Greetings and welcome!  

Before you go any farther, you have to completely memorize the following then stand up and shout it at the top of your lungs.

WYFP is our community's Saturday evening gathering to talk about our problems, empathize with one another, and share advice, pootie pictures, favorite adult beverages, and anything else that we think might help. Everyone and all sorts of troubles are welcome. May we find peace and healing here. Won't you please share the joy of WYFP by recommending?

Go on.  We'll wait.  

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Okay then, on to this week's ridiculous offering, brought to you by annoyingly pervasive contentment and general ennui. (Also committed: the offense of last minute, minimal editing because the diarist is a procrastinating piece of cud.):

First the yadda, yadda, yadda:

WYFP is our community's Saturday evening gathering to talk about our problems, empathize with one another, and share advice, pootie pictures, favorite adult beverages, and anything else that we think might help. Everyone and all sorts of troubles are welcome. May we find peace and healing here. Won't you please share the joy of WYFP by recommending?

Now, the breathtaking prose, life-changing observations and reality-altering analysis.  Or whatever.

Since I’m sick of (__________(adj)) diaries about (_____________noun/pl noun)),  I’ve created the following for all of you who are "leaving, dammit!  Did you hear me?!? LEAVING!" over recent events.  I hope this makes it easier for you:

Welcome to Damn, I Did Something! - the place where we all get to sound off about our many and varied accomplishments for the week.  Publish a book?  Win a trip for two?  Finally clean out your glovebox?  Manage to get through the morning on one cup of coffee?  Let us hear it!  We’ll cheer the large and the small.  We've even been known to nod respectfully in the direction of those who’ve managed to do nothing at all, so if this is the week that you chose to actively and effectively embrace your inner ennui, do tell.

OMG! Is it Tuesday afternoon already?  When I volunteered for this last week, today was eons away.  Now, here I sit at 1:45.  But I do have something to report for DIDS:  I took on a 5-month-old.  Yes, indeed, a baby.

Hi, everyone, and welcome.

First, I gotta confess to you that this week's episode of WYFP? has two preliminary FPs:

1. My right wrist is in a cast.  That's my excuse for the typos you will find from me in the comments.

2.  In all of my time here at Dkos, I have been unable to use the word "pootie" (meaning "cat").  It makes me feel unbearably silly.  That’s because my best friend’s mom always said, "Do you have to go pootie?"  Thus, I am unable to "poot" when it comes to cats.  So I will rely on "cat" or "kitty" but I want you all to feel free to "pootie" around all you want in the comments.  In the "cat" sense, of course.  Now, for the usual announcement (a la CJB):

because I'm not going to give you any names.  I'm not going to give you dates or places or unit numbers.  I'm not going to give you a single link.  But someone has died.  He died in Iraq.  A single, non-combat death.  And, although I didn't know him, I know all of the above about him.  And I know that the person that saw him die is another Marine.  And I know that the Marine who saw him die is engaged to our niece.

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They want to know what we hate?  They want to know how much loathing we carry in our hearts?  Fine!  I'm here to make them happy.  Following is my hate list:

Dear Vice President Gore,

For weeks now, I have had it in my mind and in my heart to encourage you to join the race for President of the United States.  Our country needs your experience and your outlook, and I would do whatever I could to help you become the "leader of the free world."  I want nothing more than to hear or read the words "Al Gore Declares Bid!"  

Those are the things that I wanted to say.
 
Then I went on a trip.

I'll delete if one goes up on the front page. But I don't see one a'comin'!

Love to y'all from portland!

It’s a good day here in Oregon.  The sun is out (momentarily), the coffee is fresh and I just got an email, the text of which you can find here, telling Oregonians that formerly Independant Senator Ben Westlund has changed his Party affiliation from Independant to Democrat.

Good news, eh?  It's actually even better news when you stop to remember that Westlund started out as a Republican, switching to Independant for his (failed) run at the governor's office.  The following blocks are from his email.

I knew in my heart when I left the Republican Party last February that they were taking us in the wrong direction, both in the state and nationally. The November election confirmed that belief as Oregonians and Americans also rejected their brand of leadership.

Keep readin', if you like.

Update: Okay, my html skills SUCK, I know that. It looks like Nebraska is going down hard. But Esch's numbers are damned slow coming in. We'll see. Boyda's the winner for KS-02! Lift a glass for Nancy! Update: we're having trouble getting complete information on Trauner's race (complete with # of votes) I'll go through the thread now and see if any of you are doing better. Thanks for your patience! <> Well, friends, here we go. I will be updating the tables approximately every 10 minutes after returns are available. I've listed the local grabs below.  This diary covers the following elections: NE-01, NE-02, NE-03, KS-2 and WY-AL.

To see more liveblogging diaries, see The Liveblogging Mothership.

NE-01 - 90% reporting
Maxine Moul (D)	77,503 votes	42%
Jeff Fortenberry (R)	108,757 votes	58%

NE-02 - 38% reporting
Jim Esch (D)	35,994 votes	45 %
Lee Terry (R)	42,463 votes	55%

More fun below.

46 is the new black, baby.

Wanna know what I want for my birthday?  Cuz I'll tell ya.  

Tonight, by a vote of 4 to 1, the Portland, Oregon city council decided to opt out of the FBI Joint Task Force.  This may not be big news to too many people, but it's gonna raise holy hell here.

Thanks for dropping in!  Take a load off and relax for a few minutes before you elbow your way back out onto the home page madness.  You want some coffee while we chat?  Sugar's over there.  Sorry I'm outta cream. You all settled?  Okay, here's the deal. I'm hashing over a situation that has me sorta stymied.  Wierdly enough (at least for me), it has to do with baseball. Little League to be exact. And prayer.

My very first diary and I didn't even write it.  My sister did.  Last week she received a fund raising letter from Nancy Pelosi.  With the request for funds was a survey.  My sister was so mad at the transparency of the I-sent-this-to-make-you-think-that-your-opinion-matters ploy, and at the questions themselves, that she dissected the survey and responded with the following.  You may not agree with everything, but, DANG, she does outrage well.

(A bit of info:  When you get to the foreign policy section, keep in mind that my sister is married to Brahim the Mad Moroccan, much beloved by all.  It might help explain her I/P views.  Please, don't let this drag us all into yet another shoutfest.  A moment of silence here for all those around the globe who are living in fear and/or persecution.)

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GONG!!!  And CJB's sister comes out swinging!

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