(d.v.)

And then there's radio. National Public Radio does well on big elections. It's the same information more calmly. They don't think they have to call stuff a nanosecond before the other guys, and they do report when any big news source calls stuff. You get the call without the tension of the competition oozing out of the screen. Radio also lets me be in the room I am in fact in while I aborb the information.

And then there's PBS and watching Gwen Ifyl be authoritative and cheerful, which I enjoy. And watching the PBS guys be authoritative and very very serious, which I can tolerate. Actually, I'm kind of fond of the very serious Lehrer. And I'm rooting for Gwen Ifyl to have the political skills that combine with the historical moment and her large talent to make her Lehrer's successor. Go, Gwen Ifyl, go.

And then there's the regular broadcast networks, which I never watch for news (or hardly anything) except for stuff like elections. There has been, finally, a generational shift. I would see people I haven't seen before who are substantially under a million years old. That would be different.

In her novel "Jane Eyre," Charlotte Bronte makes good use of the letters d and v. Jane, who narrates the novel, writes at one point about how she was thinking that by this time tomorrow the big plot event would have (d.v.) happened. She slips d. v. right into the sentence in parentheses) which is the author playing fair, because the big event doesn't happen.

It stands for "deo volente" which is Latin for God willing. It is almost month til the votes are counted on election night. I think I might like the outcome (d.v.) more than I have liked national election outcomes of late. Maybe not. I think the initials of the Latin for "God knows" would be d. s. If the Lord is willing and the creek don't rise politics might get better. My idea of better might in fact be better. These things could happen.

I'm thinking about election night and when I smile, I'm trying to smile humbly.