Until yesterday, I was a lifelong Democrat. I am now an independent, whatever that means. And, no, it wasn't just the selection of the disgusting bigot Rick Warren to pray at the inauguration - that was merely the cherry on a very bitter sundae.

Liberals and lefties are fully half of the Democratic Party, but, once the election is over, we are thrown out of the bus before all election results are even counted. I'm done with that. I will never again hold my nose and vote for the lesser of two evils. I will find someone to vote for or I just won't bother.

My 40 years of contributions and hard work for Democrats has produced exactly nothing that relates to my values, interests and goals. Nothing. We need an American social democratic party, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

I am 61, I will continue working until I'm 65 and then retire into oblivion. No more political activism, no more anti-war protests, no more anything. I have been defeated. Nothing more to do.

Oh, I will not be sad. I will still celebrate life with my friends and family, I will still enjoy the limited freedom that I still have, I will continue to enjoy my Siberian Huskies, I will continue to enjoy my little, paid for bungalow in SE Portland, etc. BUT, I will no longer participate in the politics of my country. I have been defeated.

Oh, I wish you all well, literally ALL, even the trolls. I will be around to take pot shots at from time to time. Happy Holidays. Always remember, 'watch out, you might get what you asked for'.

Regards, Darrell

What pathetic drivel. Two posts full of drivel. First, the rights of citizens supersede the powers of government. When government violates citizen rights solely to preserve your neo-fascist rules, then our country has become crap. Who gives a damn what the majority thinks. The only operative issue is the Constitution, and equality under the law applies to ALL citizens not just the neo-Nazi (or neo-Stalinist if you prefer) scum who oppose equality under the law.

Also, who cares about polygamy. If it applies to all citizens (men and women equally) and everyone involved is a consenting adult, what business is it of yours, my neo-Stalinist friend?

Lenin would be proud of your extension of dialectical BS to human relationships.

Full disclosure: I am a left wing atheist who could care less about your theological proclivities as long as you keep your superstititous claptrap to yourslef. Oh, BTW, I was married to the same woman for 31 years until she died one year ago on Monday.

You really make me want to puke.

but I couldn't make one for decades. When my wife got sick with ovarian cancer, she could no longer cook or bake. But, she sat in the kitchen with me and walked me through everything she knew how to do (I'm a very good cook but just couldn;t bake.

I can now make fabulous biscuits, cornbread, tarts, turnovers, dumplings, croissants, baguettes, pastries and pie crust.Real lard is almost impossible to find so she settled on frozen vegetable shortening. I now can enjoy quiches, chicken pot pie, roast beef pie plus the sweet ones - Peach-blueberry pie, blackberry pie, cherry pie (my mother ships me fresh sour cherries from Northern Michigan), etc. Pie is king.

My wife is gone, but she enhanced my life even in her illness.

but loneliness is often the result of things beyond our control. Tomorrow (monday) is the 1 year anniversary of my wife's death after more than 30 years of marriage, and the loneliness is painful. Even a house full of friends and family does nothing to assuage the pain of missing my wife.

No science is needed here. There's nothing wrong with me - I just miss my wife. There's nothing wrong with my family and friends - they simply have no way to make it so that I don't miss my wife.

Loneliness sucks, but it sometimes just part of life. Screw the science.

Thank you for your thoughts. I realize that my frequent references to the loss of my wife may annoy some people and I apologize to those, but, even after one year, the feeling of aloneness is crushing.

My best wishes to all Salonistas, even the trolls.

Darrell

and, IMHO, it sucked, big time. It seemed reasonably accurate, but the lighting was impossibly 21st century, the lack of accent consistency (as in pick one) was extremely disconcerting. Also, even during WWII, things happened at a slower pace, and the film simply ignored that.

Also, Cruise was terrible. He has overacted in virtually everything for 20 years. His early stuff - All the Right Moves and Risky Business - showed real promise, but, then, we had Top Gun, The Color of Money and Cocktail where he basically chewed the scenery. Somehow, he got himself back on track with Rain Man (by far his best performance ever) and mostly with Born on the Fourth of July. Since then, he is the epitome of overacting. Nothing has changed here.

Really? You want me to pay 91% in marginal tax rates? OK. Even though I'm 61 and highly productive, I will quit my job, reconfigure my investments so that I have no income, retire and live off my assets. Net effect to U.S. Tresaury: a significant loss. Do you think that I'm the only one?

Sort of full disclosure: If my Federal income tax bill were my income, I'd still be a one percenter.

Yes, San Francisco is the least black major American city, but it is also the least white major American city. Moreover, in 1960, the black population of SF was almost 30% with a long tradition of black-owned homes and businesses. 60s urban renewal dispossessed most of the black community and forced people out to Oakland, Richmond and other places.