Every election cycle, we put up signs on the library doors to inform voters that the polling place is actually another building further down our side-street. Every election cycle, we seem to get people oblivious to the signage walking in and asking us for ballots anyway. Fortunately, today seemed to have little such confusion. One gentleman specifically asked where the actual polling place was after reading the sign, so that is some progress.
I am not a fan of elections in general. It's a political system built on the bandwagon fallacy. A popularity contest means the people who promise to redistribute political plunder most tend to get the most support from a gullible and greedy populace. People who don't trust their neighbors to govern themselves suddenly imagine those same neighbors have the wisdom to select a ruler for everyone? That doesn't really make sense.
The idea of democratic representation collapses under the slightest scrutiny, too. There is not even an agent/principal relationship between the election winners and those who voted for them, to say nothing of voters who chose someone less popular, or those who abstained from voting altogether out of either principle or sloth.
The old saying goes, "If you don't vote, you have no right to complain." As many have said before, that's backwards. If you don't vote, you have every right to complain. You didn't play the game, so why should you be subjected to its outcome? If you did vote, you wanted a government, and regardless of the outcome, you're going to get one good and hard. Just have the decency to leave us out of it, please.
Our district courier has been having a bad time. His bumper cover has been gone for months from a prior accident, and he has been getting the runaround from insurance and auto repair alike. Today, it seemed as if he was taking a long time to drive his usual route. Apparently, while he was parked at another library, someone hit his van again.
Winter has definitely arrived, and with it, the usual road hazards and driver errors. I don't know whether that was the issue today, but I know I saw tire tracks indicating people had run into problems with staying on the road at one curve. I try to adjust my driving appropriately, but I still felt a slight twitchy/swimming sensation on one curve, and the ABS insistently kicked in as I was slowly braking to a gentle stop on my back road. I didn't need the assistance, but I suppose it's nice to know that system still works on my ancient worn-out rig anyway. Be careful out there, folks!
Ms. R had to leave work a few minutes early. It seems her significant other had chest pains, started driving toward the hospital from his home in the hills, and had to pull over and call 911 for an ambulance once he reached the nearest town. I haven't heard any official diagnosis yet, but this could be serious. Prayers are welcome if you're the praying sort.
One of our library first aid and CPR instructors told us that one of the best clues for a heart attack is seeing someone running a Google search on heart attack symptoms. It was suggested that if we see someone in distress, it might not be imprudent to read over their shoulder despite privacy concerns, make inquiries, and take charge by calling for EMT assistance as needed.
