Rocks, Schnitzel and Post-Modern Expressionism

Our diligence and efforts over the past four days afforded us a day off on Friday, Halloween. Paul and I decided we weren't going to spend the whole day sleeping in (though the thought did cross my mind) so we got up early and had breakfast before picking up Nancy and heading for Red Rocks.

The towering, sloping giant rocks spiked into the sky like the back of a massive stegosaurus. Deep red and golden orange hues welcomed us to the truly masterful beauty. The large outdoor amphitheatre at Red Rocks is host to large muscal and performance events ... all done at higher than 6,000 feet elevation. I must say, the Red Rocks were not only impressive, they were soul enriching.

Having spent so much time in the suburbs of Denver since arriving, we all decided to head downtown to visit the Denver Art Museum. First, though, we had to grab a bite for lunch!

After parking near the Colorado State Capitol, we set off to find a spot to eat. We all agreed the high-starch, hastily eaten meals consumed over the week had left us craving some fresh made food we could eat slowly and enjoy. Enter Cafe Berlin, which seemed to pop up like a mirage at an oasis. When I ordered my wiener schnitzel, spaetzel and sauerkraut, the waiter asked me something in German, resulting in me giving him an odd look. He then asked "onions?" and I said sure. He noted that I had great pronounciation in German so he assumed I spoke the language. I told him I spent some time in Berlin and learned the language enough to get around, but not enough to have a good conversation. I thought it was a cool compliment. The food was spectacular! We all agreed that the German cuisine was a welcome and much-needed change from the norm.

We then headed to the museum, which is massive and well known for its well-rounded collection. We started with the Houdon exhibit, which is on loan from the Louvre. Sculpted busts bearing the likenesses of Rousseau, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington were so life-like. I really enjoyed seeing these historic pieces.

Then, I wandered into the special exhibit of German artist Daniel Richter, and was completely floored. The work was both political and abstract. I was amazed with the way he explored history, utilized graffiti, and gave many nods to German artists of the past. I was so impressed, I bought the exhibit catalog. It's been a while since I found myself so enthralled with an artist. I definitely recommend everybody take a look at his work.

All in all, a relaxing and enriching day. Tomorrow starts early, and will be a lot of walking throughout the nighborhoods of Denver, encouraging people to vote on Tuesday. Tomorrow night, Paul, Bob and I will head for the Nuggets home opener against the LA Lakers. I can't wait to see Kobe and Iverson up close (we've got good seats -- you know how I do). After that, it will be one more working day before heading home on Sunday night. Then, on to the celebration Tuesday night, when we usher in a new era in our country.

Please make sure you go to the polls and vote for Barack Obama. Be a part of the reclaiming of our country.

jay

Librarians don't think I'm dope

The day before Halloween began with a trip to the Colorado AFL-CIO headquarters, where we began assembling packets for the Get Out The Vote campaign. There was a large group present to finish the work as fast as possible (so we could have Friday off in preparation for Saturday's push), but things didn't start as quickly as hoped.

I don't know if you've ever tried to get a whole bunch of people from different unions to work on something together, but it takes a great deal of coordination. This coordination wasn't exactly in play this morning. Of course, we knew the best, quickest and most effective way to get things done, but it took a while to make it happen. Think about trying to get a group of your most motivated headstrong friends who are used to calling the shots, and asking them to organize themselves to accomplish a simple task, let's say like painting a house. Some would want to draw a diagram and make a gameplan, others would want to just start painting, some others would devise a work-sharing strategy, and others would lament the fact that nobody wanted to listen to them. That sure would be difficult!

Well, fortunately, it didn't take too long for us to hit our stride. Before long, we were a well-oiled machine running an assembly line of proper packet-producing productivity! I decided to work on the precinct maps, counting the number of total and union households in a particular precinct map. It was busy work, but I was good at it, and before long, we had finished a load of packets for the weekend ahead.

Paul and I were then dispatched to a library where early voting was being conducted. It was nothing like the day before. The parking lot was huge! And the people came from all directions, some wanting to check out books and others to vote. We took to approaching everybody, along with the help of two more of our union brothers. Most people were receptive, but more were hostile than yesterday. I was able to convince many people to vote against 47, 49 and 54 just by asking them "Won't you vote to help firefighters and nurses?" Think about it, who doesn't like firefighters and nurses? I mean cops ... well, they aren't always the most popular people. But I've never heard someone make a song called "F--- the Nurses." So why not tie the argument to popular life-savers like firefighters and nurses?

I met a man who helped to organize the first union at one of Adolph Coors' beer factories, and I met a woman who didn't know she could vote early and allowed me to tell her all about the negative qualities of the intiatives. I also met an elderly woman who said "Sarah Palin is evil. I despise her."

I also met people who asked me if I was allowed to campaign in a public place. Well, it's a public place you idiot! But really, I explained that as long as I were more than 100 feet from the door, I could electioneer (great word) all I wanted.

That is, until just after 4 p.m. when we were about to leave. The voting line was at about 45 minutes and the people arriving were getting grouchier and more combative. When we were just abou to finish, a small woman walked up to us. She was a librarian. She said we couldn't electioneer in the parking lot. I told her we were more than 100 feet from the door, and she said she wasn't sure (we were though). She asked us to stop. We said we had every right to be there, which she disputed and offered to call someone (the police) to find out. Instead of starting a fight with the librarian, we said we were about to leave anyway. We restated that we knew we had every right to assemble in a public place, but we were going to leave. She thanked us and we left.

I'm glad we didn't start a fight with the librarian. I'm not sure what we would have accomplished. If the police came, they would have supported us (we are supporting their cause of course), but what we have actually accomplished?

But, I know for sure, that librarians don't think I'm dope. They just think I'm annoying their patrons. But I know for sure that I'm doing everything that I can to ensure we live in a world where people still have the freedom to check out and read any book they want (stop your censorship Mrs. Palin!). How about that Mrs. Librarian Woman?

Tomorrow's a day off. I'm going to the art museum and Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Happy Halloween everybody!

jay

"And I hope you are still supporting Barack Obama for president"

Wednesday started bright and early with breakfast and a trip to the Colorado state headquarters of the AFL-CIO. Following a short training, we were on the phones talking to absentee voters.

While the computer auto-dialer wasn't for everybody, I enjoyed working my way through phone calls with a few clicks of the mouse. I had a simple mission: ask the person who answered the phone whether they had received their absentee ballots and whether they already sent it in. If they said yes, great! If no, then I talked about the anti-worker amendments: 54, 49 and 47 (purposely listed out of order). Then, for the first time since I've been here, I got to say "and I hope you are still supporting Barack Obama for president." Every time I asked that question, they person said "of course," with one woman saying "now if only I can convince my husband."

In the four hours we made phone calls, the six or so people making calls rang about 1,300 numbers. I'd say a good amount of those people were not home, but we left them messages! One thing that stuck out to me was the different names of the people I called: Fern, Viola, Mary Lou, Emmy ... I like names that you don't see that often anymore--there are interesting trends of how first names become popular and then not so much. I didn't call any Julians, but I did call a Jay.

After we finished phone banking, Paul and I went to the Glendale Civic Center in Glendale, a Denver suburb, to speak to people coming to vote early about the anti-worker propositions. There was a sign marking the 100 feet away from the polling place that we had to stay behind. Electioneering at a polling place is a misdemeanor in Colorado, and neither Paul or I wanted to fall on the wrong side of the law:


At first, I was a little wary of the reception we would get from would-be voters on their way to do their civic duty, but I was pleasantly surprised. Paul and I talked to at least 60 people over the next two and a half hours. Many told us they were already voting against the propositions and some said they weren't sure and allowed us to educate them on the initatives. Only a couple completely blew us off, and even one who said he was going to vote against us actually stood around and debated the issues with us. Even if we disagreed, we had civil discourse. I thought that was pretty cool.



All in all, I feel like this was the best day yet in Denver. I feel like I reached people today and potentially motivated people to vote a particular way. It was a great feeling.



My dad called me today and told me that Colorado is officially being called a Blue State for Obama, and it is primarily due to Denver and the surrounding suburbs, where Barack has a commanding lead (he's doubled it). And here I am, right in the center of it. Wow.







I just finished watching the Barack Obama piece on television and ... I'm speechless. The vision, the emotion and the hope embodied in the piece was touching and amazing. Choking back tears at times, I am energized by his words, and the change we are about to make. Obama said in a week, we will choose hope over fear, choose the power of change over the status quo, and choose our own history. He asked everyone of us to knock on doors for change, make phone calls, and standy by him and fight by his side.



"We will win this election and together we will change this country and change the world," Obama said.



Let's all heed his call.

Walking around Churrrrrrrry Creeeekkk

Our day started after noon today, but Paul and I were a little antsy so we left a little early to get our assignment. We arrived at the Communication Workers of America site in the south Denver metropolitan area. After a short training session, Paul and I were on our way to Cherry Creek, one of the most affluent areas in Denver.

The houses were massive and immaculate. There were boxes on many of the porches for fancy milk to be delivered (first, who knew that milk still got delivered? Second, why pay extra to have milk delivered? Last, does this mean the milkman is still an occupation, and do they get to wear the cool white uniform). We had two packets of lists--143 households in total--to visit today.

For most households, we were only to advocate against Amendments 47, 49 and 54, but for union members, we could also ask for votes for Barack Obama. In such an affluent area, I thought there would be more people home during the daytime, but we overwhelmingly had no response to doorbell rings. I would estimate we made contact with a little more than 20 percent of voters in the homes we visited. Most people did not want to talk about how they voted. I think people in Colorado are tired of the election season. You only have to turn on the television to see ads on both sides of every race bashing the opposing view. Even the gas station attendant said "I just can't wait for the election to be over."

In the midst of walking all over Cherry Creek, I realized that I was getting tired quicker. Then I remembered that the elevation here is much, much higher than at home (seeing as how we're at sea level!). You definitely feel it when you walk around. Oh, and when you say Cherry Creek, you need to clench your teeth and then say it, so it comes out "Churrry Creeeek." That's what I heard anyway.

One major item of note was that the Obama signs in this ridiculously affluent neighborhood outnumbered McCain signs by about three-to-one. This was a thrilling and surprising discovery. I usually figure that the larger your house is the more likely you are to vote republican, but Barack is transcending these traditional rules-of-thumb. It's discoveries like these that make me believe that change is coming.

After tallying our numbers, we called it a day and went back to the hotel for food. Tomorrow, we will be making phone calls for about four hours, starting at 9:30 a.m. On Thursday, we'll be assembling materials to get out the vote and the rest is a mystery for now (though we do have Friday off). I'm not great at working without a definite plan, but I'm trying hard to remain as flexible as possible. I know that with only a week until the election, the campaign strategies are changing by the minute.

It was nice to hit the streets today, and phone calls will be cool tomorrow. I think I'm going to get a little taste of a lot of tasks during my time here. Good thing I like variety.

Until next time, this is Churrrrrryy Creeeeeekkk signing off.

It's not hard to make signs

The 5 a.m. alarm came far too soon, but the smell of coffee in the air and the prospect of my 7:15 a.m. flight gave me the gumption to get moving. Tamara drove me to the airport and blinking away tears we said "see you in a week."

I arrived in Denver to 39 degree weather. Clear, but 39 degrees. The day before I left Cali, it was 82 degrees. Gah, it's going to be cold! Good thing Tamara insisted I bring gloves and a scarf (thanks bubs!).

After a stop for lunch, we went to the state offices for the AFL-CIO, located in a non-descript building and filled with people running around and making phone calls and such. While we waited for our assignment, we started building lawn signs. The signs are for the No on 47, 49 and 54 campaign, which we will be working pretty heavily, I hear. These propositions, called amendments here, are a right-to-work initiative and two other anti-worker proposals. It's important for working people that these propositions fail.

So, making signs is really not that difficult. You take a poly-plastic sign and stretch it over a pair of metal stakes. I'd say we made signs for about four hours yesterday! When we finished, our fingers were covered in metallic dust, kind of like the old ladies who play the quarter slots all day.

We were told we would report to the local Communication Workers of America office on Tuesday to walk some precincts. Later this week, we will be doing Get Out the Vote work to make sure people go to the polls.

I heard about the arrests of the skinheads in Tennessee yesterday, and I feel like I have to say something. It's despicable and deplorable that this kind of hatred still exists in our country. I had to read the story twice, hoping that the words would change and that the story wasn't true, but it didn't happen. It makes me want to work that much more to create change in our country. We will not be bullied by ignorance and fear. We will unite and create change. We will come together regardless of our differences and work toward a better and brighter tomorrow. We will not be swayed.

That's all for now. Talk to you all soon

The calm before the storm

I leave for Denver tomorrow morning just around daybreak. Today in the center of Colorado's capital city, more than 100,000 people gathered to hear Barack Obama speak--the largest political rally in the history of the United States. Many of my colleagues already in Denver attended the rally, and I can't wait to hear about their little piece of history.

I'm anxious about my time in Colorado, excited about the opportunity to represent my family and friends in this historic election campaign. It sounds like I'll be walking some precincts, making some phone calls and doing other office tasks over the next week. Whatever it takes to get this election finished right.

It feels like our country really is changing ... like the waters of greed and hatred are receding to the depths from whence they came. It feels like we are embarking on a new mission to work together for the good of all Americans, not just those who can afford it. Could it be that the times are actually a-changin?

We've only got a little more than a week to see if that's the case. I have to admit, there were times I never thought this even possible. And now it all seems so real. I hope you'll join me in celebrating as the massive leviathan of the last eight years sinks slowly back into the depths.

The next time I join you, I'll be writing from the Rocky Mountains. Wish me luck!

jay

"With the right kind of eyes, you can almost see the high-water mark - the place where the wave broke and rolled back," --Hunter S. Thompson

A week in Denver for Obama

I will be spending a week in Denver right before the election to work on the Barack Obama for President campaign, as well as other labor-related campaigns. I’m setting up this blog to keep my friends and family in the know while I urge Coloradans to vote for change. I’m excited to work on this momentous campaign, and grateful for the opportunity to do so. My work is sending me to Denver to work with the local AFL-CIO affiliate. I can’t wait to get down to business.

So, look here for nightly updates (I’ll probably be busy all day) on what I’ve been up to. And make sure to VOTE. It may look like the election’s a done deal, but we have to make sure it happens. Remember how horrible the last eight years have been, and what promise and hope the next four holds.