And then maybe someone can explain this ad to me. From Google:
" Replenish your beauty
products & contribute to tsunami
disaster relief: MK consultant, aff
www.beautyateveryage.com
Illinois”
Because I checked the Web site—all about the makeup, nothing about the disaster. Which means either I missed it, or that this is someone’s particularly callous attempt at marketing.
Nov. 2. The party was fun, except for the part where my team lost. Cab ride home was all about the shock and awe, all right. Later that night, crying in bed thinking about it all, while in the next room The Boyfriend tried to calm down my sister over the phone. Because he is a gentleman, he never mentioned that she was swearing a blue streak the whole time.
Nov. 3. More shock and awe. Dull, numbing realization that this wasn't some bad dream. Sharp, not-numbing realization when news of Kerry's concession made me smack the desk so hard that my hand hurt. Reading, reading, re-reading Web sites. Careful avoidance of images of Smilin' George, because...just, no. Commiseration. Reflection. Rumination. Decided that if I was going to do anything, I should start small and work from there. Ultimate decision: To throw a party, of sorts. Or maybe it's more like a wake.
Nov. 4. Stopped reading "Murder Machine" and picked up my old copy of "250 Ways to make America Better." Page 196: "Technology is the knack of so arranging the world that we do not experience it."--Max Frisch.
Damn it, he's right. Of all the thoughts I've been turning over since this election, a big one has been, "Where the hell did those voters come from? How could I have been so blindsided? I thought I was so informed."
We are informed...but, the question becomes, by who? If you're like me, you probably have a list of blogs and Web sites that match your political affiliations. They're the ones you turn to most when you need information. They're the ones you visited most often during the campaign, and where you went yesterday after you got over your shell-shock.
No, I'm not saying that's bad. Community is good. I am pro-community.
Insularity, though, has its downside. If we're all reading the same sites, and linking to the same sites, and using that sense of community to make us feel like everyone thinks the way we do, we set ourselves up for a rude awakening.
Mental count: How many blogs and Web sites do you visit in a day? How many have a political bent? Now...how many of them are conservative? I can't tell you my answers to 1 and 2, because I would embarrass myself. Assume it's more than 15. The last one is easy: Andrew Sullivan. And that's it. It's not exactly a balanced diet.
If we want to understand why They voted for the monkey-faced president with the transmitter in his back, we have to do some work. We need to read their Web sites, visit their blogs, and actually pay attention to what drives their votes.
Yes, I know. You know all about conservatives and don't want a thing to do with them. In fact, you'd only be truly happy to see them to be locked in their Wal-Marts and pushed off the edge of the world. Understandable. There's a lot of grief and fear out there. And we've just gotten a big lesson in what happens when people react (at least partly) out of fear.
No, I'm not saying that you should seek out the most rabid right-wing nutjob site you can find and visit it every day. I'm saying do some research and challenge yourself to find three conservative blogs or Web sites (level of conservatism depends on your own tolerance), and visit them regularly. You don't even have to post; lurk if it makes you feel better. But go educate yourself about what the other side is saying. (And, if you can recommend any conservative blogs, please list them in the Comments section.)
Our country is so divided. An escalating war or new attack will only make the gap wider. We can't understand each other unless we start communicating. We can't be effective unless we understand where the other side is coming from.
Now, about that party. The Rev and I are holding it this weekend. We can't figure out if it's supposed to be a party, a wake, a salon, or a rap session. Basically, it's a chance for people to come together, talk, vent, and share some ideas about what to do next. Plus, there will be snacks. As Emma Goldman said, "If I can't eat chips and dip, I don't want to be part of your revolution." Something like that.
The flower thing has made the papers--specifically, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Star-Tribune (subscription required).
Did it. Called Mariner & Co. and ordered flowers from a very nice man. He offered what most people have been buying: A standard wedding bouquet for $50. Sounded fine to me. And now, flowers are on their way from The Rev and I.
I know $50 sounds like a lot. (Trust me--when it comes to wedding bouquets, this is not bad.) Several people on LiveJournal have reported that Mariner was willing to work with their budgets, sending whatever the person could afford. Make it a group thing and get your friends to chip in. You can even put your names on the card.
Flower Guy was very pleased to hear what I was calling about. You could almost hear his smile through the phone. Although they've been getting a lot of orders, he seemed absolutely gratified by the idea that people are doing this. As he put it, "It's great to walk out there with the flowers and say, 'Who's getting married?' And you should see their faces when we hand them the bouquets. They just light up!" Awwwww! Also making him happy--that a lot of straight couples are ordering the flowers. So, uh, go us, I guess. :)
And then he had to run, because his phone was ringing off the hook.
Do it. It will make your day, make the florist's day--and most importantly, bring big smiles to a couple who is waiting in the rain just for the chance to get married.
Mariner & Co.
1-800-797-7744
Wish you were in San Francisco this week? Maybe wanting to do something nice for all those people waiting to get married?
It'll probably cost you about $40, but if you go in with some friends that's cheapy-cheap. Last I heard, Flowers by the Bay was getting pretty busy. They're thrilled to do this, but they're just a little shop. You can also try Elizabeth's Flowers, Mariner & Co. , San Francisco Stems (gay-owned), or find a florist here. Some people have had trouble using FTD or Flowers.com--they're not too keen on the idea of "Just deliver it to whoever"--so you may have more luck with a local florist.
Spread the love, people.
Haven't bought your Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Solstice/Non-Denominational Winter Festival cards yet?
Do a little good with your money this year. All the organizations below are selling cards to raise funds. They could use the cash.
And if you know an organization that should be on this list, post it in the Comments.
General
UNICEF
Amnesty International
Children's Defense Fund
Animals
American Humane Association
Audubon Society
Humane Society of the U.S.
Marine Mammal Center
Health
St. Jude's (They'll also take your old cards and make them into new ones--cool!)
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's AFLAC Cancer Center
Muscular Dystrophy Association
Courage Center (Provides rehabiliation services, programs, and activities for the disabled)
Hunger/Home
Connecticut Food Bank
Greater Chicago Food Depository
Second Harvest
Project Bread
Meals on Wheels: This one or this one
Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless
Peace/Anti-War
Syracuse Cultural Workers
Sound Nonviolent Opponents of War
