I weep for the apathy and stupidity in this country. I already apologized to my horrified penpal in England. Here's to four more years of antidepressants, LOL. My only consolations are these: 1. I have blue fingernails today. Wonderful polish shade. 2. My arch nemesis down the hall, the girl I love to despise who is climbing the corporate ladder by sleeping with the boss is actually noticably gaining weight. 3. I have 3 lbs of lambswool roving being delivered to my doorstep as we speak.

Can I move to Quebec with you? *grin*

I am appalled.I suppose nothing is surprising in a country where people vote power into the hands of brainless actors ! I hopes this time...
So sorry.

No, Emma, it is I who should apologize to you and to everyone else in the world. Not that it's my fault, but still as an American I feel somewhat responsible. I don't know when or why or how it got to be that this country appointed itself Uber Alles. Kerry would have been a true leader.

Rebecca, I like your attitude... let's see if I can come up with three positive things. Okay, I'm looking forward to getting the pound of kid mohair roving I got from eBay. The sun is shining, however briefly. And I still fit into my size 8 corduroys. Things could be worse.

Thanks for saying this so well, Sheila. It is such a sad day for many of us. I was clinging to blind hope for some kind of Ohio Miracle. This country is much stronger than one person, but a lot (more) damage can be done in four more years.

I am thinking we need to look for nice Canadian men to marry us.

I am married to an awesome Canadian, and I know we can always go to Toronto, but I want to stay and fight for what I believe, even though after this election I see I am on the losing side. This morning I felt like there really must be two seperate countries. Politics aside, Canadian men are highly recommended!

my immediate reaction to your blog entry is a fervent 'amen'-

heck, i am sitting here trying to come up with even *one* bright spot in this day-

take care- i usually do the sign-off of 'stay happy' but that seems a bit too optimistic for this black day-

I wonder who are these people who re-elected The Idiot and dissed gay marriage? And given the lawn of averages, I must be living next door to some and didn't even know it. Over at Yarn Harlot, many are volunteering to move to Canada. My sentiments too.

i'm with you sheila. so sad, so wrong.

Here's what I'm telling myself, Sheila. It's cold comfort at best:

1) He only gets four more years, and after that, the Constitution absolutely requires him to vacate the premises of 1600 Penn. Ave. There is no chance that he could ever come back again. Ever.

2) We've already suffered 9/11 and embroiled ourselves in an unjust war from which there is no viable escape plan. The budget surplus is gone. There are no jobs. So, short of a nuclear (or nucular!) war, things can't really get any worse than they already are.

3) It's a really big deal to amend the Constitution. The kind of legislation they want to pass (anti-gay, anti-woman, etc) could be held up in appeals for a really long time, and maybe even be quashed by the time the next administration comes along.

4) Whoever replaces Rehnquist could end up being another Souter: Not great, but not nearly as awful as he could have been.

I don't understand the whole "voting for the guy you'd like to have a beer with" mentality. The president is supposed to be the leader of the free world, not your drinking buddy (especially when he's admitted to being an alcoholic). *sigh*

My husband is Canadian, and there have been times before when we discussed moving to Vancouver (I'm too much in love with the west coast to move east again). He brought the subject up again last night. Perhaps I should start looking into LIS schools in Canada.

Now if only I could get this constant quesy feeling to go away...

Beth, you're right on all counts, but will we survive the next four years? I sure hope so, but every time I see the smirk on Bush's face I feel like we're being led by a kindergartener.

I had to get out of the house and try to walk off this feeling of resentment and anger, so I went over to Crossroads for lunch. I looked around trying to decipher who the Republicans were that voted for Bush so that I could glare at them, but then I remembered, hey! Washington went to Kerry, so I'm looking in the wrong place. Besides, I do have friends who are Republican. We just don't speak of politics. Anyway, I'm back home now, and my brow is still furrowed.

Speaking as someone who has suffered from serious clinical depression, I have to say I've never been so depressed and known that it was *rational* to be that depressed. This is really bad. I know all the stuff about hanging in there, and fighting another day, and I hear words of hope and anger and solidarity, and I just feel so exhausted and weepy and miserable.

This isn't even an old-fashioned, states-rights kind of Republican government -- these are folks who want us to *all* think and act the same way, the "right" way, and I'm scared and sad. And trying to hang in there.

Hi Sheila: I just don't know who these Bush supporters are because they are not my friends or my family or most knitters I know. Kristof gave his view about the loss in an op-ed piece in today's NYTimes. I think he had a point. Thank you for giving us a chance to vent.

Thanh, I just read that editorial, thanks for pointing it out. Doesn't it seem funny (really, as in spirit-lifting) that he visited his hometown of YARNHILL, Oregon!!?! Talk about a great name for a town!

But his point is well taken. I heard an editorial on a tv news broadcast a couple of days ago where the editorializer spoke of the IRS's recent threat to take away the NAACP's non-profit status because they endorsed a presidential candidate. Apparently it is against the law for non-profits to support political candidates. He went on to ask if the IRS was going to start going after churches, which of course endorse political candidates, and which take advantage of the fact that the majority of their flocks don't think for themselves, but rather do whatever they are told. This was a very good point. If churches were forced to pay taxes they might not be so supportive of government.

Again, speaking as a recovering Baptist, I know whereof I speak. For churches, if times are tough, it is NOT the Republicans who are responsible-- it is God teaching us patience and humility. But if the Democrats are in charge, then of course it is the Democrats' fault, and we need to pray for God to relieve us of the Democratic evil. The military is much the same-- they work for the government, so they want to support the kind of government that gives them action, even though most of the military has never seen action and don't have a clue what they're talking about. But all the families really think about is their security and lifestyle-- they are indentured servants to Uncle Sam and would be helpless in the real world.

Rose, I hear you and understand. I'm sorry I can't help, but I too appreciate the chance to vent along with folks who understand.

Too depressed but to say Amen to all you said.

Roi - who wonders, who are these people and why don't I know any of them (except one maybe that I can think of)?

Are we living in some sort of strange parallel universe?

I was hoping for an Ohio miracle all morning, until the radio station confirmed that Kerry had conceded. I have deep concerns about what shape this country will be in four years from now, and whether we'll be able to afford to live here when all the ill-conceived tax breaks go away and we have to start repaying the record-breaking deficit. And I'm so grateful that I don't have children who will have to pay for the long-lasting ill-will we've generated overseas.

But mostly I'm angry. And I'm stubborn, so I'm going to do my best to live my life, enjoy myself and my family, and keep being a voice of reason for the next four years. I'm not going to let Bush win more than this election.

Frustrated, disappointed, and actually coming down next week - what am I, nuts?

Liz - UBC has an excellent MLIS program and they have an archival track. Check them out (they are called SLAIS)

I have many Bush supporters as friends. We had several free-for-all political discussions and so far we are all still speaking to one another. They have gratified smirks on their faces. I love them anyway but secretly want to kick their shins. And they believe in many of the same things I do. I can't figure this out. One person said, "Heaven forbid Hillary is our next president" Heaven forbid? I am thinking about that phrase.

Off to the Denver Art Museum I go. There is solace to be found there.