WillChatham.com   I am a geek.

Today is the last day to register to vote in the November 7 elections, for you folks living in North Carolina.

I was pleased to find out that it is now possible to check your voting eligibility at the North Carolina State Board of Elections web site, where you can find out where you are supposed to go to vote, and even see pictures of the facility. Something I’ve had problems with during past elections is that they keep changing where I am supposed to go. I’ll show up one place, then learn I have to go somewhere else.

That should be fixed now with the online information available.

I have always believed that if you don’t vote, you don’t have the luxury of complaining about problems with the government. I know I’ll be voting for change this year, intending to oust the antiquated Charles Taylor in favor of Heath Shuler. And according to a poll released yesterday, Shuler is leading!

This was too good to pass up. Nevermind that last week was national Banned Books Week.

“Fahrenheit 451″ is a science fiction piece that poses a warning to society about the preservation and passing on of knowledge as well as asks the question about whether the government should do the thinking for the people, Hines stated in an e-mail to The Courier. Other themes include conformity vs. individuality, freedom of speech and the consequences of losing it, the importance of remembering and understanding history and technology as help to humans and as hindrances to humans, Hines stated in the e-mail.

But some parents got upset:

“It’s just all kinds of filth,” said Alton Verm, adding that he had not read “Fahrenheit 451.” “The words don’t need to be brought out in class. I want to get the book taken out of the class.”
He looked through the book and found the following things wrong with the book: discussion of being drunk, smoking cigarettes, violence, “dirty talk,” references to the Bible and using God’s name in vain. He said the book’s material goes against their religious beliefs.

Read all about it…

From the Don’t Do As We Do Department:

“A year ago this week, a military jury convicted Army Reserve Pfc. Lynndie R. England of maltreating detainees,” says JoAnn Wypijewski. “So here is the bitter joke: England, the public emblem of torture, was convicted for nothing so awful as what the president and his flank have chosen to protect.”

Read all about it…

“Thomas Jefferson once said: ‘Of course the people don’t want war. But the people can be brought to the bidding of their leader. All you have to do is tell them they’re being attacked and denounce the pacifists for somehow a lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.’ I think that was Jefferson. Oh wait. That was Hermann Goering. Shoot.”

–Jon Stewart, hosting the Peabody Awards, 2006

According to this who-knows-how-accurate online political test I just took, I am a socialist, which is suprising to me. What are you? Take the test and find out, then report back to me. Answers are due before recess.