2 Things @ Once

My Day In Pictures Working the (Yawn) Polls

7:30 a.m.: The crowds are beating down the doors.
 


8:30 a.m.: Insert sound of crickets.



9:58 a.m.: Two out of two touchscreen machines down. Not a good day for technology.





10:30 a.m.: I got a lot of reading done.



11:20 a.m.: Feel the excitement of democracy in action.



11:45 a.m.: The building is freezing and this is the warmest room in the building. Wondering if there's room in here for a polling station.



2:00 p.m.: My fellow election judge keeps limber.



5:45 p.m.: Not voting.



Total number of voters for the day: 15

Man Your Polling Stations

Short post tonight folks, for I really should be in bed. I'm serving as an equipment manager election judge tomorrow and my wake-up call is for 3:30 a.m. I have to be there at 5, polls open at 6.

Thankfully, for the first time in four elections, we were able to get into our venue a day early to set most of the equipment in advance. It takes a tremendous amount of the pressure off when you don't have to cram two-and-a-half hours of prep into the one hour you have between when you can get in the building and when the polls open. The election when I had to open two precincts with a crew of people who had never worked an election before was one of the most stressful things I've ever done.

Looks like I'm in for a very borrrrrring 13 hours of poll working tomorrow. Someone who lives in the precinct I'm working in said that the only offices up for election are library board and city commissioner positions, all of which are running unopposed. Yawn. After last November's high-energy election, this will be a real snore.

So, I'm off to bed...just as soon as the Cubs close out their season opener with a win.

Blago Indictment

I'm currently refreshing The Chicago Tribune website every three minutes in eager anticipation of Rod Blagojevich's indictment on corruption charges, rumored to be announced today.

Update: Of course, about twenty minutes after I left work, the news broke about the indictment. You can read the press release outlining the counts of "pervasive fraud" on the U.S. Dept of Justice website (look for the press release link in the upper right hand corner) or just skip to the last page to see the maximum penalties for each of the 19 counts, 16 of which were filed against Blagojevich.

Bobby and Kenneth, Separated at Birth

I guess I wasn't the only person last night who thought Bobby Jindal sounded a heck of a lot like Kenneth from 30 Rock. (Thanks Marie!)

I guess this was all over the internet today, but remember I spent my day technology free with a 2-year-old.

And then over on the "new" Late Night show, with Jimmy Fallon (yikes), the "real" Kenneth had fun with it as well.

Corrupt IL Politics: It's Not Just a Joke, It's an iPhone Game!

I laughed out loud when I read this in the Chicago Tribune online today:

Apple gives its approval to 'Pay2Play' game based loosely on travails of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich

Apple has given a wink and nod of approval to "Pay2Play"—not the unsavory political practice but a game for the iPhone.

The application by Juan "J" Rubio starts players off in Springfield, mired in debt, with impeachment 30 days away. They must amass cash by buying and selling items such as Senate seats before they're booted from office.

Rubio plans to update the game to keep up with the latest corruption-related events. That could keep him busy.

You Can Almost See the Waves of Mind Control

This photograph of Dick Cheney skulking in the bushes while W. speaks in today's New York Times is absolutely hilarious.

Emergency Christmas!

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Baloneyvitch

The Blagojevich circus rolled into New York today, where he made the rounds on national TV proving to the rest of the country what we in Illinois have known for a while now--this man is a complete yahoo. They can't impeach him fast enough as far as I'm concerned.

Personally, I'm looking forward to the moment when they call the vote in the state senate (any day now.) The magic number is 40 votes (out of 59 senators) and I'll be counting right along.

I just finished watching Blago on Larry King Live and I can't say I'm surprised he wasn't asked any really pressing questions. Softballs all the way and lead-ins for clips and comedy bits. It irritated me that in his various appearances throughout the day, no one interviewing him countered the point that Blago keeps playing up, whining because he can't call witnesses and defend himself in his impeachment trial--that is, that this is an impeachment trial, not a criminal trial.

All they have to do (from what I understand) is prove he's abused his power and is unfit to serve as governor. His recent TV tour has only helped to prove that (Oprah Winfrey? Really?!) not to mention the things he's said and done in the past weeks, months, and let's face it, years.

My blood boiled today every time he used the phrase "will of the people." If Blago really meant what he said about working for the people (what a joke), he'd have resigned and let the state of Illinois, which is in utter political and economic crisis right now, try to right itself from this fiasco and move forward.

Inauguration Ceremony: My 10 Second Take

Loved the moment of swearing in.
Hated the hype.

Loved Michelle Obama's outfit. (Few women can pull off that shade of gold.)
Hated Aretha Franklin's hat.

Loved the musical performance by Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman (even if it was arranged by John Williams.)
Hated Aretha Franklin's version of "My Country 'Tis of Thee."

Loved the benediction by Rev. Joseph Lower.
Hated the invocation by Rick Warren.

Loved Obama's delivery (though not necessarily the speech) but it ended powerfully.
Hated the poem. Boring and poorly read.

Favorite moment: Watching the helicopter lift up and fly George Bush off and away.

Laugh Until You Cry

"It's important for us to explain to our nation that life is important. It's not only life of babies, but it's life of children living in, you know, the dark dungeons of the Internet."—Arlington Heights, Ill., Oct. 24, 2000

"One of the great things about books is sometimes there are some fantastic pictures."—U.S. News & World Report, Jan. 3, 2000

Slate has compiled the Top 25 Bushisms of All Time. You can't write material this good. (Don't miss the video compilation at the end.)