This has long been known : the welter of financial ties of Diebold and ES&S to the radical religious right (with stakeholders currently, it seems, on the secretive CNP) and Bob Fitrakis notes : "Wherever Diebold and ES&S go, irregularities and historic Republican upsets follow." Howard Ahmanson was the original funder for Bob and Todd Urosevich's Data Mark,which became ES&S, Bob later left to head Diebold ,maker of HAVA Act mandated touch screen voting machines used in Ohio and Florida and elsewhere....Ahmanson is a Christian Reconstructionist (a form of Dominionism ) who has talked of imposing Biblical law on the US - including the death penalty for gays and drunkards - and is also a main funder of the Chalcedon Foundation. However, the most bizzare patterns of anomalies in Florida came not from touch-screen but optical scan machines. Florida's central vote tabulator also is Diebold made, raising questions on the a bizzare pattern of anomalies in which a large number of counties in Florida had increases in Republicans votes over expected levels - by an overall average of 50% to 100% and - in one county, as high as 700%. Meanhwhile, here are graphs of variance between exit poll results for battleground states. [from MetaFilter.com]
Friday, November 05, 2004
Disenchanted Americans flood immigration website
Canada's official immigration website is receiving a record number of visits since Bush won a second term, and most of the hits are from the U.S.
Within hours of Bush's acceptance speech Wednesday, six times more Americans than usual surfed the site.
There were about 179,000 visitors to the site Wednesday, almost twice the previous one-day record set last year. About 64 per cent of those visitors were Americans.
Skilled workers
A spokesperson for Citizenship and Immigration said Thursday that the most-visited pages were the ones that let people check if they would qualify to move to Canada as skilled workers.
Within hours of Bush's acceptance speech Wednesday, six times more Americans than usual surfed the site.
There were about 179,000 visitors to the site Wednesday, almost twice the previous one-day record set last year. About 64 per cent of those visitors were Americans.
Skilled workers
A spokesperson for Citizenship and Immigration said Thursday that the most-visited pages were the ones that let people check if they would qualify to move to Canada as skilled workers.
Melting ice breaks polar food chain
Research has disclosed that numbers of the tiny shrimp-like creatures that prop up the Antarctic marine food chain have fallen by 80 per cent since the 1970s, creating food shortages that are endangering larger animals and birds.
NI_MPU('middle');
The decline appears to have been caused by the loss of sea-ice around the frozen continent, and that is believed to be an effect of global warming.
Sea ice is critical to the life cycle of krill, as the ice shelters their larvae from predators and is rich in the algae on which they feed. The ocean around the mountainous continuation of the Andes within the Antarctic Circle, known as the Antarctic Peninsula, is an important breeding ground for krill. It is warming at one of the fastest rates of any location on the planet, with a corresponding reduction in the extent of sea-ice around it.
NI_MPU('middle');
The decline appears to have been caused by the loss of sea-ice around the frozen continent, and that is believed to be an effect of global warming.
Sea ice is critical to the life cycle of krill, as the ice shelters their larvae from predators and is rich in the algae on which they feed. The ocean around the mountainous continuation of the Andes within the Antarctic Circle, known as the Antarctic Peninsula, is an important breeding ground for krill. It is warming at one of the fastest rates of any location on the planet, with a corresponding reduction in the extent of sea-ice around it.
On Shelves Tuesday: "Selling Women Short" by Liza Featherstone
“SELLING WOMEN SHORT is a bargain even Wal-Mart can’t match. Not only does it tell the story of the amazing women who’ve sued Wal-Mart for sex discrimination, but it offers an unprecedented glimpse into Wal-Mart's pseudo-Christian, ultra-macho, corporate culture.”
-Barbara Ehrenreich, New York Times Bestselling author of Nickel & Dimed
“Featherstone returns to the women of Wal-Mart what the corporation would steal: their humanity, their insight, their voice. These workers’ fight is our fight. No one in today’s economy is unaffected by their struggle for livable wages and workplace respect.”
-Laura Flanders, author of Bushwomen: Tales of a Cynical Species
“Liza Featherstone has written a women’s rights manifesto for the corporate age and a Fast Food Nation for the retail world – utterly engrossing, sometimes shocking and deeply inspiring. A devastating story, superbly told. This is a breakthrough book.”
-Naomi Klein, author of No Logo
“If Wal-Mart was the great business story of the nineties, its workers may well be the big story of the following decade. SELLING WOMEN SHORT is a vivid primer on this extraordinary empire, the lives of its employees, and the real-world costs of modern business.”
- Jeffrey Toobin, author of A Vast Conspiracy
“Liza Featherstone’s eloquent, unsparing page-turner delivers a sharp poke in the eye to one of America’s worst corporations. Here’s one book I'll bet you can’t buy at Wal-Mart!”
-Jim Hightower, author of Thieves in High Places
-Barbara Ehrenreich, New York Times Bestselling author of Nickel & Dimed
“Featherstone returns to the women of Wal-Mart what the corporation would steal: their humanity, their insight, their voice. These workers’ fight is our fight. No one in today’s economy is unaffected by their struggle for livable wages and workplace respect.”
-Laura Flanders, author of Bushwomen: Tales of a Cynical Species
“Liza Featherstone has written a women’s rights manifesto for the corporate age and a Fast Food Nation for the retail world – utterly engrossing, sometimes shocking and deeply inspiring. A devastating story, superbly told. This is a breakthrough book.”
-Naomi Klein, author of No Logo
“If Wal-Mart was the great business story of the nineties, its workers may well be the big story of the following decade. SELLING WOMEN SHORT is a vivid primer on this extraordinary empire, the lives of its employees, and the real-world costs of modern business.”
- Jeffrey Toobin, author of A Vast Conspiracy
“Liza Featherstone’s eloquent, unsparing page-turner delivers a sharp poke in the eye to one of America’s worst corporations. Here’s one book I'll bet you can’t buy at Wal-Mart!”
-Jim Hightower, author of Thieves in High Places
Students camp out to protest Bush
About 85 high school students who say they are upset about the direction the nation is heading were camping out in the school library, demanding a visit from Republican Party leaders.
Students began their protest Thursday and school officials said they could stay through Friday when representatives of their Democratic congressman, U.S. Rep. Mark Udall, and U.S. Senator-elect Ken Salazar, are expected to visit them.
However the students, who brought sleeping bags and food to last through the weekend, said they also wanted to meet with representatives of school superintendent George Garcia along with Republicans Gov. Bill Owens and U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, who sponsored the failed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
Students began their protest Thursday and school officials said they could stay through Friday when representatives of their Democratic congressman, U.S. Rep. Mark Udall, and U.S. Senator-elect Ken Salazar, are expected to visit them.
However the students, who brought sleeping bags and food to last through the weekend, said they also wanted to meet with representatives of school superintendent George Garcia along with Republicans Gov. Bill Owens and U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, who sponsored the failed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
Study: Vaccine Protects Against Cancer
Four years after getting the vaccine, 94 percent of women were protected from infection with the virus that causes most cervical cancers and none had developed worrisome precancerous conditions, a study showed.
"We're thrilled about these results. The immune responses seem to be really long-lasting," said Dr. Eliav Barr, who leads development of the vaccine for Merck & Co. The company plans to seek U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval next year for an expanded version of the vaccine that also could be used to prevent genital warts in both women and men.
The new study was funded by Merck and led by University of Washington researchers who presented results Monday at a meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.
"We're thrilled about these results. The immune responses seem to be really long-lasting," said Dr. Eliav Barr, who leads development of the vaccine for Merck & Co. The company plans to seek U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval next year for an expanded version of the vaccine that also could be used to prevent genital warts in both women and men.
The new study was funded by Merck and led by University of Washington researchers who presented results Monday at a meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.
Bush News Conference Transcript
BUSH: Now that I've got the will of the people at my back, I'm going to start enforcing the one-question rule. That was three questions.
...QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President. How will you go about bringing people together? Will you seek a consensus candidate for the Supreme Court if there's an opening? Will you bring some Democrats into your Cabinet?
BUSH: Yes. Again, you violated the one-question rule right off the bat. Obviously, you didn't listen to the will of the people.
...QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President. How will you go about bringing people together? Will you seek a consensus candidate for the Supreme Court if there's an opening? Will you bring some Democrats into your Cabinet?
BUSH: Yes. Again, you violated the one-question rule right off the bat. Obviously, you didn't listen to the will of the people.
Movie Lawsuits on the Way
Dan Glickman, president and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, said that its member studios will file lawsuits beginning Nov. 16 and will seek damages and injunctive relief. Knowingly distributing copyright films carries penalties of up to $150,000 per film.
...One P2P expert said the movie industry has learned from the blunders of the music industry, which waited years before cracking down on file traders.
"My impression is that the recording industry is extremely disappointed that file sharing is so persistent and that the legitimate marketplace has not outpaced piracy," said Eric Garland, CEO of BigChampagne, which charts traffic on file-sharing services. "I don't think Hollywood is yet in that position."
Although the Recording Industry Association of America has sued thousands of alleged music sharers -- including many on college campuses -- since September 2003, there's been no noticeable decline in P2P sharing.
...One P2P expert said the movie industry has learned from the blunders of the music industry, which waited years before cracking down on file traders.
"My impression is that the recording industry is extremely disappointed that file sharing is so persistent and that the legitimate marketplace has not outpaced piracy," said Eric Garland, CEO of BigChampagne, which charts traffic on file-sharing services. "I don't think Hollywood is yet in that position."
Although the Recording Industry Association of America has sued thousands of alleged music sharers -- including many on college campuses -- since September 2003, there's been no noticeable decline in P2P sharing.
Kos Examines Ohio Fraud Questions
So the question becomes, are the curious numbers in Ohio (and Florida) due to the way the electorate voted, or due to the way those votes were summed up in the central office? It is entirely possible that errors might exist which do not affect the outcome of the election, but which are still serious enough to require a serious review.
This is why I, for one believe it is our national interests to have a manual recount of some of the Ohio counties with the most unusual results. But this is not a Kerry issue; this is a democracy issue. Can these machines be trusted? Recounts in selected counties would resolve this: it needs to be done.
This is why I, for one believe it is our national interests to have a manual recount of some of the Ohio counties with the most unusual results. But this is not a Kerry issue; this is a democracy issue. Can these machines be trusted? Recounts in selected counties would resolve this: it needs to be done.
High Tea at Tenny Street
acoustic jam & open micSundays 2 - 7 pm
great room with excellent sound delicious food - relaxed atmosphere all performers welcome
or just come down and enjoy the show
great room with excellent sound delicious food - relaxed atmosphere all performers welcome
or just come down and enjoy the show
ACLU Calls for Redoubled Effort to Counter “Unrelenting Assault” on Civil Liberties
In a full-page advertisement in today’s New York Times, the American Civil Liberties Union called on civil libertarians to redouble their efforts to oppose the Bush Administration’s "unrelenting assault on our civil liberties."
Even before today’s advertisement ran, the group said that within 24 hours of the election it had experienced its largest ever surge in online donations - more than 1,200 unsolicited gifts totaling more than $65,000 (an average of $54 per person).
"Over the past four years, the ACLU and its members have shown that we can successfully defend freedom even in the most inhospitable climate," said ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero. "Working with both Democrats and Republicans, we intend to build on that success, and we intend to win. The spontaneous outpouring of support we have seen is clearly a sign that the American people are ready, willing and able to fight to preserve our civil liberties."
Even before today’s advertisement ran, the group said that within 24 hours of the election it had experienced its largest ever surge in online donations - more than 1,200 unsolicited gifts totaling more than $65,000 (an average of $54 per person).
"Over the past four years, the ACLU and its members have shown that we can successfully defend freedom even in the most inhospitable climate," said ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero. "Working with both Democrats and Republicans, we intend to build on that success, and we intend to win. The spontaneous outpouring of support we have seen is clearly a sign that the American people are ready, willing and able to fight to preserve our civil liberties."
The Post-Election Selection, on K Street
"After convincing Election Day wins ... Republican leaders can continue to try to repopulate Washington's famous lobbying corridor," K Street, "with their brethren," reports The Hill. Top lobbying slots are open at the American Chemistry Council, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Visa and Freddie Mac. K Street Project co-founder Grover Norquist called hiring Democratic lobbyists "stupid," pointing to "the movie industry's loss of a key tax break" after the Motion Picture Association of America hired Democrat Dan Glickman as its chief lobbyist. [from PRWatch.org]
Holes in the Missile Shield
despite the more than $80 billion spent by the U.S. on missile defense since 1985, this system will not provide significant protection for many years, if ever. The political pressure to claim that the U.S. is secure against a rogue nation's attack has led to a defense that will not counter even the earliest threats from the emerging missile powers. The MDA's midcourse system is built to intercept long-range missiles fired thousands of kilometers from the U.S.; it can do nothing to stop a short- or medium-range missile launched from a ship off America's coasts. What is more, the interceptor rockets would most likely prove inadequate against long-range missiles as well, because an enemy could easily equip its ICBMs with fundamentally simple and highly effective countermeasures. [from Scientific American]
Web of Influence
Blogs are becoming more influential because they affect the content of international media coverage. Journalism professor Todd Gitlin once noted that media frame reality through “principles of selection, emphasis, and presentation composed of little tacit theories about what exists, what happens, and what matters.” Increasingly, journalists and pundits take their cues about “what matters” in the world from weblogs. For salient topics in global affairs, the blogosphere functions as a rare combination of distributed expertise, real-time collective response to breaking news, and public-opinion barometer. What’s more, a hierarchical structure has taken shape within the primordial chaos of cyberspace. A few elite blogs have emerged as aggregators of information and analysis, enabling media commentators to extract meaningful analysis and rely on blogs to help them interpret and predict political developments.
The Election County by County
Using County-by-County election return data from USA Today together with County boundary data from the US Census' Tiger database we produced the following graphic depicting the results. Of course, blue is for the democrats, red is for the republicans, and green is for all other. Each county's color is a mix of these three color components in proportion to the results for that county.
Counties shown in black represent either missing election data or a mismatch between the US Census data and the USA Today data. For example, the New England states' election return data is given for each municipality and/or district rather than for each county. Hence, it couldn't be easily matched with the county boundaries.
Counties shown in black represent either missing election data or a mismatch between the US Census data and the USA Today data. For example, the New England states' election return data is given for each municipality and/or district rather than for each county. Hence, it couldn't be easily matched with the county boundaries.
2002: A Palindrome Story
2002 demands lore—aside Roman-era eye, non-idyl. Guerilla muse, we call, rig. Yo! Brag us an ode- tale.
...
...
elated on a sugar: "Boy ... girl lace!" We sum all: ire, ugly din. One year enamored is aero-LSD named 2002
...
...
elated on a sugar: "Boy ... girl lace!" We sum all: ire, ugly din. One year enamored is aero-LSD named 2002
Florida Voter Approve Minimum Wage Increase
Thousands of Floridians who earn minimum wage will get bigger paychecks because voters overwhelmingly approved a $1 raise in the wage, from $5.15 to $6.15, on Tuesday."This is really a huge victory for Florida's working families," said Meghan Scott, communications director for Floridians For All, the group that sponsored the measure. "Once people heard what Amendment 5 was and what it would do for Florida's working poor, people really got it."
Reason Embattled Secularism in Peril
Scalia then laid out a philosophy in which democracy can never serve as a sufficient basis for governmental authority. “It is easy,” he asserted, “to see the hand of the Almighty behind rulers whose forebears, in the dim mists of history, were supposedly anointed by God, who at least obtained their thrones in awful and unpredictable battles whose outcome was determined by the Lord of Hosts, that is, the Lord of Armies. It is much more difficult to see the hand of God—or any higher moral authority—behind the fools and rogues (as the losers would have it) whom we ourselves elect to do our own will. How can their power to avenge—to vindicate the ‘public order’—be greater than our own?”
...The virtue of Scalia’s extremism is that it lays bare the messianic radicalism at the heart of the current assault on separation of church and state. This is not merely a constitutional or legal argument, though it is that too, but a far more fundamental attack on secularist and nonreligious humanist values. For the warriors of the religious Right, governmental power is not an end in itself but merely one more mechanism, along with institutions of education, communications, and finance, for advancing their values within society.
...The virtue of Scalia’s extremism is that it lays bare the messianic radicalism at the heart of the current assault on separation of church and state. This is not merely a constitutional or legal argument, though it is that too, but a far more fundamental attack on secularist and nonreligious humanist values. For the warriors of the religious Right, governmental power is not an end in itself but merely one more mechanism, along with institutions of education, communications, and finance, for advancing their values within society.
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