A Personal Political Statement

 I like to vote on Election Day itself.  It is so easy here, you are in and out in 15 minutes.  And I love the "I voted sticker.  I have been collecting them this century.

I have a preference, of course.  But more importantly I vote.  

I've researched every item right down to the School Board.  I have my choices made.  This isn't a contested State at the Presidential level, but some down-ballot issues are important and those matter too.

So if you haven't already voted, go to the polls and VOTE.

Personally, I would say "vote for the non-Trump candidate of your choice", but vote.  But if Trump is your guy, vote for him.  Just vote!

It matters that you participate.  You can't complain about an election if you don't vote.  

I am about to make breakfast.  Too eggs sunny side up, 2 country links, and two pieces of raisin/cinnamon bread with milk and green tea.

Then I am going off to vote.  If I did nothing else for the rest of the year, that would be OK.  Voting is that important.

And then I'm going to get good and drunk tonight, sleep for 12 hours, and hope to wake up Wednesday with results I hope for...

Some graphics...

I am leaving now to go vote...

Election Day

Today is Election Day in the US.

Vote!

I HOPE you will vote in favor of Democrats to counteract the Trumpian Madness, but the important thing is that you vote.

Voting itself is more important than the choice you make.  The more of us who vote, the more it reflects how "We The People" want our nation to go.  The more of us who vote, the more we all agree about the outcome.

Ask neighbors if they want a ride to the polls, regardless of how they will vote.  Email friends to remind them to vote.  Call older relatives in other States to remind them to vote.  A 70% turnout means more than a 50% turnout.  The more people who vote means we get a better idea what the country really wants. 

If you don't vote, don't complain afterwards...

Shave It?

My family (especially on my mother's side, which is the controlling gene) is notorious for the males going bald in their 40s.  I am no exception. 

I'm considering just shaving my scalp "Mr. Clean" style.  Quite frankly, what's left is just mostly annoying.  I already wear baseball or straw hats outside anyway (to prevent sunburn).

What do YOU all think?

VOTED!

So much trouble...

Walked in and went directly to the registration desk.  30 seconds...

Went directly to the ballot desk.  15 seconds...

Went directly to a voting booth.  Filled in  some circles, 60 seconds...

Went directly to a scanner which read and stored my ballot.  10 seconds...

Received my "I Voted"sticker, 5 seconds...

Total time spent voting, 2:00 minutes...

I could have almost held my breath the entire time!

UPDATE 3pm:  I voted at about 1pm today, ran some minor errends, and went home.  Where I did some minor yardwork.  That was mostly laying traps for the last generation of mosquitoes for the year.  I set out a bucket of water in some shrubs last week and checked it every day to see if there were larvae.  

There were some today, so I dumped THEM on the ground to die and set out 6 small inviting containers  nestled down into groundplants and sprinkled some mosquito bT into each one  with some water.  This bT is a bacteria that specifically attacks moqsuito larvae.  If you see anything called "mosquito doughnuts, that's the stuff.  It is about 100% effective.  Used at the very end of the year, it REALLY cuts down on their start next year.

Update 6pm:  There won't be any election information for an hour, so I made dinner.  Full of nervous energy, I did too much cooking.  I cooked a 1.5" Del Monico steak, corn on the cob, a potato that I fried in the steak fat, a tossed salad in 1,000 island dressing, stir-fried mushrooms and onion and red bell pepper, and some fresh spinach.  Too much to eat for me, but half of everything was fine.  The rest tomorrow.  

Whenever I'm not sure what to do, I cook.  Some people clean, others read, I cook.

Update 10pm:  The election results are too close to be predictive.  CNN breathlessly announced that Trump was leading Clinton in North Carolina - with 1% of the vote in.  That is both utterly meaningless AND maddening.  I turned the TV OFF!  I will wait to see meaningful results later.  

I did some USEFUL work finding out what self-propelled surface-level brushcutters cost to rent for a day at the local Home Depot (only $94 per day) and confirmed that they have at least one to rent.  

I also have a serious gas roto-tiller and a mower than won't start, so I checked on the most likely problems and how to fix them.  Basically, I suspect the problem is old gas.  I haven't used either in several years.  That is "medium" easy to fix.  

Take a couple parts loose and spray the cleaner in usually does it.   And if it doesn't solve the problem, there is a local repair shop that does good work.  I have a trailer to deliver them.  

Meanwhile, I would still prefer to hire someone to do the brushcutting and debris removal (especially because they are mostly brambles and briars).  I'll accept any reasonable quote.  But it is good to know what the actual equipment cost is.  $94 per day rental is a LOT lower than what I expected.  

 
Update 12:30am.  I am horrified.  It looks like Trump might win.  I do not comprehend this.  Fortunately, there are some uncertain States to go.  It was just reported that Canada is postponing immigration requests from US citizens.  So they don't make rash decisions, I suppose.  Good idea.

Personally. I'm not sure what I would do if Trump wins.  More about that if it happens.

Blogblast For Peace, Elections

Can't help it, I just love this one...

And...

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I can't forget US election day, though.  I won't try to suggest who to vote for anywhere.   But things have been improving since the Great Recession of the middle 2000s, we are out of 2 unilateral wars, and back into building alliances (as difficult and slow as that can be). 

Mostly, though, I just want to say:  VOTE!

Since my first vote in 1972, I have only missed voting in one Presidential or Mid-Term or Primary election.  I skipped the presidential election in 1980 because I couldn't stand either Jimmy Carter OR Ronald Reagan and supported John Anderson.  And with the long lines and the hopelessness of his chances, I just stayed home.  I regret that.

Voting is precious.  If you don't vote, don't complain about the results...

So VOTE!

Election Day!

Forgive a mixture of humor and seriousness...

Tomorrow is Election Day!  Vote!  If there is not someone you are thrilled with, there is surely someone you would regret to see in office.  So go vote for someone other than that person!  It is worth standing in line for an hour to do it once every couple of years.  You stood in line longer than that for the new tech gadget or concert ticket.

It matters that you go out and vote because some important elections come down to very small differences in votes.  A few hundred votes in FL and Al Gore would have been president. Our recent history would have been very different had that decision come out differently!  But it matters in smaller elections too.

Senate and House elections matter.  So do Governor elections where they are being held.  But so do School Board elections.  They determine what our children will be taught!  Read about those in the local newspaper or League of Women Voters.

I will admit that I am an unabashed Progressive Republican.  That means I an socially progressive and fiscally moderate.  There aren't many around like me anymore.  WE were driven out of the Republican party by the Goldwater people in 1964, and it has only gotten worse over the decades.  And, sadly, it means I have to vote Democrat most of the time.  Because what is good for ALL PEOPLE is more important to me than what is good for ME personally.

I'll pay more tax to improve schools.  I'll pay more tax to make prisons a place to get a second chance rather than a small room for life.  I support Workfare.  If someone gets a free check from me, then they can damn well earn it doing whatever they CAN do.  We have enough litterred streets and schools needing monitors and elder parents needing assistance, to employ every person getting a welfare check.  And if they have young children, let's set up day-care centers for them (and employ qualified day-care people).  Lets put people to work for what they get from US.  It seems fair to me.

So, if you want the US to get better?  VOTE!

VOTE for the Democrat of your choice, but VOTE!  ;)