Safe for now

I’ve been out of the blog loop for a few days due to an insane statistics test. *Sigh* That is over and done with now. Lets get back to business. Starting with Tuesday. Hillary Clinton pulled out a win in three of the four states that voted on March 4th. Ohio, Texas, and Rhode Island all believe that Hillary R. Clinton should be the next President of the United States, or at least the Democrats in those states do. Barack Obama took Vermont, as most everyone predicted. And after these four states voted, John McCain now has all the votes he needs to be the Republican nominee. But the Democratic nomination is still up for grabs! It’s all very exciting. It’s very American Idol-esque. See, this is why I don’t understand why some people don’t get into politics. “Last week, the judges weren’t too thrilled with Hillary’s performance, but American voted! And she is safe-for this week.” Dun, dun, dun (scary music). Maybe we just need to get Ryan Seacrest or someone like that to announce the results of the polls. Maybe not, maybe this has to be more “serious” than that. But I still get into it, and after seeing the outcome of Tuesday’s primaries, I felt like it was American Idol. Which isn’t even something I watch very often. I am not so big into the reality television shows. Although there is a new show that just premiered last night, called High School Reunion, on TVLand. I didn’t watch it, but I did record it. I thought it might be interesting. Although it will probably turn out to be another one of those shows where they put a bunch of people in a house and make them live together until two people hook up, two people get into a major fight, and then the entire group turns on one person and tries to get them kicked out. That’s basically the plot of most reality shows, isn’t it? Politics is way more exciting to me, at least they have to maintain a mask of civility. Their sniping is more intellectual snobbery than hair-pulling and eye-gouging. Is that what it takes to interest the general public? In other news, Patrick Swayze (the Dirty Dancing actor, among other things, but whom I will always remember as “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.”) was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the age of 55. Pancreatic cancer is a very unforgiving disease, by the time symptoms appear it is often that there is little can be done. It has a 5% 5-year survival rate. In a statement released by Swayze’s reps, they say that he is remaining positive and responding well to treatment. The actor and his family are in my thoughts and prayers!

This week in NEWS

Fidel Castro stated he would not accept the nomination for President of Cuba. He has been bedridden for almost two years now, and his brother Raúl has been ruling in his place. Does this signal changes for Cuba? Or is it going to remain in Castro’s inner circle of communist rule? I don’t honestly know if I can say one way or the other. I think, probably, there isn’t going to be much change in Cuba. I wish I could say that I thought there was going to be. But I just don’t think so. Raúl Castro has had power, maybe not in title, but in every other sense while FC has been bed-ridden. And FC has been in power for almost 100 years now. (I exaggerate). My question is…is the United States going to get involved? *Unofficially, off the record, and all that jazz.* We seem to get involved in all sorts of places where we aren’t wanted, so it only seems natural that we put our two cents in in Cuba too. Speaking of getting involved where we aren’t wanted…
Have you seen the MadTV Apple video? If not, here it is.

I’m sorry, but that is just too funny. Props to whomever thought that one up.
Has anyone heard this week that Harry and Hermione are dating?! Ok, not the characters from JK Rowling‘s books, but the people that play them in the movies. Perez Hilton, or a “source” is reporting that the two (Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson) were spotted together on Valentine’s Day and were looking very cozy. Aw…..I always think of them as being, I don’t know, 11 years old or something. So, that’s just weird for me. But, good for them.
Wisconsin, Hawaii, and Washington held pimaries last night. Was anyone surprised by Wisconsin going to Senator Obama? I was. It seems as though the Clinton campaign is losing momentum, which I think worries…a lot of people. March 4th is going to be a very interesting day. Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont are all holding their primaries that day, and Texas and Ohio have suddenly become very big players. Well, ok, they were already big players, but even more so now. I’m under the impression that the Republican nomination is owned by Mr. McCain, so I choose not to focus on those primaries.
The space shuttle Atlantis landed today, because we are going to try and shoot down the faulty spy satellite that is orbiting the earth. Seems like our missions need to be a little more stealth, if ya know what I’m saying. We’ve clearly not done a very good job keeping our spy satellites under wraps. Next thing you know, someone is going to leave the missile launch code book on the metro…

Poll Taxes

Have we all recovered from the hangovers of Valentine’s Day candy and other various and assorted goodies? Mine came in the form of brownies…yum♥. Back to business as usual, I suppose. I got my absentee ballot in the mail yesterday for the primary (which in Texas is March 4th). And when I return it, I have to put my own, first class stamp on it. I think that’s wrong. Why do I have to pay to vote? Does anyone else who votes in their county on election day (or early voting) have to pay to vote? Is this some sort of, backroom, conspiracy theory to dissuade people from voting? Maybe. Doubtful, but all the same. I pay taxes, I take my civic reponsibilities seriously, and I want to vote in the Primary in my state. In 2004, close to 6.5% of the population of Texas voted in the presidential primary. Small percentage, and I want to be a part of that percentage. It is hard to persuade people to vote, much less in the primary! So why make them pay to vote? That only furthers their reasons not to! Ridiculous! I know a stamp costs, what, $0.42 or something, but still. It’s the principle of it all. I honestly don’t think it is a big conspiracy theory, but I am irritated by the fact that I have to pay to vote. Say that out loud. I have to pay to vote. Sounds eerily like a poll tax, doesn’t it?