Connecticut
Post posts about what is happening in the State of Connecticut.
Organizing Edwards Volunteers in Connecticut
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Sat, 01/12/2008 - 16:27Last month, Kim spent a lot of time working on getting volunteers to head up to canvas in New Hampshire. After the New Hampshire primary was over, she started her new job working for Common Cause. At Common Cause, she needs to be non-partisan, so I’m picking up where she left off.
On February 5th, voters from Connecticut will go to the polls to vote for their candidates in the Democratic Presidential primary. If the race were simply decided by who can raise the most money or get the most media coverage, we have a two-person race. Those candidates have strong organizations here in Connecticut as well. However, if you want the candidate with the strongest message who is most capable of bringing about the change we need in Washington you need to look at the other candidate who has finished in the top three in both Iowa and New Hampshire, John Edwards.
Moral Victories
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Fri, 01/11/2008 - 10:56Last night, I spent some time with Ned Lamont as he spoke to folks in Second Life. There were many supporters who showed up, people who had been moved by Ned’s campaign. As I reflected back on 2006, it struck me that perhaps we are undervaluing moral victories.
We all want to get agents of change elected. We may factor ‘electablity’ into our calculations. Clearly ‘electability’ is a factor, but people can make big changes without being elected.
Let’s take a couple of examples. Who do you think are the politicians that have had the biggest positive effect on our country?
Don't just blog about it, do something!
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Sun, 01/06/2008 - 13:00Yet again, I'll step into my role as the old curmudgeon that has little use for the bickering little hit diaries that go back and forth here on DailyKos, or even for the campaign diaries pushing a particular candidates position on one issue or another. We need to get beyond the circle of DailyKos. We need to be in the streets.
The Obama campaign did a great job of getting people to the caucuses in Iowa. The Edwards campaign's message beat out the Clinton message, even though he was vastly outspent. What we need is everyone to step away from the computer, and get out and phonebank, canvas, do visibility or whatever else you can to get the best agent of change elected.
Me? I'm staying with my brother-in-law in Hanover, NH. I wrote a blog post about my activities yesterday on BlueHampshire. Mike Caulfield writes about phonebanking with John Edwards' parents. Mike Hoefer writes about Obama supporters phonebanking in New Hampshire. AJ WI has a DailyKos diary about canvassing in Derry, NH.
The mainstream media is picking up on this as well. The Hartford Courant has an article up about Jeff and Adam Talbot heading up from Connecticut to campaign for Edwards. The Talbots where incredible Lamont supporters back in 2006.
So, whomever you are supporting, get out and campaign. It is a blast, and this is a great opportunity to work for real change, whichever change agent you think is best. I'll be offline for the next several hours as I canvas, but I hope to get a chance to write more in the evening.
(Cross posted at DailyKos)
At The Funeral Home
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Fri, 12/21/2007 - 11:59There is something wrong with the air.
It feels heavy.
It sits awkwardly in my mouth, my throat, my lungs.
I cannot breathe.There is something wrong with the air.
It stings my eyes.
I look around frantically for a glimmer of hope or joy.
I cannot see.There is something wrong with the air
It clogs my ears.
I listen numbly for the sound of laughter,
But hear only crying.It isn’t the fragrance of the flowers.
It isn’t the dim light illuming the coffin.
It is the emptiness
Knowing a friend is gone.
(Categories: )
A New Christmas Tradition
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Sat, 12/15/2007 - 14:34Tradition has always been important to me and with our move this year, some of our traditions are changing. Traditions around Christmas can be especially challenging. I hate shopping. I hate the consumerism that detracts from the season. I hate the consumerism that adds to the problems our world faces. Instead of buying some other plastic object shipped in from China, are there things that we can do, locally, that is more meaningful.
Recently, our new neighbor gave us a clipping for Alpaca Hill Farm. They are about six miles up the road from us and are open from 10 to 5 every Saturdays in December before Christmas. (They are also open by appointment). We figured we would drive up, see the alpacas and head on to our next adventures. With my two oldest daughters being accomplished ‘fiber artists’, (that is a great phrase to describe all the wonderful things they do talking fleeces from various animals and turning it into special clothing), I hoped we might have something that the whole family could enjoy.
Indeed, we all had a great time. Alpacas are gentle animals and we all enjoyed petting them, as well as looking at various rovings, yarn, garments and other gifts. The biggest problem was everyone wanted things from the store ‘Right Now!’ and weren’t interested in the delayed gratification of Christmas. I finally got everyone out of the store so I could get the appropriate gifts.
Soft warm rovings, yarn and garments, grown locally are good not only in that there is much less carbon pumped into the atmosphere for their creation and transportation, but also, hopefully everyone will enjoy wearing such products and it will be easier for me to leave the heat down in the house.
It looks like visiting Alpaca Hill Farm is the sort of Christmas tradition I hope to make a regular part of the holiday season.
