Love Martha McSally. Love Buffistas. Don't love getting phone notifications in the middle of the night for another mass killing.

I had read something yesterday about how traumatizing the election in Florida was for the MSD kids who worked so hard on the GOTV efforts for gun control candidates. I just want to hug them all this morning.

In local politics, my state representative battle is ongoing. The district winds along the coast including the oceanfront mansions and has been Republican for a long time. ~78,000 votes cast and the Rep candidate is up 124 votes while they count the provisional and mail in and military and so forth. It was 243 votes last night so making headway. Both men are moderates and agree on most issues. Digits crossed that the recount yields victory.

eta: and at least they haven't called my senate race yet because automatic recount. Despondent over the notion of Rick Scott representing me.

As Republicans go, he's not bad at all.

Unless you are a Baltimore City resident, in which case he goes out of his way to fuck us over. Only reason he hasn't done worse is the state congress has enough #s to veto & does.

So my uncle posted something on FB against the president, which is great, but I'm pretty sure he voted for him! Grrr.

I skipped FB yesterday, and think I will take a full week, at least. Need a break.

I made it to Michigan last night. My parents have both retired this year since the last time I stayed with them, so now I'm the one going to bed early and up before they are, and basically being all, "Some of us have to work, you know!"

Also, people are uneducated sheep. We had 12 Amendments on the Florida Ballot. On all 12 the Yes won, because who wants to read all that stuff. I just checked my ballot and I had 6 Yes and 6 No. One the Yes had to have a supermajority so the No won despite the auto Yes voters.

Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been hospitalized after a fall. [link]

I just saw that news, Laura. Horrific.

I am thinking of trying to squeeze protest attendance in between work and dance practice today. I have a much more visceral appreciation for the theory behind Theater of the Absurd and Dadaism these day's than when I was in graduate school, I tell you what.

Have new lego-ish tanks for my desk!

[link]

It's a Britsh Mark I heavy and a French FT-17 light tank.

The Mark I is famous for being the first tank. It was basically a big metal box with either cannons or machine guns mounted in side sponsons, designated as male or female tanks respectively. Inside the box you'd have eight men, the engine (just out in the open) putting out heat and fumes, the crankshaft spinning merrily, ammunition, pigeons, spent casings, and yet more fumes from the guns. It moved along at about walking speed which is just as well as it had no suspension. It was designed specially for the western front of World War I and didn't have much influence on future tank designs.

The French Renault FT-17 was also a World War I tank and had a ton of influence on future tank design. In fact the first tanks produced by both the United States and Russia (not the Soviet Union yet) were copies of this tank. It had a crew of two, a rotating turret, a sprung suspension, and a separate engine compartment. It rattled along at the pace of a brisk walk. These little tanks were used in World War I, a number of inter-war conflicts and even in World War II in a limited capacity.

It reminds me of aircraft in a way. The first aircraft were made in the United States, but it was the early French aircraft that looked like aircraft as we know them now. Same with tanks, the British had the first tanks, but it's this little early French tank that looks like what the tank would become. The French really don't get enough credit for innovation.