The Fact Of The Matter

Tucson Weather Today

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Every once in a while (such as right now, at this very instant) I allow an indefinable fact to emerge from where it was necessarily suppressed in some remote recess of my mind and overpower the emotional turmoil currently roiling my sense of well-being. Such as when I hear someone say, "Every vote matters."

Let's be honest. In a national election, my vote never matters. Never has... never will. How I vote or whether I vote or do not vote matters not a whit.

whit
noun
a particle; bit; jot ; used especially in negative phrases, such as, not a whit better.

But still I vote. I voted when I was 21 in 1960. I voted for John Fitzgerald Kennedy for president, in defiance of my father who was a lifelong  staunch Republican. That was the last time I ever voted for a Democrat presidential candidate. And even back then, I did not feel that my vote in any way influenced the elecction's outcome. And I have voted in every presidential election since... except once, in the year 2008. I abstained. And once again I did not feel that my lock of voting counted for anything.

How does it feel to know positively that my vote, or lack thereof, matters not a whit?

(shoulder shrug)

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Did You Know . . .?

In Finland, speeding tickets are calculated based on one's income - causing some Finnish millionaires to pay fines of more than $100,000.

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HISTORICAL EVENT

On this day n 1902, the film A Trip to the Moon (French: Le Voyage dans la Lune) was released. The French silent film was directed by Georges Méliès. Inspired by a wide variety of sources, including Jules Verne's novels From the Earth to the Moon and Around the Moon, the film follows a group of astronomers who travel to the Moon in a cannon-propelled capsule, explore the Moon's surface, escape from an underground group of Selenites (lunar inhabitants), and return with a splashdown to Earth with a captive Selenite.

A Trip to the Moon was named one of the 100 greatest films of the 20th century by The Village Voice. The film remains the best-known of the hundreds of films made by Méliès, and the moment in which the capsule lands in the Moon's eye remains one of the most iconic and frequently referenced images in the history of cinema. It is widely regarded as the earliest example of the science fiction film genre and, more generally, as one of the most influential films in cinema history.

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WORD FOR TODAY

acumen
noun
1. the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, typically in a particular domain.
2. keen insight
Because of his mathematical acumen, Larry was able to figure out in minutes problems that took other students hours.

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CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

Thomas Mark Harmon

(September 2, 1951)

Mark Harmon is an American television and film actor who has appeared in a wide variety of roles since the mid-1970s. Since 2003, Harmon has starred as former U.S. Marine Corps gunnery sergeant and sniper turned NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs in the hit CBS series, NCIS, a role that has become Harmon's best-known role to date while also giving him international recognition.

Salma Hayek

September 2, 1966)

Salma Hayek is a Mexican and American film actress, director, and producer. She began her career in Mexico starring in the telenovela Teresa and went on to star in the film El Callejon de los Milagros (Miracle Alley) for which she was nominated for an Ariel Award. In 1991 Hayek moved to Hollywood and came to prominence with roles in Hollywood movies such as Desperado, Dogma, and Wild Wild West.

Keanu Charles Reeves

(September 2, 1964

Keanu Reeves is a Canadian actor, producer, director and musician. Reeves is most well known for his acting career. He gained fame for his starring role performances in several blockbuster films including comedies from the Bill and Ted franchise, action thrillers Point Break and Speed, and the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix. He has also appeared in several dramatic films such as Dangerous Liaisons, My Own Private Idaho, and Little Buddha.

Sharon Christa Corrigan McAuliffe

(Sep 2, 1948 - Jan 28, 1986)

Christa McAuliffe was an American teacher from Concord, New Hampshire, and was one of the seven crew members killed in the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion.

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This Is Who I Am