A Whole New Month with Nothing to Say

I have not posted a blog in a while, so you'll have to forgive me there. I've been busy / lazy / had things on my mind which don't easily fall form into a coherent blog (as though there were such a thing). But, I thought I should post today if for no other reason than so you'll know I'm still alive and won't come searching for the body, only to discover me in the buff playing backgammon with a robot (it could happen).

The biggest problem with being a news junkie is that the most easily accesible news, and the most reported, is also the most sensationalistic (i.e., depressing). For instance, the story of the teenage boy in Alabama who got in an argument with his brother over a girl and in retaliation decided to rape his own mother. How did that happen? Well, she was passed out drunk on the couch in the middle of the day, and when she awoke, the kid wanted to finish. Seriously, I share a planet with these people?

And then because I didn't learn my lesson after reading that, I read an article about a mother who hit her adopted son on the head with a hammer, causing trauma that took a week to kill him. And the husband never took the kid to the hospital because he didn't want to get in an argument with his wife.

But the news isn't all bad. I for one am very excited, and hopeful, about the elections next week. I'm not the kind of person who thinks things will instantly become better overnight, but I'm hopeful that a step in the right direction might help to make things better. Here's the part where I normally would tell you "no matter who you vote for, make sure you vote" but we all know that's a crock. If I had my way, everyone who was eligible to vote would, and would take it seriously enough to be informed and actually think about their decision. Sure, I'd think it would be great if everyone voted for the people I want to win, but it's also simple-minded and childish to say "I'm going to vote for whoever the guy is who isn't Republican" or "I'm going to vote for whoever is against the war". When electing someone to a position for a term of years where they will vote on any number of bills and issues and wield power and influence, it's stupid to pick the person based solely on their party affiliation or a single issue. That really bugs me. Almost as much as people who say "what election? Didn't we just have one?" That's the problem with the heavy-handed executive, that people start to forget about the other branches. Anyone who only votes for President and neglects to care about their other representation should be forced to only eat one meal each week, forgoing all others. If they survive, then they are free to continue being lazy simpletons.