Archive for 9/24/2008 - 24 Elul, 5768

The debate just ended.
From where I was sitting — in my living room, Senator Kerry spoke clearly, and confidently. President Bush was often less confident, stumbled.

Most importantly, Kerry enunciated clearly how his core beliefs have not changed, as he has been accused. He explained how his different votes and statements have been based on different information, and different situations. He didn’t quote Emerson, and to do so would have been disrespectful, but I will: “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of simple minds.”

Consistency is sometimes appropriate and necessary. Emerson spoke against a foolish consistency. When information changes. When the situation changes. It can call for different actions.

There were often disagreements on the facts, and it will be interesting to see the analysts pick apart which one was correct.

I was watching on C-Span, and as the representative from the Commission on Presidential Debates said…after the debate those who support Kerry will say he won, and those who support Bush will say he won. What is important is how the undecideds feel. According to some polls 1/3 of America is undecided — or at least have said the debates will influence their decision. Of course, I am not undecided. And I know my view of the debate is biased.

As a side note: I thought the green, yellow, and red lights were silly. The debate isn’t a game show, nor is it the Emmys. However, I believe the only time the red light flashed was while Bush was speaking. (I may be wrong in that there were a few minutes where I wasn’t watching, but only listening, so I might have missed Kerry going over.)

Morning Update:

Here’s a running commentary of the debate from one of my two favorite comic authors /political commentators, Peter David. Tom Tomorrow, was busy elsewhere. (PAD does actually slip in some negative comments about Kerry.)

The polls this morning generally agree with my assessment — Kerry won the debate.

Pentagon officials believe they have been unable to locate Bin Laden because he has found a place to hide out where:

(1) it is easy to get in if you have the money,
(2) no one will recognize or remember you,
(3) no one will realize that you have disappeared,
(4) no one keeps any records of your comings and goings, and
(5) you have no obligations or responsibilities.

Pentagon analysts are still puzzled, however, as to how Bin Laden found out about the Texas Air National Guard in the first place.

(I’ve found examples of this dating back to March online…so it appears I was a little slow in getting this email It appears I need to have a talk with my sources.)

Next year there will only be one Major League Baseball team outside of the continental United States — the Toronto Blue Jays

The Montreal Expos are moving to Washington. D.C.

� What’s left to do: The D.C. Council must approve the stadium funding package. A compensation deal with Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos must be finalized and approved by Major League Baseball, which must also approve the move and sell the team.
� The name: The team will be called the Expos until a new owner is named.
� Opening Day: Likely April 4, although the schedule has not been released.
� Stadium: The team will play RFK Stadium for three seasons while the city builds a 41,000 seat ballpark at South Capital and M streets on the Anacostia waterfront.

I just heard on the radio what would have been the best commercial ever for a porn movie, except it wasn’t for a porn movie. It was for Britney Spears’ new fragrance, ‘curious.’

I have no interest in the fragrance, but if they ever make a movie based on that commercial, let me know! (It doesn’t have to star Britney. It would probably be better if it didn’t.)

It’s already Wednesday, so I’m a little slow, but this is Banned Books Week.

Here are the 10 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2003.

1. Alice series, for sexual content, using offensive language, and being unsuited to age group.
2. Harry Potter series, for its focus on wizardry and magic.
3. “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck, for using offensive language.
4. “Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture” by Michael A. Bellesiles, for inaccuracy.
5. “Fallen Angels” by Walter Dean Myers, for racism, sexual content, offensive language, drugs and violence.
6. “Go Ask Alice” by Anonymous, for drugs.
7. “It’s Perfectly Normal” by Robie Harris, for homosexuality, nudity, sexual content and sex education.
8. “We All Fall Down” by Robert Cormier, for offensive language and sexual content.
9. “King and King” by Linda de Haan, for homosexuality.
10. “Bridge to Terabithia” by Katherine Paterson, for offensive language and occult/satanism.

A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others. The positive message of Banned Books Week: Free People Read Freely is that due to the commitment of librarians, teachers, parents, students and other concerned citizens, most challenges are unsuccessful and most materials are retained in the school curriculum or library collection.

Top Ten Challenged Authors 1990 to Present

1. Alvin Schwartz
2. Judy Blume
3. Robert Cormier
4. J.K. Rowling
5. Michael Willhoite
6. Katherine Paterson
7. Stephen King
8. Maya Angelou
9. R.L. Stine
10. John Steinbeck

“As there is always more misery at the lower end than humanity at the top, everything was given away before it was received, like water on parched soil. ” — Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

The movement for this day is young. Two and a half hours. But I support the concept wholeheartedly.

As much of a grammar snob as I am, I actually had not heard about the origins of the rule. (Supposedly, since in Latin it is impossible to split an infinitive, since infinitives are formed by adding a suffix, 18th century grammarians decided speakers of English shouldn’t split their infinitives. Though they didn’t create a suffix for us to add instead, which would have made more sense if they thought we should model our language after Latin)

But I have no problem using a preposition to end a sentence with. And I see no reason I shouldn’t be allowed to creatively split infinitives either. As a poet, I feel the English language should be flexible enough to suit my needs. I shouldn’t have to be flexible enough to suit it. Call me selfish or lazy.

September 28 is also appropriate. The link above doesn’t say this, and its possible the founder didn’t realize this, but September 28, 1987 was the date, 17 years ago, the first episode of Star Trek:The Next Generation appeared on television. They were politically correct enough to fix the sexist nature of the 1960’s motto. “To boldly go where no man has gone before” was changed to “to boldly go where no one has gone before.” But they kept the split infinitive, because, damn it, it sounds better. And who really needs a better reason than that?

Note:
The Wikipedia article on Star Trek said it premiered on Aug 28. Wikipedia being what it is, I corrected that. StarTrek.com’s page, I would assume, has the correct date. It is certainly possible Wiki was right, and Paramount’s official site was wrong. In which case I will correct this post.

Good. You know your music. You should be able to
work at Championship Vinyl with Rob, Dick and
Barry

Do You Know Your Music (Sorry MTV Generation I Doubt You Can Handle This One)
brought to you by Quizilla

If you don’t get this as your result…you **really** don’t know your music, or you’re too young. The questions are slanted towards the 60s and 70s. I didn’t listen to music as a kid, and was born in ‘69 anyway, so I *shouldn’t* have done well. But then again, I hang out with a lot of cool people, so maybe it’s rubbed off on me.

I guessed on more than half. Of course, I may have guessed correctly. That’s the wonderful thing about multiple choice.

Saw this on Christy’s’s blog and the Welfare Queen’s

Christy has blown my deep dark secret

I’m connected to more famous people than “Kevin Bacon”.

I think she finally realized this because of a “Goozle” I recently submitted to Nobody. If you are able to solve the Goozle, you will discover where that connection lies.

I might not go as far as comparing myself to KB…and most connections would have to go through parents, uncles, siblings, or in some instances a cousin of mine currently trying hard to get noticed in Hollywood. But I have met several members of congress. And rode in the backseat of a car with the son of a brother of a former (assassinated) President.

Most of these instances, of course, had nothing to do with me. However, one of the members of Congress does have a daughter. And that daughter was on a reality show recently with a former college roommate of mine. I blogged about that.

And I do have a grade school friend who has played in bands such as REM, Uncle Tupelo, and Billy Bragg. (In each case he appears on like one album as a guest violinist, so its not like he could get me tickets, though I haven’t communicated with him for a few years, so who knows, maybe he could) I may have mentioned this once.

And I have two high school friends who have written tv scripts for such people as Reba McEntire, and Ben Savage.

But me…me personally…i’m no one special. But I do have Gmail. And I have invitations.

As the polls start to swing Right, I’ll grasp at any good news, and the following does offer a little light:

NYTimes article

COLUMBUS, Ohio - A sweeping voter registration campaign in heavily Democratic areas has added tens of thousands of new voters to the rolls in the swing states of Ohio and Florida, a surge that has far exceeded the efforts of Republicans in both states, a review of registration data shows.

The analysis by The New York Times of county-by-county data shows that in Democratic areas of Ohio - primarily low-income and minority neighborhoods - new registrations since January have risen 250 percent over the same period in 2000. In comparison, new registrations have increased just 25 percent in Republican areas. A similar pattern is apparent in Florida: in the strongest Democratic areas, the pace of new registration is 60 percent higher than in 2000, while it has risen just 12 percent in the heaviest Republican areas.

…

The precise impact of the swell in registration is difficult to predict, as there is no reliable gauge of how many of these new voters will actually vote. Some experts, though, say that the spike has not been accurately captured by political polls and could confound prognostications in closely contested states.

It’s also encouraging to note that some polls have shown as many as 1/3 of respondents saying the debates will influence their decision. So regardless of which way they are leaning now, as many as 1/3 could change their minds in the next few weeks.

I realize the changes aren’t dramatic. But I see no reason to purchase the Star Wars Trilogy DVD. Those aren’t the movies I saw as a kid. Hayden Christiansen was only 2 when Return of the Jedi came out, he shouldn’t be spliced into a scene now two decades later.

Lucas is the director — they are his films. He can do whatever he wants with them. But, to paraphrase a commercial, “this isn’t my oldsmobile.”

Especially since I’ve heard ‘rumors’ of a LaserDisc-to-DVD transfer of the true originals available online.

Sit by my side, come as close as the air,
Share in a memory of gray;
Wander in my words, dream about the pictures
That I play of changes.

The worldís spinning madly, it drifts in the dark
Swings through a hollow of haze,
A race around the stars, a journey through
The universe ablaze with changes.

–Phil Ochs

The House voted to prevent federal couts from reviewing the constitutionality of the Pledge.

Earlier they voted to restrict court review on the definition of marriage.

They claim to be acting against activist judges, but how do they describe their own attacks on the separation of powers?

And how would they feel about a Democrat-controlled congress that voted to restrict court review of gun control legislation? Or voted to restrict court review of Roe v Wade?

Why does the mere thought of this sound like treason to me? Like suggesting we should have a king, or citizens should be required to pay a fee before they vote?

If Congress passes an unjust law, but declares it unreviewable — what options are left?

Cat Stevens can’t set foot in the United States, but Yanni is allowed to walk around free?

Man, talk about the terrorists winning…

- Peter David

Elton John insults rude, vile pigs by comparing them to photographers

Last Night on the corner of Manchester and Hanley Roads, I saw a billboard that surprised me.

It was advertising two shows on TBS: Friends and Sex in the City. It’s slogan was:

Have “Sex” with “Friends”

It seemed in very bad taste. Apparently I’m not the only one who feels this way.

Sure, its humorous. Its just not appropriate advertising for a billboard.

Day in the Life of Joe Middle-Class Republican
by John Gray

Joe gets up at 6:00am to prepare his morning coffee. He fills his pot full of good clean drinking water because some liberal fought for minimum water quality standards. He takes his daily medication with his first swallow of coffee. His medications are safe to take because some liberal fought to insure their safety and work as advertised.

All but $10.00 of his medications are paid for by his employers medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance, now Joe gets it too. He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs this day. Joeís bacon is safe to eat because some liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.

Joe takes his morning shower reaching for his shampoo; His bottle is properly labeled with every ingredient and the amount of its contents because some liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained. Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some tree hugging liberal fought for laws to stop industries from polluting our air. He walks to the subway station for his government subsidized ride to work; it saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees. You see, some liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.

Joe begins his work day; he has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joeís employer pays these standards because Joeís employer doesnít want his employees to call the union. If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed heíll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some liberal didnít think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.

Its noon time, Joe needs to make a Bank Deposit so he can pay some bills. Joeís deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some liberal wanted to protect Joeís money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the depression.

Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae underwritten Mortgage and his below market federal student loan because some stupid liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his life-time.

Joe is home from work, he plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive to dads; his car is among the safest in the world because some liberal fought for car safety standards. He arrives at his boyhood home. He was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers Home Administration because bankers didnít want to make rural loans. The house didnít have electric until some big government liberal stuck his nose where it didnít belong and demanded rural electrification. (Those rural Republicanís would still be sitting in the dark)

He is happy to see his dad who is now retired. His dad lives on Social Security and his union pension because some liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldnít have to. After his visit with dad he gets back in his car for the ride home.

He turns on a radio talk show, the hostís keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. (He doesnít tell Joe that his beloved Republicans have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day) Joe agrees, ìWe donít need those big government liberals ruining our lives; after all, Iím a self made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I haveî.

Recvd in Email, but found webcopy on Michael Moore’s website

Yusef Islam (Cat Stevens) denied admission to the US

WASHINGTON - A London-to-Washington flight was diverted to Maine on Tuesday when it was discovered passenger Yusuf Islam ó formerly known as singer Cat Stevens ó was on a government watch list and barred from entering the country, federal officials said.

The AP ends their article with:

Islam drew some negative attention in the late 1980s when he supported the Ayatollah Khomeini’s death sentence against Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses. Recently, though, Islam has criticized terrorist acts, including the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and the school seizure in Beslan, Russia, earlier this month that left more than 300 dead, nearly half of them children.

Stevens/Islam did not support the death sentence. Here he is in his own words:

Yusuf Islam Talks about the Satanic Verses Controversy
By Yusuf Islam
CatStevens.Com
March 12th, 2003

Firstly, it is very difficult to educate people in the midst of a political battlefield of smoke and antagonization, which is what I believe represented the atmosphere between the West and Iran back in the early 1990ís when I simply attempted to answer a question presented to me during a lecture.

Sadly, 14 years later and right up to today, some people still try to connect me to this issue, whereas I had nothing really to do with it; I was tricked and foolishly fell for the trap.

My view today with regard to respect for treaties and international law has obviously developed since those early days of ëfire and brimstoneí; the keeping of the peace and respect for the sacred is to me at the heart of Islamís and other Religionís prohibition against Blasphemy. But there are deep legalistic questions connected to this subject of which there can be many views, this is not necessarily the subject of this particular essay.

SoÖback in February 1989 I was delivering a talk about my journey to Islam at Kingston University in London, when somebody (probably a disguised journalist) mischievously posed a question about Islamís view on apostates and blasphemers. As a student who had studied the issue for the first time, I simply did my best by answering direct from legal texts which I had read.

Instead of reporting my response in context, which I naively expected, suddenly the headline in next dayís paper read ìCat Says Kill Rushdie!î Well, needless to say, all hell then broke loose and my political education had really begun. Thank God the newspaper responsible, Today, has since folded and is now out of circulation; unfortunately the monstrous myth it created still survives.

What I actually tried to do at the lecture in Kingston, and subsequently during other interviews, was to quote ëfrom the bookí what Islam says about the legal consequences for someone who commits blasphemy within the context of Islamic law where it is adopted and applied, I never ever sanctioned people taking the law in their own hands or overstepping the laws of the Britain which is what the Fatwa of Ayatollah Khomeini proposed. The truth is I never once stated support for the ëFatwaí

I was simply a new Muslim who had stated something which I considered quite plain and obvious and if you were to ask a bible student you know what the Ten Commandments were you would expect him to repeat them honestly, you wouldn’t blame him for doing so; the Bible is full of similar headlines if youíre looking for them.

Here’s Google’s Cache of this as I am currently having difficult accessing the original. (Probably lots of people are going to the domain this morning.)

His being on the watch list probably has more to do with Israel’s 2000 claim that he financially supported Hamas. Yusuf Islam denied this, or at least said it was unintentional…which isn’t of course the same thing. But there are Muslim charities that advertise themselves as humanitarian, but support terrorist organizations like Hamas.

The question arises — does someone who vocally supports peace, and vocally criticizes terrorism — deserve to be on a watch list if he gave money to an organization that funded terrorists, if he was unaware that the money might end up there?

I was polled tonight!

I really wish I had recognized the name of the polling agency, because by the end of the phone call I had forgotten it. And I really wish I could identify it here.

But I did discover one possible cause of variations in polling statistics.

Poller error. Those they hire to make the phone calls aren’t always the brightest. Who would sign up to probably get paid crap to phone people and ask the same questions over and over? People who couldn’t get any other job.

After verifying that I was planning on voting for Kerry, the next question the individual asked me began with the phrase, “Even though you aren’t now supporting Kerry, is there anything…” I had to give him some credit. He caught himself though.

My guess is the “script” had a line between both questions reading “If caller answers Bush….”, and his eyes skipped over that line.

However, I was somewhat surprised he didn’t follow up with a parallel question. “Even though you aren’t now supporting Bush, is there anything…”

It makes me wonder….did he forget to ask that, or was it not on the list? Did they only ask that followup question for Bush supporters?

Later he asked me what religion I was.
I told him I was Jewish.
The next question he asked, swear to God, was “Do you consider yourself a Fundamentalist Christian?”

I laughed, and said, “no.”

So there you have it. These are the people they have conducting the polls.

I wonder if the “margin of error” takes this into consideration.

One last complaint. When he asked me if certain descriptions of Bush/Kerry describe them “Very Well” “Somewhat Well” “Fairly Well” or “Not Well”, even I got confused. I have a degree in English. What’s the difference between Somewhat Well and Fairly Well? I much preferred the part of the poll where I ranked stuff on a scale of 1-100.

An excerpt from today’s Kerry Campaign e-mailing.

Saddam Hussein was a brutal dictator who deserves his own special place in hell. But that was not, in itself, a reason to go to war. The satisfaction we take in his downfall does not hide this fact: we have traded a dictator for a chaos that has left America less secure.

The president has said that he “miscalculated” in Iraq and that it was a “catastrophic success.” In fact, the president has made a series of catastrophic decisions from the beginning in Iraq. At every fork in the road, he has taken the wrong turn and led us in the wrong direction.

The first and most fundamental mistake was the president’s failure to tell the truth to the American people.

He failed to tell the truth about the rationale for going to war. And he failed to tell the truth about the burden this war would impose on our soldiers and our citizens.

By one count, the president offered 23 different rationales for this war. If his purpose was to confuse and mislead the American people, he succeeded.

His two main rationales — weapons of mass destruction and the Al Qaeda/September 11 connection — have been proved false by the president’s own weapons inspectors and by the 9/11 Commission. Just last week, Secretary of State Powell acknowledged the facts. Only Vice President Cheney still insists that the earth is flat.

[…]

The president now admits to “miscalculations” in Iraq.

That is one of the greatest understatements in recent American history. His were not the equivalent of accounting errors. They were colossal failures of judgment — and judgment is what we look for in a president.

This is all the more stunning because we’re not talking about 20/20 hindsight. Before the war, before he chose to go to war, bi-partisan Congressional hearings… major outside studies… and even some in the administration itself… predicted virtually every problem we now face in Iraq.

This president was in denial. He hitched his wagon to the ideologues who surround him, filtering out those who disagreed, including leaders of his own party and the uniformed military. The result is a long litany of misjudgments with terrible consequences.

[…]
The president’s policy in Iraq took our attention and resources away from other, more serious threats to America.

Threats like North Korea, which actually has weapons of mass destruction, including a nuclear arsenal, and is building more under this president’s watch — the emerging nuclear danger from Iran — the tons and kilotons of unsecured chemical and nuclear weapons in Russia — and the increasing instability in Afghanistan.

Today, warlords again control much of that country, the Taliban is regrouping, opium production is at an all time high and the Al Qaeda leadership still plots and plans, not only there but in 60 other nations. Instead of using U.S. forces, we relied on the warlords to capture Osama bin Laden when he was cornered in the mountains. He slipped away. We then diverted our focus and forces from the hunt for those responsible for September 11 in order invade Iraq.

For any SF/Fantasy fans in the greater St. Louis area reading this…don’t forget there’s a fan-run convention just around the corner.

Archon’s in it’s 28th year, and it’s always the first weekend in October. (2 weekends away). It is now a 4-day convention Thursday-Sunday. Archon focuses on SF/Fantasy writers, but they do have a media guest every year as well. As I’ve mentioned, they’re bidding on the 2007 NASFiC.

This year’s guests include writers Alan Dean Foster and Ben Bova, actor George Takei (Sulu on Star Trek), artist Vincent Di Fate, and filker/Dr. Demento regular Luke Ski.

The convention is known for a major masquerade contest every year, drawing entrants from across the US and Canada. It’s also known for its after-hours room parties.

Archon 28 website

I will be around the con most of the weekend, though I will have to leave for a couple hours on Saturday to attend a birthday party for my niece.

Washington - A little-noticed but chilling scene at Opa-locka Airport outside Miami last month demonstrates that the Bush administration’s commitment to fighting international terrorism can be overtaken by presidential politics - even if that means admitting known terrorists onto U.S. soil.

That’s what happened when outgoing Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso inexplicably pardoned four Cuban exiles convicted of “endangering public safety” for their role in an assassination plot against Fidel Castro during a 2000 international summit in Panama.

After their release, three of the four immediately flew via private jet to Miami, where they were greeted with a cheering fiesta organized by the hard-line anti-Castro community. Federal officials briefly interviewed the pardoned men - all holders of U.S. passports - and then let them go their way.

…

“I think you can create conditions so that those who use terror as a tool are less acceptable in parts of the world,” Bush recently said in an interview.

But the decision to allow members of the Posada gang into this country, and the televised spectacle of Miamians applauding their return, sends a different and dangerous message: In a swing state, some terrorists are not only acceptable but welcome.

source

Why do Messianic Jews get more press than Noahides?

One is a group of former Jews who have been inspired by Christianity to adopt a few of their beliefs, and one is a group of non-Jews (often former Christians) who have been inspired by Judaism to adopt a few of their beliefs. Is it because the Messianic Jews insist they’re still Jewish, even though they’re now followers of Christ, raising the ire of other Jews — whereas the Noahides don’t insist they’re still Christian, or anything else except Noahides? Or is it the Messianic Jewish desire to missionize that appears stronger than the average Christian missionary.

Perhaps its because Noahidism is based on something biblical accpeted by both major religions. (The seven laws given to Noah by God). Without controversy, there is no press.

Noahides should change their name to Noahide Christians. Get a few priests and bishops upset with them for claiming they can remain Christians without accepting Jesus as the embodiment of the Lord. In the words of Bob Marley, Stir it up. They’d get more press, and more converts.

How will the Bush admin respond as other nations, like Russia prepare pre-emptive strikes against terrorism?

There are some great lists at McSweeneys including…

[Reasons why] This Bible You Sold Me Is Clearly Defective and I’d Like to Return It, Please. (The last reason is my favorite)

Armed Band of Thugs or minor Star Wars characters (Can you tell the difference?)

Guide to determining if you are constantly being mauled by bears

Dave Matthews Band Lyrics That Take On New Meaning in Light of the Recent Brouhaha Surrounding One of the Band’s Bus Drivers, Who Allegedly Dumped the Contents of the Excrement Tank Off of a Chicago River Bridge and Onto the Deck of a Tour Boat.

Very Wrong Ways to Eat a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup

And these are all just from the month of September, 2004. Their list archives go back to September 1999.

Operation Ohio

Want to get a phone call from one of your favorite writers? Vote.

Tired of cuts to university funding? Worried about global peace and prosperity? Counting on that Social Security check to keep you playing bridge in your old age? Vote.

Tobias Wolff, Michael Chabon, ZZ Packer, Dave Eggers, Ann Cummins, Glen David Gold, Gabe Hudson, Aimee Bender, Julie Orringer, Vendela Vida, Jim Shepard, Andrew Sean Greer, Anthony Swofford, and many other contemporary writers have volunteered in an effort to get out the vote in Ohio, Wisconsin, and Florida. On November 2, these authors will be making personal calls to university students to remind them to get to the polls and make sure their voice is heard.

If you attend college in Ohio, Wisconsin, or Florida and would like a phone call from a live writer person reminding you to vote, just send an e-mail from your university account (e.g., joedokes@stateu.edu) to opohio@mcsweeneys.net. Make sure to include your name, school, and phone number in the e-mail. One week before the election, you’ll receive an e-mail telling you which author will be calling you.

There will also be a series of voter-registration readings, if you prefer to register to vote and sign up for the list in person.

—
So let’s see. I have to move to Ohio, Wisconsin, or Florida, register at a university, and then send an email. And I have less than 2 months to do it in. Of course, the only name I recognize on that list is Michael Chabon. And i haven’t read any of his work.

Wall Street Journal article looking at various polls.

With the Harris poll this week showing a dead heat, and the Gallop poll showing a Bush lead of double digits, and both being respected polls, one has to ask, What’s Up?

The article suggests the issue may partly be how the polls measure “Likely Voters” vs “Registered Voters”. Likely Voters tends to tilt Republican, and White. But the voter drivers in Latino and African American communities are said to be more energetic in this election than previously.

However, it has been stated elsewhere (e.g. at Zogby.com), that polls in general tend to tilt Democratic since Democrats are more likely to respond to polls.

I’d prefer it if no polls were taken at all except for the one on Election Day. Let the newspapers and TV focus on what the candidates are saying, and the issues, as opposed to treating this like a horse race.

“To occupy Iraq would instantly shatter our coalition, turning the whole Arab world against us and make a broken tyrant into a latter-day hero … assigning young soldiers to a fruitless hunt for a securely entrenched dictator and condemning them to fight in what would be an un-winnable urban guerilla war. It could only plunge that part of the world into even greater instability.”

– George H. W. Bush — A World Transformed — ©1998.

The woman who was fired for her Kerry bumpersticker has now been hired by the Kerry Campaign.

CosmoGIRL magazine ranked the 50 best colleges and universities for girls.

In compiling the list, editors at CosmoGIRL! consulted admissions officers and guidance counselors across the country to determine the kind of environment that gives girls the best chance of success in school and after graduation. The result was a list of six key factors that were then cross-referenced with baseline data from The Princeton Review to determine those schools that best fit the bill.

The two institutions of higher learning I attended are both on the list. (Grinnell College, in Grinnell, IA, and Washington University in St. Louis, MO). The fifty aren’t ranked against each other.

I realize the top 50 for girls could be the same as the top 50 for boys…but until that list is created, I fear I will forever worry I chose the wrong schools. Too late now.

Happy New Year to All

It doesn’t take long to find meaning in the year 5765.
5+7+6+5=23
2+3=5
and 23-5=18.
18 is symbolic of life.
(In Hebrew, the letter Chet=8 and the letter Yod = 10, so 18 = the word, Chai, which means life.)

With a little bit of work, any number can be turned into 18

And with a little bit of work, any year can be made into a great one.

Officially, it is called Patriot Day.

Notice in the text of the proclamation, Bush used the word “Patriot.”

I have heard and seen too many people call it “Patriot’s Day.”

The difference is important, as there already is a Patriot’s Day. April 19th. (Remember the Longfellow poem about Paul Revere’s Ride that begins: On the 18th of April in ‘75, hardly a man is now alive, who remembers the day and year of the midnight ride of Paul Revere? Well…the day after that midnight ride was April 19, and the battles of Lexington and Concord. That’s Patriot’s Day.)

Al Qaeda Training Manual:

“In countries like the United States, it’s perfectly legal for members of the public to own certain types of firearms. If you live in such a country, obtain an assault rifle legally, preferably an AK-47 or variations.”

“Under a 10-year ban enacted in 1994, weapons such as AK-47s, TEC-9s, and Uzis were outlawed, as were high capacity ammunition magazines holding more than 10 rounds. That law expires on Monday and Congress does not plan to extend it.”

Help the economy: sell your stuff

Vice President Dick Cheney said that the nation’s economic figures would be even healthier if the people who make money off eBay are taken into account. Cheney said about 400,000 people collect cash selling things on the Web site. And he said those numbers are being missed when the nation’s economic data is collected.

Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards said Cheney’s comments show how “out of touch” the Republican ticket is with the American people.

Edwards said, “If we only included bake sales and how much money kids make at lemonade stands, this economy would really be cooking.”

I wonder if Ebay has available any information such as how many “Power Sellers” they have. (Those who actually continually make a high number of monthly sales. As opposed to those who perhaps sell 5 or 6 items a month, if they’re lucky, maybe making $100, if not ess) And of those Power Sellers, how many are not bricks’n'mortars stores just selling some of their items online.

How many people are there who are considered by the economy as unemployed, but are really making a living on Ebay? Somehow I doubt there are very many.

—

December 2, 1930: After the passing of the first year of the Great Depression, President Herbert Hoover delivers his message to the Congress, insisting that “the fundamental strength of the economy is unimpaired.” Later, a critic of the president points out evidence to the contrary of Hoover’s assertions, stating that there are great numbers of unemployed men selling apples in a desperate effort to earn just a little money. Defending his position, the president contends that these men are simply engaged in “free enterprise.” According to Herbert Hoover, “Many people have left their jobs for the more profitable one of selling apples.”
— Source

It appears that the documents critical of Bush’s service, claiming there was pressure to “sugar coat” his failure to meet standards are possibly forgeries. From the description given by the forensic expert (allegedy a registered Democrat) it appears (to me) likely. The forensic expert is saying the documents could not have been produced on a typewriter in 1972 or 1973 — that the centering, and proportional spacing is too exact, and more likely was created on a computer.

CBS News is investigating their sources. It’s hard for me to imagine someone who would think they could forge 30 year old documents on a computer. There are still typewriters in existence. It would have been easy to find one to make it more realistic.

Which leads me to believe if they are forgeries, it was the intent of the forger for them to be discovered as fake. But I’m now dangerously close to Rush-like conspiracy paranoia.

LIMBAUGH: You know this is — this — this — the Democrat compulsion here with focusing on this National Guard business which — how many times have they done this since 2000? Four? This is the fifth time now. And — and — and Cheney draft-dodging and all this.

It’s going to open up questions about John Edwards and where was he during the war. Where was John Edwards? … and is he qualified to be commander in chief since he didn’t serve?

John Edwards was born on June 10, 1953,
He couldn’t have been drafted until 1973, the same year the military draft ended. (That is, Edwards would have registered for the draft in 1971 when he turned 18, but the 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1972 drafts gave lottery numbers to those who would be turning 20 the following year, so 18 and 19 year olds weren’t called. Of course, they could volunteer.)

“Edwards was assigned [draft lottery] No. 178 for 1973, but the draft ended that year before his number was called.” (AP - October 26, 2003)

Sources:
MediaMatters
Selective Services System

updated: 3:30 pm 9/9

talk to Barbara and Jenna and see what you can do…

I seem to be the only one connecting all these news stories together, but here’s the latest entry, and another, and another. (puppies and bedbugs and wasps, oh my!)

my original report on the war.

Michael Jackson is on trial for allegedly sleeping with boys.
and Nicole Kidman shares an erotic bath with a 10 year old boy (Cameron Bright) on film..

Many viewers walked out at the Venice Film Festival after the scene.

Kidman defends film.
June article on movie with greater detail
(The bath scene is apparently part of a dream sequence, which may defend the plot detail, but not necessarily the filming of it. I certainly agree with the last sentence of the article: “Either way, young Cameron will certainly have some stories to tell to his grandkids ñ and to his buddies at school!”)

I don’t have an issue with “Lolita” type plots, whether Lolita is male or female. But all reports suggest Kidman and Bright were really nude during the filiming of the scene…which as Liberal and Tolerant as I am, I still find disturbing.

Every year, first weekend of October, there’s a SF/Fantasy convention in Collinsville Illinois called Archon.

They’ve bid to host the 2007 NASFiC.

Every year, there is something called WorldCon which is the biggest SF convention of them all. When it is hosted by a country outside of North America, a city is picked inside of North America to hold the North American Science Fiction Interim Convention. It is there that the Hugo Award ceremonies are held, and other stuff.

It has just been announced that Japan was chosen to host the 2007 WorldCon. Japan is outside of North America. So….

Interestingly, so far, Archon is the only bid for NASFiC 2007. Voting is a year away, at NASFiC 2005 in Seattle. So there is a year for competition to spring up. Those who attend NASFiC 2005 will be allowed to vote for NASFiC 2007.

Info on registering for NASFiC 2005

More info on Archon’s bid

So often I think only about national politics, but even if I agreed with him on partial birth abortion, guns, or coalitions between churches and schools…

I can’t imagine voting for someone for governor who is actually younger than I am. Born in Nov 1970. Matt Blunt is 1 year and 10 months younger than me.

Ok. So this is a form of prejudice. And given a few years, as I get older, I will have to change this perspective. But I don’t feel old enough to be governor yet, so he isn’t either.

Swift Boat Veterans for Truth are being joined by Texans for Truth in an effort to completely derail this election from a discussion on the issues.

Texans for Truth are going to be running ads questioning Bush’s service in the National Guard. Featuring members of the Alabama Guard who have no recollection of Bush ever serving with them.

The Pentagon has released new records regarding Bush’s service.

Neither the White House nor the Pentagon could entirely explain why the new documents were not made public in February, when the White House said it had disclosed everything that existed about Bush’s Guard service.

However, these documents still only pertain to service up to April 1972, and it is service between 1972 and 1973 that is in question.

While the nation debates whether Kerry earned his medals, and whether Bush was AWOL, or at least lied about serving when he wasn’t, topics such as the economy, healthcare, and education are avoided.

above is the latest Zogby interactive Battleground States poll.

To analyze Zogby’s results, we start by assuming that the District of Columbia and the 34 states that aren’t in the battlegrounds poll will vote for the same political party that they did in the 2000 election. That gives Mr. Bush 189 electoral votes and Mr. Kerry 172 votes. A total of 177 votes are up for grabs in the 16 battlegrounds; a candidate needs 270 to win the White House.

Adding the 152 votes from the 14 states that Mr. Kerry leads in the latest poll gives him a total of 324 electoral votes. (That’s his highest total yet in our analyses of Zogby’s polls, topping the previous high of 322 electoral votes that he had in on July 12.) Mr. Bush’s two states have 25 electoral votes and give him a total of 214.

Of course, the article does go on to say the leads in a lot of the battleground states are within the margin of error.

The only poll that truly matters occurs in November, but the so-called “bounce” Bush got with the convention doesn’t appear to really exist. (Or it evaporated quickly)

Their news polls are unscientific, but they’re currently asking for presidential preference. As one might suspect, it’s tied. 47%, 47% (with the rest either picking Nader or None of the Above)

Of course, of those voting for Nader, if they live in Missouri, they won’t get that chance in November.

Between Sept 4 and Sept 6 my blogs received over 120 comments. I don’t believe a single one was submitted by a living, breathing, person. All spambots.

I’ve deleted all the spam that was submitted to this blog. There were only about 5 or 6 anyway. The rest were submitted to my old blog. I’ll go through it when I have time and delete all the floricet ads. But for now, if you are interested in some floricet, you can probably go to just about any entry there and find an ad for it.

I’ve added another IP address to my banned list. The last one was located in Southeast Asia. This one belongs to the Ohio State Network. To those Ohioans who would like to comment, but who now can’t, I apologize.

Lies, Damned Lies, and Convention Speeches

A good article from Slate on several statements made in speeches at the RNC.

Updated 9/3/04

I don’t think I’ve ever written a restaurant review, but I feel obligated today.

I have now eaten lunch twice at Everest Cafe (Nepalese Cuisine).

Everest Cafe is on 19th street and Washington.
(1916 Washington Ave, 63103 - 314-621-2021)

They are open for Dinner every night of the week, and open for lunch Mon-Sat. The Washington neighborhood is interesting in that some buildings are renovated, but next door the building might be abandoned with broken windows, etc. Some people might not feel comfortable going there at night, but there should be no worries for lunch.

Inside Everest Cafe is well-kept and tidy. You wouldn’t know what the outside looked like from the inside. It has a casual and laid back atmosphere, and the food is served cafeteria style.

For lunch, prior to Sept, they offered a 3-entree plate and a 4-entree plate. Descriptions of my first encounters with Everest are below. As of Sept 1, 2004 they are serving an all-you-can-eat buffet during lunch hours for $7.50.

Friday 7/9

My first time around, I ordered Fire Spicy Chicken, a Spinach and potato combination, and Vegetable Samosa, with a side of rice. (The side of rice also comes included in all meals.) It was filling, and the food was excellent.

You’re not expecting it when you come into the place, and they serve the food on paper plates, but the food is definitely prepared with the tastebuds in mind.

The fire spicy chicken I didn’t feel had a lot of fire, though some might. It was certainly spicy, but it doesn’t burn the tastebuds. They will allow you to taste any of the entrees while in the line, so you don’t have to worry about ordering something and finding out you don’t like it once you reach the table. The vegetable samosa is reminiscent of the knishes I grew up on at my Grandma’s shabbat table. “Curry buffs made from potatoes, fresh onion and coriander, wrapped in a delicious homemade pastry.”

7/13

This time I ordered the Tofu and Peas, Gokhali Chicken, and Masala Bread. Once again everything was tasty. I’m not usually a huge fan of tofu, and I probably won’t order it often, but the Gokhali Chicken was great. I actually liked the Gokhali more than the Fire Spicy chicken I had on Friday. The Gokhali isn’t as spicy, but it does still have a bite.

I’m going through the entrees/items slowly as I am only ordering 3 at a time. Still left for me to try are the beef and broccoli, lentil soup, and a few pork dishes. The latter will remain untasted by me for religious reasons; and similarly, I am somewhat surprised they have beef and broccoli since I believe the cow is considered sacred by most Nepalese. Apparently Everest is willing to alter their menu for the American tastebuds.

I should also mention their service. Yes, you order the food cafeteria style, but everyone is friendly, and the staff will come by your table and make sure you are enjoying your meal, and offer you refills on your drink.

They’ve only been in business for four months I believe. There are some news stories posted on the wall about the owner, and he’s a former pediatrician who has actually climbed Mount Everest. It’s not an area of town that one is likely to know about a restaurant unless one happens to drive by it to work, or through word of mouth. And since I enjoyed it so much, and want it to succeed, I’m helping out with the latter.

(If you want to try them for dinner they are open until 9 pm Mon-Thurs, and 10 PM Fri-Sun)

—
Friday, Sept 3

Today I had Rice, Gorkhali chicken (about a double serving), Fire Spicy Chicken, Spinach and Potato, Masala Bread, Lentil Soup, and Yogurt Fruit Salad. I was leaving filled on just 3 items, but I certainly can’t complain that their success has led them to expand their hours and go to a buffet. The increase in the bill from $5 to $7.50 though may cause me to go less often for lunch when I’m dining alone. (The buffet is certainly worth it, its just not in my budget, unless it becomes a social or business lunch.) They’ve added a salad bar containing a yogurt-fruit salad, rice pudding, and mixed greens. Their delicious mo-mos seem to have been relegated to their dinners, and Saturday lunch, which is disappointing. But the rest of their food is still cooked to the same perfection. The service (refills of drinks/clearing of empty buffet plates) still excellent.

September is Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month.
An entire month!

1) I’m unable to find the origin of this designation
2) I’m not sure if writers are required to be kind to editors and vice verse, or if everyone else has to be kind to both groups.
3) If Editors have to be kind to writers, that should mean they have to accept our submissions. Anything else would be unkind.
4) Of course, we’d have to send them quality submissions…

Regardless, I am both. I can submit to myself. and I have done so here, and been accepted several times. (and rejected very rarely) So be kind.

Found these on Ben’s blog.

“Motivated more by partisan politics than by national security, today’s Democratic leaders see America as an occupier, not a liberator. And nothing makes this Marine madder than someone calling American troops occupiers rather than liberators.” - Zell Miller making the case against Democrats at the Republican National Convention; September 1, 2004

“And they were happy — they’re not happy they’re occupied. I wouldn’t be happy if I were occupied either. They do want us there to help with security. And that’s why this transfer of sovereignty is an important signal to send, and it’s why it’s also important for them to hear we will stand with them until they become a free country.” - George Bush in a prime-time press conference; April 13, 2004

“My job tonight is an easy one: to present to you one of this nation’s authentic heroes, one of this party’s best-known and greatest leaders ñ and a good friend … In his 16 years in the Senate, John Kerry has fought against government waste and worked hard to bring some accountability to Washington … John has worked to strengthen our military, reform public education, boost the economy and protect the environment.” - Zell Miller; March 1, 2001

“For more than twenty years, on every one of the great issues of freedom and security, John Kerry has been more wrong, more weak and more wobbly than any other national figure.” - Zell Miller; September 1, 2004

And here’s an amazing anecdote that appears in a book by James Carville and Paul Begala.

But here is what I have for now…with hats off, and apologies to Jonathan Swift

Since Jonathan Swift died in 1745, the original is of course in the public domain. I left most of the verses unchanged except for the name. The few I did change were done to update the poem, and replace words that aren’t used as much today as they were 250-300 years ago. This is a work in progress. A couple of Swifts’ verses, and a couple of my own still need some attention.

Tom and Zell

Tom and Zell had equal fame,
And both had equal knowledge;
Tom could write and spell his name,
But Zell had seen a college.

Zell a jester, Tom was mad,
And both alike diverting,
Tom was held the merrier lad,
But Zell the best at farting.

Zell would pick his nose in scorn,
But Tom was kind and loving;
Tom a footboy bread and born,
But Zell was from an oven.

Zell looked like a cigar stub,
But Tom resembled monkeys;
Tom would pray for every ëPub,
And Zell curse all the Donkeys.

Zell would make a woeful noise,
And scold at an election;
Tom huzza’d the Ashcroft boys,
And held them in subjection.

Tom could move with lordly grace,
Zell nimbly skip the gutter;
Tom could talk with solemn face,
But Zell could better sputter.

Zell was come to high renown
Since he commenced a traitor;
Tom was held by all the town
The deeper ëoratatorí.

Tom had the genteeler swing,
His hat could nicely put on;
Zell knew better how to swing
His cane upon a button.

Zell for repartee was fit,
And Tom for deep discerning;
Zell was thought the brighter wit,
But Tom had better learning.

Zell with zealous no’s and aye’s,
Could roar as loud as Stentor;
In Senate ’tis all he says;
But Tom is eloquenter.

(Emperor Palpatine)

I won’t steal the entire article from Buzzflash. Visit them for their merged photo, and text.