Fun Friday

Constant Readers,

Back in my days as a student at LaBelle Elementary School in Marietta, Georgia, we had something called "Fun Fridays" where the kids who didn't get in trouble all week could skip afternoon classes on Friday. Needless to say, my brothers never got to experience this joy, as they spent Monday through Thursday mooning their teachers, stealing toys from the Owens kids, and building forts in the woods behind the playground. Because I basically came out of the womb wearing a pocket protector and carrying a briefcase, I spent my Fun Fridays alone and reading in a moon lander replica in the library. Twenty years later, not much has changed: I'm still boring and socially awkward, but fuck it. I've been good all week...it's time for some nerdy (and a bit gossipy) fun!

1. USS DPPP To Reverse Course?

I have written far too often extensively about the Democratic County Central Committee (DCCC) and its endorsement process. As you may recall, the DCCC voted on August 13 to endorse a November ballot measure (Prop K) that would essentially decriminalize prostitution. Then all hell broke loose. Word around town is that a number of DCCC members are under fire for for being pro-Pro. I have a friend who now refers to the DCCC as the DPPP (Democrats for Pimps, Porn and Prostitution).

Uh-oh.

So, rumor has it that at the next meeting of the DCCC on August 27 there will be a re-vote on the prostitution measure. (Maybe others? I hear that the Community Justice Center and the JROTC measure, both of which the DCCC un-endorsed, are quite popular with the voters.) To re-cap, here is how the Prop K vote went the first time around:

Yes: Tom Ammiano, Michael Bornstein, David Campos (running for D9), Chris Daly, Michael Goldstein, Robert Haaland, Joe Julian, Leslie Katz, Hene Kelly, Mark Leno, Rafael Mandelman, Eric Mar (running for D1), Jake McGoldrick, Carole Migden, Melanie Nutter, Arlo Smith, Laura Spanjian, and Debra Walker.

No: David Chiu (running for D3), Dianne Feinstein, Tom Hsieh, Mary Jung, Meagan Levitan, August Longo, Fiona Ma, Aaron Peskin, Jackie Speier, Matt Tuchow, Scott Wiener, and Leland Yee.

Abstained: Connie O'Connor, Jane Morrison, and Betty Yee.

Absent: Nancy Pelosi.

I'm not gonna lie to ya, Constant Readers, I don't think a re-vote is gonna help much. Anyone upset by the first vote will NOT be assuaged by...dare I write it? A flip-flop. What is the justification? Didn't know it was going to cause such a shitstorm? Anyone who says that will look like an even bigger idiot than someone who says they don't care. Failed to really understand the issue? There were tons of speakers for and against this proposition - more so than most all of the other propositions. So no one will be buying that one. You were persuaded by the stories of "empowerment" told by sex workers who want to be able to buy ad space at AT&T Park? Great. Own it. 

Having said that...the prospect of a re-vote may just be enough to make me fall off the wagon for one last meeting...

2. Speaking of the Wagon...it's New and Booze!

So, last night I sat around with my friends (and fellow wonks) Paul Hogarth, Benjamin Wachs and Joe Eskenazi drinking beer and talking about - what else? Politics. Benjamin recorded it and made it sound all grown-up and official. Now it's a two-part podcast. Part one is up and you can listen to it here. And yeah, beer gives me the giggles. Don't gimme no shit about it...

3. Video Time!

Once again, I scoured YouTube for candidate videos - here you go! (If I've missed something, feel free to send it to me so I can include it in a later post.)

Whoever made this video must think District 1 supervisorial candidate Eric Mar will fit right in at the Board of Supervisors...

This one is anti-Carmen Chu, who is the incumbent candidate for Supervisor in District 4. I don't understand it, but am totally mesmerized by it for some reason...

Finally, speaking of being mesmerized, watch Ross Mirkarimi endorse Mark Sanchez for Supervisor in District 9.  His expression reminds me of that dude who kidnapped Elizabeth Smart.

Hope y'all have a Fun Friday!!

--Melissa   

Comments

[Be_Devine]

OMG, you and Paul drinking and talking politics?!? That NEVER happens.

And enough of your nerd schtick. We don't believe it. "Socially awkward"??? Um, yeah.

[Sweet Melissa]

Thanks for not taking issue with the "boring" part of my self-description.

[Beth Spotswood]

I love you for many reasons, but bringing up Elizabeth Smart is at the top of the list. What an attention whore...

[chester]

Yeah, seriously...what's the message in that Anti-Chu video? That she doesn't care about stopping folks from scavenging from recycling bins...or that she herself is one...or what?

And what kind of dickwad goes and takes video of someone who is so hard up for money that she'll troll the streets for empty bottles/cans? I imagine it's the same sort of moron who pluralizes "thief" as "thief's."

In any case, isn't the problem of recycling theft generally considered to be large-scale crews taking stuff in a wholesale manner rather than the individual scavengers. As far as I'm concerned, the individuals are good about cherry-picking the redeemables and leaving the rest nice and neat.

P.S. If someone were to go and check Eric Mar's ratings at RateMyProfessor.com, they would find that, while he generally gets far from glowing reviews, the ones that were cherry-picked and quoted in that video are far from representative.

[Be_Devine]

Oh, c'mmon. Anyone who's spent more than 5 seconds with you knows that you're anything but boring. It's not even worth refuting that charge.

[Beth Spotswood]

Well, Brian, in Mel's defense, she's not as fabulous as that chick with the recycling. If only SHE were my BFF...

[Paul Hogarth]

Criticize Eric Mar all you want, but what really bothers me about that YouTube video is that we have no idea who put it up ... and what malicious agenda they may have against Eric. For all we know, it might be that pro-JROTC kid who sent out the e-mail "Jane Kim needs to die." Not cool.

[Sweet Melissa]

@Be_devine: If you had to hang out with me all the time (which I do) I'm sure you'd find me quite tedious. I am thoroughly enjoying this debate, though.

@Paul Hogarth: I meant no criticism of Eric Mar or Carmen Chu. I simply put up the videos because they are interesting. I did try to find out who put the Mar vid on YouTube but, like you, was unsuccessful. Obviously whoever made the anti-Mar movie has a beef with the Mar, so...you know, I assume people will take it for what it is.

[generic]

Wow.

You know Ross Mirkarimi is Iranian, right?

[Sweet Melissa]

@generic: Yep. Not sure I understand the reason for your question. The man who kidnapped Elizabeth Smart was Brian David Mitchell - the link is to his picture. I'm pretty sure he ain't Iranian. He was raised as a super-religious Mormon who later came to believe that he was an angel of god sent to earth to put the Mormon church back on the right path.

Anyway, I just thought Mirkarimi's intense and big-eyed look resembled the expression Mitchell sported throughout his trial. (Though it appears that flashbulbs and such are what caused Ross' look.) I hope that clarifies whatever you were concerned about.

[Greg]

The whole "reading a book in a replica of a moon lander" thing is like ,way cool. I used to get out of school early winning a kid friendly version of Pub Trivia. It did NOT earn me any pals, but it DID allow me to escape school early.

As for Ross's assertion that ol' Mark "gets the job done" - Mark Sanchez and his buddy Eric "Green Party Democrat" Mar had a chance to replace JROTC with a comparable program of academic value, and failed, miserably.

If they can't get the job done now, why should we give them a job (and big pay) promotion?

Sorry guys, time for a change. You could have been leaders but instead you chose FAIL. FailWhale policies don't cut it anymore, and it's time we made a change!