ELECTION NEWS FROM GUATEMALA

CNN.com is reporting that Sunday's presidential election in Guatemala appears to be fair, if not chaotic, and former Guatemala City mayor Oscar Berger (likely with the National Action Party - PAN) was in the lead with about 48% of the vote.

So, what's the big deal? Well, we heard from Vivi Rucuch Quila, our Guatemalan friend, and she reported that things were destabilizing because former dictator General Efrain Rios Montt was running for president and killings/kidnappings were being reported as a result. Rios Montt, a hard right-wing evangelical "christian" -quite a lot of nerve to call himself that - was responsible for the most bloodsoaked period in Guatemala's modern history during his "presidency" in the early 1980s. Why he hasn't been tried for genocide we have no idea.

Anyway, CNN reports that Rios Montt is in a distant third place with 11.2% of the vote so far. The trouble is the Guatemalan constitution, for all intents and purposes written on a dry-erase board, forbids re-elections after two terms. Rios Montt managed to strong-arm the judiciary into ruling that he could run again. Encouragingly, voter turnout was heavy and Montt has been rejected. In the old days, he'd have stormed the presidential palace. But with so much public pressure from the international community, that isn't likely.

Most encouragingly CNN reports:

The U.S. government has warned that U.S.-Guatemalan relations will suffer if Rios Montt, 77, is given a second chance to lead the country.

Human rights groups in Guatemala and Spain have accused Rios Montt's former government of carrying out massacres, including the 1981 arson of the Spanish Embassy in Guatemala City in which 37 people died. Officials in both countries are investigating the charges.

So, it seems the U.S. has made its opposition to him very vocal. That's good news. Because the winner must have at least 50% of the public vote, there will now be a run-off and Montt is out of it for good.

MOM AND DAD SELL THE HOUSE

Well, the Vegas house has been sold in one day for $5,000 more than asking price. I'd say that the realtor has 'splaining to do. Congratulations! Now the business of packing and moving things into storage begins. Until then, I haven't heard, but I suppose someone's going to be sleeping in a U-haul.

It looks like the U-haul, filled with goodies, will be headed for Portland with a drop-off in Sacramento. Beanie Babies decor for Tom & Kate! Details are currently being planned.


ME-MA BETTER AFTER BIRTHDAY FALL

After a misdiagnosis, Me-Ma's head is now healing much better after the backwards fall she suffered the weekend of her birthday. Looks like eczema is the problem and has slowed healing, or something to that effect. Either way, she's doing better now that a second opinion has brought a better treatment.