Eight Feet Deep

My daddy used to say that if a person didn’t vote then that person didn’t have a right to complain about how things turn out in our government. Of course, as Pop well knew, I could complain regardless of whether I voted. But I got his drift.

I thought about this while heading to vote this morning at Central Medical Magnet School in Beaumont. For probably the first time I can remember in an election, I faced a real dilemma although some might call it “choice.” That choice was whether to vote in the Republican or Democratic primary.

The decision of in which primary to vote was as simple as a kindly voting clerk lady saying “Democrat or Republican” when I walked into the boys’ gymnasium where voting was held. It’s funny, that smell of sweat from adolescent boys seems to never fade.

My dilemma stemmed from one race, which was the Republican primary for Texas governor that pits established U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Tea Partier Debra Medina against incumbent Gov. Rick “And His Hair Was Perfect” Perry.

Now as regular readers know, I have no desire to see any of those three — or any three that I can think of — Republicans elected Texas governor. But like other Democrats in the state who really DON’T want Rick “Secede from the Union” Perry reelected, I considered briefly voting for Hutchison who is running uncomfortably behind Perry. A Democratic vote for Hutchison, according to pundits like Texas Monthly’s Paul Burka, might — might — force Perry into a runoff. There the governor could be embarrassed and his campaign weakened. It certainly would mean spending more money, what with another election. All of this could conceivably help the Democratic candidate, likely former Houston mayor Bill White, beat Perry in November.

In the end though, I could not do as one of my favorite bloggers, Eileen Smith of In the Pink: Texas Monthly, said she ultimately did which is vote on the Republican ballot.

When the nice lady said: “Democrat or Republican” this morning I headed straight for the Democrats. Old habits are difficult to quit, like smoking and watching porn. I have always voted the Democratic ballot. The first time was to vote for Jimmy Carter and, yes I am proud to say I did vote for him. No one said our presidents can’t have their faults. (See George W. Bush)

Four more years of Rick Perry is not a prospect I care to think of on a nice pre-spring day on which I heard about three or four great songs in a row on the radio. But I have pretty much been a Democrat all my life and there are just some things I won’t do, like wear a Snuggie, sing “Feelings” in a karaoke bar and vote in a Republican primary. It was a difficult choice to make but it was pretty simple there in the end.

The term “social media” has become a big buzz word or buzz phrase — if there is such a thing — among certain circles these days such as, surprise, media types.

We’re talking about media such as Facebook or My Space or Twitter that have these certain types of folks abuzz like a methed-out bumblebee. I’ve never seen a methed-out bumblebee or any insect for that matter. But when you have to say something, you say something. “Something.”

I’ve tried all three.

Twitter is communication in 140 characters or less. It’s kind of like a mini-newswire for everyone and their pet anteater. It’s immediate. Politicians such as Republican Senate members seem to like it, which is kind of odd because they like to talk so much and not say anything. With Twitter you get to talk up to 140 characters and, if you are a politician, not say anything.

My Space is kind of like darkness. It seems to be the preferred social media for nut jobs and killers. Not everyone is crazy who uses My Space. I have an account but don’t use it. Does that make me a nut job? I don’t know, My Space doesn’t really feel like my space.

Facebook, I like. Probably like all three, it can be put to good use depending on how good you use it. Does that make sense? For instance, I posted last night about the week I had in which I sprained my ankle and wrenched my back in a fall, then as I was getting healed I got food poisoning. Projectile vomiting and the whole shootin’ match, although I didn’t go into detail as I have a very eclectic group of Facebook friends.

I have mostly received messages saying they hope I feel better. My friend Bruce, reminded me of my last severe case of food poisoning when I ate a canned ham from a parental Care package while on my Navy ship off New Zealand. I’ll say the feed pizening wasn’t that bad this most recent round.

Weird or even bad events or occurrences get my Facebook friends and other Facebook family members responding. You can see a slice of everyone’s life who you, practically, know or have known in one incarnation or the other at some time or the other.

It all seems pretty good, right now at least, for me. This is a time in my life I need Facebook. I need my Face. Maybe that will be the “it” phrase like “I Want My MTV” was in the 80s. Was it the 80s.

We will see how Facebook progresses, or not. We?  Why do I write that? We, I mean, all of us.

Greetings and calibrations on what is a thunder-filled, rainy, Friday afternoon in Southeast Texas. It’s been a stressful week so I thought I’d just throw a few odds and ends out there and see if they stick to anything.

We’re so glad that’s cleared up

After all these years we finally learn who Carly Simon meant when she sung “You’re So Vain.” It turns out it wasn’t Warren Beatty, Mick Jagger, James Taylor, Paul Simon, Simon and Garfunkel, Simon and Schuster, Simple Simon or any of the other people in the entertainment world named Simon. Instead, it was record mogul David Geffen. I suppose that back in the early 1970s it would have been nearly impossible to sell a hit record titled: “You’re So Gay.”

Stick that up your Appalachian Trail

Jenny Sanford was granted a divorce from her husband, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, whose cheatin’ heart told on him when he lied about hiking on the Appalachian Trail. He instead had gone to Argentina to visit a longtime lover. The then-rising Republican star said, in first explaining the miscue, that he knew it was one of those “A” places he had planned to visit.

Swiss line up for knives in pending conflict with Libya

The Swiss Army is handing out the famed Swiss Army Knives to its populace after Libyan strong man and resident nut job Moammar Gadhafi threatened the long-neutral European state with a “holy war” over a 2008  arrest and brief detainment of Gadhafi’s son and wife. Experts have said Switzerland should not worry about an actual war with Libya given the past outlandish actions of Ghadhafi. However, Swiss officials countered that no one had actually believed the United Kingdom and Argentina would have fought a war over the Falklands. Or was that Appalachia that fought the UK, asked Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina?

Canadians apologize for women’s hockey team celebration and intend to apologize even more

The Canadian government says it will hold a national day of apology on Saturday after some of its women’s olympic hockey team celebrated with alcoholic beverages and cigars following their gold-medal win over the U.S. team. Government officials in Canada said that it was not sufficient in the country’s culture of politeness to only offer a meager apology by the hockey team’s governing body. “All Canadians should feel sincerely ashamed and only after a national day of remorse will it suffice that we show how much we wish to express our regret,” Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in an address to the nation, adding: “eh?”

Had I known hard times have hit our military leaders so much …

This is a message I received which says it is from Raymond Odierno “A MILITARY OFFICER HERE IN IRAQ.”

Actually, Ray Odierno, is in charge of U.S. forces in Iraq. He’s better known as Gen. Raymond Odierno, as in four-star general Ray Odierno. He was first known to the greater public when he commanded the 4th Infantry Division which joined the beginning of the ground war in Iraq although it was somewhat delayed because Turkey didn’t want us to land there to invade Iraq.

So, anyways, I get this message from Ray Odierno except his email address as sent to me is .es (Spain), the e-mail address in the message says e-mail him in .sn(Senegal) and not .mil(military):

MY NAME IS COMMANDER RAYMOND ODIERNO, A U.S MILITARY OFFICER HERE IN IRAQ.
I SEEK YOU ASSISTANCE TO MOVE OUT OF THIS COUNTRY,THE SUM OF EIGHTEEN
MILLION FIVE HUNDRED AND FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS WE DISCOVERED IN A BUNKER
NEAR SADDAM'S OLD PALACE PRIOR TO THE
DEMISE/COLLAPSE OF HIS REGIME.
PLEASE CONTACT ME ON raymond.odierno@sunumail.sn FOR MORE DETAILS.
I AM WAITING FOR YOUR REPLY.
Have a nice day
COMMANDER.RAYMOND ODIERNO