What a depressing and estranging day. A fellow colleague says, "this is us - this is part of us..." but I have never been so acutely aware of how little I can relate to this. I feel like the deformed limb on someone else's body. I had this compulsion to shave off all of my hair and beard. I know - completely melodramatic - but I feel a little better. Scary, I pretty much look like a skin head... A few years ago a group of us shaved our heads in solidarity for a co-worker who found she had cancer - feel free to join me.

E.J. Dionne of the Washington Post spoke on the radio tonight about the use of gay marriage to mobilize evangelical voters. About how the president was playing around with the gay marriage issue in order to boost turnout in his base. Eleven states including battleground states of Oregon, Michigan and Ohio overwhelmingly passed amendments. I find it perverse to wonder if Republicans experienced high voter turnout because of a desire to ban gay marriage and that voting to re-elect Bush was a byproduct. In other news, a fall 2003 fundraising letter sent to Republicans, from Diebold CEO Walden O'Dell:"I am committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president." E-voting machine maker Diebold is based in North Canton, Ohio. I distinctly don't want to be a part of this, but where would I go? (http://harpers.org/ElectingToLeave.html)