Happy Thanksgiving: Calendars are funny and the internet...

"Franklin Roosevelt observed Thanksgiving on the second to last Thursday of November for two more years, but the amount of public outrage prompted Congress to pass a law on December 26, 1941, ensuring that all Americans would celebrate a unified Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November every year."

Thanksgiving can fall on any date from November 22 to November 28. For those who use Thanksgiving or other dates around this time of year as a marker, this can make things very confusing. This year, 2006, Thanksgiving falls the day after the 44th anniversary of the assassination of John Fitgerald Kennedy.

Everybody that is alive and aware on such a memorable occassion knows EXACTLY where they were on the day of an event that has a universal impact and the events in their lives on the surrounding dates. I was 13 on November 22nd, 1963 and was caught smoking in the boys room with Greg Krochmal. The 22nd of November, in 1963, was a Friday. The 28th of November was Thanksgiving.

With all the above in mind, using the power of the internet, I am going to try to contact Greg Krochmal to see if he remembers me and if I am as much a part of his stories as he is mine..

I, like many others, am surprised Thanksgiving is already here. It is early... After all, it is only one day off from the earliest it can be. Next year, 2007, Thanksgiving falls on the 45th anniversary of the assassination of JFK.

I don't dwell on the assination of JFK nor am I obsessed by the assassination of JFK. For those who felt the impact of the event, Thanksgiving is as much a time of reflection as it is a time of giving thanks... I give thanks that I was a merely a 13 year old that felt deprived of bragging rights of having been caught smoking (no-one cared) rather than being the hopeful generation that felt devestated by the event.

In 24 hours things will be pretty much the same...

It makes no difference whom you vote for -- the two parties are really one party representing four percent of the people.
- Gore Vidal

I had big plans to put together some comments with recommendations for voting but after looking at the candidates I thought better of it. There is a reason for my being nonpartisan.

Much of my voting was against things as opposed to feeling like I was voting in favor of something I could get excited about. I vote against Arnold. I wish I could have followed the words of Ralph Nader who wrote, "Vote your conscience, not your fear!" My conscience was saying yes for the initiatives 1A-1E but rejected most.

My choices on the propositions were in concrete early. That did not stop me from watching the insanity of the campaigns. Trust me... I am on the side of being in an initiative state. Initiatives can be an avenue for making changes benefitting the Common Wealth when politicians are under the influence of private interests in Sacramento. Unfortunately, most of the propositions are created by private interests or folk ruled by emotion. This is the day before the election and I am keeping things as simple as possible.

At any street corner the feeling of absurdity can strike any man in the face.
- Albert Camus

How some of these measures made the ballot is beyond me but my choices for the record are:

NO on Props 83, 84 and 85!
YES on Props 86, 87, 88, 89 & 90!

I did a lot of chawing with a number of folk and hope I impacted them enough to help create the above results.

The most peculiar reason I heard for voting against an increase in cigarette taxes was, "The smokers are already paying enough of a penalty for their behavior." My response is the expense smokers cause to bear on the healthcare system is not even close to being covered with the new taxes on tobacco products.

Enough for now... May you have taken the time to vote!!!