Moving On

At long last, I'm moving my blog over to my own domain and setting things up all fancy like! I've had my own domain for years, not sure why it's taken me this long to do this.

Maybe this big move, will reinvigorate me to write more. I hope so. Either way, come find me over at Simbalu.com. It's pretty.

Things I learned at San Diego Comic-Con 2011

Here we go!

1. I am predictable. Year after year, my favorite cosplay will be based on some silly video game that has eaten up entirely too much of my time...still, love it!




2. You know that fantasy every adult has had about rolling around in a big pile of money? Kids have it too, only with a slight variation.




3. If you head on down to South Park you will, in fact, have yourself a time.




4. Princess Leia will cut a bitch. Moments after this photo was taken, the middle Princess Leia in the gold bikini (PLITGB) "accidentally" smacked the blond PLITGB upside the face with a plastic Jabba the Hut. Seriously. You can't make this shit up. (side note, I am completely unable to mask my loud laughter at such an occurrence no matter how inappropriate or how close I am standing the involved PLITGB's)




5. Nerds are industrious. I don't care how sunny it is. When the urge strikes and they need to watch an episode of Battlestar Galactica, they find a way.




6. I want to believe their parents were being ironic when deciding to dress their cute little girls up as red shirts and not that they just liked the red. So wrong!




7. Fezzes are cool. So are bow ties. If you don't know why, you don't deserve to know why.




8. Everyone has a karaoke song that resonates for them deep down. For this guy, it was the "Finger Bang" song from South Park. I really don't want to think any further about that.




9. Nicholas Brenden is not aging well.




10. Initiating a new generation of Comic-Con attendees is awesome.




Don't mind me, I'll just be over here in the corner sleeping for a week until I am ready to start hunting tickets for 2012. The rest of the photos for the day can be found here.

The shoemaker's kid has no shoes...

Guess what I did last night? Christmas is in a few days so some reasonable guesses might be: Clean the house, bake cookies, wrap presents, make pudding out of some figgys. Any of those are things I should have been doing last night.

Instead, I was rebuilding one of my computers. We will put aside any questions you might have about the statement "one of my computers" because, seriously, have you met me? Of course I have more than one computer at home. No, we will focus on the sad, sick computer in my house. Why was it sick, you ask? Because I had a virus. Shocking, I know. With all of my computer repairing wizardry, I too can be felled by the work of some l33t speaking punk in China.

This would be the point where you are probably wondering how said virus found it's way around my anti-virus program. (insert Ozzy Osbourne style mumbling here...)

...I'm sorry, you couldn't hear me? I was saying that I wasn't actually using an anti-virus program on that computer. Yes, I am hanging my head in shame. Yes, I have lectured you in the past on the importance of using an AV program all the time. Oops.

I suppose this is where you are thinking that at least it was easy to rebuild because I certainly had a recent backup handy. No one talks about backing up regularly more than I do, right? Ummmm, yeah. I've been meaning to, really. I've just been so busy lately and I ran out of spare hard drives around the house and I've been wanting to do some work on that computer before I backed it up and ummmm...oh, hush!

I am my own worst client and a cautionary tale. At least I totally learned my lesson this time. (no I didn't)

P.S. What is figgy pudding, anyways?

Help Me Help You

I like computers. I like to play with them, teach people about them, install things on them, build them and yes...I even kind of like to fix them. Techie folks like to make "woe is me" jokes about how we are the personal computer repair person for all our friends and family but I think we all kind of enjoy it.

There is something very satisfying about figuring out and solving moderately challenging problems. Rooting out that stubborn bit of spyware or finding and replacing a failing memory chip. Bonus comes when every now and then we get to acquire some fun story to trot out at nerd parties like the computer power problem I fixed by plugging in the power cord or the "broken" printer issue I resolved by explaining to it's owner that if they wanted to print color they would need to actually purchase a color printer...the black & white one wouldn't do. True stories, both of them.

There are the occasional moments that make me want to tear my hair out, though, so I offer some guidance for folks thinking about hitting up a loved one about that weird window popping up lately.


I won't care about your problem more than you do.
If you can't remember anything about what happens when your computer crashes, it is difficult for me to help you. What you were eating or watching on TV when it happened doesn't count.

I give everyone a pass the first or second time they forget to take notice of what an error message says. They can be stressful, I understand. If by the third or fourth time you still haven't bothered to write it down, don't be surprised if I lose interest pretty quickly.


Please don't make stuff up.
I know you don't mean to lie to me, it just happens. Word to the wise, if I ask you a question and you answer me confidently and definitively...I will believe you. Because you are my friend and I like you. If you are answering my question with an educated guess because it seems like it should be the right answer, for the love of all that is holy TELL ME. I promise I won't judge you for not knowing.

Not giving me a heads up when you are guessing turns me into a bitter woman who has forgotten how to trust...at least when it comes to matters of wireless network configuration or any time a sentence ends with the phrase "I am 100% sure".


Be prepared to learn something.
Everyone gets the occasional virus. Don't worry about it, I'll help you get rid of it and make sure your security software is up to date. Calling me for the third time in a month because of the same virus and still not having any idea what to do about it makes my head explode. I don't expect you to know everything but at that point, you should be able to run a virus scan.

Think of it this way...if you call your brother-in-law to come over and help you with your pool because you are trying to save some money on a pool guy, expect him to come over and teach you how to use the tools and mix the chemicals. If you really don't want to touch or learn anything at all about the pool, hire a pool guy. And no, I don't know a good pool guy I can refer you to.


Make me dinner.
If I know you and love you, I won't take your money. Don't even try to give it to me. Cooking me dinner, buying me a drink or volunteering to help me paint my living room is more than enough. (As for that last one, I'm totally taking you up on that soon...you know who you are.) If you live far away, offering to take me out to dinner even if it might never happen is also perfectly acceptable.

All I really need is not to have to hear about how some jerk from The Geek Squad took advantage of you or made you feel stupid. Because that makes me sad. And angry at some of the jerks working for the Geek Squad. Seriously, where do they find some of those guys?

------------------------------------------------

Likewise, I will promise to keep all of these things in mind next time I ask you about that strange sound my car has been making. Deal?

An activist's fairy tale...happy ending pending.

Once upon a time (say the mid-90's), a young activist moved to Seattle to do good things. She knocked on doors, raised money and gathered signatures of the crunchy, liberal Seattle-ites. She helped people write letters about the environment. She convinced people they should put locks on their guns to protect children in the home. She worked to change laws so people couldn't suddenly be evicted from their homes for being gay.

One day, a gay man came up to her and was very angry with her. He didn't like that she...OK, fine...He didn't like that I was gathering signatures to put something on the ballot dealing with gay rights. I tried to explain that even though I was straight, he could trust my intentions were good. I told him I was only working to put it on the ballot and that the debate would come later. I asked him why he would be opposed to such a clearly good reform. No-one should end up homeless for being gay, right? I will never forget the answer he gave.

He softened a bit and told me how misguided I was. He told me the most dangerous thing any human rights movement could do was give the public the impression fundamental rights were something we could vote on. He said the laws and courts might not have caught up with gay rights yet, but they would. While we worked and waited, the last thing we should do was muddy the issue by putting initiatives on the ballot implying those rights were optional. He let me know he appreciated that my intentions were good but my actions would hurt the cause. With that, he went on his way.

I was young and arrogant at the time so even though I understood and appreciated the logic of his argument, I disregarded him. We qualified the initiative for the ballot but it ended up losing badly. I moved on but I never forgot him. At the end of the day, he was right. We had done damage putting that issue on the ballot and other far more damaging initiatives followed. Fundamental rights of a minority should never be subject to the whim's of the majority. I feel badly for the tiny part I played in furthering the idea they could be.

I hope it is fairly obvious why I tell this tale today. Regardless of how you feel about gay marriage, I encourage you to embrace that this debate is now being had in the most appropriate place...the courts. These are issues beyond ballot initiatives or momentarily popular legislative bills. Real change in these types of issues is slow and messy and painful. We just need to have a little faith the system we have built will eventually get us to the right place. It's hard because it is supposed to be.

The time that Seattle man gave me in front of a grocery store was one of the most formative experiences I ever had as an organizer. It was from him I learned my good intentions weren't enough. I had an obligation to try to ensure my actions did not harm the very people I wanted to help. If you are out there somewhere and remember putting a cocky, young organizer in her place...thanks.

Things I learned at San Diego Comic-Con 2010

Another great year, another Con post. Here is what I learned this year:

1. Val Kilmer's career is heading in the wrong direction. It's never good to be the saddest looking flyer on the table.




2. I have mad love for anyone who grabs 4 of their buddies and spends the day wandering the floor like this:




3. Cat Woman will flirt with anyone. Sorry Seth.




4. I am surprisingly more tolerant of someone coming dressed as Sarah Palin then as Snookie. I might have been a tad too snarky to "Snookie". Sorry "Snookie".




5. We've come a long way baby. Princess Leia's spotted in gold bikinis = 1. Gladiator guys spotted in male equivalent gold bikinis = 3. The times they are a changin.




6. Little orange price stickers do not make this family friendly.




7. Forget the bad boys...I'll take a snarky comic any day. Watching Scott Adsit from "30 Rock" trade fanboy love with the entire cast of "Community" was a total highlight!




8. Designing your toy to have interchangeable heads may sound cool on paper, but when it gets into the packaging it's just creepy.




9. Someone finally got smart and created the best both swag ever. Those of us stuck in line with the unwashed masses, thank you.




10. Stan Lee is the "Brad Pitt" of the Comic-Con world...complete with entourage, massive security and huge crowds trying to get his attention. I love that when he came through the lobby, everyone gasped and knew exactly who he was.




11. Pink tulle Vader robe, check. Sparkly mask with tiara, check. Mini light-saber, check. It is a miracle that I didn't stick her in my massive SyFy bag and take her home with me.




Another year survived, already looking forward to 2011....Cheers!

What year is it?

I have said it a million times, but I am quite used to being one of only a few women around when I go to some industry events for work. AV is one of the last tech fields that is still mostly men. For the most part, though, the guys aren't cavemen and I am able to succeed and be taken seriously. I will, however, still occasionally wander into an event that catches me off guard. That happened today.

Because I am an altruistic type, I would like to offer 3 suggestions for anyone looking to put on an AV industry event...especially if you expect even 1 or 2 women to show up.

1. If you would like to demo your extremely expensive projector, highlighting how bright it is and how accurately it presents color, I assure you there are better video clips to use than the Victoria Secret fashion show. It will make the group of men staring at a model's ass uncomfortable when I walk up to ask a question. It will also make you very uncomfortable when you realize that you are talking to me about image resolution while pointing at a woman in a rhinestone bra and a wrap that looks like an over-sized pair of open lips. Also, a heads up...I can tell the exact moment you realized the rhinestone bra clip might not have been the best choice, no matter how much you think you played it off.

2. If you would like to demo your extremely expensive video switching and scaling system to show how smoothly it displays high motion video, again I assure you that there are better clips to use than a loop of 3 attractive women in tight shirts flinging their hair around in slow motion. Perhaps an action movie or sports clip? Or maybe a loop of a cute guy in a speedo jumping around...that wouldn't make you uncomfortable to stare at for a few hours, would it?

3. If you would like to impress me with how easy your project management software is to use, the phrase "even the women I have shown it to can figure it out" is not going to close the sale for you. I would like to say I could catch the moment he realized how laughably insulting the thing he had just said was. Sadly, he couldn't have looked prouder of how he had managed to connect with me. A woman. Who had already chatted with him about being a programmer. Who could write similar software. In my sleep.

Hopefully that helps you out as you plan your next event. Best of luck and see you next time!

I'll Take One Death Panel Please

I support health care reform. I support health care reform WITH a public option. I wish I could support single payer health care reform but unfortunately it isn't on the table. There you go...that's where I stand. Feel free to move along now if you would like, but I wish you wouldn't. I promise you this isn't a post designed to regale you with facts about how socialist style health care is better. That post is probably coming someday, but I swear it isn't today. This post is about something else.

There are many parts of the current health care debate that frustrate me, but there is one part that is absolutely driving me up a wall. Death Panels. C'mon, you know what I'm referring to. Everyone is talking about them. Plans are being drawn up as we speak to start herding our elderly and infirm into lines for their chosen manner of death as the newly reformed system won't be bothered to pay for them. Death panels are THE thing to be afraid of this week. Surely you don't want to miss out on the panic?

Maybe this issue pisses me off because it has been a difficult year for me. Actually, there is no maybe, I'm sure that's why it makes me so steamed. Allow me to share a piece of my story with you.

About a week before Christmas I received a call at work...the kind of call that every child of an ailing parent knows will come, but is never fully prepared to get. I was told my step-mom was going to die, in fact she was likely going to die in a few hours and we had decisions to make. If you have never been through it, I'm not sure I am capable of conveying the range of emotions that phone call evokes. Shock, sadness and an overwhelming sense of responsibility...no, that doesn't even come close. Do we authorize the use of machines to help her breathe? Do we allow feeding tubes? Do we let her peacefully slip away? It was all our choice.

My step-brother, my aunts and I discussed the situation. We made decisions as I hopped in my car and started driving like a bat out of hell through rain and fog and snow and ice. Thankfully we had prepared ourselves as best as we could for this moment. There were living wills in place and difficult conversations had been had during healthier days. I believe we had as good a grasp on her end-of-life wishes as we could have. Ultimately, we determined the slim chance she still had to recover from this latest crisis was a chance she would want to fight for. Fortunately we were right. She did recover, somewhat, and she let us know that we had made the right choice. Still, even thinking back on it, I can clearly remember how the weight of that afternoon felt. I can't imagine what it would have been like if we hadn't been prepared.

Flash forward to May. Again, the call came. Again, I made the drive. Again, there were decisions to make. Only this time, a different choice was clear. Her body was done. She was done. We supported her choice to refuse dramatic life saving measures. We helped her make phone calls to say goodbye. We brought her foods she had been craving. We arranged for hospice and brought her home. We made her comfortable. We laughed and cried with her until she passed on. These are moments that are so very difficult, yet are also moments to be cherished. We are able to see the parts to cherish because many of the difficult decisions and conversations came long before then. That they did, was a gift.

Sitting down with a loved one and discussing living will wishes and end-of-life care...that my friend is what the "death panels" are referring to. They speak of information resources, counselors trained in going over the issues and explanations of options. They make reference to creating a living will and clearly conveying your wishes to family members who will someday need to enforce those wishes. The "death panels" in the reform bill are to be offered (not mandated) every 5 years or whenever there is a significant change in your health. They are not forced nor are they mandating anything about your care. Don't believe me? Good! Don't listen to me or MSNBC or Fox News. Read it yourself:

Page 424 of the bill. Starts on Line 15.

This is an essential, responsible aspect of planning your life. If you haven't already thought about these issues or had these conversations with your family, do it...now! As uncomfortable as it is, I assure you that it is a gift you are giving them should the need arise.

That anyone, republican or democrat, would twist such an important and sensitive issue in such a hateful and disrespectful way...I don't just disagree with these individuals. I am ashamed of them and disgusted.

Dealing with the final days of a loved one is hard. If that isn't the understatement of the year, I don't know what is. We should do more to educate and empower people to make plans and have the difficult conversations about their wishes. Have your own family death panel soon. Your loved ones will thank you for it.

Things I learned at San Diego Comic-Con 2009

1. Tim Burton really knows how to promote a movie at Comic-Con...viral geek-style!



2. Geeks are too smart to fall for the "if you don't wait in the long line around the corner, you won't get in" shtick. We know if we gather in large, unwashed quantities you will let us in just to make us go away.



3. We do not take well to change and will protest your overuse of y's with cleverly worded t-shirts. Take that!



4. Booth designers have a thing to learn if they think they can put a Sword of Power within our reach and we won't touch it. Adding a sign that almost dares us to touch it does not help.



5. It is possible to blend pop culture reference just a tad too much.



6. Felicia Day is too damn cool. To be fair I didn't learn this at the Con, but it's worth repeating.



7. We are surprisingly unphased by freaky, Clockwork Orange style experiments happening in our midst...hell we'll stand in line to participate if there is a free bag in it for us.



8. If you don't own the costume, the costume will own you.



9. It's all about the company!



Good times, can't wait for 2010.

I'm not as stupid as CNBC thinks I am.

This is Jon Stewart doing what he does best... taking media to task for not holding themselves to a higher standard.

These three clips are the full Stewart/Jim Cramer interview, not the cut down interview that made it to air. Please trust me when I say it is worth watching the entire thing. If you can watch as far as into Part 2, I guarantee you will not be able to stop.

I'm not sure if I love or hate that this is the most direct interview I have seen dealing with the failings of media to provide the the level of investigative and questioning coverage that we should demand of them. It is a pretend news show for goodness sake! I am impressed that Cramer showed up and took it like a man.

Enjoy.

Part 1

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jim Cramer Unedited Interview Pt. 1

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

Part 2

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jim Cramer Unedited Interview Pt. 2

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

Part 3

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jim Cramer Unedited Interview Pt. 3

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

Where to Find State Election Results

Wonder when the polls close and where to find official results for each state? Here you go. Join my obsession...it's fun.

All times are listed in Pacific Standard Time as I'm in California so everyone lives on my time zone here. * designates a state I'll be watching closely.

States with Polls that close at 3pm PST
* Indiana
Kentucky

States with Polls that close at 4pm PST
* Florida
* Georgia
Mississippi
South Carolina
Vermont
* Virginia

States with Polls that close at 4:30pm PST
* North Carolina
* Ohio
* West Virginia

States with Polls that close at 5pm PST
Alabama
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
* Missouri
* New Hampshire
New Jersey
* North Dakota
Oklahoma
* Pennsylvania
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas

States with Polls that close at 5:30pm PST
Arkansas
Illinois

States with Polls that close at 6pm PST
Arizona
* Colorado
Kansas
Louisiana
* Minnesota
Nebraska
* New Mexico
New York
Rhode Island
* Wisconsin
Wyoming

States with Polls that close at 7pm PST
Idaho
* Iowa
* Montana
* Nevada
Utah

States with Polls that close at 8pm PST
California
Hawaii
Oregon
* Washington

States with Polls that close at 9pm PST
Alaska

Beware of the Robots, Part 1: How electronic voting systems work.

I am prepared to admit that this may be my tinfoil hat issue.

It is possible that I am overly paranoid about computerized voting systems. The thing is, I know technology too well. It is my job, my hobby and at times a bit of an obsession. I program, build and fix computerized systems all day long. In fact, my main role at work is designing and programming customized touchscreen control systems. If those words sound familiar that is because it's the same technology being used in electronic voting systems around the country. I have designed complex touchscreen voting systems for local city council chambers. To make a short story long...I am aware of the technology.

I have followed the issue of electronic voting very closely for some time now. As the election draws near, I am becoming more and more disturbed by the idea of how the electronic voting systems in use today may impact the presidential election. I have been known to say that computers should never be used for voting, but that is not entirely true. There are ways to develop and administer fair elections with computerized voting systems...the problem is that we are not using those solutions.

Nationwide, states and counties have been awarding voting system contracts to low bidders who are overly secretive at best and antagonistic at worst in regard to the accuracy of the systems. Security and technology experts are routinely excluded from the input and decision making process. I am concerned.

To understand the problem, first you have to understand the methods being used. Electronic voting systems fall into three main groups:

1. Paper based electronic voting systems.

Paper based systems require voters to mark a ballot in some physical way that will allow a device to later scan it and record the vote. You might punch a hole, mark it with a special pen or even use a touchscreen. The end result is the same, you will leave the voting booth with a ballot that physically reflects your vote. There is typically some way for you to look at the ballot and verify that your vote was marked as you intended.

When the polls close, the physical ballots are transported to locations where they can be scanned and counted by machine. When a stack of ballots is fed into the machine, they will either have their vote recorded, they will be flagged as having no marked vote (undervote) or they will be flagged as having more than one marked vote (overvote).

Paper based systems allow for a physical inspection of the ballots and a manual recount as there are actual physical ballots that can be read.

2. Direct Recording Electronic voting systems (DRE's)

DRE systems are stand-alone computers that provide an interface for a voter to cast a vote. Each DRE machine would be preloaded with the custom ballot software for the precinct. You might record your vote by pressing an actual button or using a touchscreen. Once you have cast your vote, it would be stored in the internal memory of the device (think hard drive) or on some sort of removable memory card (think the memory card in your camera). DRE systems may or may not provide you with a receipt indicating your vote.

When the polls close, each device will report the vote totals it has recorded in one of a few ways. It may print a receipt of the totals. It may transmit the totals over a network to a central location. It may require the device or the removable memory card be transported to a location where the results can be read by election officials.

As the votes are stored digitally, there is no ability to manually inspect votes.

3. Network DRE voting systems

Network DRE systems are very similar to standalone DRE's. They may look the same and to the voter they will work in the same way, however there are important differences. Unlike standalone systems, Network DRE's depend on an internet connection to function properly and to record a vote. The ballot information is not loaded onto each machine, but rather it is supplied over the network. Instead of storing results on the device, results are transmitted to the centralized location in batches throughout the day. There are even areas experimenting with allowing people to vote over the internet on their personal computers.

When the polls close, there is no need to deal with vote tabulation from individual machines as the results have been transmitted throughout the day.

As the votes are stored digitally, there is no ability to manually inspect votes.

---

Everyone remembers the 2000 presidential election so it is no shock that things can go wrong. What is shocking to me is that electronic vote counting problems seem to be worse now than they were in 2000.

Up Next... Part 2: How electronic voting systems fail (also known as: what the hell happened in Palm Beach County during the August 2008 Primary vote count)

Are you laughing at me? Really???

Who's kidding who... I was obviously not predisposed to be inspired or excited by Sarah Palin's speech at the Republican National Convention last night.  What I did not expect was to be so confused and insulted.

I have never really cared for cheap shots on the campaign trail.  I can certainly understand the appeal of going for an easy laugh by making a joke about McCain not knowing how many houses he has, but I don't like seeing it done.  There are so many important issues to discuss in this election, it just seems like a waste of time and a bit beneath what I expect from someone representing a presidential candidate.  That being said, I'm not naive.  I know that party conventions are more about show than substance these days so I expect folks on both sides to take their shots.  What amazed me last night, however, was what the Republicans chose to use as their punch line.  Community activism.

Guiliani started the mocking and Palin drove it home.  It came across as condescending and vicious.  When did working to organize and better your community become a laughable activity?  It is challenging, important, effective and at times depressing work... it is definitely not something to be made fun of.  Few people in this country do more than just complain about issues that trouble them.  The individuals that actually take action by knocking on doors and mobilizing neighborhoods are to be commended.

I truly don't understand what the goal was in choosing community organizers as their target.  How are the local organizers working for McCain swallowing the quotes that belittled their contributions to his campaign?  Even national presidential campaigns are built on the backs of local community activists... and I suspect those activists would take issue with the notions that they bear no responsibilities and their work has little value.

I have made regular efforts throughout my life to commit time bettering my community and championing the causes I believe in.  I am proud of all of that work and intend to continue doing it.  It is often tedious but someone must be willing to do the jobs that aren't glamorous or instantly gratifying.  Important goals are not accomplished by stepping onto a stage and stating why you wish them to be so.  It takes hard work from many at the local level and I appreciate when an elected official understands the importance of inspiring and mobilizing the masses to effect change.

I can only assume that the party leaders who spoke last night found local organizing so laughable because they consider themselves above doing it. 

And to think it is those same party leaders that have been painting Obama as an elitist.  Pot, meet kettle.

P.S.   Just for fun...

I don't want to jinx it but...

I hear that Obama has spent the day making phone calls to the folks that haven't been selected for Vice President.

All I'm saying is I haven't gotten any calls yet today...

To Olympic or not to Olympic?

I believe that I am a pretty good debater. Not because I am the smartest or the most well informed...but because I am pretty good at seeing both sides of an issue. I have always been a believer that the strongest way to argue your point is to

1. Understand the arguments against you
2. Recognize and acknowledge their strengths
3. Systematically tear those strengths to shreds by demonstrating how your strengths are ...well... stronger. (Clearly my well-spokenedness also contributes to me being the most awsomest debate-type-person ever!)
   

I am empathetic by nature (notice I didn't say sympathetic...BIG difference) so understanding all sides of an issue comes very easily to me. While normally I appreciate that about myself, there are times when it leaves me stuck. Times when I can so clearly see the merit in the different arguments that I become incapable of deciding how I feel. This is how the China Summer Olympics have left me...stuck.

I love watching the Olympics. I am more of a Winter Olympics girl, but the Summer games usualy excite me as well. The spirit of it, the excitement as the unexpected stories unfold...all of it keeps me loading up my Tivo for a few weeks every two years. This year is different though. I am having a hard time buying into the Olympic spirit while China is hosting the games.

It feels wrong to jump in and commit to my Olympic obsession when they are in a country that treats its people so badly. I can't forget the censorship and opression that so many face. It doesn't help that China has very publicly decided to enforce that censorship on the foreign journalists and visitors attending the games. It just sort of rubs salt in the wound. The Olympics bring big cash to the host country and watching it feels like I'm contributing to their windfall.

As I decide whether or not to watch the replay of the opening ceremonies tonight, I already know that I will see little to no footage on the Tibet protesters that were arrested for being in the vicinity of the ceremony in posession of the wrong flag. NBC's feeds are all being passed through the government censors and they have been notified that they can expect their telephone and internet access to be monitored. Hardly an environment to get accurate coverage of the entire Olympic story.

On the other side, I can appreciate that the spotlight on China only raises awareness of it's shortcomings in the human rights department. I am aware that in this day and age there is no practical way for China to keep the damaging stories from getting out. There are too many tourists with cameras walking around to prevent amatuer reporting of the stories that the major networks may have trouble covering in real time. I am more than a little bit fascinated by that idea. I also really hate the idea of the athletes feeling less recognized and appreciated due to a location that they had no control over.

So what to do. I will probably allow myself to get sucked in as I always do, but it just won't feel as pure as it should. I am annoyed and sad that the International Olympic Committee chose China and put many in the position of feeling like watching a diving competition is somehow a moral decision.

Things I learned at the 2008 San Diego Comic Con

1. Running into Joss Whedon on the convention floor will reduce me to a stammering dork.




2. The cast and crew of Dr. Horrible are as much fun to watch in real life as they were in the show. I bet they would be a blast to go drinking with.




3. I feel sorry for Eric Estrada... but in a sadistic, mocking, entertaining way.



To be fair, there was a line of people waiting for him just outside of the frame. The image of Eric Estrada standing behind an autograph table in front of many empty rows makes me giggle, though...so there you go.

Just Wrong

There is no way I should pay $65 to fill up my tiny little car.

But I want to know now!

Dear Democracy,

Thanks for making an appearance this year, it has been great to see you. It has really been a lovely primary season. It was very thoughtful of you to make me feel like my vote counts for something this time around.

The in-depth debate of the issues has been fun and I have appreciated getting to have a choice of candidates instead of just feeling stuck with one of them.

The thing is, I'm afraid you have started to overstay your welcome. I know I've always said I wanted my vote to count, but I didn't really expect it to be quite so messy. I heard someone talking about how you might stick around until the Democratic National Convention...in August! Sorry but that is just not going to work for me.

I know that we designed the system to work this way and all, but we really never believed you would last this long. Let just say that you do actually stay until August and we go into the Convention without a nominee. If you have the candidates up front giving serious issue speeches on the economy and war, when will we get to drop the balloons?

Please don't be offended, maybe we can work something out. I heard someone kicking a Super Delegate Primary idea around for June. Perhaps you could come back for a weekend visit then. Now granted, the idea seems a little odd since that is kind of what the Convention in August is for but while we may call it a convention, we really just go to party. We didn't plan to do any real work there.

Besides, if you stick around all Summer we won't have any room for a last minute media obsession about whether China should be hosting the Olympics. You wouldn't want to spoil our fun would you?

Thanks for understanding,

America


P.S. What's that? You really aren't leaving? Crap.

Who do you think you are demanding our attention for months on end? Britney Spears?!

What was that?

Seriously, did anyone just feel/hear that?

I'm at work in Burbank at the moment and there was just the loudest, strangest boom. Set off all the car alarms and had everyone heading outside to try to figure out what it was.

Anyone know? Sonic boom maybe?

One In One Hundred

In this country we don't like to think about prisons. I mean REALLY think about prisons. We like to talk about things like being tough on crime, debts to society, laws named after legitimately wronged little girls and mandatory sentencing. We don't, however, like to talk about the reality of the people we have sitting in cells.

We dance around the subject. It doesn't come up in polite conversation. People can speak passionately about how the incarcerated should be treated harshly while never really attempting to identify with the realities of being incarcerated. Many seem to feel entitled to remain ignorant about the issues at hand because they have never really broken the law so it shouldn't have to affect them...but is that really true?

I challenge you to find someone who hasn't been peripherally exposed to someone who has been incarcerated. Given the results of The Pew Center study I linked to in the title, I suspect you would have a hard time finding anyone who isn't exposed to someone impacted by a friend or family member in a prison or jail right now. For every 100 people in this country, 1 of them is incarcerated at this very moment. If you really let that number sink in, the magnitude is staggering.

A few fun facts for you:

• Approximately 2.3 million individuals are currently incarcerated in the US. That is only slightly less than the entire population of the state of Nevada (2.5 million)
• The US incarcerates more people than any other nation in the world. We also incarcerate a higher percentage of our population than any other nation in the world. Our inmate population is larger than the 26 largest European inmate populations...combined.
• There are currently 1 million more individuals incarcerated than actively serving in the US military.
• 1 in 9 black men between the ages of 18-34 is currently incarcerated.
• 1 out of every 8.3 California State Employees works for the Department of Corrections.
• For every $1.06 that the state of Oregon spends on corrections, $1.00 is spent on higher education.
• 9.3% of the general fund for the state of Florida was spent on corrections.
• 67% of former prisoners are rearrested within 3 years of their release. 52% are re-incarcerated.
• Of the 33 prisons in the state of California, all of them are exceeding 100% of their designed capacity. 16 have populations in excess of 200% of their designed capacity. Many have bunk beds in hallways, gyms, recreation rooms, office spaces and some have even place mattresses in prison chapels to accommodate the population.

Is it really possible to believe that we are not all affected by the prison system in this nation? We all pay for it. We know the friends and family members of those directly impacted by an incarcerated loved one. We live with the inhabitants when they are released. It is time to start addressing the issues associated with how we handle the people who violate our laws. We need to discuss and debate it. We need our politicians to be able to confront it realistically without the threat of being labeled soft on crime.

What is our main goal in incarcerating such a large percentage of our population?

If the goal is to protect society, I suggest that we are failing. A early look at the 2007 crime rates seem to indicate that states such as New York and California who have substantially reduced their prison populations in 2007, have experienced similar if not better reductions in crime rates than states such as Florida. Florida's prison population increased 5% in in 2007 due to lengthening of prison stays and a zero tolerance policy in regard to probation violations.

If our goal is to reform offenders, again I say we have failed with our current system. Recidivism rates over 50% show how sadly we are addressing the concept of reform. It is understandable, however. Given the current inmate population levels states are struggling to feed and house them, leaving little in the budget for programs that offer new opportunities for prisoners upon release.

If the goal is simply to punish, I am left with one question. How much are you willing to pay for the sense of satisfaction of incarcerating non-violent offenders? The vast majority of the incarcerated are serving time for non-violent offences, often drug offences. Is this really the best of use of state and federal resources...let alone of these people's lives?

We are failing and it is costing us dearly, both financially and socially. In a democracy, when we see weaknesses and failures in our system we have a responsibility to address them. We must learn about them and hold our elected officials responsible for failing to acknowledge them. By ignoring the flaws in our criminal justice system we risk personally falling victim to them.

Now I admit that I am over-simplifying a very complex problem. This is a real problem, however, and we are ignoring it. We can not afford to remain entitled to our ignorance.