Yesterday my neighbor lost her new little dog, Lucy, to a disease that neither of us knew existed. Canine Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritus (HGE). The symptoms of this disease are very much like those of Parvo but it is different in that your dog is not protected by vaccines. I know this is a quick diary, but after the shock of last night I wanted to get this info out to as many of you dog lovers that I could.

Most of ya'll know me by now. I have always tried to remain a fair player in the candidate wars. I am an Edwards Democrat and maybe for that reason I've worked at keeping my end of the conversation between the remaining campaigns as civil and fair as I can.

I'm more than aware that the supporters of Sen. Clinton are passionate and invested in their candidate and come November we will need them. That said, I saw something tonight that ended any good will I had left for Hillary.

Tonight I saw a snake on the stage with Sen. Obama.

I'll say it again. Pathetic.

The dictionary doesn't do it justice, it defines pathetic as affecting or moving the tender emotions (NO!); causing pity (Now we're talking!)

Pissed-offish? Head in hands make you wanna cry? Nah, I'll just stick with my first choice. Pathetic.

Follow my sorry story below.

On Tuesday of this week my niece buried her second husband. It was her 49th Birthday. Her first husband died of lung cancer around ten years ago, it was horrific.

This was different, it was a shocking death. Her husband, Tom was the picture of health, only 41 years old. He got up early in the morning on a day that was supposed to be the first day of a vacation. He died of heart failure. My niece, her two children, his two children, his mom and his twin and nine other siblings and the rest of us are left behind.

Just announced on MSNBC, Keith Olbermann will be with them for four more years and has a contract to work with NBC to do some commentary and opinion. More below.

 I'm writing this diary after a suggestion by biscobosco that I document a problem my husband and I had with our first time voting on a Diebold machine. Biscobosco said that there would be a Google cache of this and that it helps to add to the documentation of problems that voters face not only with the machines but also with the lack of education of some poll workers. More below.