I voted!

I just got back from the polling station. This was my first time voting in an election. :-)

The lines were extremely long, but that wasn't an issue because the polls are legally required to stay open until the last person has voted. At least that's what I learned when I worked the polls in March. Though I received a provisional ballot because of an address change, everything else went without a hitch.

Update: The idiot from Texas somehow got re-elected. Judging by Bush's poor decisions, I'm not looking forward to the next four years. God help us all.

on being a poll worker

I spent the whole day at the polls for the California primary elections. This was part of a Civics assignment in which we had to participate in two community activities and share our experiences. One option was to work at the polls. I thought it sounded interesting and decided to sign up.

While I haven't registered to vote, that apparently doesn't preclude working at a polling station. Yesterday was the training session, during which we went over the policies and procedures. The class lasted about three hours.

The elections began today at 7 a.m. I had to get up an hour earlier to help set things up. The work was harder than I expected. Because the polls are legally required to stay open until the last person has voted, I couldn't leave until 9 p.m. and was completely exhausted. The other team members had to yell at me a few times to keep me awake!

Long hours aside, everything went extremely well. I'm sure Ms. Contreras will be proud of me. :-)

Currently playing: Hacx

a tribute to America

In response to the devestating terrorist attacks two days ago, LAHS held an impromptu assembly to honor those who lost their lives. School officials and student leaders spoke about unity and offered counseling services. Afterwards, the Main Street Singers performed patriotic songs. It was a poignant experience.

Students were allowed to skip the event due to its emotional nature, but most showed up. I guess they felt a duty to be there.

Currently listening to: "America the Beautiful" by Katharine Lee Bates

regarding current events

In case you haven't seen the news, terrorists hijacked four aircraft and flew them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. It's been reported that the Twin Towers have collapsed while the Pentagon suffered serious damage. I must admit this looks like something out of a disaster movie.

We didn't do much today as our eyes were glued to TV screens. According to government officials, Osama bin Laden is responsible for the attacks. Assuming that's true, then it's time to launch some cruise missiles up his ass.

At any rate, my thoughts and prayers are with those affected by today's events. I hope they get justice.

Currently reading: Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya

Mr. Hagan guilty :-(

Three months ago, one of the teachers at Egan was arrested for having sex with underage girls. I am saddened to learn that Mr. Hagan has pleaded guilty to the charges. I was hoping he would be exonerated because those sluts had lied about their age, but things turned out otherwise.

If the Mountain View Voice article is accurate, then he may have to go to prison for several years. However, I really hope that won't be the case. From what I've heard, inmates don't treat sex offenders too kindly. Even if he doesn't have to do time, he'll probably still have to register as a sex offender and will likely be shunned by many people as a result. This just sucks on so many levels. My thoughts are with Mr. Hagan and his family during the difficult days ahead.

Mr. Hagan charged with statutory rape :-(

I am in shock as I write this: one of the teachers at Egan, Mr. Hagan, was arrested yesterday for having sex with two underage high school girls. One of the bitches apparently couldn't keep her mouth shut and told her parents, so that's how the incident came to light. This hit very close to home as Mr. Hagan was one of my P.E. teachers.

The age of consent is 18 in California, which essentially means one must be an adult before they can legally (ahem) engage in sexual activity. But from what I've heard, the girls had lied about their age. If that's the case, then Mr. Hagan isn't to blame. He is one of the most well-liked teachers at my school, and I really hope the charges will be dropped.

May 19 update: The Mountain View Voice has published two articles relating to Mr. Hagan's arrest. You can read them here and here.

on the Year 2000 problem

Dad told me his company's security system went haywire. I guess the transition to the year 2000 wasn't exactly seamless. However, he says this was quickly fixed and didn't cause any damage. As far as I'm aware, there have been no major disruptions. So no power failures, plane crashes, nuclear meltdowns or accidental missile launches. Of course, the world didn't end either.

On the whole, this has been an uneventful day so far. Some argue that the money spent on Y2K — estimated at a few hundred billion dollars — was a waste. But there are many others who disagree. You can't take chances when it comes to critical infrastructure.

Currently playing: Duke Nukem

our house got hit by a tornado!

You probably won't believe this, but my house was hit by a tornado three days ago. That's right - a tornado in California of all places!

This tornado was one of the two that struck the Bay Area; the other touched down in Sunnyvale, my old hometown. This was an incredibly rare occurrence, considering that twisters are almost non-existent in California. They were luckily nowhere as powerful as those in the Midwest, but at least I can now tell people that I've been in a tornado before!

It started out like a normal Tuesday afternoon. I had just finished a session with my English tutor, and Mom was walking her to the door when the wind picked up. We didn't think much of it at first because sudden gusts are not uncommon at this time of the year.

However, the wind soon become unusually strong, and we sensed something was not right. It wasn't long before we heard things crashing outside. That was certainly not a good sign. Just then, the wind subsided almost as suddenly as it had begun. Mom then went outside to investigate and realized our gas was leaking!

It turned out a section of our neighbor Gen's roof had struck our gas meter and ruptured it. Fearing an explosion, Mom and I rushed into another neighbor's garage for cover. I know we kind of went into somebody else's house without asking, but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have minded given the circumstances. In any case, this was a very bad situation; had the gas ignited, our house and all of our possessions would likely be gone.

Much to our relief, a Good Samaritan managed to shut off the gas for us. Damn, that guy's brave. Mom ran back into the house to get him a box of chocolates as a token of gratitude, but he was nowhere to be seen. Strangely enough, none of our neighbors knew who he was either, only that he was some sort of construction worker. I'd say he was definitely a guardian angel.

The tornado had knocked out the power in the area, but it was restored for most homes by the following day. We were without electricity for a longer period of time because our power line had suffered extensive damage, hence why I couldn't post this earlier. But I guess the most important thing is that our house is still in one piece. :-)