At a loss for words.

When I heard this company advertised on the radio last night, I didn't even know what to think. The commercial was basically telling parents that if they don't trust their children or other members of their household about having drugs or guns in the house, the company would come in with their drug sniffing, gun finding dogs to search them out. Then it was up to you to decide what to do.

I'm not quite sure what I think of this concept. I can understand the idea when it comes to bringing the dogs into your business, or even a school - that makes sense (and both are services they offer). But when you are bringing in basically what looks like cop dogs (though the police are not involved at all, they say), then aren't you essentially declaring war on your kids? Again, I'm just not really sure if I think it's a great idea or a really bad idea.

Feeling like a DFLer. (This is not something I can say, well, EVER.)

For the first time ever, I vouched for someone at the polls yesterday. For those of you who don't live in Minnesota, we have a wacky system that, first of all, allows same-day voter registration, and then you can "vouch" for someone...well, someoneS. You can vouch for up to 15 people - that you know them, that you know they live in the district, etc. If you're like me, you probably can see that there are huge problems with this in the area of voter fraud.

However, despite my problems with that whole concept, last night, I vouched for someone.

My new roommate has yet to get her new DL, and since pretty much the only paper bill we get comes to me, well...she had no way of re-registering same-day in the new polling precinct without me vouching for her. So I did. I felt like a Minnesota Democrat. Very weird. But she voted, and all was good.

Obviously, I do not like this vouching system thing (even if it did benefit my roommate and me yesterday - I'd rather require pre-registration than this whole vouching system, if it came to that). The one good thing is that if someone vouched for you, you then cannot vouch for 15 more people. So at least that part seems right to me - the whole fact that there even IS a limit. But let's take a step back and discuss this 15 people thing. I mean, really? 15? Really? Even if you run into a situation like mine (where only one person in the household actually receives bills, which is part of our verification process, and you haven't yet gotten/received your new DL), why would you allow it to extend to 15 people? Surely you do not have 15 people living in your household who are of voting age, and surely there are not 15 homeless people living on your local park bench for whom you'd need to vouch. Who on earth are these 15 people?! I have huge problems with the 15 people part of the vouching system. Again, in a word, Fraud. Fraud, fraud, fraud.

I kind of have a problem with people engaging in fraudulent activity.

And that, boys and girls, is the end of this little elections system rant.

Civics: 101

Yes, indeed. I re-registered in my new city, and voted today. Sure, there's a mayoral election today, and a bunch of people are running for school board (mostly DFLers - I do live in the land of liberals known as St. Paul, after all - and a few crazies; I managed to find two for whom I could vote in good conscience), but what I really cared about was the IRV. I don't like instant runoff voting, at all. So I voted mainly because of that: No, thank you.

Also, I really hate to say this (but I am rather jaded, at this point). In reading this latest piece that says Minnesota is the most civically active state in the country, I would throw out there that, based on my own experiences here, this does not necessarily mean that Minnesota is the most civically knowledgeable state. Just sayin'. (Um, some of you may recall last year's debacle when the whole country realized that a lot of people in this state can't figure out how to fill in a circle on an election ballot, let alone issues like knowing the difference between state and national representation, i.e., "I'm sorry, sir, state senators do not live in Washington, D.C., nor do they work there.")

Also: if I ever attend a protest, this is the sign I want to carry. It will really help me prove my point, and how passionate I am about it.

Yes, I did go out and purchase candy corn and creme pumpkins on sale after Halloween.

On Saturday, I did all sorts of fun stuff, none of it relevant to Halloween.

-Went to the Guthrie, where I saw "Faith Healer," a play written by Brian Friel and directed by Joe Dowling. I had no idea what this was all about going in, so it was all new to me. Definitely Irish, the play had its moments of fun and playfulness, but the entire thing has that downtrodden, slightly dark Irish feel. Joe Dowling acted in it, as did Sally Wingert and Raye Birk - it's basically a play done in four monologues, with only one of the three actors on stage at a time. While all three acted wonderfully, I think Sally Wingert was the most amazing and really stole the show for me. Also amazing: Raye Birk, as Teddy, drank four bottles of what was supposedly beer onstage in approximately 20 or 25 minutes. On the whole, the piece was interesting, but I'm not really sure I'd recommend it, 'cause two days later I'm still not really sure if I liked it or not.

-Went to Ginger Hop, a new restaurant in northeast, and had a grand time eating too much. I liked my entree (General Tsing's chicken - a nice little spicy dish), but my favorite was the cream cheese and carmelized onion wantons served with sesame sauce. Delish. Amongst the three of us dining there, we ate four desserts (they'd made us the wrong one, and it was on the house), and I went home fat and sassy and too lazy to move far from my couch.

-Hit 100K in the ol' car mileage.

-Pulled out the tights and started wearing them. Also: went to Target and bought new ones, and holy cow! They're twice as expensive this year as they were last year...not too happy about that. I must find a new outlet for cheap tights.

-Finally made it in to the latest co-op in my neighborhood, Mississippi Market. Every time I go into a co-op (which, admittedly, is not often), I'm always struck by the, um, how shall I put this? oddity of a few other patrons. I am just not a tree hugger, and never will be. Sorry. Further, I do not believe there is a significant nutritional difference between organically and non-organically produced food, and therefore don't necessarily fit in there. (I reserve the right to discuss pesticides at a later date.) Also: I believe deoderant is a necessity, not a luxury, thank you very much.

Some New England Pics

New England 09

I have returned.

While I wade through email and try to sort out some pictures, enjoy this snapshot I took of Walden Pond at sunset on Sunday, October 25th.

Go St. Paul!

A bunch of very cool people with whom I row will be in Boston this weekend competing at a pretty big regatta. Good luck at the Head of the Charles this weekend, MBC! Pull hard and bring home some pretty, shiny bling.

You are free to move about the country.

Well, I am free to move about the country...though I'm not actually flying the airline that uses that slogan.

I am off for the next 2.6 weeks to enjoy the country. (Ah, I have finally found a map where my state is red...well, almost red. It's kind of a dark hot pink. That's as close as I'm probably going to get any time soon, despite T-Paw's valiant efforts recently.)

To be more specific: this area of the country. I will be on the lookout for these. And also, maybe this.

Later.

Sports Wrap-Up: not the kinesiology tape kind of wrap-up, either.

As I sit here huddled in my freezing cold office, wondering if the Twins were so smart they couldn't put a retractable roof on the new stadium, when a year from now, they could be playing Detroit in 40-degree rainy weather (snow expected by the weekend. Why do I live here? Oh, that's right: I like it here), I realize it's been a great week in Minnesota sports. It's also entertaining to see players from the different teams at the others' games (and I'm hoping they're cheering on the home team...not those evil Wisconsin or Michigan teams).

-The Twins. You just can't count these guys out. The people at the Dome have been busy, and have changed over the field from baseball to football back to baseball in 48 hours, and now we're all set to watch the Twins and Tigers battle it out this afternoon. And of course I love Mr. Awesome AL batting champ himself: Joe Mauer, along with other great players like Joe Nathan and the bullpen, Cuddyer, Kubel, Denard and Delmon. Let's hope Baker pitches well today and prolongs the Twins' life in the Metrodome a bit longer. (Although I did see the new Twins sign go up on Target Field late last week, and that was pretty cool.) Anyway, if you're going to the Wild game early, you can check out the Twins game before the puck drops.

-The Wild drive-through rally was this morning, which means, of course, that the home opener is tonight (let's hope they win, which they didn't do on Saturday in Columbus, but lifetime they're 7-0-1 in their home opener, so this bodes well for us, even if they haven't figured out who their captain is, yet).

-But we do know who the captain is for the Vikings...well, one of them, anyway. And his name is Favre. I have decided that as long as he is winning, I will like him. And he is awesome. Take that, cheeseheads.

Also awesome: Jared Allen. I am *almost* willing to forgive him his mullet (or skullet, as it's sometimes called) for his incredible sacking ability. *Almost* Note to Mr. Allen: if you're like Sampson and would lose all defensive power if you cut your hair, don't. But if you're not Sampson, cut your hair post-haste. You may continue to calf-rope your victims as you like, but I also might lay off the drinking and driving bit.

Also hilarious: this entry from Purple Jesus Diaries about how other objects in the Metrodome should be bought and named...'cause Mall of America field sounds retarded, so why not make everything else in the Metrodome sound stupid?

-The Gophers played Saturday, but unfortunately they didn't bring home the Axe and those 'Sconny boys took it home instead. Brew's crew is bruised. Let's hope they pull it out next week against Purdue. Purdue isn't doing that well this season, so they better win this homecoming game (especially with away games at Penn State and Ohio State coming up).

-In other news, there was a small marathon here on Sunday, and my fellow teammates rowed at the Head of the Mississippi on Sunday, as well.

Quote of the Moment (about 100 years ago)

"The truth is rarely pure and never simple. Modern life would be very tedious if it were either, and modern literature a complete impossibility!"

-Algernon Moncrief, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (1895)

Monday Madness (or just plain ol' Monday Night Football)

Found on the packaging of Brach's candy corn: "Each year Americans consume enough Brach's candy corn that if laid end-to-end, would circle the earth 4.25 times." That makes me wonder three things: 1) does everyone in America eat candy corn the way I do? 2) what about the whole world's consumption of candy corn? Are we talking like, earth to the moon or something, then? 3) what about the other types of candy corn (i.e., non-Brach's)? I mean, jelly belly has very good candy corn, also. If we add in both the world's population eating candy corn + all candy corn brands, are we talking earth to the sun? Or maybe that's only if they all eat candy corn the way I eat it...pounds and pounds every fall...

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You know what I hate? When the power goes off at my place...All. Day. Long. Like yesterday. Although it was really entertaining to see Xcel Energy using a backhoe on the newly re-landscaped lawn in front of my building, it was not so entertaining to have no electricity for 12 or 15 hours.
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You know what I love? The Importance of Being Earnest at the Guthrie. My only qualm about the play is that it packages up rather too neatly in the last five minutes. Otherwise, hilarious and quite fun to watch. In the first place, the fact that the Guthrie opened up with Algernon's horrible rendition of Chopin's Fantasy Impromptu made me start laughing out loud before even the first line of dialogue...and then secondly, continued to me finally discovering where the term "shilly-shallying" might have come from (spoken by Aunt Augusta in the first act - and then respoken years later on the Senate floor by a particular member of the Legislature who many thought just made up the term - only now it is proved otherwise; the phrase was, at the very least, spoken as far back as 1895)...and finally, to every droll one-liner, every cheek holding a tongue, and every moment of dry wit, all of which I adore. I love such humor, and was rather appreciative of the entire production.
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Dinner at Harry's followed the Guthrie, with delicious poutine and a quattro formaggio burger. I managed to stuff the entire thing down my gullet, because I'm serious about my dinner. In the words of Oscar Wilde's Algy: "Yes, but you must be serious about [dinner]. I hate people who are not serious about meals. It is so shallow of them."
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All,

We know exactly how I will be spending my evening tonight: watching the Vikes v. the Pack on my pretty new TV. The question is how I will be reacting: I think cheering on Fav-ray to win the game will likely win out in my emotional frenzy. I mean, he's on my team now! I've respected his game while outright despising his guts for so long, it's been very challenging to know what to do. Except, I've known for years that he'd a) never retire until they bury him six feet under whatever football field he happens to be on when he dies in like 70 years, (yes, Juls, it's true: he won't actually RETIRE-retire until it's announced in the obits) and b) end up playing for the Vikes as a final flip-off to the Pack.

go Vikes!

Does this sometimes look too familiar, and not just how Michael Scott spends his day at work?