Massachusetts Election

We went to the polls this morning after our workout.  The "Brown" signs far outnumbered the "Coakley" signs, but ours being a Republican suburb, that's not surprising.  There were LOTS of people voting, and when we stepped up to get out ballot, announcing Grapeshot and Significant Other, I noticed that many had already voted.  Before work, no doubt.  The lucky ones with jobs.  I know lots who have lost theirs. 

I realized we had had only phone calls in the last two elections, phone calls that invariably awakened Significant Other from his afternoon nap.  Most of the calls were canned, and those I hang up immediately.  If a person was on the other end, I told the voice who we were voting for.  Again and again and again.  Don't these people have data bases?  Or do they have 16 data bases?  Jeez, it's annoying.  The primary was worse.  It seemed like spamming by phone.

No one mails literature anymore, stuff one might actually take time to read.  Instead, it's  the freaking phone calls. Bother a busy person and you're just going to piss them off. 
No one is coming to the door for a chat either, but I can find the facts I need to know in the Globe.  Thank heavens we still have newspapers. 

The Daily Beast said today that if MA goes Republican, it will galvanize Obama.  Maybe not a bad thing. 

I am constantly amazed that with our volunteer organizations, our technology, our money, yada yada, it still takes ALMOST A WEEK before someone actually shows up on the streets of Port au Prince and delivers water or mends broken bones.  One would think that the Corps of Engineers or the paratroopers or SOMEBODY could get in and do something at least within 2 or 3 days.  This is a worrisome thing, something the best minds in the world ought to be thinking hard about. 

All politics and world issues for now.  Discovered some really good new cookies yesterday when I grabbed a recipe where I had all but one ingredient, an anise Italian booze.  Substitued a hazlenut booze and a little brandy instead.  Yowza. 

Don't ever try a new recipe without reading it end to end.  I totally missed the part about "chill overnight," and had to stash the dough in the freezer for a while.

The new oven seems accurate.  I made chicken soup with tortillini, mushrooms and spinach.  A winner, and not high cal either.   We have been having winter fruit salad for dessert.  Yummy and healthy.  And cookies.  The yin and the yang. 

Beware the food zealot who tells  you otherwise.  Some people don't want anyone to eat anything that actually tastes good ever again.  Fie on them.  These are the people who recommend a baked potato with NO TOPPINGS.  How stupid do they think we are.  Only a carboholic would touch such a thing.

Grapeshot