This morning I am heading to the office since Robin is working from home and I get nothing done when I have to share the apartment during the workday. And what was special about this morning is that I could go right to the office. No books to study (I am waiting for the CISSP results), no papers to read. Just a nice and chill 15 minute ride. This is going to be a decent day I think.

Well, I just finished my exam about 30 minutes ago. My initial reaction is thatthe exam is not as difficult as I thought. I am not sure if I passed, but if I have failed, I know what domains to focus on for the next time. we will see.

For now, off to Göteborg to get a day of rest…it’s been a crazy week.

I have a computer security exam tommorow called the CISSP. and I am not prepared. At all. On the plus side, I am 2 courses away from being an Advisory Project Manager. Yay me.

Hey All,

First off, I know….me too.

Nothing can describe how scared I am for our futures as Americans. Nothing can describe the rage and disappointment I feel towards those Americans who were cowed by fear, believed the deceit and lies of this Bush II Administration. I have openly wondered whether I can return to an America that hates so many things about who I am and would seek to oppress them into law, the constitution, and onto the courts for a lifetime.

But I can be proud that democracy worked in America, even though I disagree with what a small majority of my fellow Americans said. I can be sadnessed by a loss, but proud of the fight. And that we have the right and responsibility to fight another day — and to fight harder and with even more resolve than the day before.

It’s been 36 hours of self-reflection. It’s been 36 hours of deciding whether I care anymore. It’s been 36 hours of deciding whether I would even want to identify myself as an American to all I know. It’s been 36 hours since I removed the American flag hanging in my apartment.

But I will put that flag back up.
I will still identify as an American — as one working for change
I still do care — now more than ever.

We lost. And it hurts now more than ever. The challenge now is to focus on the future. Now is the time to rise even further.

We have 2 years to lay the base for success in Congress and in governorships and state legislatures. We have 2 years to make the case to America that they need to take a more open view and more honest assessment of what is happening in America and in the world around us. We have 2 years to educate America about perception — not about our perception of the world — but on how the world percieves us. And in the meantime, we must carefully straddle the line between not appearing to be obstructionists, but by clearly defining a new strategy and new way of being that helps Americans see more clearly that Democrats and the brand of Democracy we offer should be the one of choice.

Even if we cannot hear America singing loudly, they cannot muffle her song. She’ll sing loudly again one day.

I read this poem everytime I suffer a setback. I’ll share it with you all here.

Still I Rise – Dr. Maya Angelou

I Cannot Hear America Singing

Freedom marches and Equality Hymns banned from performance halls,
Those of women, each one singing their choice, denied by fundamentalism,
The gay American singing his, silenced by hate
The poor American singing theirs, gagged by the rich,
The black American singing hers, muffled by history,
Each aching to sing their hopes and dreams, nothing imposed on others,
All longing to sing their strong melodious songs,
shut out this day by fear,
I cannot hear America singing
she has gone silent

Goodbye equal rights
Goodbye Choice
Goodbye fiscal responsibility
Goodbye Respect
Goodbye safety

Goodbye America
I do not know you anymore

It’s 07.05 CET in Stockholm, and I am ready to call this election.

I forecast Bush will get 274 Electoral Votes — 4 more than he needs to win the White House for another 4 years. This is because Bush won Florida, Ohio, and will likely win New Mexico and Alaska late into the evening. Making it statistically impossible for Kerry to get more than 260 Electoral Votes — even if all of the other states vote for him as projected.

This is shitty news. Sad news really. If you thought that the first four years were shitty — baby, you ain’t seen nothing yet! This will be the term when justices retire, the courts become more conservative, and the expansion of the US Patriot Act and other laws which limit personal freedoms ramp up into high gear.

Ladies and Gentlemen, get the Crisco…we are fucked!

OK, so today is the day! No more screwing around! It is time to go to the polls and vote for Kerry. Even if you are in one of those “locked” states where everyone is predicting that the vote will come out for one candidate over another. Go and vote anyway! Exercise your constitution right to almost be heard (it is a participatory democratic republic after all).

Most importantly, I hope that if you are able to vote that you will vote for Kerry. Really, 4 years of a Bush Administration increased the rates of the uninsured, started an unjustifiable war, has openly declared hostile actions on the environment and those of us of lesser means (not necessarirly at the exponse of the rich which I know is Kerry’s favourite “whipping group”).

You wouldn’t stand 4 years of declining prosperity if it were your household, don’t accept it anymore under Bush.

Don’t accept that the world is either good or evil — the world is strangely more complex.

Don’t accept that a vote for Kerry will make America less secure — we aren’t really much more secure today then we were on Septmeber 10th — we just now have a color-coded system to tell us how worried we should be and we have a registration system upon entering the country that determined crimimals with records, but not terrorists without.

Don’t accept that we can’t do more for the environment — short-term profits today at the expense of environmental security tomorrow is perilous for the children.

Don’t accept that a vote for Kerry is a vote for Evil — even if your church gives you pamphlets and literature suggesting such. Both men (along with the overwhelming majority of us) already have concorde class tickets to Hell. Really. The ride might be a little friendier with Kerry as the pilot.

Don’t assume the rest of the world doesn’t understand our position just because they don’t agree with it — they do understand. They just think we are wrong. And a lot of follow Americans agree that we are wrong in our course of action and foreign policy behaviour.

You CAN BE A PATRIOT and be critical! It’s OK, despite warnings by Bush and Cheney that anything less than totally alliegence to the Church of Dubya makes you a tratior giving aid and comfort to the enemy.

OK, so I am a Kerry fan. Admittedly. And if Kerry loses, I will do everything in my power to extend my assignment outside of the US.

We have an unique opportunity to change things. Not for the better (it will take at least a decade to reverse the damage of four years of Bush), but at least in a better direction.

Let’s not waste it!

So I have exercised my constitutional right today and I have voted my absentee ballot. Of course I am really happy to have voted because I think it is important to vote. I realise that coming from Massachusetts, it is clearly “Kerry Country”, but I don’t want to take any chances.

But then I also realised all of the things that can go wrong with my ballot. It could be tampered with, misplaced, or discarded….whether those things are intentional or not is another matter. But you’ve gotta have a little faith I suppose 🙂

Let’s hope for the love of all that is good in the world that Kerry makes it past Bush on U.S. Election Day

This article from the NYT says it about as well as I can….perhaps even better.

I’m voting for Kerry. Hopefully enough of America will do the same…

Today I felt like making an update. Just because. Life has been fairly busy, but I do need to update more often. I am glad that this week is over, because it has been difficult. I also realized that I am spending too much money and have to save a bit more. It’s not dire at all, bt I do need to build up a bit of a reserve.

Anyway, I will provide a fuller update later. Now I want to catch up on other journals. Ciao everyone! 😉