Invictus, Part Two.

Out of the night that covers me
Black as the pit from pole to pole
I thank whatever Gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell grip of circumstance, 
I have not winced nor cried aloud
Under the bludgeoning of chance
My head is bloody but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the horror of the Shade
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.

It matters not how straight the gate
How charged with punishment the scroll.
I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.
~Invictus.

What did I do this morning? I went and got my car fixed, then decided to go to the pet store to play with baby ferrets. Along the way, I passed an old friend who was walking...an older African American dude who doesn't drive...and gave him a ride to several places he needed to go. THEN I went to play with ferrets, the pet store got this pretty little Blaze Sprite, all in all, it was a productive morning.

I remembered that I wrote a Post, just short of two years ago, and I thought I'd write up a sequel, just because I've got to have something to do while the ferrets are out.

So yeah, Republicans lost their ass in the House last night, and this morning Trump is basically publicly shitting himself. But then, Mr. Big Talker has been publicly trash-talking Maxine Waters and Nancy Pelosi since he got into office and now they're going to have the power to subpoena whatever of his crap they damn well please. The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward "Don't leave your credit card bill with the bar tabs from that trip to Dubai and the porn-site subscriptions on it where the Accounting and H.R. ladies can find it." Oops. Also, don't talk shit about them, it'll be reflected in your Eval.

"Democrats put hope on the ballot" and Republicans put Barbed Wire, Caravans, Pipe Bombs, Racism and Synagogue Shootings on the ballot too. Ratcheting up the crazy and the racism seems to have been a mistake...but Trump is still at it this morning. Meanwhile, an awful lot of Democrats are deferring celebrating to get back to work, and frankly I don't blame them. Hell, I'm sitting here typing this.

While they're doing that, Trump appears to be busy castigating Republicans who lost. For example, Mia Love of Utah. Now, personally if I were a Republican at this point I'd be carefully noting that occurrence and realizing that nobody on my own side really gives a fuck about me. But hey, when you've lost Tea Party Joe Walsh it's probably time to just hang it up and go home, Donnie. But hey, what do I know?

I mean, it's good that Utah has a Democrat in its congressional delegation for the first time in decades, and all, but I think Trump's treatment of his own people here is just cruel. I don't feel particularly celebratory about that kind of crap. Were I still a Republican, stuff like that would have me eyeing the exits...just sayin.'

Meanwhile, speaking of putting hope on the ballot...this is the kind of stuff Democrats are filling my social media feeds with. My own state elected a Muslim woman to the House yesterday, and the people of Minnesota bumped Ilhan Omar  (who I took note of in the original post two years ago) up from State to Federal level, representing Keith Ellison's former district.

Meanwhile, the dreams and self-esteem of a couple of Muslim immigrant kids get a boost too. Seems like a win, overall, if you ask me.

Republicans overwhelmingly ran on hate, racism and xenophobia, and what did it get them? They lost the House and (including this lady) Michigan's congressional delegation looks a lot more, well, like Michigan does. This particular middle-aged white guy is just fine with that.

And then there was this, too, not only did Chris Kobach get his ass handed to him, leaving Kansas with a Democratic governor after years of Republican mismanagement...but Sharice Davids won. So yeah, I'm guessing with an amateur MMA fighter in the House, things might get sporty the next time some dumb ass like Don Young decides to pull a knife on somebody. And then there's the fact that she's Native, meaning that Congress looks yet more like the rest of America, and actually includes those of us who were here first...for a change. I live near, and work on, a Reservation. This is a Big Deal.

So yeah, hang in there, stay focused, and keep up the fight. We kicked their ass, and it's really just that damned simple. We have to stay on point and kick their ass again next time, too...and the next one, and the one after that...until these fucking people either give up on their bullshit or we end up with better Republicans. Since the latter is functionally impossible, I'm going to shoot for the former. We need to tell these people to go fuck themselves at every possible level at every opportunity and keep at it until the job is done. You voted, the people have spoken. Now get after it and keep the pressure on...and keep up the good work.

My roommate just let me know, a bit ago, that Trump has forced Jeff Sessions to resign. Things are going to get sporty, although I doubt very much that any of this will work out the way that Trump thinks it will.

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. ~Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.