My daughter told me I should start a blog. She said this to me after I sent every one in my family the following e-mail. It was sent the week prior to the election.

Something horrible has happened.

It's always disturbing to find out something horrible has happened to a family member. No amount of life experience can prepare you for something like this.

It just happens.

First. Sit down.

Are you sitting down?

Everybody?

Edi! (my sister)

Sit down!

I learned from my wife that our mother is a "Republican" of sorts.

Not a McCain Republican so much as a Palin one.

"Palin's the one" she told Connie.

My letter to the editor did get printed in The Leader with N***** in place of my wording. I was telling mom about it and, I must say I admire her restraint in not arguing with me. Not even a slight indication she was a right wing whack job.

O.K. I did know about the whack job part.

Don't get ahead of me.
It was the right wing thing that got me.

I think it might be the same as my rooting for, say, Jamie Moyer in the World Series just because he's 45 and still doing it a that level.

Same with Mark Martin in Nascar or Gregg Norman in golf. You know; people closer to my age.

McCain is, after all 8 years younger than her. The Palin thing is, I think, like the boisterous, strong willed women she has admired through the years.

Her mother.

Her grandmothers.

Maybe Lizzie Borden. I don't know.

It was a woman who said "Oh! Balls!" in, I think, a Phillip Roth novel.

Or was it Harold Robbins?

I don't remember.

Any way, she's cloistered now and can't influence that many people so we don't have to worry about an "infection" scare.

The letter to the editor I'm referring to is at the end of this post.

I've always known I could organize my thoughts better on "paper".
That I showed some talent as a writer.
I'm not trying to use this as a launching point to a career, just a point to start the discipline I need to become one I guess.
I know that most "writers" write to please other writers.
To be read by other writers.
I will concede I'm no less needy than most people.
Needier than some.

....................

I have friends who tell me they'll never vote for a "nigger".

I can, at the very least, appreciate their honesty.

I have more respect for them than I ever would have for John McCain or Sarah Palin.

When republicans hold a rally and people in the crowd yell out "Nigger", "Kill him!","Terrorist!" and neither the candidate nor their spouses can manage a word of restraint to the crowd-then it shows they actually endorse this behavior and are no different from the people who yell these words out, or my friends who think the same way.

They're just dishonest about it.

It makes them smaller than my friends.

It makes them smaller than the people yelling.

Less "honorable" as it were.

If it really isn't the way they think and they're using this kindling to ignite a fire for their candidacy in the waning days of a lost cause then they are unconscionable.

We have been told that we get the kind of government we deserve.

God help us if McCain and Palin win.

Obama/Biden '08

Thankfully for me Obama won.

Have a nice day,