Action punchlist for this fall

Action punchlist for this fall’s statewide elections

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Direct from the Courage Campaign website (thanks to a reminder from hekebolos at DailyKos in “Action: Help the nationwide fight for LGBT equality” ):

Progressives are closer than ever to a victory on health care reform. As 2009 comes to a close, we’ve moved forward on other issues. But what’s looming up ahead could be a disappointment.

On Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009- less than a week away- there will be critical votes on on LGBT equality in three states: Washington State, Maine, and Michigan. With so much attention devoted to other issues in the political realm, bloggers have banded together to ensure we don’t forget the ones with a firm deadline next week.

For that reason, we’ve joined with these three campaigns to put together a summary of who, what, and how. If you haven’t heard of these campaigns, and/or haven’t done anything yet to support them, please consider helping out. If you are a blogger please feel free to grab this content whole cloth and use it for your blog posts. Scroll down to the bottom to grab the formatted HTML to drop into a post.

Last year, as Obama and Democrats were winning across the country, we lost marriage equality in California. It was a bittersweet victory. Pitch in to make sure 2009 isn’t a bittersweet year. Take action to support LGBT equality TODAY.

Herewith, content grabbed whole cloth:

Washington:

Who we are: Approve Referendum 71 is the campaign to preserve domestic partnerships in Washington State. By voting to approve, voters retain the domestic partnership laws that were passed during this year’s legislative session, including using sick leave to care for a partner, adoption rights, insurance rights, and more.

What we need: We need phone bankers to get our supporters out to vote. Washington is an all mail-in ballot state, and we need to ensure our supporters put their ballots in the mail. Also, youth turnout is a critical component of our campaign, and youth turnout historically drops in off-year elections. So we need a lot of help to turn them out.

How you do it: Sign up here to make remote calls for Approve 71. We’ll then contact you for a training, and you can make GOTV calls.

Maine:

Who we are: The No On 1/Protect Maine Equality campaign is working to protect Maine’s recently-passed law legalizing marriage equality for same-sex couples. Our opponents have put the issue on the ballot for Nov 3, 2009. Because of Maine’s early voting election laws, people are already voting at the polls, so we need help immediately to turn out our side at the polls.

What we need: We need you to devote a few hours to Call for Equality. Call for Equality is a virtual phonebank set up so that you can call Maine voters wherever you are. Much of Maine is rural, where canvassing isn’t effective, so we need to reach these voters- along with other supporters- by phone. All you need is a phone and internet connection. No experience required! We’ll provide the training, and all you need is a a few hours to help get a win in Maine.

How you do it: Click here to sign up for a training and your shift. There are lots of times available for your convenience.

Kalamazoo, MI:

Who We Are: The Yes on Ordinance 1856 / One Kalamazoo campaign is working in Michigan to support the City Commission of Kalamazoo’s twice approved ordinance for housing, employment, and public accommodation protections for gay and transgender residents. Opponents forced a public referendum on the ordinance so dedicated local volunteers, led by former Stonewall Democrats Executive Director Jon Hoadley, are working to ensure voters say YES to fairness and equality and keep Ordinance 1856.

Why The Urgency: In the final weeks, the opposition has gone all out with aggressive disinformation and misleading red herrings to try to defeat the ordinance. This includes signs that say “No to Discrimination” (even though voting No actually supports continued discrimination of GLBT residents), transphobic door hangers and fliers, and now radio ads that falsely suggest that criminal behavior will become legal when this simply isn’t true. The Yes on Ordinance 1856 supporters are better organized but many voters who want to vote for gay and transgender people are getting confused by the opposition.

How To Help:

1) Help the One Kalamazoo campaign raise a final $10,000 specifically dedicated to fight back against the lies on the local TV and radio airwaves and fully fund the campaign’s final field and GOTV efforts.

Give here: http://www.actblue.com/page/3-2-1-countdown

2) If you live nearby and can physically volunteer in Kalamazoo sign up here. If you know anyone that lives in Kalamazoo, use the One Kalamazoo campaign’s online canvass tool to remind those voters that they need to vote on November 3rd and vote YES on Ordinance 1856 to support equality for gay and transgender people.

Contact voters: http://www.onekalamazoo.com/tellfriends2

musically nostalgic

Feeling a little... daydreamy. This song seems to match my mood, or desired mood, and I can't get enough of it:

Joni Mitchell - Both Sides Now Lyrics

Bows and flows of angel hair and ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere, I've looked at clouds that way.
But now they only block the sun, they rain and snow on everyone.
So many things I would have done but clouds got in my way.

I've looked at clouds from both sides now,
From up and down, and still somehow
It's cloud illusions I recall.
I really don't know clouds at all.

Moons and Junes and ferris wheels, the dizzy dancing way you feel
As every fairy tale comes real; I've looked at love that way.
But now it's just another show. You leave 'em laughing when you go
And if you care, don't let them know, don't give yourself away.

I've looked at love from both sides now,
From give and take, and still somehow
It's love's illusions I recall.
I really don't know love at all.

Tears and fears and feeling proud
to say "I love you" right out loud,
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds; I've looked at life that way.
But now old friends are acting strange,
they shake their heads, they say I've changed.
Something's lost but something's gained in living every day.

I've looked at life from both sides now,
From win and lose, and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall.
I really don't know life at all.

The lyrics seem so nostalgic, so wise, so subdued, but somehow not sad. Just knowing. And overall, they feel warm and comforting.

Sunny San Diego

A couple weeks ago H. and I took a road trip out to San Diego to visit family and deliver a car to my brother. My dad had found an inexpensive Infiniti (actually it was a 'nfinity'; just the lesser known counterpart) and needed a way to deliver it to my brother so we jumped at the chance. Seemed like a fun, cheap adventure for us. The total drive from Austin, TX to San Diego, CA was about 20 hours and 1,300 miles. Wow. We took off on a Tuesday morning, just after working our 10pm - 7am shift, and we set a rule that neither of us could fall asleep the whole time. At one point we put in some books on tape that my parents had given us and about 5 minutes into it I looked over to see H in the passengers seat with her eyes closed. Needless to say, I punched her in the arm and that was the end of story time.

The worst part had to be that we didn't bring CD's, counting instead on the tape plug-in to our iPods. Then, 20 minutes on the highway we realize it's broken. We played so many games - favorites guessing games, 'newlyweds' style questions (what would your spouse say is your favorite outfit; who would your spouse say is the better catch - yeah, guess her answer), words games, country letter games (oslo, oregon, new hampshire, ethiopia, arkansas...), 20 questions (which I won every time.) Now we know so much about each other we would win any quiz show, blindfolded.

We pulled into Las Cruces, NM around 7 pm, and we were asleep in our La Quinta hotel room by 8 pm. The next morning we explored the historic part of the city. It took us about an hour to walk in and out of every open shop, and to stop at a cafe to have some delicious Mexican food. Overall the town was a little... quiet... and brown. It was nice weather, though! The only exciting thing about the drive through NM was me accidently going East after a gas stop. Seems when you're driving through the desert there's no need for exit ramps. For over 10 miles. Seriously. After 10 miles of driving the wrong direction with no chance of getting off the highway, we challenged the law and took a U-turn on a median that was "For Official Use Only." Ooooh... rebels. Also, we must have cruised through 5 different 'border patrol' stops. Apparently we look American citizen-y because we made it through each time with out incident.


We actually liked the drive through Arizona a lot better. Maybe part of that is because we picked up a new tape plug-in thingy. But the scenery was really beautiful - the colors, the rock formations, and the awesome saguaro cacti. H. had to stop three separate times to get a good photo of those.

And then on to California. The weather was perfect; though, what else could one expect of southern California. We had such a fun, relaxing time. We drove up to Huntington Beach to visit more family, including a new baby cousin! She was so very precious. It was really great to see everyone, catch up on news, and have H. meet more family. We explored my brother and sister-in-law's neighborhood a bit. I was a big fan of the local coffee shop, where we walked their pup to one morning.

My family was wonderful. We were treated to more than one delicious meal to celebrate; and my aunt bought both H. and I new clothes from my cousin's store, including two great dresses that we then wore to Christine's wedding the next week.

On the morning before we left we drove to Coronado Island, and sat in the sun on the beach. I forgot how relaxing that kind of trip is. It was so great, and way too short. I realized, as I returned to work the following evening, that it really balanced me out. I had not felt that happy or calm in some time. We already have plans to go back soon!

lick

lick
Originally uploaded by liannaburton

heh heh heh

It's 8:55 PM and OU still sucks.

P1020823
Originally uploaded by liannaburton

It was a gorgeous wedding. Beautiful dresses, beautiful church, beautiful ceremony and reception. But, seriously, only an Aggie would hold their ceremony at the same time as the Texas OU games. Thank goodness we won. (just kidding. it was wonderful, no 'buts')

Awesome

There was an awesome clip on Letterman tonight. He shows things "more
fun than reading Sarah Palin's memoir" and tonight was number 18 -
Bear Grylls eating a yak eyeball out of a dead carcass from Man Versus Wild.

Another reason why I love Austin -

Leslie found in critical condition

No other city would embrace, support and identify so strongly and
kindly with a cross dressing homeless man who cruised into Austin
years ago in his bike. It's just awesome.

And here's some info I found interesting about most national parks in
the US - apparently, the 'model' of creating national parks by kicking out
people who've lived there for decades, perhaps centuries is called the
Yosemite model. And, it is actually used regularly in this country.
In contrast, there is a national park in Canada that actually utilized
the peoples who live on the land by allowing to still care for it and
actually run the park. Ingenious. I suppose just another reason why
Canada is more awesome than the US. Hmm.

Lianna M.O. Burton

ACL you complete me

I made it to the fest afterall!!!

Batter Blaster Review!

The votes are in - Batter Blaster - the original pancake batter in a can - is AWESOME! check out the photos on my flickr page.

Fox news reported on it, too

Click to check out the story: Judge calls Texas' gay-marriage ban into question

a festive air

I'm feeling a bit nostalgic for Austin today even though I haven't actually left yet. I chose not to go to ACL this year for job and money reasons, mostly, but it's impossible to escape it's feel. I live about a mile south of Zilker, so the music actually just floats through the air to meet me right in my home. It's amazing how electric the whole city becomes during festivals like this. It's something that I will sorely miss when I leave. I wonder if any city in the country balances the big city/small town vibe as well as ATX.

Lately, every time I cruise over the river on my way into downtown, a huge smile takes over me. I love the view of Austin's skyline mixed with the beautiful water. There's so many amazing memories for me just in that snapshot; the tower, the river with every bend and bridge and 500 meter mark, the old power plant, the trail, the view up Congress Ave. I know I'll never be able to let go of this city. I wonder if I'll ever find my way back.