Yuletide Cheer *snicker*

I wonder where I should start first: familial acrimony or Xmas shopping woes?

I think I'll go with the family. So we decide to eat on the road at Panera's and of course the conversations settles into: who are you going to vote for in the Primary? Thus the Republican identity crisis as shown in the microcosm of my family.

Let me show you the camps:

Me- Anti-government, Western Republican Libertarian - Ron Paul
Mom- Rockefeller Republican, Northeastern Moderately Liberal yet strong on security - Rudy Giuliani
Dad - GOP Partyline/muddled Neo-Con Revival - Mitt Romney

No one is impressed with anyone and everyone disagrees with everyone. No common ground at all and it turns into a free for all between the three of us shooting down each other's candidates: Paul- wacko/no will vote for him; Romney- flip-flopper and about as exciting as watching paint dry; Giuliani- family baggage, questionably conservative, and New Yorkers hate him. My Dad is in a funny state of thinking he is one thing politically, but not really knowing what he is. Sure he is a bastion of conservatism and a Republican stalwart but he despises the Religious Right and all those whack-job Evangelical preachers that show up on our TVs or in mega-churches. He tries to toe the Conservative line but aha! what is the conservative line nowadays? And so my dad is a ship lost at sea without a compass...we'll see what propaganda he latches onto eventually.

I like Ron Paul (though his foreign policy agenda is pretty bad) because we need a return to the roots of limited government, respect for individual rights, and economic freedom. Ron Paul is the only candidate in both parties who says he will deliver on all three (what candidate has come out against the Patriot Act, and the growing federal government size and budget deficit?) The Republicans need to get some sense knocked into them and turn back to the party of Barry Goldwater. Maybe if Republicans get defeated in 2008, it will purge this "Compassionate Conservatism" (fucking bullshit) and Religious Rightism from the party and get their heads back on straight. Also, I'm voting for Ron Paul, even though he is going to lose, because I need to vote my principles. If I don't, what kind of message does that send to people like Ron Paul who try to stand up for what is right? Besides, the General Election in November is when I can wring my hands and try to compromise and choose the least evil (haha that is going to be fun!)

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So now onto my Xmas shopping nightmares. My desktop, my child, my beautiful child, refuses to start up. I checked all the connections and did everything I could possibly think of, but it did nothing. So I brought it to Best Buy for them to solve. While I was trying to fix it, I had no extra parts to sub out on it, so I needed to give it in, because their diagnostic is cheaper than me randomly guessing what to buy or to buy stuff to sub out. This is a major blow for a guy who made his own computer with his bare hands and no help. The techies were looking in wonder at my computer while it was open on the table. I wonder what was running through their heads: wow, this is a beautiful piece of art put together; or damn, this thing is fucking old! (I built it sophomore year of high school!)

After I left Best Buy, I pulled out of the parking space in the Jeep and I hear this crash and I think "Great, I hit a car!" I looked in the mirrors and could see no cars or people, so it finally dawned on me it must have been a shopping cart some dirtbag left behind my car and didn't see because it was getting dark out (shortest day of the year!) I walked out and sure enough, there was the shopping cart lying on its side. Another car was waiting right nearby for my space, I wonder why he didn't warn me of the shopping cart. I picked up the shopping cart, and rather than placing it upright and moving it away, because it was too much effort and I was also pissed, I took it into my hands and threw it 10 feet into a snow pile and gave it, self-gratifyingly, "the birdy"; As I turned to get back in the Jeep, I saw that the waiting car had backed up 25 feet away! Haha! Road rage! I guess I scared him off...

Next, I went to an electronics store on Rt 20 that has good deals/prices to buy a RAM upgrade for my laptop. All the specs were right and the staff assured me I had the right RAM but I get home and it doesn't fit. I come back today and again they give me the wrong RAM!!! Luckily, I had the presence of mind to ask again while waiting, but they don't have it in stock. I guess I will have to spend more money at Best Buy for this then (what I was trying to avoid in the first place)

I made another stop but my lips are sealed as to what it was: let's say I got there too late and it was closed. Now I need to go on Monday. Hopefully it'll be ready soon...