That’s a debate? I am trying hard to be objective. If Kerry is a strong finisher, what was that all about? He seemed bored, tired and wanting to get off the stage. If this was supposed to be “his topic,” why did he seem so flat and passionless? And I’m sorry…if Kerry needs to reach women, that “marrying up” crack was outrageously off-strategy. But the absolute worst part of this debate was Bob Schieffer. Hands down, the worst moderator.

Blog the vote: Well, as I’m always trying to be a trendsetter by exuding marginality, I decided that I’d do something not everyone gets to do today: Vote in the 2004 presidential election. In Tennessee, today is the start of “early voting.” (If you live in Nashville, here are lists of the times and places you can vote early through Thursday, October 28 (including two Saturdays).

Voting early is just like casting a vote on election day. Indeed, in my case, I voted early at my regular polling location. In Davidson County (Nashville), a registered voter can go to any of the seven early voting sites, no matter where they are required to vote on Election Day. Each site is tied into a central data base containing the voter registration files so, sorry, you can vote early but not often.

The site where I voted, Belle Meade City Hall, had brisk traffic around 8:30 a.m. when I cast my vote (I took the photo above with my cell phone). There were several people in line and the poll workers indicated the turn-out had been like that since opening. Unlike on a regular election day, there were no campaign representatives standing beyond the “1000-foot” limit handing out material. So, while it seemed like a regular election process, there was little of the festive nature an election day typically has where I vote.

As I have never been on the fence in this election, I don’t mind showing what my vote looks like on a Nashville voting machine. Apparently, I’m a fan of grid-lock as I voted for the Republican candidate for President and the Democratic candidate for U.S. Representative. Neither vote should surprise anyone. While I disagree with the President on a few specific issues related to certain civil liberties and the role of government in ones personal life, those disagreements pale in comparison to my support for his prosecution of the war on terror. Perhaps it’s my interest in reading historic non-fiction that helps me accept that chaos is always part of the aftermath of war. (I know it took several decades for the bloodshed to stop in the aftermaths of both the American Revolutionary and Civil wars.) I think invading Iraq was not only the correct thing to do, I think we waited too long to do so rather than not long enough.

As for my vote for U.S. Representative, I get the opportunity to discuss privately with him on a regular basis any differences we may have — and we have a few. He knows where I stand. I know where he stands. But friendship and trust trumps all else in my support of Jim Cooper.

I highly recommend this early voting thing. I think it’s the trendy thing to do.

rexblog bumper music: Vote Baby Vote (Dee-Lite)

Al Gore showed me how to blog: Via a vanity-pubsub-feed, I ran across a blog post that linked to a list (that mysteriously has disappeared) of CEO bloggers on a new PR Wiki. I was somewhat amazed to notice that I’ve been blogging since the dirt age (as measured in ceo-blogger-time). However, I wanted to clarify the rexblog “start date.” On the CEO blogger list, it says I’ve been blogging since January 3, 2002. However, my first post was officially made on August 28, 2000. Just because that first post was the word test and it took 17 months for me to make a follow-up entry, doesn’t mean I wasn’t “thinking about blogging” all during that period. I’m glad I could clarify this. And for the record, I always credit Dave Winer for being the first CEO blogger.

In your pocket? The search engine IceRocket has a new blogs-search feature. Haven’t tried it, but I’m always looking for something to complement Technorati.

(via Doc Searlswho says it’s still “a bit wet”)

An M&A suggestion: My inbox contains a couple of serendipitously related magazine items. One is an announcement of “the first” trade publication for the mold prevention and abatement industry, Mold & Moisture Management magazine, launching in January, 2005. The other e-mail is not about a vaporzine, but one of this weblog’s seven readers thought it has an ethereal, vaporous feel to it: Ghost, “A Magazine for the Ghost Hunting Enthusiast.” After reflecting on it thirty seconds, I think these magazines should merge into a publication for people paranoid about invisible things they believe are hiding in their homes.

(Thanks, Eddie Rider)

 rexblog bumper music:Ghostbusters (Ray Parker Junior)