Didn’t We Have a Deal?

I don’t know about you, but this recent heat wave has made me—uh, how do I say it—a bitch. I have been grumpier than usual as the weltering temperatures systematically melted my good humor one crummy hot day after another.

Combine the heat with the inability to get a decent night’s sleep because it’s 80-some-odd degrees in my bedroom … well, just use your imagination and hold some good thoughts for my poor, patient husband.

Anytime I am uncomfortable with the temperature, whether it’s a heat wave in the summer or a cold snap in the winer, I feel like “someone” out there reneged on the bargain I assumed we had when I moved to Santa Barbara in 1991: The weather will always be perfect in exchange for the ridiculous housing prices you will be paying.

A Lesson Learned (Community Post by: Lisa Braithwaite)

Saturday night as we sat watching TV, Rudy and I heard a loud noise in the kitchen. I heard “boom!” He heard “pop!” Either way, it didn’t sound good. We went to check it out, and discovered that something had blown open the doors under the kitchen sink. As we were crouching down investigating the cabinet, a fireball exploded out of the oven, engulfing us both. Running around in circles like Keystone Cops, we determined that we personally weren’t on fire; then Rudy grabbed the fire extinguisher to put out the resulting fires; I called 911.

Rudy was burned on his left hand and wrist and both legs, a combination of first- and second-degree burns. I have a small second-degree burn on my ankle. Lots of singed arm and leg hair. Miraculously, we managed to corral all three of our cats into our neighbor’s house, and she watched them while we were in the emergency room. Rudy’s still having treatment for his burns and is thankful for painkillers. I shaved his head because his hair was so singed — he was due for a haircut, anyway.

The gas company has checked our range and re-lit the pilot lights. We’re dreading cleanup — hours of wiping fire retardant and soot off of walls, counters, cabinets, bottles of oil, vinegar, wine, vitamins, many tins and packets of tea, and over 100 cookbooks. Our landlord’s homeowner policy will cover some of the cleaning costs.

The cause of the fire? An old spray paint can under the sink, weakened by rust, had exploded under the pressure inside. As we were bending over to look inside the cabinet, the fumes were traveling along the floor to the pilot light in the oven, causing the second explosion and subsequent fires. A freak occurrence that could happen to anyone!

What we learned:

1. Don’t keep flammable solvents and spray cans near any heat source, such as a pilot light or water heater. Get rid of anything that’s corroded or rusty, and especially corroded and flammable.
2. Keep your fire extinguisher OUTSIDE of the kitchen so you don’t have to run THROUGH the fire to get to it.
3. Take care of your plumbing leaks. The can was rusty because of an old leak under the sink.

One thing is for sure: it’s a good thing we were home. If we had been out, the place might have just burned up.

Community Post by: Lisa Braithwaite

No More Ceilings

Did you see Hillary Clinton’s speech on Saturday? It was inspiring and intelligent and a graceful exit from the race for president. She truly has shattered one a glass ceiling—the political one. Hers was not a concession speech so much as it was a rallying call to everyone—young and old, male and female—to never give up a dream or an ideal. It was also a moment to feel good about being an American, an acknowledgment of how far we’ve come in overcoming the old stereotypes, racial and sexual, that used to be accepted as fact not very long ago.

While Hillary was busy shattering one ceiling, Barack Obama was shattering another one—a racial one. Barack, an African-American from very humble beginnings, will now become the presidential nomination of the Democratic Party. I am 53 years old and I am as proud of this fact as I am of what Hillary Clinton has accomplished.

I know many people are disappointed and angry. Many women, especially those over the age of 50 or so, who grew up during the women’s movement, are understandably bitter and disillusioned.

But as Hillary said on Saturday, let’s move forward to “build an America that respects and embraces the potential of every last one of us,” and make certain “there are no acceptable prejudices in the 21st century in our country.

Amen.

Grace and Intelligence

A guest post from Susan Rose:

As the Democratic primary race nears its conclusion, I am writing to share some personal thoughts on this extraordinary campaign that we have all lived through.

From the beginning, my overriding concern has been who will best govern our country considering the mess President Bush has made of his 8 years in office. I chose Hillary Clinton because she has the knowledge and experience, I believe, to become an effective president. As for the question of change, it is evident that irrespective of who wins, there will be change for the better. This will begin as soon as George Bush leaves office. With a Democratic President and a Democratic Congress, progress will be made in many of the areas where it has stalled. As one who has served in elective office, I know it is not easy to effect change, especially in the legislature. Hillary has demonstrated the ability to bring opposing view points together through all her years in public service, in the White House and particularly the US Senate. She has proven her case.

Millions of voters like myself have looked at her record and the issues she has stood for- whether she won or lost- and believe she will fight for us. Among them are health care, reproductive freedom, child care, discrimination, equal pay, family medical leave, and economic empowerment. Her priorities are identified by the record she has created. In turn, her message resonates with families, working people, young and older and people of color. In my household, this includes a husband and 2 forty something daughters with families of their own who support her.

The campaign has been remarkable in several ways. First, it has divided the Democratic Party. Each of the 2 leading candidates “speaks” to several of the party’s major constituency groups. We have become a divided not a united party. Bringing us together, will be a major challenge for our eventual nominee. There is much at stake.

Secondly, the amount of sexism and bias demonstrated by the media has reached unbelievable heights and continues in most news coverage. I can no longer stand to watch CNN and their pundits or the sarcasm of Jon Stewart, whom I once enjoyed. I haven’t wanted to kick my television set since the days of the Anita Hill hearings but the urge occurs regularly now. Whatever happened to fairness and objectivity?

One moment stands out for me. I was watching Bill Moyers Journal one evening when the esteemed journalist admitted he wasn’t sure if he believed Hillary during that infamous New Hampshire moment. Kathleen Hall Jameson, head of the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Pennsylvania, patiently explained why she had no reason to doubt Hillary. Why not accept the emotions of all candidates at face value, she asked. Moyers never questioned the sincerity of any of the male candidates. Misogyny is subtle and imbedded in our institutions. It is rarely challenged.

My father taught me to always “finish the race.” His words have shaped and guided my life. The current chorus directed at Hillary to quit the primary race defies explanation. If anything, she has come into her own now as a stronger candidate and has found her own voice. Too many issues- the disorganized caucuses, the failure of votes to be counted in Michigan, and once again, the disenfranchisement of Florida voters- show us that the Democratic primary process has in many ways been undemocratic, and certainly inconsistent from state to state. There is every reason for Hillary to continue.

If Barack Obama gets the Democratic nomination, for millions of woman a dream will have died. The idea of a woman president is something most of us never expected to see in our lifetimes. That is until Hillary declared. That dream was based on a belief that if we worked hard at our jobs, raised our children to be good members of society and contributed to our communities, then we could consider running for public office. Certainly, we are qualified. We have waited, not so patiently, for our opportunity. Barak Obama needs to find a way to restore that dream and not leave us as outsiders. He needs us to win!

It is time to acknowledge what Hillary has accomplished in this election. No matter what happens and what path she choses in the future, Hillary has made history. She has shown us that against the most difficult odds, a woman can do it. She can become president. Hillary Clinton has inspired us, awakened a pride in women of all ages and caused a new era of feminist dialogue. We owe her a great deal.

This election will be studied and debated for years to come. But there is no doubt, Hillary will finish the race. And as always, she will do it with grace and intelligence.

Susan Rose
Former Santa Barbara County
2nd District Supervisor

Friends

Every once in a while I am reminded that I cannot stay sane or happy without my girlfriends.

My family is rock-solid supportive of me, so much so they look right past my faults and foibles. Then there are those people who can only see my faults and foibles; I try to avoid them.

But my friends are different. They’re there to hold me up when I don’t have the strength to stand by myself. They make me laugh when I can’t see anything funny. They make me do the hard work I’ve been trying to avoid. And sometimes they just sit with me and hold my hand when there are no words to make it better.

Christine, Liz, Stephanie, Dawn, Cathy, Ann, Darya, Stacey, Cindy. Thank you. Thank you.♥

Who are your friends? Tell us about them here.

Barbara Lanz-Mateo
Publisher