Clareified

I vote early. I always do. I get up, I get in line before the annoying throng supporting their candidates by passing out literature and shouting at passers-by is awake enough to to cause more than just passing annoyance, and I vote. I vote in primary elections, general elections, and special elections. I vote because it’s the right thing to do.

But that all changed today. I still got up early. I still got in line before the annoying throng, right behind a father telling his young daughter about the value of voting. But I did not get to vote.

My home state has had issues with computerized voting terminals for several election cycles. They all were minor until today. Some jackass at the Board of Supervisors of Elections forgot to send out the “unlock me” codes to the voting booths to election judges. That’s right. They sent out the “I voted” stickers, and clipboards, and pens, and registration cards. They even sent out the voting machines. But they forgot to send out the code to turn those fancy machines on.

So, we were given two options: (1) come back later; and, (2) vote using paper “Provisional Ballots.” You know, the kind they give to kids who come to vote with their parents. We could spend a long time entering personal information, then filling out a paper ballot that might be counted a week after the election. Or, it might not be. Nobody really knew the rules. And the paper ballot format was a little screwy.

All of a sudden, “hanging chad” and the other vocabulary that led to W’s first term and left us with Catherine Harris in Congress came rushing back. Nuh-uh. I’m not voting on some random “Provisional” paper ballot that may, or may not, be counted. I left. I’m still hoping I can come before the polls close. But, unless these document production requests write themselves, I don’t think that will happen.

I don’t ask for much from my local, county, and state governments. I don’t have any kids in schools, I don’t need any legislation passed, and I don’t call in to complain about anything. I’m a pretty reasonable guy. All I want is to have my voice heard — to have my vote counted.

Apparently I’m not the only one. As I walked away from my polling place this morning, the father began explaining to his daughter the meaning of the word “disenfranchised.”

I’m really mad right now. Really, really, really mad. But I have no desire to spit.

Which leads me to wonder if the “mad enough to spit” stage comes later or if i zoomed right past it.

Who clearly has a brief to write that she’s not writing? What’re you guys procrastinating from?
Is Alceste dead?

Mac reveals newer, microscopic model.

C is comments that I love so well
o is for oh, where are the comments that I love so well
m is for my sorrow over getting no comments that I love so well
m is for my continued sorrow over getting no comments that I love so well
e is for everyone that used to comment who comment no more
n is for never did I think that I would be writing poetry about comments
t is for telegraphing my desire for comments to all the world
s is for sad.

Hussein later lashed out at “agents of Iran and Zionism” in the courtroom and vowed to “crush your heads.”

He does know that while, it appears to destroy a foe, head crushing is really just an illusion caused by the distance between the head crushers fingers and the crushed head, right?

He’s so wacky.

Having a car means, never eating crappy pizza.
I drove out to DiFara’s pizzeria last night.
It’s a local pizzeria where the owner, an octogenarian, makes every pie by hand.
As I watched him shuffle from overn to dough, grabbing a ball of flour and kneading and pressing it into shape, I was transfixed.
He rotated the dough until it was a smooth doughy circle. Like an artist creating his own palette. He then scooped the sauce and spread it across the surface and grated chunks of cheese into clumps across the sauce.
Wow.
I watched him magically transform dough into pie and after pie. His shoulder blades rising and falling in artistic kisses with the effort.
And then, after thinking I’d write a post about the experience, the voice in my head, the one I will only admit to when on trial for murder, intervened.
Artistic? Magic? Kissing shoulder blades?
Are you mad?
Look, you…you…overstuffed, pseudo intellectual, limosine liberal — that’s not art or magic…it’s called work.
Look into it.

Voting makes me so happy!
Despite the stupid duck faced security guard that watched me climb sixteen stairs, only to tell me the polling place is in the basement, I like the new polling place.
Of course, since all public schools are the same, it’s a lot like the old polling place.
My name is at the very top of the register now. My mom’s name used to be on top of mine.
I went into the booth. The curtains don’t open anymore…don’t know why that was a change they felt they needed to make.
But the whole lever pulling dealie is the same.
So, the big question: Who’d you vote for Dawn?
Well:

In the Spitzer vs. Suozzi race:

Wait…which one is Suozzi again? I thought he was running against KT McFarland for Senate? Shoulder Shrug. Spitzer

In the Hillary vs. …hahahahahahahahahahahahhahaha

Dude. Clinton

In the four-way Congressional race of Clark, that guy, Owens and the white guy: Owens.

In the Attorney General race of Cuomo, Idiot and Maloney: Maloney

In the race for Judge between, never heard of any of and them: heard and any

In the Eric Adams race: The guy listed under Adams. Mostly because I’ve met Eric eight times in my life and each time, he doesn’t remember me. So, suck it.

I also tried to cast a vote in the Republican primary…but the switches wouldn’t work. Oh well, I’m not even sure what those two are running for.

Well, I think that’s it.

Dawn’s well-reasoned voting endorsements. Enjoy.

I love Australians.

At least 10 stingrays have turned up dead on Australian beaches since Irwin’s death. A former colleague of Irwin’s is worried they are being killed in retaliation.

Look, right up front I’ll admit that I am usually very drowsy as I watch…and my hearing’s not so hot anyway, but…

has anyone else noticed that during the hype about Meredith Viera starting on the Today Show tomorrow, Ann Curry always seems to slurringly say something that sounds suspiciously like
“Gosh, so excited about about Merebitch’s arrival!”