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Saturday, July 31, 2004
Does Your Vote Count in Medford?
After this letter to the editor from Alan Field was published in this
week's Medford Transcript (July 29, 2004 edition), I contacted the author for permission to republish the letter here.
In additional information he provided, it was pointed out that the general election for president will have all parties on
a single ballot, so this issue shouldn't come up then. However, it looks like the presidential primary will be conducted
in the same way as the voting described below. However, I can assure you that I and others will be watching much more
closely to determine if these "third-party" votes are counted accurately.
One of the most basic rights in our democracy is the right to vote. Get mad when
you hear this stuff, no matter what party you belong to, and help us do something about it.
My Vote Did Not Count
Shortly
after I voted last March 2nd in Medford in the presidential primary, I had doubts about the accuracy of the results and decided
to investigate. What I discovered shocked me. There were four ballots in the primary: Democratic and Republican
ballots were machine counted while Libertarian and Green-Rainbow ballots were hand counted. I found that for the machine
counted ballots there appeared to be a discrepancy of about one ballot per 200 cast. In a very close race, this could make
a difference, but personally I consider this tolerable. For the hand counted ballots I found an incredible error rate of 114
lost votes per 200 cast! To be specific, according to Medford's own records there were 49 paper ballots cast but only 21 (less
than half) counted. I was able to determine that, among others, five of my friends and I were disenfranchised March
2nd and did not have our votes counted.
I wondered if this situation was unique to Medford and researched Arlington's
results. Arlington also had a problem with paper ballots, though only about half as bad as Medford's. Using the
same scale, they had 62 lost votes per 200 cast. I discovered that someone else had been researching Boston and had found
widespread paper ballot errors there as well. I suspect this problem exists in varying degrees across Massachusetts (and probably
other states). It appears most of the errors are made at the precinct level by the poll workers.
Aside from depriving
residents of their votes, these wholesale errors also deprived the two "paper ballot parties" equal treatment in the electoral
process. Additionally, they may have effected who got elected as presidential candidates for these two parties.
In
this important election year and following the disastrous voting process exposed in the 2000 election in Florida, I would
expect great attention given to such a problem. In Medford, in spite of a number of conversations with the city clerk over
two months, I have not received an accounting for the apparent 28 votes missing from the 49 cast. In contrast, within
a week Arlington acknowledged the problem, identified how each vote was "lost" and made a commitment to solve these problems.
I
have discussed this issue with the elections attorney at the Secretary of State's office and I am confident they are aware
of the problem and are working to help localities do a better job.
I am reluctant to make this information public.
I consider it extremely important for the future of this country for people to vote in the coming general election November
2nd, and I don't want to discourage anyone. But the public has a right to know and only with that knowledge is this
problem likely to be solved.
Friday, July 30, 2004
A couple more post-DNC notes
OK, here's the rub. I figured that just to be on the safe side, I should
make sure that nothing interested happened this week in Medford, so I called the Medford police public affairs office.
I'll keep what was said off the record, even though it was the public affairs office, and I told him I was blogging, but nevertheless,
I can assure you he told me that nothing happened.
OK, on a lighter note, I'm driving to a restaurant tonight, because it's my wife's
birthday today.
Happy Birthday Kara! You Rule, Man!
Sorry, I couldn't resist. Anyway, a really nasty big black
SUV pulls up behind us on 95S just before the Mass Pike. You know, I spent the week talking to police more than ever
before in my life, and I wasn't doing anything wrong, and I was still freaked out. It was a jet-black, undercover GMC
Suburban. You remember the line from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?
"Light, just, kinda, falls into it and never comes out"
Or something like that. Anyway, I could see big blue front-facing
double strobes inside the center of the front windshield, so I knew immediately what it was. I was hoping that they
were just trying to get over, because they wanted to go down the Pike. That exit is fairly close to the state police
barracks. And that might of been true, because they did move over and exit there. But as they passed, I realized
it might not be a state police vehicle, because it had government tags. Then I started speculating: MEMA (Mass Emergency
Management Agency), Secret Service, CIA, FBI.
I my wife says, "they're not after us, they're on their way to
a really big party."
You know, I do believe she is right.
Thursday, July 29, 2004
Which Medford was the Transcript Talking About?
In the editorial of the Medford Transcript this week, citizens were praised for
dealing with the inconvenience of the democratic national convention. While I agree with the sentiment, I have not talked
to anyone who has had an experience as summarized in the editorial. Take this line, for example:
And finally, there are the drivers themselves, who helplessly sat in hours
of traffic up and down Interstate 93, clogged city streets and detours they had never taken before. For all those residents
who had to endure extra hours of commute time over the four-day DNC span, we salute you.
What on earth are they talking about? There were no clogged
city streets. There were no "hours of traffic" on 93 (although there were backups), and there was no messy commute.
Or this line
The Police Department worked in concert with state and federal officials
in keeping the traffic flow moving steadily. Despite the frayed nerves of many drivers, police managed to keep things calm
and orderly.
The Medford police department was, in fact, out in force on
Monday. By Tuesday, all the special traffic coverage that had been planned was apparently cancelled. By Wednesday,
the parking restrictions were gone. I talked to the police in Medford Square on Monday, and they didn't have to do a thing. Let me be clear, the Medford police didn't
have to, "keep things calm and orderly" because there wasn't a problem.
Look, I didn't spend every waking hour driving around Medford during
the convention, but my coverage stands for itself - accurate, first-person reporting of the impact of the DNC in Medford (complete
with photographic documentation). As far as I can see, it just didn't happen the way the Transcript editorialized it.
What's up with that?
Another Post-Final DNC Report
I happened to drive through Wellington Circle and back this afternoon. There were lots of state police out in Wellington
right next to the barracks, but they were just showing a presence, not really doing anything. On the way back (5:30
PM), 93S was still open, and traffic was really, really light. I took route 16 back, and there was no traffic after
Medford Square - usually it would be backed up all the way to Medford Square.
Dave's DNC Coverage, Post-Final
I guess some interesting things are happening today. First of all, although I drove 93S in Medford today, I just
found out the real action is between Medford and 95. My wife reports that they are pulling over every
truck on that stretch of road. So the ride in Medford is wonderful, but north of Medford, it is a parking lot.
The rubbernecking is really hurting as well.
Also, the mayor of Boston, Tom Menino, is inviting people to come into town today, tomorrow, and over the weekend, offering
discounts and free parking. In reality, he's doing this because the city is actually hurting from the convention - they
created an environment where everyone left town except the delegates and speakers, and businesses are taking it on the chin.
I'm not sure what they expected to happen, since all the dire warnings from before. More on that later.
I don't think I'll be able to get photos of the truck pullovers - I don't have time this afternoon to sit in traffic.
Dave's DNC Coverage, Part IV (Final)
Well, although the convention ends late tonight, my coverage will end here, unless something truly interesting happens.
One of my friends reports no sightings of state police on 93 from Medford to 95 this morning. The usual staties are
out now at the 93 interchanges getting ready for the 93 shutdown, which has proven to be pretty uneventful.
The Medford Transcript editorial today mentions how people have had to put up with the traffic and inconvenience, but
I honestly don't know if or when that occured - I saw no evidence of any major traffic that falls outside of normal events,
like a collision, or rubbernecking over a police traffic stop.
City Hall is decked out with small flags today, but that's really because they are having the last of a special concert
series tonight, although the flags might be inspired by the convention.
I'll put together some additional reflections later, but for now, it's the non-event of the summer for Medford.
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Dave's DNC Coverage, Part III - Update
A friend of mine writes...
Okay, so I go up 93 to 95-N every day on the way to the office, and then obviously come home the same way. Also
I come down 93 from the 495 exit on the way home from my guitar lesson on Tuesdays...
So with regard to your observations of decreased security on the local level yesterday, I just wanted to say that there
are still numerous staties occupying the islands, off-ramps, rotary near MY place. On the way down 93 at various on-ramps
there are as many as 4 staties stationed just after the on-ramps... For all the wicked obvious staties from the 95 connection on
down 93 to my house there are numerous hidden staties as well, and today there is a new thing:
A giant sign was posted on 95-S saying that trucks should be prepared to stop and be searched. And then when I
hit 93 I saw no fewer than 5 trucks pulled over with staties crawling all over them and opening up the backs and checking
the cargo. Unmarked trucks particularly (obviously) seem to be a concern. But I saw an AMI truck (and that's a
pretty common logo, eh?) being searched just now on my way home to grab a few things. I'm heading back to the office
now, so I'll see if the truck action continues...
This is actually consistant with what I wrote (I think). The cars she describes are state police vehicles,
and they are out in force on 93. Today, there were quite a few state police at Roosevelt Circle, but sometimes there
are none. I suspect that they come and go based on the time of day and traffic volume.
The only thing I can think of is that the primary concern on 93 is the fact that it runs over an elevated highway,
and then over the new bridge into town, and it hits town right next to the Fleet Center. Perhaps these other roads (which
do pass by pretty enticing targets, like the Route 2/16 rotary right next to an MBTA station and two malls) are allowed to
flow because they figure they'll pick up the bad guys closer to town?
Dave's DNC Coverage, Part III (Wednesday)
There have been no arrests so far in DNC security. There have been 37 suspicious packages investigated by the bomb
squad, none of which were actually bombs. Source: WBUR.
In Medford, there is no flag on city hall, and parking restrictions have been dropped in Medford Square, and probably
the rest of the city as well. I have seen and heard trains riding through towards Boston even though commuters are supposed
to be bussed around it. That's not conclusive - the MBTA rail yard is just across the river from North Station, and
freight trains probably can go in. I have seen commuter trains parked at West Medford waiting, and there are signs out
along the West Medford and Wedgemere (Winchester) commuter rails for drop offs and bus pickups.
Police presence is, as it was yesterday, non existant at the local level, and reduced but still aggressive by the state
police. There were seven or eight cruisers in Medford Square by the Route 60 rotary this afternoon, but traffic diversions
are occuring later and later. Although originally posted for 2PM, they slipped it to 4 on the first day, and may wait
until 6PM today.
State Police enforcement on 93S towards Boston is extremely aggressive, and this is very confusing. There are no
traffic problems, but you will see a caravan of police vehicles every few miles on 93 from the 95 interchange through Medford.
They appear to be pulling people over frequently, although sometimes it's hard to distinguish between undercover vehicles
and commuters. The strange thing about this is that there minimal, if any, police presence on any other neighboring
roads. Today, I drove 93, 95, 2, and 16, and saw only two state police vehicles on roads other than 93 (one on route
2, one on 95). Strange because if they are looking for suspicious behavior, they are only looking at the one main highway
into town, and no other routes.
Our First Experience Losing Katherine
We were at the Gap Outlet in Watertown. I was buying clothes because nothing fits anymore because I've lost a huge
amount of weight over the last six months. So I was running around trying to do stuff quickly, because it's hard to
keep Katherine occupied when you are shopping. Kara was watching her, and she was playing in a clothes display.
Kara looked away at an item, then looked back. Total out-of-sight time, less than 5 seconds. When she looked down,
KLO was gone. I happened on the scene about 30 seconds later. We told the store manager, and he had people watch
the two entrances. I ran around outside in the mall and around the front of the store, although I ran around most of
the store before going out. We found her in about 5 minutes, hanging out in the back of the store. She seemed
a little freaked, but not nearly as bad as Kara and I.
I guess that's the first but not the last time that will happen. Thankfully, the rest of the day was uneventful.
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Dave's DNC Coverage, Part II
Well, I did get out for a quick drive around Medford. There is nothing going on, and I mean nothing.
The local police presence, so strong yesterday, is completely gone. There are no local police at any of the intersections
that they were monitoring yesterday. There are no local police in Medford Square, or at the route 16 on-ramps, High
Street, Forest Street, along Route 60, or anywhere else that I saw. Kara went out for milk at about 7, and she saw one
police officer standing out at Route 60 and Boston Avenue, and he was so bored he was twirling his handcuffs.
The state police presence is also diminished. Although there are still a full complement of staties at the major
93 ramps, there are far fewer, in general, patrolling than I saw yesterday. For example, yesterday, there were cruisers
at every ramp of the 93/route 60 interchange in Medford Square, as this photo shows. Today, they are just at the on-ramp.
The same is true at Roosevelt Circle.
I'm a bit concerned about this, because while I can understand the local police standing down, I expect the state police
to be doing more than traffic control. I expect them to be looking for the odd behavior that might characterize a terrorist,
domestic or foreign. It almost feels as if yesterday was such a let down that they just slashed the police coverage.
But I know it doesn't work that way. Just because it's quiet doesn't mean there are no terrorists around.
In fact, I'd guess that today or tomorrow would be a really good time to mount an attack for exactly that reason.
Now, I haven't been downtown, and I'm sure there is a huge presence there that won't change (although I really don't
know), but the security net has been considerably loosened. For example, yesterday, you couldn't drive around any town
near Boston without being looked over at every major intersection. Today (rather, tonight), you could probably get pretty
close to Boston without seeing any police. I don't think that's too smart.
During the day, you could hear the buzz of helicopters on occasion, as they flew the routes from Boston up to Medford
and back. Those patrols have ended - I haven't heard any since five or six PM.
I Just Can't Get Out Today
It's been a day full of domestic bliss, and no politics, for the most part. I needed a day, as did my wife, to
catch up on things, so I haven't gotten out much at all to cover the DNC. Truth be told, I'm pretty exhausted too -
as you can tell from the last two days blogs, I've been really running ragged. Not that pruning trees is any easier,
but it makes the wife a lot happier.
Anyway, I think I have some additional stuff to post later, so it won't be a totally wasted day.
More on the Plane Noise
A friend and neighbor of mine, whom I assume is in a position to know, tells me that I have, in fact, been hearing F-16's.
They may not actually all be flying out of Hanscom - there is at least one other major base nearby. Well, it's
on Cape Cod, but that's nearby in F-16 terms. That's where the planes that tried to intercept the 9-11 hijackers took off
from. Hanscom is a dual-use facility - military and commercial, but I don't believe there are many planes stationed
there.
Dave's DNC Coverage, Part II (Maybe)
Maybe, because if the DNC continues to be a non-story in Medford, then I've covered most of the interesting stuff.
I'm not sure if the flag and band will be out again today, although I'll swing by at some point to check.
Friends that I've been talking to have generally verified what I've observed - the traffic just isn't a big deal, probably
because so many people got freaked out that they are staying away.
I might actually head downtown at some point and cover the real DNC - if you are interested, drop me a line.
The other thing I'll mention is that something is going on with air traffic patterns. There is a lot of airplane
noise, and I suspect it's for two reasons.
First, the landing pattern at Logan has been different. Usually, it's dictated by the direction of the wind.
However, I suppose it's possible that they have changed the approach based on security. Planes are coming in from the
northwest, which has them flying over my house.
Second, I suspect Hanscom AFB is putting up a lot of flights. Hanscom is in Lexington, pretty close to here.
Military jets sound different, and I'll hazzard a guess that there are a lot of patrols going on over the northeast right
now, and I'm hearing those as well.
Monday, July 26, 2004
Yet Even More DNC Stuff
This was the scene at the Route 16 exit of 93 this afternoon. When I drove by in the evening, not a whole lot had
changed, although there were more police there. I parked by the Hertz office on Mystic Avenue, and walked over the grass
to take this photo.
As I walked back through the parking lot to my car, a grey pickup truck drove around the building past me, and I noticed
that there was a police officer in it looking at me very closely. He probably quickly realized I wasn't a threat, and
he took off towards Main street up a side street, but I shot him driving away. That's what it's like being in Medford
right now. If you're on foot (or even in a car), and you are doing anything unusual (like walking over a grass median
where people don't usually walk), you get checked out immediately. It's really very impressive when you think about
how broad and deep the security coverage is.
Dave's DNC Coverage - The Non-Story in Medford
That's right, folks, there just wasn't much happening in Medford today. Oh yeah, the police were everywhere, but
the traffic nightmare never materialized. Although I wasn't able to be in the square from 2 to 6PM, I did get there
around 7PM, and talked to shop-owners and police, and they said it really wasn't a big deal. The police officer I talked
to said that although I missed the band, that the traffic was so light that he didn't even have to do traffic detail, which
was, apparently, a large part of the reason he was there. Here's a photo taken a bit past 7. You'll note the closed
on-ramp to 93, and State Police presence, and one of the Coast Guard helicopters on patrol (they seem to run up 93 to Medford,
then swing back towards Boston). Note that there is no traffic in the rotary during this picture.
This was not a coincidence. Traffic was so light that I was able to take a number of pictures of the rotary with no
cars in it.
 The Baptists used this occasion to make a point, as you can see. This is the New England Baptist
Church, where they apparently are not to fond of Kerry's stand on something. I assumed this was about genetic research,
but I could be mistaken. More coverage to come, I just have to take care of a few things around the house.
Dave's DNC Coverage Part I - (Monday, Continued)
Due to domestic obligations, I went out to see a movie this afternoon just at the traffic diversions went into place.
But there was still plenty of DNC stuff to look at on the way there and back. For example, when I drove through Roosevelt
Circle at about 1:45, there was nothing going on. When I got onto 93N at Roosevelt Circle to go up to Woburn for a movie,
there police were there in force, directing traffic coming off 93 (even though the diversions hadn't started yet). There
were police all over the northern suberbs, but especially near the exits to 93. For example, the Washington Street exit,
which I took because 93N was backed up due to an accident. The protocol seems to be that State Troopers control the
exit points from the highway, and the local town police direct traffic at all major intersections near the highway.
Kara reported that there were several Woburn police at Four Corners, which is pretty far from any of the roads. But
it's clear that local police are on super-high alert. Witness this - on the way home from the movie, we took the back
roads to stay away from 93. Kara saw a policeman in an undercover vehicle in a driveway carefully inspecting all the
car traffic that went by. This was north of Woburn center, mind you, but on that road that connect Woburn center with
95.
Dave's DNC Coverage, Part I (Monday - Out of State State Police)
It's not just the Massachusetts State Police running this security show. It turns out that they have
hauled in State Police from all over New England to provide security for the convention.
Vermont State Police Cruiser
stationed on the Salem street side of Medford Square
Maine State Police Cruiser
under the Route 60/Route 93 rotary
More to follow, if I see them. I assume the Connecticut and Rhode Island guys are south of town.
But I haven't see New Hampshire yet.
Dave's DNC Coverage, Part I (Monday, Medford Square)
There sure was a different feeling in the square today. It was obvious over near 93, where the police presence
is intense, and the city is putting, apparently, most of the effort around the traffic problems. More on that later.
First, we have Medford City Hall. This, dear readers, is the Mount Rushmore Flag. As far as I know, that
only means that it flew at Mount Rushmore at some point. At any rate, it's 300 pounds, and was put up for today to provide
some spirit for the expected weary car commuters that will be diverted through Medford Square starting at 4PM this afternoon.
The flag is a pretty impressive site. It blocks all the entrances on the front of the building, and, per state law,
they have to put a sign out front to direct people with disabilities to other entrances.
 These charming guys are Medford's finest flag tenders. From left to right, Jon Main, Yogi Jitoo, and Greg Santino
are currently working in a co-operative education program in Medford, and were hired to mind the flag. You see, when
the wind whips up, and gets behind this puppy, it can take off like a rocket. There's also the issue of vandalism and
so forth, although I didn't talk about that with them. Anyway, they were having a great time in the best seat in the
house - the front facade of City Hall. From here, they'll mind the flag, and be able to look out over the traffic chaos
that will ensue at the Route 60 rotary in a few hours. They are all environmental science majors in college.
Speaking of Route 60, the exit for this road comes off 93 right in the center of Medford Square where City Hall is.
The police are here in force. It was clear to me today from driving around that Medford Square is the main diversion
for traffic. There was nothing going on at Route 16, and nothing at Roosevelt Circle today, but there were dozens of
staties at Route 60.
This appears to be the traffic stop of a car that was tailed on 93. I could be wrong about this - I didn't have
enough balls to go and interupt 5 cars full of State Police on a traffic stop to find out what was going on. (There
is one hidden in the front.) At any rate, this is both a good and bad time to be out and about. On the good side,
things are very safe, because the police are everywhere. And the feeling I get is that they are far less concerned with
the usual traffic crap like right's of way and so forth. On the other hand, you really, really, really do not want to
get pulled over, because they will swarm on you like nobody's business.
Dave's DNC Coverage, Part 1 (Monday)
A report from a friend of mine on security on the MBTA - public transportation here in Massachusetts Bay. She reports
that security (probably Transit police, but maybe others) boarded the train at both Community College and North Station to
do full bag searches. I have heard that this would be part of the protocol, but I don't know how far the searches will
go. I think, as does my friend, that they'll have to do "turnstyle" type searching as they do during major events like
the fourth of July in order to really get adequate coverage.
Update on Kim Davidson
Well it definately wasn't a "That Thing You Do" moment. Not because WBOS didn't play the song - they did.
But they changed the timeslot and so forth. I think Kim taped the radio. They also did a nice intro, which Kim
may put up on her web site soon.
Sunday, July 25, 2004
Dave's DNC Coverage, Part 0
Part 0? What's up with that? Well, most people think the DNC starts tomorrow, but in fact, it
starts today. There are welcoming parties, fireworks, and test runs on security and traffic restrictions. One
of my current projects is to do a little photojournalism to document the impact of the DNC on Medford, and I got out today
for a few hours to do that.
First stop, Medford Square, where you can't help but notice the, "No Parking" signs everywhere, like here, in front of
the Medford Public Library. This is the calm before the storm. Interestingly, these signs only appear on the West
side of the square. The east side, over by City Hall and Papa Gino's, is apparently covered by existing signage.
I did notice, however, that there appear to be new signs for Route 60 and Route 16 traffic flows at the entrance to the square
just past City Hall.
Still don't believe that things are getting up to full swing? As I was shooting these photos, two Coast Guard helicopters
swung over, probably looking at traffic around Route 60, 16, and the square. A test run for later in the week, I suppose.
I couldn't get them both in the same shot, but I did manage to snatch this one. You'll note the door is open, and upon
close inspection of the original, it appears that a service-person is actually looking right back at me, although that might
just be my big head.
But 93 is where the action will really heat up. Here's what it looked like this evening. You'll note the
lane restriction sign, and you can see the yellow lane markers. The State Police closed a lane as a test run for tomorrow.
In case you are wondering, I took this picture through the front windshield while I was driving. It's actually not as
hard as it sounds, although you do have to be very careful.
Roosevelt Circle is the tertiary diversion. The Police will be allowing limited traffic down to Route 16, but when
that backs up, they'll divert at Route 60 (Medford Square), and if that backs up, they'll divert at the Circle.
This rotary has been decorated with flags and signs since just after 9/11, and it really makes for a patriotic display
at any time, let alone during an event like the DNC.
While I was taking this picture, and the one below (more on that later), I was completely startled by a State Police
officer on the sidewalk. When I recovered, I realized that he had pulled his undercover vehicle over and popped on the
lights. I hadn't even noticed. Anyway, after the usual pleasantries, he bade me to be careful, and went on his
way. He wanted to know where my car was parked. I was very careful to explain what I was doing and seek information
and approval, but he didn't have a beef about that - he figured I was a journalist (I'm not, just a hack), but he had to be
sure.
So I took this picture of the lane closure, and the yellow barriers that will be moved around during the next week, by
sticking the camera lens right up to the fence and shooting. Although the fence was in front of the lens, I framed the
shot carefully, and you can't really see it.
What's even more interesting is that when I walked back over the rotary to where the other police were (there were three
cruisers stationed right on the rotary), the police were all sort of getting back into their cars wearing reflective vests.
I think I spooked them. I think when the undercover pulled over, he must have called them, and protocol dictated that
they be ready for something. So I figured it would be no big deal to go over and talk to them, and I did.
The officer I talked to was fairly nice, in the brusk sort of State Police way, but he didn't have any advice about whether
or not I could take photos, and my reason for approaching him was to ask permission. I've dealt with the police a bit,
so I did a few things. First, I put my camera bag and tripod down on the ground well away from the car, then walked
over until I was eight feet away or so, and waved to him. He got the picture (I was being non-threatening), and the
discussion ensued. He did radio HQ, and later told me that it was find to take pictures, they just couldn't make any
statements. Actually, I knew the whole time I could take pictures -- I was in a public place, not breaking any laws,
and it was a newsworthy event. Nevertheless, I may run into these guys again before I'm done, and I want to be completely
above board.
Since it was OK, I set up the tripod, let the light fall, and took this final shot of the police cars congregated at
Roosevelt Circle as the traffic streamed by. For those of you who haven't seen a picture with traffic trails, I'll explain.
This was a long exposure - 15 seconds or so. In that time, a number of cars came off the rotary and went up South Border
Road. You can't see them because they went by too fast. But the headlights are really bright, and they record
on film. So when the exposure is done, you get the subject matter (the police cars) with traffic trails around them
from the moving traffic.
All in all, I'm pretty impressed with the security so far, and the DNC hasn't even gotten up to full speed yet.
There were at least three Staties at Roosevelt Circle, and if you include the undercover and another I saw on Route 28, that's
five cruisers within a mile of each other. Furthermore, I was only on the bridge at Roosevelt Circle for about 10 minutes,
and in that time, I got approached. That seems pretty good to me, although it is a pretty obvious place to check.
Stay tuned for more tomorrow...
Do You Listen to WBOS?
It's a long story, but the short of it is that one of my friends and recent photographic subjects, Kim Davidson, was supposed to have a song played on WBOS this evening. I tuned in for about 10 minutes at 9:50 PM when it was scheduled to air, but I didn't hear it.
Kim taped the radio, so I'll find out from here later if it played or not. The DJ also asked for additional copies of
her CD, which is a good sign. This is a huge deal for Kim, as it provides good exposure for her, in addition to
being a " That Thing You Do" moment (her term, not mine, but very appropriate). Well, OK, in this case we know the song is going
to play, but let's not quabble over that.
Katherine likes to feed the cats. So last week, after feeding the cats (which are downstairs), we were walking
upstairs, and I had "momma lovie" with me, and I walked hassling her in a playful way as we walked up the stairs.
"Don't do that, Daddy. That's RUDE," she said.
I about fell down.
"You're right, Katherine, I'm sorry," I said.
Wow. We are now at the point where anything I say can be used against me in the domestic court.
Another example.
She likes to pull her little chair up between our armchairs to create a little space she calls her, "cage." When
she's in the cage, she can't be harmed. So she'll be inside the cage, and I'll be outside the cage saying some variant
of, "I'm gonna get you," and she'll refuse to come out (which involves just pushing the chair aside). Then she'll say
something like, "let's go into Wiggle House."
And I'll say, "you have to come out of the cage for that."
And she'll say, "but you'll tickle me."
And I'll say, "Maybe."
And then a little smile crosses her face, as she goes over in her head the fact that she has to take a risk to do what
she wants, but she might get tickled by Daddy in the process.
Sometimes I say, "I won't tickle you, but I might get you."
And there's another little smile. When I say this, I absolutely stick to my word. I won't tickle. But
sometimes, I do get.
To extend this to its impact on Kara and I, simple explanations for behavior modification don't cut it anymore.
We can't say, "we don't have any chocolate ice-cream," or, "you need to take a nap," or things like that, because she is more
than capable of arguing it out. Instead, it appears that we just have to lay down the law for the time being, ruling
by ultimatum. On the flip side, we try to engage her in activities where she can do what she wants without a lot of
rules. Then, we have some leverage when we have to dictate what she must do.
It's a delicate and ever-changing process, this parenthood thing.
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