DDA Chapter 14

[PNO4TE]

Good Morning DDA!

Another beautiful day on tap for today. I should rake some leaves, but since I still see so many more on the trees, I think I will wait!

Snow showers forcasted for Sunday though. Crazy weather!

I would certainly wait to rake until they possibly blew into the neighbors' yards!

And BLECH for snow!!

 

[PNO4TE]

I almost have all my Christmas shopping done. Dawn finally told us what she wanted (music only iPod), and John will order by this weekend. Then just need to get mom a cappuccino card.

Good for you, Heidi! I am about done too.

 

[mommykds]

Good for you, Heidi! I am about done too.

Wow you ladies are GOOD!!!

I picked up a few things for the kids but have alot to do....I would love to get something great for Dana..something to do with his new position. I have to think..... help!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Good morning, DDA!

I also stayed up later than I should have watching all of the election coverage.

Now I need to get in the shower so I can get otu the door on time. Chat with you all later!

 

[lovesdumbo]

Bernadette - You know, if you really WANTED to come to WDW in August I bet you could make it happen.
DH had a great time at Cape may and it is definitely on his "go back" list.

All I have to do is nothing.

I have told DH he has to plan our next vacation. DH would like to go to Nova Scotia & PEI which I think the kids would like. I've told him we'll need passports by then to go to Canada.

I do have a limited amount of vacation time. I've been at the same place for 17 years so it is very liberal at something like 23 days but I already have planned 5 days in Jan, 5 in May, about 10 in August (no matter where we go).

I'm sad for Emma that she probably won't go to WDW in 2009. I'm planning to take her for her 7th birthday in Jan 2010. She'll survive though. It will be her 7th trip.

 

[marcij]

Could someone PLEASE explain to me one good reason for this stupid Electoral College? Why can we not elect a president on popular vote? It works for American Idol.

Our school voted too. I think McCain won here too. Emma goes around telling everyone and anyone who'll listen to vote for him. It's so interesting to get their take on things.

My girlfriend's DS is in Kindergarten and he came out and told his mom that he voted for Obama. She was a tad bit shocked when he told her why- "Well he has brown cheeks like Mr. Mike!!" He's a dad at the school who is black

What a sweetheart!

We kept my niece last night as she got out of ballet after SIL and brother needed to leave for Quattro's football game. It was fun to pick her up from ballet and see all the little girls dressed up. My boys had a great time playing webkinz with her, once their homework was done. Then they all took bubble baths... My boys used to love that, but they stopped a while back. After hearing Katie have fun in the tub, I had to draw water for them too -- our poor water heater was not keeping up. We have an oversized jacuzzi tub so they played like they were swimming.

I better get back to working on all the Christmas projects for clients. Have a great day everyone!

 

[Tammi67]

As for the electorial college..I agree it is very confusing.

This is from Katie's homework...

When the Constitution was being drafted in 1787. the framers did not want the President & VP to be chosen either by Congress or by the people directly. To establish a role for the states in national elections and to protect the country from what they saw as an ill-informed populace, they devised a system called the EC. They envisioned it as an elite group of men selected by state who be trusted with choosing the nation's leader. The system has changed little in 200 years except now each state's political parties nominate slates of electors who are pledged to support their party's candidates.

On election day you are not voting for a candidate but rather a slate of electors who suppport that candidate.

Basically it prevents the most populated states (CA,FL,NY,TX) from chosing the President.

This is what I have the problem with. Who cares which state most of the votes come from? The bottom line is the president is elected by the people, so it shouldn't matter where they live.

 

[bethbuchall]

Wow you ladies are GOOD!!!

I picked up a few things for the kids but have alot to do....I would love to get something great for Dana..something to do with his new position. I have to think..... help!

I haven't bought anything for anyone yet. Matthew thinks that Rock Band 2 (which isn't out yet) will be better for us than Guitar Hero World Tour. They are both so expensive, though, so I don't know if dh will agree to either.

I can't think of a thing for dh.

I am going to really be scrambling this year! Plus I just hate spending money right now (kind of unlike me), so it's hard to get out there and do it.

I am ordering yearbooks ($56+ tax each--OUCH!) for my older two, but that's not really a Christmas present even though there will be certificates under the tree.

 

[bethbuchall]

All I have to do is nothing.

I have told DH he has to plan our next vacation. DH would like to go to Nova Scotia & PEI which I think the kids would like. I've told him we'll need passports by then to go to Canada.

I do have a limited amount of vacation time. I've been at the same place for 17 years so it is very liberal at something like 23 days but I already have planned 5 days in Jan, 5 in May, about 10 in August (no matter where we go).

I'm sad for Emma that she probably won't go to WDW in 2009. I'm planning to take her for her 7th birthday in Jan 2010. She'll survive though. It will be her 7th trip.

I would love to be able to go to WDW this year, but unless there is a financial miracle in my future, there will be no vacations this year at all.

Bernadette, as much as I love WDW, our family trip to Yellowstone, et al. was so amazing. I'll bet your family would love a Nova Scotia/PEI trip (I want to do that some day, too)! It's a totally different vacation but magical nonetheless.

 

[bethbuchall]

This is what I have the problem with. Who cares which state most of the votes come from? The bottom line is the president is elected by the people, so it shouldn't matter where they live.

In the early days, our government felt it needed to protect itself from ignorant/uninformed voters. There was also the premise that the states, not the people, should elect the president. We are afterall a representative republic, not a pure democracy. All in all, though, I tend to agree that the system is antiquated and that we should turn to the popular vote.

As it is, the large cities of NYS are the ones that basically make the decision for our entire state. Switching to a popular vote wouldn't change this, but at least it would feel that each individual vote mattered a bit more.

 

[mommykds]

This is what I have the problem with. Who cares which state most of the votes come from? The bottom line is the president is elected by the people, so it shouldn't matter where they live.

I agree with you....I think the EC is outdated at this point. I don't think the majority of Americans are stupid & I think we can handle a "true" public election.

 

[babytrees]

It's going to be interesting to see what Virginia does. Not that it is going to matter at this point. My unscientific poll gives VA to McCain, based on the fact that I see a lot more signs and bumper stickers supporting him than I do Obama.

my poll did the same thing for CO...and I was wrong. I was very, very disappointed that one amendment didn't pass. It was to help fund services for special needs kids so that they don't have to wait up to 15 years for those services.

That was my only true amendment I was worried about, the one I was vehemently against the majority of Coloradoans were also.

I said(what the heck do I call Jim right now....but I think I've got to stop talking to him he seems to think talking to him means I've changed my mind) last night that my grandma is having a epiliptic fit because a black man who wants to uphold Roe vs. Wade is president-elect. She was, I am fairly certain, not really happy with McCain until he chose Sarah Palin as that's when we started getting the "mailings".

 

[macntosh]

I'm so glad the ads, bickering and junk is over now...

http://respectourpresident.org/default.aspx

If we don't work togethor it will only get worse.

 

[babytrees]

Good for you, Heidi! I am about done too.

I am usually closer to being done than I am right now. I think we figured out what we are going to do for grandparents and I am thinking I am going to refuse to buy for Jim's neices and nephew as a)I think the nephew is an ungrateful spoiled brat b) they don't send anything to the girls c) they aren't my family.

 

[babytrees]

As I left work last night I told John if I didn't feel better I wouldn't be in...he said "I hope not you sound horrible"

So while I do feel better I don't feel 100% (not even close) and being up and concentrating for long periods is not something I could handle today. But as my mom said I can blame the cold on my red eyes....it worked for the guys not so much for one of the ladies and the others don't really care.

 

[Tammi67]

In the early days, our government felt it needed to protect itself from ignorant/uninformed voters. There was also the premise that the states, not the people, should elect the president. We are afterall a representative republic, not a pure democracy. All in all, though, I tend to agree that the system is antiquated and that we should turn to the popular vote.

As it is, the large cities of NYS are the ones that basically make the decision for our entire state. Switching to a popular vote wouldn't change this, but at least it would feel that each individual vote mattered a bit more.

I like how you said all of this.

 

[Glynis]

I'm so glad the ads, bickering and junk is over now...

http://respectourpresident.org/default.aspx

If we don't work togethor it will only get worse.

Amen, Mac! I totally agree with you!

 

[my3princes]

I've been on orientaltrading all morning trying to figure out what to get for Colby's Thankgiving Celebration at school and also for Christmas project kits. I hate making decisions these day I'm off to pick up Colby. I think I'll run a few idea by the teacher.

 

[Glynis]

Well, I was going to go out this morning and tackle the rest of Christmas shopping, but it's snowing like crazy, and Alan has forbidden me to leave the house! So, I guess I'll let my fingers do the shopping and do some online stuff. I can order some books for my nephew from Amazon, and there's a stocking holder for Jacob on ebay that I want. Guess that will have to satisfy me today. I could wrap Jacob's birthday presents, too. Hmmm. I'll have to think about that!

If I get a burst of energy, I'll also throw together some cookie dough to have on hand throughout the holiday season.

Thank heaven most of the Christmas shopping is done!

 

[Tammi67]

I'M TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT ALL OF YOU PEOPLE WHO ARE DONE WITH YOUR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING! I've bought 3 things! STOP RUBBING IT IN!