Monday, November 06, 2006

I hate that because of the move I am unable to vote tomorrow.

There are so many things I want to take the opportunity to stand up for. But because I'm not in Houston where I'm registered to vote, and it was too late for me to register here, I'm unable to do that one small thing that involves me in our "democracy."

In states like Texas, mostly Republican -- or at least think or pretend they are Republican -- a Democrat's vote literally doesn't count. One's vote only counts if her or she is part of the majority in a certain area.

After this fiasco, they don't need you anymore. Citizens have little audience with their government until the next round of "voting". Citizens do not take part in the choices that their government makes. By definition, this means that the United States is not a democracy; it is a republic.

Unpacking

We live in Chicagoland now-- my wife, our three boys, Grammy, and myself. We got here (permanently) last Wednesday evening -- the first of November -- on a not so bad SWA flight from Hobby (HOU) Houston to Midway (MDW) Chicago. I'd already been here for work on and off for two months now. It has become our new home. A new chapter in our adventurous lives.

Our new home is in the village of Elmhurst, about fifteen minutes from downtown Chicago. It's a very quaint, historic, and comfortable town of just over 40,000 persons. It used to be the corporate home of the Keebler Elves.

I dispise disassembling and reassembling furniture.