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Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Election Day


Above is the Great Seal of the USA. I held a dollar up to the webcam to capture it, and show why it looks less like a seal than an eagle to me --no flippers. Talons. Its head is pointed toward an olive branch clutched in its talon, so it must be peacetime. In time of war, its head faces toward the arrows in the other talon. Every now and then, I check my wallet to see what sort of hat or helmet to wear.

There is a ribbon in the creature's mouth inscribed with the motto, "E Pluribus Unum"--from many, one-- in reference to the states constellated  up top. When the continental congress was trying to come up with a good motto for this country, Benjamin Franklin insisted on "Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.” However, the committee was not completely satisfied and their report to Congress was tabled. This pretty much set the standard for committees ever after --good thing too!

Let's fast forward to today, a lively example of USA's quadrennial enigma. For those unfamiliar with American politics, it is election day, after which votes will be counted up and result in Coronation Day, which is observed by royalty and rabble taking turns beheading each other until we have a president. We have spent the year listening to  the sizzle of promises dissolving in vitriol and are now well-enough informed to vote according to personal prejudice.

Yes, of the two choices,  I confess to simply favoring the candidate more easily identifiable as a mammal, and have voted for her. 


25 comments:

  1. Um I and kin here in Montana can't figger out what you mean. Can you obfuscate just a tad less, and let us know if you were votin' for the heifer or the steer? 'Cause he just got back from the Rock Creek Testicle Festival (look it up on google, Geo), and might still have a couple aches and pains.

    Cheers, Pal
    Mike

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    1. Mike, I'll have you know Norma's got me on a heart-healthy diet and I only eat the green parts of animals. Of course I voted Democrat!

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  2. At least the looooooong election process is (finally) drawing to a close.

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    1. EC, yes, at least the polls have closed and we get to shift anxieties.

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  3. Heifer and steer? Which is better eating? Steer, I think. Cows are not good for eating.

    Heifers have never had a calf, but has one and becomes a cow. A steer is a bull which has been neutered.

    I don't know if is a good analogy or not.

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    1. A moot point or moo point --there's an analogy in there somewhere-- but I suspect this country steered clear of good sense today.

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  4. Only you, Geo., only you. And I'm glad I get to read it.

    Did you know there is actually a green part in a lobster? (re your reply to Mike) ... Round these parts, we avoid those "greens," as they can contain accumulated toxins. Better stick to plants!

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    1. O Jenny, thanks. I promised myself I wouldn't look at early returns but see toxins accumulate alarmingly in the red states here. The body politic must differ somewhat from the lobster.

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  5. After Brexit we in our little portion of the UK have decided to quietly start our own country. My garden is nearly ready to declare independence. We will be open to refugees xx

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    1. Lisa, I dream of a day when all the gardens on earth --from huge parks and plantations to potted plants on balconies-- come crunching together to restore paradise. We'll ride our houses and wave from our chimney tops. Imagine. We'll ride this out and imagine.

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    2. We'll do this! Our beautiful, bountiful earth deserves it.

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  6. You should have voted more than once. Sorry... I'm feeling quite deflated and more than a little afraid right now.

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    1. As do I, Emma, deflated and confused. We've witnessed the long feminist struggle for equality, wage parity and right to be heard. Now, with a population of 125 million adult women in this country, we miss the chance to elect the most qualified candidate to the White House. I don't understand it, and that scares me too --almost as much as the bloviating narcissist who's ahead in the count.

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    2. Well said, Geo. I don't understand it either. It's not just the election that's making my stomach hurt today. It's seeing how far we've fallen and what this says about us as a nation. I guess we really are that stupid.

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  7. I he heard some sad comments about the choice of candidates ...."Who do you dislike the least?" being top of the list. Well, the people have spoken...quite a few of them agreed...enough to move one candidate forward. I wish you all the best of luck with your new president. God knows you'll need it.

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    1. Thanks, Delores. With all three government branches overtaken by Republicans, it does not bode well.

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  8. Wasn't Ben Franklin the guy who wanted our national bird to be the turkey? How appropriate! He was right on.

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    1. I believe Franklin thought the eagle on our Great Seal looked turkey-like.

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  9. Do you think the old bird is about to get an orange dye job on its top feathers?

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    1. I hope not, Tom, but there are 59 million voters who deserve to look as ridiculous as the thing they voted for. I'd recommend spray-Rustoleum to keep their brains from further oxidation.

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  10. She may have had more votes than the Orange One but that has made no iota of difference. Proportional representation, anyone?

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    1. Dear Friko, the Electoral College is based on an antiquated, easily corrupted system that predates modern technology and has, at various times, overridden the popular vote. I favor its abolition.

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  11. I was little worried about you, dude. You doing okay? I'm still in a deep state of helpless anger and despair. How could someone like HIM be elected? This shoots all kinds of holes into my thoughts about who I thought we were as a nation. Now, all we can do is have faith and pray it isn't going to be as bad as we fear.

    As for the electoral college, I doubt if they'll ever abolish it, but what I'd like to see is the states award their electoral votes proportionately to represent the popular vote. Two states already do it that way, so why not all of us? Here in Georgia, Republicans have such a tight control of the state, no matter how I vote, every single electoral vote goes to the Republican candidate. It's frustrating. I keep on truckin' and continue to cast my votes, but quite frankly, there isn't a lot of incentive for Democrats to bother voting here, or for that matter, for Republicans to vote in states like Maryland or California.

    This, too, shall pass.

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    1. I'm doing ok, Susan. Thanks for asking. Not sure what's going on but one of my favorite bloggers just changed his setting so I got a "This blog is open to invited readers only" notice when I tried to visit. So I'm wary of talking politics anymore, but ok. Trust you are too.
      As for Electoral College, you're quite right. I too think the adjustments made by Maine and Nebraska are steps in the right direction but there's a ways to go yet.

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Please comment! Stats are just numbers and don't really represent you. I need to read what you think and thank you.