LotR Art and Music and Politics on the Hill

[lavendertook]

Last night I went to Alan Lee's book signing in Arlington. He showed slides of some of his exquisitely lovely conceptual sketches for the LotR movies. And he showed one sketch for The Hobbit, which he is hoping is going to happen for Peter Jackson--as are we all. He's also going to come out with a book of some of his sketches next year which I'm looking forward to. I saw lalenya there and talked with a guy descended from British clergy VIPs whose father had Tolkien as his godfather. Of course, I inquired if he knew anything about the Tolkien kids' stuffed koalas. He didn't, but he had a pair of stuffed koalas named after Evelyn Waugh characters as a kid--you wanted to know that.

Today, I took off work and went to this conference in the Dirksen Senate Office Bldg behind the Capitol Bldg; C-Span was there filming it all. I gave copies of my essay on the media coverage of the vote irregularities--that none of you have read because it's too fucking long--to senators and assorted Important People and left a bunch of copies on the info desk that all got snapped up, so I did My Part--in shy and dorky mode but looking like a Respectable Person in my corporate weeds. If I get a chance I might type up the notes I took today. What was clear today is that lots of people have found that our voting system is busted, but they're trying to be all Respectable and Non-Partisan about it and the people who could be Partisan won't do anything (i.e., hello Kerry campaign!)--because no one wants to acknowledge that the system is working perfectly for the people who are on top.

So I'm feeling frustrated about things, which is how I think people who aren't usually on Capitol Hill wind up feeling after they've made a visit, and I'm exhausted, so maybe I'll feel more feisty about things tomorrow. And I know the Kerry campaign is getting kinda sorta involved now in Ohio, but I've learned that the Ohio vote count might have been slowed because of their inaction, so I'm second guessing that their going under the radar until more evidence turns up might have sucked as a strategy afterall.

Anyway, I got a good free sandwich and cookie for lunch there, and a good bumper sticker, so what the hey. After the conference I window-shopped at Union Station to unwind and had a yummy spinach pie for dinner in the food court. So that was my Adventure today.

Tomorrow night I go to Baltimore to hear the LotR symphony performed, and if the traffic and parking ordeal isn't too scarring, I will have a wonderful time. Busy, busy week not getting to work on dissertation--must hole-up this weekend.

Comments

[monkey5s.livejournal.com]

I haven't read your essay because it's still too ouchy for me. And I believe the Ohio recount is winding down, and Bush still won. What a surprise, seeing as how the Ohio Attorney General had blustered before the election that he was confident that he would be delivering Ohio's electoral votes for Bush.

I can tell you that the traffic to see the LOTR symphony performed in Columbus, Ohio, was very very worth it. I was also glad I knew about the Q&A (the moderator asking Howard Shore questions that had been gathered online) ahead of time, so I got there in time for most of that.

And I can't imagine how frustrating the Capitol Hill experience would be. I get wiped out just trying to do anything on the state level. And I would HATE to have had to go meet with budget committee members, like our library director did last week, to try to keep them from eliminating the Libraries and Local Government Support Fund from the 2005 state budget (because, hey, the amount of money they need to cut to balance the budget JUST HAPPENS TO BE the exact amount of that fund). You have my admiration for making the journey!

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Understood. What just wound down was the first count for the first time in Ohio. It's being contested and a recount is being sued for by Common Cause. Rep Conyers and Jesse Jackson discussed the possibility of objecting to seat the electors when the vote comes to Congress on January 6th. In other words, things aren't winding down at all, despite the mainstream media's almost total shut out of the issue. So stay tuned. (-;

We didn't get Howard Shore )-:, but it was wonderful anyway. The soloists, chorus, and tin whistle player were terrific and I loved the Howe, Lee, and Tolkien slides.

Yes, I was involved with state politics when I was working on grad student unionizing with the AFT, but that was my first federal venture. I felt a lot better yesterday because the conference was really just a lead up to the Congress hearing that was held yesterday and some Reps discussed pursuing a suit--it was on C-Span radio. Even Kerry announced yesterday that he is with the recount. AP reported it, but no paper or network picked up the news, which is why you probably haven't heard about it. That's our free press for ya.

[brouhaha.livejournal.com]

I love Alan Lee! *jealous*

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

He was awfully nice when I got his signature. I love his pencil sketches better than his paintings. I think it's because I love his line and design but I'm not all that into his colors. And then I got to see more last night with the symphony, that lacked Howard Shore, but was still wonderful.

Is Lee not coming for a signing in Boston?

[brouhaha.livejournal.com]

If he is, I don't know about it yet, alas. The symphony hasn't come to Boston either. It came to Connecticut, but I was here at school in Houston. It also came to Houston, but I was back in Boston. Woe!

[mererid.livejournal.com]

It's understandable to get frustrated and discouraged in the face of such seemingly impossible obstacles, especially when, as you mentioned, the people with the most power to effect change are loathe to do so because of their own investment in the system that grants them that power. The crucial first step, however, is alerting people to the fact that there are serious problems with our voting system, and you've more than done your part there, as well as showing the ways that the traditional media has almost completely disregarded this issue. I'm so proud of you! I hope that you're feeling a bit better about the whole experience today. And I'm sure that the LOTR symphony will be well worth the traffic and parking troubles. Hope you have a wonderful time! :D Hugs!!

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you, hon. *hugs* The symphony was wonderful. And I also perked up when I heard some of the hearings yesterday on C-Span on the little radio I took to work. Rep. Conyers and Jackson are getting things moving, despite the press's lack of coverage. And Rep. Robert Scott of VA was on the committee yesterday and I gave him a copy of my paper on Tuesday, so I feel good about that.

I hope your last final and finishing up the semester all went well this week.

I'm sorry I missed you tonight--we had a power outage for an hour and I just got on after 10:30.

[mererid.livejournal.com]

How exciting!! Hugs!! At the local street semi-annual street fair we have down here there's going to be a booth distributing information about the voting irregularities, so people are paying attention. And I'm glad you had a nice time at the symphony. :D

My last final is actually next Thursday. :) But that and my Chicana Feminisms paper are all that I have to worry about now, so I'm definitely in the home stretch. :D

I ended up going to bed shortly before then, as I started feeling mildly flu-ish. Still feeling a litte draggy, but hoepfully it won't turn into anything more serious.