I’m back and will be rambling. It is after midnight, so Ella is officially a year old. Oops, almost forgot that the clocks need to be set back. Also forgot to pick up some new batteries for the smoke detectors. Did get some pumpkins today. I did produce some nice pumpkins, they were just on the shrimpy side.

It doesn’t feel like it should be a year already. Ella is such a blessing. It is great seeing starting to walk and enjoy her siblings (sometimes). Just feels like everything goes SO fast. It sometimes feels like Accalia should barely be the age Ella is now.

Watched the Dixie Chicks Storytellers on VH1 earlier tonight. I despise country (as you may have guessed) but count the Chicks as one of the few exceptions. Amy and I have been listening to them since their second album. What happened to them for criticizing Bush was so stupid. How dare we call ourselves a free society when we try to shut down another person’s point of view. If you don’t agree with someone’s opinion, don’t threaten to freaking kill them. Perhaps you just ignore that person as being someone of no bearing on your life. If the person is a celebrity of any kind, you really have to reign it in. I do applaud what was said when they said it before we invaded Iraq (to find the weapons of mass destruction, OOPS, I mean, to take down Al Queda. OOOPS… I mean, to spread freedom, democracy and safety to the Iraqi people… OOOPS. C’mon… if you continue to believe the lies the president is putting out there, I have a bridge I can sell you. Cheap.

Anyway, I’m listening to the Chicks now, though I may be switching to Nanci Griffith shortly. Or going to bed.

I found a sample ballot to download for Yankton County. There are actually a few Republicans on the ballot that I’m voting for, simply because I believe them to be the best person for the job. I’ve never understood voting straight ticket. I think it is how people like Mark Foley end up getting elected (MAN IN VOTING BOOTH THINKING TO HIMSELF – “I’ve heard this Foley is a pedophile and I hate those bastards. But… he is a Republican, and I am a Republican.”)

I got the ballot because I’m hearing from some people who’ve voted absentee that it is taking 15-20 minutes to complete. I also want to compare it with the information I’ve gotten on all the initiatives, referred laws, and constitutional amendments..

Before I go on, I need to digress for a moment. I did finally buy some new bumper stickers for my car. Prior to the last election, I did have a Kerry for President (which I removed on Black Wednesday). I also had one that said “I Don’t Have to Like Bush to Love My Country” (kind of a shout out to the Chicks and everyone else shredded because they dared criticize the prez.). The other said something to the effect that an idiot who nearly kills himself with a pretzel isn’t smart enough to run the free world (we chew our food, George). My new bumper stickers: A picture of an elephant and the caption “They Have to Preach Morality Because They Sure As Hell Don’t Practice It!”. Next: “If Bush Is a Christian, Then I’m the Virgin Mary” Next: “Sex Education Prevent Abortions” (it actually does, I’ve read the research and have seen what has happened in countries where Bush cut funding unless inaccurate abstinence only education was the norm – increase in unwanted pregnancy and STD’s) Final one: “May the Fetus You Save Be Gay”.

That last one is because of the referred law on the ballot here passed by the hypocrites in our legislature and signed by our governor, the majority of whom claim to be pro-life but are also pro-war and pro-death penalty. Disconnect there, methinks. I know the right to lifers out there are salivating over this law. Well, the increased population will be a help to fight the next three wars that Bush gets us into, but what the religious right seems to be forgetting is that a portion of the babies they save will be gay. Yep. It seems that the “abomination” in the eyes of these supposed Christians that is just below abortion is for two people of the same sex to love one another. The bastards.

I am hopeful that Referred Law 6 will fail. If it doesn’t get through Nov. 7, I’m looking for a new bill in the upcoming legislative session. I also look for the new bill to include exceptions for rape, incest, and possibly the health of the mother. That bill would likely sail through. I’d actually have to think and pray about that bill. The law that was passed doesn’t have these exceptions, something the people who got the bill through were bragging about last winter and spring. How things have changed with the election coming. They are talking about exceptions that don’t actually exist. I envision a Republic of South Dakota where everyone will have to go through the Secretary of Sexual Activity in order to get approved for any sort of birth control.

My fear if the law is affirmed by the Republic of South Dakota (which will be my new name for the state) is that the next thing to go will be contraceptives of any kind. Then we’ll have to start adding even more to our prisons, mental health system, chemical dependency programs, social services, health services, etc. as we’re going to have several thousand unwanted children for each generation. Have you ever seen or worked with a child that was unwanted? It isn’t pretty. I worked with one at Plankinton. This was a kid whose only attention from him mother was an occasional beating followed by weeks of his being abandoned. He ended up bouncing through several foster placements, ended up involved with the courts, and was in juvenile prison by the time he was 15. He was already institutionalized then. But yeah, an abortion for that mother would have been killing this child before he was born. Instead he gets to live his death every day. Unattached in the world with little chance of every making a true connection with another human being. And dangerous? This kid was extremely dangerous – would beat the shit out of someone as soon as look at them. We apparently need more like him.

Okay, managed to get myself a little worked up. Just don’t like the idea of the whole law. Something passed down to me by my mom.

If the law does pass, I’m really tempted to have t-shirts printed for Amy and the girls. One of three slogans: “The Republic of South Dakota Took Over My Womb And All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt” or “Womb Held Hostage by the State Since 11/7/06” or “My Womb = State Property.”

Time for sleep.