partly

Vote.

Yeah, I know, it's voting day and a little late for this, but here it is anyway.

And if you're to the point that you'd just like to chuck the whole thing because right now both candidates look like characters from a bad political satire move: Vote anyhow.

Pick three or five issues that are important to you and make your stand on them. I tell you, sincerely, if you try to vote on all the issues, you're going to go crazy.

Do you know how any of the candidates stand on funding of NASA and deep space exploration? If it's important to you, you should. Will exploration of Mars continue? What about the deep space listening posts? The study of the sun? What about study of earthquake and volcano activity?

What about support of wildlife and recreation areas? How do the candidates stand of use such areas? And I'm not talking the hot topic of "corporate" use here (logging, oil, whatever) I'm talking regular, public use. Who do the candidates look to when making those decisions? What about wildlife? I have black bear, wolf and bobcat wondering around my folks back yard -- hell, I live in town and I had a black bear in my backyard. So, do the candidates agree with how my life experience says this should be taken care of? Would those candidates (or their advisers) even believe that Northcentral Wisconsin has black bear, wolf and bobcat? Is it important to you if they know things like that?

What about earth-bound scientific advancements? What is their plans for the funding for scientific research -- superconductors, robotics, cybernetics, genetics? Should that be all private? Public? Government regulated? Government controlled? At what point is line drawn and do you trust the people in the government to draw that line? And how are government funds and government regulations balanced against the steep price that comes with governmental involvement?

And then there is the big issues: War. Terrorism. Health care. Taxes. But do you really know how any candidate is going to deal with those? I mean, details, actual plans? And those are big flashpoint issues that will require massive amounts of support from many people other than the current political candidates. Are you sure your candidate will be able to do what he says he will do?

Don't get tunnel vision on the big issues, because it's the little ones you ignore that will make or break this world.

Before you vote just find out one thing:

Does the candidate you support, support what you believe?
Does the candidate you support, support what you value?