What you did today

[LadyCrimson]

WHHOOOOOHOOOOO SF Giants win the World Series! Neighbors banging fireworks, hollering. Whee.

[Shryke]

day off today and i've mostly just been sitting round in the sun blasting metal from my bedroom \m/

[Hurlshort]

WHHOOOOOHOOOOO SF Giants win the World Series! Neighbors banging fireworks, hollering. Whee.

 

Sweet! I've been watching all season long, and it is amazing how it all came together! First title in SF history!

[Raithe]

You do realize this is your concussion coming back to haunt you, right?

 

Meh, it's the curse of families spreading sickness around.. as one gets over it..it naturally has to pass to someone else.

 

Luckilly the worst of the chills and fever broke last night..leaving me with just the acheyness and throbbing head. ..That and the really drained tiredness of the lack of proper sleep due to it.. So pop a couple of ibruprofen, then sink into a bath after a fresh cup of tea and see how fresh and compos mentus it leaves me feeling..

[Malcador]

WHHOOOOOHOOOOO SF Giants win the World Series! Neighbors banging fireworks, hollering. Whee.

 

What, no rioting ? No burning cars, smashing windows, or an orgy of destruction ? Bah, people need to learn how to celebrate victory.

[Guard Dog]

I voted today. HUZZAH!

[caelum]

Cycled 45 miles today! Now time to get to work.

[Enoch]

This was my first time voting in my current state & county, and sweet jeebus, do these people like their elected offices. Besides the big-ticket races(Governor, Senator, House Rep, etc.), there are apparently 3 state legislature seats for my district, a State Comptroller, a State Attorney General, a County Executive, a district-based County Council seat, 3 at-large County Council seats, both district-based and at-large Bd. of Ed. seats, 6 local judgeships, a few other yes/no questions as to whether a sitting appellate judge should stay in office, a State's Attorney, a Sheriff, a Clerk of the Circuit Court, and a Registrar of Wills. There was also a question on a proposed state constitutional amendment (raising the amount-in-controversy requirement to get a jury trial in a civil suit) and a county-level question on whether to start charging ambulance fees.

 

I mean, I understand the County Executive, County Council, and Board of Ed. positions. (I'd argue that, in smaller jurisdictions, there's no reason why the Bd. of Ed. needs to be separate from the county government, generally, but in a big county like this, making policy for the schools is a daunting enough job to require the full attention of some officials.) And I guess having multiple at-large positions and 3-member statehouse districts instead of single-member districts has some salutory effects on making people feel more represented (although it would be better if I could allocate my multiple votes for the position all to one candidate, which I couldn't).

 

But the election of judges is a hilariously stupid public policy. Same for a Comptroller-- a position that demands a neutral auditor, rather than someone who has to shill for votes. Structuring an appointing process for positions like this is important and difficult, but direct election is one of the worst ways to solve the issue.

 

And the net effect of having so many picayune elected offices is that virtually nobody is going to be making informed decisions about most of them. I mean, what the hell does a Registrar of Wills even do? How is there any kind of policymaking discretion in the position that the voters need a say in? And although the multiple seats for a single district helps people feel more representated, it multiplies the due diligence that an ordinary voter has to do to the point that a very very slim minority of voters will bother. In effect, this wave of candidates makes most people into straight party-line voters, and, for the minor offices, often turns incumbency into a job for life, absent colossal screwup. All of the judgeships, half of the minor offices and a even few of the major ones (like the State AG), featured unopposed candidates. The end result is, ironically, much less accountability and a much less smoothly-functioning government than you would get if it were structured with a few high-level elected offices, whose occupants have the authority to appoint (and for-cause authority to fire) the Clerks, Attorneys, and all the rest.

[Guard Dog]

But the election of judges is a hilariously stupid public policy. Same for a Comptroller-- a position that demands a neutral auditor, rather than someone who has to shill for votes. Structuring an appointing process for positions like this is important and difficult, but direct election is one of the worst ways to solve the issue.

 

This does not happen often but I agree with you on this. Although for judges I think it is all together proper and even necassary for them to face a retention vote every four years or so. If a judge is viewed as soft on criminals or issues rulings that a a little off the legal reservation there must be a public remedy for them. They have a lot of power and there needs to be a check on them other than the appeals process because no every kooky ruling will get a shot at appeal or fair treatment if it does get one.

[Walsingham]

Holding an official accountable = good

 

Holding an official accountable to a half informed opinion = ?

 

~

 

Seriously. There are some things which the people just don't understand. Having those posts directly accountable is pure wishful thinking. This isn't just political theory. This is decision making and management.

 

This is why I prefer the existing system of having certain posts responsible via the buffer of another elected official or panel.

 

~

 

Further point, if you elect judges, then you could see political parties forming. What then for the Separation of Powers?

[Wrath of Dagon]

Judges who are elected normally do belong to a party. Certainly there are problems with election of judges, but there are problems with election of any officials. I still prefer that to the judicial tyranny on the federal level. May be the answer is to appoint lower court judges, but elect the superior court ones, who are the ones that control how laws are interpreted. Then again, because judges are elected here, they tend to be very tough on criminals, which is something that I like.

[Guard Dog]

Judges who are elected normally do belong to a party. Certainly there are problems with election of judges, but there are problems with election of any officials. I still prefer that to the judicial tyranny on the federal level. May be the answer is to appoint lower court judges, but elect the superior court ones, who are the ones that control how laws are interpreted. Then again, because judges are elected here, they tend to be very tough on criminals, which is something that I like.

Actually I think all judges should be appointed by the appropriate executive (President for federal, Governors for State) and confirmed by the appropriate legislature but be subject to retention votes every 4-6 years or so. The only exceception would be US Court of Appeals and Supreme Court for obvious reasons.

[Nepenthe]

But the election of judges is a hilariously stupid public policy. Same for a Comptroller-- a position that demands a neutral auditor, rather than someone who has to shill for votes. Structuring an appointing process for positions like this is important and difficult, but direct election is one of the worst ways to solve the issue.

 

This does not happen often but I agree with you on this. Although for judges I think it is all together proper and even necassary for them to face a retention vote every four years or so. If a judge is viewed as soft on criminals or issues rulings that a a little off the legal reservation there must be a public remedy for them. They have a lot of power and there needs to be a check on them other than the appeals process because no every kooky ruling will get a shot at appeal or fair treatment if it does get one.

Disagree. Of course, your judges have powers that far exceed anything that we have here, but having to kiss up to the "unwashed masses" (who are always under the impression that judges are soft on criminals, even if they give shoplifters the chair) is a seriously bad idea.

[Raithe]

Feeling much more recovered now.. the remnants of the aches and ick of the flu seem to be passing.. although the not-sleeping due to the chills and fevers the past couple of nights has my body clock out of whack..spent half the afternoon in that dozy recuperative state, half-reading, and managing a few things around the house... But going to try an earlyish night and see if that helps.

 

Haven't got any FONV playtime in since the start of the weekend.. now I'm not sure if I've got the oomph to start up a new playthrough.. think it'll have to wait awhile for the mood to be back.

 

On the side-note.. got an Ex who wants to talk with me (actually THE Ex, the consuming love interest, soul tagging, the one you find yourself thinking about 10 years on type of Ex) and keep the whole friendship thing running (and firmly at just the friendship level, nada more).. but apparently wants to keep it a secret from her hubby and family so it won't cause stress. It's.. complicated and a lot of history behind it all.

There are times I feel as if my life was partially written as some warped soap opera.

[Walsingham]

Damn it. Now you made me think about my EX. You bastard. I can't eat a pound of sausages at this hour.

[Raithe]

Damn it. Now you made me think about my EX. You bastard. I can't eat a pound of sausages at this hour.

 

 

There was a reason I stopped keeping tequilla bottles at the end of the bed..

[Nepenthe]

On the side-note.. got an Ex who wants to talk with me (actually THE Ex, the consuming love interest, soul tagging, the one you find yourself thinking about 10 years on type of Ex) and keep the whole friendship thing running (and firmly at just the friendship level, nada more).. but apparently wants to keep it a secret from her hubby and family so it won't cause stress. It's.. complicated and a lot of history behind it all.

There are times I feel as if my life was partially written as some warped soap opera.

Similar situation, except apparently it's not a secret from the fianc

[Shryke]

i'm on good terms with most of my ex's

 

i just think of them as friends that i just so happened to sleep with on a regular basis back in the day

[Tigranes]

Also, I'm spending way too much time on forums and this is one that I'm thinking of cutting off to minimise my procrastination potential.:/

 

Don't you dare, we're using your brain juices for good things.

[Raithe]

i'm on good terms with most of my ex's

 

i just think of them as friends that i just so happened to sleep with on a regular basis back in the day

Well, to overshare and try to compress a long story... the love-of-my-life went to a birthday party for one of her friends one night when I was working (back during my university days) and someone thought it would be amusing to spike the non-alcoholic punch with a few...chemical additions. Under the influence she and one of her best friends ended up sleeping together, she got pregnant, her and his families are seriously catholic...and both had been trying to push them together as a couple as they grew up together.

 

I actually tried talking about the possibility of..taking the steps of marriage, but she cut me off before I could go anywhere with the run of "This might frack up my life, but I am not going to let it ruin yours".

 

So in a very short amount of time it went from a heavy, serious relationship between us..to her engaged and married in about 2 months with what turned out to be a very..hard and troubled pregnancy. Then her family really didn't like having me around or involved, and shortly after she gave birth she went with the whole.. total cut off comunication levels to stop both of us having to deal with the emotional twistup and feeling crappy.

 

Now x years later, she gets back in contact to apologise for having to do that, admit how much it hurt her to do, tell me she still has feelings for me but will never act on it because it would screw up her family, but she wants to be friends and know how i am.. and doesn't want the husband to know because he might still be a little jealous of how she felt for me back then....

 

(a few other twists and turns..but thats the basics)

See, I told you I felt like some weird soap opera guy wrote some of my life...

[Walsingham]

Raithe: holy f***ing ****. Man, that is one of the worst stories I've heard in a while. That would have torn me up like an old betting slip.

[Raithe]

Raithe: holy f***ing ****. Man, that is one of the worst stories I've heard in a while. That would have torn me up like an old betting slip.

 

There was a reason I told you I crawled into a bottle for awhile Wals.

 

Actually I subsumed and compartmentalised a lot of it for awhile. The party had been at the end of September, I shut down a lot of my feelings and tried to be the moral support and help her deal. Hell, I even made it through the February when they ended up married. It wasn't until her daughter was born that I started to shred and lose control.

 

You can get so far on stiff-upper lip and rigid self-control. That and a damn good amount of self-delusion and bottling emotions up and locking them away rather then deal with them.

Edited November 3, 2010 by Raithe

[Gfted1]

Wait, so both of them got roofied?

 

Anywho, bummer of a story to lose a girl like that. You're young, more fish in the sea, etc, etc...

[Raithe]

Wait, so both of them got roofied?

 

Anywho, bummer of a story to lose a girl like that. You're young, more fish in the sea, etc, etc...

 

It's always been said both of them were under the effects. And she's always been firm that he was under the effects as much as her.

On the one hand it caused a lot of problems to his life as well and he was a fairly decent guy although I didn't really know him that well at the time, and she was always quite firm on how shocked, surprised and kind of horrified over it he was...

 

On the other, his parents and hers had been trying to push them together since they were kids, and he had wanted to be more then just friends. They'd gotten home safely from the party and when he called over later with the "hey, i've kind of got a blank spot over last night and I don't have the single condom in my wallet that I had.. who did I meet up with and what happened?"

So I've always had that niggling suspicious edge over it about him. But that could be natural bias over it all.

[Nepenthe]

On the other, his parents and hers had been trying to push them together since they were kids, and he had wanted to be more then just friends. They'd gotten home safely from the party and when he called over later with the "hey, i've kind of got a blank spot over last night and I don't have the single condom in my wallet that I had.. who did I meet up with and what happened?"

So I've always had that niggling suspicious edge over it about him. But that could be natural bias over it all.

That does seem so convenient that such suspicion does not seem entirely unfounded.

 

It's always a toughie, not knowing, and sometimes not knowing if you want to know. Is it better to have the circumstances conspire against you (like they certainly did in your case), or just be the Romantic Runner Up? :/