Friday, November 05, 2004

(Written) Driving Test, Part 3

Mood: impressed

The other day, Bella reminded me that I needed to write the third part of this ongoing saga of my driving permit. Well, I am glad to announce that this is the third and final installment. I passed the written test, without a mistake. It's funny. I got myself all worked up about not having studied enough and I was actually beginning to doubt if I would pass or not. I even felt nauseated at one point, but that was more from imagining all the horrible things that can happen when one drives rather than the test itself. I felt a bit foolish after I passed. So there you have it.

In other exciting news, Bella and I have our first meeting with the priest who will most likely officiate our wedding. (Which means we'll also be putting down the deposit to reserve the church for June 17, 2006!) I'm a tad nervous, but I promise not to build it into something more than it is, like I did with the driving permit test.

Well, I have a few other things to do here on the Internet while I'm waiting for my laundry to finish. I haven't been online in a few days!

Oh, a couple of quick reviews:

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Jim Carrey's best movie! I instantly loved it from the opening scenes. I must have it on DVD. Bella liked it too, I think.

Emery's The Weak's End - Even though I shouldn't be spending money on myself right now, I just had to support these guys. I had corresponded with them via email before they got signed to a major label. I wanted to support them then, but didn't for one reason or another. Now I'm telling you to support them if you care for Emo at all. It's an amazing album.

Okay, that's all for now....

Wednesday, November 03, 2004

Monday, November 01, 2004

My Vote

Mood: curious

Here I sit, sipping mead, nibbling on a brownie, not entirely sure if such a thing is a good idea... and casting my vote! Yes, I am completing my absentee ballot, which I will drop off at the local polling place before work.

First, the mead. It's the most widely available brand of mead, Chaucer's, which I picked up for a mere $7.99 at the World Market in Ontario Mills. It's interesting, but not as good as I had hoped. Admittedly, I don't like wine. But as far as wine goes, this isn't bad. It features a mild flavor, and is lightly sweet. I expected a stronger honey flavor, and much more sweet. (My brother, Daryl, would remind me to try port if I'm after a sweet wine.) Anyway....

Here is how I am voting:

President - Michael Anthony Peroutka
Bush doesn't deserve to be reelected and I'm not convinced that Kerry would make a good President, so I am going with the party that most closely fits my beliefs. My only hesitation is that I am not happy with a political party that bases itself on religion, such as the American Independent party.

United States Senator - Don J. Grundmann
Again, I am going with the American Independent party.

United States Representative - Kevin Akin
The theme for this election was to vote for anyone that isn't Republican or Democrat. Akin was the only alternative.

State Senator - Gregory M. Short
Not presented with an alternative to one of the "big two", I was forced to vote for myself. It's not the first time!

Member of the State Assembly - Jack N. Lee
The Libertarians have their hearts in the right places, even though I disagree on major issues.

1A - Yes
Of course local government should keep money collected for their own use! I don't want my tax dollars going somewhere that they won't benefit me.

59 - Yes
Our government should not be allowed to keep secrets from us!

60 - Yes
This gives our votes more power!

60A - Yes
Why not? Who cares?

61 - Yes
If it helps children... you bet!

62 - Yes
Again, more vote power!

63 - No
I am strongly against taxation based upon income levels. Tax everyone or no one!

64 - Yes
I'm tired of frivolous lawsuits!

65 - No
Huh?

66 - No
The only way to deal with crime is to be tough and stay tough. Repeat crime is repeat crime, and many (most?) of the criminals put away by the Three Strikes law deserve to be where they are! Do we really want them back on our streets?

67 - No
The medical community gets enough of our money! Don't give them more.

68 - Yes
Though I think we should basically give the Native Americans whatever they want, I am also a strong believer in competitive Capitalism.

69 - Yes
Criminals lose their right to privacy! If collecting their DNA can help solve crimes in the future, it's the only answer.

70 - No
Broken agreements are not going to help anyone!

71 - No
We can use stem cells from adults and umbilical (sp?) cords. I don't like the direction this proposition could take us in.

72 - No
This would only serve to drive businesses out of business. Health care should be the responsibility of the government, not employers!

Well, those are the main ones. It's getting late. I need to finish voting then get to bed! I have to get up early!

I'll be following the progress of the election on NPR tomorrow at work. It should be exciting, even though I fully expect results won't be conclusive until Wednesday.

Ah, fun!