It's election day and who knows...

it's anyone's ballgame.  I predicted that the President would be re-elected and I stand by that prediction, in spite of the Redskins Rule.  I've already made my choice known and I will either not vote in the Presidential election, or write in someone's name I think would make a good President.  In the end, my vote doesn't matter in that race.

But my vote matters in some races and that's why I will be going to the polls even though I have other stuff to do today.  I have a job interview to get to.  I have errands to run, some connected to that interview and others that I simply didn't get to, today.

I'm dying of curiousity to know how my classmates did on the final exam.  I know I passed, that one other member of the class who took the final early passed, and that one who took it early did not pass.  I'm pretty sure the guy who didn't pass is the guy who has passed two of the three parts of the Enrolled Agent's exam.  He will be given a second shot at the final exam if he wants it.  I have a former student who didn't pass the final first time but made it second time.  He became an outstanding tax professional.  So not passing first time is meaningless.  I wonder how many great lawyers out there didn't pass their bar exam the first time.

I'm pondering something.  I'm remembering seeing a particular movie and wondering what our society would be like if that were what life was really like.  The film was "The Invention of Lying", and I'm wondering what would happen if we took that concept a step further.  Not only not lying, but being forced to just say what's really on our minds.  Imagine a man asking a woman out on a date and when she asks what his intentions are, he's unable to say anything but "I intend to get you into my bed, do you that night and never call you again."  Or when you're on a job interview and afterwards they call you and tell you "you were the second choice", instead of that they'd be forced to say "I balled up your resume and tossed it the minute you walked out the door.  You didn't have a prayer and don't bother wasting our time by applying for anything else here ever again."

After all, there's that question that men hate but women ask anyway.  "Do I look fat in this (fill in the blank)?"  Or phrased another way "Do these jeans make me look fat?"  The honest answer is either "no, you look okay" or "it isn't the jeans that make you look fat, it's the fat that makes you look fat".  I don't mean to demean women or people who struggle with weight, I'm struggling with it myself mightily at the moment.  I just don't understand why anyone would ask that question.  Find a three way mirror and examine yourself.  Your opinion is the one that matters most.

I'm sure you've heard about the tragedy at the Pittsburg Zoo where a 2 year old was mauled by African Painted dogs when his mother put him up on the railing for a better view and he fell into the exhibit.  I heard a news story where the reader (I don't refer to them as an anchor because I don't know if they wrote this drivel) said "It is not clear if the fall killed the boy or the dogs."  Newsflash, none of the dogs died.  I see bad news writing all the time, in the L.A. Times and in Yahoo News stories.  This one however really has gone to the dogs.

Everyone knows (or should know) that "ObamaCare" is really the PPACA (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act).  This is a poll question and no fair looking them up.  Do you know what the following acronyms refer to?

EMTALA
HIPAA
MHPA

Answers tomorrow unless you can't wait and then you should look them up.  I assure you that the first two include you and the third may or may not.

I'm currenty watching "Shogun" the TV miniseries on DVD and just finished Part III.  I am a fan of the old mini-series format and wish TV would continue to do it with large novels that would not translate well to the big screen.  Perhaps "Cloud Atlas" would have been a better miniseries than film.

Today's classified job listing excerpts:

"Pay is $10/hr. No benefits at this time."  And the likelihood they will be available in the future would be very close to zero since this is a part-time personal assistant position.

"PART TIME POSITION - RECEPTIVE TOUR OPERATOR"  The definition of the term "receptive tour operator" according to Google is someone who specializes in incoming tourists.   Are there any other kind?

"Executive Assistant, Globally Recognized Company"  Globally?  So if I were to hop a jet to Katmandu, they'd recognize the name of this business there..."

"You don't have to be Newton but you should be someone other people consider smart"  Good thing, since there are very few around as smart as Newton was.  I don't think Marilyn vos Savant is going to be applying.

Today in history:

On this day in 1947, the TV news magazine "Meet the Press" made its debut.

On this day in 1962, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution condemning Apartheid in South Africa..

On this day in 1963, General Doung Van Minh took power in South Vietnam, following the coup he led on November 1st in which President Diem was killed.

On this day in 1971, the U.S. conducted its largest underground hydrogen bomb test, on an island in the Aleutians.

On this day in 1986, the worst helicopter crash ever in terms of deaths, took place near Sumburgh Airport.  45 people were killed.

On this day in 1991, the last of the burning Kuwaiti oil fields was finally put out.