Political

I Blame the Two Party System

I was watching as the election results came in last night, but at around 11:30 PM, they were still counting and I was getting tired. So, I went to bed. I woke up at 2:30, went into the living room and turned on the TV. I was just in time to see the final states wrap it up and the headline informing us that Clinton called Trump.

Donald Trump will be our next president. Even though I did not support Clinton in this election, I would feel better if she had won. But she didn’t. Trump is the president elect.

We have a two party system. That means there’s always going to be a tug of war between the two parties. It’s always going to be a back and forth motion. Democrats are not always going to win and Republicans are not always going to win. And it can only be one or the other, according to this bullshit two-party system.

It really shouldn’t be a  big surprise that Trump will be our next president. We’ve been going back and forth between Republicans and Democrats for the last several election circles.

Let’s see….

George H. W. Bush (Rep), served a four year term. When was that? Late 80’s-early 90’s, right?

Bill Clinton (Dem), served two four-year terms, through the rest of the 90’s.

George W. Bush (Rep), served eight years, 2001-2009, right?

Barack Obama (Dem), served eight years.

Donald Trump (Rep), will begin his presidency in 2017.

Do you see this fucking back and forth motion. It’s practically predictable. It’s going to keep happening because there’s no more options. It’s always got to be one of those two, one of those two, ONE OF THOSE TWO! Always!

It’s not always going to be your candidate and it’s not always going to be their candidate.

This two party system is the real problem in our country. That’s how I see it.

Yes, I am concerned about what a Trump presidency will mean for all of us. I could continue on about that, but John Scalzi said pretty much what I’m thinking, so I’m just going to link you to his post.

I find comfort in Scalzi’s last paragraph: “But at the end of that time, I hope you come back to us. Looking at the numbers as they stand right now, Trump won by just about 300,000 votes Clinton got at least 100,000 more votes than Trump out of about 120 million individual votes cast. There’s a lot of us who will stand with you, when you’re ready to stand again with us. There’s work to be done over the next four years and beyond. We need to get to it.”

Also, my friend Jackie said this a couple weeks ago: “No matter which candidate wins neither of them is going to be as big a disaster as their detractors make them out to be nor as wonderful as their supporters think they are.” I’d like to believe that. I hope she’s spot on.

As I said before, I voted Libertarian because I feel the Libertarian Party takes what I value from both sides and puts it together. The two major parties make me feel like I’ll have to give something up, something that I very much want to keep. The Libertarian Party does not make me feel that way.

I’m not proud that our country elected Trump, but I am proud of my Libertarian vote.

I posted this on Facebook shortly after the final results came in. So, you might not see me around there for a while, if ever again. I haven’t decided yet.

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Misc

It still works, but I want it gone

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It took me a few years to get around to it, but I finally willed myself to move this old bomb of a TV out to the road for the garbage truck. It had been sitting in a corner of my bedroom doing nothing but collecting dust. It’s one of those big models from the late-80’s to the mid-90’s.
That sucker is heavy. Hope I didn’t give myself another hernia. It still works, but I want it gone.
Next Day Update
Someone claimed the TV before the garbage truck did. Whoever it was, I hope the TV brings them much joy. I still got the remote control here, I should’ve taken it out and left it on the TV yesterday. But the same buttons are on the front of the TV, so at least they’ll be able to work it.
Political

Big Day Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the big day. Those who haven’t already voted will be at the polls. We’ll wait to see if we’re doomed for the next four years. Of course, whoever the next president is, some people will say we’re doomed, while others will say we’re not. But this election year seems more heated than any I remember. I almost think a civil war will start tomorrow night.

Anyway, vote however you want. Don’t let the political bullies shame you into voting their way. I saw people accusing third party voters of sexism, claiming the third party voters  don’t want to vote for a woman. That’s a crock of shit. A lot of people are voting for the Green Party. That’s Jill Stein. Hillary Clinton isn’t the only woman on the ballot.

Vote however you want. Vote Democrat, Republican or any of the third parties, whatever feels right to you, and let everyone vote how they want to vote.

Books, Reviews

Heart-Shaped Box, by Joe Hill

510wu8jwz-l__sx330_bo1204203200_It’s hard to read Joe Hill‘s Heart-Shaped Box without thinking about the Nirvana song with the same name, but I suspect that’s what Hill intended. This book mentions several rock stars and bands. Hell, the lead character’s dogs are named after Bon Scott and Angus Young. It’s a horror novel that pays homage to rock ‘n’ roll.

Heart-Shaped Box is the first Joe Hill book I’ve read. I have to say, Joe Hill is just as talented as his dad. Their styles are pretty similar, a lot of free flowing wordage that keeps the reader engaged.

Jude Coyne is a rock star, though he hasn’t recorded anything in the last few years. He’s living in a farmhouse in New York with his girlfriend, Georgia.

Jude has a dark hobby. He collects occult items, like a skull, a noose that was used to hang a man, a witch’s signed confession, things like that. When Danny. Jude’s assistant, tells him that someone is selling a ghost online, Jude decides to buy it even though he thinks it’s a joke.

But the ghost arrives. Jude finds out that the ghost is the stepfather of his former girlfriend. The ghost wants Jude dead and anyone who tries to help him.

Misc

Standing Rock

I guess everyone has heard something about the Dakota Access Pipeline, Standing Rock and this big Native American movement to stop the pipeline from passing through the reservation’s water source. Of course the usual line was drawn. Some people side with the Dakota Access Pipeline and some people side with the Standing Rock Indian Reservation.

They were originally going to construct the pipeline through Bismarck. Bismarck residents rejected the pipeline for the same reason the Sioux are rejecting it, they were concerned about their water source. Seeing how the pipe recently burst somewhere down the line, I think their concerns are reasonable.

Why weren’t the residents of Bismarck told that the pipeline was going through their area whether they liked it or not? Why was it acceptable for Bismarck to reject the pipeline?

The pipeline was re-routed to go through the Standing Rock Reservation. The Sioux rejected it, but their rejection was ignored. They’re taking a nonviolent stand and law enforcement is attempting to drive them off with violence. Why is that acceptable?

Baseball, MLB, Sports

The Cubs Went All The Way

Man, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a baseball game played so hard. That was Game 7, the final game of the World Series, the game that decides who the champions are.

The Chicago Cubs have not won the World Series since 1908 and they had not made it to the World Series since 1945. Long time Cub fans are probably bawlin’ their eyes out right now, so relieved that they got their “just one before I die” victory.

The Cleveland Indians did not make it easy for the Cubs, and why should they? The Indians worked every bit as hard to get to the World Series. They weren’t just going to let the Cubs have the glory. Both teams played hard. The players seemed desperate, even stressed out.

There were many wild leaps and dives, and the sprints seemed speedier than usual. It was like the guys found some godly power deep in the pits of their stomachs and used it to kick their gears into overdrive.

By the middle of the 5th inning, the score was Cubs 5 – Indians 1. But the Indians began turning things around in the bottom of the 5th, bringing in two runs and the score to 5-3.

The Cubs scored again in the top of the 6th, but the Indians got in three more in the bottom of the 8th, and the score was 6-6. Chapman looked real nervous after that, but luckily they caught a base runner attempting to steal and wrapped up the inning before the Indians could score again.

But then it was the 9th inning and the score was tied. Looked like everyone had the shakes. The Cubs didn’t score in the 9th, but neither did the Indians. A 10th inning was added, and then it rained. They rolled out the tarp and we waited to see if it was over for the night. Thankfully the rain delay didn’t last long and the game resumed.

I call this a pitching mistake. When a pitcher intentionally walks a batter, I reckon it’s because the pitcher assumes the next batter can’t hit. I didn’t memorize the name of the pitcher on the mound at that point, but he did this twice. Walked a batter on purpose, and then the next batter got a good hit. Twice this happened in the top of the 10th and the Cubs got in two runs. The score was now 8-6.

Bottom of the 10th, the Indians got in one more run. The score was 8-7.

It slipped my mind. Did the Indians have a man on first and second? Or just first? I don’t remember and I don’t feel like checking right now. But there were two outs and the Indians still had a chance to win. The batter hit, the ball bounced, was caught and thrown to first base before the batter made it there.

All I could think after that play was “CUBS WIN!!! CUBS WIN!!! CUBS WIN!!!”

This game was wild. Billy Goat’s curse is broken. The Chicago Cubs won the World Series for the first time in 108 years.

Baseball, MLB, Sports

The Cubs are Determined to Win it All

Well, folks, that was Game 6 of the World Series. A few days ago, the Indians were leading the series by 3 to 1. They only needed one more win and they would have been the Champions. But the Cubs don’t want to let that happen. After no championship in over a hundred years, this just might be the year of the Cubs.

The Cubs won Sunday’s game, and then they won today’s game, 9-3. The World Series is now tied, 3-3. Game 7 is tomorrow night and the winning team will be the Champions.

Go Cubs. It’s your turn.

Football, NCAA, Sports

Blue Peppers

Michigan beat Michigan State. It had been a few years since the Wolverines last won the Paul Bunyan Trophy. The final score was 32-23. Michigan had a bigger lead than that, but State pushed harder in the 4th Quarter.

Jabrill Peppers made some heroic plays. Near the end, when State was getting awfully close to the end zone, Peppers nailed the quarterback on the 4th down and the ball was turned over to Michigan.

State did get another touchdown, with one second left on the clock. After that, instead of kicking for one more point, State was going to try for two points.

But the quarterback dropped the ball and Peppers snatched it up. He ran the whole length of the field to Michigan’s end zone and those two points went to the Wolverines instead.