Jane Austen, Book Clubs, Presidential Elections, and the Electoral College

Yes, I know, it's a long ass title. Bear with me. This evening was movie night here in our house. It's been a rather rainy day. Not dreary really, though that is because I love the rain. It's always so crisp and clean and refreshing. I digress as usual. So I went to the Video Store and I also picked up stuff to make nachos. MMMMMM, nachos! The movies I got were Happily Never After, Harry Potter 5, I Am Legend, The Jane Austen Book Club, and 21. All of these are of interest because I or the kids have seen them in previews in our other movies. We watched 4 of the 5 tonight.

The kids watched Happily Never After, I caught bits and pieces of it while cooking up the stuff for the nachos. Then directly after they watched Harry Potter. Having read the book, I knew what to expect, and it was still a decent movie. I sent the kids to bed and Jason and I watched I Am Legend. It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. It also reminds me a whole hell of a lot of Stephen King's "The Stand". That is is an awesome book, especially read in the full unabridge version. It's horridly long, and Jason on made it through the first 1/2, but it is SO worth it. I'd like to get the made for T.V. movie to have here at the house. That would be great as well.

Jason went to bed so I watched The Jane Austen Book Club. I will admit here and now that I have NEVER read anything by Jane Austen. What? Never? Nope, never. I have read Little Women, and Little Men, and all the ones that go with those. Louisa May Alcott, is that her name, the author? I've read a lot of classics, just for fun. I read The Scarlet Letter, Great Expectations, The Jungle, and Animal Farm over the summer before my freshman year of high school. Not for any real reason, just that I had always heard those titles referred back to, so I wanted to read them myself. I read Gone With the Wind during the school year. All 1800 pages of it. I wasn't kidding when I said I was a bibliophile. Anyone who reads required reading for fun, before it's even required, is a bit of a geek. I also refused to listen to anything but classical music, with a smidge of classic rock thrown in, all the way until I almost a sophomore in high school.

That right there is why I feel I have the qualifications to teach my children at home. I know that if I don't understand, I will read a book about it, and find someone who DOES know and I'll ask them to teach me, so I can teach the kids. My mind is like a seive. I know all kinds of odd facts and unusual information. I kick butt at Trivial Pursuit. All except the T.V./Movie and Sports stuff. I don't watch T.V and I won't watch a movie that doesn't interest me and I don't follow sports at all. I could be spending all that time sitting there reading a book.

So I'm going to read some Jane Austen. For those of you who have read her, where should I start. She only has 6 books, right? I am also doing a book club on the Four or More mommies. I guess our first book is going to be the one the guy wrote about having the worst dog in the world. I'm sorry, I don't remember the title right now, but when I go to request it from the library, I will.

Last night I was thinking about the election. I was also talking to my sister, and amazingly, our entire conversation did not revolve around her wedding. We came to the electoral college. How much of a very screwed up system it really is. How is it that only a fraction of the entire country are the ones to pick the new president? I understand that when it was first instituted, it was to make counting the votes easier. I also understand that the person with the electoral vote is not required to vote the way the state votes go. It is their vote and they can vote how they see fit. So how is it that my vote honestly counts, at least when it comes to the new president. Whomever holds that electoral vote, now they REALLY do count. And they count for A LOT.

How do you get picked to be the holder of one of those votes? Who makes that choice? Who is to say that those holders of votes are pre-loaded one way or the other? Who polices that to make sure that isn't going to happen? Do the electoral vote holders actually vote twice? Once for their own vote and once for their vote for the state? Can they be two different votes if that is the case?

In this day and age of computers and new fangled information and all that, isn't it time to redo the electoral college. Does it really provide a viable function any longer? Wouldn't it be better to TRULY put the vote of the people back in to the power of the people?

Those are my ramblings for today. I know I'm late on my sexy new story for the other board, I'm sorry, I've been a bit busy taking care of house and home and all of that stuff. I'll work on it this weekend, I promise. Prayers and Blessings everyone and have a wonderful weekend, rain filled or sunny. I think we will making a trip to the museum.

Well Crap

Unfortunately, my mind has been made up about the new President, at least who I'd like to take that job. Why unfortunately? Because I was really hoping to have some more time to really take the time to look at them all and think on it. And what did it was not the candidates for the job, but the candidates for the 2nd in command. More accurately, the candidate for the 2nd in command for McCain.

I thought Bush was extreme in his religiosity (yep, it's a real word). However, Palin is worse. She has stated that the Iraq war is "a task that is from God". Um, yeah. Oh, and the whole 17 year old daughter being 5 months pg thing. Shit happens, I get that. If her daughter had been taught more than just abstinence, maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't find herself knocked up at a tender age. And she is getting married. I'm not stupid. I was a 17 year old knocked up kid once. I know that girl is feeling extreme pressure from all around her, her family ESPECIALLY, about what she should do. You can NOT tell me with a straight face and an honest answer that that girl has NOT been influenced to marry the boy that got her pregnant. It's the "right" thing after all, isn't it?

So there you have it, I've thrown my towel in with Obama. I liked him anyway. The more I paid attention to what he was saying, and how he was going about it, I liked him. I'll be sad when someone kills him, it will REALLY suck when that happens.

Now I'm going to start getting stalked by the Secret Service. The thing is, I'm not making a threat. It's the facts. He will be the first President that isn't a WASP through and through. Kennedy was Catholic and look what they did to him. And Lincoln let all the slaves go free. This country has enough crazy folks in it that there will be someone who tries it, I guarentee it. It won't be me. Though it wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't someone from my home state.

So my point is this. Palin is letting her religion run her politics. That means she is not someone I am willing to vote for. I like being able to believe as I please. I also TOTALLY disagree with the Iraq war. We shouldn't be there, that simple. Task from God my ass, just like the Crusades were?

Tomorrow is Thankful Thursday and we'll have a happier lighter tone to it all. Prayers and Blessings all.