h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

How about smiley?

I have been wondering how a smiley might convey hubris.

Seems that the work in converting voters based on discussion real issue could be harder than expected:

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/archive.html?blog=/politics/war_room/2004/11/18/undecided/index.html

I cling to a compassionate belief that discussing issues is the real way. I just hope I'm not continuously proven wrong...

I hope so as well.

Lil
/. has a link to a report on the electronic voting results in Florida
http://politics.slashdot.org/politics/04/11/19/1754249.shtml?tid=226&tid=126&tid=103

Thanks, for that, BB. I had seen the matter referenced over on Dailykos. Right now forces are gathering to put pressure on Republican Secretary of State for Ohio, Kathleen Blackwell, to declare the election count so that the recount begin. She is dragging her feet, postponing the announcement as long as possible so that the recount won't have time to take place. Just like another Kathleen in Florida 4 yrs ago.

I have no idea if this is true but, it is kind of humourous. The punctuation is rather bad but...

"Freemans tuesday night the 16th of nov. the bush twins along with 2 massive secret service men tried to have dinner they were told by the maitre 'd that they were full and would be for the next 4 years upon hearing the entire restaurant cheered and did a round of shots it was amazing!!!"

At my school the Democrats Club numbers about 25 and the Republicans have about a fifth of that number. Since we live in the most conservative area in San Diego I find that extremely heartening. Now all we need is for that group of kids to go out and VOTE and MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!!!!

Why the h*ll don't the 'young people' ever vote? It's their country, you'd think they'd be all activist and all that.

Some stuff I have been reading has opened my eyes to the strong possibility that, since Goldwater's defeat in 1964, what we now call the neocons and their evangelical outriders have been conducting a Cold Civil War that has just come into the open.

*They've* been around since the figurative beginning of time, really. I think this Cold Civil War's been happening since the Puritans came over on the Mayflower.

Ah, but if Mullah Dobson had been standing on that rock in 1620, those Puritans would have been turned right round and sent home again.

A well-meaning friend put me on the mailing list for a local Christian bookstore. I just got their catalog, and here's what I want to know...why is Dobson's son, Ryan Dobson, such a jerk?

One of his books is called "Intolerant"...and the blurb states that Christians should be intolerant of other faiths, because they're just crap.

HA!!!

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=1&u=/ap/20041121/ap_on_go_co/congress_intelligence

I read that! I liked it though I was kind of surprised that a reptilian can think.

The bill sank because a few ultraconservative republicans fronted for the Pentagon (read: Rummy) which doesn't want to lose some of the powers it has now.

Did anybody else happen to be watching C-Span2 yesterday when the Dems discovered that rider on page 1112 of a 3000-page Omnibus Appropriations Bill? The rider would allow the head of appropriations to delegate anybody he chose, to go to the IRS where that delegate would have the right to look at anyone's tax papers. Krakatoa!! I thought Sen Stevens (R) would have a heart attack. He claimed it was inserted in the dead of night.

[EMR]

Lil, I read about that, brilliant.

The other thing about that intelligence bill - the Republicans said they would rather let it die, than have to resort to using democrats to get it to pass (b/c the dems would support the reform).

How's that for reaching out? Here's an instance where the bipartisan support exists, and the republicans are turning it down, because they want to preserve the image of their "mandate". What cr*p.

And have you missed..............

'American Providence: A Nation with a Mission' by Stephen H. Webb
Defends the idea that American foreign policy should be seen as a vehicle of God's design for history, arguing for a doctrine of divine guidance, a theory that is unpopular with many American theologians due to their reluctance to claim and special religious status for the United States.

'Can America Survive? The rage of the Left and How to Fight Back' by Ben Stein & Phil DeMuth
Offers a conservative view of thje purported anti-American threat from those found left of the political and cultural spectrum, in places such as college campuses, foundations, and liberal fundraisers, and a look at the psychological reasons behind this unpatriotic behavior.

'Courting Disaster: How the Supreme Copurt is Usurping the Power of Congress and the People' by Pat Robertson
The world-renowed religious leader asserts that the unrestricted power of judges is eroding the power of democracy and is threatening the Christian heritage or America with alarming spiritual implications through increased hostility toward religion and the destruction of sexual standards.

That reminds me...I hate it when the right gets ahold of a stock phrase like "activist judges" (phrase du jour) and beats it into the ground by using it in every press release, interview, article and campaign slogan. That one is particularly meaningless, because they love an activist judge so long as they're a right wing activist--er, sorry, "strict constitutional constructionist". If it wasn't for "activist judges" public schools would still be segregated and the voting rights of Afro-Americans would still be curtailed. We wouldn't be able to get divorces or use contraceptives. Oh, and the police wouldn't have to read us our Miranda rights. Oooooh, those scary activist judges. They're destroying our country.

[GDZ]