MUAH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

I told you Kat had been eerily affectionate recently.

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A question to everyone who says they will not be participating in the upcoming election because “their vote doesn’t count.”

Are you really that stupid?

Seriously?

First, may I remind you of the contested counties that held up the declaration of the 2000 presidential election. However, I’ll accept your points about the electoral college, because they don’t matter.

One third of the Senate is up for the election in November. I very much like Jay Rockefeller, so I want to show my support for him in November.

Even more important, the entire House of Representatives is up for election.

For those of you who weren’t paying attention in your history and civics classes, in the United States, power is divided between three branches, and these branches have to work together.

A president cannot run roughshod over the country without the assistance of the House and Senate. Remember the Patriot Act and how it slipped through Congress without much of a glance or a fuss? Are you paying attention now? The president is again trying to shove legislation down the throats of Congress, but this time they’re saying, “Not so fast! Let me take a look at that first!”

That’s difference is one of the things you’re voting for in November. Do you want a Congress that will blindly accede to the wishes of the President, or do you want a Congress that will think for itself and vote the conscience of the people (that would be you by the way)?

That decision lies in your hands.

Then there is the third branch of the the US government, the Judicial branch. Yes, Supreme court and appellate court judges are appointed by the president, but that is only with the “advice and consent” of the Senate. It is the duty of Congress to keep the president from appointing judges that are too far from the main stream.

Then we have state and local elections. Here we are electing the governor (not much of a race, unfortunately), the Secretary of State, and even a State Supreme Court of Appeals Justice. In many ways, these races affect our lives even more than federal races.

WV has a Senate and a House of Delegates, and those Delegates are once again up for election. These are the people who determine state law: Blue laws, speed limits, drinking age.

And then there may be county and city elections as well. These officials control property taxes and school funding and the drivability of your roads (and let me tell you I am still bitter about the failure of Mon county to fund the infrastructure changes we so desperately need–and that failure lies directly in the hands of city and county officials who failed to convince the public of the importance of those projects.)

My point is that–not that you could tell it from the TV coverage–far more is happening in November than the decision between McCain and Obama. These state races have just as much–if not more–influence upon the US government, and these are the races that we the voters control.

So don’t tell me your vote doesn’t matter, because I don’t buy it. (Not even for $10 or a bottle of whiskey.)

Loot for ME! Loot for ME! Loot for Me!

Yes, my prize for winning the Jim Wright is an Asshole contest has finally arrived!

And it’s actually a real prize this time!

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Now you know how I see myself.
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The hearts hung, dripping just a little, from the limb.

“They give them up so easily,” the little man said, as he sat on the ground and looked up at the hearts. “Well, the young ones do,” he clarified.

“What about the old ones?” The woman was perched above him in the tree.

“The old ones, well, they know what they’d be giving up, so they almost never make a deal.” The man picked up the staff sitting on the ground beside him, and poked at the heart on the end, causing it to turn gently.

“You get the hearts, what do they get out of it?”

“Well, they think there’s something wrong with their hearts. They claim the hearts are broken,” he poked at another heart, causing it to turn as well. “But look at them! They’re perfect!”

He was silent for a moment staring at the hearts. “They’re relieving a moment of pain in the now, and giving up all possibility of future happiness. It’s madness, truly.”

“I still don’t understand how they could make such a deal.”

The man leaned back against the trunk of the tree. “Tis the nature of mortality I suppose. Life is fleeting and short, so they want happiness now.” He looked up at the woman. “They have a phrase that explains it as much as anything, I suppose.”

He straightened up and cleared his throat. “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we may die.”

“I don’t get it,” she said. “It’s possible they could die on the morrow, but if they don’t, how can they be merry without their hearts?”

“Ah,” the little man replied, “that’s the rub. They can’t. ‘Course being as I’m the one collecting the hearts, I find it in my best interest to keep that part quiet.”

“So you do trick them,” she looked down at the little man accusingly.

“Some might claim that. But they should know what they’ve giving up, before they make the offer.”

“You mean they come to you?” She was incredulous.

“Yes, they do.” He opened the bag lying at his side and poured out a handful of golden coins. “They willingly trade cold rocks for their hearts.”

“Willingly?”

“Oh yes,” he replied, “eagerly even.”

She climbed down from the tree, her skirts flowing around her as she moved.

“Well, if it’s willing…”

“I thought I could convince ye lassie. These three are promised out, but I’ve two left. One for you, and one for me.” He plucked a heart from the branch and handed it to her.

She held it delicately in her palm, staring at it. “How long does it last?”

“About a fortnight, more or less.” He reached out and plucked the largest heart for himself. “Are ye ready?”

She nodded, and then pressed the bloody mass to her chest. After a second she gave a gasp and stared a the man, who had pressed his selection into his own chest. He walked over towards her and lifted her chin with his hands, leaving a smear of blood on her jaw. “Did I not tell you?” And with that he took her in his arms and lead her back to the tree.

(Inspiration here)

Equals–just maybe–the future of space travel.

Chinese researchers claim they’ve confirmed the theory behind an “impossible” space drive, and are proceeding to build a demonstration version.

With all the craziness over my website, I have completely neglected to mention that this week is the Buckwheat Festival!

Local buckwheat is in the stores, and you can head over to Preston County for buckwheat cakes.

Which is what we had for dinner today. Mmmmmm!

Man charged with battery in addition to DUI.

All I have to say is that my husband had better be careful.

I was finishing changing into my gym clothes when a woman walked over to me and said, “I remembered my top today!”

I surreptitiously glanced around while she was putting down her bag, to see if she was talking to someone else.

No one else in the locker room.

“I brought two of ’em this time, since I forgot my top last time,” she clarified.

I made a non-committal noise and tried to finish getting ready, perhaps just a little faster.

She began to change. “Gotta take my bra off. When it gets wet, y’know…”

“Yeah,” I said, and shoved by gym bag in the locker, grabbing my mp3 player and the lock. “Have fun!” I said as I hurried out the door.

Of course she was there when I was done working out. She’d showered and was now finishing her dressing.

“Almost left my clothes in the shower!” she said. “Almost forgot my clothes!”

“That would be bad,” I acknowledged, trying to balance on one foot while trying to put on my pants without touching the locker room floor. She wandered over to the shower to retrieve her clothing. She took several moments in the process, rather surprising considering the size of the locker room.

She finished getting dressed and I had a chance to survey her clothing: a too large, somewhat ratty t-shirt; shorts that were really too small short, all things considered; and support hose, two shades darker than her flesh, and pulled up to her knees.

“Better dry my hair,” she said. “Don’t wanna catch the pneumonia.”

“It seemed quite pleasant out,” I offered, shoving everything in my gym bag.

“I felt a chill when I came in!” she said, and wandered over to the hair dryers. “Don’t wanna get sick!”

“Have a good evening!” I called as I quickly walked out of the locker room.

I checked the thermometer in the car. It was 76 F.

And that’s pretty much exactly how it went.

I got expected loot, and totally unexpected loot!

What more could I want?
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Why didn’t y’all tell me earlier things had gotten so bad?!

For those who may have missed it, Leonard Nimoy was the guest on Wait Wait Don’t Tell me this week.

If you listen, you can hear Peter Segal TOTALLY geek out.

And for the REALLY geeky? A picture of Leonard Nimoy AND CARL KASELL!