Well...

So it looks like we are going to do this thing. Socialism, I mean. For some reason, the average voter seems to think that a system that has never worked will work for sure this time. Who knows? Maybe it will. Given that I wash dishes for a living (and didn't vote), I probably should just shut up.

Not that there were any alternatives. McCain? I think I made my opinion of him pretty clear. Libertarian? Were they on the ballot?

Anyway, if Obama has his way, the federal government will be doing for banking, energy, and health care what they have done for NASA, who in eighteen months will be completely dependent on Russia to drag our sorry asses up to our own space station. (I realize that the real estate market is bad, but maybe we should just cut our losses and sell the place to the Chinese. We seem to have lost interest.)

And despair is still a sin.

Honestly, I don't expect to see much change for us at the macro level. For example, instead of spending hundreds a month on health care, we'll have "free" health care and hundreds more in taxes. The economy will continue to weaken, putting both of our jobs in serious jeopardy, and even if we somehow stay employed, our take home pay will continue to decline through higher taxes and inflation.

What will be different are the details: Who gets rich and who gets screwed. Really, just first part of that statement is correct. Who gets screwed will be the same people that have been getting screwed for the last half century; those who go to work every day, pay their bills on time, save money, and don't take out loans they have no intention or ability to pay back.

And despair is still a sin.

I'm going to go cheer myself up reading about black swans.

And watching the stock market "vote" on our new president.

[Update: The "vote" is in. Doesn't look good.]