Top 5 methods of dealing with political disillusionment and frustration

Might be the first time I've rec'd one of yours, and I do so without reservation.

Love is even stronger than death: http://youtube.com/watch?v=A2RtUv_PgGA

Love is stronger than fear. There are only love and fear and only love is real.

Fear not real?

sigh

Try telling that to the parents of children who don't feel pain

Nice. The five stages of grief (just about.)

I am reaching acceptance, but I might have to go back to the ice-cream here and there ;D

You know there has to be some vintage Alanis Morrissette in that angry iPod, right?

I confess, YOU OUGHTA KNOW, you are right :)

Thanks for the rec :) Glad to know a red sox fan and a yankee fan can agree on something!

dijamo. Absolutely brilliant. Thanks.

This is how and what we all need to communicate. It's realistic, thoughtful, valid and humorous too!

Wow! Fabulous post.

Just as it does in your avatar, your intelligence and beauty explodes in your writing (despite the fact I can't understand the Hillary-thing.)

Great work.

Rec'ing the posts of people you spent primary season vehemently disagreeing with?! Unheard of!

Behold the power of Unity Pony!

Great post. And there's never a wrong time for a little Haagen Daz!

Something I tell myself when perfectionism threatens to paralyze me in my personal life is, "it doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be done."

The goal is defeat McCain and get our country back. We'll never get it perfect, but we will get it done.

Thanks for a good, solid reality check.

PRICELESS!!!

McCain't! You got that right, Dijamo. (The three pillars of centeredness- hardcore tunes followed by ballads, kickboxing and ice cream...)

What happened to drinking heavily?

No worries, friend.

Got that covered!

Phoebe Fay's is still the best avatar on TPM.

Great post, Dijamo.

Voltaire wrote "the perfect is the enemy of the good," a wonderful maxim to keep in your pocket if you work in politics or community organizing. Yes, there are people who, when a politician they have supported disappoints them, will stand in their perfect pool of purity and howl in outrage and declare that they will never again support that politician. Yet that attitude only serves to empower the people even more opposed to their own values.

Sabotage by the Beasties is notable, too

er, and American Idiot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5mjN32G1iI

and Eminem is always good for a little rage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOLMVQa0KD8

1 and 2 shouldn't really be separate, should they? They don't strike me as either/or alternatives. Oh, you can do 2 and not do 1, but if you do 1, you'd better plan on doing 2.

"Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien." - Voltaire

And while I'm quoting Voltaire:

"I am very fond of truth, but not at all of martyrdom."

Apropos, perhaps, considering Obama's recent FISA statement?

Hah! Didn't notice that you'd already posted the quote. So we agree then? :o)

Hey dijamo - I'm glad you're still around and I'm doubly glad to have you on our side cause you are a fierce fighter and I admire that tremendously.

You go girl.

Seconded.

She speaks American and you speak French. How could you ever agree?

Hey, what's up with this talking FRENCH?!

Here in America, we expect you to talk FREEDOM!

Thanks Aubie, but I think the bunnycat's got me beat.

Not to stomp on your flowers, but love won't fight fear. Fear beats everything. Fear is what drives survival -- fear, hunger and lust. Nasty beasts we are.

Love also helps -- better yet, make that empathy. You just can't bare to see someone go through shit. But if at the same time you see someone aiming a gun at you, you tend to think of your survival first. And your family, friends...

I just get agitated when I hear flower-power stuff tied to politics (not dismissing it in other contexts). It's why our side has such a hard time winning. Too busy visualizing peace and shit, not busy enough actually fighting for it.

Let me add the most important ingredient in human survival -- logic. Logic beats fear.

Spock out.

Thanks for the pep talk, dijamo.

Rage Against the Machine is an excellent choice. Has helped me work through anger during the last 7 years.

For a mood uplift and return to hope, I like some of the old Earth Wind & Fire (1975 was a great year for them) hits like "That's the Way of the World," "Shining Star," and "Sing a Song."

I just want to add a song to the angry/redemptive list: This Year by the Mountain Goats (it's on iTunes).

Chorus: I am gonna make it through this year if it kills me.

So true.

Don't forget "My favorite Mutiney" by Boots Riley (The Coup).

Rage on.

Thirded. (is that a word?) =)

I love the Coup.

Do you know their song Laugh/Love/F***?

"and make the damn revolution come quicker..."

F-yeah.

Hey look - a thread where we're not getting spanked.

Bad tiger.

It is if you want it to be.

Fourthed.

Great post as always, dijamo, but I'm looking forward to it dropping off the Recommended List so I can stop thinking about ice cream. Ate plenty of it myself over the last 6 months, and it really does work.

So I'm gonna go ride my bike now. ;-)

Thanks to all for the welcome :) I'm sure we'll continue to have our little spats on various issues, but it's nice to be on the same team!

And in lieu of an Obama beer to toast to being on the same team, might I suggest a donation to WWW.HILLARYCLINTON.COM :) :) :)

In the spirit of unity I just wanted to give you a heads up... They eat rabbit in France, don't they? Mon Dieu!

Ah, but do they eat cats? That is the question. Chat au vin blanc, chat au gratin, that sort of stuff...

We Can't Make It Here Anymore - by James Mcmurtry is a good one : )

dijamo--love your post as I love everything you write. fleur de sel kicks ass--I make a cone with that and the new Ben & Jerry's Cake Batter, which I highly recommend.

as someone said above, "McCain't!" I'm a Hillary girl too but I'm a loyal Democrat and I'm glad we are all starting to come together.

Yes, but on the menu it says "poulet."

Ain't no way to it but through it. Well said.

Here's what Google can do for you when searching for "poulet" (NSFW!): http://membres.lycos.fr/bs2bs/images/poulet.jpg

Getting laid also helps. Tata!

Very well said. Let's keep the big picture in mind.

John McCain Opposed Expanded GI Bill

!Nuff said.
Now comes the heavy lifting
Time to turn this world around.