Upcoming LeftAhead Guests

We have some exciting guests lined up for LeftAhead internet radio.

• Lt. Governor Tim Murray, Tuesday, 2/23 at 2:30. We were very excited to get him for an podcast focused on public transportation issues.
  
• Former Governor Michael Dukakis, Tuesday, 3/2 (I think at 2:30). This will be another podcast focused mostly on public transportation issues.
• Progressive Democratic candidate for State Senate to fill in Scott Brown's old seat, Peter Smulowitz, Tuesday, 3/9 at 2:30. This will be focused on campaign issues.
  

As always, our shows are available at LeftAhead.com, on iTunes (under "LeftAhead") and at Blogtalkradio.com/lefties. People can also listen to it on the nifty Blog Talk Radio player on the righthand-side of this blog. We're always looking for interesting guests (from campaigns, orgs, etc.) and ideas for topics, so feel free to send me an email if you're interested.

Today's Podcast: Politics in 2011

What's going to happen in 2011? Lynne and I discussed that and more on today's episode of LeftAhead.

Catch it by clicking the link, on the BlogTalkRadio media player to the right or by downloading it free on itunes.

Did you catch my podcast with Capuano?

The first 20 minutes is a review of all the goings-on of the Special Election race. Capuano jumps on after that to talk about his candidacy and to talk about his record and positions (you can fast forward to Capuano, but I highly recommend listening to the whole thing). We hit a lot of great areas, so I hope people enjoy this. LeftAhead is a lot of work, but I think it's a great resource for Massachusetts residents (largely because of my tremendous co-hosts, Mike and Lynne!). I hope as many people enjoy it as possible.



Unrelated note: Due to spam in the comments, I decided to switch my blog's comment system to a moderated system, where I have to approve comments. I hope to change this in the future as, quite frankly, it's more work for me!

Capuano on Thursday, Not Tonight

Sorry all, for some strange reason I thought we had Rep. Capuano on LeftAhead tonight to talk about the Senate race and answer the essential questions, but it's actually Thursday night. Oops.

As always, the best place to check for upcoming show information is LeftAhead.com. Furthermore, as always, once we actually do a show, you can get it at LeftAhead.com without having to worry about the live time and date. I'm looking forward to this -- I hope people take the opportunity to listen in.

Did you catch the latest podcast?

Mike and I chatted for about a half hour on the Human Rights Campaign and President Obama -- and whether either party will actually get something done on GLBT rights. Hop on over at LeftAhead.com to check it out, or listen to it directly on this website on the left-hand side bar.

This Thursday, we're doing a special podcast at 4pm, interviewing Boston City Council At-Large Candidate, Ayanna Pressley. She's one of the two favorites to pick up the last at-large seat. Last week, we interviewed her strongest opponent for the final seat, Andrew Kenneally, which you can also listen to over at LeftAhead.com.

Boston City Council Candidate Kennealley Podcast

He's on today at 2:30pm, live. Find out how to listen (or catch the archive anytime after) at LeftAhead.com.

We're in talks with several of the other at-large campaigns, as well.

Check out LeftAhead.com archives for interviews with the candidates in the Mayoral race. We had both Flaherty and Menino on in the summer.

RyansTake.net

Just a little note: "RyansTake.net" will now get you to my site. A lot of people assume I'm super-tech savvy but, while I'm not completely incompetent with a computer, I can confess it took me six months to realize, figure out how to fix and then fix the fact that only www.ryanstake.net would get you to my site, instead of just ryanstake.net. As always, the old blogger html still does and always will work, so long as I stay on blogger.

MassPolitics Twitter Label: #BeaconHill

Painfully obvious, but not really used: My future State Politics Twitter items will be marked #BeaconHill -- others should use it, too. This will make Mass politics news much easier to find on Twitter. (I can't actually claim to be the first person to use it -- I'm the third, though the tag's only been used a handful of times, so I thought it could use a little plug.)

Update: Netroots Nation Scholarship

People are amazing!

I'm up to 23 supporters on my scholarship page. The more supporters I have, the more likely I am to get the scholarship -- and I can't go if I don't get it. For those who don't know, Netroots Nation is the blogosphere's biggest annual convention... there's all sorts of workshops and panels to network, make new skills and ideas. If I can manage to go, I'll be bringing back a lot of experience to make this blog and the Mass netroots better.

So be one of the 23 and counting and help me attend. Just click this page and press the "add your support" link under the "Grassroots support" part of the page. You may need to create a login, but it won't take more than 2 minutes of your time -- and it would mean the world to me. I'm not too far off from being one of the top 5 in support, which would just about guarantee me a spot. Help push me over the edge!

Thanks,

Ryan

This Whole Twitter Phenomenon

I never really thought Twitter would actually become that much, never saw much of a point to it, don't have a "smart" phone and am still generally dubious to it. While I get how it works on a technical level, I don't really understand it, so I figure I'm going to try it and learn through doing before I leap to any final conclusions.

The only real point of this message is to announce I just created a Twitter account. I doubt I'll "twit" very much - but who knows, I can get obsessive over new things. If anyone wants to "follow" me, I picked qwerty4life as my twittername. (Am I allowed to make up new lingo before I ever use a platform?)

Also, I used my email account to find friends and bloggers who "twit," but if you would like me to follow you, feel free to email me your twit name or write it in the comments. I promise I'll take a look.

Got a Flip Video Camera

A big thanks to those who sent paypal donations to help get it. That nearly paid for half of it, so it was a big help for a struggling, 20-something blogger. Thanks!

I was debating between getting the Flip Ultra, which uses AA batteries, or the newer Mino, which recharges by plugging it into the computer, and decided to go with the Ultra. The two are very small, pocket-size, but I was tempted to go with the Mino because it's so freaking thin.
The deciding factor was that I already have too many things that need my computer to charge (Ipod, external HD, camera, etc). Plenty of USB ports, but at some point you look like a tangled-up nut with all those devices attached to your computer. Plus, it was $30 cheaper. Thankfully, the picture and sound qualities, which are supposed to be fantastic for youtube, are the same regardless of the device.

In any event, I hope it really adds something to this site, making it one of the most informative - and not just opinionated - places in the Massachusetts blogosphere. I can't wait to start using it.

Donate or Advertise on Ryan's Take

Ryan's Take is a huge investment both in time and resource to write and keep up. Everything from gas to go to events to equipment are costs associated with Ryan's Take that I struggle to afford. In most months, I average over 30 posts, most of which are long, thought out, well-researched blogs. Contributions to help keep my efforts going - as well as expand both content and features - is greatly appreciated. I don't want anyone to break the bank, but even $5 or $10 would be greatly appreciated.

Additionally, I do sell ads on Ryan's Take on a monthly basis. Prices are negotiable, but very affordable. Email me if you're interested - and if you need it, I can design the ad myself.

Finally, if you can't afford to donate and don't want/have nothing to advertise, but still want to help, feel free to click a Google Ad. Clicking an ad can bring in as much as a 30 to 40 cents to the site. If everyone who read Ryan's Take clicked an ad once a day, I could blog full time!

Tomorrow's Podcast: Bikes in Boston

Mike, Lynne and I are on with Nicole Freedman, Director of Boston Bikes, tomorrow at 2:30 to talk about biking in Boston and how to improve it, as well as the city's future plans. Biking to work and around town is great for numerous reasons - almost zero carbon footprint, lessens traffic and it's great exercise. Looks to be an interesting show.

Listen live at 2:30 or go to LeftAhead.com anytime afterward.

Gobble Gobble

In case anyone hasn't caught on - I've been taking a bit of an early holiday week off. Blogging recommences after a few more dead turkeys.

Meanwhile, what are you thankful for? As usual, answers go in the comments.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Widmer on Next Podcast

He's on to talk about Prop 1 - the ballot question that would end the income tax and thus 40% of this state's budget.

The show goes live at 2:30 on Tuesday, or you can catch the mp3 anytime at LeftAhead.com or on iTunes (just search for LeftAhead in the podcast section).

I'm sure I'll ask him his thoughts on the current mortgage crisis, as well. Should be an interesting show - I don't always agree with him, but what he says certainly matters in this state.

Heading to Denver

I'm leaving tomorrow morning to go to Denver for a few days for a convention (not that convention), but I'll be back home Monday. Blogging may be a little inconsistent over that time, but for now, catch up with my most recent entries.

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Help Keep Ryan's Take Going

Donate or Advertise on Ryan's Take

As much as I hate to say this, it's come to the point where I can't afford to blog nearly as often as I do, under current circumstances. I've been fighting to keep it up for so long, coupled with the fact that I'd like to expand what I'm doing, that I need to make some changes one way or the other. Nothing would please me more, for example, than posting youtube clips of state hearings on this site, or interviewing candidates on youtube, or doing any number of things... that would require a digital video camera. That's just not in the bag right now, but it could be, if readers choose to help make my site better by donating to the cause.

Blogging is my passion and I think I'm pretty good at it. I certainly have a solid basis of knowledge on a whole host of issues facing Massachusetts - and the willingness to learn more. My posts and work through this blog have made impacts in this state, both medium and small. I've affected political stories, hosted official forums and helped candidates win races - all of which would have been at least somewhat different, if not for the existence of this blog. I've had the chance to meet many great people, all of whom make my blogs better and continue to make Ryan's Take a great place to read about and discuss Beacon Hill politics. All of these things motivate me to keep doing what I do best - posting across the Massachusetts blogosphere, as well as organizing in the netroots community and others to push for the issues that matter most.

I have no delusions of what putting a "Donate" button will do for me on this site. It's not going to pay for a living. However, I'd be happy enough if it was offsetting my blogging expenses - which which run in the hundreds every year I've done this. I'd be ecstatic if it gave me the resources to expand what I'm already doing. The fact that I'm no longer in college makes matters even worse, since I don't have magic money flowing from mysterious sources that I still don't quite comprehend that pay for my expenses (that, of course, I now have to pay off, making things all the worse at present).

Just as a note - I don't think most people realize the time daily bloggers put into their work. An average post takes around two hours to write - often more. This post took three, plus the time I spent creating a Paypal Account (at least another hour, because it's freaking complicated). I put 20-30 hours a week into my efforts at Ryan's Take, easy. I read and talk to sources every day, often for hours, to stay abreast of the issues and find stories to write about. I have to keep up with all of these organizations, contacts and networks, which means an endless slew of meetings, phone calls and emails - all of which I love and enjoy, don't get me wrong, but they're time consuming and never ever free (at the very least, I have to pay for gas).

I've written posts that have taken me all night to create - doing artwork, editing videos, finding links and more. Often times, those things take twice the amount of work than writing the text, which is why I don't do them as often as I like (something that would change if people donate). None of that includes the time I've spent traveling to get to events, or listening to hours and hours of hearings and forums. It also doesn't count all the behind-the-scenes organizing I do on behalf of the lefty Massachusetts blogosphere - which, by the way, will include a big BlogLeft event this fall (details to be announced later). Did I mention my weekly podcast and all the hours I spend preparing for it?

What Does This All Mean? What Am I Actually Changing? What am I Asking For?

Effectively, I'm changing nothing, except I'm adding a button to my website. All I'm saying is I can see the day in which I'll have to almost completely stop blogging, if I don't make some changes now. There aren't a lot of blogs out there like mine in this state, so I hope others will agree with me when I suggest that a quiet Ryan's Take is a bad thing. So, for those who really enjoy my posts and are in a financial position to do so, I'd appreciate some financial backing to keep my efforts up. If anyone would like to see an expanded Ryan's Take - complete with regular videos - and is willing to help me achieve that, we can make it happen.

Consider it like the Boston Globe: you can get the whole thing online for free, or pay a little extra and buy some dead trees. I don't want anyone to buy dead trees on my behalf, but I realize a donation won't come without some quid pro quos.

What I Can Do For You

While I'll never sacrifice my integrity on this website (for example, money won't ever change my positions or keep me quiet), I'm certainly not opposed to allowing people to 'sponsor' posts. If you want your appreciation recognized publicly, I'd be more than happy to put "this post is brought to you by Person X" at the end - your name could replace X, with a small donation. People could even choose to sponsor every post I write about on a particular subject. Care about GLBT issues? Sponsor my GLBT posts! Sponsors could also have a link to their website, blog or store that they own attached to their message.

Alternately, I'd be beyond thrilled to post an ad with a link on the side of my website for a small donation. Google ads has been beyond useless - and doesn't even completely work on this new blog format. If users want to advertise on Ryan's Take, though I'm no Picasso, I'll even create the artwork if necessary and do the html. I get hundreds and hundreds of readers every week - that's got to be some decent, cheap advertisement for restaurants, stores, campaigns and more. I always answer my emails if anyone has any special requests.

With very few exceptions, blogging will never make anyone a living - I've said that many times on this site, in forums and elsewhere. Even Bob, David and Charley have day jobs - and their traffic in one day amounts to what I get in a week or a month. But I do think what I have to say has some value and reverberates far beyond the html that represents this site. Many of the people who read my blogs also staff campaigns, work at the State House, at the Globe or organize at the party level. More importantly, my readers represent the most hard core progressive activists in this state - and there are hundreds of them, many of whom read daily. So a donation to Ryan's Take, by any metric, isn't charity. In the end, donations small and large will allow me to be able to put more time into blogging, make my work more consistent and better, as well as keep my efforts and activism going in a day and age when we need all the progressive activists - and bloggers - that we can get.

So, please, click the donate button to your right and help make Ryan's Take better. Alternately, contact me if you'd like to make any special requests. You won't regret it.

Thanks,

Ryan

My Bay Windows Column: Wilkerson Must Go

Mike and I penned a Bay Windows column appearing in today's paper, following Tuesday's podcast, asking that Senator Wilkerson do the right thing and step down.

We were told, over and over again, that she could clean up her ways. Even just before this latest deal with the Attorney General, most of us believed it. We gave her second and third chances, only to have our trust betrayed each time, most recently by this latest scandal, one that went on for a stunning five years. Enough is enough. If the senator would like to restore our trust, she should do the right thing and step down. She’ll still have our thanks for her courageous votes, but it’s time for new leadership.

Furthermore,

Of course, the odds that Senator Wilkerson will willingly step down are slim. Obviously, our community can’t depend on her to make the right call. If she can’t manage step down on her own accord, leaders in our community and others whom we work with must stop covering for the senator’s bad behavior: it’s a detriment to the entire GLBT and progressive movements, making it appear as though we could care less about the law, so long as we get our votes.

The progressive community must stand for high ethics in this case, lest we be labelled hypocrites. We demand honest and fair government fueled by people-power. It's hard to see where repeated law-breaking public servants fits into the progressive landscape of candidate biography. Certainly, Wilkerson isn't the reformed type - her latest plea deal, for crimes that took place over five years, was only her latest in a long litany of epic misjudgments, crimes and misdemeanors. We must demand more - and, luckily, there's an alternative progressive candidate who offers that in Sonia Change-Diaz.

Wilkerson Bailed on Today's LeftAhead Podcast

We were expecting Senator Wilkerson on today's LeftAhead Podcast, but she bailed on us with a don't-call-us, we'll-call-you promise of a rescheduling. Mike is a lot less cynical than I am, and is willing to give the Senator the benefit of the doubt that she was just too busy only a few days after promising to join our show. Either way, I (read: not everyone on the show) find it inexcusable.

We also chatted about the newest attack of the Mooninites: the MBTA showing that they're only the latest state agency to completely miss the boat in the age of the internet and tech savvy newer generations. Instead of swimming with the current, they tried to stop it - and were severely beaten in the process, turning this into a national story about how the T is clamping down on the freedom of speech. Suffice it to say, this is bad press and a bad mistake on the T's part.

It's a mistake that could get worse, as word gets out that the students were essentially offering the MBTA free and private consulting on how to fix their problems. Hopefully, Massachusetts state agencies will start to think about how to react to perceived problems with today's young adults and various subcultures in the Age of the Internet, because there's clearly systemic problems and the attack of the Mooninites are plaguing Massachusetts seemingly everywhere.

Complete Site Revamp!

Thanks to Sab, my site has a new header. However, that's not all that's new - in order to get the new header, I had to update to the new version of blogger - something I've been loathe to do for months now. What's all this mean in the months ahead? Well, I may start to do polls or use some other nifty features available with the new blogger platform. It took a few hours and I'm not entirely enthusiastic about all the changes, but it will lead to a better site overall. Feel free to point out errors or gaffes in the site and I'll continue to work on it in the upcoming days.

Thanks!