a very brief note on electoral politics

I do think that the "mainstream media" is neglecting the generational angle on the Obama/Clinton race, in favor of the more obvious factors. I don't know if this is deliberate or accidental blindness, and I certainly do see it discussed, more and more, in "alternative media" sources, so don't get to thinking that I've got a bee in my bonnet about it or anything. I just find it interesting.

It's weird, though, to be considered a "young voter" in this scheme. ("Young" by virtue of not being a Baby Boomer, see.)

I am afraid of bees

It's true. I will happily relocate spiders and other bugs with unshakable calm. Lizards, snakes, frogs, all fine. (Who could be afraid of a frog?) But I will lock myself in a secure room rather than face a bee or a wasp.

So last night, trying to water the plants and get the mail from the porch while two wasps and a bee visited my violets and spearmint was...a challenge.

I'm afraid of rodents, too. Mice and squirrels especially. That's a good reason to have cats. (I can tolerate tame rats. And guinea pigs are harmless. Other pet rodents I still tend to mistrust. Suffering a savage hamster bite at a young age may not help in this regard.)

My biggest fear, though, involves dogs. Not all dogs. Only unsupervised dogs. Dogs without their people. Also, I have come to recognize dog body language and friendly dogginess, and I am not scared by that so much any more.

I was afraid of dogs before I was attacked by one. In fact, I was afraid more before I was attacked. Then, a dog that I passed every day on my commute to work broke out of its basement and rushed me on the sidewalk. I had only a second or two to react. So I screamed in its face -- and it ran away. That was pretty cool. Even if I did have to sit down at work and shake for a half hour afterwards.