Vote Vote Vote and Vote some more

This is pretty good. I'm living in a swing state, so my vote counts more than usual. I'm also in a state that lets you vote early. Typically I am the biggest critic of all things government. But whenever I get to vote, I feel really good about the system. It's just good to cast a ballot! I got to the polls Friday and I got to cast away. That glow doesn't last long, so I want to enjoy the moment. It's good stuff.

I don't have to deal with election day lines, or trying to figure out if I would get screwed by the system and have to cast a "provisional ballot" on election day. I'm all done. It feels good.

So get out there. Vote Early. Vote Often. Vote for me. (Just kidding unless you were thinking of voting for McCain.)

Yellow Ribbons

I was out on a run recently and some redneck-looking guy in a 1980’s era pickup buzzed right by me. He missed my shoulder by just inches. I was watching him closely as he came at me, ready to drop out of the way of the side view mirrors or if he started to veer at me.

I could smell his breath, yes it really was that bad, and he didn’t bother to put down his Big Mac, stop slurping on the Big Gulp, toss the cigarette aside, or put the cell phone down. Just as he got passed me, I stopped and turned, and perhaps I hollered something at him, and it is even possible that I waved at him with one of my fingers higher than the others.

And then I saw them. Those yellow ribbons. “Support the Troops” they say. Here’s another sanctimonious wanker driving a gas guzzler down the road and the only support he gives the troops is to buy an imported sticker so he can give the impression that he bothers to support the troops.

No way dude. Get off the road. You want to support the troops? That doesn’t cut it.

About 25% of the homeless people in the US are veterans. That is not ok.

But since this blog is a not a negative rant or my soapbox, here’s some positive steps he can take instead of a bumper sticker.

Contact someone in Congressman today. Tell them you want Line Item 1 of the Federal Budget to speak directly to veteran’s benefits. And they better be really, really, extremely good benefits. Nothing else comes first.

That would be a start and hell of a lot better than a sanctimonious yellow ribbon.

Here’s a couple of web sites for that dude in the pickup truck.
Any Soldier
roosevelt institute
homes for our troops
troop support
Reps: House of Reps
Senate: Senate

Unlike my PV panels, you can put your yellow ribbons where the sun don’t shine.

A whole lotta hot air

The ABQ Hot Air Balloon Festival. Almost 700 hot air balloons and a sunrise mass ascension (non religious). 

There were so many balloons they bounce off each other as they fill up. Spectators get to walk around the fields and get up close and personal with them. 

Darth Vader, of course, stole the show. Oh yeah, only US $10 for a ticket and a bus ride to the show. No charge for sunrise over the mountains.

Coincidence??

Within 72 hours of posting an entry about Dave's hydrolyzer, he was the victim of a it and run. The mad-scientist-chemist mechanic was luckily uninjured but his car is a mess. 

The driver of the hit and run got away.

I know, I know, you're thinking that the Feds, or was it Big Oil?, came to town to take him down. Once some threat to status quo hits the internet, they can't let it stand. 

I know, I know, I too feel like I'm in an X-Files episode suddenly. David Byrne was just in ABQ playing Talking Heads songs, Dave's car is impounded to a lot in Roswell and never seen again. Definitely getting strange here in Farm Town. And the paranoia seems to be building as we scream towards midterms.

You may also be thinking, 72 hours, why 72 hours? 

Guess what - They privatized that too! The old response time of 24 hours is gone, and it's been privatized into a 72 window. You just can't count on anything anymore.