Dining Alone--the exciting world of un-eviting

So far 323 people are confirmed for thanksgiving dinner at my house next week and 53 more are considering it. How did I get so lucky? I sent out a message not inviting them. Turns out today's busy people are highly motivated to respond to a non-invitation.

Here's the back story: during my recent ill-fated stint as communications director for the second most losing initiative in California (turns out only 25% of Californians think that "it's about time for Prop 89"), my overworked cable ISP Comcast decided to eat my web-based address book...twice. For some reason my hard-drive back-up address book was 2 or 3 years out of date; it drove me mad.

Fortunately, I had recently uploaded my entire address book of 596 names to evite--the online "free" invitation tool. The rub: evite would be happy to let me download any email personage to whom I had actually sent an invitation (and I had only sent them to like 50 people). So I concocted a quick invitation to thanksgiving dinner at my house and sent it out to EVERYONE I know (and many I don't know, who are these people? Why did I save their email addresses?) When you clicked inside, you found out that it was a non invitation.

The result: a greater response than any invitation or email of any kind I have ever sent out. People who haven't responded even to personal non-group emails of mine for years came out of the woodwork to RSVP, telling me they're bringing their new lover, arsonist step son's etc. The notations of the people who are coming is one of the funniest things I've read in years. And the responses don't stop.

If the link works, read the RSVPs, however you won't be able to RSVP yourself unless you were personally un-invited. Actually, what the hell, anyone who's reading this blog, I personally don't invite you to spend Thanksgiving at my house next week. I'm really looking forward to not seeing you! Please do me the courtesy of letting me know how many people you won't be bringing.

Sara

I called for change, have you?

Off and on this week, I've phonebanked potential votes for Democrats in tight congressional races around the country through MoveOn.org's amazing website. You can do like 3 calls from your desk right now. If you only have one moment to devote, do it. It's worth it just to say you contributed to the Democrat's taking back the house.

Jack Abramoff on Prop 89

I got this email from "Jack Abramoff" today. He's very concerned about Prop 89. Sara

Dear Reform-Minded Voter,

If Prop 89 becomes law, lobbyists like me will not have the power we once did. This would be a huge problem for my friends and clients.

I was the Capitol’s top lobbyist and I had Washington wired. And now some people call me the poster boy for reform. Boy, that ticks me off. Do people understand that Prop 89 would make people like me and my clients less powerful in Sacramento?

California’s nurses, who are leading the campaign for Prop 89, claim they want to protect voters like they protect patients every day.

HMOs, drug makers, insurers and oil companies don’t need the nurses’ help, which is why they've put up millions to defeat Prop 89. Trust me, the special interests have things totally under control in California and it is working just great. That’s why my old lobbying firm set up shop in Sacramento recently. What will happen to them if Californians enact the tough reforms in Prop 89? Is anyone thinking about the lobbyists?

Prop 89 even bans lobbyists from making donations. How would we ever get anything done? Prop 89 strictly limits campaign contributions to ballot measure committees and politicians. You know what that’ll do? Leave us with fewer political ads. Whose idea was that?

And do you really want tougher laws to put politicians and lobbyists in jail? Aren’t California’s jails overcrowded enough?

Please, as my last request before I enter my own prison cell next week, don’t believe the California Nurses Association and the League of Women Voters’ campaign for Yes on 89. California politics has been working just great (for my clients anyway).

Most sincerely,
Jack Abramoff
Please forward my message on to your friends and family.

Editor's Note: Prop 89, a campaign reform measure sponsored by the California Nurses Association, dramatically reduces the power of special interests over California politicians and limits out-of-control spending on ballot measures. Prop 89 bars lobbyists and state contractors from making political contributions and limits the amount that corporations, unions and other interest groups can contribute to politicians. Prop 89 allows candidates with broad grassroots support to receive funding for their campaigns in exchange for agreeing not to fundraise from special interests (or anyone). Prop 89 also limits corporate contributions to initiative campaigns to $10,000. Learn more about Prop 89.

LA Times Blogger Mocks my Prayer

A few days ago, in the waning days of the campaign, I wrote a private prayer for the Proposition 89 campaign team and sent it everyone inside the campaign by email. I got a number of private emails back from staff thanking me for it and admitting that they too believed in the power of affirmative prayer and wished they had known sooner that I did too. We all vowed to keep in touch and I felt good.

Two days later, the prayer surfaces on Los Angeles Times reporter and blogger Bob Salladay's blog Political Muscle

I don't much mind having my prayer posted on the internet because I believed that prayer and I like the words being read by more people.

And I don't much mind being mocked for it; that's something I kind of expected. Salladay is good at mocking and it's one reason I'm glad he started blogging. By the way, Bob, I can tell that you've been to Harbin Hot Springs too. Glad I didn't see you naked in the cold pool!

On mockery: I was just reading a hilarious account by Anne Lamont of the self-appointed pastor and monologist of the Church of 80% Sincerity. I love the idea of being 80% sincere. I think that's about where I aspire to operate these days.

However, on Salladay's part this was a low blow, beyond the boundaries of politeness. I mind it.

And what I especially mind, and I mind quite a bit, is that someone with whom I worked, with whom I entrusted my private prayer, valued his relationship with Bob Salladay more than he did his relationship with me or the Proposition 89 campaign and saw fit to violate our trust by cynically shooting this sweet little message to god over to be treated with contempt.

It's okay, though, to borrow from Jack on Will and Grace when he's trying to keep from punching Karen in the face, "I see the face of god in everyone."

Watch this video: Don't it Make my Red State Blue?

I don't know who made this, but I got sent this YouTube link and it's really mandatory viewing, hilarious (and not related to my paid employment gig this time). It's a jazzy piano solo with some good video interposed of Bush and close congressional races around the country and some fun racey lyrics which are mostly intelligible.

It took a while to discern the first line, which is very funny, so I'll repeat it for you:

"Don't know who Mark Foley blew. Denny says he never knew."

Enjoy!