Thursday, November 4, 2010

Post Election Random Rants...

Menu of the Day:
Music: "There is So Much More" by Brett Dennen

The best thing: My House Democrat legislators, the ones whose campaigns i had been working on, keep gaining! (They are still too close to call, but i think our guys won!)

The thing i keep procrastinating about: Except for the will, i have actually fulfilled all of my previous procrastinations.

Book: I am reading "Saving Max". It's about a kid with Aspberger's who may or may not have committed a murder. I think i have already figured out the ending.

What i am looking forward to: I have Veteran's Day off and then the next day off because i am meeting a financial planner. I look forward to getting money stuff more organized. Then we will do that will.

OK, on with it.
********************************************

1. I love Election Night and when we get home, directly after work, we make popcorn and channel surf between the news and watch the results. For me, it's like the SuperBowl (only without the cool commercials).

2. Then after having about three glasses of wine i call up my friends from work who are politicos and we talk about how mad we are or how happy we are.

3. What was MOST disheartening to me was the loss of Russ Feingold in Wisconsin. This guy is so solid and principled. When they get a raise, he writes a check for that amount and sends it back to the US Treasury. He refused to engage in negative campaigning and that may be part of why he lost (besides being too liberal and not riding that fence). He voted against the Patriot Act. He crossed party lines to write the McCain-Feingold Campaign Reform Act back in the day, (Which we we sorely need right now. BTW, thank the conservative side of our Supreme Court if you are pissed about all the campaign literature you received this year.)

Talk about a REAL maverick. Feingold was that man, NOT McCain. I used to write about wanting him to run for President. And somebody once said to me that this country would never elect a man with the name Feingold. But look, we elected a man with the name Obama and who would have though that could happen? (the fact that their names and background holding them back is a whole 'nother issue to rant about.)

4. And while i'm on the subject. Negative Ads. Yeah, they piss me off too. But the truth is they do work because people are lazy and they like to vote on a quick sentence with a huge font and provocative shocking message. So if i were to say on this blog right now Jocucina from here on out is going to vote Rebublican you would probably see that and quit reading the rest. Because like Jon Stewart says, people are busy. So yeah, bitch all you want about them, but they are effective. And when someone runs a negative ad against you, you better be ready to fight back.

5. Swift Boat Veterans. Good example.

6. Speaking of Jon Stewart. I watched his rally and loved it and replaced Obama's inauguration speech on my work blackboard with [arts of Jon's Sanity Rally speech, including: "We can have animus without becoming enemies."

7. I wish that were true. But i am not sure it is. And i will play nice ONLY as long as the other side does. I am actually, to tell the truth, rather tired of the namby-pambiness of the Democrats sometimes. Not to mention the laziness and disorganization.

8. BTW, did you see the story where Jon Stewart is the late night leader in TV now, beating both Letterman and Leno. So cool!

9 Democrat campaigns need more people like me helping, but until they get more people like me i can only help so much before i want to tear off someone's face.

10. Like i said, i really want to shoot at something. And i think i would be a good shot too. I might ask for lessons for Christmas. Then when i get really good i might ask for a gun for my birthday.

11. See, i was never THAT liberal on the gun issue.

12. So some folks better watch out. Like anyone, especially a young person, tells me they they don't vote and never will. Cause i will shoot them in the foot just to make them wish they still had health care when the Republicans get it repealed.

13. Anyway, yeah, i am happy that my candidates are doing well finally Patty Murray isre-elected to the U.S. Senate after a close call with Dino Rossi.(The same Dino Rossi who had a recount with our Democratic Governor!) But i am NOT happy that Michelle Bachman is in there. How can this happen that a man like Feingold is out and she is in. How can Feingold be out and McCain still be in? What is up with that? How can a Tea Party dude like Rand Paul win in Kentucky? Thank god i don't live there.

14. I have to say that i am always pretty much proud of our state in spite of how they voted on some of the initiatives. In fact i just interrupted this blog to call my dad to thank him for moving us here.

15. What really makes me mad is all the young voters not voting. There was a story in the news today. About half who voted in the General Election voted this time. I think it's partly because the pollsters and the folks we call when we are doing the GOTV are ignoring them. I keep saying to the political leaders where i work that we need to expand our attention to them.

16. i think read somewhere that Bill Maher said it was an easy message to young voters: (i'm paraphrasing) "Tell them to vote for the party who got them health care until they were 26 years old. Vote for the party who got the troops out of Iraq, a war we never should have been in in the first place!" .... and i think he also said, "Vote for the party who is trying to legalize weed." (But i might have that one wrong! But i actually don't think so, consider it's Bill Maher. LOL.)

What are YOUR random rants and thoughts on Election 2010. (I might come back with more myself, but i realize that these are longer than i meant them to be for one new post.)


Edited to add a photo of this Sunday's starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks because i wrote about him in the comments. This is Charlie Whitehurst and i think i posted about him before because i think he is so cute!

19 comments:

amulbunny's random thoughts said...

I am glad that the money grubbing bitches who tried to buy their offices lost here in CA. I am sad that Prop 19 lost. But hey, wine is still legal.

I too think WI will regret losing Feingold. They don't know how badly.

I am proud of both of my kids for voting. They said it felt good to participate. Even if my daughter voted no on 19.

I know people who think I'm way too flaming liberal because I think that all people in this country should have access to affordable health care.

I am tired of my fundamentalist relatives who hoot and holler about this socialist country, taking God out of school-- I don't think he ever left--, interfering with their God Given Right to have a lily white country and overbreed their undereducated poorly homeschooled children who end up on welfare (isn't that socialism) and drugged out getting their girlfriends pregnant without much use for matrimony..... better benefits if they're not married.

Geez, that was a freaking rant wasn't it?

jojo cucina cucina said...

Go, amulbunny, Go! Good for your daughters too!

Ms. Hippie was telling me that she read where Bristol Palin 'forgot' to vote. To be sure i plugged into Google "Bristol Palin"+"forgot to vote" and there were pages of links. Good, i am glad she forgot.

I really hate it when conservatives and Republicans say they are taking their country back. As if THEY are the only ones who deserve it and as if we took it away from anyone in the first place.

I wonder what Russ Feingold will do now. Maybe Obama can give him a job!

equeyaya said...

If Russ Feingold had to give on his principles to win, I am glad that he lost. It serves Wisconsin right.

Annie, I LOVE your rant, and echo it.

My daughter was posting a bunch of political stuff on facebook and I messaged her to ask if she ever registered. She didn't. She's had a lot on her mind. I started ranting about how we needed the young vote now like we did when they showed up for Obama. She got a little defensive and said that there was a good turnout from her school. So I let it drop.

On some level, I think we deserved this as a country. We have no attention span, are self absorbed and entitled and spoiled. At some point it will implode and we will have to learn what sacrifice and suffering really is. It might be good for us.

jojo cucina cucina said...

eque, tell Melanie she should be glad she is not MY daughter! We ALL have things on our mind!

And yes, we are spoiled and impatient and self absorbed as a culture in this country and it really can be almost embarrassing how we can be so boorish. Of course some Americans are worse than others. And i worry especially about the young folks who need to take the wheel eventually because as Baby Boomer parents we have pretty much sucked at getting them ready to do that very thing.

Did you hear Keith Olbermann was suspended because of campaign donations. Didn't find out who they were too but why is this a surprise? I assume they all make contributions. Does this mean Bill O'Reilly doesn't? I had no idea how this works, but it must be something like Pete Rose betting on baseball.

Anyway i started to read the comments and had to quit. People are wacko mad when i read the comments on anything political, be in the online newspaper or Comcast news. They are totally irrational and you can't even expect to jump into that fray and make an intelligent response. They don't want to hear it.

Actually both liberals and conservatives are bad this way. I guess it's the extremists on either side that have the time to make these nutso violently worded posts.

jojo cucina cucina said...

I have about a half hour to kill before i have to leave so i thought i would come over and leave some more random stuff.

1. I dreamed i was caught in a tsumani last night and now i have to go find out what that means. I don't usually pay attention to dreams and i often say people shouldn't even talk about their dreams, i mean the dreams while you are sleeping, not your life dreams. But anyway, this one seemed so real.

2. I have ALWAYS noticed that when i am always dreaming about water when i wake up and need to pee. Weird.

3. Oh the song, "I'm Yours" just now came on by Jason Mraz. This song reminds me of my nephew Joshua. It's weird when you make a video montage with pictures and music you can't shake the feeling you had when you made it.

4. It's okay though. I like remembering my nephew Joshua.

5. We are going to see Sara Gruen tomorrow at Brian's (and Amanda and Amy's) college. She's the author who write "Like Water for Elephants" one of my favorite books i read last year.

6. I think i heard Tobey Maguire is starring in the movie version of that book. He would be good.

7. My House Democrat buds are still gaining! I think they will call it by Monday or Tuesday. YAY!

8. I am probably going to watch the Seattle Seahawks football game this Sunday ONLY because Charlie Whitehurst is quarterbacking since Hasselback has a concussion. I am going to try and find a photo of him and put it up. He is SO hot.

9. I do understand the game of football, can't get away from it because of my two brothers who taught me to throw a really good spiral back in the day. But i always loved watching the cute quarterbacks the most. Joe Namath and Roman Gabriel being favorites.

OK, that's all. I better get over to my brother's house. He has a bar in his house that is hand crafted with beautiful maple and cherry wood (and that Kylee/Ms. Hippie designed) and every Friday that open what they call the Bayou Bar.

But first i'm going to go find that photo of Charlie, the hottest QB ever.

Unknown said...

Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't posted in ages but I've got a lot going on in my life and I've been a bit depressed.

JoJo, you are very lucky to live in an area that is more balanced politically. I live in one of the five most conservative counties in the U.S...only 18% of the population voted for the Dems in my county.

Now - here is the thing..we had a horrible choice this year. Both Gubernatorial candidates are crooks. The Repubs were more motivated and the Dems stayed home. So we are almost completely red this election.

I'm just down. Plus I have very few people to talk to at work. My boss has the same leanings as I and she actually went to Jon Stewart's Rally..she got Amanda a t-shirt and hat.

Oh..and at the dairy..the idiots keep telling Amanda she can't do different things because she voted for Obama. She takes it well but that is pretty pervasive down here.

equeyaya said...

That's horrible, Susie. I know how I feel when I'm just the only liberal in the room - it can be intimidating. To be in such a minority in your whole county must be nasty.

Jo, I find the more I nag about things, the more my kids go the other way. Before I had my rant about young voters, though, I sensed some regret from her that she hadn't been able to vote, so hopefully she'll come around by the next election.

I really loved that Sara Gruen book, and I agree Tobey Maguire is a great casting choice. She wrote some other books about horses that I liked, too. I think it's been more than a couple of years since I read them, though.

I have reached the point where I am really fed up with not having any pants that fit, so I'm off to the outlets today to rectify this problem.

Tonight, I'm going to dinner and a show called "Girls Night Out" with the girls. Tomorrow, I'm going to try my hand at sweet potato risotto.

Have a great weekend, y'all!! :)

furline said...

I'm alive. I just joined the Tea Party. There ain't much partying and there ain't no tea but there are a lot of guys who live in the trailer park that are pissed. I can't figure out what fer and they can't tell but they got a bug up their butts.

jojo cucina cucina said...

furline.... LOLOLOL.....Say hi to Sarah Palin for me!
i lied about Tobey Macguire. My niece Amy tells me that it is Robert Pattinson and i just looked it up. I am not sure where i read about Tobey being in a movie.

eque you can't be fed up having to buy new pants because you need a smaller size. ;)

susieatl, i totally appreciate where i live in our part of the state because of political leanings. The hard line conservatives live on the eastern side of the state but our side is pretty moderately liberal. How cool that your boss came back with a tshirt for Amanda. Does it have Jon Stewart's face on it? I haven't seen what they look like.

equeyaya said...

Love your blog post, furline! It's been too long.

Well I was fed up about buying pants, just about wearing the ones that kept falling down. I got some great deals at the outlets. I'm down from Chicos size 2 to a .5 for pants, and 1 for jeans. And I got three skirts at Talbot's for $150, IN SIZE SIX!! Pretty awesome.

I started rewatching LOST last night. Can I spoil it now? I just loved how the first scene mirrored the last scene. I had forgotten that.

equeyaya said...

wasn't* fed up about buying pants. I came home and made a big purge pile of fat clothes.

jojo cucina cucina said...

Furline, i wrote on your blog that i thought maybe you had died and i missed the obituary and your funeral. are you updating it again?

eque and i loving re-watching Lost more than when i watched it in season. And yeah, the beginning and ending similarity is great. I never would have expected to like Jack so much the second time around because he so irritated me at times in the past. I also don't hate kate anymore either.

Good for you on your downsizing too, eque!!!

louielouie said...

Elections and such

Our great local representative (also a cardiac nurse) is only ahead by 101 votes and I am worried. Her opponent is a 25 year old with no experience but an excellent local family name. I think the name, and all the negative ads from my gal’s camp, is what may do her in.

I feel kind of bad I didn’t remind my son to vote, he would have voted for her because he knows her. I didn’t call to remind him because I was afraid he was going to vote for Dino Rossi and I was more worried about that race – shows you what I know.

Em voted. She wouldn’t just vote the way her dad was telling her. It was kind of cool we talked over some of the initiatives.

I am worried for our state. We are so broke, everything will be cut to the bone and we have no chance of providing social services without a change in taxes. Do we just not care about each other any more? It’s more important to remove the tax from soda and candy then to fund schools? I just don’t get it.

Other items:

We went to the memorial service of one of Ron’s best friend’s mother today. She was a Japanese war bride; her siblings are still in Japan. She maintained traditions like flower arranging, dance and the Tea Ceremony. It was a Buddhist service and well attended by her friends. Very foreign to us but interesting with chanting and incense offering. The only part that made me cry was when our friend’ disabled 28 year old son interrupted the service calling for his dad not to go when he went to offer incense.

Who will care for that boy/man when his parents are gone? I don’t know how they get his health coverage now. I know the dad didn’t take a great job offer several years ago because they needed to stick with the same insurance for their son. To me, this is the kind of places our taxes need to go, he will need support his entire life.

I am putting off a sewing project – not sure why

I am most looking forward to an extra hour of sleep tonight

louielouie said...

even when it tells me it's too large it posts it.

equeyaya said...

I really needed the extra hour. I'm still dragging, though. I have a lot to get done today.

The Buddhist funeral ceremony sounds fascinating, louie. I'm sorry for the challenges his son faces.

I went to a musical last night called Girls Night with my friends Kym and Carolyn. We had fun!

jojo cucina cucina said...

i thought i posted on here last night. i think i meant to and then got too tired.

I watched George Bush instead be interviewed by Matt Lauer. Actually George didn't piss me off that much. I even fell asleep watching it which proves it. Brian DVRd it so i'll watch it later.

Funny how you can let go of something after time passes. Just the sight of him used to get my blood boiling.

i have Veteran's day off and i am very excited about that. I am going to stay in my pajamas and read books and watch movies and not answer the phone.

I also have Friday off cause of overtime. So i am meeting with a financial planner on Friday in hopes to find that i can do something and retire from the union at age 58.

jojo cucina cucina said...

louie, i think it would be cool to go to a Buddhist funeral. I was talking about this today with my friend Sonya at work. I think i have cried MORE at funerals of folks i didn't know (because of the eulogy or the video with the sad music that was shown) than at any funeral where i loved the person who died. I wonder why that is. Maybe adrenaline or nerves make you less emotional?

Also i checked your legislator, louie, she is still ahead but has lost ground. She was under 100 votes now, 85 as of yesterday.

I am glad you didn't remind Nick to vote if he would have voted for Dino! How can YOU have a son who would vote for that ass?

louielouie said...

It is interesting how my views and reactions to memorial services have changed. My thoughts now go mostly to the adult children (that would be me) and how they will handle their new role as the "elders"

I'm off for my surgery in a couple of hours. No food until 3:00 or later; hope I make it!!

Although I will have more time in the next couple of days, I hope I don't do any "Pain med-Posting"

equeyaya said...

I hope your surgery went well!