TAN 24: TANgerine Speedo.. (Page 77)

yo peeps...

HUGE line at the polls this morning... okay I was like fourth in line... the old farts were taking FOREVER to do the electronic polls...

OF: "Ummm.... is there only one page on this ballot?" 

Poll worker: "no... look down at the bottom.  You'll see some numbers."

OF: I see oh-1-slash-oh-4

PW:Yes, there are four pages.  If you are done with that page, push "Next."

OF: Where's that?

PW: at the bottom.

OF: I pushed it... it didn't do anything.

PW: Push harder.  

OF: nothing.  

PW Push it again.

OF: no.... nothing... again nothing... no... NO... oh wait, there it went.
Wait... now I pushed a box but the one above it selected.  how do I fix it?

PW: Push it again... the green check mark will go away.

OF: It didn't

PW: do it again.  push harder.

OF: nope... no... again nothing.. no... NO... Oh wait, there it went.  But now I
pushed the one I wanted and the one above it selected. 

PW: grimace 

OF: ok... got it.  

This might not seem so bad... but it happened with EVERY person before me, except the young college student and myself.  it was frustrating for everyone... the older folks, the poll workers, and those in line behind the voters.

ugh.

but I voted.

-B 

This raises a question for me... will electronic polling machines like this effectively disenfranchise older voters?  The ones like my dear departed Great aunt, who I tried to instruct on the ways of using the computer for word processing for one whole summer, in vain?

Will they reach a point where they feel so frustrated/incompetent that they just won't want to vote?  Hmmm...

Don't know if I should laugh very hard at the demise or feel sorry.  I've got mixed emotions on this one.

On no....

I JUST noticed that little tickle in the back of the sinuses/throat of a cold.  I hope it's my imagination, but I'm usually right......

Damn it.....

I felt for them... I really did.  I wondered if they couldn't have set up options... electronic for some... paper ballots for others. 

 ugh.

Part of it is the learning curve.  But some will never get it.  you can drag a horse to the 21st century, but you can't make it push a touch screen.

-B 

Get off the ice cubes or stop rubbing icy-hot on it?

I kinda like that one, B!  I may have to steal it for a sig line, if I ever feel inspired to modify stuff again.

Riddle me this, batman.  Why is it that all I've got is a head that feels bigger than Manhattan... but no nasal drip, no sore throat, no sneezes... nothin'.  What is WRONG with me?

(And feel better - dose up on the Emergen-C)

Did the old guy wear a John Deere cap?  Wasn't the next phrase he uttered had Matlock in it?  I'm wondering if he was Town Mayor?  

so tonight my son is having friends over for sleepover... the first for all of them.

yay... three five-year olds... oy vey.

-B

ETA: I'll take bets on whether I have to call any parents this evening to come and get their kid...  

Daaaang.  You know, I'm all for tolerance of opposing viewpoints, but whatever happened to, I don't know, actually HAVING a viewpoint?  An Informed Electorate?

Be prepared for at least one of them to want to call his mama to come pick him up.

Sleepovers rock.

Gravity IS a theory... but theory != guess...

after all... we don't have gravity completely worked out.  

-Brian