I am a former Navy Seabee. For those of you living in Fort Wayne's Sycamore Hills, Chicago's Kenilworth or LA's Beverly Hills, Seabees are naval construction types. We have an unusually ornery sense of humor. And today, I fell prey to the amusement of a civilian construction crew.

This letter is about a jokester who had a great joke played on him today by some of Fort Wayne's saviest. You all know about the construction work that is going on along the riverbank greenway adjecnt to Foster Park. Seems like that neck of our woods has been torn up most of the year. I have been riding the greenway for years now. But, with putting up these flood banks, gobbs of what was once (sort of) paved trailway is now but a river of mud! Let me ask you a question, what happens when rain and mud mix? Well, sometimes they don't. It gets kinda messy.

So, I have to ask another question: If the city of Fort Wayne is employing a construction crew to do work along the river greenway, ostensibly (as always, after the fact) doing the citizenry an invaluable service protecting their homes in a known flood plain, they know they have torn up that stretch of land it is an absolute quagmire, who is the bigger moron here? Me, for imitating the Garfield comic strip charachter of Odie and blindly dilly dallying along riding straight into that mess; or, the Garfield's of this messy joke that knew exactly what I was getting myself into and getting a nice chuckle out of my temporary filthy encounter? Why couldn't one of these ruffian types warned me not to continue on in the direction I was going? Me thinks it is because they were probably a little bored and wanted some entertainment at my expense.

In any event, it is something that a construction type would do, civilian or military! Hope the fun was worth it!

"Well, that didn't take long!", said the friendly, smiling helper down at the City County Building early voting spot. "No", said I, "with this crew, it's very easy to choose." Such was my demenor when I hopped back on to my trusted TREK 4900 to again further reduce my alleged carbon footprint transporting myself around town. There is still a bit of time to go before election day (Nov 4th). But, with all the noise being bantored about by both the McCain and Obama camps, I just had to get my decision on who to vote for out of my head, through my slightly before nicotined and resined stained fingertips and be done with the unrelenting madness of this years federal election campaign cycle. After all, now that I have voted, how much money is going to be wasted by some egghead marketing genie thinking that throwing millions upon millions of more dollars my way is going to influence who I am to vote for? With some time to go, it's over! 

Then, later in the day, it hits me: "Early voting is not a very good thing." Why, it unduely deprives every political campaign and the electorate electorate of efficient use of campaign funds by having a reduced population pool (cough, cough) to effect come election day.  It also sets up the very stage which (as of this posting) festers what may yet turn out to be the greatest case of mass voter fraud to ever occur in this nation's history. How does the saying go, "vote early, vote often"? Sure, why not allow even more time for such? 

Election day, whatever day it is (or was) used to be a very special day. It meant something to be able to go to a polling place and cast my ballot. While on active duty, it was a proud tribute to our political process and our history to be able fill out an absent 'T" ballot after a undeniably silly pep talk by my comapny commander (who, by chance, I used to beat the smack out of in high school lacrosse!). Election Day was just that: Election Day. Now, it is just another 24-hour news cycle event. Just a confirming postscript to the maniacal tyraid of polls, purposely false accusations, political pandering and promising dreams that have no intention of ever coming true by political campaigns. Election Day is now but an event with absolutely no meaning. It's just a charade for hype. 

But, this is what we have allowed to happen. Kind of like the sanctity of marriage, election day has been diluted to irrelovence of what its original significance used to be (and what millions of our countrymen and women have fought and died for). It is but a faucet. Turning on, to turn off. And this time around, no matter who winds up winning, beng turned off is exactly what early voting is to me. 

Regards, 

Lance Phillip Cordill
THEE LANCE TALENT
www.theelancetalent.com
lancecordill@yahoo.com
260-348-8978

It is said that "Pickles come in many different sizes and many different jars." I know,  I invented it! And, I am in a pickle. Yes, it has to do with women. I am torn in two different directions. I am ever so physcially attracted to women in their 20's (spice, energy, curiosity, dreams, lust, figures). MySpace presents a myriad of fantastic fantasies of "what if's, if only I coulds" in the way of meetings. The connections I have made on here have been totally fantastic. If not for an actual meeting with who I find here. But, the hormonal charge in beng visually stimulating is fantastic! Yet, through it all, I would probably be better off with a woman in her 30's (maturity, focus, experience, lovemaking, responsibility). My pickle is being able to focus on which direction I should find myself. Lord knows trying to exact any sort of success in dividing my resources isn't producing the result I might hope for. I am involved with many different women on many different levels. Meeting them isn't a problem. Finding one that is not married, tied down, looking for an instant daddy (with sugar, too?), overweight, ugly (I am so mean!), in more debt than I am, or just flat out a beeatch is growing feint of heart. I love Fort Wayne women. I can not help it. So much so, I probably scare them to death simply by saying hello. My COM 212 proff at IPFW says that the women here really will get overblown that I might pay them any attention and they simply trip up over themselves (gals in their 20's). But, I don't see it as such. It's more like total rejection for me. thank god all the auditions and sales calls I have been to to have been blown off. i have thick skin. But, no one likes to be passed over for something else. So, I tour. Now, onwards to New Mexico for the next leg of my tour. Considering that I am still to be in Iraq, I am pretty F-ing lucky to be doing what I do. I am mindful of this and do not take it for granted.  The ego side of me previously thought that maybe this was a sign from God that I truly was going to again meet Miss Wonderful and hit somethiing off that would best us both. As far as I know, this hasn't happened. It's still the same ole, same ole living in Fort Wayne. I know you are out there, my lady extraordinaire. Just waiting fo rme to come into your life and you into mine. Perhaps, we already know each other. But, the timing just isn't right. Maybe, if I started wearing a watch again (I miss my SEIKO!) and would be back in synch with timing. Then again, finding a woman who has a clue to my broadband wavelength and wattage output at 220 operating volts (instead of the traditional American 110) would be more to a positive outcome. And so it goes, October 1 2008. The Cubbies are in the playoffs and have their first game tonight in it. I am on the road. Or, should I say the tracks! In either case, I have a decision to make. Any feedback out there would sure be helpful.