It's been a long few days. I had a family emergency on Saturday, and now I'm out of town helping out. I haven't slept since a bit Saturday night so I'm a little loopy.

Things are a little better, and I should be able to return home tomorrow evening or Thursday at the latest. I brought my homework along with me but of course I'm not getting any of it done. I'm going to have to bust my tuckus over the next few days. I've got a test in Trig on the 11th and I'm not really steady on the concepts. I'd rather not bomb this one, because then I'd have to retake Trig and that's just sick.

Happy Super Fat Tuesday to all of you. What are my predictions on this day of caucuses and over-indulgence before Lent?

I think there will be a sweep for the Republican candidate, and a crazy close race for the Democrat, that probably won't have a 'winner' so to speak. Also, there will be many drunk people, and not just because it's Mardi Gras.

Further proof that Huckabee is a nut job.

I have more to say on this, but it has to wait until later.

I had lunch today with the Supreme Court Justices.

Really, and not even because it was lunch time and I was on trial in their court. Imagine that.

It was a very amazing experience. I had the luck of being seated next to The Honorable Rives Kistler, and I have to say, he's a fine lunch conversation partner! I'll write about it as soon as I hit my word count for today.

If you're wondering, I'm currently at about 9,000/50,000 words, and about 1,000 words behind where I should be. The hope is to hit about 11,000 words tonight, and possibly double my word count for tomorrow, so I'm a little ahead instead of behind, like always. Sometimes NaNo doesn't have a particularly attractive behind.

If you're in the area and are one of my Wrimos, or if you just want to come by and check it out, V ET L will be hosting a Speedy Wrimo Write-In tomorrow from 3:30 to 4:30 in 2/227 at Chemeketa. Come by, pad your wordcount, commiserate, we'd be glad to see you.

Honest.

HotD:

The rain is ceaseless.
Cascading pools of liquid,
And warm fall evenings.

Don't forget to vote, it's so extremely important. Remember your ballots must be received by 8:00 PM on the 7th to be counted. Since Oregon uses a vote by mail system, there is no reason for you not to vote, if you live here! All it takes is a stamp and a walk to your mailboxes.

If you're in Marion County, I urge you to vote yes on the Chemeketa Bond Levy, it would give the college much needed money to add new buildings and update existing ones. It would also give the college money to build permanent campuses at our Outreach campuses, including a new campus in Mcminnville and Dallas, which is sorely in need of it's own building, as it is currently housed in the High School. Do Oregon college students of the future a huge favor, and vote yes.

As a college student at Chemeketa, and someone who is deeply involved with Chemeketa, I can you that Chemeketa is unique when it comes to colleges. We have an administration that truly loves it's students, and some of the best faculty anywhere. We strive hard to make all students feel welcome, and part of the small community feel we've got going on there.

Go to your local Chemeketa campus, take in a play, an event, a class, or a movie, or just come check us out. We've got so much going on, and if you aren't a part of it, you're missing out.

Kansas Sen. Brownback is sticking his mucky fingers where they do not belong. He's attempting to block Oregon's Assisted Suicide Law which would "bar doctors from prescribing federally controlled drugs for use in assisted suicide."

If you live under a rock, and don't know what Oregon's Death with Dignity Act is, then pay attention and I'll give you a quicky. It was passed in 1994 and again in 1997 by Oregon voters which gives patients a right to, with consulting their doctors and meeting criteria set, end their lives. Many people get up in arms over this, but why people would want others to live while suffering horrendous pain is beyond me. It's your life, it's your choice, and nobody has the right to take that choice away from you.

I think suicide is a selfish thing in most cases, but if you and your family have talked about it, and you're exceedingly ill, and in pain, and that's your choice, then who is anyone else to say differently? It certainly isn't up to the government.

Last January the Supreme Court held up our little law here when Bush decided to try and upend it, but apparently Sen. Brownback thinks that they're morons and don't know how to do their job. He thinks that this will be a great platform for Anti-suicide people to start making a stink.

Brownback says "When the law permits killing as a medical `treatment,' society's moral guidelines are blurred, and killing could gain acceptance as a solution for the chronically ill or vulnerable."

Good job Brownback! I'm so glad to see you're putting your focus on the important issues, like doctor assisted suicide laws that were passed over a decade ago, rather then oh...war or education. Who needs an education, right? With the tiny amount of Student Loans I get, it obviously isn't me!

Sen. Brownback is not from Oregon, he's from Kansas. Kansas does not have a Death with Dignity law, Oregon does. Oregon voters voted it in, twice and like I said before, the Supreme Court upheld it. Hmmm...

Don't you think that's a pretty big neon sign? Don't you see it? It's really clear...and it's flashing big red words: Dudes...stop messing with my state and go pay attention to something important for once.

Ever notice how when certain people on a certain Fair & Balanced news source want to avoid having to explain their actions to other news sources the first always says the reason why they don't respond to the second is because the second is 'not doing well' or 'will be off the air soon', so why bother owning up to their idiocy?

Just an observation.

HotD:

Swimming is cool beans.
Even though some people stink,
Or pee in the pool.