In the hub-bud of the convention we should not forget to observe our nation’s birth.
It hard for those of us more than 233 years distant understand the enormous challenge and risk that our forefathers undertook. More than just our Country has benefitsx from that bold declaration of independence. All of humanity profited from our gamble. Freedom is sought throughout the world and it is in that direction that mankind has been moving.
Things have turned for the better here as Westercon, Tempe. I had better luck with panels in the afternoon and the parties worked out really well. I was more outgoing than usual and had a decent time.
There are lots of eateries near the hotel so there isn’t any problems in finding food and usually at a good price near by. The biggest problem there is that Tempe is really hot in July. (Today they expect 106) Even a jaunt of just a few blocks can be quite an expedition.
Today a Friday before the 4th of July weekend, Govenor Sarah Palin of Alaska announced she would not only NOT seek re-election but she will be stepping down as Govenor before the end of the month.
I don’t doubt we’ll hear from her a lot, but forget her as a serious contenter for the nomination in 2012.
I for one will not miss her.
We’ve arrived at Westercon in Phoenix adn I’ve started forming opinons. Sadly these are no good opinions. The organazation of the convention is as though it was put together by epileptic monkeys working a jizsaw puzzle that was missing a few pieces while aboard a storm-tossed steamship.
We checked into the hotel, and then went to registration to pick up our badges. Ha! That’s what we thought we were going to do. We paid for our memberships on line (Paypal) more than a week ago, but they had no listing for us in the membership roles. It was a clusterfuck getting them to recognize we had membership and issuing them.
The program grid does not match up with the Programming booklet so good luck on finding the panels. The programming booklet lists the panels by TRACK. So you have all the Lit stuff together, all the Media Stuff together, but it’s only partially arranged by alphabet.
The size is the convention is small. Sort of like a suped up ConDor or a downgraded LosCon.
I’ve attended a few interesting panels and there’s lots of places to eat.
I will be spending the 4th of July weekend at the Westercon SF convention in Tempe Arizona. If you;re there stop by and say hi!
If there is internet access I’ll check in and up date from there, otherwise see you next week.
So here are a few of the stories popping about in the political realms and my thoughts on them…
San Diego Sheriff’s Office Responds to Political Fundraiser with multiple cars and a Helicopter.
This is a fun one. Some reports have as many as eight squad cars, and a helicopter used when someone called in a noise complaint about a fundraiser going on in an upper-scale area of San Diego County in the later afternoon early evening. Reports are that some of the Democratic fund raisers were pepper-sprayed and treated roughly by the deputies.
From a fund raising email after the events.
It’s the 11th hour to show that you have the courage and the commitment to stand with me
against the strong forces that are gathering against us. It’s also the 11th hour for you to join
with over 650 supporters to help me reach my goal of raising $200,000 by tomorrow. Don’t rely
on others to do this. I need YOUR support to show that we have what it takes to fight and
win. I am asking you to please go tonow, before
Tuesday’s deadline expires.
I don’t agree that this represents ‘gathering forces.’ I don’t doubt that the original call was motivated by politics, but I think what the upper-political classes have tasted here is the usual police powers over-reach. I don’t think the Deputies though “Hey, Let’s bust up a Democratic Fund raiser!” but rather expected to find young and noisy kids and college students whom they are used to pushing around. The police in our country still get away with far too much abuse of their powers and positions.
The Democrats move up to 60 seats in the Senate. Al Franken has now officially won his Senate seat. This would have normally made him the 59th Democratic Senator in the current Senate. (The Democrats lost the Georgia seat they needed for a clear sixty.) Thanks to Pat Toomey and the Club For Growth though the Democrats were gifted their sixty seat filibuster-proof margin when Arlen Specter was chased out of the Republican Party and into the Democratic Party to survive. Have no illusion about this, Specter did this to stay in the Senate, he doesn’t want to be looking for work in this recession. Having abased himself by switching parties purely to survive, Specter now appears to be doing whatever it takes to make the Democrats happy. So with Cap-and-trade coming up and Health care and all sorts of other big issues, the republican Base has proved itself the Democratic Party’s best friend.
A Magazine Profile of Sarah Palin ignites a crap storm in the blogosphere.
Vanity Fair published a profile on John McCain’s ex-running mate, Sarah Palin and it was not a flattering one. If you were inclined to not like Palin this article is likely to confirm what you though about her, if you are a fan of the Governor you;re likely to to find fault particularly with a lot of un-named sourcing. What the article has stirred up is all the bad blood between faction of the GOP who love her and who hate her. Personally I think she was not ready for the national stage and she is one of the reasons I simply could not vote for McCain. She was a bridge too far for me and I have never regretted that call. Still she has her supporters I know I have gotten the dirty looks for voice my opinions on her.