open thread

You've seen the polls. You've read the blogs. You know the skinny about the crux of the biscuit.

Use this thread to lay it all on the line and predict the winners from top to bottom.

Whoever gets the most right wins a cookie.

Share your last minute worries and frustrations here.

I bet we have a lot of bloggers out canvassing, putting up signs, making phone calls and standing the last day of early voting at the polls. Last night sounds like it was a rousing success. I wish I could have been there.

You Tube is down, so I'm not able to get anymore of the videos loaded. I'll keep trying and will move the diaries back to the front page to give our speakers some face time.

Here's a nice clean open thread.

Good Morning! I know we're all tired. Driving back in the rain was awful last night. It was raining so hard I couldn't see the lane markers and the trucks were barreling around us even in the driving rain, but Katie was chatting about all the really interesting people she'd met and I was still excited about seeing everyone, so the time flew by.

I'll have video and pictures up later of the blogger bash.

What's on your mind?

My 14-yr-old just finished a poetry project for her 9th grade English class. She had to pick a variety of poems to analyze and she had to write ten of her own and write a summary of what she was trying to say or accomplish with the poem. A couple of her poems were not as good as the others because she said writing on demand, especially poetry, is so hard. This one was inspired by her writer's block. I think it's cute, so I'm posting it here for y'all to enjoy.

I've a crappy week - so I'm going to start my weekend early by celebrating some good things to lift my spirits. Feel free to celebrate with me. (I'm only drinking Diet Pepsi, but it's good and cold!)

#1 We're going to Durham to see the Bulls play tonight! Whooo! I love baseball!

#2 On my way into work this morning, I spied the local Obama office (175 W. Pennsylvania St., Southern Pines.) Whooo! This things is real! I love that part of politics.

#3 Chocolate. I have some. MMMMMMMMM.

What's up with you?

All the trees and twiglets in our woods are showing off their new duds. Here are a few pictures from the land we're taking care of while we live on this earth. I have more, but I need to get back out there and don't have time to edit their size.

Does everybody have their tickets to see Michelle Obama?

The front-page of the New York Times today features a scary story about obsessive blogging.

Two weeks ago in North Lauderdale, Fla., funeral services were held for Russell Shaw, a prolific blogger on technology subjects who died at 60 of a heart attack. In December, another tech blogger, Marc Orchant, died at 50 of a massive coronary. A third, Om Malik, 41, survived a heart attack in December.

Other bloggers complain of weight loss or gain, sleep disorders, exhaustion and other maladies born of the nonstop strain of producing for a news and information cycle that is as always-on as the Internet.

Should be a big night here in Blue-ville. Did you read where Liddy weighed in on the tournament?

"One North Carolina team already had Kansas on the ropes, and now it's time for the Tar Heels to finish the Jayhawks off," said Elizabeth Dole in a statement.

In a statement? You mean someone actually took the time to write down such an unappealing mixed metaphor? I understand the political benefit of leeching onto to the Final Four, but sheesh. They could at least do it with a little class.

Holy mackerel. We now live in a country where an 80-year-old guy in a wheel chair, who is a deacon in his church, can get arrested for wearing the wrong t-shirt in a shopping mall. Unbelievable.