MR. TELEPHONE MAN...

Today, November 7, 2006, is some kind of election day. Did I vote? Yes... by mail-in ballot. Does my vote count? I'd like to think so. Perhaps on the order of .00000000000000000000315%. [Think about the size of a gnat, and compare it to the size of... say... the continent of Asia.] So, is it twisted logic to say that the less people who turn out to vote, the more my vote will count? Or more accurately, the less people who vote the opposite of what I vote, and the more people who vote along with me will help my vote count more...?

-BLAH-

Yesterday, I called in sick because I'd gotten a bad cold over the weekend and wanted one more day to rest. Did I get any? NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO........

I don't know what it is about this particular election, but HotFudge and I have been buried with tons of literature (received thru the mail AND e-mail) AND tons of phone calls regarding candidates and propositions. As a result, my day of rest was turned into a day of interruptions by the phone. Now, one of the "jokes" about a ringing phone is that a lot of people feel they need to drop everything and run to the phone. [Perhaps we're moving away from that behavior. I really don't know.] More often than not, what I do is drop everything and run to the phone to "screen" the call. [Gives me a feeling of power, y'know? Just hovering over the phone, listening to the message, and ultimately deciding whether or not to answer the call.] Sometimes the caller will leave a message, sometimes nothing.

But this past weekend and yesterday were horrible. I got tons of recordings embellishing and/or downgrading one candidate or another, or talking for or against certain propositions. Mind you, this wasn't 5 or 6 calls throughout the day. It was 3-4 calls PER HOUR. Needless to say, I did NOT get any rest because the FRIGGIN' phone kept ringing. Now, some might have just taken the phone off the hook or pulled the plug. I've never liked that idea because... what if a true emergency were to occur?

Monday night, the last politically related call came at 8:45 PM. 8:45PM!!!! GEEEEEZ!!!!

And this morning, the first politically related call came at 6:30 AM. 6:30 AM!!!!! GEEEEEEEEEZUUUUS!!!!

-OR-

I could've seen my sick-day as an opportunity to really learn more about the issues and the candidates and the propositions. I could've spoken to the volunteers. I could've read more. I could've debated. I coulda... shoulda... woulda...? NAH!! NYET!! NON!! NO!! HINDI!! NEIN!!

The literature in the mail (and e-mail), I really didn't mind. At least the mail can't cut into my sleep or my rest. But do these people really have to call? I mean... DO THEY REALLY HAVE TO CALL?

What was it about this particular election? Did they get more money to pay more people to participate at phone banks? I can't remember ever being so bombarded by politics...

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Mr. Telephone Man... There's somethin' wrong with my line...

"I just called to say 'I love you'"

"Call me!!"

"Calling all cars... Calling all cars..."

"ate... siks... seben... pive... tree... -OH-... n-aaaah-eeeee-aaaaa-ine..."