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May 26 chevalier - pineo family tree searching out my roots and ancestry my mothers' family was a picture of early Canada metis - in my family - a blend of the french Canadian voyageur and a native tribe in my family's case - that would be the Ojibwe My grandmothers' maiden name was Chevalier I believe I finally found some information on my great grandmother.... Marionette Chevalier. Apparently the Chevalier women were all quite independent. May 11 twitter seminar.... Digerati talking about twitter at Convergence 09. I've never understood the draw to twitter. I tweet, I twit and am still looking for the compelling reason to let people know what I am thinking in 140 characters or less. I can't help but wonder whether it's just navel gazing or - if there is something here. Still looking for a case study that shows an excellent tactical use of twitter. I watched/listened the details of the ashton kutcher race to a million - yeah - interesting stunt. But - I'm still looking for the usefulness, and I'm attending this seminar hoping that someone will answer this sorry to report I did not get an answer... David Plouffe - convergence seminar I'm at the Convergence semiar today....listening to David Ploufffe* talk about the Obama campaign. Here are some unedited notes from his speech today......enjoy! At the beginning of the campaign we were the biggest underdogs - up- against the biggest front runner in American politics - Hillary Clinton. We knew we had to run a grassroots campaign and that we would need to utilize technology to build a campaign. We had no foothold outside of Illinois. We had three tactics - fund raising, build volunteers, build awareness. Our path was very narrow in the primary. We were up against the biggest fund raising machine in US politics. John McCain was the pioneer in online fund raising. We met our goals - a surprising goal. We built the biggest grassroots fund raising campaign in the history of US politics. We built a social media site that allowed people to not an individual to raise money - but allowed them to 'own' a campaign. They could raise money by running their own email campaign, fundraiser through a houseparty and track all of the subsequent donations from friends. Politics in the US is like chess - states are stratefcally won and you hope to determine the playing field of your camapign. We spent most of our time in Iowa, Ohio We believed that a huge number of people in the USA live their lives online. In states like Colorado, Washington, Virginia, Maryland, Minnesota and Califormia were organizing themselves during the primarys - all on their own. This had never been done before. Because we had a grassroots support. We were able to marry with momentum. It wasn't a tactic - it was people with technology - self motivated getting the grassroots established. We had to change the electorate in IOWA. We did months and months of internet advertising. Barak Obama went to high school and colleges. Technology was the way they communicates. The only way we could get them was out to participate in the caucus was to mold the electorate - making it younger, more african american. We did radio ads, text ads and online ads - to ensure peole knew where to caucus and vote. We established a tool on the site that allowed you to look up where to vote or caucus. It needed to be easy at the last minute to find where to go. We spent millions of dollars getting the information out to first time voters. We tried to get this group out to the early poles. We won new voters 72/27 over McCain. We used technology to inform people. We had an iphone app for voters to find out how and where to vote. Our volunteers did all the work - it cost us very little. We registered millions of voters - without this technology we would not have won North Carolina or Florida. Time and time again - we heard that people wanted to talk to family, and friends about who to vote with. We had to get people consuming our message (13M email messages domestically/day). Increasingly we did video to move message. People we more prone to opening and passing it along. We sent updates about strategy, recruitment. Our supporters felt connected to the campaign. We sent out our Florida gameplan - budget and strategy with an explantion. The campaign was successful because fo the engagement of the voluteers. We put pressure on our voluteers - we let them know we appreciated their support - but we also said - 'if you don't do more - we won;t win'. We believed in them and built a strategy based on them. Lots of times - we decided to announce strategy directly to the supporters before it was announced publically. We still send out messages to supporters. Millions of watercooler communications are being informaed by supporters ....still. It isn't sexy - but it's what gives people ownership of politics. It isn't as sexy as 'joe the plumber' - but it;s effective and what won the campaign. All of the messages need to co-ordinated and sync'd. It isb't possible without technology. We ensured that all of our supporters got regular updates for policy to ensure the message was 'convergent' We primarily used the internet andemail. We used mobile primarily to get the message out. But our core tactic was the internet (facbook, twitter came later) and email - with mobile supporting messages - driving to the internet. The president and message inspired millions of people to get involved (6 M donated) half had never been involved before. These people had credibility because they had never been involved in politics before - they had credibility with their family and friends. The 2 biggest demographics for us were students and retirees. They spent the most amount of time online doing research, moving messages and volunteering. We believed every state mattered and every delegate mattered. We spent money, but we mobilized earlier and we had intense and magical support on the ground with volunteers despite what our supporters were hearing on cable tv news. David Plouffe was the campaign manager for Obama's successful 2008 presidential campaign. He is credited with the campaign's successful overall strategy in the race (primarily against Senator Hillary Clinton) for the Democratic Party presidential nomination, to focus on the first caucus in Iowa and on maximizing the number of pledged delegates, as opposed to focusing on states with primaries and the overall popular vote. He is also credited by The New Republic for Obama's success in the Iowa Caucus and for crafting an overall strategy to prolong the primary past Super Tuesday. The Chicago Tribune writes, "Plouffe was the mastermind behind a winning strategy that looked well past Super Tuesday's contests on Feb. 5 and placed value on large and small states."[6] Plouffe also maintained discipline over communications in the campaign, including controlling leaks and releasing information about the campaign on its terms. March 16 photos available as art I love that I can now distribute my photos in a new way - as fine art - thanks to image kind. See something you like? feel free to order prints or greeting cards here: http://liztoth.imagekind.com/stills February 15 Susan Wehle Our friend - Cantor Susan Wehle, of Amherst, N.Y. passed suddenly and tragically on Continental Flight 3407 February 12th 2009. Susan sat with me and my mom in her last days in the hospital...She never missed a day and sang quietly for my mother everyday, even when we weren't sure she could hear us anymore. I've set up a memorial site in her name - it appears to have become a touchstone I hope in some small way to provide some solace to her family - as she did with mine We arise to life as a wave cresting upon a vast and shore-less sea. And we abandon life as a wave abandons its shape, and returns to the source from which it swelled. Arising, dissolving, returning yet never leaving January 21 travelling in 2008Travel seemed to come out of nowhere this year I flew to Hong Kong with less than 24 hours to think about it and pack Costa Rica was fast too neither were planned ...the trips just sort of happened On the way to Costa Rica - I had a crystal clear sky flying over Nicaragua Looking down I saw the deep green of the forests I watched the coastline go from azure to turquoise to green - absolutely breathtaking i remembered the motorcycle diaries and wondered what Central America might hold for me i regret running out of time before i had the chance to do the 'run to Panama' Jaco was amazing the surfing and ocean were inspiring iguanas on every other roof sunning on a saturday morning (at 6:30 am) william gave me a tour of a local and very old bakery with a brick oven and then took me to a street produce market near his home i got a look and taste of the central american village culture Hong Kong was a purely urban flying in over the water after an amazingly long flight i literally ran around Hong Kong - trying to see as much as I could between Olympic Dressage Events the jade market, the street market, the ladies market and the goods everywhere on the street city planning is a study in how much you can squeeze into any available space every alley seems to have either a market or a new building being squeezed in. November 13 A new year - and some new scenery It was tough to leave Vancouver behind - even temporarily. Calvin has pledged to take good care of Gatsby, William, Olive and Raleigh while I am away. I've been here for 3 days now - and this is the first day we are seeing real sunshine. It was hot - really hot - in the office this morning at 8 am..... Hoping that air con will kick in soon. The vistas are lovely in CR and I am looking forward to getting to see some of what I am told is spectacular coast line. The work is interesting so far - and I guess if you are going to spend time away from home - that is the most important thing. For my part - I am excited that I'll be able to host my sista for her trip south. She's going through some nasty chemo and she is already looking for the break in the schedule to come down and soak up some rays. Hoping C will make his way here after the Christmas break. A little sunshine in Dec or Jan is always a good break from the Vancouver dreary weather.... November 07 calling the angels and letting go
June 09 interesting and inspiring work...it's been a busy and eventful time - again the blog suffers when life gets ...well - more interesting.
The coreman does a great job of keeping us up to date from the island - but I've been less diligent. sorry all.
The small place with the sound of the salmon stream in the yard - and the bears that steal our trash cans is officially sold today. Calvin and I will miss our commute over the Lion's Gate everyday; we'll miss waking up the sleeping bears in the backyard with pots and pans, the squirells, the river otter, herons, ravens - and the community garden we helped build outside our gate.
We won't miss the weird ownership agreement, the one newish and slightly crazy neighbour (of course he is moving now too - go figure!) It's time - time for more space, time for some options for mom to live with us when she is ready. We are all looking forward to that, a chance to be on the same coast in weather that is a bit easier than Niagara. Maybe it's that - or maybe the stories of our oyster/crab shore dinners are tempting her....
the move is end of july - we'll be packing up - and moving to the oddest suburb. a street of houses - surrounded by rolling green hills and mountains - a stones throw from the mighty fraser. More salmon fishing in our future ..... I found Jeff Bridges' site in the WWW today - inspiring and a differnt take on this digital world - more art than design -interesting and thoughtful - check it out... www.jeffbridges.com October 18 the smell of ashes''The dead drug leaves a ghost behind. At certain hours it haunts the house.” — Jean Cocteau
I can smell cigarette smoke
I can't seem to lose it. It's like it's stuck in my head/sinuses/nose and it's all I can smell, everywhere I go I have the same cold I've been fighting for 3 weeks now and I'm hoping when it finally leaves it will take the smell of buring with it. September 19 listening to Joe IngraoI'm at the office, listening to the tracks Joe laid down for a 'standards' cd. I carry them around on my ipod.
They are the last recordings he made. Joe had emailed me shortly after making them and said that doing it for himself - playing alone and recording - was the way he wanted to work. Playing for other people was getting too complicated. He also said that he was playing better than he had in his life, and that he was surprising himself with his arrangements. Wish I could post his version of My Foolish Heart it's inspiring, sensitive and fresh. Lovely.
My thanks to Steve Goldberger for getting them to me.
I know there must be vocal recordings of him somewhere - but I've yet to locate them.
If anyone comes across them - can you let me know? May 04 surgerydriving in, she turned to me and said 'you aren't woried about me are you?'
'of course not' I said 'this one is an easy day surgery.'
I can hardly believe I managed that.
The lie almost got stuck
I can worry - but I can't tell her I worry - because she would worry about my worrying
It's the crazy cycle you go through when your mom is critically ill.
I didn't have it with my dad - when we cared for him in '99
Just before his passing.
But my mom and I had each other to lean on then.
It's hard to break the habit of confiding in her.
I'll have to begin talking to the dog more
Or be more aggresive my brothers
and get them involved somehow, in the care
I have been dreaming about the cancer
I dreamt about a huge vine -
growing from basement to roof through my mom's house I dreamt that I touched the trunk of the vine,
and the whole vine crashed down, disintegrating - like a termite weakened tree trunk I woke from the dream with the feeling that the cancer losing it's grip
April 29 rubberThe team has a new fixation with rubber. Me: (pointing) Jeez, that's the fifth green rubber band I've seen on the floor of the office. podmate: What? Me: Those rubber bands. They're everywhere. It's as if we're being carpet-bombed by stationery supplies. podmate: Poor thing, it looks so forsaken lying there. (She stoops to pick it up) And she was as good as her word. Now no one can go for lunch at Hi Rise without a mobbing for the wrapper rubber bands.. You'll be mid-conversation and suddenly there is a dive towards a likely specimen that is lying on a desk, floor or caf table. It is most disconcerting. I was somewhat taken aback by this. Me: Whatever happened to your Home for Abandoned Bands? podmate: That's only for green rubber bands. That ( she gestured toward the garbage ) was tan. Me: You're discriminating against it on the basis of colour? Isn't that rather racialist? podmate: It's important that they're green. They also have to be virgin. Me: Virgin? podmate: Yes. Clean, unbroken, unattached to anything. I don't want to just randomly collect any old rubber band - that's the sort of thing a crazy person would do. And she laughed a little condescending laugh. "Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha." Just like that. March 30 last days of march 2006Good Lord, has it really been so long? Eventually the fingers itch for the keyboard, and the ears long for the rattle of inept, single-finger typing. And thus the creaky, sporadic and flighty bucket of thoughts that are the blog groans back into some sort of life. Will it last? Who can tell. Best not to ask. As is to be expected when your faithful narrator takes a hiatus, there is much to tell. And because your faithful narrator remains, at heart, lazy, she (I) shall tell it in bullet-point form. XX has given birth to their devil-spawn. It is a girl (in that it already has pierced ears, and is dressed head-to-toe in a migraine-inducing shade of pink), but it looks like a small, furious Winston Churchill. I have my suspicions that it may turn out to be some sort of Antichrist. On the few occasions that the child has been left nearby, I have had a surreptitious check for any birthmarks of the 666 variety. Nothing as yet, but the mark may be hidden by the bunnysuit. XX2 has also dropped her offspring, giving Wall Street dude the boy-child he thought he always wanted. The newest addition to the family arrived on Christmas Day, thereby ruining Christmas dinner and dooming the kid to a lifetime of joint Christmas-and-birthday presents. My suggestion that they call him Mince Pie was met with hard stares. They are now trying to adapt to life without sleep. She looked so wrecked the other day that I offered to give her some brandy to slip into the kid's bottle, but she just shook his head and stumbled off to buy Pampers. She had a little bit of baby poo on her shirt. Continuing with this theme of new arrivals, the Shop's family also has a new member: The dane. A twenty something pain in the proverbial who was hired in a moment of weakness , despite the best efforts refuses to quit. For example he has a habit of leaving his mobile switched on. Which wouldn't be a problem, were it not for the fact that his ringtone is that execrable piece of aural jism . And his phone rings all - the - time. Eventually (around 11am on his first day) we snapped, grabbed the phone - which was still trilling merrily away - and threw it in the toilet. When that failed to stop the device's ringing, we took it outside and reversed over it with the car. Any normal person, faced with this sort of aggression, would have handed in their notice on the spot. He just went a bit paler than normal, then bought a new phone. Either the guy has a commitment to passive resistance that would put Gandhi to shame, or he just really needs the money.
March 22 a year to the dayi can hardly believe the time has passed
unlike so much of my new life
getting through this year
couldn't be rushed
the ebb and flow of each season
just rolled through my life
each with it's own set of distinctive memories
i visted our cottage recently
i stood in the yard
until i was invited in
to walk through the rooms
I listened to fading echos
the crunch of your tires on the gravel driveway
the sounds
of you calling from the front door,
singing in the shower
and laughing through the late hours until early morning.
These days - I can' t think of you without smiling . sometimes life 'crashes into' youi've been waiting for a clear path
waiting for life to show me how or where to be
to help my mom get through this cancer
i've tumbled through the last weeks
angry
and trying to leave myself.....something,
some part of a life I can come back to - or hold on to
i've done this before
in the old days i have let it all go
and then tried to figure out how everything fit together again,
like a giant jigsaw puzzle that has been dumped over
when there was just that last section to complete
I just keep breathing
in and out
and wait for the angels to whisper a plan
March 01 advice from a friend"You've had a freakish education, use it.... An artist's only concern is to shoot for some kind of perfection, and on his own terms, not anyone else's." J. D. Salinger November 01 walking in the city
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