The Bosque

I've been in a lot of weird situations, but this one takes the cake.

Last night after work, I went to a gas station near the shop to fill up. The neighborhood is a bit sketchy (Kingshighway & Delmar), but this station has had the lowest gas I've seen in St. Louis for the past month...currently at $1.389/gal. It cost me under $15 to fill-up last night...that same tankful was $50 3 months ago. I love it. Anyway...

So I was standing there filling up the tank, and this guy in a powerchair pulled up next to the back of my car...he looked like Dave Chappelle imitating Lil' Jon, minus the shades. He complimented me on the way I presented myself, then asked me if I was married. I told him I was, and he said that he was too, but that men could do things for him that a woman couldn't do. Then he proceeded to tell me that I had pretty lips and cute legs, that he could suck my dick until I burst and that we could go to a private spot where he could take care of me for $15. He also gave me his cell phone number and made sure that I knew it before I left. I then put the gas hose away, got in my car and drove home.

During the entire incident, I mostly laughed--nervously. It was so damned bizarre and uncomfortable. But I wasn't going to get pissed off or offended, because that sort of thing doesn't bother me. I probably could have said, "Dude, sorry to break your heart, but I don't swing that way." But it happened so fast and it was so fucking weird and I was just trying to be polite. And guys have flirted with me before...but this was just...insane.

All in all though, it was incredibly funny. I mean, it's almost midnight and I'm just putting gas in my car in a sketchy neighborhood...and instead of your "standard" panhandler, I get a male prostitute. And I do have a track record of scaring most folks, but attracting crazies and children.

In other words, it was just another day at the office. :)

I don't need any material gifts per se...but I do have a wish list:

--A job for my wife, so that we can remain at our apartment beyond January 31st.
--A full-time job for me, so that I'll make more money and have benefits.
--Successful treatment for my Aunt Marilyn, who just had cancer surgery today.
--A good 2009...2008 sucked.

How close was I on Tuesday night? Well, my map is on the left...the final tally (from MSNBC) is on the right:



I got ND, MO and IN wrong. Plus, Obama wound up taking one EV from NE (because they give their EVs out based winning by congressional district).

Not too shabby, though.

The US is not as racist as it used to be: While racism is still alive and well in this country, we took a major step forward on Tuesday by electing a Black man to lead the free world for the next 4 years.

We're willing to try something different: We just elected a 47-year-old Black guy who has the middle name Hussein, whose father was Kenyan and mom was White, and whose political tenure is 8 years in the Illinois State Senate and 4 years in the US Senate. He's not exactly a novice, but not what we normally go for. And that's not a bad thing in my book.

Politics can still be fairly civil: There were certainly nasty moments, but as a whole, this campaign was much calmer than the last 2...and I think we're going to see the least amount of animosity in Washington in 20 years.

It's still the economy, stupid: Dubya is in a spot even worse than his father...and John McCain paid the price for it.

My state is still a bellwether: Missouri went for McCain...the first time that the state has gone to the losing candidate since 1956. But we're still a perfect microcosm of this country: big urban & rural areas; growing minority populations, but still predominantly white; a Democratic governor with a Republican lieutenant, one Democratic senator and one Republican; rural areas that support the Democratic party and suburban areas that lean Republican; conservatives and liberals; racists and wackos; oh my!

Our country still kicks ass: Even though I winced a lot during the last 8 years, it still kicked ass. And I'm no idealist, but I think it will kick ass even more now.

MSNBC:


Fox:


BBC:


Sydney Morning Herald:

How I think tonight will play out:



Make your own map, courtesy of MSNBC.

I'm not going to spit out a bunch of stats that the Obama campaign is giving out, nor am I going to refute stats that McCain is tossing out. That's unrealistic...we know what both of them want to do, but what they will do may be quite different.

I don't think that Sen. McCain is a bad person. In fact, I don't think he'd be a half-bad president...I don't think he can do worse than what we have now. But he would continue in a similar vein. This is a great country, and I am proud to be an American. But we have some serious issues we need to tackle. I believe that Barack Obama and the Democrats are better-suited at this time to take on these issues.

The Republicans controlled Congress from 1995-2007 (with the Senate in Dem hands for a short time in 2001-2002), and they have had the presidency for the last 8 years. In business, the CEO and board are ultimately responsible for the success or failure of a company. Bush and the Republicans are not solely responsible for the problems we currently face, but given that they have led the company, they have to take the ultimate responsibility. It is time for them to go.

I think that Sen. Obama is a smart man who will surround himself with smart people. I think that he will also work with Republicans while pushing a more liberal agenda--not a socialist one, not even a liberal one per se. I do worry that he might be setting the bar too high, though I've also seen him try to temper expectations.

I know that I am a liberal, that I will almost always vote for Democrats and that I am biased. But I try to give the other side a fair shake. I don't think that Republicans in general are necessarily evil, and have even voted for a few of them. As a whole, they just don't represent me and my wife and what we believe. And I understand that there are lots of people on the conservative side of the coin in the same spot. I just ask that those conservatives try to give the current crop of liberals a fair shake.

I hope you will join me in painting the White House black tomorrow. :-)

From WJBK-TV, Detroit: A Grosse Pointe Farms woman is accused of pulling a political dirty trick. Instead of giving away treats to every child who knocks on her door, parents say she's only giving them to kids who agree with her choice for president.

Click on the link to watch the story.

Goddamn...someone buy that poor woman a clue!

I'll be so glad come Wednesday.