Virginia has officially rejoined ERIC. @eric-states-2012.bsky.social ericstates.org

I just finished Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. My oldest had to read it as a sophomore in high school. So wife and I decided to read it too. So grateful to live with a school system that exposes our kids to this. Also so heartbreaking. A must read. 📚👀 #booksky

I finished Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. My wife saw the trailer for the movie of this book and we’ll watch anything with Christoph Waltz. So she read the book. As soon as she finished she told me I had exactly 1 week to read it before we watch the movie. Both are great! 📚👀 #booksky

I finished Empire of Cotton: A Global History by Sven Beckert. I was discussing books with a friend who is a PhD and professor of American history and told him I read the Half Has Never Been Told. He recommended that I read this as well as he teaches both in his classes. 1/ 📚👀 #booksky

I finished Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. My spouse finished the book and was recommending it and it’s going to a Netflix film. It was a very fun read. You will LOVE the octopus. I didn’t love the ending and wonder if the movie changes it. 📚👀 #booksky

The picture is of my office.

Would be remiss without giving a few folks a shoutout for their VA Redistricting Amendment coverage/analysis: @samshirazi.bsky.social @djsoke.bsky.social @davebjerke.bsky.social @chaznuttycombe.bsky.social You all rock, thank you from everyone here! ❤️

Happy Special Election Morning to all who celebrate. the City of Falls Church starts the morning with 4,172 ballots cast in early voting for 37% turnout. We have been tracking closely with last Nov Gubernatorial. So this is a high turnout event. Could see 65 - 70% turnout

Planning to vote early in person this week for the special election? Check out wait times here at our 16 locations: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections/elections/early-voting/wait-times

I just finished 107 Days by Kamala Harris. As a professional non partisan my thoughts are that I’m proud of all who defend democracy. Other thoughts (in Charlie Brown adult speak) Wah wa wa wah. Wa wah wa wah. Wah wa wa. 📚👀 #booksky

I just finished Sour Cherries at Buc-ee’s by Mark Elberfeld. I attended high school with Mark. He was a year ahead of me. I saw he published his 1st book and I pride myself in buying and reading books of people I know. My wife bought the book for me for Christmas. 1/ 📚👀 #booksky

Falls Church ends the week with 18% turnout, still higher at this point in early voting than last November.

Falls Church ends the week with 14.3% turnout. We remain ahead of last November’s election.

I just finished 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History and How It Shattered a Nation by Andrew Ross Sorkin. Fascinating narrative history. Also an excellent coda to Ron Cherno’s House of Morgan. 📚👀 #booksky

Falls Church ends the week at just slightly over 10% turnout. We had over 1% today.

Got it done!

We had a heavy day of in-person voting at 91 voters. 610 ballots cast including by-mail. 5.5% turnout to end the first full week of early voting for the April 21st Special Election.

On Monday I finished The Getaway by Jim Thompson which has been made into a movie twice (McQueen, Alec Baldwin). A bit of a pallet cleanser from my lengthy history reading. I was able to consume this over the weekend. Fun but the last 3rd could’ve been its own book. 🍻👀 #booksky

After starting strong with 82 voters on Friday, 70 on Monday, 65 Tuesday, and 52 yesterday. The 50 degree drop in temperature with accompanying snow today has brought in only 10 voters so far today. Fair weather voters is a thing. We are at 4.1% total turnout (of active voters).

Get it done. Pay him and keep him.

I just finished Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn The Gulag Archipelago, 1918-1956: An Experiment in Literary Investigation the abridged version. My mother gave this to me for my birthday. Great selection. It’s almost more of a philosophy book. 1/2 📚👀 #booksky

Opened our doors to two voters at 8 am and already 10 by-mail ballots back in the drop box. Early voting is on and we are already a dozen deep for the special election.

Seeing several walk-in voters hoping to vote today. Tomorrow (Friday) you can vote in-person. We already have 2 ballots back from our mail out earlier this week. Wonder how many we get tomorrow. Do we hit double digits?

It gives me no delight to say that pro-hand count people are idiots. Hand counts can make sense in specific low population precincts esp in a parliamentary system. But it’s really stupid for most of America.

I finished The Truth About College: The Essential Guide for Parents and Teens—So You Can Make the Right Choice Together by Ric Edelman. If you know anyone in 7th to 12 grade, get this book in their hands immediately. Also for parents. 1/2 📚👀 #booksky

I finished Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World By Margaret MacMillan. This came recommended by a well read election colleague. My understanding esp of modern European and Middle East borders alone was worth reading this. Very detailed. Recommend. 📚👀 #booksky

I need to write a song called Ballots in the Snow! We have delivered nearly 1000 ballots for nearly 10% of our voters to the post office for the April 21st special election. Early voting begins Friday March 6.

I finished The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism by Edward E. Baptist. At work, I have a new Electoral Board member and she and I were talking about her roles and what is appropriate from a political pov. We also discussed books since we both 1/ 📚👀 #booksky

The SAVE Act, save America act, mega act. Very helpful explainer, include this side-by-side comparison chart, from @issueonereform.bsky.social issueone.org/wp-content/u...

I finished The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck. My family celebrates Christmas Eve by giving everyone a book to open. This is on the books I received from my wife. She knows that one of the very first books I read that brought me emotion was Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. 1/ 📚👀 #booksky

I finished And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. When I saw a new Glass Onion movie was coming out I got curious about its development. Essentially Rian Johnson wanted to make an Agatha Christie murder mystery for a modern age. 1/2 📚👀 #booksky

Several voters showed up today to vote early in the April 21st Special Election to temporarily amend the VA Constitution regarding redistricting. We are week away from the start of early voting. Either request your by-mail ballot and we'll get that out on Mon/Tues, or see you next Friday, March 6.

I finished Stephen King’s The Colorado Kid. I saw it in a used book store and it was thin enough that I thought my 15 year old could read it (rather than audiobook). The cover is a bit risqué but that’s King, right? Well, spoiler alert: cover has nothing to do with the story. Good tho. 📚👀 #booksky

I finished Remain by Nicholas Sparks with M. Night Shyamalan. I’m a Shyamalan fan but had never read a Sparks book before. Knowing this would be a film, I had to read it. It’s good. I enjoyed it. Can’t wait to see the movie. 📚👀 # booksky

I’ve completely fallen off my book game of posting books I’ve read (or listened to) this year. I finished Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice By Virginia Roberts Giuffre A super important read considering Trump and the Epstein Files. Highly recommend. 📚👀 #booksky

🚨🚨🚨Virginia Supreme Court lays out schedule for redistricting case Allows the April 21 referendum to go forward with early voting starting March 6 BUT seems to leave open possibility of final ruling after referendum This goes back to very limited relief lower court granted

Oddly, it was released 10 days after my birthday which should also be a national holiday. Here's to 6 more weeks of winter!

Last years Super Bowl is still the best Super Bowl I’ve ever seen. #GoBirds

I’m now rooting for Myers

Bad Bunny set design was incredible. He brought us into his world in a way I’ve never seen.

It may not be my birds, but Go Birds!

I’ve been saying this for years and have been a big fan of the Wyoming Rule. youtu.be/KhQGHY44XPM?...

My family and I went to see the monks on their walk for peace through Stafford, VA.

The Eagles are hiring Sean Mannion as their offensive coordinator, sources tell The Insiders. Mannion, 33, was still playing QB in the league two seasons ago. Now, he’s an NFL OC.

I love a snow game.

#Eagles do not hire Daboll. The fan base needs to respect the new OC. Daboll does not have our respect. #GoBirds #FlyEaglesFly 🏈🦅🇺🇸

I’m so ticked at the eagles for not dealing with Patullo after the loss to the Giants. These 9ers are not good.

So uh, hi… any chance you’d consider becoming the Eagles next coach? Sirianni got us a Super Bowl and all but uh…. I feel like you’d be similar to Andy Reid going to the Chiefs.

With apologies to legends Kelce and Sirianni, if it’s not Patullo. Is it solely execution? Or what is it? You now have time to tell us what the real problem was and then show us evidence of that problem. Because right now the evidence points to scheme and play calling.

The amount of holding I saw by the 9ers that went unflagged was a season killer. Would pay for someone to edit them together.