Election Day

We get to vote today.

In most of the races, i am underwhelmed by the choices.

Once again, the legislature of the State of Louisiana has seen fit to not take a stand, pass the buck on legislation they want passed but don't want to be blamed for, and put a whole bunch of constitutional amendments on the ballot. Seriously, when they want something controversial passed, they put it on the ballot, so they can make us decide.

Well, technically, that's democracy: everyone votes on legislation.

We, however, in theory, are supposed to be a representative republic, where the democracy, because of the unwieldiness of getting a huge population over such a large piece of real estate as the US has grown to be in one place to vote directly, is separated from the people by a layer of those who represent us and are supposed to do what we ask.

If you followed that, and i made sense, explain it back to me please.

Anyway, in all seriousness, we shouldn't average 6-8 constitutional amendments on the ballot every single election.

Since voting is a precious thing, i will vote, and Sweetie will vote, and #1 Son will vote. Bigger Girl's voter registration card hasn't come in yet, so she will have to wait until next time.

Hint, if you ever find yourself living in Louisiana and having to face all that legalese on the ballot -- read it ahead of time, legalese is harder to understand when you are in the booth with a timer going.



Today is:

Abu Simbel Festival -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (along with Feb. 22, the day when the sunlight fell perfectly on the statues of Ramses, Ra, and Amun at the temple complex)

Blue Ridge Folk Festival -- Ferrum, VA, US (largest celebration of traditional folkways in Virginia)

Caps Lock Day -- celebrating life in screaming CAPITALS (i'd include a link to the promo site, but it's rather annoying)

Eat a Pretzel Day

Gormanudr -- Old Icelandic Calendar (beginning of "Innards Month," after all the animals have been butchered and fresh innards figure predominantly in the menu, as the rest of the meat has been preserved for winter)

International Stuttering Awareness Day

Jidai Matsuri -- Kyoto, Japan (Festival of the Eras)

Make A Difference Day -- US (Whoopie Goldberg once said that if every American would donate 5 volunteer hours a week, it would be the equivalent of several million full time jobs; whether or not it's strictly accurate, volunteering is a great thing to do no matter where you live.)

National Nut Day -- grab a handful of nutritious almonds or walnuts or your own favorite mix!

New Year -- Jain

Seeking of King Look Under Your Mattress -- Fairy Calendar

St. Abercius' Day

St. Mary Salome's Day


Birthdays Today:

Brian Boitano, 1963
Jeff Goldblum, 1952
Deepak Chopra, 1946
Catherine Deveuve, 1943
Annette Funicello, 1942
Tony Roberts, 1939
Christopher Lloyd, 1938
Timothy Leary, 1920
Joan Fontaine, 1917
Curly Howard, 1903
N. C. Wyeth, 1882
Sarah Bernhardt, 1844
Franz Liszt, 1811


Anniversaries Today:

Toastmasters International founded, 1924


Today in History:

The temple of Apollo at Daphne, outside of Antioch, is destroyed in a mysterious fire, 362
Emperor Kanmu relocates Japanese capital to Heiankyo (now Kyoto), 794
Battle of the Southern Fujian Sea, Ming Dynasty wins a victory against the Dutch East India Company, 1633
Princeton University is chartered, 1746
Andre-Jacques Trim becomes the first sky diver, parachuting over Paris from a balloon, 1797
Sam Houston is inaugurated as the first President of the Republic of Texas, 1836
First telegraph line linking US east and west coasts of the US is completed, 1861
First concert performance of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, 1881
World's first automobile dealer opens in London, 1897
President Hoover gives the "American system of rugged individualism" speech, 1928
The FBI ambushes Pretty Boy Floyd, 1934
First commercial flight from the mainland to Hawai'i, 1936
Jean-Paul Sartre is awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, but turns down the honor, 1964
A Multi-Party Parliamentary Committee selects the design which becomes the new official Flag of Canada, 1964
The Soviet unmanned space mission Venera 9 lands on Venus, 1975Red Dye No. 4 is banned by the US Food and Drug Administration after it
is discovered that it causes tumors in the bladders of dogs, although the dye is still used in Canada, 1976
Tropical Storm Alpha forms in the Atlantic Basin, making the 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season the most active Atlantic hurricane season on record with 22 named storms, 2005
A Panama Canal expansion proposal is approved by 77.8% of voters in a National referendum held in Panama, 2006
India launches its first unmanned lunar mission Chandrayaan-1, 2008