There are a couple of big votes coming up today here in NY State, neither of which have anything to do with me. First off, there’s a special election to fill the seat left vacant when the NYS Senate expelled Hiram Monserrate in conjunction with his conviction for slashing his girlfriend’s face. Of course, Hi’s running for his old seat, so it’ll be interesting to see if voters in the NY’s 13th district return him to office or not. He’s running against NYS Assemblyman Jose Peralta, who has been endorsed by pretty much all the Democrats and lefties in NY (mostly, I think, because he’s yet to be convicted of anything). He’s also a supporter of marriage equality, which is appropriate, since he’d be representing Queens.

Also today, the village of Seneca Falls votes on whether or not to dissolve and be absorbed into the town that surrounds it (which is also named Seneca Falls). The village is probably best known as the birthplace of the women’s rights movement, having held the first documented women’s rights convention in 1848. It’s also the home of the National Women’s Hall of Fame and the Women’s Rights National Historic Park.

Seneca Falls was also an abolitionist hotspot, and the home of Amelia Bloomer, who popularized the women’s garments know today as – you guessed it – “bloomers” (though they were actually invented by Elizabeth Smith Miller of Peterboro, NY – another big abolitionist hotspot – and Fabrizia Flynn, who women can also thank for the galvanized rubber girdle).

Plus, it (Seneca Falls, not the girdle) was the inspiration for Frank Capra’s Bedford Falls (you know, from “It’s a Wonderful Life”).

Oh, there’s more, but I’m afraid it’ll just have to wait for another day, ‘cuz it’s getting late and is time for me to hit the road.