I've come across some good links lately.  I'm posting them, so I can find them when I need them (and when I'm not on this laptop).

http://blogs.msdn.com/bclteam/archive/2004/11/19/267089.aspx (Arrays, ArrayLists, STL, and “Whidbey's” generics.

http://dotnetjunkies.com/WebLog/sriram/archive/2004/11/18/32707.aspx#FeedBack (Keep technology simple and it'll achieve wider adoption)

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=832017 (ports for various Windows applications / services)

I just saw The Incredibles.  It's a good flick.  It seems that Pixar wrote their own rendering software - Pixar Renderman - to produce it.  I noticed they gave props to Intel CPUs, but I didn't notice an OS.  At a Steve Jobs company, I'd guess X-Serve but that wouldn't run on Intel CPUs.  My next guess is Linux.  Perhaps I'll buy the DVD when it's out, so I can read all the movie credits.

I just finished bashing Rush for not understanding democracy or for understanding but being a poor citizen.  Since I'm guilty of this as well, let me explain my context.

Back in '92, a candidate I did not approve of was elected president.  For the next eight years, I continued to not approve of him.  It so happens that I listened to Rush back then (I've long since changed that behavior).  Four years ago, a candidate that I originally approved of (and voted for!) was elected president.  On September 11, 2001, I lost respect for him and have looked with intense scrutiny upon his actions ever since.

While arguing on AW about something during the 2002 election season, I said something along the lines of this - I don't agree with the practice (I don't remember now, offhand, what the practice was), but so long as it's legal, I defend any citizen the right to do it.  That was the beginning of codifying what democracy means to me.  We differ widely up until the time that we vote...then we all (winners and losers) agree to abide by the outcome.  I've not been too good about abiding by this doctrine, but it is one that I should live by and will work to live by.

To come a little cleaner, I should also add that it is not my place to judge other citizens.  I can judge for myself what it means to be a citizen, but I speak for myself only.  If Rush (or whoever) feels that president bashing is patriotic, then they should go do it.  I personally disagree and will abstain, but they have the right (by the first amendment) to do so.  For me to pass judgment, as I did in my previous comments, is to violate my own rule about respect.

I asked a few months ago what a true patriot should do to right the wrongs of his country.  I think the approach I was taking in that post was off base.  It's not an issue of venomous words or no words at all.  The “love the sinner, hate the sin” concept, I think, is the answer I'm looking for (and an answer that might be useful to those who supported a losing candidate on Tuesday).  In our case, I think we should go for something like “respect the sinner (or at least his office), hate the crime (rank injustice might be a better term here)”.

What do we do now?  We don't go around attacking Bush.  We go around obeying the law, defending others rights according to the law, and working our tails off to improve laws that need improving (even laws that Bush or others might think are perfect as is...Patriot Act comes to mind).  This last part might be opening the eyes of our neighbors to “how things really are”.  It might be opening our own eyes to how things really are (perhaps by going to the trouble of trying to understand where the other side is coming from rather than making personal attacks and cheap shots).  In short - be proactive and respectful rather than reactive and disrespectful.

That's my thought for now.  I'm a bit tired though, so I'll have to see if I agree with my reasoning in the morning.

In responding to yesterday's post, Mike called me on my conciliatory tone.  I don't think I represented myself too well before, so let me try again.  Everyone else can speak for himself.  I speak for myself alone.

I'm not a leftist.  I think that PC is largely a ridiculous idea.  I think the basis for it - having respect for people - is good, but it's implementation is often absurd.  I think that showing respect for a man who won the electoral and popular vote is a good idea - not leftist, rightist, or centrist, just good. 

This does not mean at all that I agree with his policies (I don't), his agenda (I don't), or his execution of them (I don't).  Still, as a citizen, I have a duty to uphold the office of the president.  I'm aiming to do that by getting more vocal about where I stand on things than I am now and by reducing my ad hominem slurs at those who have opposing points of view (including our president).  If I'm a true citizen, and not a hypocrite, then I should respect those with differing perspectives and approaches.  That's the ideal that I'm aiming for anyway.

Bush - 51% - 59,459,765 - 286

Kerry - 48% - 55,949,407 - 252

I've heard more than once in the last day that Bush's victory was a landslide.  Three percent over your opponent is not a landslide.  True, that's the popular vote.  I don't think that 13.5% of electoral votes over your opponent is a landslide either.  Comfortable margin?  Yes.  Landslide?  Hardly.  For a landslide, check out Reagan in '84 - 525 electoral votes to 13.  That's a landslide.

The noteworthy thing that I think should be said of Bush's victory is this - he captured the majority of the popular vote.  This is not something he did in 2000 (Gore was up more than 500,000 votes).  This is something Clinton barely did in '96 and couldn't do in '92.  I'm all for patting our newly and rightfully elected president on the back, but there's no need to make up numbers to buoy our celebration.

Check out a this sitesfor election returns from the very beginning - http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0781450.html

A few years ago, for some reason, I all but swore to never shop from amazon.com.  As time went on, they've won me over.  Mind you, I still compare prices on other sites - buy.com, samgoody.com, walmart.com - before buying, but amazon nearly always has the best deals.  Lately, I've been taken by swift shipping.  I went on a buying spree last Saturday evening (1 DVD, 1 CD, 1 air purifier, 3 replacement filters, 1 heat resistant spatula), chose the FREE Super Saver Shipping (e.g. the slowest option available), and got ready to wait a week or so for my stuff to arrive.  My order arrived yesterday and today.  Kudos to you, amazon, for getting me my stuff at a better price than your rivals and several days before I expected it.

Seems I'm not alone with the Bush related conciliatory tones.  Glad to hear that others are focusing on moving forward rather than dwelling on the past.  Of course, reports of record numbers of Americans looking for a new home in the North is good for a chuckle too.

Enough about politics...I've watched a few of the ASP.NET webcasts on http://www.aspnetwebcasts.com/ .  Yesterday, I received my copy of VB.NET and my book of choice.  Here's the deal - watch 3 webcasts (live or recorded), and get a free copy of VB.NET and one of a couple books on ASP.NET.  The offer runs through 30 Nov 2004.

Prior to my resolution to limit Bush bashing, I was directed to a left leaning blog - The Carpetbagger Report.  So far, I've enjoyed the read.  If you're not opposed to a presentation of leftist views coupled with jabs at the right, I recommend it.

It's really draining to be so emotionally, mentally, and politically invested in an election and have it not turn out as you'd like.  I think every candidate I voted for lost.  This doesn't come as much of a surprise, because I live in Utah and voted mostly for Democrats.  Oh well.

One thing really pleased me about the election - Kerry gracefully bowed out.  The election, he said, should be won by voters not by litigation.  Kudos to you, John!  In his concession speech, he said we need to heal the wounds of division.  I quite agree.  On that note, I resolve now to cut back (eliminate, if I can muster sufficient self-discipline) on my Bush bashing.

In case your privacy hasn't been invaded by campaigning phone calls to help you remember what day it is...don't forget to vote today.  (Today = Tuesday, November 2)