Taking a Break

Apologies to my few faithful readers and friends. Redbeard is taking a sabbatical from blogging as he is not feeling the creative juices lately, hence the lack of posting. Instead of turning in sub-standard posts, I'm just quietly going to turn the lights out and walk away from blogging for awhile. Maybe in 2009 I shall be inspired and make my triumphant return to the blogosphere.

Those of you who know where else to find me online, please continue to do so by those other avenues. Until then, take care, and peace.

Tyranny Is Dead. But Is Not Dead.

I originally wanted to write this on September 3 2008. This would have been the 350th anniversary of Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector who died on this date in 1658.

Always the controversial figure, he bucked the system when the system was corrupt by waging war against the Catholic King, Charles I. Of course we all know Cromwell then became corruptible after overthrowing and beheading the King. The Rump Parliament failed whilst Ireland was pillaged, then of course he did the ultimate flip-flop and shut down Parliament and assumed a dictatorship.

I've had some post-election thoughts. Though I have high hopes and the utmost respect for President-Elect Barack Obama, how much are things really going to change? Of course I hear the conservative grumblings that government will be so one-sided. My answer to that is that they should have done a better job in the last 8 years, then things wouldn't have come to this. The nation spoke, like a New Model Army or a changing of the guard, and our new leaders will take us forward.

But how much are things really going to change? Government is still government. They will still spout the same rhetoric; the same problems still plague us along with new ones. That is why I say, Tyranny Is Dead. But Is Not Dead. I do not know if Utopia can truly be a reality, if the human condition continues with corruption and deceit. It would be a good ideal to strive for, but with so many variables I highly doubt it truly can be achieved.

Election Day

Yes, I've already voted at this early hour.

We do have early voting in Vermont, but I just don't trust it. Plus I like seeing everybody else going out to vote, and I wanted to have something to write about, since I haven't blogged in a super-long time. Shame on me.

So I woke up a few minutes before my alarm went off, at approximately 5:52am. I got ready for my day and even helped The Girl get Sierra's diaper and clothes changed. I left the house about 6:35 and got to my polling place across town at 6:45.

It was unseasonably warm - no frost, about 48 F / 8 C, and the sun was coming up against a cloudless blue sky. Forecasts indicate a warm sunny day reaching up into the lower 60s F / 14 C, excellent for an early November. So many other election days have been cold or with a cold rain. But today I only needed a light hoodie.

I got a decent parking place about halfway out. The end of the line at the school was half way between the school and the parking lot, there might have been about 100 people in line already. Scanning the people, the demographic seemed mostly male, white, aged 40+. I feared that the McCain voters were out in droves, but I calmed myself remembering this is a blue state and that Republicans are early birds. I came prepared for a long wait with my mp3 player, but not even 2 tunes in...

The doors opened a couple of minutes early and already we were moving inside the building at about 6:55.

Since I'm registered in District 3, which is the more rural sparsely populated section of my town from when I first moved up here, I could avoid the long line for Districts 1 and 2 in the gym to the left and move right into the small room to the right for my district. The surprisingly young election official asked me my name and crossed me off the list. No ID, no address necessary. She handed me my ballot and I stood in line for just a moment waiting for a booth to open up. I look up and down the ballot, which looks like a scan-tron form for a test we took in high school, and there I found it, Barack Obama. It took a second, I wasn't expecting to see the name at the bottom, however it was organized alphabetically. McCain's name was in the middle. I was out of there by 7:11. No bubbles, no troubles.

Ok, so I know what you might be thinking but no, I didn't vote party line on everything. I did vote Republican for the state Senate, namely because I want the Circumferential Highway to be completed and I think they would be the ones to push that through after years of red tape and silly environmental protests. This highway would be fantastic for business, especially for IBM, the state's biggest employer in my town.

So many emotions today. I was able to vote for a president who wasn't an old white male. I didn't allow myself to get "swift-boated" by negative ads like I did in 2004. I am voting for positive change. I am voting for a better tomorrow for my child. I am voting for better education and health care. I am voting to help end the unneccessary war sooner rather than later. I am voting to stand up and be counted. I am voting to be a part of history.