11/5/04: Hardly Getting Over It

I wonder how many guys went out and bought their women some flowers today and followed up with the line, "I have sexual capital in this relationship, and I intend to spend it."

I can't really talk about the election anymore, but I can't stop, either.

I do think it's important that we try to figure out what went wrong for the dems. There are a number of things they need to change for next time as we assemble a Frankenstein candidate to take down whoever the Republicans trot out there. In the meantime, though, I am sort of at peace with it. Maybe I'm just another wimpy defeatist, but let's just accept that Idiot-man Bush was the choice of the people. He used 9-11 as an excuse for everything that went wrong over the last four years, and a lot of people apparently accepted that.  He doesn't have that opportunity this time.  The next four years are the Republicans' responsibility. This election gives them a clean slate, and they have nearly limitless power right now. I expect that they will continue to make the country and the world a worse place. I have no confidence that they will reach out to the people who voted against them; they are for the most part a dogmatic bunch and I expect their policies will be even more aggressive than last time.

But I say let's wait and see.  Let's be hopeful. Maybe things will get better.  If not, at least maybe Bush will be exposed for the incompetent, psychotic zealot that he his, and maybe it'll lead to a more reasonable era to follow. There are a couple of decent early signs for the next four years.  Ashcroft looks like he might be done. That's good.  You'd be hard-pressed to find a more dangerous weirdo than him to take his place. As for the Supreme Court, it was nice that Specter came right out and hinted that Bush better not nominate any extremist types.  I wonder how that'll shake down.

Maybe we just need to let this one settle in and accept that this is our country.  Sure, we can all feel outraged and cry voting machine plot and  threaten to move to Canada, but there's really nothing that alarming about what happened.  More voters -- slightly more voters -- preferred George Bush to John Kerry. There are a number of reasons why, and it's worth examining those reasons.  But I don't think the election said anything shocking about the American people.  I don't think we've suddenly turned into a nation of uptight religious fanatics.  I think people are pretty much who they've always been. There are those on the extreme left, and those on the extreme right, and then there are a certain number of pliable people in the middle.  This time, more of them went to Bush than to Kerry. Next time, it'll probably go the other way.

The overwhelming opposition to gay marriage is depressing, though. Not surprising, but depressing.  Like marriage is really such a sacred thing at this point and letting gay people experience it would taint it forever.  That shit is tainted as hell already.  Gay people would probably give the institution the shot in the arm it needs -- they are actually actively seeking it out and not just taking it for granted, which seems to me an indication that they would take it more seriously.  I am willing to bet that gay marriages will have a lower divorce rate than straight marriages.

Whatever, it's over. Let's deal.

I do think it's amazing, though, that George W. Bush is the A-Number One living organism on the planet earth.  If extra-terrestrials landed here and said, who is your greatest person, your most powerful leader, the man who all others must respect?  We would take 'em into the oval office to meet W., and they would come away from the meeting in disbelief.

E.T. would be like, "You mean to tell me you have 6 billion creatures in your most advanced species, and this one rose to the top above all the others?  You're fucking with me, right?"

***

Rarely in my undistinguished career have I had a more undistinguished week than this one.  I have been watching the clock like a fucking vulture. I have been refreshing internet pages 300 times a day to see if anybody has updated or if any new comments have come in.  There's just nothing going on right now, although I really should be seeking some work out. This is bad.  Today, my co-worker stopped by around 3:30 and said she was going to the deli downstairs, and asked me if I wanted anything.

"I'll take a pound and a half of six o'clock," I said.  I think it turned out they were all out, and I had to wait around until the whistle blew.  I appreciate these easy days, though, as boring as they may be.  It gives you a chance to think and get yourself together.  And there's always more shitsacking right around the corner.

***

I kind of get the feeling that nobody is really reading verbungle anymore.  The first couple of paragraphs each day are like one of those ads that you have to watch before you get access to Salon or The Onion or what have ya.  You guys sort through those so you can get to what you came for, which of course is the goddamn Google Image Search Game. So here you go, bitches. HERE IS YOUR IMAGE. Have at it.  Remember, no answers until noon.

I think this one might be too easy.

***

Equipment update: my computer is all messed up again.  It's getting to the point where it doesn't shut down.  It just stays on that screen that says, "windows is shutting down" forever. And it gets really hot if I don't then shut it down manually.  That message is one of those sure signs that your computer is past its prime.  It's like when a baseball player who used to feast on fastballs can't get around anymore. Of course, the computer is only 1 year old. I have tried virus scans with Norton and I have run Ad-aware and Spybot.  Everything checks out there.  Any suggestions (besides "reboot" or "call Don and Andrea")?

On a happier note, I am loving my new phone, despite its horrible reception.  It just makes me happy.  I think because it's blue. I also got a cool new bag to take to work.  I recommend it. I also recommend buying stuff for yourself to take your mind off your problems. Works like a charm.

***

Reader CT writes in with the following Bush-related observation:

I live in the center of the universe that freakin' opposers of the Bush regime paradigm have created, to whit: the freakin SF Bay Area. (nb; I say "freakin'" for two reasons. 1. To fit in. 2. To avoid detection by the Thought Police, although I think THAT may have tipped them off.) In any case, I hate it here. Job number one is exchanging bodily secretions with as many anonymous partners as can reasonably be fit into some tight ass social agenda as possible. Job number two is cleaning up those secretions. Sorry to be so graphic, it's for your own good. If it weren't for Bush we'd all be (freakin') drowning. Don't despair.

I think I need more of an explanation.