Rainy Day Votes

I awoke to a grey, cloudy, damp Election Day. Warmed things up a bit with breakfast and a couple of Schoolhouse Rock shorts that teach kids about the US government and how it works. "Tyrannosaurus Debt" is a pointed commentary on the national debt and how it keeps growing. "Three Ring Government" compares the three branches of government to a typical circus. "I'm Just a Bill" reveals how a bill becomes law (and how long that process often takes). "The Preamble" discusses the Constitution. "Sufferin' 'Til Sufferage" recalls how women got the vote after over a century of protests. The more recent "I'm Gonna Send Your Vote to College" uses a college fight song parody to explain the Electoral Collage.

Worked on writing for the rest of the morning. A few months after Leia nurses the Master back to health, Rey and Finn are in the garden, pruning roses. Rey tries to ask him more about the curse, but he's forbidden to talk about it. She gets angry with him when he continues to evade her questions, but all is forgiven after he shows obvious concern when she pricks her finger.

A month later, Kaydel and Snap avoid summer rain inside, dancing to her harpsichord playing. She loves that she can have fun with him, but she has a few things she wants to ask him, too...

Stopped for lunch shortly before 1. Did an election-themed episode of Tiny Toon Adventures while I ate. "Citizen Max" is a spoof of the classic drama Citizen Kane, right down to Hampton searching for what Montana Max meant when he said "Acme." Monty wanted desperately to beat Buster in the school presidential race, resorting to getting him kicked out of school. Buster and Babs enlist Plucky to help them get even.

Filled in a little extra time with three animated shorts. "Popeye for President" has Popeye and Bluto neck and neck in the election. Olive has to cast the deciding vote, but she needs help with her chores. She's ready to vote for Popeye after he gets the job done faster, but Bluto's not about to give up on such an attractive voter.

Betty Boop's Grampy shows what happens after an elected official takes office in "The Candid Candidate." He's the new mayor of a small town that immediately comes to him with matters serious and trivial. Grampy uses his inventions to help solve their problems.

Monty and Buster aren't the first Looney Tunes to go toe-to-paw in the political arena. Bugs is a "Ballot Box Bunny" when he and Yosemite Sam run for mayor. They both try every trick they can think of to win...but the race has a very surprising conclusion!

It started raining fifteen minutes before I left for work. That wasn't enough time to get a ride. I just rode to work. Maybe it's just as well. While we did get steady during rush hour, it was otherwise dead again. Most people were either avoiding the rain or at the polls. I wish there was more communication between managers. The night manager told me to do carts and the bathroom when the carts were full and the bathrooms didn't need to be cleaned. I did gather baskets, do the inside trash, and put away a few returns. Otherwise, I was outside with the carts getting wet.

I didn't have much of a choice. The shower had continued pretty much since I left for work. I just got more wet going  home. Dried off with leftovers for dinner while watching You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown. The votes are in at Charlie Brown's school. He doesn't have a chance of winning school president. Linus, however, looks like a lock...until he makes a speech about The Great Pumpkin.

Ran a second-season episode of Happy Days while cleaning up from dinner. "The Not-Making of the President" has Richie campaigning for 1954 Democratic nominee Adeli Stevenson to impress a politics-obsessed girl, despite Mr. Cunningham being all about Eisenhower. Mr. Cunningham thinks his son should want what he wants, but he changes his tune when he catches Richie making a pro-Democratic speech at a rally at Arnold's.

Did a Three Stooges short while getting ready to hit the shower. They're "Three Dark Horses" when a couple of guys hire them to vote for their candidate. Even the Stooges aren't that dumb. After they find out that the guy is corrupt, they change their votes.

Moved on to Remember WENN after my shower. Hilary and Jeff are "Strange Bedfellows" when they run against each other for the City Council. Scott sets them up in a debate to let Pittsburgh decide, but a last-minute entry may end up stealing their thunder.

Put on The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band as I went online. The title family are farmers who double as a brass band in the Midwest during 1888. Persuaded by oldest daughter Alice's (Leslie Ann Warren) new beau Joe Carder (John Davidson), the family moves to North Dakota. There's problems from the outset - Joe and most of the Dakota Territories are Republican, as is Calvin (Buddy Ebson), the head of the family. Outspoken Grandpa (Walter Brennan) is a dedicated Democrat. He gets Alice into trouble, with the town and with Joe, when he teaches his political opinions in the local school. Matters come to a head just in time for the infamous contested election between Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison. When a fight breaks out after the results come in, the family reminds everyone that there's a time for fighting and harsh words...and a time to work together, no matter which side of the political divide you're on.

This is one of the strangest live-action movies Disney ever did. A contested election is an odd subject for a musical, and yes, the music does get lost in all the political wrangling. There's some fun to be had here, though, including great ensemble numbers for the Family Band and townspeople and a charming ballad for Alice and Joe. Worth a look if you like big 60's musicals, the Sherman Brothers' other work, or the cast.

Ended the night with another sitcom episode. "Monkee Mayor" takes us out to California during the early second season of The Monkees (before the show started to get really weird). Mike Nesmith throws his green wool hat in the ring when a local developer throws their elderly neighbors out of their homes. He and the other four are ready to stand up and defend their homes...but Mike discovers just how politics are when the developer threatens him and the other guys.