tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89003972011-04-21T22:15:44.137-04:00Seid umschlungen, Millionen! Diesen Kuss der ganzen Welt!Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.comBlogger671100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1128704904101375372005-10-07T13:02:00.000-04:002005-10-07T13:08:24.160-04:00

I have been somewhat disinterested in politics of late. I suppose I could partly attribute this to disgust with the inadequacy of the government response to Hurricane Katrina. Yet it is difficult to criticize the Bush administration on this topic, or any other topic, without getting sucked into the us-against-them game of politics. This administration in particular, in which politics trumps

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1125496718673012062005-08-31T09:49:00.000-04:002005-08-31T09:58:38.680-04:00

The situation is bad, and for many it is still getting worse.I saw the director of the Red Cross on the news last night, and she said that what they need is donations of money, money, blood, and more money. Online monetary donations are especially welcome, as that money can then be used immediately to help the victims. Go here to donate.And here is the word from FEMA on how to help: link.

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1125078428607574432005-08-26T13:47:00.000-04:002005-08-26T13:49:54.336-04:00

In the next universe over, this is my blog. Given lots and lots and lots of free time, I could easily imagine myself making instruments like these. There but for the grace of the Mystic Law go I.(Via Music Thing, an incredibly cool blog which I should have linked to long ago. Kind of like an all-music-gear version of Boing Boing.)

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1124724823001083092005-08-22T11:33:00.000-04:002005-08-22T11:38:44.236-04:00

Bob Moog, pioneering synthesizer maker, has died of brain cancer. He was 71. Farewell, Bob, and thanks for enlarging the sonic landscape.

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1123784505055107572005-08-12T16:48:00.000-04:002005-08-12T16:48:13.933-04:00

In case the stupidity of the protestors in that last post has left your brain hurting, I have the perfect antidote: airborne cats.

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1123870050779950502005-08-12T16:07:00.000-04:002005-09-08T23:43:20.650-04:00

One of the more idiotic and deceitful refrains bandied about in the conservative blogohemisphere (as well as at the highest levels of government) is that liberals who believe that the United States should not have invaded Iraq in 2003 also now want America to lose and for the terrorists to win. That anybody actually falls for this has always mystified me. Can it be that hard to grasp the

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1123168745235242472005-08-04T11:25:00.000-04:002005-08-04T11:29:49.900-04:00

The Saudi blogger who goes by the pseudonym Alhamedi and publishes the blog The Religious Policeman has returned with a slew of new posts after a one year absence from the blogosphere! Over the past year I have missed reading his insightful, humanistic and humorous posts which heap healthy doses of scorn and ridicule equally on extremists of all religions, nationalities, and political leanings.

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1122990934468344322005-08-02T10:37:00.000-04:002005-08-02T10:39:53.150-04:00

At first, I viewed Bush's recess appointment of John Bolton as our ambassador to the UN as nothing more than additional evidence of the administration's arrogance and stubbornness, but I'm starting to think that there's more to it than that.It is no secret that President Bush and most of his inner circle have little genuine respect for the United Nations, and Bush's recess appointment of Bolton

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1122784906765754882005-07-31T00:41:00.000-04:002005-07-31T00:48:53.266-04:00

Go and watch this interview with Jean Schmidt, the Republican candidate to fill the vacant Congressional seat in Ohio's 2nd District. It really makes you wonder if maybe psychotic rage is testing well with focus groups in Ohio these days.I mean, compared with her, Howard Dean circa. Feb. '04 was a laid-back, mellow kind of guy.H.T. Atrios.

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1122646602114365172005-07-29T10:30:00.000-04:002005-07-29T10:31:06.056-04:00

A while back, I deleted The Huffington Post from my Bloglines feed list. There were simply too many posts to keep up with, and while eclecticism is usually a plus in my book, there were too many posts on topics I care little about for me to feel it was worth my while to sift through it all looking for the bits that interest me. Anyway, I figured that if there were anything that would genuinely

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1121880984845358952005-07-20T13:36:00.000-04:002005-07-20T13:37:39.973-04:00

I could write about Rove, but I don't really have anything to say that hasn't been said in one of the blogs in my blogroll, so I won't add anything at this point.I could write about Bush's Supreme Court nominee, but at this point I don't really know anything about the man, so I have nothing to say as of yet.So instead, I'll just post a link to Design Observer, an interesting blog I happened to

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1120681674402407412005-07-06T16:27:00.000-04:002005-07-06T16:32:32.800-04:00

Kevin Drum begins this post by writing, "One of these days I'll get around to writing a longer post on this subject. . . ." One of these days, I'll do the same. But for now I'll just link to his post, which opens up the question of where the greatest threat to our security comes from, and whether the war we are currently fighting is genuinely capable of addressing that threat.

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1120659126878220282005-07-06T10:12:00.000-04:002005-07-06T10:21:53.213-04:00

All joking aside, this is genuinely disturbing.

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1120242479329329292005-07-01T14:27:00.000-04:002005-07-01T15:25:38.813-04:00

The BBC Recordings of Beethoven's symphonies 6-9 are now available for download. Symphony no. 6 will be available until July 4th, symphony no. 7 will be available until July 5th, and so on.I've listened to symphonies 1-5, which were available for download last month, and they're not bad. They're not destined to become my favorite recordings of any of the symphonies, but it's always interesting to

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1120232991676662092005-07-01T11:49:00.000-04:002005-07-01T11:57:09.100-04:00

DavidNYC over at Daily Kos has a suggested course of action for ensuring that a consenus nominee is chosen to fill the O'Connor's seat on the Court.Also, Atrios suggests Ed Prado as a consensus nominee.

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1120230733591807092005-07-01T11:12:00.000-04:002005-07-01T11:29:58.380-04:00

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor has informed President Bush that she will retire from the Supreme Court as soon as her successor is confirmed by the Senate, which, if recent trends are any indication, may be a while yet. . . .Update: If there were ever a time for Bush to make good on his rhetoric about being "a uniter, not a divider", then his announcement of a nominee to replace O'Connor sure would

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1120179042785496182005-06-30T20:50:00.000-04:002005-07-01T10:38:35.420-04:00

I was all set to write a clever, witty post about the blogosphere turning into a ghost town, what with so many blogs renouncing their bloghood and becoming online magazines. But then I realized that the moment had passed, and that the joke was already stale before I wrote it. I was too late.Anyhow, "Temporary Autonomous Online Magazine" just wouldn't sound right.

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1120055676437915462005-06-29T10:34:00.000-04:002005-06-29T10:37:52.766-04:00

I have to admit I didn't watch it, but by all accounts Bush's speech last night offered nothing new. Prof. Juan Cole over at Informed Comment refutes some of Bush's main talking points and concludes with this: "There was nothing new in Bush's speech, and most of what he said was inaccurate."

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1118412602730576952005-06-10T10:10:00.000-04:002005-06-10T14:28:33.310-04:00

Yet another reason to like the BBC. This via Boing Boing: the BBC is offering free mp3 downloads of all nine of Beethoven's symphonies as performed by the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Gianandrea Noseda. Go grab 'em here, and get 'em quick. You will be able to download symphonies 1 and 3 through Monday, June 13, and symphonies 2, 4, and 5 will be available through Tuesday the 14th. Symphonies 6

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1118166000698377072005-06-07T14:32:00.000-04:002005-06-07T14:34:06.656-04:00

It is hard to be a member of the reality-based community these days, because reality is getting seriously weird. But I feel especially bad for political satirists. I mean, stuff like this leaves them no room to work in. If this were pardody, it would be quite funny. But unfortunately it is not, and so it just leaves me slack-jawed. Take a look a this article from the conservative Christian "news"

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1117132443588179272005-05-26T14:48:00.000-04:002005-05-26T14:48:57.593-04:00

So, George, consider this "hypothetical" situation:A married couple with a 9-year-old child are getting a divorce. Both parents practice the same religion, so the future religious upbringing of their child is not something the parents disagree about, and therefore religion is not a relevant issue in the divorce case. But the judge tells the divorcing couple that they cannot expose their child to

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1117131380796096952005-05-26T14:16:00.000-04:002005-05-26T14:22:59.876-04:00

Juan Cole offers his well-informed assessment. For those who don't have the time or patience to read his entire post, the title pretty much sums things up.

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1117043575749411492005-05-25T13:52:00.000-04:002005-05-25T13:56:27.220-04:00

The fact that I found this article on the Internet and am now taking the time to write this post about it should be more than enough evidence to convince me that I could benefit from such a system.

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1117037495483359142005-05-25T12:11:00.000-04:002005-05-25T12:17:05.983-04:00

WTF, is the Temporary Autonomous Blog becoming some sort of "link of the day" site?I don't know, but here's today's link: PostSecret(Via Boing Boing.)

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1116966508664853102005-05-24T16:28:00.000-04:002005-05-24T16:37:21.290-04:00

Here's another interesting find: Left2Right. Check it out. It is notable not only because of the interesting posts, but also because of the unusually* insightful discussions in the comments.(By the way, there is an "Alex" who comments there. He isn't me, in case you were wondering.)* (as compared with most other blogs I've come across thus far)

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1116880908227970412005-05-23T16:41:00.000-04:002005-05-23T16:53:05.776-04:00

Nothing political. Just an interesting website: controlled skidFrom the description:The vignettes that appear on Controlled Skid are an exercise in immediacy and commitment. The images are selected from photostreams on Flickr. I spend a few moments considering the photograph, then create a sketch based on the image. The writing is done quickly; no editing is allowed. The vignette is then posted

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1116424167752028062005-05-18T09:49:00.000-04:002005-05-18T09:50:56.300-04:00

I thought that in this post Joshua Micah Marshall did a particularly good job of putting an issue in its proper perspective.

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1115820831310375572005-05-11T10:50:00.000-04:002005-05-11T10:50:30.646-04:00

You really, really need to read this article in the Louisville Courrier-Journal, adapted from a speech by photojournalist Molly Bingham. (H.T. Attaturk at Eschaton)To me, it seems self-evident that if we want the so-called insurgents in Iraq to stop the attacks and bombings, it would be very helpful for us to have at least some understanding of their motivation*. This is hardly a new idea; it's

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1115751616941937962005-05-10T14:51:00.000-04:002005-05-10T15:19:00.220-04:00

Gregory emailed me a link to MoveOn's Social Security flash animation contest. I haven't looked at all the finalists, but I liked the winner.Also, if you haven't checked it out yet, take a moment to visit the Huffington Post, featuring the blog with the revolving all-star cast.Lastly, I've finally figured out this "hiatus" thing. Here's the deal: If you see a new or recent post here, then I'm not

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1115301132902467642005-05-05T09:52:00.000-04:002005-05-05T10:18:38.280-04:00

It's OK to discriminate against one religious group, as long as you can demonstrate that you're not discriminating against other, more-mainstream religious groups.I mean, sure, you've got that freedom of religion thing, but don't, like, get carried away with it or anything, OK?(Oddly, I find myself reminded of the scene from the Blues Brothers when they arrive at Bob's Country Bunker:Elwood: What

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1115228134508256712005-05-04T14:25:00.000-04:002005-05-04T14:26:53.516-04:00

I'm sorry, Mr. Prager, but the founders of this great nation of ours would not agree with you. That is why they wrote this:Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; . . .Freedom of religion means much more than having the right to choose what denomination of Christianity you want to belong to. And just because I am not a

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1115225110045451582005-05-04T12:45:00.000-04:002005-05-04T13:11:44.960-04:00

Just a few quick non-hiatus-ending links: one to a thought-provoking post by Kevin Drum, and one to a nice iconoclastic rant by Tom Tomorrow.

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1113847915567808282005-04-18T14:11:00.000-04:002005-04-18T14:17:08.170-04:00

I am still on hiatus, because I really don't have the time to be writing this, but I couldn't resist linking to this.I can't understand how the same folks who believe that government is too incompetent to help with your health insurance needs also somehow believe that the government is well qualified to get involved with your kids' religious upbringing.

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1112796491219490322005-04-06T10:04:00.000-04:002005-04-07T09:42:14.650-04:00

It would appear, judging by the lack of posts over the past month, that the Temporary Autonomous Blog is on hiatus again. Just wanted to point out the obvious.Update: The folks at Fafblog said it better.

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1110296920700801032005-03-08T10:31:00.000-05:002005-03-08T10:48:40.703-05:00

Yesterday GWB nominated John R. Bolton to be the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Here are a few key paragraphs from today's NYT article on the nomination:Mr. Bolton, a former protégé of Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina, once said that "if the U.N. secretary building in New York lost 10 stories, it wouldn't make a bit of difference" and that "there's no such thing as the United Nations."An aide

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1109968590449033482005-03-04T15:36:00.000-05:002005-03-04T15:48:32.500-05:00

If you have even the least bit of interest in the whole Social Security debate (which you should), go read this post by Joshua Micah Marshall at Talking Points Memo. Having done that, you owe it to yourself to wait through the Target ad to get at the Salon article he links to.While it may seem at the moment that Bush's assault on Social Security is D.O.A., do not make the mistake of

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1109947255857216002005-03-04T09:40:00.000-05:002005-03-04T09:42:39.190-05:00

Yet again, the lens through which the Medium Lobster views reality has brought recent events into sharp focus.I would nominate the Medium Lobster for philosopher-king, but I have already promised to bow before Giblets.

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1108997468153942982005-02-21T09:51:00.000-05:002005-02-21T14:33:53.620-05:00

H.S.T., R.I.P.Update: The New York Times website now has a tribute page to Thompson.I learned of Thompson's death this morning via CNN.com and entered the brief post above before going on my morning tour of my staple blogs. When I first wrote this post, I had considered writing something along the lines of "the blogosphere owes more to Hunter S. Thompson than it realizes," but I didn't. After

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1108407883207914252005-02-14T14:04:00.000-05:002005-02-14T16:19:21.206-05:00

It seems that the folks in the administration who brought us the Iraq War are finding that the results of the Jan. 30th elections are not what they expected.When the Bush administration decided to invade Iraq two years ago, it envisioned a quick handover to handpicked allies in a secular government that would be the antithesis of Iran's theocracy -- potentially even a foil to Tehran's regional

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1108156402729671822005-02-11T16:13:00.000-05:002005-02-11T16:21:13.976-05:00

If you have anthing at all important to do, and if you have any A.D.D. tendencies at all, do not click on this link. And whatever you do, don't click on one of the tags and then click on the "View as slideshow" link. If you do, don't come to me later asking where the time went.

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1107526842308638272005-02-04T09:20:00.000-05:002005-02-04T09:28:42.413-05:00

After Harry Reid explained the issue surrounding the Gonzales nomination in such clear terms, how could any senator vote in good conscience to approve? I mean, shouldn't the man we select to put in charge of the Justice Department be required to demonstrate at least a minimal understanding of the concept of justice? Is that too much to ask? Seriously, where does Bush find these guys?

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1106948533653877712005-01-28T16:42:00.000-05:002005-01-28T16:45:16.136-05:00

You really need to read this post at Lawrence Lessig's blog. Here is actual proof that real democracy is not dead. Before we embark on trying to bring "freedom" to people in far-off lands, why not see if we can cultivate a little real democracy here at home? Can you imagine any national politician here in the U.S., regardless of party, engaging in the kind of genuine dialogue that Lessig

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1106775713723669282005-01-26T16:41:00.000-05:002005-01-26T16:41:53.723-05:00

Once again, the Medium Lobster has explained things in a way that makes my brain all warm and tingly.

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1106688383379978512005-01-25T16:26:00.000-05:002005-01-25T16:52:26.256-05:00

I hereby add my name to this petition authored by the past & present management of Daily Kos: Unprecedented times call for unprecedented actions. In this case, we, the undersigned bloggers, have decided to speak as one and collectively author a document of opposition. We oppose the nomination of Alberto Gonzales to the position of Attorney General of the United States, and we urge every United

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1106326447788714992005-01-21T11:54:00.000-05:002005-01-21T12:05:03.300-05:00

Over at the New York Times (go ahead and register, already), Paul Krugman's recent Op-Ed piece does a good job of outlining the problems with George W Bush's upcoming Social Security cluster**** privatization plan. Here's his concluding paragraph: Sometimes I do find myself puzzled: why don't privatizers understand that their schemes rest on the peculiar belief that there is a giant free lunch

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1106232067626234712005-01-20T09:41:00.000-05:002005-01-20T10:45:18.650-05:00

Could someone out there with an advanced degree in statistics or political science help me interpret the results of this poll which Tom Tomorrow has brought to our attention? Seriously, that has to be one of the greatest headlines of all time. Whoever wrote that deserves some kind of award. The Onion could not have done it any better. Update: Josh Marshall has a link to the actual page on the

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1106157100011396812005-01-19T13:51:00.000-05:002005-01-19T13:52:19.773-05:00

I feel the need to temporarily put my hiatus on hiatus to comment on this article from the New York Times. For those of you who don't want to go through the login process, here are the lead paragraphs: WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 -Officers of the Central Intelligence Agency and other nonmilitary personnel fall outside the bounds of a 2002 directive issued by President Bush that pledged the humane

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1103745685695282232004-12-22T15:01:00.000-05:002004-12-22T15:01:25.696-05:00

Take a look at this photo. Guess the location where the photo was taken before you read any of the text on the page. Did you guess correctly? I sure didn't. (By the way, I'm still on hiatus.)

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1100716929903188332004-11-17T13:31:00.000-05:002004-11-17T13:42:09.903-05:00

While it might be interesting in a sort of post-modern, existentialist kind of way to continue blogging on the subject of what to do with my blog, I've decided it's more honest (though maybe less amusing) to just admit to myself and everybody else that I'm too busy to blog right now. This website will remain here, and any announcements concerning this blogspace and/or links to any other blog I

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1100294788924297282004-11-12T16:10:00.000-05:002004-11-12T16:26:28.923-05:00

Still not sure what will become of this blog - whether it will carry forth with a new purpose, whether it will be put out of its misery, or whether it will disappear only to be reincarnated in a new guise. I have been far too busy over the last week or so to give it much thought. All the things that I postponed until "after the election" are now presenting their credentials and demanding their

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1099689014234951332004-11-05T16:04:00.000-05:002004-11-05T16:10:14.233-05:00

One of the lesser-known features of electoral-vote.com is the cartogram page. Here are the final results in cartogram format. Also, Slashdot recently featured a 3-D election results map.

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1099684235741976292004-11-05T14:50:00.000-05:002004-11-05T14:50:35.740-05:00

As the title of this blog suggests, I intended from the beginning that this blog would be a short-lived venture. I created it for a specific purpose, namely to help in some small way to help fire up Kerry/Edwards supporters (at least those few who I know) and to get out the vote in the 2004 presidential election. Now that the election has come and gone, I find myself wondering what would justify

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1099683236965228372004-11-05T14:31:00.000-05:002004-11-05T14:33:56.966-05:00

Over at Pandagon, Ezra has a graph that puts things in perspective.

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1099497146120110252004-11-03T10:04:00.000-05:002004-11-03T10:52:26.120-05:00

Well, that didn't exactly turn out the way I hoped it would. I don't know for certian what the outcome will be in Ohio, but I think most reality-based people have a pretty good idea of what the possibilities realistically are. But no matter what happens in Ohio, it won't change the fact that Bush won the national popular vote by a substantial margin. I've heard some people already talking

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1099407119300842222004-11-02T09:37:00.000-05:002004-11-02T14:18:39.403-05:00

This is probably obvious, but I haven't seen anyone else comment on this, so I'll go ahead and say it. In states that permit early voting, early voter turnout has been heavy. It seems reasonable to assume that voters who voted early might vote differently than the people who waited until today. So any exit poll that only polls the people who are voting today should be looked at with a great deal

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1099406111830029752004-11-02T09:25:00.000-05:002004-11-02T09:36:13.846-05:00

Procrastinators, this is your last chance. No more putting it off. It's now or never. Speak now, or forever hold your peace. Get out there and vote. People who put things off until the last minute but actually get them done before the deadline can call themselves procrastinators. People who say they'll get it done but never do are not procrastinators. They're just people who make excuses.

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1099323979561703372004-11-01T10:25:00.000-05:002004-11-01T11:03:50.653-05:00

There seem to be a lot of people out there who don't really like Bush but can't seem to get excited about voting for Kerry. My question is, when did we as a voting public reach the point where we demand excitement from our candidates? When did it stop being enough for a candidate to be competent, intelligent, experienced, and to support policies that we agree with? I think those of us who vote

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1099270583539494542004-10-31T19:30:00.000-05:002004-10-31T20:21:05.146-05:00

I guess I can stop giving reasons for voting early now. We are down to the wire. Still haven't voted? Feeling like your vote won't matter because you don't live in a so-called swing state? Think again. The first reason your vote matters is because the presidential race is not the only game in town. Your state and local officals and congressional representatives need your vote as much as, if

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1099105681357174812004-10-29T22:22:00.000-04:002004-10-29T23:08:01.356-04:00

Owing to its temporary nature, the Temporary Autonomous Blog does not have a sidebar blogroll like many other, more temporally-stable blogs do. However, do not take this to mean that I am so autonomous as not to not read other blogs. Far from it! I have spent more time than I care to admit navigating the vertices of the Blogotesseract! Here, then, before this blog disappears into the ether, are

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1099099070256709392004-10-29T20:52:00.000-04:002004-10-29T21:17:50.256-04:00

Walter Cronkite, on Larry King Live, just said he thinks Karl Rove is behind the release of the Osama bin Laden videotape at this time, and that the timing of this is designed to distract the public from the al Qaqaa fiasco. So, has Walter Cronkite become a loony conspiracy nut, or has public tolerance of Republican dirty tricks reached the level where an accusation like this can just be tossed

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1099095379462501472004-10-29T20:16:00.000-04:002004-10-29T20:22:23.813-04:00

If you were waiting for an October Surprise, I guess the new video tape of Osama bin Laden is it. It's not clear yet which candidate will be helped, and which will be hurt, by the reappearance of Osama. Will it scare voters into chosing Bush, or will it remind them that, more than three years after 9/11, Bush has not been able to get rid of this guy? Who knows. Let the battle of the spinmasters

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1099067160101240722004-10-29T13:14:00.000-04:002004-10-29T12:29:00.953-04:00

This year, a well-documented tactic of the Republicans is to challenge the voter registrations of Democratic voters. This is not tin-foil-hat-conspiracy-theory stuff. Don't believe me? Read this. By voting early, you can find out sooner if your registration has been challenged, and this will bring any such tactics to light sooner. After all, if your registration has been challenged, you are

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1099065049887958712004-10-29T11:43:00.000-04:002004-10-29T12:07:16.790-04:00

Murphy's Law. Think about all the times in your life when you fully intended to do something, something really important, but then an unexpected turn of events prevented you from carrying out your plans. That's never happened to you? Will this be your litany of excuses on November 3, when you awake to learn that the vote you didn't cast was the one that would have made a difference? I meant to

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1098984876648212212004-10-28T13:11:00.000-04:002004-10-28T13:39:58.073-04:00

I am a well-known procrastinator. Yet I voted early this year, and I urge you to do the same (if you live in a state that permits this, of course). If I can do it, so can you. Voter turnout is expected to be extremely high this year (at least as compared to the pathetic levels of turnout in most election years). When I voted last Saturday, the line of people waiting to vote extended outside the

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1098978348788416882004-10-28T11:25:00.000-04:002004-10-28T12:21:08.650-04:00

From Ron Suskind's article Without a Doubt: Forty democratic senators were gathered for a lunch in March just off the Senate floor. I was there as a guest speaker. Joe Biden was telling a story, a story about the president. ''I was in the Oval Office a few months after we swept into Baghdad,'' he began, ''and I was telling the president of my many concerns'' -- concens about growing problems

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1098936099454944532004-10-27T23:59:00.000-04:002004-10-28T09:18:53.846-04:00

The Boston Red Sox have won the World Series! Victory #1 for Massachusetts team. For victory #2, tune in next Tuesday. . .

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8900397.post-1098899729868620232004-10-27T13:28:00.000-04:002004-10-27T13:55:29.870-04:00

With less than one week to go before the election, it may seem a bit late in the game to be starting up a political blog. But so what? Better late than never. (And for the procrastinators among us, better late than early.) If you've already voted, good for you. If you haven't, and are having a hard time making up your mind, take a few minutes to read this letter to an undecided voter by my old

Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10947811139716133375noreply@blogger.com0