banksy

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I Voted Today

I stood in line for an hour and a half to vote in Precinct 38 this morning. It was my first time to vote for President actually in Nebraska--the other three times I voted absentee. I could have voted early, by mail or by going to the commissioner's, but I wanted to do it in person, at the polling place, I wanted to stand in line. When I left, there were still as many people waiting to vote as there were when I got in line--I estimate 60. At 9:45 am, I was the 89th person to vote , and at the last election, at my precinct, a grand total of 160 people voted. For some reason, Precinct 34, which also votes at the AV Sorensen Center in Dundee, had a very short list of registered voters and no line whatsoever.When I get in the booth, I always get nervous that I'll accidentally vote for the wrong person. I'm pretty sure I didn't.

The folks behind me--a mixed race couple and their voting-age son--provided an enjoyable eavesdrop, until they realized that they were in Precinct 34 and could skip to the front of the line. The mother, who was white, was exhorting her companions about how important it was to vote, and how she had seen on tv that Bush had stolen the past two elections and she wasn't going to let that happen again. The woman's son kept warning her that she should be quiet, because the Republicans might "jump" her, a possibility she viewed with enthusiasm. When the son said that he wanted to go home and have a bowl of cereal, or at least go sit in the car and wait, his mom told him that too many people had died for him to get the vote, and besides, "Can't nobody come get you when it's time."

I think the mother, along with several other people in line, distrusted the election officials. The guy who kept coming along and inviting Precinct 34 people to jump the line was met with skepticism. At least one person told him he was perfectly happy to wait in line. And the first time the guy came along, the son behind me asked his mother if she knew where they were supposed to vote (hoping that they were 34 folks)--she bridled in response and said, "Of course I know where we're supposed to vote! Right here!" It was only the second time that the guy came by with his Precinct 34 speech that she got her card out to check.

All very exciting. I don't know how I'll concentrate today.

Folks waiting to vote, view from inside the polling place.

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green is keen

"Green is Keen" is what my old Kermit THE Frog pin said, and which, if I knew where it was, I'd be wearing today. Top of the morning to all you.

Here, enjoy this (courtesy of JAMcS the younger):




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yip yip yip yip uh huh uh huh

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doo doo dooby doo good thing

As many of you know, by winning National Public Radio's game show, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, you can get eminent voice Carl Kasell on your answering machine. Here are some of the ones he's done. (You have to play them on Realplayer, I think.) A lot of them are boring/stupid/probably annoying to listen to more than once. I am trying to think of what a good one would be. Maybe just having him say "Hi, this is Anne! please leave a message." or something simple.

Also, here's this weird coffee beer. As MH has pointed out, it might be hard to know when to drink it.



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believe it

I'm going to see this flamenco company perform in Holdrege, NE, on November 4th. You should too!


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