Yes, it’s the “big day” for a lot of kids around the country. The Boy is “over” trick-or-treating. So we’ll be going to a friend’s house for drinks, and then a movie to avoid the doorbell.

In the spirit of the day and its true origins, I give you this link so you can read all about how Halloween started in the U.S.

The festival of Halloween is based on a combination of the Christian commemoration of the departed faithful (All Saints’ Day) with the pre-Christian Celtic feast associated with a celebration of the end of summer and the Celtic New Year. Celts who lived in what is now known as Ireland, Scotland and parts of Great Britain celebrated their new year that began November 1. Allhallows’ Even was observed on the evening of October 31st. Around 800 A.D., the day became known among Christians as Allhallomas which eventually changed to All Hallow E’en, or Halloween.

So have a drink and celebrate the departed faithful and the Celtic New Year! That’s what we’re gonna do. Happy Halloween!!!!

Wow. A 15 year-old kid stole a bus in Orlando and drove a transit route, picking up and dropping off passengers just like any other bus driver would.

“I drove that bus better than most of the LYNX drivers could….There isn’t a scratch on it. I know how to start it, drive it, lower it, raise it.”

Apparently, the kid has done this previously with a tour bus. What would you do if you got on a bus and saw an obviously too young to drive kid behind the wheel, but he was doing quite a nice job of driving it? Would you call 911? I’m not sure, but I think I probably would….after he dropped me off at my stop .

Oh, get your mind out of the gutter. It’s not THAT kind of secret.

It’s a different kind of dirty. You see, I am known for having a clean house. I mean, a really clean house. Those things that you might do as part of your spring cleaning I do each and every week.

That being said….there is something that happens to the not readily visible parts of the house when I clean. You see….the closets and the drawers? Not so much clean, as they are stuffed full of the things I didn’t want anybody else to see. This drives the spouse nuts, ad he leaves things out so he can be reminded he needs to do something with them, and I go behind him like a maniac shoving things in this drawer or that, or the other closet or cupboard. So when he goes to look for them he cannot find them.

I can’t help it. I HATE CLUTTER (that I can see while sitting in the chair watching T.V. or reading).

Anyway, so our bedroom closet was COMPLETELY out of hand. There was old stereo equipment, luggage, letter jackets from high school, size four clothes from the 80’s, old training manuals….everything was in there.

So today I sucked it up and cleaned the damn closet. Three large leaf bags later, it is clean. And everything is lined up so neatly in there. It took more than three hours, but it is done. It is so lovely I walk back there every hour or so to marvel at its neatness. I had no idea a clean closet could be so nice.

It was pretty funny when The Boy got home. He was really worried I’d start in on his closet, but I promised him I would not. Oh, believe me I want to. But some things are better left alone. I can shut the doors and then it will look clean to the occasional visitor. As long as it looks clean, it’s clean. Right?

The following conversation took place moments ago while I was helping The Boy study for his Texas History test tomorrow:

Me: “I noticed there were a few things you weren’t familiar with. Don’t you think you might want to at least glance through the chapter one more time tonight?”

The Boy: “Well, I could but I don’t see much point to it considering the fact that we go over the chapter review and check it in class, and then he lets us study in class right before we take the test.”

Me: “……..”

The Boy gleefully ran up the stairs with his textbook to resume his computer game, knowing there was no way I could respond without sounding totally ridiculous.

So he’s up there playing his game. And now the mystery as to why Texas History is his favorite subject and its instructor is his favorite teacher has now been solved.

Man, I wish I’d had at least one teacher like that in middle school. Lucky kid. No wonder he gets all 100s on those damn chapter tests.

Today Tommy and I headed out to do our civic duty and vote during early voting week. In Texas, you get a whole week to vote early and fit it into your schedule. So your vote will count even if you’re out of town on election day, or just don’t want to put up with the long lines.

They had the usual crew of elderly volunteers working the check-in desk. Three nice senior gals that seemed to know each other pretty well. Man, there’s nothing like listening to elderly Texas women gossip, talk about their infirmities, and generally give each other a hard time.

Anyway…there were only like two people ahead of us line. It was raining today, so there weren’t many people out in general. One guy chose to do electronic voting. And the other guy steadfastly chose the written ballot. I know some people are set in their ways, so I guess it’s good they have that option for those that like to use pen and ink or for some reason don’t trust the electronic machines.

I didn’t want the paper ballot. I’m a technology girl. And..can I just say…LOVE the electronic machines. It was the first time I’d ever used one. They let you review all your answers at the end and give you a chance to make changes if you want to. The only think I didn’t like was they used a little spinny dial thing instead of a touch screen so you had spin the dial to make your choice and then hit enter vs. just touching something on the screen. But other than that, I much prefer the electronic way.

Of course, there are those that will never trust technology enough to vote that way. So we will need to continue killing trees for them. Oh well…at least they bother to vote which is more than we can say for a lot of people.
I say, vote early and vote electronically! So, given the choice…would you prefer the machine or the pen?

Well, okay. They might not be YOUR issues. You might not care about any of them. But I do. And as I prepare to go and vote early this week I’ve been thinking about the issues that matter to me. Since I like lists, we’ll do it in a list. Shall we?

1. National Security. I am not for anyone that voted against the NSA wiretapping thing….it is beyond the pale that anyone would want to protect one single phone call that is being made to or from known Al-Qaeda members overseas. If you’re not talking to Al-Qaeda, then you have nothing to worry about. The NSA does not care who you call or what you’re talking about, as long as it’s not to an Al-Qaeda terrorist. Get it? Port Security Bill was signed into law. That was good. Progress there. I won’t vote for anyone that is against questioning, listening in on, or capturing terrorists. Whatever it takes.

2. Abortion. Personally, I don’t care if someone wants to kill an unborn child. Well, I do care in the sense that I don’t think ending a perfectly viable life is right, but it’s not for me to say. It’s a moral decision each person has to make for themselves. So I guess I come down on the pro-choice side of this one, except it would be great if my tax dollars didn’t pay for them. But I know that will never change. Not an issue that will decide who I vote for though, as I am not a single issue voter.

3. Illegal immigration. I don’t necessarily think the fence thing is a good use of funds, but at least it’s a step in the direction of trying to prevent illegal entry to America by those that want to work….and those that want to hurt us (like Jordanian terrorists and others caught trying to cross near Mexico). Nope, I’m not for anyone that considers these illegal aliens citizens with all the rights legal citizens have. I won’t vote for anyone that’s for amnesty without consequences or that calls these people “undocumented workers” – whatever…what part of illegal do people not understand?

4. Nancy Pelosi is evil. The thought of her in charge of anything makes me want to run and hide. She is a very, very scary person. No matter how many times she tells us she’s a grandma. Nope, wouldn’t vote for anyone whose vote she could sway in the congress by threatening to deny them plum committee positions.

5. Iraq. Not a good situation right now, but I still think the decision to go was right. I can’t believe there are some who say the world would be a better place if Sadaam was still in power. Idiots. I’m not for anyone that would assign specific dates to anything with regard to withdrawal, since that’s basically giving the terrorists a time line to put their plans to overtake the country into motion. I do think having milestones without assigned dates is a good idea though. News lately indicates this might be where we’re headed with Iraq tactics. Good. I’m not for anyone that wants to pull out immediately or wants to set artificial dates for withdrawal.

6. Gas prices. I can’t believe some people think Bush can make a couple calls and effect what we pay at the pump. If that were the case, then OPEC would not have announced they were cutting oil production by 1.2 million barrels a day. That’s nuts. I don’t vote based on the price of gas. Never have.

7. The economy in general. Now, this is something I DO vote on. With record low unemployment and the DOW at all time highs and new jobs being created at a steady pace and the deficit cut in half ahead of schedule…it’s really hard to argue that Bush policies are not working here. But I know some will. They always do. Doom and gloom in the face of progress…now isn’t that cheery?

8. Tax cuts. We need to keep these. History has shown that every time we raise taxes, we lower tax money going into the coffers. Businesses can’t grow if all their profits are being paid out in taxes. As a side note here…I have not heard of one single politician that is for tax hikes that has given back one single dime of tax money to the government. They’ve ALL taken advantage of the tax cuts. If they really thought it was so much better to pay more, they’d pay extra. What they really want is more of our money to pay for useless pet projects or entitlement programs that don’t work. I’m not for anyone that wants to raise taxes. By promising to not make the cuts permanent, this is exactly what they are promising to do.

9. Social Security. There were some that were proud nothing was done to save social security. Why make waves when they’re in office? Just roll it forward 20 years to a point where it is completely unsalvageable. They would much rather have access to our money to put into other things vs. giving us control over it so we can ensure that at least some of the money we put in can be taken out when we retire. As things stand now, we are not counting on getting anything from social security when we retire. We’ve made other plans, and so should you. Because it will be bankrupt by 2020 or something like that if nothing is done. Yes, I vote based on this issue.

10. Education. In recent years more money’s been put toward education than ever before, but some will say it hasn’t. If this is an issue you care about (and I do), then you should do some research on the numbers. I’m for testing students, and I’m also for testing teachers. If teachers can’t pass a test they are giving their students, how can we ever expect that they’ll be able to teach the material? Yes, test the teachers. And we should have more money set aside for grants. But then that’s always the case. Because social security and Medicare cost so much, there’s not much left over for education, unfortunately.

11. Scandals. Both sides have had their fair share of these. I think being in government eventually corrupts everyone to some extent because they have to rob Peter to pay Paul. I think more lobbying reform is in order, as payoffs are a big cause of some scandals. The Foley thing and previous scandals along those lines have been handled horribly. At least with this latest one the guy resigned the minute the really bad IMs were exposed. While in other cases the sickos were kept in office, and even commended for their work. Scandals and how they are handled definitely play into how I vote.

12. North Korea and Iran. We can go back and forth all day long on this one. North Korea was a problem WAY before the current administration, and a bad deal was broken almost before the ink was dry on the paper. I think we should bomb all the stuff we know about in N. Korea and Iran. But I know that won’t happen. The U.N. won’t get anything done with either one. But I hope that eventually NATO will step in and we can get a group together to take decisive action against those two madmen. Air strikes would be good. I’m not for anyone that is a known pacifist and is not willing to use force when necessary.

So those are my issues. All 12 of them. A lot to think about. But I think you can tell from what I’ve said here which way I’ll vote (as if there was ever any doubt). But at least I’ve thought through the issues, read things on both sides, and watched various interviews. What can I say? I’m a tax-cut loving, pro-choice (even though I think it’s a wrong choice), strong economy, low-tax loving, country-loving, pro-military security mom. Yup, that’s me. Proud of it, too.

This is what’s wrong with being a competitive parent. For the love of God, these kids are only in the 1st grade! What kind of example does this set? Not a good one, to be sure.

My son played soccer for about three years until he was eight. There were a few dads like this hanging around the games at the Y. I always felt sorry for their kids. And I wondered how long it would be before they got violent.

Very sad that parents like these ruin everything for their kids, and other kids who are just trying to have fun and play a game.

Um….not only yes, but HELL yes. I really don’t understand what the problem is here.
Arizona passed a law requiring people to prove citizenship when they register to vote, and then show I.D. on election day. Sounds perfectly reasonable to me. Whenever I leave the house, I carry I.D. if for no other reason in case there’s some type of accident or medical emergency.

Of course, the law is being contested by those who would give the right to vote to illegal aliens without a second thought, but at least for now the supreme court has made sure I.D. will be required for this year’s election.

Seriously…do you want just anyone to be able to walk up to a voting station and cast a ballot without proving their legal right to do so? Apparently, some do:

Opponents of the law contend it discourages some people from voting, including the elderly, poor and disadvantaged who don’t always carry IDs.

What-evah. That’s a load of crap and I think most thinking people know that. If people really cared about making sure they can cast a ballot, they would carry some I.D. with them on election day. These are probably the same “opponents” who are trying to make it legal for convicted felons to vote. Losing the right to vote is the price you pay for felonious actions…at least it used to be.

By entering the country illegally and living in the shadows, illegal immigrants should pay a price by not being able to vote. At least for me that’s the way it should be. Unfortunately, things might go the other way on this. If some have their way, being a legal citizen of the United States will eventually mean nothing as all the rights and privileges associated with citizenship will be granted to whomever wishes to have them – regardless of which laws they’ve broken.

The thought of illegal immigrants voting in our elections disgusts me. Either play by the rules or go home.

That’s what I think, anyway.

Not when the person in question killed 10 people and injured 70 others while driving. I’ve long thought that elderly drivers should be given vision and reflex tests every year past the age of 65 to ensure they are a not a danger to themselves or others on the road. There are many, many elderly drivers on the road which have absolutely no business being behind the wheel.

This from another story covering the event:

Authorities said his 1992 Buick Le Sabre traveled 300 yards (273 meters) through the open-air market, reaching speeds of 60 mph (96.5 kph) as it hit food stalls and people before coming to a halt with one victim on the hood and another tangled underneath. Those killed ranged in age from 7 months to 78 years.

And because these people are behind the wheel instead of in the passenger seat or in the back seat of a taxi, people like those enjoying that nice open air market in Santa Monica three years ago have to pay the ultimate price.

As for this guy? If he thought he was okay to get in a car in drive, then he should be okay to go to jail. I don’t even care if it’s club fed with all the frills, as long as he is removed from the prospect of getting behind the wheel and killing again.

I saw this link to an AP article covering the fact that a democratic staffer has been denied access to classified documents pending an investigation as to whether or not they leaked information to the New York Times.

Although they are not sure one way or the other, it appears the staffer asked for the document shortly before an article appeared in the newspaper.

Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Ill., a committee member, said that an unidentified staffer requested the document from National Intelligence Director John Negroponte three days before the Sept. 23 story about its conclusions.

We all know that since this was classified information, the only way the Times could get it is if someone leaked it. This has been going on for a long time and I’m glad they’ve finally identified one of the possible leakers. Of course, they need more time to gather evidence but I’m certain they will. In the mean time, at least they’re denying this person access to our country’s secrets until they find out more.

Interesting that this article (AP article, not a Fox article) was linked on the Fox site, but not on MSNBC or CNN. Hmm…maybe they’re trying to make sure they don’t get on the bad side of potential leakers?

If this person leaked information or documents, who’s to say if it was their idea or if they were told to do it? At the end of the day, when you see stories like this it’s understandable why the intelligence committee does not want to brief the entire congress on sensitive information. It seems some care less about the trust given them with their security clearances than than they do about serving a political agenda which damages our ability to fight terror.

I’m disappointed other news sites did not cover this. But I’m not surprised.