I celebrate Democratic victories in the 2026 US elections.

The blue wave of last night's election was fun to watch on YouTube. I found NBC TV coverage which brought back my childhood fascination with Rockefeller Center in New York. They made it look like the newscasters were sitting in Rockefeller Plaza. It was probably done electronically, but the effect worked.

I did some screen captures.

From a brochure I got in 8th grade when I wrote to Rockefeller Center way back in the late 1960s.

During childhood, I use to seek out NBC Radio and TV because much of it came from that fabled "city in one campus" Everything you would want across plazas without needing to cross streets. Yes, I knew there were busy streets through the complex, but I thought it was all connected underground by something they called a "shopping concourse."

It looks like they were right there.

With the Senate and the House results being counted on the ice rink.

I am very happy to have Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress. We were getting dangerously close to one party rule before; with Republican majorities in all 3 branches of national government. Voting does matter. Yes, Trump is still president, but I'll guess he will deal with the new reality. He is said to be "transactional" without much in the way of a moral compass beyond his own ego and the god of prosperity.

I might be wrong, however. He and his people could clamp down clinging to the Republican Supreme Court (yes the majority of the Supreme Court is partisan). We'll see what happens. In the past 2 years, the lower courts have been a lifeline for Democracy, though eroded by the Supreme Court at the top.

I think there may be some staff shuffling within the administration to adjust to the new reality. Maybe the likes of Hegseth will go? Secretary of War back to being Secretary of Defense. As for the long-term prospects, optimism may become more in style, though solving deep economic problems remains difficult.

News commentators keep talking about people's anger at gas prices. Trump's war against Iran pushed them up, but will the straits of Hormuz reopen?

There are workarounds. Alternative transportation and energy are the best workarounds, but are they affordable? Supply and demand are big factors in the economy. Many are still dependent on fossil fuels. Increasing supply isn't necessarily something cheered by Democrats. I understand that, but I still favor reducing demand, for fossil fuels at least.

How about Canada's proposal for a big new pipeline from Alberta to the Pacific? A third and much larger pipeline is proposed from Alberta to a Vancouver area shipping port for serving Pacific Markets. Tankers headed out to sea through Strait of Juan De Fuca not far from Bellingham. Our governor and many Washingtonian's oppose it. Washington State oil refineries get some of their oil from that pipeline system, however.

Another thing that can look like a shining city. This oil refinery near Anacortes, WA. that I pictured across the water during a 2025 bicycle tour.

Yes, I know, Rockefeller Center was built on oil money also. It was built way back then. The Standard Oil Company money starting Rockefeller fortune.

I still had my childhood dream of an entire city in just about one building.

Front cover of the picture booklet I got in 8th grade.