Aquarius

I missed the first episode but caught this one. WTH is up with the low baking skills? I suck so much at baking that I no longer attempt it, but there's no way even I would mess up a Bundt cake as badly as some of these so-called champion level bakers. I know they're young, but imagine what the contestants in S1 and S2 could have baked for this challenge. I loved Maya's (?) pink and purple volcano. Completely unrealistic but really cute and it looked awesome when it was smoking. Aidan really annoys me. That sugar fire he did looked really cool, but I was thinking he would use it whole, maybe spewing from the top. I didn't like it so much all broken up and stuck in the cake. I guess the cake tasted really good though. Dylin and Cole annoy me too. Is I like Justice the best personality-wise, although I forget how his volcano was. And who was the girl who put the chocolate bits in the frosting to look like dirt? I liked her too and I thought hers looked the most like a volcano.

I had the really uncomfortable feeling that Hyacinth was making fun of Ree in the Prohibition Punch episode, and not in a nice way. There was just something so sly about those sidelong glances, like she was play acting very poorly at being impressed or interested, and doing it on purpose. So, Coke is the nectar of the gods in Osage county? I didn't catch when she showed the bottle and was too lazy to rewind. I thought it was Dr. Pepper from the label.

Giada's parties don't seem like they'd be fun to me. They seem like they'd be a chore. She's got everything drawn and planned out to the gnat's ass of detail . . . I'd be exhausted being a party guest; the expectations are just too high.

OMG! Hysterical! And no doubt true. Thanks for the laugh.

I thought a state gets another electoral vote when it qualifies for an additional Representative based on population. Is that no longer the case? There's many, many things that don't work the way they did, or arguably are "supposed to." For instance, the Presidency itself is not supposed to be the power center of the government the way it is today. A State is meant to have much more power than it does, making the "evening out" by the automatic three delegates important. The concept of a "person-vote" and all those being equal is a relatively modern notion, and certainly not the one that the federal government was based on. I get what you're saying about "second class status" of voters, but the system was designed so that Montana, Maine or Delaware - the states, not voters within - did not get second class status. Or, lower than second class status, as the very small states would be if they did not get an even start of delegates. The party system, the erosion of state power, the modernization of our view of the populace at large (an equal vote for every voter) - all of these things and more make the system archaic and probably ready for an adjustment. It's no longer working in the way it was intended. Especially now that we have "swing states" that are given more power and attention based on their electoral votes and voting habits. And yes, the electoral college is supposed to save us from ourselves if we fall for the crap handed to us by a demagogue. Another idea effectively killed by the party system, though.

What else can he do? As I see it, he really has no choice. He is actively trying to steer the ship, though - away from the Republican gerrymandering that has given us an almost guaranteed permanent Republican majority in the House. I think he has 2020 more in his sights than today.

It was meant to balance the power each state has. Every state has 3 no matter how small, and then the additional ones are based on population. So that the smallest states had a voice in the selection of president. The federal government a representative democracy based on the states.

This is exactly where I am. It's beyond the politics of the winner. I feel like we've lost something very important. Regarding the comments about the working class and buyer's remorse, this reminds me very much about when our now nationally jokeworthy governor Chris Christie was elected. Part of his platform was cutting public education. He was very explicit about it, left no doubt what he intended to do, said things like we have more education in this state than we can afford. And one thing you can say about him, he did try to keep a majority of his campaign promises. One of the first things he did was go after public education. My sister-in-law, who voted for the man, was absolutely horrified when the teacher's aide in her daughter's class was let go. Aghast! How could this be, the kids loved him, her daughter was heartbroken, blah blah blah! When I pointed out that Christie was always very consistent about cutting public education, and she must have known that when she voted for him. I asked how she could have thought that a teacher's aide was safe when education was going to be cut. They're usually the first to go. Her answer? "He said he was going to cut waste. This teacher isn't waste! The kids love him!" Ooookay. It's always someone else's school or library or pension or wage or benefit or whatever that's "waste." Never your own. I think that's how a lot of people look at it. It's the other guy that's going to get hurt, not me. My sister-in-law knew full well Christie was going to gut education, and she voted for him anyway, because it couldn't happen in her town. Her teacher's aide wasn't a "waste."

Yes, because "PC" has been officially abolished throughout the land! Woo-hoo!! :-(

This is genius, pure genius.

I did the same. My husband (who is generally a worrywart) started to get nervous, and I kept saying to him, "Two words. Sarah Palin." I was so, so wrong. Although, did anyone ever ask Donald Trump what newspapers he read? And if not, why the hell not? The answer would have been similarly enlightening, I'm sure.

Yes. As another poster said upthread, I've been avoiding all humans save my husband. I had to go into the office yesterday, and I actively avoided engaging in conversations. I really only had one that was not business-related, with the nice man in the cafeteria who makes my Thursday AM omelette. Him: And how are you doing today? Me: I've been better. Him: Sorry to hear that. Last we talked you had that cold. Me: Oh, yeah. Thanks for asking. Physically I'm much better. Emotionally, not so much. Him: I hear that. I hear that. That's all we'll say. It made me feel better, even if we were talking in code. No one else brought up the election (even in code), but I had decided if they did I was going to just outright say I wasn't going to talk about it.

It occurs to me. Those who bitch and moan so heartily against "New York elites" just helped elect one of the most recognizable. Who has mentioned appointing another one of the most recognizable as Attorney General. Those who voted for change and the outsider will be getting back the likes of Newt Gingrich. The irony! It burns! As for me personally, I cannot keep hate in my heart because it diminishes me. I cannot sustain anger because it drains me. No way will I play any fake unity game, though. In these days of my blackout on televised news, I've come to realize how much toxicity has crept into my life because of impotent, passive partisan politics. Sorry, Chris Hayes, you will always be my television husband, but I gotta stay away until I manage to combine watching with doing. Rachel, righteous indignation goes down real easy between 9 and 10 PM, but like any unchecked indulgence, there is such a thing as too much. Lawrence, you keep on keeping on but I won't be back until have managed to do something beyond being appalled. Chris Matthews, you can just disappear. Like others on this thread, I am dreading the upcoming holidays. Not because of any Trump supporters in my family, though. It is because of my father, who was a Hillary supporter. But he is the epitome of impotent rage (has always been, not just with politics). He believes being active is watching commentary on television and yelling back. This is a man who has been railing against Trump since the "Prince of New York" days, who has been railing against Republicans since Reagan broke the air traffic controller strike, who has been railing against Democrats (since he became one shortly after Reagan's action) for not being "tough" enough, who has been railing that Obama should "give it back to them!!" since the man was elected and considers that presidency a failure because he didn't . . . ugh . . . I don't necessarily disagree with any of it (except the Obama part), but I am just not in a place right now where I can deal with all that useless, actionless, indulgent, righteous anger. I just can't. I think the current state of affairs is because this is what so many people do - pick a side and then just sit back and bitch. About the other side, about their side, about all of "them." As if our government isn't ours. As if this process isn't ours. As if there is nothing people can do other than bitch and moan and complain and then shrug and say "What can you do?" Like the political system is the weather. I don't know what I can do at this point. But I know what I cannot do. I cannot sit back and complain and moan and get angry and give away my power. If I chose to sit back, I'll sit back and not complain. I've decided that I'm not entitled to anger unless I do something with it. I can't blame others for what I haven't done myself. I'm still so disgusted, and stunned, and yes, angry . . . but I am also very frustrated with all the armchair quarterbacks out there, including myself.

So sorry about the trees. I don't know about squirrels, but birds only use nests for laying eggs and raising babies. They sleep roosted on a branch, on one foot. They'll find a place to sleep tonight. :-)

Yes, and no doubt Obama as well. They're Republicans; it's what they do. I think this is absolutely correct. What's been driving me crazy about the result is not the party affiliation of the winner. It's how completely devoid of content his entire campaign was. No real plans, no real solutions. Just constantly restating the "problems" (immigration, jobs, terrorism, the ACA) and saying "I'll fix it. Trust me. I know how to do this." Any specifics were ridiculous to the point of being unbelievable. Stop immigration with a wall. Ban/extreme vet all Muslims coming into the country to end terrorism. Tell China to stop raping us. Concerning prosperity, he made meaningless claims like we'll have so much prosperity we'll be begging him to make it stop already! Hyperbole to the extreme. But in the repetition these empty claims somehow became fact. He said he knew how to do it so many times he was never asked to demonstrate that he could. He said we could trust him so many times he became trustworthy. Like an infomercial where they show you a flimsy piece of plastic pulling a pickup truck so many times that you believe that it can, despite having a better than basic understanding of tensile strength. Then he wrapped it all up with "HURRY! THIS INCREDIBLE DEAL WON'T LAST!" The thing is, I'm not so sure he even understands that he pulled a huge con. I think he has a habit of oversimplification and a sense of grandiosity that makes him think HE would be able to deliver what others couldn't. When in reality, he's no more qualified than Uncle Henry, who shouts similar sentiments about how to fix the country's problems at the television every night.

I dunno. The thread is called the Election Anxiety Support Thread. We're still here posting after results. Ya think this might be people not happy with the Trump victory? Or did ya think you might find people celebrating? Serious answer. p.s. You might also consider leaving the "liberalism" label at the door. There's discussion going on here that goes far beyond labels.

Thank you for that reminder. I will try to keep that in mind.

Yes, this is exactly where I am too. And I'm not sure where to go with it.

I am also ashamed to be a white woman. I'm ashamed to be white, actually. I live in a very red area of NJ, traditionally white and rural. The demographics are changing around here, and with that, racially-tinged hatred has been on the rise. Being white and surrounded by whites, everyone assumes I feel the same way, so I hear things. I hear really awful things. Sometimes from friends. Sometimes from family. My town forum is a hotbed of unapologetic racism; some of the things I read my neighbors spouting take my breath away. All of this is upsetting and infuriating but it is the reality around here. And yet, of course, racism does not exist. I don't know why, really, but I always sort of thought it was just a vocal minority and not indicative of whites in general. Maybe because of what I watch and read, which gives me hope. When I heard Trump start to veer in a racially-charged direction, I thought, okay, some will go for it. But not most of us. If he was a more qualified candidate, sure, because I'm not naive enough to think those things are non-starters with the average white voter. If he was more of a likable person, even. But to be what he is . . . which has been on display for years . . . no way will most white people go for this. Then to see those demographics. I have no words. I guess I had no business believing the the majority of us are above that. It's so upsetting. This is a lot of disappointment for me to process, on a lot of levels. But I can't descend into despair and self-hatred. Or really any kind of hatred. Tonight I'm going to treat myself well. I'm going to the library after work to get a good book, and I'm going to take a Jacuzzi and sip some wine. Politically things won't be better or look better but at least I don't have suffer with this personal angst and crushing hopelessness. That at least is within my control.

I'm on a televised news blackout. I just can't.

Yes, this is the thing exactly. I'm sad for the loss, because there goes the legacy of the last eight years. And that's hard enough. But what's wrenching my gut is how horrible this candidate is, how incredibly unqualified and a horrible person besides. It's disgusting and terrifying and I really feel like this country has gone over a cliff. It's like waking up in a world where the laws of gravity no longer apply.

This really is heartbreaking, that this is what is following Obama. McCain couldn't win Pennsylvania. Romney couldn't win Pennsylvania. TRUMP won Pennsylvania. I didn't want either McCain or Romney to win based on politics, but they are both stable, sane and qualified. They had ideas and, you know, plans. Trump tells PA he's bringing back the jobs, he knows how to do it, trust me, it'll be great. "Trust me" is his plan. "It's gonna be great" is his idea. And he wins Pennsylvania. I just can't believe this is real. A lot of people say that the election was lost for McCain after he picked Sarah Palin as a running mate. How does an idiotic running mate lose an election, yet an idiot at the TOP of the ticket wins? Does being male somehow make the idiocy okay? Last night I couldn't cry, I was so stunned. Today the tears have started. I'm glad today is a work from home day for me. I think I would have had to call out of work if I needed to face anyone.

I just can't believe this. I keep thinking it must be a nightmare or a mistake. I honestly did not think this was possible.

Please be right.

Virginia. That's my problem. Virginia.