The Power of Your Vote

I had a college professor once say that you have no right to complain about your government officials if you do not exercise your right to vote.  And I have lived by that credence ever since I first heard it, because I for one like to voice my opinion disparagingly on things that I don't like.

For instance - take my freshman (first) year in college.  Skittles, my favorite candy, tried to reinvent the rainbow and change the green Skittle from lime to green apple.  Anyone who is a true fan of Skittles knows that by converting the flavor of the green Skittle from lime to green apple is truly messing with the entire chemistry of the Skittle bag - there is no real "Tasting the Rainbow" with a green apple in the mix.  So I took it upon myself to vote every day on the Skittles website for the Lime skittle.  And to this day, the Lime skittle remains in the Rainbow.

When Ruben Studdard won American Idol Season Two I had no right to complain because I had not exercised my right to vote for Clay Aiken.  Lesson learned.  And learned again with each season that I did not vote (Bo Bice, you were robbed - a capella in front of a live TV audience?!? gah, still kills me).

But of all reality voting shows that exist, America's Best Dance Crew is by far my favorite and far the show in which I have exercised my right to vote the most (no one vote per person here).  In Season Two I helped propel "Super Crew" to the winner's circle.  Season Three I voted more for my girls Beat Freaks than Quest Crew, but I was ok when Quest was named the winners.  And then the dark season four came along with the two worst dance crews to ever dance in a finale - AfrikaBorike and We Are Heroes - in which I declined my voting privileges in protest of the awful-ness of the dance crews in the finale.  In Season Five I came close to helping BluPrint crew win over the clowns Poreotix.  And in this seasson, Season Six I am hoping to stave off a travesty of travesties.  This has been an amazing season of dance crews, with the exception of the gimmicky Iconic Boyz - and they are in the Finale!!! These pre-pubescent Jersey kids have capitalized on the popularity of Jersey reality shows and the fact that they can dance better than most 10 year olds.  But there is NO way that they should be in the finale - NO way.  Cuteness does not equate skill.  So here is hoping that my non-stop voting for the crew I Am Me will prevail.  Because if they don't, I am warning you to be prepared for complaining of epic proportions and a boycott of any further ABDC seasons.

Tags: America's Best Dance Crew (Season 6), MTV Shows

See what I mean?

Be sure to always exercise your right to vote - or else give up your right to complain about reality dancing competitions.

**PS - I AM ME WON!!! TOTALLY ROCKED THE VOTE!!!**

He is Found

I would just like to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers - against all odds, Matt was found alive and well - he had left DC of his own volition.  I don't know much else or any other details other than this news story, but I am just so thankful that he is alive and in one piece.  Thank you again.

Find Matt Hill

To those who read this blog and live in the NOVA/DC/Maryland Metro area, I wanted to pass along this prayer request and website.  A person that I knew, Matt Hill, from my Fauquier Gator days has gone missing - he was a youth worker at a DC church, Capitol Hill Baptist, and has been missing since this past Tuesday morning.  Please pray that he will be found, intact, in one piece and that no foul harm has come to him.  He was last seen driving a black 1996 Honda Civic LX with DC license plates.  Anything that you could do to help spread the word to find him would be much appreciated.

This is a Facebook page that has been created to help spread information about the search for him.  And this is a Twitter page with information as well about the search.  And this is a link with a news story about Matt from Fox 5.  A video is posted below.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for Matt and his family.

Police, Family Continue Search for Missing D.C. Outreach Worker Matt Hill: MyFoxDC.com

Hydra

"Ten years ago I went to Afghanistan to report a war initiated by the actions of OBL...and I've been going ever since.  While I'm glad his death provides closure for some...I can't help but wish, that as a nation we were somehow more reflective than triumphalist.  It's not the fear of retaliation, but rather the cold feeling that perhaps we've learned nothing in the process." ~ Kevin Sites

When I saw the news last night that Osama Bin Laden had been killed, I found myself more surprised by the euphoria and excitement of everyone in America at this news than any excitement about his death.  And all day long I have been having these conflicted feelings.  Maybe it is because I am more a contrarian by nature these days, but I just haven't felt excitement or euphoria about this news.  And I think the quote above by Kevin Sites helps explains my thoughts.

In Greek mythology there is a monster called the Hydra, in which when one of its heads was cut off, two heads would grow back.  And in the aftermath of the execution of Bin Laden, all I can think of is the scenario in which two will rise up where there once was one.  And that it wasn't just 3,000 lives lost on 9/11 - it is that, plus 7,211 casualties of coalition forces who have been waging war in remote countries for a little over ten years.  And that doesn't take into account the loss of the potential of all the men and women who now suffer from PSTD.  It doesn't even consider the loss of lives or livelihoods of the civilians in the middle of these conflicts.  Nor the impending loss of life in the feats of retaliation to come over the years.

And yet it feels like none of these things are being discussed in the midst of this jubilation over the assassination of an evil man.  That the cost paid in achieving this feat is so high and has been so costly and that it will remain to be costly for the rest of our lifetimes.

I am thankful that a piece of evil on this planet has been removed forever and it is going to be an incredible story as more details emerge about the SEAL operation.  However, to me, this event just seems to be a hollow victory for me to get too excited about without having other conflicting feelings as well.  This event wasn't a systemic change in the nature of American or international foreign policy or history - something which would be a real cause for jubilation (like the rise of democracy in Tunisia, Egypt, and the desire for it by the populations of Libya and Syria) - and that is what is most worrisome.

I Had Always Wondered...

One of the many reasons I love E News - I now know that Ja Rule is still alive and is fighting the IRS for tax evasion...I was really dying to know what he had been up to since his duet days with J.Lo...