My Father is "pissed off: (his words!)

Last night, Wednesday, I called home.
Their phone rang just before 8 pm.
Of course, after my Dad answered, I asked if I should apologize for waking him up.
He's known to go to bed very early.

He was wide awake.
He also said, "I'm pisssed."
To know my Father is to know he does not use profanity.
I've only heard the "F WORD" out of his mouth once (quoting someone else).

"Pissed" isn't necessarily bleepable,
Nonetheless, it is very strong language for my Father.
I told him I'd be on my way over – be there in less than a half hour.
Less than 30 minutes later, I'm there.

Here I should note that I was going to be in the neighborhood playing basketball at 9.
That I had planned to drop off some free samples from work I know he'd like.
Maraschino cherries, for use in his Brandy Manhattans, to be exact.
--Just called to see if they were awake

I walk into my parents home to see my Mom where I expect her.
Parked in front of MSNBC, successfully replacing her election thirst with the Auto-bailout
My Mom does not like the Detroit auto-execs.
She kept repeating "They just don't get it, they just don't get it"

My Father, however, was sitting by himself in the seldom used living room.
The kind of room only used when relatives visit.
Just him, reading a book.
He is not an avid reader.

He likes to check out books from the library.
Often they are returned unread.
But he had received a book earlier today
And he was burning through it in unprecedented speed.

The book is the first novel written by his brother.
He's published a few titles, in an area I'd name "non-mainstream religion"
This man, my Uncle, is a former Jesuit.
His wife, my Aunt, a former nun.

But this isn't about the Uncle and Aunt of different last names
(that last name, is an entirely different story)
This is about the novel my Dad was now reading.
Novel, by the way, as in a work of fiction.

The book, in the forward, goes out of its way to declare its fictitiousness.
Yet my Dad has told me specific names and places in this book that he knows exists.
For example, vivid details of a basement church in the Midwest.
Also, the fact that the cover picture is of my Uncle when he was still "in the cloth."

The major arc of the plot involves a man leaving the priesthood.
Including the falling in love with a woman from the religious life.
What pissed my Dad off, causing him to write a "?" near a specific paragraph.
Is when the main character's family structure was detailed.

The main character's father was an Irish Immigrant, marrying a converted Protestant.
Brother to four siblings: Two brothers, two sisters, one of each married or a priest/nun.
This perfectly explains my Father's actual family structure, with one exception.
There is no third, baby, brother… My Father's place in the family…

My Father was "pissed" that his brother left his fictional counterpart on the editor's table.
I pleaded with him that he shouldn't get upset.
The work is fiction.
And, to use his logic, the married brother could very well be him – not his late brother John.

I might have calmed him down a little, but he still has more calming to go.
"It's more symmetrical for the main character to have four siblings, not five." I theorized.
This somewhat humored my Mom – breaking briefly from her MSNBC mindset to weigh in.
"It's fiction dear." Is all that she said. It was all that needed to be said.

My Father is going to finish this book.
Then my Mother, the stalwart reader of the family, will pick it up.
I have asked to be next, and I will try to convince my sister to read it too.
Hopefully we'll have the first ever family book club between the four of us.

It will be a therapeutic exercise.
Make us all feel very enlightened.
A mature family acting like adults.
I can't wait, it's going to be an instant family memory classic.

(The official site of William Cleary: Someone who I am proud to be called his nephew)

Five to Be

Here are a few places, in no particular order or priority, that I wish to be before I die:

*The Shipyards in Bangor, Ireland (east of Belfast, where my Grandfather worked in and fled from)


*Sixth Street in Austin, Texas (specifically for the SXSW festival)


*Palos Verdes, California (somewhere along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, location shot from The Big Lebowski)


*Rio Hotel & Suites Casino (as a player in the WSOP Main Event)


*The Olympics (don't care when or where - but I think my best chance may be close)

Volleyball Ranting Backlash (a teammate's response)

For the first time in "View de TQ" history, a posting motivated another to blog a retort. I could not be more pleased. Here is the response, in it's unedited entirety. Also, for the record, I don't disagree with anything he said:

Response to a Certain Blogger!

This is to answer to a certain person's blog about Co Rec. Volleyball!

Here are all of the points that I must contest....

1- She was not just yelling at him, She was yelling at everyone.
2- He is not one of the better servers for this reason- you are only good in rec league if you get your serves over. He doesn't
3- His serve is not a topspin serve because by his definition it should drop sharply over the net, which i have NEVER seen happen on his serve. Call it what you want, its crap.
4- No natural talent
5- He got cut b/c he su cks
6- He didn't appreciate being yelled at, then he should make so many DUMB, careless, lazy mistakes. I don't appreciate missed serves.
7- The man showing up to a softball game under the influence of alcohol???? (WTF), I take great offense to that because he paints it like"this man" is the only one that does that when in fact at least 1/2 the team does that...isn't that the point????
8- He's not trying to land a spot on the London 2012 team, well thats obvious. Neither am I but I come to VB to play not to try out serves that I can't execute
9- He plays the sport for fun....PULEEEZE, lets face it, "sports fans" losing is not fun.
10- She was not attacking anyone, and definately not venomously. She was stating a fact. We gave the other team 10 free points on missed serves. Missed serves lose games. Are these not facts?
11- Lack of concentration caused his missed "serve" (Singular?? What about the other 5?)
12- Yelling out of frustration, doesn't necessasarily coincide with "aggressiveness." she was sitting on the bleachers trying to catch her breath, don't see how that could be interpretted as aggressive.
13- Serious about the league? I thought he was playing b/c it was fun....hmmmm
14- 12 year old jump serve probably isn't any worse than the lazy claimed "top spin serve" Maybe it would have landed inbounds....
15- There is one thing I can agree on....His attempt at a comeback definatley did not make me feel bad. Not one bit, and still doesn't....

Just a side note. I was yelled at for showing up at the game drunk (for the first time......ok maybe twice). Although Coed sports are for fun it is still very competitive, Mr. Blogger needs to put his purse down and grow some thicker skin.

The Cutthroat Nature of Co-Ed Volleyball

I got yelled at Monday night.
A former coworker is who yelled at me.
Shortly after we lost our co-ed volleyball game.

She, the yeller, was upset at me missing a serve.
I had missed a serve.
Normally, I have one of the better serves on the team.
(Seriously, I'm not pumping my ego here)

The only problem is: my serve is high risk / high reward.
It's an overhand topspin serve.
Cuts right over the net and dips down sharply.
Toss it up too low, it's in the net (hit it too high it screams too far out of bounds)

I used to have quite a healthy amount of natural talent on the volleyball court.
The only high school sport I can lay credit to is volleyball.
Until I got cut because there were three setters better than me and I wasn't tall enough.
(For those that didn't know me when I was a minor, I wasn't always 6'3")

But I'm veering away from my focus here...
I didn't appreciate being yelled at Monday night.
Volleyball is still fun to me.
Any effort to attempt to impede on that emotion is not welcome.

There are two people specifically on my "work teams" (softball & volleyball) that are at that "yelling competitive" level. The other yeller usually reserves his outbursts to the softball diamond.
This coming from a man that once showed up to pitch a game under the influence of alcohol.
During these softball tantrums, I keep silent.
They aren't normally pointed at me, but that's slightly odd because I'm significantly worse at softball.
Flat out said: I'm not good at softball... Easily the worst "guy" of the co-ed squad.

That could be why I'm yelled at during volleyball - the yellers expect more out of me.
But I'm not there to win a spot on the 2012 London Squad.
I'm there to have fun, playing a sport that's always been that way to me.
I'm staying at work up to 90 minutes later to go to the game direct from work.

I said something back to her Monday night.
As much as I hate to admit it, I pulled it from an interaction in fifth grade.

I said, "Well, you played perfectly."
In the spring of 1990 I teased Jeff Bott on how he was playing "Wall Ball."
Jeff Bott sullenly said something to the effect that I had to be perfect to make such a criticism.
I remember it making me feel awful.
That effect didn't translate to 2008's Skokie Park District Co-Ed Rec League Volleyball.
I walked away from her venomous comeback, quickly regretting the line I drew in the sand.

What did we learn sports fans?
Never underestimate the importance of mental toughness in your life - at all times.
Truth be told, my lack of concentration caused my missed serve.
My lack of mental toughness allowed my former coworker's aggression to act in a way I wish I didn't... (no matter how justified)

She's lucky I want to be serious in the league.
I was about to dust off the 12 year old jump serve.
Something that doesn't get better with age - it would've been an awful sight for our team.

One Smear Campaign Ends, the Other Endures

Mac vs. PC.
This has gotten nasty.
For those that don't know, I made the Apple switch over two years ago.
As a part of my emancipation, I welcomed my iMac into my world of independence.

But I think Apple has dug themselves too deep with making fun of "I'm a PC."
I guess they refused to be content with their niche cool-kid status.

As much as I prefer my Mac, I must admit that Windows has the superior ad campaign.
Sticking that "Yeah, I'm a PC - and proud of it" right back at'em.
By far there are more "PCs" than "Macs" and Windows is making a smart move playing to the fact that more people would rather be in the majority than hip.

However, the latest Windows ad, is the best proof yet that you can be both:

The Unabridged, sad, tale of my misadventure into Speed Dating.

..A couple minutes shy of 2 am, I am unable to sleep.
Now is just as good of a time to relay to you the ordeal of this past Wednesday.

My anninimity already gone, I will attempt to keep it for all others involved.
(All names have been changed)

Buster and Keaton are both single like me.
Amongst our normal "guy" talk consisting of the current fantasy sport issue or recent NetFlix title viewed - we've shared our various reports from the war of single life of the modern era.

Online winking there, blind craisglist dating there, coworker allegiance misinterpretations of the past and neighbor interactions of the future...

When Buster brought up the idea of attending a Speed Dating event it was mainly presented as:
"When we've been trying all these other methods, how can we not give this a shot?"
I was on board as long as Buster and Keaton would be in - I thought (at least) I'd be writing to inform others of an entertaining story.
Keaton, I sensed, was not fully on board.
After a year of joking and batting around the idea, we all committed.

Registration was to open at 8 pm, with the event starting at 8:30.
Buster arrived at my curb at about 7:50.
Keaton was already in the car.
Buster flipped on the dome light in his car, to make sure I wasn't wearing the same shirt.
We weren't... But in all respects - we were.

The striped shirt has become a massive cliche in the single guy wardrobe.
A slow plague of striped shirt dominance has appeared in my closet.
If you were to catch me stepping out to work, you have an over 80% chance of seeing me wearing a striped shirt.
It has become the new prison uniform.

We arrive at the location: a hotel in Rosemont (another suburb known for their... well, hotels to be honest with you).
Specifically the hotel bar, where we register.
Keaton first, followed by me, and finally by Buster.
Keaton has been assigned number 35, me 36, and Buster 37.
We were all handed sticker "name tags" with just these two digits markered onto them.

Now just killing time before the "first date" we attempt to scan the crowd for a sneak preview of our future.
I see no women with nametags.
I barely see any women at all.
There's the cocktail waitress, and a young woman playing at the pool table located just beyond the limits of the bar's seating area.

This bar is classically lit - for a bar....
Which means, dimly lit.
The music playing makes me feel like I'm at a junior high dance party.
The air is cold, thanks to a propped-open (for reasons unknown ) door.

A bit of future foreshadowing:
The most attractive girl I saw was our cocktail server.
The second most attractive girl I saw was the pool player, who quickly left the area before the monstrosity began.
The most interesting person I met was one of the other MALE speed daters.

Keaton was to begin at table 7.
I was slotted for table 6.
Buster got pegged for table 5.

Although I'm loosely using the term "table" here. The respective areas were more like lounge/booth setups than chairs with a table.

GIRL 6
Carol is an assistant buyer for a large retail apparel chain.
She quickly announces her single motherdom.
She is an attractive woman, and has positive qualities.
The six minutes we spent was unspectacular.
I mentioned liked going to the city for concerts.
She recommended a pizza place nearby one of the venues owned by her friends.
After the debriefing with my two friends, it's learned that she has two children, aged 3 and 5.
Also learned is her age - six years older than I - and that she supposedly made out very well in a recent divorce.
Ladies and Gentleman, if you were a cougar hunter - I think Carol might have been your pick.
Truthfully, not for me.

GIRL 7
I'm in the lucky position of being between Buster and Keaton. I don't need to wander around looking for numbers - just follow Keaton. Also, I don't have to worry about the next guy blowing up my spot because I'm confident that Buster won't be interrupting me looking to get a head start.

Here's how ROUND 2 began, word-for-word:
TQ: Hi, my name is Tom
Eleanor: Hi, I'm El- Tom [MY ACTUAL LAST NAME!]?
TQ: (instantly looking to my name tag, confused it just has "36" and not my name) yeah.
Eleanor: I went to Grammar School with you.
TQ: Eleanor Roosevelt?
Elanor: (nods head approvingly)
TQ: Oh, hey.

So let me fully illustrate how insulting me forgetting Eleanor Roosevelt is.
I went to a small Catholic Grammar School.
TEN PEOPLE GRADUATING CLASS SMALL.
(By the way, let the record show I graduated first in my class)
Also, I went to this school from Kindergarten through Eighth Grade with Eleanor.
But she didn't look insulted in the least, for she used to have a crush on me.
I know this because I was invited to her 15th birthday party.
I have yet to find anybody else who was invited to that party in 1994.
It's safe to say, I went the last 15 years without thinking of Eleanor Roosevelt.
And now, I had to do nothing but think of her for the next six minutes.

Eleanor: I was just thinking of you, when I was walking my dog past your parents' house-
TQ: (interrupting) My parents don't live there anymore.
Eleanor: Oh, where?
TQ: Arlington Heights.
Eleanor: Oh, where in?
TQ: Lake Arlington
Eleanor: Oh, in one of the town homes?

ROUND THREE
Buster tells me, one of the first things Eleanor said to him during ROUND 3 is that she went to Grammar School with me.
Buster informed Eleanor that he was my friend, and wanted to know what I was like back in the day...
Buster told me she said, "He was wonderful."
He also told me that Eleanor said, "You know, I'm afraid you may stalk me - because your friend knows where I live."

So after I left the dark alley falsely disguised as memory lane with Eleanor, I looked to find Keaton - in order to find to whatever girl he just "dated."
But instead I saw Keaton sitting in the corner of the bar alone - not moving.
"Welcome to the bullpen" he says to me as I walk over.

Turns out that "Girl 7" is the end of the line, and because there are 11 guys at the event, you have to wait until the bottleneck clears up before you can talk to "Girl 1"
Keaton had just spent, in his terms "the longest six minutes of my life here with my tail between my legs." He was one fourth of his way into the bullpen experience.

Again, my position proved to be my advantage. I was able to spend this time - not alone - but talking and joking with Keaton... Six minutes later Buster would join us in the bullpen. And it was in this time period that the cocktail server came by to ask us if we wanted another drink. A cruel irony to have that attractive women talk to us at that point in the evening.

Keaton finally broke out of the bullpen to go back into the fray, and Buster and I talked with another guy newly arrived to the bullpen...
This was the most interesting person I met.
He was tall, like Barrack Obama.
He was slender, like Barrack Obama
He had a slightly darker skin tone, had short hair with a hairline like... you guessed it.
This guy, if he wanted to, could make a career as an impersonator of the man who was elected the night before to be our 44th President.
The story he told, of how he was able to get a blind date to the Grant Park Rally because he looked like Obama, was the best story of the night.

GIRL 1
The first question that Debra asked me was, "How old are you?"
I didn't think this was appropriate to ask, I certainly didn't ask her in return.
TQ: 29, will be 30 in January.
Debra: Oh, when in January?
TQ: The 24th.
Debra: Oooooh, you're an Aquarian - that's gooood.

Later I found out that Debra grew up on the East Coast - went to a school I seemingly knew more about that her, and works for a major Airline. Also, I found out that Debra did not pay for this event....

Oh yeah, I had to pay $35 to attend such a circus.

...Debra was brought in by the event's organizers because too many men had signed up. She was brought in to even out the numbers. This was a clear example of having the "B-Team" brought in to the game during a blowout.

GIRL 2
Gweneth is here with friends. She's happy to hear I'm here with friends too. She wants to know who my friends are - but I politely don't tell her.
She, in not a polite of fashion, wants me to guess who she's here with.
Because I later find out that she is an Air Traffic Controller, I don't have a hard time guessing.
Also, I should point out, that I'm noticing the intoxicating levels of alcohol being ingested by these women.
Gweneth has a difficult time connecting her lips to her wine glass on first attempt.
The only thing notable about Gweneth is her accent, she was born in England.
It's the only thing I found interesting about her... Something that was not of her control (like her drinking).

GIRL 3
I'm not going to change this girl's name, because I think it's fake.
"Dream" is the name she told me.
I bet she wanted me to say, "what was that again?" but I heard it.
I bet she also wanted me to compliment on that name's beauty or originality, but I wasn't.
Midway through our six minute semi-interview for her courtship the beautiful cocktail server interrupted us to refill her triangular shaped liquor fueling system. She (the server) was doing a lot of this - which Keaton told me later he didn't appreciate.
Personally, I could have used more of it.
I was already beginning to mentally check out of this affair. Growing more upset at the level of drunkenness at the other end of the conversation.

GIRL 4
Petria asked me 3 times in six minutes what I did for a living.
I answered truthfully everytime, but using different word choices.
My idea was to avoid the same words sparking a "oh, I already asked that" in her mind.
A potentiallly embarrassing situation.
But I think I overestimated Petria, it probably just confused her more.
This girl's best story was told to Buster one round (and another drink) after me.
I really wish I would've heard first hand how she reacted on the morning of September 11, 2001. Especially how the role of moving around her with her ex-boyfriend was involved. Supposedly, it involved someone dropping to their knees.

GIRL 5
And then we came to the end.
Sharon, I thought, was the drunkest.
Turns out, she was the dumbest.
After this event, when Keaton went to the Mens Bathroom - he saw Sharon walking in when he was walking out.
Sharon is taking courses at a local community college to be a web designer.
Sharon does not know how to work an iPod.
Sharon, when asked by me what she does for fun, said, "I have a cat.... and I walk my two dogs."
I mentioned that I like to go to concerts - asked her the last show she saw was.
Sharon said, "I saw Carrie Underwood in Peoria, do you know what Peoria is?"
I told her the next show I had tickets for was My Morning Jacket.
"What's My Morning Jacket?"

Meanwhile the organizer comes by to tell us that he's not going to blow the whistle, because this was the last round.
Yeah, if I forgot to mention it before, the organizer had a gym-class-issued whistle he's blowing every "six" minutes. (Reports vary on just how accurate his timing method was)
I was nearly visibly angry at this lack of whistle blowing. I wanted to grab it from him and blow the holy hell out of it myself.

Next to me, I see Keaton walking away from Carol, girl six, who I started my night with and now Keaton was ending. Keaton was walking away, but Carol was now ordering another drink. I was thankful I got to talk to Carol before the liquid got to her.

Finally, when the organizer asked for my "card" it was my excuse to bail on Sharon.
This card was where you wrote down who you had interest in.
The girls supposedly do the same.
Buster wrote "no" for all seven women.
Although Keaton and I were not as decisive in our summary of the night - we all hope to never see any of these characters again.

---
Was it worth it?
Honestly, I don't know.
Yes, I got a story out of it (which was my only goal).
People who I told this story to last week laughed (which made me smile).
But I feel awful for having gone through it.
Humiliated.
Exposed.

Monastic life looks better and better.

Notes from an Electing night of Television

I took Wednesday November 5 off work for two main reasons.
One of which I plan to write about later, but the other reason was due to the Presidential Election.
I didn't go to any parties, bars, rallies or "The Rally" last night. On purpose, I was by myself, with total control of the remote. I wanted to watch the gamut of the coverage, both last night and this morning. Also, if i had been at work today it would not have been a productive day. I would no doubt talk to other political conscious coworkers and "stealing time" by reading various accounts on the Internet.

I took notes throughout this process:



Yes, that's me - still in my pajamas shortly before noon.
Yes, those pajamas are in the design of the glorious flag of these United States of America.
They fit.

7 pm: Finally settle into my couch after day that began shortly after 6 am voting.
Which included a half hour wait in line (not bad)
Still got to work before 8.
Also booked quickly from my home to the barber shop.
The barber shop was needed due to the non-mentioned other reason for my day off.
My barber and I wondered how exit polls could be accurate with so much early voting nationwide.
More importantly, I got to see my parents around 6:30.
My mother was embedded into her MSNBC coverage.
She was planning on sleeping on the couch, to spare my father (not a fan of MSNBC) a night without the bedroom TV on all night.

I decide to pick up a deep dish Lou Malnatti's pizza up on my way home.
A very large step away from my 11 week long current diet, but I felt like celebrating.

Ok, now to the real notes (all times Central):
7:15 | MSNBC | Chris Matthews: "Liddy Dole may be the first to ever lose a Senate race by not talking enough."
7:29 | MTV | (some unknown kid to me with a foreign/english? accent) boasts MTV's "best coverage" before throwing it to an episode of The Hills.
7:43 | Univision | Best election night graphics in my opinion. Simple, clear, not bogged down at all.
7:45 | ESPN | Flipping on my way to another news channel when I catch Ron Artest (of my fantasy basketball team) steal a pass, yes!
7:48 | CNBC | They've got their screen split six-ways, with six nobodys in diffrent sets yelling all their opinions at once
7:50 | Fox News | Election night graphics looks like a Downtown Las Vegas Slot Machine
7:55 | NBC | Both the highest and lowest tech graphics of the night. They lock Ann Curry in a green room and superimpose video game quality graphics all round her. I'm sad they stopped just before making her "float" over the nation. Over at the ice rink in front of 30 rock they have the electoral map painted, filling in red and blue when projected. They proudly show pictures of production assistants gingerly walking over the ice trying to paint Wisconsin blue. Also, on the actual facade of 30 rock, are two window cleaning boxes - one red one blue - climbing to the top... Each dragging a red or blue banner, creating the largest bar graph of Electoral Votes projected.

Also, Chuck Todd looked awkward on NBC. This may be partly to blame on my LDTV, but his "interactive map" looked very far away, and he clearly is vastly under-experienced at working that map. CNN plays it like a classical instrument.

(I made a decision to avoid CNN this night. I get hypnotized by that map play. Zoom in, zoom out, county alpha compared with region beta, flip to the 2000 map, scroll to the 2004 map... someone prep the defibrillator paddles.)

8:10 | B.E.T. | The find of the night, in my opinion. Their election special "Be Heard" prompted me to text my friend about it's entertaining and informative quality. Yes, they had 21 year old panel member wearing an Obama / Biden t-shirt - but I welcomed that opinion. They had a token conservative on there too, along with a race-undefined woman that seemed straight out of the mental hospital. I didn't right down who the host was, I was too busy trying to avoid his constant name dropping from his days in Atlanta working for the N.A.A.C.P. This may not sound like a program endorsement, but it was unfiltered coverage. They didn't care that a vocal studio audience was showing it's bias.

It was tough to click away from this channel. In fact, I was watching B.E.T. when Ohio was called blue. And it was interpreted, correctly, as a "game over." Some on the panel recognized it was an election night faux pas to make such declarations when polling places were still open in the western states... But their manners could not stop their enthuasism.

(At this time I also received the first text message from a texter understanding the significance and finality of Ohio)

8:55 | MSNBC | I only catch the tail end of Luke Russert at a live remote from the campus of Indiana University. I wish I could've caught this, I don't know what he said. It makes me miss his Father. His white board would've had PA and OH on the left side by now, awaiting to write FL and IN to one side or the other.

(oh, i need to make sure I tape the fourth the last episode of The Shield, yet another regime that is limping to its end.)

9-9:30 | Comedy Central | Clearly these boys are better when they write and prepare - Improv is not their strength. Disappointed, I keep flipping.

9:45 | NBC | Brian Williams has a reoccurring "Brokaw Country" comedy bit going here. I heard it slightly mentioned earlier, and didn't think it was notable, but now it is. Whenever they talk about a state that Brokaw either has or had owned real estate (i.e. Montana, Nebraska) Williams uses it as a segue to get Brokaw's opinion. My biggest laugh of the night occurs later on this network:
Chuck Todd references Brokaw's "Greatest Generation" books when declaring Obama the first post-boomer president slightly then says, "But Tom doesn't want a book plug-" and Brokaw quickly says, "Oh no, go ahead" and the whole NBC crew unsuccessfully hides their laughter. Brian Williams then, before asking Brokaw's opinion casually mentions that his book is available in paperback. Later, Ann Curry (possibly upset she's been banished to a green dungeon) thanks, "our best selling author" before guiding us through more glitzy exit polls.

10 pm | ALL NETWORKS | Obama projected the 44th President of the United States

I'm amazed by how closely this resembles sports coverage. Specifically at the conclusion of a Super Bowl / NCAA Championship / World Series.
Nobody speaks.
Only crowd reaction.
Cheers and hugs.
Panning shots of the masses.
Zooming closeups of collapsed supporters.

10:10 | B.E.T. | I think these shots of Jesse Jackson are the most awkward of the night. I first saw him on B.E.T. a few minutes before his tears were visible. It was odd to see him not being paid any attention to at all. He wasn't even in the front row of the frame. It was odd for me to see him portrayed that way, but I think he was okay with it. Maybe that's what made me feel awkward. I was expecting him to try to get some spotlight for himself. Shame on me for having this bad opinion and assumption of him. The Jesse Jackson I was watching on television at this moment was not a former Presidential candidate or a famously historic activist. Maybe he was just an American. However, I know he is also the father of a U.S. Congressman - wouldn't he want to be with his son watching his results?

10:15 | Fox News | I'm not sure why I ended up here. Maybe I felt like rubbing it in a little watching this network now. Maybe I thought they wouldn't even declare Obama the winner? But their slot machine of a graphics scheme had hit the jackpot for Barrack. They bring up Karl Rove and I have to admit I liked what I heard.
Now I was told earlier that Rove predicted a landslide Obama victory. I dismissed this as a self-serving opinion. Both because he'd look stupid if he kept up the false facade of the McCain camp and because he wants to point out how a campaign that didn't involve him easily lost.
I didn't write anything down what Rove said, and this morning I'm a little bit upset at myself. All I wrote was "very refreshing in defeat."

McCain concession speech
During his speech I can't stop the thought of, "What if he was able to get his dream 8 years ago? What if he had Obama's money to contend with the W. Bush warchest of 2000?" Couldn't somebody have prepped the crowd to not "boo" Obama's name? It makes you look like jerks, makes your network of supporters look like a giant bag of douche. Seriously, are they completely without class? McCain says, "good will and honest effort to come together" in his speech. We all know that fell on deaf ears, sadly.
-Hey, Palin is there!
Just a quick widening of the frame, and she's on stage too - totally didn't see that.
Todd Palin looks like he's going to run back to Alaska and re-up his efforts on Alaska Independence.

If that's Romney standing next to McCain - McCain is thanking his supporters for their help... in victory.

Final Note: Tavis Smiley on both MSNBC and NBC
I don't really like Smiley's PBS show, but maybe I need to give it another shot now.
He had the best comment/theory of the night - speaking of the "dividend" that Obama has now. A surplus of support so to speak.

How will Obama take advantage of this surplus in America?

The last time we had such a surplus, it was in the aftermath of September 11.
A surplus many think was wasted.

What will he ask us to do?
Will anyone try to stop him? Could anyone?
Possibly the only person to stop him could be himself?
His own worst enemy if the office changes him to an extent we can not foresee?

But I don't think that's likely.
This president has something reminding him of future consequences that hasn't been in the White House for some time:
Two young daughters.
Hopefully these young daughters will be a constant reminder of what this nation needs to do for a better future.
I emphasized "young" because I realize W. Bush had daughters - but they were older (or at least drinking like they were).

I guess we'll all have to stay tuned.