[readermail]Hey, Pamie.

Longtime reader, here.

Just wanted to answer your question about the blog. I don’t read the blog. If I read it in order, starting at the top, it doesn’t make sense because you can’t tell what the responses are responding to, but it seems like it would take a really long time to start at the bottom and go up, plus I’d have to keep scrolling around. I only read your site when I have time, and it seems like the blog is designed for people who have lots and lots of time to spend on it. The sidebar was way better because I could glance at it and see if any of the links looked like something you’d want to click on. If I had time, I’d check ’em out, and if not, I’d skip ’em. The blog, it’s too much scrolling. And people I don’t know. (Who is Dan, anyway, and why does he get to write in your journal?)

I’m an outsider to the world of online journalling, despite having read them for years and having always wanted one of my own. I’ve heard the word “blog” thrown around for a while now, so when you started one, I figured, “Oh, now I’ll know what a blog is.” But I’m more confused now than I was before. What is it supposed to be, exactly? What should I be doing to get the most out of the blog experience? Am I reading it wrong? Is it kind of like a forum, where it’s an interactive thing?

Lindsay[/readermail]

Okay, Lindsay. We’re gonna get through this. Just breathe. Here we go.

I spend a good portion of my day at my computer. And many times a day I get little tidbits of news or think of something funny I’d like to share with you guys, but updating the journal takes some time, as I have to update a few pages when making a new entry, and it seems silly to do all of that for just one joke or a piece of David Blaine info, or a new review for the book. Plus if I’ve already written a journal entry for the day, that would be confusing. So I started the blog, which is a place where I put all the little things that I would have normally forgotten by the time I got around to a sidebar.

You do read it from the bottom up, if you’re trying to catch up on a week’s worth of entries, and you can read them week by week (the archives are listed on the right). Yes, at first it’s strange to read from the bottom up, but it’s something you can get used to. I have, and now read plenty of blogs. Even people who hate blogs have gotten used to reading blogs. I’m not the only person having to explain what the hell is going on (and Monty does a good job explaining the difference).

Dan isn’t a total stranger to this site, as there have been pictures of us singing on this site for over a year, and Dan has been mentioned on the pages of Squishy since we met the summer of 2000. When I realized how easy Blogger was to use, I instantly tried to rally up all of my favorite writers to start their own blogs so I had stuff to read every day, every hour, all the time. It was my selfish wish to constantly have new content written by people I love. So I bugged stee, and pretty much set the entire thing up for him, including guiding his fingers over the keys, Ghost-style, until he started typing entries. And as I was singing the praises to Dan, hoping he’d start a blog on his own site, I realized it’d be easier if I just gave him access to mine, so it would be even easier to make him write stuff for me to read every single day. I’m sneaky like that. So that’s why Dan’s on the blog.

Yes, the blog is probably for people who like checking pamie.com a few times a day looking for updates, but it’s not hard to follow if you’re catching up once a week, or even once a month. Are you upset that there’s too much to read? Then probably just stick to the journal entries. But it’s not interactive, like a forum. Only Dan and I can post, but if you find a site you think one of us would appreciate, feel free to send us a link and we’ll post it (as I’ve been doing with BlaineWatch 2003) [Oh, wow. As I typed that, Howard Stern just started talking about it. They’re arguing about whether or not he came down out of the box already.]

So, as much as the word “blog” is rather stupid, and sounds like something you want scraped off the underside of a boat, I don’t know what else to call it. There was a time when everybody called these things “web diaries” so maybe the vernacular will change once again.

Hope that cleared things up.

[db]

Last week my friends Frank and Steph did something you normally only see on television: they made it all the way to the Hollywood Bowl to see REM/Wilco before they realized they had forgotten their tickets at home.

So it shouldn’t have been too much of a surprise what happened last night. I was set for an evening on the couch, reading a book, when stee came into the room. “Do you want to go to Radiohead in five minutes?” he asked.

“What?”

“Frank and Steph…”

“Oh, no. What did they do?”

“They thought their tickets were for tomorrow. It’s tonight. Steph’s at work. Want her ticket?”

“Don’t you?”

“You’ve been a fan longer. And we would have gone if you’d known about the show.” (I was on the book tour when the tickets went on sale, and by the time I got home the shows were sold out.)

“Are you sure?”

“Go get dressed.”

So I saw Radiohead last night. There was a guy in Frank’s seat, but we just kept going with the flow, and stood near him, spilling out into the aisle. “I appreciate the way you’re just ready for whatever happens, Pam,” Frank said. “That’s all we can do now. That’s the only way we’re going to enjoy this.” Even though we didn’t leave my house until quarter to eight, we still made it there before the show started, which is more than we had expected. So standing in the aisle was no big deal.

We were way in the back, where you could carry on conversations without having to raise your voice, and Thom Yorke was quite tiny, but suddenly the music was beautiful and the lights were bright and awesome and is there fire on the stage? and the monitor stuff was cool even though my webcam from 1999 had a clearer image and they played my favorite songs and Frank was my best friend and the world was so awesome and my gum tasted funny, and I was totally starving and this may very well be the best Radiohead concert I’ve ever seen in my entire life.

“Frank. I think I’m high.”

“I’m really high. This song, is this the one called ‘Contact High’?” Everybody around us had been smoking pot since the show had started, including the guy who was in Frank’s seat. “Am I falling forward?”

“Thank you for taking me to Radiohead, Frank.”

“Oh, sure thing.”

“You guys officially need someone in charge of your tickets from now on.”

“I know. Hey, remember how last week stee was bummed out that we changed Mexican restaurants and didn’t go to El Coyote and instead went to that other place?”

“Yeah. He likes El Coyote. And it was cheaper.”

“Well… I forgot to tell you — he’s going to be pissed. My friends drove past El Coyote after we left the restaurant, and guess who they saw getting into the front seat of a cab after leaving El Coyote?”

“NO!”

“Eddie Izzard.”

“NO!”

“Yeah.”

“Man!”

[db]

stee posted the answers to the Blind Item entry.

[db]

I’m voting No on the Recall.

Yesterday the election booklet arrived which includes the candidate statements (as long as the candidates agreed to a $10,624,000 expediture limit (so Arnold’s not included, obviously)). I thought you guys would like to see some of the people who think they’re qualified to run this state.

Brooke Adams. Independent.

Lead, follow, or get out of the way. The older generation, responsible for proper stewardship of California, has shown no leardership and no follow-through. It’s time to let my generation take charge. I’m 25, independent, a business executive with courage to fix what’s wrong with California.

Alex-St. James Republican Party.

Once an Aspirant Catholic Priest, I support life from conception to the grave and the right to bear arms.

Vik S. Bajwa. Democratic Party

Since the days of the Gold Rush of mid 1880’s, its diversity of over 2 centuries, where over 148 different languages, being spoken every day, we have but one thing in common — Dream and Success. I am a recent Immigrant like you, my 3 kids are native Californians, Kamal and I thank God for being in California. I dream like Martin Luther King, for my Grand Children. Please vote for me and let us bring back the Glory of the Golden State. God Bless You and God bless California! As John F. Kennedy said, ask not what the state can do, but what you can do for the state. My Childhood Hero!!

Ed Beyer. Republican Party.

I love California.

D. (Logan Darrow) Clements. Republican Party.

Atlas Shrugged, America’s second most influential book…

…I’m a long-shot candidate but like the horse Seabiscuit sometimes the long-shot can win.

Larry Flynt. Democratic Party.

I am running for Governor because California is in crisis and needs the kind of strong leadership and sophisitcated business sense that I can provide to help restore it…I have a simple idea of how to eliminate the deficit without increasing anyone’s taxes or cutting funding for any programs– and that is to expand California gaming to include slot machines for all private clubs…California is the most progressive state in the union and I’m sure its citizens would welcome having a smut peddler who cares as their Governor.

Lorraine (Abner Zurd) Fontanes. Democratic Party.
It says only:

With my skills as a filmmaker and arts administrator, I will work to return common sense to California government.

Gene Forte. Republican Party.

…Raised on a small farm in Los Banos, California, where I learned common sense, I then involved myself in several entrepreneurial ventures after high school ranging from musical concert promotion, sports events promotion, salvaging a World War II airplane to being a New York Stock Exchange Broker in Fresno and Beverly Hills.

Rich Gosse. Republican Party.

Single adults are the Rodney Dangerfields of our society. They “can’t get no respect.” I am the first candidate in California history to campaign on a Fairness for Singles Platform.

Ralph A. Hernandez. Democratic Party.

Experienced, Tax Fighter, problem solver, honest, dependable, and highly qualified! The State must live within its means! We have to! So much money misspent. I oppose tax increases. Political back room deals, questionable decisions, and more. As Voters, we have the right to take back our State! My qualifications include — BA Criminal Justice; 47 years political experience;… I stand up for people and what’s right;…adopted puppy and kitten into our family; 5 children, many grandchildren; Homeowner; Martial Artist; Californian 51 years; down to earth; Spanish Speaking; have common sense.

Michael Jackson. Republican Party.

The people of California need to get more involved in setting the course of California! I am a husband and a father of two children, not a career politician.

Trek Thunder Kelly. Independent.

Dear Voters, Please vote for me, thus breaking the Seventh Seal and incurring Armageddon. I will legalize drugs, gambling and prostitution so they may be taxed and regulated, the funds derived would subsidize the deficit, education, and the environment. I believe in peaceful resolutions backed by a strong military; I don’t care who you marry or have sex with.

Bruce Margolin. Democratic Party.

We must end the intolerable waste of tax dollars on the unjust drug war and the escalating prison population, thereby preserving personal liberties and human rights. We should teach basic criminal penalties and yoga in our schools. I’ve been the Director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (N.O.R.M.L.) Chapter since 1973 and was Criminal Defense Attorney of the Year 1999.

Bob McClain. Independent.

Hello California! I want to be your next Governor.

Mike McNeilly. Republican Party.

This state, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or exercise their revolutionary right to overthrow it. Thomas Jefferson’s words validate this recall election as a right of the people. I am not a Politician and I’m not a Superstar. I am one of the many who believe in this revolution… a revolution to take back the power for the people.

Dorene Musilli. Republican Party.

Dorene Musilli. Family, Education, Business. Bring it on California! I am a 3rd generation Californian and a successful non-politician active in business, education, community and family life. My concerns are the concerns of Californians. Bring on the California budget! My fiscal successes are varied: balanced budgets for household checkbooks, multi-million dollar businesses and public agencies. Bring on the California educational system! I care about the education of our youth — our future. When I entered grammar school, English was my 2nd language. I have lived bilingual education. Bring it on California! I am a good choice for the people of California.

Robert C. Newman II. Republican Party.

The reason for this historical recall is to make members of government accountable to and honest with the people. I am qualified to be governor of California. As your Governor, I will be a public servant. I am a born again Christian and try to live by the principles given in God’s Word. I endeavor to speak the truth as clearly and accurate as it is known.

Charles “Chuck” Pineda Jr. Democratic Party.

The state budget is 25 to 35 billion dollars in the red! My main goal is to get the budget in the black-solvency. I intend to stop building prisons (cost – 300 million dollars each) and return the money to education to build world class schools and students! I continue to advocate: a 32 hour work week to deal with traffic congestion and employee productivity, delinquency prevention instead of costly incarceration, phonics based education, better working conditions for farm workers…

Bill Prady. Democratic Party.

You know the wonderful world that exists in television comedies — a world where, no matter what problems arise or conflicts exist, people work together to overcome any obstacle and, maybe, learn a little something? Wouldn’t you like California to be a place like that? It can be if you elect Bill Prady to be the next governor of our great state. Bill Prady is an award-winning television comedy writer and producer who will bring the skills he’s learned creating sitcom episodes to Sacramento. If elected, he pledges to solve all the state’s problems in twenty-two minutes and forty-four seconds with two commercial breaks and a hug at the end. After all this turmoil, isn’t this just what California needs?

Kevin Richter. Republican Party. www.whowantstobeagovernor.com

I breathe.

Kurt E. “Tachikaze” Rightmyer. Independent.

The name Tachikaze stands for “wind from a sword stroke.” As the leading middleweight of the 2003 California State Sumo Series and a serious, well-educated, nonpartisan candidate for governer, I will attack the 800-lb gorilla of big government from every angle and fight determinedly to restore California to a state where all citizens and legal residents can be proud to live. Say goodbye to an increasingly restricted, more expensive, poorer quality of existence… and say hello to Tachikaze — “because being governor is no party.”

Ned Roscoe. Libertarian Party.

I am a grocer who, with his family, specializes in selling cigarettes to adults who make their own decisions. Customers tell me they want no new taxes, no stupid new laws, and for someone to step up and get the work of the government done. What qualifies me to be your Governor is that this political base, formed first of smokers with many different political persuasions, united in the belief that we must respect the freedoms of others in order to have freedoms of our own, combined with others seeking sensible, realistic actions by a new Governor, will garner the largest number of votes. I am optimistic, with the calm confidence of a Christian with four aces.

Sharon Rushford. Independent.

In 1998 my husband had his leg amputated by the state’s largest HMO instead of being tested and given medication for his condition.

David Ronald Sams. Republican Party.

David Ronald Sams: The $100,000,000 Man with a Plan. I am a forward-thinking Republican; born a Republican — still a Republican after 45 years. I am a businessman who has generated over $100,000,000. You’ve seen many of my products on TV. As a business owner, I know the meaning of balancing a checkbook. I am currently the chairman of multiple corporations, including a TV production company, record company, and Internet company. Some of my holdings include www.SamsDirect.com, www.keepthefaith.com and www.LoveStories.com. As a marketing architect, I turned Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy! and Oprah Winfrey into household names. My vast marketing experience will help win new business to California. As a TV producer, I’ve produced programming that has caught the attention of the White House. I helped convince theater owners to implement a photo ID check to keep teens out of R-rated movies. Yes, I’m a producer, but also a concerned parent. There’s too much violence in the media. I’ve won nine Emmy awards. This campaign should be about one issue: Balancing the budget. We must think “out of the box.” For example, I would offer naming rights to our freeways. Corporations pay to have their names on ballparks — why not the 405 Freeway? I pledge not to raise your income tax. I am David Ronald Sams, Republican for Governor. Happily married for 10 years to my wonderful wife, Renee. Visit www.davidsams.com before midnight tonight.

That’s my favorite one, by the way. I love that his nine Emmy awards make him qualified to be governor.

B. E. Smith. Independent.

I spent two years in federal prison because I grew medical marijuana for myself and others under the Compassionate Use Act passed by the citizens of California. But our voices mean nothing to Washington. Why elect me Governor? I will pardon all persons convicted in California of victimless crimes, such as growing, selling, transporting or using marijuana, including those in prison for such convictions. I will not prosecute any victimless crimes. I will not chase phantom crimes, innocent acts that legislators make into crimes to show they are “tough on crime,” so they can keep themselves in office, but will free up millions of tax dollars from these phantom-crimes chases to be spent on chasing real criminals. I will not accept a salary as Governor. I will demand voluntary rolback of outrageous energy contracts signed by my predecessors. My message is simple: “Either roll back these unconscionable contracts voluntarily, or I will have the courts roll them back.” We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to seize control of government. I will employ the full powers of our Constitution to put the will of all California into action. Californians: Rise up; cast off the chains of tyranny! Elect someone who will stand up for you! I stood up for you in Vietnam and before the federal government! I’ll do it again as your governor! Let Washington, politicians and big business hear the voice of the jury that counts; the voters of California!

Diane Beall Templin. American Independent Party.

May the Lord give you the wisdom of Solomon as you vote. I pray that the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God will guide me in all decisions, especilly in selecting the best and brightest trusted servants to resolve the budget crisis and heal our land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

Daniel Watts. Green Party.

Support students’ rights. Lower student fees. Vote Watts.

There’s your slice of politics for the day. Have a good weekend, everybody. See ya on the blog. (Heh.)

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