MarysLibrary

Optimism

The average pencil is seven inches long, with just a half-inch eraser -- in case you thought optimism was dead.
-Robert Brault, software developer,writer

Election Day

(Posted by Wilhelm)

There is an old story that might even be true, about the pollster who asked an English lady for whom she would be voting in a coming election. She replied, "Vote? I never vote. It only encourages them."

Here in the Evergreen State, we are in the midst of a primary election. Election day is September 19th, but the "election day" has now been supplanted by something of an election season. Spokane County has adopted all mail-in voting. The ballots have been mailed out to the registered voters and are to be marked and mailed back by the 19th. This prolonged voting period creates a semi-eternal campaign season. By election day, the voters will likely be so fed up with being perpetually inundated with campaign materials that they will be more inclined to hunt down the candidates and beat them with sticks, rather than to vote for them. So, we'll mark our ballots promptly, mail them back, and then lie low with good books until the campaign ads go away.

One book that is always a good bet during an election year is Christopher Buckley's The White House Mess (1986). This is the funniest satirical political novel I've ever read. The account of the U.S. invasion of Bermuda alone is worth the cover price. If you've never read it, you are in for a treat.

In the alternative, you can amuse yourself with a book that is not about politics, but is by a politician (or, more accurately, by a non-politician who is running for office). Kinky Friedman has had a career without ever actually having had a job. He has had a musical career as the leader of Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys. Then, he began writing a series of comic mysteries featuring himself and his cat. These include Armadillos and Old Lace (1995). Now, Kinky is active in animal rescue work and is running for Governor of Texas as an independent candidate. His campaign slogan is "How hard can it be?" Now, there is a candidate.