Election Day Blues.

I voted in anger today. And I'm not necessarily proud of it.

The day started out great. Met Bob and the Brott for lunch at the Steak Buffet and promptly O.D.'d on some medium to mostly well charred, and chicken-fried protein. Plus pie. Bonus! And lunch was on Bob, which made it even better. Thanks, buddy.

Then, since it was getting towards the middle of the month, off to the Post Office I went to pick up some one-cent stamps so I could get some terminal bills in the mail. Turns out half the population of Grand Island had the same idea. Had to park across the street at Nathan Detroit's. That'd never happened to me before. Long, long line but an amazingly short wait considering. Home. Pen. Dead Pen. New pen. Checks. Cable. Utilities. Insurance. Mortgage. Licking. Stamp. Stamp x five. And all the while something was really bugging me, and worming around in my brain:

A cartoon. Editorial toon to be precise, that was published in the paper I work for by a syndicated tooner who I won't bother to name -- he doesn't deserve it -- but whose content needled my normally docile mood into a churlish anti-red. See, this [expletive deleted] with a pen is a political hack, wonk, whack-job for a certain political party that'd rather be dead than blue.

Good lord, but the state of politics in this country is an embarrassment and teetering toward a god-damned disgrace. This "us" against "them" crap has got to stop. And this inking asshat is only exacerbating the problem.

As a rule, I do not vote strictly along party lines as this idiot encourages everyone to do -- or the boogey-man'll get you. Please. Grow the !!@#%*!! up. What is this, high school?!?

I try, I honestly try to make an informed decision and vote for who I feel is the best qualified regardless of affiliation.

But not today.

Today I lost it and went on a personal crusade to give this guy the finger, and sadly, probably will again in November.

Because honestly, in the words of one Ronald Reagan, take a look around at this great country of ours -- take your time, I've got plenty -- and then ask yourself and those around you -- Are you better off now than you were eight years ago?

Noodle that one for awhile, jerk.