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The verdict is in. I am officially in election-withdrawals. It's 11:00pm and instead of crawling into my warm bed and being glad that I get a few extra minutes sleep, I'm here with my laptop. I'm busily scanning CNN and other news sites, desperately looking for something new and interesting. I still have all the presidential election statistical/polling sites bookmarked, but I haven't visited them. I know I should probably file them away in a folder a little deeper down than the toolbar across the top of my browser. (You know the one - where you file all the sites that you visit every day?) Then again, there isn't another presidential election for 4 more years. Surely there will be other sites (even new technology?) and many amazing advancements in that time. I wonder if the sites I have been checking for months will even exist in 4 years. It's hard to delete them, though. It's difficult to admit to myself that they've served their purpose, and might be no longer useful. Does this mean I'm a cyber-packrat?
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11 November 2008
08 November 2008
05 November 2008
Trickle down intolerance
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OK, Rant time. My kids have been very interested in the election this year. My biggest ones are going to be old enough to vote in the next Presidential election, so I've tried to keep them informed. We watch debates and interviews, read stories online - I even had one son texting me election returns last night while I was at his brother's football game. I've had to warn them to keep their opinions to themselves at school, because we do live in Collin County, after all. I've personally witnessed some appalling intolerance from adults - I could only imagine what uninformed children would come up with.
Well, I don't have to imagine any more. My children came home from school today with all sorts of stories about the McCain supporters at school. There were high school students who dressed all in black and wore signs proclaiming the end of the world as we know it. Other teenagers who wore shirts with "NObama" on the back - those kids had to remove/change their shirts. Thank goodness for that. Any child can wear a political candidate's name on their shirt (or a button) but it seems that the derogatory ones are not welcome.
Then, there are the discussions. One child is going to move to Switzerland to escape the downfall of this country. Another says that the terrorists have taken over. There is the ever-present "because he's a Muslim" or he's a terrorist" and what day would be complete if some pre-pubescent child didn't proclaim that Obama was worthless because "he's going to raise our taxes and we won't have any money left for anything!!" One young lady at the high school swears that she has video of Obama actually admitting that he's Muslim. Gosh, can you just imagine what Fox News would give to have THAT tape!! She's going to college next year.
The level of ignorance about the facts doesn't really surprise me coming from children - they are notoriously uninformed on many subjects. But, in this case, the information is coming from their parents. Kids don't spontaneously watch news shows and become informed about political issues on their own. It has to start with the parents watching Fox (or whoever) and railing about all the "scary" things that will happen to us if Obama is elected. Then, the children come to school and talk about it with their friends. The viscious cycle is then complete. They all repeat the lies to each other until everyone accepts it as fact because they heard the same thing from 5 different people - it must be true, right?
Not only will my children be voting in 4 years, but SO WILL THEIR PEERS. Yes, the same peers that are so woefully uninformed right now. They are quickly progressing towards becoming part of the over-reactive, blind-faith-based, insult-hurling, mud-slinging Republican base that idolized Sarah Palin. Hopefully having an intelligent leader will help to counteract the rampant ignorance.
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OK, Rant time. My kids have been very interested in the election this year. My biggest ones are going to be old enough to vote in the next Presidential election, so I've tried to keep them informed. We watch debates and interviews, read stories online - I even had one son texting me election returns last night while I was at his brother's football game. I've had to warn them to keep their opinions to themselves at school, because we do live in Collin County, after all. I've personally witnessed some appalling intolerance from adults - I could only imagine what uninformed children would come up with.
Well, I don't have to imagine any more. My children came home from school today with all sorts of stories about the McCain supporters at school. There were high school students who dressed all in black and wore signs proclaiming the end of the world as we know it. Other teenagers who wore shirts with "NObama" on the back - those kids had to remove/change their shirts. Thank goodness for that. Any child can wear a political candidate's name on their shirt (or a button) but it seems that the derogatory ones are not welcome.
Then, there are the discussions. One child is going to move to Switzerland to escape the downfall of this country. Another says that the terrorists have taken over. There is the ever-present "because he's a Muslim" or he's a terrorist" and what day would be complete if some pre-pubescent child didn't proclaim that Obama was worthless because "he's going to raise our taxes and we won't have any money left for anything!!" One young lady at the high school swears that she has video of Obama actually admitting that he's Muslim. Gosh, can you just imagine what Fox News would give to have THAT tape!! She's going to college next year.
The level of ignorance about the facts doesn't really surprise me coming from children - they are notoriously uninformed on many subjects. But, in this case, the information is coming from their parents. Kids don't spontaneously watch news shows and become informed about political issues on their own. It has to start with the parents watching Fox (or whoever) and railing about all the "scary" things that will happen to us if Obama is elected. Then, the children come to school and talk about it with their friends. The viscious cycle is then complete. They all repeat the lies to each other until everyone accepts it as fact because they heard the same thing from 5 different people - it must be true, right?
Not only will my children be voting in 4 years, but SO WILL THEIR PEERS. Yes, the same peers that are so woefully uninformed right now. They are quickly progressing towards becoming part of the over-reactive, blind-faith-based, insult-hurling, mud-slinging Republican base that idolized Sarah Palin. Hopefully having an intelligent leader will help to counteract the rampant ignorance.
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Whooda thunkit
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Now that the election is over, Sarah Palin is apparently being outed as an idiot. Here's some video from my new boyfriend, Shepard Smith. He was so helpful to point out that McCain's numbers began to tank the day after the Katie Couric interview. Hmm...go figure. And the McCain camp defended her. I can't defend her ignorance, but I can blame the McCain campaign for picking her without proper vetting, thrusting her into the spotlight (along with her borderline dysfunctional family) and then getting mad at her about the bad results on election day.
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Now that the election is over, Sarah Palin is apparently being outed as an idiot. Here's some video from my new boyfriend, Shepard Smith. He was so helpful to point out that McCain's numbers began to tank the day after the Katie Couric interview. Hmm...go figure. And the McCain camp defended her. I can't defend her ignorance, but I can blame the McCain campaign for picking her without proper vetting, thrusting her into the spotlight (along with her borderline dysfunctional family) and then getting mad at her about the bad results on election day.
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I love Shepard Smith
I used to like Ralph Nader, but I wonder what he's been smoking lately. I think that the woman analyst that said "his career is over" was probably right. I don't like Fox - I don't even get it on my satellite programming, so I don't watch it. I do, however, sometimes see links to their stories and videos. Shepard Smith gave Nader ample time to retract his statement, and Nader just responded like a bigoted jerk. I would never have thought that a Fox anchor would have called Nader on this comment, nor that he would have pressed the issue further. Maybe we HAVE entered a new era? Has Obama's election had this profound of an impact so quickly that Fox anchors are now actual human beings?
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04 November 2008
History has just been made
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Barack Obama has just been elected the 44th President of the United States of America.
Barack Obama has just been elected the 44th President of the United States of America.
We're WINNING!!!
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Current CNN numbers are
OBAMA 207
MCCAIN 135
Just a few minutes ago, John King (CNN) used his magic map and said couldn't, with any credibility, see any way that McCain could still win. It looks like he might be right...
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Current CNN numbers are
OBAMA 207
MCCAIN 135
Just a few minutes ago, John King (CNN) used his magic map and said couldn't, with any credibility, see any way that McCain could still win. It looks like he might be right...
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03 November 2008
Dixville Notch, N.H. has VOTED!!
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And the winner is.... BARACK OBAMA!!! I would call it a landslide, in fact. The vote tally is Obama 15, McCain 6, Nader 0.
WOO HOO!!! We're off to a fabulous start!
According to fivethirtyeight.com, McCain has a 1.9% chance of winning this election. As one of the bloggers on Daily Kos so brilliantly put it,
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And the winner is.... BARACK OBAMA!!! I would call it a landslide, in fact. The vote tally is Obama 15, McCain 6, Nader 0.
WOO HOO!!! We're off to a fabulous start!
According to fivethirtyeight.com, McCain has a 1.9% chance of winning this election. As one of the bloggers on Daily Kos so brilliantly put it,
if you had standard deck of 52 cards with one Joker, and it was randomly shuffled, and you asked McCain to pick one blindfolded, he'd have to pick the Joker to win.Speaking of jokers, Joe the plumber is on Larry King right now, and I just heard him refer to how "T. Boone Williams" has enough money that he can buy airtime to get his point across, but regular people don't. Who? T.Boone Williams - Is that T. Boone Pickens' cousin? Go back to sleep, Joe.Anything other than the Joker, and Obama wins.
(And, yes, Governor Palin would be that there joker.)
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R.I.P. Madelyn Dunham
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Yes, Barack's grandma died late Sunday night. As sad as this is, there is a bright spot or two. First, Barack was able to visit with her before she passed. He had said that one of his greatest regrets was not being with his mother when she died. Second, she had already voted absentee, and it will count!
A Seattle newspaper reports that according to Kevin Cronin, chief election officer for the State of Hawaii:
Yes, Barack's grandma died late Sunday night. As sad as this is, there is a bright spot or two. First, Barack was able to visit with her before she passed. He had said that one of his greatest regrets was not being with his mother when she died. Second, she had already voted absentee, and it will count!
A Seattle newspaper reports that according to Kevin Cronin, chief election officer for the State of Hawaii:
Ms. Dunham’s absentee mail ballot was received and reviewed under the Hawaii standards for processing absentee mail ballots… She was alive at that time. Her ballot will be opened tomorrow, and it will be counted in the same way that all absentee voters would be treated under our law.
The key point appears to be that Ms. Dunham was alive at the time her absentee ballot was received and reviewed, and that it met the standards for review at that time.
Undecided? Really?
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Like many other people in cyberspace, I think that if someone is truly "undecided" on who to vote for, they need to just stay home tomorrow. I can't imagine that anyone who has a television/radio/newspaper/friend can actually still be unsure of which candidate that they favor.
Now, that said, I'm sure that there are people who typically vote with their party, but don't like their candidate. For instance, I've heard of people who vote Republican but don't like John McCain (or Sarah Palin), but can't bring themselves to vote for a Democrat. Or, in some of those cases, perhaps they can't bring themselves to vote for a black man. Neither of those reasons qualifies as "undecided." Those are people who know what is important to them, and have most likely researched the issues as much as anyone. What it does mean is that they don't like their choices.
I talked to a friend this weekend - a very conservative friend. He said it looked like Obama would win, and that he wasn't going to vote. I was shocked - I was really hoping to be able to cancel out his vote! His line of thinking is that neither candidate will be any different. They all talk a good line and may have some good theories, but nothing ever really changes. While I'm saddened to think that he has so little faith in our leaders, there's a small part of me that hopes that there are other Republicans out there in Collin County that think the same way and stay home tomorrow. But, there's also part of me that thinks that, no matter the odds of your candidate winning, you should exercise your right to vote.
One vote may not decide this election or any other election, but your one vote with that of a few others might just be enough to make a huge difference.
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Like many other people in cyberspace, I think that if someone is truly "undecided" on who to vote for, they need to just stay home tomorrow. I can't imagine that anyone who has a television/radio/newspaper/friend can actually still be unsure of which candidate that they favor.
Now, that said, I'm sure that there are people who typically vote with their party, but don't like their candidate. For instance, I've heard of people who vote Republican but don't like John McCain (or Sarah Palin), but can't bring themselves to vote for a Democrat. Or, in some of those cases, perhaps they can't bring themselves to vote for a black man. Neither of those reasons qualifies as "undecided." Those are people who know what is important to them, and have most likely researched the issues as much as anyone. What it does mean is that they don't like their choices.
I talked to a friend this weekend - a very conservative friend. He said it looked like Obama would win, and that he wasn't going to vote. I was shocked - I was really hoping to be able to cancel out his vote! His line of thinking is that neither candidate will be any different. They all talk a good line and may have some good theories, but nothing ever really changes. While I'm saddened to think that he has so little faith in our leaders, there's a small part of me that hopes that there are other Republicans out there in Collin County that think the same way and stay home tomorrow. But, there's also part of me that thinks that, no matter the odds of your candidate winning, you should exercise your right to vote.
One vote may not decide this election or any other election, but your one vote with that of a few others might just be enough to make a huge difference.
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02 November 2008
01 November 2008
McCain's ground game in Detroit
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This fabulous lady is doing her part to make sure that John McCain gets what he deserves on Election Day this year. Where do these people get these ideas? Absolutely unbelievable.
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This fabulous lady is doing her part to make sure that John McCain gets what he deserves on Election Day this year. Where do these people get these ideas? Absolutely unbelievable.
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Sarah gets a call from France!!
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Today, Sarah Palin received this call from a Canadian radio personality posing as Nicholas Sarkozy. She didn't realize that it was a huge joke.
Canadian Press reports:
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Today, Sarah Palin received this call from a Canadian radio personality posing as Nicholas Sarkozy. She didn't realize that it was a huge joke.
Canadian Press reports:
A Quebec comedy duo notorious for prank calls to celebrities and heads of state has reached Sarah Palin, convincing the Republican vice-presidential nominee she was speaking with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
The Masked Avengers, who have a regular show on Montreal radio station CKOI, intend to air the full interview on the eve of the U.S. elections.Haven't we had enough of her yet? Don't her "people" check out these calls before they just hand over the phone? I think that they will start. Take heart - according to the today's Gallup poll, Obama is up about 10 points.
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May the Force be with you
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OK, this is sort of old news. I mean, Obama already beat Hillary, and now they're best buddies on the campaign trail - heck, even Bill is shouting his praises. But I found this video, and it's too good to leave behind.
Then, as I was laughing hysterically and blowing coffee out my nose, I saw this one.
Now, just for something a little more current, I offer this collection of rousing show tunes, starring none other than John McCain.
Yeah, I'm feeling lazy today, so it's just videos. I'm still coming down from the Halloween sugar-high from last night. I'll try again later...maybe...
OK, just one more. Again, nothing to read, just lots of really cool pics.
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OK, this is sort of old news. I mean, Obama already beat Hillary, and now they're best buddies on the campaign trail - heck, even Bill is shouting his praises. But I found this video, and it's too good to leave behind.
Then, as I was laughing hysterically and blowing coffee out my nose, I saw this one.
Now, just for something a little more current, I offer this collection of rousing show tunes, starring none other than John McCain.
Yeah, I'm feeling lazy today, so it's just videos. I'm still coming down from the Halloween sugar-high from last night. I'll try again later...maybe...
OK, just one more. Again, nothing to read, just lots of really cool pics.
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