Consolation Prize

We're still going to wage war on Christmas, yes?

— James-a-hontas (@wetcasements) November 15, 2016

Do The Right Thing

This article's heart is in the right place, but it's woefully light on details -- companies to boycott that supported Trump.  It seems obvious to me that a national boycott of his hotels and golf courses is one of the easier acts of resistance at our disposal.

Then again, it's an open secret that most of his properties are already hemorrhaging cash.  So time to rub salt in the wounds, I guess?

Let's Think Super Positive Thoughts!

Even at his worst, never had sense that George W. Bush was actively seeking -revenge- on half the US population.

— James-a-hontas (@wetcasements) November 11, 2016

I don't have many GOP followers but if I do, that's exactly why people like me are so angry and scared. Trump won't govern, he'll punish.

— James-a-hontas (@wetcasements) November 11, 2016

Everything Is Fucked Up And Bullshit

Leonard Cohen, "Famous Blue Raincoat"

R.I.P.

Pretty Damn Accurate

Here's the recent front page of The Chosun Ilbo.  Circulation-wise, it's the largest newspaper in South Korea.  The headline is "Angry Whites Overthrow America."

Being a superpower is partly about your nation's wealth and military strength.  But that's only half of it.  The other half is perception -- do other country's look up to you?  Do they admire your political systems?  Do they long to have your standard of living?

I can only speak for lurvely little Daegu, a conservative region in and of itself, and the simple fact is America's days are a superpower are numbered, if not over entirely.

I'm Sure Jill Stein Is Happy Right Now

Husker Du, "Divide and Conquer"

At times of emotional distress I've been known to close in on myself and focus on things like music and books.

This is one of those times.

I'm With Her

Tomorrow, Tuesday, is one of my split-schedule days.  I teach from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and I come home pretty exhausted after 12 hours of teaching and office-ing.  (Thursday is my other split.)

Anyhow, tomorrow night I'll being going to bed just when America is waking up to go and vote.  I think I can say that now, above all else, I'm just kind of numb.  Hillary's numbers look good, and the signs of Hispanic turnout for early voting is truly moving.  Beyond that, competent ground games really do matter and Trump does not have one.  Having a rally and throwing out red meat is actually pretty easy to do, if you think about it.  Registering people to vote, reminding them to vote, driving their elderly grandma to the voting station, and handing out sample ballots for down-ticket races is not.  It's really fucking hard work, and Hillary and the people around her are not shy of hard work.

So those are the thoughts that will be going through my head as I pass out tomorrow night, wondering if I'll still have a country to go back to the next morning.

And as much as I'm optimistic about Hillary's chances, what's clear is that even if Trump loses America is (in Trump-speak, no less) a permanently damaged brand.  The fact that a fascist vagina-grabber even had a shot at the presidency tells you everything you need to know about the United States in the early stages of the 21st century.

I'll let Barbara Kingsolver have the last word in what I'd say is a must-read piece, "End This Misogynistic Horror Show":

"I’m horrified to watch the bizarre pageant of my nation pretending these two contenders are equivalent. No one really imagines Donald Trump applying himself to the disciplines of the presidency, staying up late reading reams of legislation, instead of firing off juvenile tweets. It’s even harder to imagine Clinton indulging in the boorish self-aggrandisement, intellectual laziness, racism and vulgar contempt for the opposite gender that characterise her opponent. If anyone still doubts that the inexperienced man gets promoted ahead of the qualified woman, you can wake up now.

This race is close. Polls tell us most Americans believe Trump has sexually assaulted women (to name just one potential disqualifier). A majority also believe Clinton 'can’t be trusted', for unspecified reasons. We’re back to the ancient conundrum: a woman can’t be that smart and commanding, so either her womanliness or her smartness must be counterfeit. To set that hazy discomfort next to a sexual assaulter and call these defects 'equivalent' is causing my ears to ring as I write."

Hillary may be imperfect (who isn't?) but she's fought like hell.  And lest we forget, she's been being attacked for over two decades now.  And it all started because she wasn't interested in baking a batch of fucking cookies like a good little housewife.

I'll always be proud to say I voted for her.

The Middle of the Beginning of the End?

The South Korean media is notably reticent to criticize local politicians, let alone presidents, but here's on update on the Park Geun-hye scandal now known as "Choi-gate":

"Saturday’s rally was substantially larger than the street protest at the same venue just a week ago, which drew an estimated 30,000 people. The increase is seen as a signal of the public’s anger toward the government, a threat to the survival of Park’s presidency. Rocked by the ongoing scandal over the influence exerted by Choi behind the scenes in state affairs and her acquisition of classified presidential material, Park’s approval rating nosedived to 5 percent in the latest poll, the lowest figure ever for any Korean president. 

People in the streets varied in gender, age and background, from middle and high school students in school uniforms to couples with toddlers in strollers and even people in their 60s who said they voted for Park four years ago but now deeply regret their choice. Participants also included groups of families with young children. 

'I came here tonight because I don’t want to be ashamed of myself to my baby when he asks me when he grows up later of what I did today,' said Ko Hye-mi, who was at the rally with her 6-month-old son in a stroller and her husband from Gwangju, Gyeonggi."

Five percent public approval.  There's no way she doesn't resign in the next few weeks for ambiguous health reasons, is there?

"Everybody's an authority"

Husker Du, "In A Free Land"

It's going to be hard focusing on teaching for the next few days.

If you haven't already, please vote.

108 Years

A perfect headline:

"Cubs win!  Cubs win!  Cubs win!"

And they were wearing their alternate "cubby" jerseys, the best in baseball, so extra style points.

One More Week Until America Possibly Regains A Little Bit Of Its Sanity And / Or Dignity

And, like, at this late of a date if you're a liberal not voting for HRC go fuck yourself forever. You are literally enabling a rapist.

— James-a-hontas (@wetcasements) November 2, 2016