now what?

It is very hard to see through my bitterness and anger right now. There is not much to take solace in, but my friend Marianne had a good point and it helped me a little. I will quote her, because I couldn’t possibly say it better:

“I do feel slightly better about this election only because it appears that the asshole won the popular vote and as disgusted as I am with the STUPID and CLEARLY RETARDED people of this country who elected him, at least THAT is democracy, not like last time when he STOLE the election...at least this time he won it.

Oh Christa, I am just SO scared about the next four years...what is this guy going to do when he doesn’t have to worry about re-election? I shudder.....SHUDDER!!!!”

Now all that’s left is pack up Ryland and my stuff and rid my hands of this place and its idiot citizens for the next four years or so.

sheesh. what a shame.

It might be time for you to discover some deserted South Pacific Isle and start your new
Empire. The one Tom Hanks gave up doesnt look so bad now.
Remember to bring seeds and sheep and cows and stuff and maybe a few other people to have neighbors to complain about. Good luck.

I'm depressed. I feel so let down by Americans. Kerry is about to give his concession speech because it's now statistically obvious he's lost, that the American people have decided clearly.

I'm not so depressed that Bush will be king for four more years, because his time will pass and his mistakes will be corrected, I'm depressed because I had such a high estimate of the values of Americans and they failed me. I thought we were more mature now, wiser about things like fundamentalism and tolerance, more sophisticated about things like international relations and the economy, more empathic with nations under siege.

I was wrong and now I am sad.

Just think, 4 more years of:
Reporter: "How is the hunt for Bin Laden going?"
GWB: " Bin um er ah Laden is um er the, the terrorist will um er be in the er em ur um ahhh
be er um ahh er um be um discovered any um day now er um . "

I'm actually ashamed to be an American right now and like I told my friend, Jillian, when we travel to Europe this spring, going to tell people i'm from Canada, cause God knows how the rest of the world is going to view us now. I mean, any credability or respect we had left, is gone. Although I could explain I wasnt one of the obviousely retarted and ignorant Americans who actually voted for Bush. What were people thinking?!?! doesnt say much for the mentality of the majority of the American people and that's just sad, cause alot of those are people who are going to get fucked over by their own vote, but just dont know any better, or went on "morals" and not on what will actually benefit them and the country as a whole. Anyhow, I feel like dressing in all black and having a day of mourning. I'm so scared just how much damage this administration is going to be able to do in the next 4 years, truly frightening. I just hope the democrats can atleast take the senate. Democrats kicked ass in WA state AND we DID get the monorail, so that was good news. Have to try to see the light in what is a very, dark tunnel. Hilary Clinton in 2008, God I hope so, Christa! anyway, that's all I have to say about that. Too depressing to talk about it anymore :-(

celly belly,

I'm a 100% supporter of mass transit... I'm all for HOV lanes, buses, biking to work, etc, you name it. In fact, I'm investigating ways to move my business down to Portland -- thanks largely to their huge commitment to smart, efficent mass public transportation. (And the real estate market down there seems perfect to do some RE investing).

That said, the monorail plan is a HORRIFIC idea. The cost for monorail technology is much greater than a more traditional light rail concept, and is nearly impossible to creat additional lines later (monorail cars can't be transfered from one line to another easily). The money we'd save on scrapping a 16-mile monorail line would allow Seattle to build much cheaper to more efficient light rail projects that span the entirety of Seattle, including eventually expansion lines across the water through the Bellevue corridor, and north all the way up to Northgate. Operational costs of light rail are significantly lower, and light rail is capable of carrying a LOT more people in a more timely manor.

We've established in previous conversations, celly belly, that I believe you to be a very smart and informed person. No doubt you thoroughly investigated this issue before siding with your party on this initiative. Thus, I would like to know why you think the monorail is a good idea?

I got halfway through the first sentence and immediately thought: "Holy crap, thats Brasten!"

Wow, I can be instantly identified by my bloviation? :)

Its no hornswaggle, you have a very distinctive vernacular!!!

What you all fail to recognize is that you were a minority in this election. The people spoke and they wanted Bush back in the White House for any number of reasons. 3 million plus people voted for Bush over Kerry. Go easy on us, but do tell us again how stupid and ignorant we all are. I, in particular, love it. Regardless of how this election might have turned out, I doubt if I would have called you all those nice names. Might have slipped in a "crazy" or "silly", but nothing too severe. As far as leaving the country and going to Canada, all you need is a birth certificate and drivers license and your golden, ay? Four more glorious years folks!

The difference, Amanda, is that conservatives think liberals have bad ideas... and liberals think conservatives have bad motives.

We think they're mistaken... They think we're evil.

How is bitching failing to recognize that we were a minority? I think most people on here are doing just that....BITCHING. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I don't believe that lecturing people is the way to make them see what you value. It's what George Bush, in my opinion, has tried to do for the last 4 years and it seems it didn't work on nearly half the country.

'Four more glorious years, folks!'

Amanda, I hope you feel the same way when your grandchildren are still working hard to pay off the deficit.

Yes, I was very informed and happy with my decision and the decision of the large majority of people living in this city. I love a sticker I saw on one of the telephone poles today "Recall Bush, Not the Monorail" oh well... I understand there are those of you who support Bush out there and I think why we react so harshly is cause it boggles the mind, it truly does. Cause for the life of me, in all honestly, I dont know how anybody in their right mind, COULD! i'm also very opiononated and believe i'm always right :-) everyone's saying they're going to move to Canada now, but very few actually are, we will endure and just have to hope for the best, or maybe pray for the best is a better way to go. There is nothing to be done about it, the people have spoken, UGH! sadly, we ARE the minority. Okay, I have to go take a nap now and then i'm going to see the movie 'Saw' and hopefully that will help release some inner aggression and frustration. Everyone have a lovely day! Peace Out...

"I understand there are those of you who support Bush out there and I think why we react so harshly is cause it boggles the mind, it truly does. Cause for the life of me, in all honestly, I dont know how anybody in their right mind, COULD!"

It's funny you say that Celly, because I can honestly say the same thing about voting for Kerry. But what feels different (to me) about the two sides was: Can you tell me that you are all the way for Kerry? What if he had been running against Rudy Juliani? Or John McCain? Would you have voted for him over Howard Dean? Bush was *MY* pick, I couldn't imagine anyone else.

And the simple fact is, we're diverse. It's America, the melting pot. There are smart people on both sides, and there's complete blithering idiots on both sides. That's not gonna change.

And it's really difficult to say who is better off when we don't agree on our own basic principals. It's easy to SAY we as a country are based on a certain set of principals, but how can we be sure without asking people who've now been dead for a couple hundred years? And does it even matter anymore?

That said, yes: I voted for Bush. I am looking forward to the next four years. But he's not going to do everything I hope he does either. Either way I'm pretty sure the world won't go completely to hell while he's in office. Some would argue it has already of course... But even if that argument could be made successfully, then I think he should be given the chance to clean it up. Just a random musing from an occasional lurker.

celly belly! You didn't answer my question! I didn't ask if you were happy with the monorail decision! (Tho I hadn't seen that sticker, if you can believe that.. it's pretty funny tho!)...

I was actually asking, WHY do you think spending a huge amount of money on an inefficient system which will service a tiny section of Seattle with no room for expansion is a better idea than spending the same money on a vast light rail system with faster service, more convenient stations, easily expandable, and an eventual layout that could span the large majority of the greater Seattle area??

Can you believe that's all one sentence? I bet it's not a proper one. :)

Anyhow, I'm supposing that you feel that since it's the rich folk in Seattle that'll be paying for the whole thing, might as well ring them up for BOTH systems?

Amanda: I do not fail to realize anything.
I am a survivor, and I will make it through this. Even if I have to be a spineless jellyfish and cower before these Republican overlords...
Privatization of Social Security.. Why AM I TERRIFIED BY THAT NOTION.

I don't know, DG... why are you?

Better returns, more likely to actually be around when I retire..? Removes the worker-to-retiree ratio problem for future generations?

Why does that scare you?

Brasten, I have a degree in Economics (For all the good its done me, but I am just finishing up VB6, and going for a certificate in VB.Net), and
20 years ago when I graduated, the demographic
trends clearly indicated the truth you mention.
But I fear the loss of control and potential corruption of a private fund based system.
I fear it because I dont fully understand it.
What assurances does anyone have there will be anything there when I get to 70ish years old?
Why dont they just pay me off now and then I can invest it in some real risky ventures!
(Just kidding). If you can explain it to me I would be grateful.
of the

DG,

I agree with your concerns... And you're obviously more educated than I in this issue... Here's an interesting article I read on this topic, and I'd very much like your opinion on the subject: http://www.ncpa.org/ba/ba215.html

Primarily, near the end under a section entitled "Is the Program Safe?" they briefly talk about concerns over private investing of the money. The summary of it being that the money being invested is insured. So when you're told a particular interest rate for the year, you'll get that interest rate.

MY concern is how we're going to pay for the transition costs moving from one system to another. That's a huge issue, but one that I think must be investigated. I have no answers on that though, admittedly.

Thanks Brasten, Ill look at it. Ill get to it by tomorrow, got to get some work done!

Interesting article, no argument with its premise.
My only concern is the long term guarantees of government backing and its security.
Please note that the article was written in 1996. I would like to see what those Texas workers are earning percentage-wise today.