that girl in the liquor store
she likes legislation
cloture votes and quorum calls
parliamentary machinations

We once again apologize for the long delay in the appearance of the Iron Poet. Michael Shogun and the Anjin-san mustered their combined strengths to repair their shattered lands following the appearance of a dreaded tai-fun. With their respective homes and, more importantly, wa restored, your two metrical gladiators have once again taken up their katanas and returned to Poetry Stadium. Let metrical combat recommence.

The rules:

Two men, 34 syllables, one topic. Topics are assigned courtesy of www.m-w.com. This Friday, poetical genius will be delivered to you.

Your metrical gladiators:

Michael Shogun — born Ryōri no Tetsujin — a man scarred by his warrior past. Abandoning his implements of combat, he traded mastery of the battlefield for knowledge of a new, more powerful, more deadly art. Three mystic numbers: 5 . . . 7 . . . 5.

Anjin-san: an English sailor, pilot of the Erasmus, a Dutch trader-warship, formerly known as "ajd." Marooned in Nippon, he quickly abandoned his old ways and became a master of the ancient art of . . . haiku.

Your task:

Select the Iron Poet! Vote by commenting on the appropriate website.

This week's word:

blithesome

I showed up to vote at 8:30 Tuesday morning and found that I could not vote. I may be part of a teeny tiny district, but ALL obstructions to our electoral process must be uncovered and the responsible parties punished, regardless of party affiliation. If this happens to you, don't take it sitting down. Stand up and fight. Record everything you can about the situation: time, names, descriptions of people, and every last word of the confusing legalese they'll use to keep you from voting, like "polls open at 10:00."

My one post on the 2008 Presidential election is a direct copy of one made by Bruce "McQ" McQuain at Q&O:

Congratulations to the new President-elect, Barack Obama, and the Democrats on their victory last night.

Now comes the hard part.

I look forward to 4 years of enlightened, moderate, fiscally responsible and non-intrusive, liberty enhancing governance.

That's my definition of "change" by the way.

If that's not the case, look forward to hearing about it on a regular basis.

Until then - enjoy.

[ From http://www.qando.net/ - It’s Obama! ]

Congratulations to ajd and his Wife of Justice on the birth of their daughter Madeline! We'll make a Red Sox fan out of her yet.

Something about Michelle Obama has been bugging me ever since the first time I saw her on television — some tiny nagging visceral itch at the back of my brainstem. A few minutes ago, I finally realized what it was.

Skin and hair color aside, Michelle is a nearly a dead ringer for Reese Witherspoon.

It goes without saying that they're a much more attractive pair than the last politically relevant fraternal twins I discovered.

If "Barack Obama is your new bicycle," Joe Biden is the old cracked helmet you have to wear because your mom is too cheap to buy a new one.

Who thinks I should start writing on this thing again?