I wrote a Letter to the Editor for my final thing for my internship... and they published it in the paper!

Here's a link:
http://www.times-standard.com/letters/ci_10283737?source=email

And, here's the text, if you can't get to the link for some reason:

Support local business
Letters to the editor
Article Launched: 08/23/2008 01:16:30 AM PDT

As I cuddle with my Tabby, preparing to watch a movie, I turn on the television, but before I can switch to VCR mode, something catches my eye. I take a moment to let it sink in. There is a blatant advertisement in this program. I can't name the show, but I can certainly recognize the logo. The actress is drinking a specific cola. I feel used as a viewer, like my eyes are property. A moment turns to several as I ponder this well-placed can, and its effect on me.

Corporate advertisements bombard viewers in every way. Advertising is the most obvious way that corporate America brainwashes our minds, but what about our politicians? Corporations have more power then many realize. Corporations buy favors with political contributions, resulting in the corruption of government policy making. How can the U.S. be a true democracy when a few have more power than the majority?

Here in Humboldt we have a unique law called Measure T that prevents outside corporations from contributing to political campaigns. This law is vital to keep our politicians working for people invested in Humboldt rather than in national headquarters. I wonder what else we can do to ensure local control?

Let's take Humboldt's economic freedom and well-being into our own hands by spending our money at local, independent businesses who make decisions that strengthen our community!

For more information about Corporate Rule or Measure T, contact Democracy Unlimited at (707)269-0984 or www.DUHC.org.

Joanna DeMars

Eureka

I leave Eureka Saturday morning. I definitely have mixed feelings about this. I love my internship and the people here, but I miss everyone back home in Iowa. I'll see Grinnellians on Tuesday, and I'll be home with my family Saturday evening.
Watch out Iowa, here comes Democracy Unlimited via Joanna... I'll be starting a club at Grinnell... it's going to be great!
Joanna

Here's a video of where I work. It's pretty sweet!

Cooking adventures!

I can only post five pictures at a time (which is unfortunate...) so here are some pictures of food I made in Cali. Bryan and I made some really good pasta with fresh shrimp and veggies. Also, I made donuts from scratch for breakfast and then later, back in Eureka I made fresh bread and cream of zucchini soup. The last picture is the four cats eating their dinner... aren't they cute!?

This weekend I went to Reggae Rising, and it was super fun, but because my camera wasn't working, I have no pictures! (tear) I'll have to write a detailed description of it here instead (but later, because I have to go to a meeting.)

Link to see downtown Eureka.

Hey guys, here's a link to see the downtown Eureka, CA.
My host's store is on the left... across the street. (I wish you could see it from the street, it's really beautiful, but at least you can see the bay from this shot!)

http://www.ncidc.org/webcam/webcam.html

I went to San Diego this weekend for my 20th birthday, and to visit Bryan. It was great! As soon as Bryan posts pictures, I'll put them up here!

The Pictures I promised...

Here are the pictures I promised my last post:




(Baseball game, Tabling, Fourth of July, and of course Lucy!)

An Update

Hey everybody!
This past week, I went all over Humboldt County tabling for my non-profit. I got pretty good at my stump speech! I have pictures, but I'll have to put them up later, I can't find my camera :) But, I have pictures from Merry's computer of Lucy on Russell's kayak. Also, I went to a Humboldt Crabs game, and I took score, with the scorecards that Auntie Susie sent me. I think I'm going to go to a lot of games this weekend when I'm in Arcata. Then on Monday, I had a birthday party! It was fun to celebrate my birthday with my new friends here. Like I said, pictures later.
Oh and I went to a Zombie wedding... it was super fun! The last picture is the blushing, bloody bride!
More later!

Merry's Bead Shop

Hey Y'all!
Here's the store that Merry owns. I've been spending a lot of time here, and I've started selling my jewelry online! www.etsy.com
Also, here's a picture of Merry and me after our tour of the bay.

Pictures of my house in Eureka!

Here are pictures of the House I'm staying in... it's really pretty. Also, I'm having a really great time here! I went to the beach with Lucy, the dog, and Merry, my host. Yesterday, I went on a motorcycle ride with Russell, my other host... he's really cool... but super eclectic. He wears a lot of strings of beads every day, that he makes himself. He's gone for the weekend, but I'm sure that I'll have fun with Merry and the dog! Tomorrow I'm going to the Farmer's Market with the other interns, and then tomorrow night Merry and I are going to a Solstice Party with a bonfire on the beach! Sunday I'm getting a boat tour of the Humboldt Bay, and then hopefully I'll get to go to church at this beautiful church in town.
For now, the pictures are of my house, and the weeds in the garden... I can't believe those beautiful flowers are weeds! The other dogs in the pictures from the beach are dogs we met while we were there.
(By the way, "Tiny" the kitten found a home next door to Russell and Merry, and is happy to see me every time I stop by!)

Russell Found a Kitten

One of my hosts, who I will talk about later (super cool guy), found a little kitten in the neighborhood and brought him home. He is totally cute. We called him Tiny at first, because he's really small, but then we decided that since his eyes are so blue, we'd call him Blue. More later, because I'm busy now, but I'm so excited for the little one! If anyone wants him (Yellow House?) He's up for adoption! Call me!

(The three cats in the other picture are L to R, Nosey, Monkey and Bob)

I'm FINALLY here!

Finally in Eureka, I got in last night late after many airline troubles... but I'm and sound and without luggage... however, I had a great morning with one of my bosses, Kaitlin, at the Oyster fest. I tried my first oyster... I had two in fact, drenched in butter and garlic. It was okay... I wouldn't order it off a menu, but I'd cordially eat it at a dinner party without gagging... then we went to the farmer's market and got some organic cherries to get the garlic out of my mouth... they were to die for!
I met my other boss, Shannon, and she seems really cool, but I don't know anyone very well yet.
The house where the office is is amazing! It is an old Victorian house with 10 chickens, two ducks, some cats and a really sweet black lab named Annie. They warned me that she's really shy, but she loves me already... she can tell I love doggies!
Speaking of dogs, my host family has a puppy named Lucy, and she's adorable... she's some sort of mutt with curly black fur. We also have four cats and some toads and fish. My favorite cat so far is Bob... he's an orange cat with no tail, that purrs a lot as soon as I get near him.
I'm a little nervous right now, because I think the people I'm working for are a lot more liberal than I am... I'm sure we'll have a lot of debates about politics especially about the election.... they're all voting Green, which I find RIDICULOUS! Oh well... I'll get used to it.
More later... I'm going exploring now!

TWO DAYS AWAY!

I'm leaving for Eureka in two days, and I just found out my address:

1461 CALIFORNIA ST
EUREKA, CA 95501

Wish me luck!

At home with the babies!

I'm home with my niece and nephew! They're the cutest little kids in the world! (Not that I'm bias or anything)
This morning some ducks were on the front lawn, and Frannie and I fed them bread... pictures soon!
I leave for Eureka the thirteenth, and I'm nervous, but I've got some goals before I leave:
Lots of kisses for Frannie and Ollie.
Finish Taxonomy of Barnacles
Hang out with Marci and Allison and Meredith and Becky and Alex!! (Woohoo!)
Go dancing at Studio 13 with Alex!
See my Big sister and her three girls.
Let's see if I can manage it all... get off the couch... but Project Runway and Top Chef are soo enticing! (hehe)

DONE DONE DONE

I'm done with the school year! HOORAY!
I can't wait to see everyone in Iowa City!!
Woohoo!

This is me. I get excited about things... really easily.

Some things I'm excited to do by the end of the semester:
Kite flying
Watching a movie on the projector
Playing lots of Euchre
Reading for fun...
I have very different plans for the summer, but I have finals to worry about now...

Maybe a bit premature...

I've decided to start a blog for the summer about my time in California for my internship. That way, I can look back, and everyone else can see what I've been up to! Maybe I should be worrying about finals right now, but I really don't want to yet!