Election Day

Politics, Rants

It’s Election Day, and I have cast my vote. It’s an action that makes me both proud. But today I’m also sad and concerned at the same time.

I’m proud to be an American, and to live in a democracy where citizens have an critical role to play in our governance. I consider voting to be a civic duty, and I encourage others to do the same.

I’m sad to see major races on my ballot go unchallenged, with only an incumbent running, and happily holding their ‘safe’ seat. In a couple instances, I wrote myself in rather than vote for them. I’m sad because I’m reminded how our current President illegitimately gained the most powerful elected office in the world, and for all the harm he has done while in it. 441 more days, assuming he doesn’t pull a Musharraf/Putin and try to cling to power after his time is up. Given his record, it wouldn’t surprise me at all.

I’m concerned because our election system is in bad shape. For starters, Why Tuesday? That makes no sense at all. Why isn’t Election Day a national holiday? Or a multi-day event? I’m currently reading the book, Stealing Democracy, and it’s sobering to be reminded how gerrymandered districts, partisan election officials, and a patchwork of election eligibility/registration/voting rules can all be used to skew or determine an election’s outcome.

But neither my sadness or concern can overcome my hope and determination. They will move me to action and change. Please vote today.

UPDATE: Looks like most of the wrong candidates won here in Prince William, so you can add ‘discouraged’ to the above feelings. Silver lining, Democrats took control of Virginia’s Senate for the first time in something like 40-years.

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New Movie Tradition

Movies

V_for_Vendetta_mask.jpgSo today I thought about Guy Fawkes…

“Remember, remember the fifth of November,

The gunpowder, treason and plot,

I know of no reason

Why gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot.”

 

I honestly know little of Guy Fawkes, but when I got home I was happy to find my kids already watching V for Vendetta, and I settled in to watch it with them. It was a good movie to watch on an Election Eve. I’m guessing we’ve got a new annual movie tradition to watch on November 5th.

It will join another annual November must watch movie, which is of course, Planes, Trains & Automobiles on Thanksgiving Eve.

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Set A Book Free

Books, Web Surfin'

Passalong BookToday I had a good idea. A great idea really. I had just finished a really great book, and typically I would have happily shelved it, content to have another good book in my personal library. But having discussed this book with a friend, I thought to make it a gift to him, which is a nice thought. But I then imagined him finishing it, and happily shelving it with his books, rather than it being happily shelved with mine, and the thought had less appeal. I don’t know why, I guess I’m selfish. But here’s where the idea came in. What if I gave the book away, on the condition that the recipient would likewise give it away when he finished it? And here’s where the idea gets a cool, tech twist… what if you could track where it went?

Certainly such an idea can’t be that original I thought, and some searching online found that it was not. I found a few web sites that facilitate the free swapping of books by mail, but that’s not what I was looking for. I wanted to turn a book loose, to be found, read, tracked, and turned loose again. I found my idea, already in full fruition at BookCrossing.com. The site offers all of the features I was looking for, and so I registered my book, and gave it to James. Tonight I printed up some labels to use for future releases, the first of which will be my own book, which will be set free in the wilds of Washington, DC tomorrow. May it find a good reader, and be passed along many times.

Five years ago, I entered five dollars into the Where’s George site. None have yet had any of their travels recorded. I hope the books I release do better.

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Wait Til Next Year

Baseball

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I bought a ‘W’ flag on Ebay and it arrived in yesterday’s mail. It’s the same sort of flag they fly over Wrigley Field in Chicago when the Cubs win. The flag arrived in time for some hopeful use this season, but it was not to be. The Arizona Diamondbacks swept the Cubs aside last night, winning their third straight game and ending the Cubs season. Today the ‘L’ flag flies over Wrigley, and the ‘W’ on my new flag has new meaning, ‘Wait Until Next Year’.

As dissapointing as the ending was, I enjoyed a great season with the Cubs this year. I got to see them four times, once in DC, and a wonderful three times at Wrigley in August. Winning the division championship was great, I only wish the MLB.com shop had managed to deliver my new Cubs championship cap and t-shirt to me in time to wear before their season was over.

The Cubs last won the World Series in 1908. Next year offers a poetic opportunity for a century-delayed repeat. Eamus Catuli!

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Happy Birthday Colleen!

Family, Guide to Life

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You’re already in bed after your first day as an 11-year old. But while there’s still some minutes left of your birthday, I thought I’d tell you here in my blog how much we love you and are proud of you. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of you, is fun. You are a fun person to be around. You like to play games (are a wicked backgammon player), and you are also very funny (not looking, I mean humorous 🙂 You’re very curious (yes, like the monkey) – always wanting to learn new things, adventurous (yes, like a pirate) – always eager to try new things. And you are also friendly, kind, and quite a looker too!

Happy Birthday, Colleen! We’re very excited about being with you all of your 11th year.

BTW, the CUBS won tonight!

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Back to School

Family, Guide to Life

Ah, where does the summer go? Ours was full and fun, but now September is here once again, and this week was time for heading Back-to-School.

We’ve now left elementary school behind, as Colleen enters middle school as a 6th grader, and Will is now our second child in high school. For the last twelve years we’ve had one or more kids attending Henderson Elementary School, and I’d like to say thanks for the great job they did for each of them.

This morning, Colleen and I walked to our respective bus stops together. My pickup is just across the street from hers, and just a few minutes earlier. It was kind of strange, standing across the street waving at each other. Her to catch a school bus to take her five miles to school, and me to catch a commuter bus to take me 30 miles to work.

Tonight I rushed home from work to make it to Back-to-School night at my daughter Katie’s high school. The parents there followed their children’s schedule from class to class, spending 10 minutes in each for a quick introduction and overview from the teachers. I have to confess, it made me glad that high school is far behind me. She will have a heavy workload in classes that I hope will engage as well as challenge her.

If we continued counting years as grades in our ongoing education of life, then this fall I’m a 37th grader. I’m not done learning, but the degrees I work for now come bi-weekly and have dollar signs on them.

Oh yeah, and looking back at last year, we can’t forget what else going back-to-school brings next.

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Monitoring the World, by Cartoons

News

From today’s Washington Post (Lawmakers Describe ‘Being Slimed in the Green Zone’), describing a meeting between three members of Congress (Ellen Tauscher: D-CA, Jim Moran: D-VA, and Jon Porter: R-NV) with Mowaffak al-Rubaie, Iraq’s National Security Advisor…

At one point, the three were trying to discuss the state of Iraqi security forces with Iraq’s national security adviser, Mowaffak al-Rubaie, but the large, flat-panel television set facing the official proved to be a distraction. Rubaie was watching children’s cartoons.When Moran asked him to turn it off, Rubaie protested with a laugh and said, “But this is my favorite television show,” Moran recalled.Porter confirmed the incident, although he tried to paint the scene in the best light, noting that at least they had electricity.”I don’t disagree it was an odd moment, but I did take a deep breath and say, ‘Wait a minute, at least they are using the latest technology, and they are monitoring the world,’ ” Porter said. “But, yes, it was pretty annoying.”

I wonder which cartoons Mr. al-Rubaie was watching that Rep. Porter equates to ‘monitoring the world’. Are they the same ones President Bush watches?

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