Strange fruit makes strange art

I figured there was a much more complicated process to enjoy a pomegranate. You know, a terrifying ritual of specialized knife cuts and bowls of lukewarm water. Fruit surgery, it turns out, is completely unnecessary. Just peel it.

111308_pomm01_amg1

Laura brought over canvas and acrylic paints to prove once and for all that I’m not a classic artist.

The only good part about this is the bird.
The only good part about this is the bird.
She's happy.
She's happy.

And the winner is…

ADAM/JOURNAL STAR  Several hundred voters snake through the gymnasium at Trinity Lutheran Church one hour before polls close at 7pm Tuesday night.
ADAM/JOURNAL STAR Several hundred voters snake through the gymnasium at Trinity Lutheran Church one hour before polls close at 7pm Tuesday night.

Is there a better way to spend election night than in a newsroom? Highly doubtful. Each November (and especially every 4 years) an “all hands to battle stations!” alarm is sounded, and our newspaper becomes what I imagine to be a perfect facsimile of clattering typewriters and copy boys running furiously down to the press with the latest type. We all down some suds afterwards, bitching and grousing about how difficult the night was, but deep down, we are very, very proud.

There’s something immensely satisfying about waiting in line to vote. It’s the most diverse group of people you could possibly assemble, and everyone looks determined as hell. It’s slightly scary, however, to hear some of the conversation while waiting in line. Lots of “do i need my ID? do i need my voters card?” No and no… and then I see comments on our newspaper site saying “To shorten lines, Democrats have been asked to vote on Wednesday the 5th” and I want to punch people in the face. I only had to wait 35 minutes, but my polling place had several hundred in line that evening.

I walked to vote and that felt ever more right. It was 70 degrees in November, an anomaly in itself, and we now have the first African-American president elected. A CityLink worker in his truck stopped me to ask where the polling place was. He had that same determined face… and a look of elation.

It’s Christmas morning. And Washington Post’s Hank Stuever sums it up perfectly.

There’s so much to love about the standing part today, amid all the drab beige, taking in the smell of someone else’s coffee, rereading the entire newspaper, stuck in the line of voters that doesn’t seem to move but, in fact, does. Then comes the sticker.

What a wonderful and boring thing, voting together.

Batman-style

ADAM/JOURNAL STAR  Josh Hoegh, 23, of Des Moines, Iowa leans down from a maple tree to kiss his fiance Melissa Patterson, 19, of Jacksonville Saturday afternoon as the Judson University choir stops for a break in Detweiler Park during their fall tour.
ADAM/JOURNAL STAR Josh Hoegh, 23, of Des Moines, Iowa leans down from a maple tree to kiss his fiance Melissa Patterson, 19, of Jacksonville Saturday afternoon as the Judson University choir stops for a break in Detweiler Park during their fall tour.

Vote

Poppy Bush drew comparisons to Warren G. Harding, whose prose reminded H. L. Mencken of “a string of wet sponges. … It is so bad that a sort of grandeur creeps into it.” When Harding died, E. E. Cummings lamented, “The only man, woman or child who wrote a simple declarative sentence with seven grammatical errors is dead.”

Election Day; Starbucks reminds us that they’re giving away free coffee to those civically responsible. I spent the wee hours of this morning doing my last minute candidate research; and as always, I’ll be printing a little cheat sheet to take with me into the voting booth (or terminal, as it’s all electronic now.)

It’ll be my 3rd Presidential election. I was barely 18 in 2000, a lucky coincidence that made my first opportunity to vote more exciting than most. Firsthand, I’ve seen my political ideology evolve and mature like some sort of finely honed manuscript.

Surprisingly, even my status update feed on Facebook is inundated with friends posting articles and commentary blasting those they don’t agree with, praising their candidate and otherwise being rather dickish. While I’m happy that so many are taking an interest in this election cycle (and it certainly feels more energized than 2000 and 2004), I’m left with a bad taste in my mouth that people have forgotten how to debate their disagreements. 

Or how appreciate differences, for that matter. CNN contributor Bob Greene wrote “If you can’t (or can) say anything nice. . .“, a fun piece about ordinary Schmoes being asked to say something nice about their political enemy. If a McCain endorser, tell me why Obama is not the undoing of America. And if an Obama booster, tell me why McCain isn’t enough to head to our Canadian neighbor come 2009. “This just might catch on. In these last days of the campaign, this might start something– in city after city, in state after state, people might make themselves feel better by looking for the better side of the man they oppose.” I love the idea.

So enough of the bickering, enough of the hatred and pointedness we’ve endured for two long years. Vote merrily, if you haven’t already.

All Hallows’ Even

In deference to our Jack-o-Lantern obligation, Laura and I picked up a couple of victims and spent two Sundays ago making a mess of things.

Exhibit A (happy)
Exhibit A (happy)
Exhibit B (silly)
Exhibit B (silly)
Exhibit C (manic)
Exhibit C (manic)
Exhibit D (tricky/dangerous)
Exhibit D (tricky/dangerous)

Lessons learned? Smaller knives are good, smaller pumpkins even better. And be ready for rogue pumpkins with 6-inch walls and insides that really aren’t that hollow.

Finished and moldy.
Finished and moldy.

Afterwards, while driving her home, we noticed that it was flurrying. Let it be known that winter arrived in Peoria on October 26th. Yikes.

The pumpkins grew moldy quicker than I expected, so I kicked them out of the house. Would they be stolen? Bashed? Defaced? Violated? None of the above, I’m proud to report. They sat guard all night on the front porch as I toiled away at work.

Radiohead – Reckoner (Flying Lotus remix)

Dusty Springfield – Spooky

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