MR. FOG FAILS CIVICS CLASS

You may remember civics class from your early school years.  It was a class that FOG vaguely remembers taking, perhaps once or twice a week.  The purpose of this class was to help instill the attributes of being a good citizen.  Well, apparently the class did not take in FOG's ase and he may now need to take a remedial refresher civics class.  Working America, a voter watchdog group, of sorts; gave FOG a below than average grade, due to his poor voting record.

FOG received his “voter’s report card” in the mail a day or so before he early voted, but did not look at it.  FOG focuses on the bills and checks that come in the mail.  He grouped this particular piece of junk mail with happy smiling children, likely from a dentist he thought, as another piece of trash mail to be perused when time permits and likely be discarded.

This year, FOG was proud of himself.  He thought hard and long about his election choices.  Although undecided for a long time, for the presidential and congressional races he had pretty much decided for whom he was voting.  But new to North Carolina,  there were so many other offices and people FOG had never heard of wanting his vote.  The candidates ranged from the Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor to the dog catcher, it seemed.

FOG thought it a mistake to take the easy way out and make one check mark and vote along straight party lines.  Votes are cast for people, not political parties.   All too often, he opines, politicians owe their allegiance to a political party and serve their party, more faithfully, than the citizenry they represent.  FOG was not going to compound this problem by voting along party lines.  Consequently, FOG, a retiree, spent nearly a full day researching the various candidates on the ballot and deciding which candidates, regardless of political party, he was going to vote for.  He may have voted correctly, or he may have voted wrong; but he made a good faith effort to be informed and vote at least semi-intelligently.  If wrong, he reasoned, others doing their civic duty, would cancel out his vote.  He felt as if he had done his civic duty and earned a gold star, or at least a silver one.

The day after he cast his early vote, he got back to the set aside junk mail.  The smiling children were not promoting a dentist, but were a “feel good” ruse image for a more ominous message.  FOG learned that he had been judged to be a below average citizen.  No gold star for him, but a lump of coal.  Foolishly, FOG had been proud of himself in taking the time to learn more about the candidates and trying to be an educated voter in 2012; yet Working America said he was below average voter.  FOG received this failing grade because he had not voted since 2009 in at least five general elections.  He voted in the 2008 presidential election, but moved to Asheville in 2009, and although registered, did not make the time to vote in the many local elections and one congressional election.  He was not informed voter about the local issues and chose not to vote.  Admittedly he could have taken the time to become more informed and vote, so he may deserve a bad grade for 2010 election.  However, five general elections from 2009 to 2012 seems like a lot of elections.

The next emotion was outrage.  Who is this Orwellian Working America that would know if FOG voted or not?  Isn’t it also an American right “not to vote”???  However, according to the Working America report card:

 “Who you vote for is your secret.  But whether you vote is public record”.

 After the November election, FOG will follow-up with his County Board of Elections to determine if they released his voting information, what information is released, to whom and the rules governing the release of voter information.  FOG now fears Healthy America will also be sending him a report card for his old Personal Hygiene class if he doesn’t  wash his hands every time he goes to the bathroom.  How will they know??? Security cameras, perhaps??

Although the story could change as the facts come in, .FOG has learned or surmised the following,   Working America is affiliated with the AFL/CIO.  Since FOG lives in a heavily Democratic area, Working America likely did a mass mailing of “report cards” to the non-voters in FOG’s area to help get out the vote, which given demographics, should favor the candidates of the Democratic Party.  To be fair, Country Club America or various other organizations supporting Republican Party candidates is probably sending report cards, inflammatory statements, or something like it, to the non-voters in areas more likely to vote for Republican Party candidates. 

The Democratic Party did a very strong voter outreach effort for the 2012 election, and likely FOG got caught up in this effort.  FOG could accept his Working America report card chastisement with a little better attitude, and parhaps even contrition,  if had it been sent by an impartial organization, such as the League of Women Voters.  These organizations are apolitical and encourage people to vote and be educated voters.  Working America’s is a partisan organization whose tactics seem to be a thinly veiled piece of electioneering, disguised, to make it a more palatable “civic duty”; with a heavy dose of intrusion of privacy.  FOG does not like to be manipulated and values his privacy.  Working America violated both of these values.  He also remembers getting at least three visits to his door and two phone calls promoting Democratic candidates, and thinks the voter report card and door visits and telephone calls may be coordinated effort.  If he was on a mailing list, he could be on other lists as well.  Apparently Mitt doesn't care about FOG, so he must be in the 47 percent in the Republican's books. 

Surprisingly, FOG reflected,  the Jehovah’s Witnesses people have not visited him in nearly two months.  Perhaps they are smart enough to stay away during electioneering times.  FOG is glad the electioneering is almost over.  He would rather have the Jehovah’s Witnesses people coming to his door.  At least the purpose of the Jehovah’s Witness People’s visit is more altruistic.

This BLOG clearly falls in the “rants and raves” category, but was also posted to alert you that your voting privacy is probably not as “private” as you thought.

WINNING HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN

FOG's Winning Tongue Pumpkin

This year Halloween was a bit slow in Asheville .  The worst of weather had gone, but it was still a bit cool, which may have kept some of the kids away. 

Luckily, FOG started his Halloween early by entering a pumpkin carving contest at a local bar.  It was a charity event, but offered a $50 bar tab to the winner.  He decided to enter the contest.


Thankfully for FOG, the completion was not fierce; and FOG's entry, a pumpkin with its tongue sticking out, surprisingly won second place.   He took his time and let his opponents drink.  He remained sober and this may have given him a competitive edge. 

The winning pumpkin was an intricate carving of lines.  It was more artistic than Halloween, and FOG could not tell what was being depicted; but it was by far, the best carving work and deserved to win 

FOG's Tongue Pumpkin just made it to second place, beating out the Hangover Vomit Pumpkin, which was carved with less care.  No picture, but this pumpkin showed a lot of creativity showing what could happen to you if you drink too much.  A shot glass, sans booze, was a prop and the pumpkin insides of mesh, flesh, and seeds were used for the vomit.  It was a very clever depiction, especially for a pumpking carving contest being held at a bar.  If possible a picture will follow. 



FOG's Halloween Porch



As runner-up, FOG got a $25 bar tab and he donated an equal amount to the charity sponsoring the event.  This was the highlight of FOG's Halloween 2012.  Rick, an amateur painter from Melbourne, Florida, deserves credit for FOG's pumpkin, since he provided artistic suggestions and critique.  Surely FOG will share the bar tab with him.




FOG proudly decorated his porch with dollar store lanterns and his winning pumpkin, but those  pesky squirrels were at it again.  One of them stole the tongue from FOG's pumpkin, ruining the effect.  FOG had used a nice tasty morsel of pumpkin flesh for the tongue and it was held by a toothpick.  A squirrel tore the tongue from the pumpkin’s mouth and was eating it when FOG caught him/her in the act.  A brief chase ensued, but the squirrel was too quick, FOG too slow, and Ugly/Pretty Cat was no help.  FOG's poor Tongue Pumpkin now has a prosthesis made from a leaf, since no pumpkin tongue donors were available.  FOG's once proud winning pumpkin looks very miserable, with missing teeth where the tongue was and a leaf in its mouth.

Pumpkin with Tonque Prosthesis

FOG opted to be Super Mario for Halloween, a change from his usual choices of military or scary outfits.  He had a nice group of trick or treaters. 

FOG does not give candy for Halloween.  The kids have enough sweets, and the parents are supposed to feed their children.  Instead FOG gives school supplies and little toys for the pre-schoolers.  The supplies are upscale, including calculators and pencil bags.  The kids are not too disappointed, the parents are happy, and FOG feels better about not contributing to cavities and childhood obesity.

Super Mario with Fulton Street Trick Or Treaters