The New Face

My niece rolled her eyes and said, "What is this world coming to? The over fifty and under thirteen crowd have changed the face of facebook forever."  She was sharing a sentiment that (I'm sure) many young adults out there feel... "Get out of our faces."   Once my sister shared the wonders of facebook with me I was off and running.  At first I only had one friend.  Yes, my sister agreed to my request (I think she felt sorry for me) and became my first friend.  After a day I had five and as my web grew so did my number of friends.  I was thrilled to see all the people that wanted to be my friend once I completed my profile and had such fun in those first few days checking my "wall" to read about the lives of my circle of people.  I loved that students from long ago found me and wrote me notes. I found some friends from high school a billion years ago and even my best friend Judy from sleep away camp in the Berkshires.  My son's girlfriends are among my 20 friends (at last count) and people I used to work with have invited me back into their lives.  I love when people post new photos and that I can comment on publicly or privately.  I love that all of a sudden a photo of a someone I know, (a potential friend)  will appear and I can simply say, "Hi" and invite them in to my world.  So, even though my niece  hints that I am too old and my sons refuse to be my friends... I've made it a permanent place on my travels throughout the day.  

California's Crazy Initiative Process

Awhile back a reader asked for more information on the process which put Proposition 8 on the November ballot. Here goes --

California uses the direct initiative process, which enables voters to bypass the Legislature and have an issue put directly on the ballot for voter approval or rejection.

Here are the steps in the Initiative Process:

• Proponents write the draft text of the proposed law.
• The draft is submitted to the Attorney General, along with $200. The money is refunded if the measure qualifies for the ballot; otherwise the money is placed in the state's general fund.
• The Attorney General prepares a title and official summary.
• The Attorney General sends the summary to proponents, the Senate, the Assembly and the Secretary of State. The legislature may conduct public hearings on it, but cannot amend it.
• Calendar deadlines are calculated from the date the summary is sent to the proponents (the official summary date).
• Petitions must have the official summary on each signature page.
• Circulation of petitions can only begin on the official summary date. Completed, signed petitions must be filed no later than 150 days from the official summary date. Each initiative will be placed on the next statewide general or special election ballot that occurs 131 days after the petition qualifies.
• Number of signatures required:

• -Initiative stature: 5 percent of the votes cast for all candidates who ran for governor in the last election. Currently the number of signatures required to qualify for this ballot is 373,816.
• -Initiative constitutional amendment: 8 percent of the voters cast for all candidates who ran for governor in the last election. Currently the number required to qualify for this ballot is 598,105.
• Signers may withdraw their names by filing a written request.
• Petitions must be filed in the county in which they were circulated.
• If the state total based on random sampling is more than 110 percent of the required number of signatures, the Secretary of State certifies the initiative as qualified for the ballot. If the random sampling total is between 95 and 110 percent of the required number, a full count of all the signatures is ordered.
• When the initiative measure qualifies, it is sent to the legislature. It is assigned to the appropriate committees, which then hold joint public hearings on the subject at least 30 days before the election. The Legislature has no authority to alter the measure or prevent it from going on the ballot.
• Under the Political Reform Act of 1974, committees supporting or opposing an initiative must file campaign disclosure statements if they have made or received contributions or made expenditures.
• Proponents and opponents may submit arguments for inclusion in the ballot pamphlet.
• An initiative measure approved by majority vote takes effect the day after the election unless it specifies otherwise. If provisions of two or more measures approved at the same election conflict, those of the measure receiving the highest affirmative vote prevail. The Legislature may amend or repeal initiative statutes by another statute that becomes effective only when approved by voters, unless the initiative statute permits amendment or repeal without their approval.

That's it. So if you happen to have $200 and know half a million people, you, too, can get something on a ballot in California. Then, if you happen to know a lot more people, you can get your idea voted into law.
Go figure.

Sylvester

Sylvester is a cat you see
but he's really more than that to me.
He is such a beautiful piece of fur
and all he can do is purr and purr.
He likes to meow and meow
telling me he wants snacks -- and -- now.
He's honey and white with a tinge of red.
He's 16 pounds and always wants to be fed.
He was dropped off on a freeway
and found by my vet.
And, at the vet's is where we met
He was 3 months old
and ever so bold.
I fell in love and told him no
more to roam
for now you've found a new loving home.
He's my puddy tat
and that's that.

In Memory of a Good Cat

"Of all God's creatures, there is only one that cannot be made slave of the leash. That one is the cat. If man could be crossed with the cat it would improve the man, but it would deteriorate the cat." - Mark Twain

Witsendmagazine extends condolences to blogger Marnie and family. Sylvester lived and died surrounded by love.

My Golden Lady

She would have been eighty today.  I was drawn to my jewelry box to find the necklace I played with whenever we cuddled that fit snugly around her neck.  It was mine now.   I held it in my hand hoping that somehow I would be able to feel her.  An antique golden face of a young woman smiling.  It had belonged to someone else before her and I was always intrigued by its hidden history.  We created wonderful scenarios of its origin and settled on the possibility that it was crafted by an artisan of the woman that first wore it. 

"She was petite, just like you, " she would say.   She would then give me a squeeze and we would follow the golden lady's history.   "Perhaps she gave it to her daughter when she got married and it passed through the family until it mysteriously was lost or stolen."  We created many tales about the golden lady over the years.   

Not long after my mother passed I opened a drawer in the bathroom looking for some hand cream.   There it was.  The golden lady was smiling at me.     I couldn't bring myself to wear the necklace for more that a day or two because it felt heavy and sad on my neck.  Today, almost a year later,  I put it on and it felt right. She patiently waited for me.  It was then I decided it was time to claim her and to keep both of their stories alive.  

Just Another Drive To Work

California does fog really well. The queen of California fogs, of course, is the Tule fog which is frequently the cause of major vehicle pile ups on I5 between the northern foot of the Grapevine and Sacramento.
Other California fogs, though, can be quite impressive. This morning's was no exception.
When I backed out of my garage at about 7:30, I couldn't see across the street. It's a narrow street so visibility was perhaps thirty feet. Luckily for those of us having to go to work, the freeways were practically empty. Those of us on them got it that we couldn't see and maintained safe distance and slow speed.
Ordinarily when I drive to work I listen to KNX-AM for traffic reports. Since my favorite airborne traffic reporter was fogged in, I switched to KUSC-FM. Classical music and near nothing visibility seemed completely incompatible until Dennis Bartel announced the next piece: Richard Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries performed by the Berlin Symphony. I turned the radio in my old Jeep up as loud as I could get it without cracking the windshield. The fog closed in around me as I put my horned helmet on my head, picked up my shield in one hand, my spear in the other, wondered what to do with my sword, and changed my name to Brünnhilde.
Luckily California's legislators only made it illegal to send text messages while driving.
Deeper into the fog we traveled toward Valhalla. At the curve of the 210 and the 57 freeways, the fog completely lifted. I drove into the intentionally cute little town of LaVerne in bright sunlight.
Frequently at this time of year the LaVerne Police Department needs to generate revenue so there are check points not only for sobriety but for expired tags, no proof of insurance, incomprehensible vanity license plates -- that sort of thing. I worry about those check points because they always find something.
Wagner was finished. The accouterments, however, remained. As I turned south on White Avenue, I saw the red lights flashing ahead. Since I lacked photo identification proving that I was indeed one of the Valkyrie sisters, I turned onto a side street, took off my helmet and tossed it and the shield, sword, and spear into the back and went on to work taking another, different route.
Taking a different route to work occasionally is a good way to avoid dementia. On the other hand, driving to work regularly is a good way to go completely insane.

Getting There With Baby Steps

Here it is that resolution time of year again. The I will get in shape and I will get get control of my finances and I will eat right time. It may even be the I will learn Spanish time or the I will pray/meditate daily time. This is an exuberant time full of hope and promise.
This time next month will be the To hell with that time or the I didn't really want to time or the What went wrong time or even the I'm such a failure time.
Those times don't feel so good.
I think resolutions are great. With them we can set goals. Goals are wonderful. Seldom, though, in this beginning of the new year time of mandated resolve do we set attainable goals. We want to accomplish so much and we want to change as quickly as possible.
So here's a suggested resolution: This year I'm going to review and revise my goals every single day of the year.
The I will get in shape goal becomes a Today I will walk around the block goal. That goal will, in time, become a Today I will walk three miles goal.
What would our lives be like if we actually accomplished our goals?
Go for it!
I will, too.