Nights Closing In

I've never got on with winter.

The cold bothers me. It's not just "not liking" the cold; it's a pain thing. My teeth are very sensitive, sensitive enough that when the air's cold enough, they hurt when I inhale through my mouth. Most of my joints react to the cold by becoming little clusters of pain, too; thank you, arthritis.

Likewise, the dark gets to me. I type this at not long after five in the evening, and already it's dark outside. I talk about being a night owl, and I am, but that doesn't mean that more night is better. Going to work in the dark in the morning and returning in the dark in the evening is awful - though as of right now I'm still sick as a dog, so that's one displeasure I am spared.

At this point, one might expect an anti-Christmas rant.

There isn't one.

I could go on at length about its faults and flaws but in all honesty - I just haven't "felt it" for years. It's been a case of putting up a bit of a front of enjoyment, and hoping that it would lead to me actually having some fun. Truth be told, at times, it's kind of worked; but I can't help but wonder if that was just being around people I care about anyway, regardless of season.

So rather than direct any venom at the holiday, I'd like to apologise to my friends that are still up to their eyeballs in christmas spirit. I just don't have it in me. I tried - lord help me, I tried - but shy of a miracle, this time of year is going to be (to me) just the same as any other, but more expensive, and with better excuses for hangouts and parties.

I try not to get in the way of other people having a good time. Just because I don't want to doesn't mean other people shouldn't. But if I seem withdrawn this season - it might not just be the sickness (which in itself is a pretty big reason why I'm in such a crappy mood). So please accept my apologies, and be understanding if I'm not so involved as one might want or expect.

I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell.

Leaders Of The Free World

The first thing that greeted me on Twitter this morning wasn't riotous celebration of the victory of Barack Obama; it was a series of retweets of individuals disgruntled that Mitt Romney had apparently won the popular vote, but lost the electoral vote. And thus in their eyes, deserved to win the election anyway.

1) As best I can tell, Obama has over 50% of the total popular vote, meaning that aforementioned complainants are getting their information from a source that may require questioning.

2) George W. Bush in 2000 won the electoral vote but lost the popular vote. He drove us into financial ruin and two wars. The man trying to clean up the mess left behind doesn't have time to get the world into that much trouble, so I don't think you have any right to feel butthurt.

I personally am amazed that nearly half of the country would vote for Mitt Romney. I believe that many of them weren't voting FOR anyone, they were voting AGAINST Obama - which is nice in theory but shows a total blindness of the kind of man that would be replacing him:

"I don't think my current babysitter is good at his job, thus I shall leave my baby on the doorstep and hope the wolves take care of her."

Because, America, you dodged a bullet. You're recovering - you're recovering faster than we are, and regardless of my Prime Minister's claims, it's not because our tactics are the same. (Yes, Cameron trying to ride Obama's coat tails. Opportunistic like a vulture.) And your recovery is through the guidance of a statesman, a man who has known what it is to be poor, a man that's inherited a house of cards that is falling over.

Sure, maybe your recovery isnt fast enough. But precious few of you are in the bracket that Mitt Romney wanted to help. Because you work for a living. Leave the millionaire CEOs to business - leave the presidency to leaders.

That's even ignoring the kind of person Mister Magical Underwear Millionaire is. The kind of person that shouldn't be in charge of a first world country in the modern era. Even if his policies and competencies were first rate, I couldn't accept his bigotry, his sexism, his classism - and unfortunately these things inform his policies. I'll let you do your own research into how.

In summation: America, enough of you made the right choice. And I am glad you'll never get to know what Romney's America would have looked like. The very idea chills me to the bone.

Maybe in four years the Republican party will be able to find a candidate that doesn't sicken me so - and I hope so. Because then there can be a debate, an election, a real choice.

Though if I have one complaint? ...I'd love to have seen the third party candidates do better.