Election Night Angst

I’m going to try to make this a quick post, since I still haven’t voted, and must get out of here on time so that I may do so. (And for those of you out there who haven’t made your voice heard, get off your butts now and cast that ballot!)

I don’t want to go off on a political diatribe, but all I can say is, "This man really graduated from Yale?" I hang my head in shame at the quality of education being offered by Ivy League universities.

Actually, I will be exceptionally happy when this election season is over, mainly because if I see one more political advertisement on TV, I’m going to lose my mind. The negative campaigning has been excessive this year, although I will admit one particular mudslinging ad had the exact opposite effect on me. It was supposed to show what a horrible evil liberal candidate A was, and the evidence they provided was that he supported causes I already believed in. I’d like to thank Candidate B for pointing that out. (And kudos to Candidate A for gracefully stating his response like a grownup.) Not that Candidate B was going to get my vote in the first place, but now that I know where everyone stands, I’ll go vote for Candidate A like the horrible evil liberal that I am.

And thus ends my political diatribe.

Well, the FDA seems to have it out for me today. First they pull all the cold and cough remedies with PPA off the market. Guess I should ditch that Robitussin in my medicine cabinet, huh? Then in the same breath they condemn ma huang. Bye bye Metabolife and Up Your Gas. (And of course, now I’m confused. I used to buy Up Your Gas under the counter at the health food store when ma huang was illegal in Ohio, but when I did a search for it on Google, I found a "ma huang free" version. Did they change the formula, or are there two different products?) And while I’m sorrowing over this news, I see a link for a finding that St. John’s wort decreases the efficacy of indinavir (an HIV protease inhibitor), as well as other medications used to treat heart disease, cancers, and organ transplant rejection. Not that I’m currently taking any of these medications, but how is it affecting the vitamin supplements I take? If I get a flu shot this year, will it negate that?

Sure, I see how it is. I find something that works for me, and suddenly there’s a risk that it could kill me. It’s just like the Seldane thing all over again. I’ve personally used these products for some time now, and I’ve not had a problem, but I guess nothing good can last for too long.

Good news on the music front for Moby fans (Roger Mexico, I’m looking in your direction). Play: The B Sides came out today. Haven’t heard it yet, but I’m sure it probably kicks butt. And on a somewhat related note, the new Fatboy Slim album also came out, and is supposed to be very house music based. Plus Bootsy Collins and Macy Gray guest on the album, and there’s a song that samples Jim Morrison. Whee! My Christmas list is getting longer and longer…

Enough. Must go be a good American and cast my vote, then attend a post-election gathering. If things go the way we want, it’s a celebration. If not, we’ll knock back a few consolation beers and start planning our defection to Canada.