Motor Voter Law Increases Registrations.

Nearly a quarter-million low-income Missouri residents have applied to register to vote at Department of Social Services offices since August 2008, following a federal court order that found the state in violation of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.

The voter registration applications were collected as part of the benefit process at Department of Social Service (DSS) offices in every Missouri County as required by the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). The NVRA, known as the ‘motor voter’ law, requires various state agencies‹including public assistance agencies‹to offer voter registration services.

Statewide, 246,022 voter registration applications, about two-thirds of them from women, were submitted by DSS clients between August 2008 and June 2010, according to agency records. This surge in applications came about after voting rights groups sued the state for non-compliance, resulting in a July 2008 court order that compelled DSS agencies to immediately begin complying with the NVRA.

Worked with a guy once that showed such a fear for snakes that coworkers would toss pieces of rope at him just to watch him yell and squirm. They’d sneak a rubber snake into his lunch box and all try to be around when he opened it. Even guys who had some sympathy couldn’t pass an occasional rattlin’ of a paper sack next to the guy just ta watch him jump.

I got ta thinkin’ after a while the guy would catch on and at least try to ignore such pranks, but he would always give the anticipated reaction. I have ta figure that at some point he started likin’ the attention and played up to the "snake hater" image a bit.

After a while ya have ta question the judgment or the motives of someone who gets hooked too often.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

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Weekly Columns

Sliding-Glass Door Won’t Glide Freely

Q: I have a sliding-glass door leading to my porch, and it sticks very badly on opening and closing. How can I fix this? -- Joyce in West Palm Beach, Fla.

A: Sticking or even hopping out of its track is a common problem for sliding doors, and one that can be prevented with regular cleaning and maintenance.

Get in there right away with a vacuum (small handheld or a small vacuum hose attachment) and suck up all the loose dirt and debris that is cluttering up the metal track running under the door. This is the groove in which the door slides, and if it’s dirty or gunky the door won’t slide smoothly. Use a toothbrush and a damp cloth to scrub away gunky spots.

Next, inspect both the track and the door rollers. If the track is bent, it can be straightened by placing a thin but sturdy wooden block in the track over the bent area, bracing it with a foot or your hand, and then hammering the area until it’s straight. Worn or bent rollers need to be replaced.

If everything looks OK or has been fixed, lubricate the rollers (an all-purpose spray lubricant like WD-40 should be fine) and slide the door open and shut to work the lubricant in.

The door should roll more smoothly now, but if it still doesn’t seem right or is jumping out of its track, you can adjust the height of the sliding door so the roller moves more easily. An adjustment or mounting screw should be located where the door is mounted to its frame. Turning the screw counterclockwise will lower the door slightly; turning it clockwise will raise the door (although due to its weight, you will need a helper to carefully lift the door upward, using a pry bar while you turn the screw).

HOME TIP: Sliding-glass doors are quite heavy, so if you need to lift or remove a door for any reason, always have one or more helpers to assist.