Last night, I was asked by a reporter what I thought the lessons from the Virginia gubernatorial election would be for Democrats and Republicans.

Since this is the topic of the day, I figured I'd post a little something on this point here (largely repeating what I sent said reporter), so people know where I stand on it, as an observer of the race and a Virginia voter. For a lot of you, this is unlikely to make for pleasant reading. But it is my honest, and unvarnished, opinion, for whatever it is worth.

First, I fear the lessons that should be taken away from the election are not those that will be taken away by the parties. This is a stinging defeat for Republicans, and a lot of us are going to be licking our wounds today and trying to find some way of making it hurt less. Usually, that involves making excuses that should not be made. By the same token, a lot of Democrats are over-jubiliant about the result. This is fine with me, as they will take away "lessons" from what happened that are, in fact, wrong. This gives Republicans something to exploit. I hope we do.

But for now, here are the lessons I think should be taken away from what happened, in no particular order of priority. [intro]...

It's Father's Day, and to mark the occasion, I'm posting another list-- this time of things I learned from my Dad.

Unfortunately, my Father died when I was 21, so he's not around to see what I think he taught me. But in any event, here's the best, funniest, and most useful of those various lessons.

Thanks, Dad. I miss you every day.

1. It’s better to be smart and compassionate than to be super-smart and lack compassion.

2. It’s always an appropriate time to eat olives.

3. Maintain a sense of humor, even when it seems impossible.

4. The critics are wrong. Ishtar is a great film.

5. Being tight-fisted with money is a virtue. Be cheap and save.

6. A flat tax is a good policy idea.

(My Dad preferred Jerry Brown over Bill Clinton in 1992, in large part because he liked the flat tax proposal)....

In honor of Mother's Day, here are 25 things I learned from my Mother. Mum, here's your alternative resume. Enjoy!

1. If you need to get something done, ask really nicely. If that doesn't work, make yourself such a living hell to deal with that people will do whatever you're asking of them so they won't have to interact with you further.

2. Shooting guns is fun.

3. There is nothing wrong with ABBA.

4. George was the best Beatle.

5. If you let public sector unions get out of hand, you may wind up with dead bodies going unburied.

6. Animals are way more awesome than humans. Humans kind of suck, actually.

7. Sometimes, the appropriate thing to do is tell someone to "Fuck off!"

8. You don't have to spend a lot to look good. You can find amazing stuff at the thrift shop.

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