A special message to our American cousins about Tuesday, 2nd November
 

In Australia, all eyes will be focused on - a horse race.

The Melbourne Cup, a national tradition for lo, these many years, will overshadow all news from abroad. The nation will stop - in Melburnians' case, all day, as they have a public holiday. As always, unkind Sydneysiders will ask how you can tell the difference. If anyone mentions Bush or Kerry, someone will probably want to know what weight they're carrying.

As the US count won't start until Wednesday morning here, it won't actually matter.

So, service from Australian Fodorites will be temporarily interrupted. Just so you know.

I have $100 at 10 to 1 on Kerry.
50 cents at odds on for Bush
$10 at evens that the Floridians can't find the hole again.
For the first time in my life I have absolutely nothing on anything in the Melbourne Cup.

Sydneysiders are not unkind, we are lovely people. The bestest people in the whole entire world. :)

As for Melbourne Cup day it is getting less and less important. We stop work, have a cracker and glass of lemonade, watch the race then head back to work after about 15 mins.

I mean someone has to keep this country going!

hee hee

Would like to know who Bush's jockey is though.

I agree Jane, in fact this year my workplace has made an official ban on betting on the cup. No sweepstakes, no stop work, it is a non event here. I think it is getting like that in a lot of places now.

Paul
Is true, used to be finish work at lunch time then party on.

They moved the race time later, corporations become responsible servers of alcohol and a great traditon bites the dust. Still amazing at how little traffic is the on the roads during race time though.

Jane, I believe Bush's jockey is a guy called Dick Cheney.

Dunno Neil I thought that the one pulling the reins in the Bush V Kerry race was O.... B.. L.... ( not allowed to put that name on the site otherwise they pull the thread)

Well, dh and I voted last week, and we're pretty well stocked up on food and snacks, so we can be ready to run our precincts tomorrow. I can't imagine we'll be able to leave during the day; a lot of people have voted early but turnout should still be pretty good. The precinct I'll be in charge of always has lines at the end of the day.

Enjoy your race, and we'll enjoy ours! :-)

Lee Ann

Interestingly I was talking to my parents last night (Melbournians) and they informed me that there is a call for Melbourne Cup Day to be made a Public Holiday Australia Wide. Funny I haven't heard anything - has anyone else?

neil took the words right out of my mouth!

I don't follow horse racing or any other sport - maybe I was inspired by watching "Seabiscuit" the other night. The question is, will America's political Seabiscuit (JFK II) get his nose in front tomorrow?

neigh.

(though that is not my wish at all)

Tood bad Arnold can't run, imo..He would win by a nose.

signed,

a happy Cow ie forian..

He can't even pronounce our states name correctly and we elected him.. lol

Have been watching results on CNN here in OZ....seems like Bush has it in the bag. Hilary for 2008 !!

Peteralan, I think its too early to call, but the results are cautiously pessemistic. AndrewDavid

I may be one of the few people here who is pleased with the election results, although I realize A/D may never want to invite me over for Tim Tams now. ;-)

On a personal note, I'm glad to report that everything went well in our respective precincts. Both dh and I and our workers had a good day, though a long one.

Lee Ann

That's right Lee Ann, no Tim Tams for you.

A/D

And rightly so, A/D.

Frankly Neil. I'll never understand Bush and his ilk. They must really hate their children and grandchildren to create a world so polluted and unsafe for them. I think selfish is the operative word coupled w/ greedy.

Rich republicans always assume they can build their gated communities tight enough to keep out the peasants who are daily starving to death in America. Some day those walls won't be high enough.

I can only think their lives are so boring that they are interested in over regulating what I do w/ mine.

We are exploring the options of moving to Canada. I was at a United Way meeting today and encouraged to stay and fight the good fight ( after all I was "Humanitarian of the Year for Santa Fe County " last year). But seriously if Bush/ Cheney and Scalia is what over 50% of America wants and people voted their "Morals"
( I love a dope who thinks a liar is "moral") why stick around. I pay relatively large amounts in income tax and feel the Canadien gov't might do a better job of spending it.

Black Day here.
AndrewDavid