(One more call to arms from edrie (or in this case, pocketbooks). – promoted by SFBrianCL)

this is my last begging hat in hand diary (ok, i’m hearing shouts all the way over hear sayin’ YEA!)  there are less than 24 hours before the close of the pearls for angelides contest.

if you would like to have a chance to win the strand of pearls valued at over $500, go to the angelides contribution page and make a donation – the highest donation will net you these pearls.

the rest of the donors are equally in the running for a second strand of pearls worth a minimum of $200.  all you need do to be in the running is make a donation.  send me an email letting me know how much and you’re in the race.

more below the fold…

for six days now, i’ve been explaining why i wanted to make a difference and help california return to the democratic fold with phil angelides elected to replace the buffoon, schwarzenegger.

there is more at stake here than the governorship – schwarzenegger has already launched one attack on california’s blue status with his attempt at redistricting the state. fortunately, we were able to beat back that attempt THIS time.  we may not be so lucky the next go round.

also, phil angelides is a REAL democrat – supporting the individual over the illegal rate increases by the hmo’s in california.  he will protect the natural resources of this state while pushing to enable greater movement toward renewable energy.  this benefits the REST of the nation and the world, not just those of us here in california!

i am asking – no, begging you to take a moment and make a donation – i do not have cash – i cannot do this but i CAN reward those who help with a strand of pearls made by the humble mollusk and strung by me!  the highest donor will receive a strand appraised at over $500 with a 14k gold clasp – the random drawing will be of a strand worth a minimum of $200 with a sterling clasp. 

it is what i have to offer california to make a difference.  how about you?  if you can’t contribute, please recommend this diary so that others might see it and have a chance to participate!

to make a difference, send your donation here to the angelides campaign and email me at takebackcongress2006  at  gmail dot  com.

i will wait for one more day to post the winners (on sunday) to allow for emails to reach me and for me to confirm that all are included.  the contest ends at 8pm tomorrow nite.

thank you all for joining me!

links to prior diaries on pearls for phil…

#5: why phil? why pearls? why not!
diary 4 or why i’m willing to give away $1,000 worth of pearls
Daytime Edition: Win Pearls by donating to Phil Angelides! Part III 
Pearls for Phil Angelides… Part TWO…
with hat held out, i am here begging – but not for me!

(edited for space – promoted by SFBrianCL)

i realize that my previous diaries are not complete – i seem gung ho to give away pearls for donations to phil angelides but i haven’t said WHY.

i’d like to explain why i am willing to take merchandise that i would use to support my “family” and give it away.  i’d like to explain WHY it is so important to me that i NEED to give these pearls away!

Please go beneath the fold to try to understand why i would take food from the mouths of my “kids” to change things here in california!  (well, maybe MY mouth, never my kids – so scratch that last comment!)

i don’t HAVE $1,000 to donate to help rid california of arnold schwarzenegger – if i did, i’d give it in a heartbeat!  while i believe that phil angelides is a much better candidate, one who represents what i believe in – my passion doesn’t stop there!  it IS personal – it IS about arnold schwarzenegger – it IS important! 

when arnold schwarzenegger was put up as a candidate in california following the uberrecht campaign to remove gray davis, may women in this state were appalled!  this man has history and none of it is good.  he is an abusive, sexist, powercrazed opportunist and he had his sights set on california (and, hopefully with a little “help” from his friends, the presidency itself!)

schwarzenegger is known throughout california for his sexual abuse toward and on women – from the reporter he groped while asking the unsuspecting victim “are these real”, to the people on the sets of his movies.  his crude remarks, his abusive attitude toward women SHOULD have been enough to keep him from the highest office in this state, but his “appeal” to the young males enamoured of the “terminator” was enough, with the help of the unending coffers of the ultra right and moderate right (looking to retake the governor’s seat) ended up putting this maniac into power.

schwarznegger is placing the coasts of california at risk by slashing funding for the coastal commission, he “negotiated” a settlement with enron that defrauded californians once again of the money they were legally entitled to recover after the energy fraud.

schwarznegger is a close supporter of bush and company, he follows the right agenda UNTIL it is “convenient” to try to sway the gullible fans of “AHNIE” – he is the “ultimate” actor leading our state to ultimate tragedy!

one of his most vile attempts to change california (AND all here electoral votes!) to a “red” state was when he attempted to push through his initiatives after the legislature refused to support his “policies”.  he tried to ram these initiatives through based on his “popularity” by wasting millions in a special election held only a few months before a REGULAR primary election.  all initiatives failed soundly and he had to retreat into this “moderate” cloak to wait for another opportunity to destroy the democratic base in california.

in short (or NOT so short), schwarznegger is dangerous not ONLY to california, but to ALL of america because of the number of california’s 55 electoral votes.  if you have any doubt as to how dangerous this man is, look no further than texas and the redistricting that changed the makeup of democratically held districts into solid, unbeatable republican ones!

so, back to my original premise… why would i give away two strands of pearls worth close to $1,000?  it is simple!  i CARE about california and i CARE about america – and i am worried sick what could happen in this state if this manipulative foil of the right wing gets into office for a longer term!

frankly, while schwarzenegger and the uberreicht scare the sh*t out of me, phil angelides offers HOPE!  therefore, i am willing to put my “money” where my mouth is and offer up an incentive to help phil angelides combat the well-greased machine of the uberrecht and the uber rich!

we need to protect our solid bases of electoral votes – if we don’t, then, forget about 2008 – as a matter of fact, forget about the america you once knew.  we are ALL cooked if we let the extremists get their pawns into place without realizing we are way too close to “checkmate”!  america is at a crossroads – what we do now – RIGHT now – will determine the course this nation takes for the rest of her history.  we can either fight to save our nation, or we can prepare to live in a world that we could never imagine, even pictured by  the worst of the cold war doomssayers!

for me? i’m doing what i can.  all i CAN do right now is offer these strands of pearls and hope that they might make a small difference for my future, your future and the future of this entire nation!

hopefully this explains why i am doing this – if not, well, i don’t know what else i can say!

here is the link to the angelides campaign’s donation page.  the “contest” rules are simple.  donate.  any amount.  send me an email and you are eligible for a drawing for one strand.  the highest donor during the period between last friday and this friday at 8pm will get the strand with the 14k gold clasp that appraises at a minimum of $500.

please help me make a difference!  please help phil angelides save california AND the rest of this nation – because if he loses, california will be at the mercy of those who want to steal our electoral votes and our democracy – and they WILL get them – by hook or by crook (most LIKELY, the latter)!

Rice Pearls w/14k clasp and leather box

with hat held out, i am here begging – but not for me!
Pearls for Phil Angelides… Part TWO…
Daytime Edition: Win Pearls by donating to Phil Angelides! Part III

(An innovative fundraising idea! Thanks edrie! – promoted by SFBrianCL)

Hello, all!  this is day two of the “pearls for phil” fundraiser that i first offered on dailykos on friday and have posted the offer again today!

i am offering (personally, cuz i have no cash but i DO have pearls!) a strand of pearls to the person making the highest donation to the phil angelides campaign between now and friday, aug 17!  i am ALSO offering a second strand to be given to a second “winner” (taken from random drawing to include all those who donate ANY amount to the campaign during the same period!  all you have to do to be a part of this fun – raiser is to email me confirmation of your donation (as little as $5.01 will get you in!) and on Sunday (i work all day sat), i’ll pull the highest donor and then draw the second winner! 

here’s what they look like——————>

why am i doing this?  please check beneath the fold and i’ll explain it all!

after reading neutron’s diary about the co chair of dianne feinstein’s campaign endorsing schwarznegger, i was livid!  i am tired of “big money” buying elections! i want to see elections return to the hands of the voters – for OUR votes far outnumber the ONE vote of the angela bradstreets of the world – the problem, however, is that our “money” doesn’t buy the same benefit!

so, since i have little “cash” – it hit me! i have pearls!  i string them, i wholesale them, i HAVE them!  by making this offer, i am hoping that i can “donate” much more than my meager “cash” donation – i am hoping to be able, through you all, to raise much more money than i could ever personally donate and, at the same time, give something in thanks to those who make it possible for ME to “donate”!

so, make a donation and you, too, could have a strand of beautiful pearls worth an appraised value of $500 or higher!  as i said on kos, i’ll even throw in that really nifty leather box to keep your new pearls safe and beautiful!  after you donate, send me an email with the confirmation (thank you) note from the campaign (or copied check – minus personal stuff) and you’re in the running!  my email is takebackcongress2006 at gmail dot com.  [privacy disclousure: NOTHING will be done with your email other than confirming and thanking you personally!  i promise!  won’t forward, won’t disclose, won’t tell!]

good luck and please help california terminate the terminator by supporting phil angelides for governor!  oh, we DO have donations in, btw!  thank you to the wonderful folk who have sent money!

i’ll post a new diary every day until the end of the “contest”.

thanks, again!  from me, from california and from ALL of us who want to take back america!

x-posted to mydd and dkos

In continuing my role as amateur documentarian, a role I accidentally (but gladly) was saddled with in yearlykos, I took my trusty Canon SD400 camera down to see Jon Tester. Moreover, as I was acting boss of my department, I took off work early to go get some retail politicing/fundraising/drinking done with our boy the next Senator from Montana… Jon Tester!

Tester said it was the kind of fundraiser he liked and could afford. I agree with that! After some engaging Q&A and engaging beer drinking, we headed over to drinking liberally at Zeitgeist… where we proceeded to do exactly that.

As always, there’s more, and if you like what you see, feel free to reco.
You can also see the whole gallery here.

Me and the next Senator from Montana, Jon Tester.
He’s a tall guy.
Also, guess where i’m from?

The next Senator from Montana, with the daughter of the Next Senator from Nevada, Sarah R. Carter.

Jon, chatting with the people, connecting, etc.

My two new pals visiting from NY. We talked about the difference between NY and CA politics, various races, etc.
Good folks!

I had just been singing the praises of Sarah R. Carter, when she walked in the door… that is serendipity friends!

Tack and his mustache, (the mustache didn’t have to pay)

believe it or not this was the best picture i could get of Markos, since he was pretty much constantly wrestling Aristotle. Sorry Kos!

Tester speaking with the people, his manner is easy and natural.

There was a Q&A period. I was impressed.

I asked “Jon, what are you going to do about Net Neutrality”, despite his protests and humbless, he knocked it straight out of the park, no two tier system, no pay to play, the net is our most valuable asset and it should stay that way.

The look he gave Burns when he was talking trash about his flattop.

Sarah R. Carter and sfjen!

Sarah and Bob Brigham!

Sarah, Tack and Jen… on our way to drinking liberally.

Jen gives drinking liberally a thumbs up.

mixed reaction.

thumbs down to (something? something to do with Villagarosa v. Angelides that I felt very adamant about at the time…)

Tack and Sarah R. Carter (the last of the good pictures before the demon alcohol took away my camera skills)

-C.