Sunday, October 20, 2013

Yes, i did

Note:  If Suldog sent you, you are probably looking for Thanksgiving Comes First.  You are also more than welcome to read today's meanderings while you are here.

If anyone asks, yes, i did.  Yes, i voted yesterday.

There were only two propositions on the ballot, and i voted. Yes, i sent Sweetie and Bigger Girl and told #1 Son, too.

You are right, there wasn't much to consider here.  It wasn't a big, hairy deal election.  But, dagnabbit, too many people in this world today would love to have a chance to cast a secret ballot in a free election and will never get the chance to do so for me to just waste the opportunity.

Voter turnout was abysmal, and that makes me sad.

To all the people who had an Election Day in the US yesterday and took the opportunity -- and i know that wasn't everywhere, not even every parish in Louisiana -- thank you.

If you had the opportunity, and abstained because you are protesting or conscientiously objecting, good for you.  That's another freedom you have to exercise, and i respect your right to do so.

If you had the opportunity, and simply didn't bother because of apathy, or you didn't think it was worth your time to elect a local justice of the peace (a nearby parish to ours was doing so) or vote for or against the propositions, remember next time how many people would love to have the opportunity you are wasting.

Don't let apathy keep you away.



Today is:

Birth of the Bab -- Baha'i

Boun Suang Heua -- on the Mekong River near Vientiane, Laos (second day of the Ok Phansa festival, the Boat Racing Festival)

Feast of Agios Gerasimos -- Kefalonia, Greece (celebration of the patron saint of this Ionian island, with religious services followed by dancing and feasting)

Feast of No Excuse For A Feast Day -- internet generated, if you have no other excuse to celebrate something today, use this one

Festival of Ebisu -- Japan (the laughing god, who is the only one available this month, as the 8 million other gods of the pantheon gather at the Grand Shrine of Izumo; traditionally on 20th day of 10th month of the lunisolar calendar)

Installation of Scriptures as Guru Granth -- Sikh

International Juan Valdez Appreciation Day -- internet generated, yet as we sip our morning wake up brew, let's remember the hardy souls who pick the beans for us!

Mashujaa Day -- Kenya (National Day/Kenyatta Day)

Miss American Rose Day -- with online only pageants devoted to high achievement and community service for girls and women of all ages, Miss American Rose suggests treating all women in your life like beautiful roses and performing community service with them

National Brandied Fruit Day

National Day on Writing -- US (sponsored by National Council of Teachers of English )

Pastoral Care Week begins -- honoring all clergy who provide spiritual help and care

Revolution Day -- Guatemala

Seeking of King Look Under Your Mattress -- Fairy Calendar

St. Acca's Day (Patron of learning)

Sunday School Teacher Appreciation Day

Suspenders Day -- probably begun by the same people who wanted to see if you would observe Wear Something Gaudy Day and Dress Like A Dork Day

World Osteoporosis Day -- International Osteoporosis Foundation



Anniversaries Today:

Aristotle Onassis marries Jacqueline Kennedy, 1968


Birthdays Today:

Dann Gillen, 1967
Viggo Mortensen, 1958
Danny Boyle, 1956
Tom Petty, 1950
Jery Orback, 1935
Mickey Mantle, 1931
Joyce Brothers
Art Buchwald, 1925
Fayard Nicholas, 1914
Bela Lugosi, 1882
Charles Ives, 1874
Arthur Rimbaud, 1854
Christopher Wren, 1632


Today in History:

The first Crusaders arrive at Antioch, 1097
The city of Nuestra Senora de La Paz (Our Lady of Peace), Bolivia, is founded, 1548
Battle of sekigahara sets Tokugawa clan as Japan's Shoguns, 1600
Maria Theresa of Habsburg becomes ruler of Austria, Hungary, and Bohemia, 1740
Patent of Toleration, providing limited freedom of worship, is approved in Habsburg Monarchy, 1781
US Senate ratifies the Louisiana Purchase, 1803
The U.S. and U.K. sign the Convention of 1818, which, among other things settles the U.S. - Canada border at the 49th parallel for most of its length, 1818
First Edition of London Sunday Times, 1822
Lincoln formally establishes Thanksgiving as a national holiday in the US, on the 4th Thursday of November each year, 1864
P.T. Barnum's Hippodrome featuring "The Greatest Show on Earth" opens in NYC, 1873
The hull of the RMS Olympic, sister-ship to the ill-fated RMS Titanic, is launched, 1910
The first Negro League World Series is held, the KC Monarchs shut out the Hilldales, 5-0, 1924
United States of America and Pakistan establish diplomatic relations for the first time, 1947
The Nepal Stock Exchange collapses, 1971
The Sydney Opera House opens, 1973
BM-PC DOS Version 2.1 released, 1983
US accuses Microsoft of violating law by forcing IE browser on computers, 1997
European astronomers announce the discovery of 32 extrasolar planets, 2009
Atronomers announce that galaxy UDFy-38135539 is the most distant object observed from Earth, around 30 billion light-years, 2010
Muammar Gaddafi, and his son Mutassim Gaddafi are killed shortly after the Battle of Sirte, 2011

4 comments:

  1. Not voting counts and gives another power to the thing you were protesting. Perhaps selecting a write-in candidate or making phone calls on why you are against something at least gives some power to a protest.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hubby and I always vote. Always.

    Have a fabulous Sunday. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. No votes here in Oregon right now but I always exercise my right to vote. Take care.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Not voting at all sends a message, but the message it sends is that the politicians can do whatever they want and you won't do anything about it. No matter what, cast a vote. Make it a write-in, if need be, because any vote tallied NOT FOR the status quo is at least recognized as a protest. NOT VOTING is open to mistaken identity :-)

    ReplyDelete

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