Random Thoughts, Notes, & Incidents

Gee - I've only just started posted here again, and already I'm getting email from my regular readers commenting on my return. I got to admit that I'm actually surprised by that. I would have thought everybody had given up on checking the page for new posts.

One of those comments came from an online friend who - after welcoming me back online - shared her experiences with local political corruption that led to her withdrawing from the process and boycotting the ballot box. Here's part of my response...

I can't say that I blame you for joining the slumber party. Similar experiences and disappointments - from Gary Hart to Bill Clinton, and a dozen lesser names in the decade between - led to my abandoning the two-party duopoly in 1994.

I still vote: so what? Most people would say I generally waste my vote, and I've had to defend my 2000 support of Ralph Nader constantly to those who attack me as if I were solely responsible for everything that W does. But my feeble statement makes me feel better than not voting. Whatever.

This year, I'm expecting to return to the Democratic fold. It's not that I'm expecting to feel good about voting for John Kerry, or expect him to do anything other than disappoint me for the next four to eight years, I just want to be able to travel overseas and am terrified to so with the enemies that the present regime is making.

And so, with that level of de-thusiasm (what is the opposite of enthusiasm?), you can see why it's been hard to keep up the blogging.