Blog Master G

Today is election day! Get out and vote. It’s the most important thing you can do as an American. It is your right and your duty. If you’re not sure of your polling place, please contact your local board of elections. If you live in Saratoga County, here’s our county board of elections number: 518.885.2249.

Below are my recommendations for voting today in Saratoga Springs:

Mayor: Valerie Keehn
Accounts Commissioner: John Franck
Finance Commissioner: Matt McCabe
Public Works Commissioner: Tom McTygue
Public Safety Commissioner: Ron Kim
County Supervisors: Joanne Yepsen & Cheryl Keyrouze

Vote Row B!

Proposition 1 (budget deadline): No
Proposition 2 (transportation bond): Yes

“Valerie Keehn is a dedicated activist and a good friend.
I’ve endorsed her because we need a Mayor who will fight
for open space, quality downtown development, safe,
affordable water from Saratoga Lake, fair assessments,
workforce housing and open government. Valerie has run
an active and energetic campaign. Now we need every
supporter to get out and vote on Tuesday
to put her campaign over the top.”
– Ken Klotz, former Mayor of Saratoga Springs,
November 5, 2005

“Valerie and I have many issues in common that
unite us against people like Mayor Michael Lenz.”
– Hank Kuczynski, former candidate for Mayor,
October 4, 2005

“I am proud to endorse Valerie Keehn. She wants
to serve all the people of Saratoga Springs,
not just the special interests.”
– Chuck Schumer, US Senator, October 12, 2005

“Valerie has the intelligence, the commitment
and the courage that Saratoga Springs needs.”
– Hillary Rodham Clinton, US Senator, October 24, 2005

“Valerie Keehn is fighting for deliberate development,
fair property assessments, workforce housing, open space,
open government, and a safe, affordable, alternative water source.”
– Eliot Spitzer, NYS Attorney General,
September 26, 2005

“Valerie is the best candidate for the senior citizens,
working families, and local business owners who make up
the foundation of the community. Saratoga Springs will be
in good hands with Valerie Keehn as Mayor.”
– Alan Hevesi, NYS Comptroller, October 21, 2005

Last week it was my head on the cover of the Post Star’s Go section; yesterday it was Jen featured in a photo accompanying the cover story on the Victorian history walk we did on Sunday. Anyone know any good PR agents?

We had one last taste of summer 2005 this weekend when the sun shone brightly, the skies were blue, and the temperature was in the 60s. I got to wear shorts and sandals. So it was a bit strange to work on winterizing our house — pulling up the dead plants and replacing all our screens with storm windows. When we thought Alex and Cati were meeting us at our house, instead of in town, we were prompted to do a power-cleaning of our house. This is a good thing since it was long overdue and we tend not to clean until we’re having someone over. It’s a good thing we have so many good friends who help keep us in check.

Friday night Sarah and Eric came to Saratoga to join me, Jen, and Justin for an evening of froofy martinis and boats of sushi at 13 and Sushi Thai Garden. Guess where we had the sushi. Saturday after our power cleaning of the house, we met Alex and Cati for lunch at Bailey’s, followed by an evening of hanging out at Justin’s place. Sunday was storm window day, which wasn’t too much of a pain this time, though it was so windy that one storm window leaning against the porch was blown down and luckily stayed in one piece. Owning an old home is hard work sometimes, but well worth it. We also finished up the canvassing of Democratic campaign material we had started in our old neighborhood Saturday morning. And Sunday we took a walking history tour of Circular. We capped off the weekend at Longfellow’s with my Dad and a couple fun new friends, relocating here from the South.

Vote Tuesday!

It’s not quite the cover of the Rolling Stone, but yesterday the back of my head was featured on the cover of the Post Star’s Go section, its weekly entertainment pullout. To my left on the cover is Desperate Annie’s owner Travis; to my right is Ken. The photo and story were done a week ago today when a reporter hit the local bar to discover its allure. “When you’re in your 20s, and trying to find your home away from home, that’s what this place can be,” the reporter quoted Justin in the story. “There are certain things a regular can count on, that will always be here — like cheap drinks, and the Simpsons pinball game.” The inside photo includes another shot of the back of my head with Justin on my left and Ken on my right, with Branson standing behind the bar in front of us.

Today the back of my head… tomorrow the world!

Last night most of the candidates running for city and county positions in the November 8 election came out to answer questions and take jabs at one another as part of an event hosted by the League of Women Voters of Saratoga County in the Saratoga Springs High School gymnasium. When we arrived and saw how full the parking lot was, I was really encouraged. But apparently the debate wasn’t the only thing happening last night since the crowd in the auditorium wasn’t as numerous as the cars outside. The turnout wasn’t terrible, but for a city of nearly 30,000, we could’ve done better. Perhaps the turnout was, sadly, a small indicator of the national interest in politics.

It’s revealing, too, that the bigger story in today’s Saratogian is not last night’s debate (page 2A; no online version of the story), but that a movie called “Aftermath” is being filmed downtown (Hollywood comes to Caroline Street). Americans tend to care more about entertainment than government and electing the men and women who will be making decisions that affect all our lives.

Regardless, I’m glad I went to the debate last night. Though it went a bit long (2 hours) and the format was stifled (no audience questions, same question asked of all 10 city council candidates, etc.), it was good to see all the candidates on one stage.

First it was the four candidates running for the two Saratoga Springs seats on the county board: incumbents Phil Klein and Skip Scirocco; challengers Joanne Yepsen and Cheryl Keyrouze (vote Yepsen and Keyrouze). Then it was the ten candidates running for the five seats on the Saratoga Springs City Council: Mayor Michael Lenz and challenger Valerie Keehn (vote Keehn); Accounts Commissioner Stephen Towne and challenger John Franck (vote Franck); Finance Commissioner Matt McCabe and challenger Mary Anne Macica (vote McCabe); Public Works Commissioner Tom McTygue and challenger David Bronner (vote McTygue); and Public Safety Commissioner candidates Ron Kim and Larry Britt (vote Kim).

The most enthusiastic candidates of the evening seemed to be Yepsen, Kim, McCabe, Franck, Macica, and Broner, though I wasn’t sure what Macica and Broner were talking about half the time. With less than a week to go until election day, the campaigning will no doubt get even more heated from here on out. Saturday Jen and I will be helping to distribute more Democratic campaign material.

After the debates, Jen, Justin, and I went out for post-debate recap martinis at Nine Maple.

Join me in the fight to stop the appointment of Bush’s latest disaster of a Supreme Court nominee, Samuel Alito, designed to appease the far right and roll back workers’ rights, civil rights, and women’s rights.

Subject: Rights at risk on the Supreme Court – time to speak out!

Hi, I just received an important message from MoveOn.org. Bush has caved to pressure from the far right and nominated Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. Alito is a notoriously radical judge who has attacked workers’ rights, womens’ rights and civil rights for years.

Please join me in signing the emergency petition to our Senators, asking them to stand up for us and block this nomination.

http://political.moveon.org/stopalito

Thanks!

Here are some highlights from MoveOn.org’s email on the topic:

Here’s a summary of just some of the core protections that Alito would threaten:

Basic Rights for Working Families
As a judge on the Appeals Court, Alito issued a ruling to gut the Family and Medical Leave Act, which guarantees most workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a loved one in an emergency. The Supreme Court effectively overturned that ruling in 2003—but if Alito were on the Supreme Court he would pose a grave threat to the basic rights of working families.

Civil Rights (in the workplace and beyond)
In separate cases, Alito wrote dissenting opinions that would have made it essentially impossible to prove employment discrimination based on race or disability. He was overruled and harshly criticized by his colleagues, but if he were on the Supreme Court he could turn back the clock on decades of progress in securing civil rights for minorities and the disabled.

A Woman’s Right to Choose
Alito’s judicial record and published views make him widely regarded as a sure vote to overturn Roe v. Wade. The extremist anti-abortion group Operation Rescue (who opposed Harriet Miers) responded to Alito’s nomination today by saying: “Roe’s days are numbered…We are trusting that we are now on the fast-track to derailing Roe v. Wade as the law of the land.”7 If Alito were on the Supreme Court, reproductive freedom would be in serious jeopardy.

Privacy and Civil Liberties
In one significant case, Alito wrote a dissenting oppinion that would have allowed an unauthorized strip search of a woman and her 10 year-old daughter, in their own home, without a warrant. Again, Alito was outvoted and strongly criticized by his fellow judges, but if he were to join Thomas and Scalia on the Supreme Court he would pose a grave threat to civil liberties and individual freedoms.

It’s pretty telling that only 13 hours after MoveOn.org sent its email about Alito, it’s already collected 196,496 signatures (78% of its 48-hour goal).

We hit the town Friday night (Thirteen and DA’s) for the beginning of our quadruple header weekend. Saturday we drove to Brooklyn for Karen and Joti’s Halloween party. Jen was kick-ass Princess Leia and I was Han Solo, complete with Nerf gun with laser sight. We had no success finding a gun holster for my costume; even the local sporting good shop, which sells an entire array of guns, doesn’t carry holsters. After breakfast Sunday morning, we drove home, raked and mowed the yard, then prepared for the next two parties we would attend, first at Seth and Niki’s, then at Ken and Rachel’s. On Saturday we also bet on a number of races in the Breeder’s Cup. Undefeated San Francisco horse Lost in the Fog saw his first defeat in the 6th race and took some of my bets down with him. Today, however, seems to be my lucky day, since I recovered the $19 I lost Saturday in the form of a $20 bill I found on our dog walk this morning.

Happy Halloween!

View all Halloween party photos

In a democratized backlash last night to incumbent mayor Mike Lenz’s $500-a-plate fundraiser, Val Keehn hosted a $5-per-plate informal gathering at the Union Gables Inn on Union Ave. Cheese and crackers abounded, as did a sea of red — supporters were encouraged to show support by wearing red. Jen and I arrived on the early side and mingled a bit, introducing ourselves to Val and chatting with her for a bit about the campaign, the success she’s having in speaking with Republicans and undecided voters, the general sense of frustration that residents have with Lenz, over-development of our city and Broadway, the water issue, and that big rigs illegally take shortcuts down Broadway since they know they won’t be ticketed. I’m really glad we had the chance to meet Val before election day.

If the plethora lawn signs around town — including one outside our house — combined with the full house at the Inn last night is any sign, things are looking good for Saratoga Democrats. The key, of course, will be getting out the vote. I’ll do my part by continuing to attend these events and encouraging others to do so. It will also be my mission to make sure all my friends get to the polls on Tuesday, November 8.

Join me, Saratogians, in electing Val Keehn for mayor! Let’s take back our city from over-development, condensed affordable housing zones (it should be spread throughout the city), unfair property assessments, and threats of getting Saratoga Springs voters to pay for a county-wide Hudson River plan whose only goal is to fuel suburban sprawl.

Last night Jen, my Dad, and I joined more than 100 fellow residents in a peaceful candlelight vigil to honor the 2,000 American troops killed in Iraq, as well as the 30,000 Iraqis killed, and countless others who have been maimed physically and emotionally by this avoidable and pointless war. We gathered outside the Post Office on Broadway and walked in solidarity to the war memorial and then the Spirit of Life Statue in Congress Park. It was a somber yet important event, and the least I can do to show my support for the troops who continue to put their lives at risk in this war. I wonder if the impatient assholes sitting in their SUVs blaring their horns while our procession crossed the street in front of them — not to be confused with the array of single-honk supporters — really support the troops, as all those yellow magnet ribbons claim?

For a small town, Saratoga had a really impressive turnout. Local TV and newspaper media covered the event. If you look really closely, you can see all three of us in both photos on page A3 of the Saratogian today. And the local ABC affiliate (News 10) started its segment last night with a close-up of my right hand lighting my Dad’s candle, while Jen’s hand shielded the flame from the wind. Later in the segment, there’s a clear shot of the three of us walking down Broadway (above photo).

View more photos

Calling all photographers across the globe! My good friend Tiffany in San Francisco needs your help! She’s working on a project for her MFA thesis that aims to capture the essence of humanity through photography.

You can learn more on her new Web site, Only Human Exhibit, and you can submit your photos online, too.

So get your camera ready and place your artistic eye alongside that of your colleagues from around the world for this very worthwhle project about the human condition and combatting stereotypes.

What does it mean to be human?

Hello All:

It’s Tiffany here taking a few minutes to climb out from under my piles
of sketchbooks and Epson paper scraps to take a breath…and, while I
am at it, to ask you all for help.

As some of you know, I am starting my thesis work for my MFA in Graphic
Design. The project I have chosen requires that I reach out to as many
parts of the globe as possible, so I am counting on all of my worldly
friends and family (that’s you) to send this website (below) around the
world and back.

In short, my project is a photographic exhibition, called ONLY HUMAN,
which addresses the things all us humans share despite our cultural
differences. It is about creating a sense of a common human heritage
and recognizing the unity that exists within our diversity. That being
said, I am sending out a international call for photographic
submissions that respond to the question “what does it mean to be
human?” Anyone is welcome to participate (as long as you follow the
submission guidelines…see website), but what I really need, is help
with getting submissions from around the world, so as to give this
project the global voice it needs. So please spread words of
encouragement and the link below to all your photographer friends, both
national and international.

The website has more details on the project and the submission
process…versions of the site in Spanish, French, Mandarin, Japanese
and Arabic are in the works. Oh, and did I mention, people can submit
their work online through the website.

www.onlyhumanexhibit.org

Thanks to all who have helped me so far: Miguel, Gordon, Monica, Mark,
Nicole, Brody, Phil, Michael K., Fabrice.

Ready, set, spread the word!

Tiffany Ricardo