Loudoun Progress has a new look!
Loudoun Progress is now at http://www.loudounprogress.org!
We've changed over to a WordPress platform, and are much happier with the look and feel.
The header picture was taken on my cell phone at the Obama rally in Leesburg in 2008.
Many thanks to Epluribusunum (and family) and Paradox13 for getting this move done!!!
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