(Old) Epistemic Ingemination

:: Art, Science, Politics, Humor, Geekery: Randy Kirchhof's Weblog

NOTE: this blog is no longer active as of 12/07. New one: http://blog.kirchhof.com

Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur.

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Fri, 26 Nov 2004

This comes from my friend John; original author unknown. Be of good cheer...

All things considered
Not to worry. With the Blue States in hand, the Democrats have firm control of 80% of the country's fresh water, over 90% of our pineapple and lettuce, 93% of the artichoke production, 95% of America's export quality wines, 90% of all cheese production, most of the US low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools, plus Stanford, CalTech and MIT. We can live simply but well.
The Red States, on the other hand, now have to cope with 88% of all obese Americans (and their projected health care cost spike), 92% of all US mosquitoes, 99% of all Southern Baptists, 100% of all Televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of Georgia. A high price to pay for controlling the presidency.

Posted at 11:46 by Randy Kirchhof [Permalink] [Reload all] [E-mail]

Wed, 24 Nov 2004

Economic Armageddon?

As reported in The Herald:

Stephen Roach, the chief economist at investment banking giant Morgan Stanley, has a public reputation for being bearish.
But you should hear what he's saying in private.
Roach met select groups of fund managers downtown last week, including a group at Fidelity.
His prediction: America has no better than a 10 percent chance of avoiding economic ``armageddon.''
Press were not allowed into the meetings. But the Herald has obtained a copy of Roach's presentation. A stunned source who was at one meeting said, ``it struck me how extreme he was - much more, it seemed to me, than in public.''
Roach sees a 30 percent chance of a slump soon and a 60 percent chance that ``we'll muddle through for a while and delay the eventual armageddon.''
The chance we'll get through OK: one in 10. Maybe.
In a nutshell, Roach's argument is that America's record trade deficit means the dollar will keep falling. To keep foreigners buying T-bills and prevent a resulting rise in inflation, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan will be forced to raise interest rates further and faster than he wants.
The result: U.S. consumers, who are in debt up to their eyeballs, will get pounded.
Less a case of ``Armageddon,'' maybe, than of a ``Perfect Storm.''
Roach marshalled alarming facts to support his argument.
To finance its current account deficit with the rest of the world, he said, America has to import $2.6 billion in cash. Every working day.
That is an amazing 80 percent of the entire world's net savings.
Sustainable? Hardly.
Meanwhile, he notes that household debt is at record levels.
Twenty years ago the total debt of U.S. households was equal to half the size of the economy.
Today the figure is 85 percent.
Nearly half of new mortgage borrowing is at flexible interest rates, leaving borrowers much more vulnerable to rate hikes.
Americans are already spending a record share of disposable income paying their interest bills. And interest rates haven't even risen much yet.

But nevertheless, we're going to 'privatize' Social Security and lower taxes further. There's some real economic stewardship for you. From paying our bills and having a surplus to "Economic Armageddon" in less than four years.

Posted at 14:35 by Randy Kirchhof [Permalink] [Reload all] [E-mail]

him name is hopkin green frog

Help in the massive effort to find hopkin. Just click on each picture.

the web was created for this...

Posted at 08:28 by Randy Kirchhof [Permalink] [Reload all] [E-mail]

Oh Goody

According to Gallup, we have a problem here. Apparently, 30 years of evangelicals taking over our school boards and textbook selection committees has paid off nicely:

Only about a third of Americans believe that Charles Darwin's theory of evolution is a scientific theory that has been well supported by the evidence, while just as many say that it is just one of many theories and has not been supported by the evidence. The rest say they don't know enough to say. Forty-five percent of Americans also believe that God created human beings pretty much in their present form about 10,000 years ago. A third of Americans are biblical literalists who believe that the Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word.

Posted at 08:16 by Randy Kirchhof [Permalink] [Reload all] [E-mail]

Tue, 23 Nov 2004

Finally back up

I've reconstructed the blog now. Expect it to start yabbering again soon.

Posted at 11:41 by Randy Kirchhof [Permalink] [Reload all] [E-mail]

Mon, 15 Nov 2004

A very serious question

John Zogby, the respected pollster, has a post up on his site that alleges massive election fraud. Several counties in Florida and Ohio were so far off the map statistically that there can be no other explanation in his opinion. It is written by one of his associates. Read it here.

Posted at 09:15 by Randy Kirchhof [Permalink] [Reload all] [E-mail]

What next? Gulags?

From NewsDay:

WASHINGTON -- The White House has ordered the new CIA director, Porter Goss, to purge the agency of officers believed to have been disloyal to President George W. Bush or of leaking damaging information to the media about the conduct of the Iraq war and the hunt for Osama bin Laden, according to knowledgeable sources.

"The agency is being purged on instructions from the White House," said a former senior CIA official who maintains close ties to both the agency and to the White House. "Goss was given instructions ... to get rid of those soft leakers and liberal Democrats. The CIA is looked on by the White House as a hotbed of liberals and people who have been obstructing the president's agenda."

[...]

Posted at 08:57 by Randy Kirchhof [Permalink] [Reload all] [E-mail]

Wed, 10 Nov 2004

Voter Fraud Petition

A Petition to immediately and without delay open a joint investigation into potential wrongdoing in the Presidential Election of 2004, specifically to investigate the potential of voting machine manipulation or purposeful malfunction, especially electronic voting machines manufactured and supplied by Diebold, Inc.; Electronic Systems & Software (ES & S); Sequoia Voting Systems, and others, and also to identify and investigate all allegations of improper conduct by election officials, workers, observers, challengers and operatives and employees of both major parties concerning the voting process including intimidation, dissemination of improper information, manipulation of registration records, improper handling of actual voting ballots and, in general, any and all potential improprieties which could have led to improper or inaccurate election results.

More here.

Posted at 08:41 by Randy Kirchhof [Permalink] [Reload all] [E-mail]

Ahh, The Hubris

Okay, now the fun begins. The fringe right, drunk with the Über-power of a 51% transitory majority, is beginning to go completely wacko:

The truth is, America is not just broken--it is becoming irreparable. If you believe that recent years of uncivil behavior are burdensome, imagine the likelihood of a future in which all bizarre acts are the norm, and a government-booted foot stands permanently on your face.
That is why the unthinkable must become thinkable. If the so-called "Red States" (those that voted for George W. Bush) cannot be respected or at least tolerated by the "Blue States" (those that voted for Al Gore and John Kerry), then the most disparate of them must live apart--not by secession of the former (a majority), but by expulsion of the latter.

The whole thing is a wonderful study in the mindset of a certain type of political view. Very entertaining reading. Those poor persecuted majoritarians. Let us weep at the injustice.

Posted at 07:41 by Randy Kirchhof [Permalink] [Reload all] [E-mail]

Mon, 08 Nov 2004

Not A Bad Idea At All

Turn Your Back On Bush.

Posted at 23:49 by Randy Kirchhof [Permalink] [Reload all] [E-mail]

Sun, 07 Nov 2004

Veterans Day Is This Week

Let's honor our soldiers. Here's a picture of our proud little "War President."

This powerful mosaic was created by "Joe" over at American Leftist. Each "pixel" is a picture of an American Soldier killed in Iraq. The 2.5 meg full-sized version is available here.

Posted at 09:10 by Randy Kirchhof [Permalink] [Reload all] [E-mail]

Fri, 05 Nov 2004

Science - Mother Nature's Nuclear Reactor

From Science Daily:

[...] It's been known for 30 years that Mother Nature once did nuclear chain reactions by her lonesome. Now, Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have analyzed the isotopic structure of noble gases produced in fission in a sample from the only known natural nuclear chain reaction site in the world in Gabon, West Africa, and have found how she does the trick. Picture Old Faithful.

An interesting read.

Posted at 08:35 by Randy Kirchhof [Permalink] [Reload all] [E-mail]

Heh

The Onion:

SCHAUMBURG, IL -- The Museum of the Middle Class, featuring historical and anthropological exhibits addressing the socioeconomic category that once existed between the upper and lower classes, opened to the public Monday.
"The splendid and intriguing middle class may be gone, but it will never be forgotten," said Harold Greeley, curator of the exhibit titled "Where The Streets Had Trees' Names." "From their weekend barbecues at homes with backyards to their outdated belief in social mobility, the middle class will forever be remembered as an important part of American history."
Museum guests expressed delight over the traditions and peculiarities of the middle class, a group once so prevalent that entire TV networks were programmed to satisfy its hunger for sitcoms.
"It's fascinating to think that these people once drove the same streets as we do today," said Natasha Ohman, a multi-millionaire whose husband's grandfather invented the trigger-safety lock on handguns. "I enjoyed learning how the middle class lived, what their customs were, and what sorts of diversions and entertainment they enjoyed. Being part of this middle class must have been fascinating!"
During the modern industrial age, the middle class grew steadily, reaching its heyday in the 1950s, when its numbers soared into the tens of millions. According to a study commissioned by the U.S. Census Bureau, middle-class people inhabited great swaths of North America, with settlements in the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, the Pacific Northwest, and even the nation's urban centers.
"No one predicted the disappearance of the middle class," said Dr. Bradford Elsby, a history professor at the University of Pennsylvania. "The danger of eliminating workers' unions, which had protected the middle class from its natural predators for years, was severely underestimated. We believe that removal of the social safety net, combined with rapid political-climate changes, made life very difficult for the middle class, and eventually eradicated it altogether."
One of the 15 permanent exhibits, titled "Working For 'The Weekend,'" examines the routines of middle-class wage-earners, who labored for roughly eight hours a day, five days a week. In return, they were afforded leisure time on Saturdays and Sundays. According to many anthropologists, these "weekends" were often spent taking "day trips,"eating at chain family restaurants, or watching "baseball" with the nuclear family.
"Unlike members of the lower class, middle-class people earned enough money in five days to take two days off to 'hang out,'" said Benson Watercross, who took a private jet from his home in Aspen to visit the museum. "Their adequate wages provided a level of comfort and stability, and allowed them to enjoy diversions or purchase goods, thereby briefly escaping the mundanity."
Many museum visitors found the worldview of the middle classwith its reliance on education, stable employment, and ample pensions difficult to comprehend.
Thirty-five Booker T. Washington Junior High School seventh-graders, chosen from among 5,600 students who asked to attend the school's annual field trip, visited the museum Tuesday. Rico Chavez, a 14-year-old from the inner-city Chicago school, said he was skeptical of one exhibit in particular.
"They expect us to believe this is how people lived 10 years ago?" Chavez asked. "That 'Safe, Decent Public Schools' part was total science fiction. No metal detectors, no cops or dogs, and whole classes devoted to art and music? Look, I may have flunked a couple grades, but I'm not that stupid."
[...]

Posted at 08:22 by Randy Kirchhof [Permalink] [Reload all] [E-mail]

Jefferson Speaks

Thomas Jefferson, from a letter he sent in 1798 after the passage of the Sedition Act:
"A little patience, and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people, recovering their true sight, restore their government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are suffering deeply in spirit, and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public debt......If the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at stake."

Posted at 01:52 by Randy Kirchhof [Permalink] [Reload all] [E-mail]

Wed, 03 Nov 2004

Unbelievable

Word at 10:15 is that Kerry has called Bush to concede. With 250,000 votes still uncounted in Ohio. Is there anyone in this screwed up party that will go toe to toe with these corrupt misanthropic power-mad greedheads? Anyone? ANYONE???

A "Fighter." My ass. You just sold your country, and very likely the world down the river, Kerry. If you didn't want it, you shouldn't have run in the first place. Ptui.

I am a very angry citizen today.

UPDATE (3:00 PM): Okay, I am better now. Kerry convinced me, with his concession speech, that if the numbers were there, he would be too. And a bit of independent research confirms that (a) a concession speech has no legal standing, and (b) those votes will be counted. So if they go Kerry's way, Kerry will be president. Maybe Kerry is not standing at the door of the Ohio Secretary of State's office, but about a thousand lawyers with our interests in mind ARE.

I will spend the next four years trying to educate the ~~drooling masses of~~ ill-informed ~~sheep~~ voters in this country. I will spend the next four years fighting every regressive and devolutionary proposal of the party in power. I will spend the next four years as an informed and vocal citizen of the United States. And I will dedicate my efforts towards making this a better country for my son, and a worse country for special interests that value their own pocketbooks over the common good.

Posted at 14:57 by Randy Kirchhof [Permalink] [Reload all] [E-mail]

Turnabout Is Fair Play

Lets actually count all of the votes this time.

Posted at 09:26 by Randy Kirchhof [Permalink] [Reload all] [E-mail]

Tue, 02 Nov 2004

Update -- Polling Place

I am very pleased to report that my polling place is well covered with meta pollwatchers. The Democratic Party has really turned out watchers; they are being professional, observing everything, helping out those who ask, and not trying to influence votes in any way. Internally, there appeared to be only one sworn poll watcher, and that person is conducting herself as specified by the book.

Posted at 08:41 by Randy Kirchhof [Permalink] [Reload all] [E-mail]

Antsy Today?

Read Breslen and be comforted.

Posted at 07:14 by Randy Kirchhof [Permalink] [Reload all] [E-mail]

Please Vote Today

If you want a symbolic gesture, don't burn the flag; wash it. -- Norman Thomas

Posted at 06:43 by Randy Kirchhof [Permalink] [Reload all] [E-mail]

Info For Texas Voters

A little light reading for you from the Texas Secretary of State (colored emphasis is mine):

DUTIES AND PRIVILEGES OF WATCHER

Q. What are the duties of a watcher?

A. The primary duty of a watcher is to observe the conduct of the election at the location where the watcher has been appointed. A watcher may point out to an election judge or clerk any observed irregularity or violation of the Texas Election Code. However, if the clerk refers the watcher to the judge, the watcher may not discuss the matter further with the clerk unless the presiding judge invites the discussion. [Sec. 33.058(b)].

Q: Are watchers permitted to wear name tags?

A: Watchers are NOT allowed to wear name tags.

Q. What are watchers not allowed to do while on duty?

A.

Talk with an election officer regarding the election except to call attention to an irregularity or violation. [Sec. 33.058(a)(1)].

Converse with a voter. [Sec. 33.058(a)(2)].

Converse with other watchers.

Communicate in any manner with a voter regarding the election. [Sec. 33.058(a)(3)].

A watcher may not leave the polling place without first serving for five continuous hours. If the watcher leaves without first serving five hours, the presiding judge may not readmit the watcher. [Sec. 33.052(b)].

Reveal the following information before the polls close:

How a voter has voted. This offense is a third degree felony. [Sec. 61.006(b)].

The number of votes that have been received for a candidate or for or against a measure. This offense is a Class C misdemeanor. [Sec. 61.007(a)(1)].

A candidates position relative to other candidates in the tabulation of the votes. This offense is a Class C misdemeanor. [Sec. 61.007(a)(2)].

Whether a measure is passing or failing. This offense is a Class C misdemeanor. [Sec. 61.007(a)(3)].

The names of persons who have or have not voted in the election. This offense is a Class C misdemeanor. [Sec. 61.007(a)(4)].

Q. What is a watcher permitted to do while on duty?

A. A watcher must be permitted, but is not required to:

Witness the installation of voting machines at the polling place. [Sec. 125.032(e)(4)].

Observe the securing of voting system equipment before the election. [Sec. 33.059].

Bring into the polling place a portable telephone, and use it only at the discretion of the election judge.

Sit or stand conveniently near the election officials to observe the activities of the election. [Sec. 33.056(a)].

Make written notes while on duty. However, if the watcher is permitted to leave the polling place while the polls are open, the watcher may be required to leave his or her written notes with another person selected by the watcher who is on duty at the polling place if the watcher intends to return. [Sec. 33.056(d)].

Observe assistance given to voters by election officials and inspect the ballot before it is deposited in the ballot box to determine if it was prepared in accordance with the voters wishes. [Sec. 33.056(c)].

Inspect the returns and other records prepared by the election officers. [Sec. 33.056(c)].

A watcher may not participate but may observe the tallying and counting of the votes to verify that the votes are tallied and read correctly. [Sec. 33.056(b)].

Accompany authorized election officials in delivering election records from a precinct polling place, an early voting polling place, a meeting place for an early voting ballot board, or a central counting station. [Sec. 33.060(a)]. Note: Poll watcher and election officials do not need to ride in the same vehicle. [Sec. 33.060(b)].

Witness securing of the voting machines at the time the polls close. [Sec. 125.035(b)(4)].

Receive an English translation of any communication spoken other than English between a voter and an election official. [Sec. 61.036].

MISCELLANEOUS

Possible illegal activities:

Q. What illegal activities should a watcher look for?

A. The election judge of an election may be notified of any activity that appears to be prohibited by law. If any of the following activities occurs, bring it to the election judges attention and note the individual(s) involved, including time and place of occurrence, if possible:

Election workers allowing voters who do not have a current voter registration certificate to vote without providing proof of identification. If a voter does not have his or her voter registration certificate, Texas law requires that he or she provide one of the following forms of identification:

drivers license or personal identification card issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety or similar documents from other states regardless of whether the license or card has expired;

form of ID containing a photograph that establishes a persons identity;

birth certificate or other document confirming birth that is admissible in a court of law and establishes a persons identity;

United States citizenship papers;

United States passport;

official mail addressed to the person by name from a governmental agency;

a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the name and address of the voter; or

any other form of identification prescribed by the Secretary of States office [Sec. 63.0101]

Electioneering and loitering within 100 feet of the entrance of the building in which a polling place is located. [Sec. 61.003]. Examples of electioneering include, but are not limited to, the following:

wearing a badge, insignia, emblem, or other item relating to a candidate or a measure. [Sec. 61.010(a)].

unauthorized posting of signs, posters or other similar items. [Sec. 62.013]

unlawful operation of a vehicle with a loudspeaker used for campaigning purposes within 1,000 feet of a building in which a polling place is located. [Sec. 61.004]

A candidate in an election commits a Class C misdemeanor if he or she is in the polling place for a purpose other than (1) voting or (2) official business in the building in which the polling place is located. [Sec. 61.001(b)]

NOTE: A candidate may assist a voter without violating this section.

EXCEPTION: It is a defense to prosecution under Section 61.001(b) if the candidate is (1) not in plain view of persons in the voting area or the area where voters are being qualified and (2) not engaged in campaign activity. [Sec. 61.001(c)].

Bribery of voters [Sec. 36.02, Penal Code];

Unlawfully influencing voter [Sec. 61.008];

Coercion of voters [Sec. 36.03, Penal Code];

Unlawfully telling another person information that was obtained at the polling place about how a voter has voted [Sec. 61.006];

Unlawfully giving information about the status of the count or the names of people who have voted before the polls close [Sec. 61.007];

Tampering with voting equipment [Sec. 127.127];

Illegal voting [Sec. 64.012];

Unlawful removal of ballot from ballot box [Sec. 276.003];

Harassing the election officials [Sec. 32.075];

Unlawful voter assistance or instruction [Secs. 63.012 & 61.009];

Interfering with the voting process; and

Disregard of Texas election laws.

Persons allowed in the polling place:

Q. Who is allowed inside the polling place?

A.

Election judge and clerks. [Secs. 32.071 & 32.072].

Poll watchers and Secretary of State inspectors. [Secs. 33.052 & 34.002].

Persons admitted to vote. [Sec. 63.001].

Children under 18 years old who are accompanying a parent who is admitted to vote. [Sec. 64.002(b)].

Persons providing assistance to or interpreting for a voter who is entitled to assistance or to an interpreter. [Secs. 61.032 & 64.032; 42 U.S.C. 197aa-6].

Federal inspectors appointed by the Department of Justice.

Persons summoned or appointed by the presiding election judge to act as special peace officers to preserve order. [Sec. 32.075].

Provisional Voting Process:

The Challenge Procedure has been eliminated and replaced by what is now called Provisional Voting. When a voter attempts to vote and the eligibility to vote is in question, the voter may be allowed to vote under the provisional voting process. The presiding judge must inform the voter of the provisional voting process and the procedures involved. A voter without a valid certificate or some other form of identification must vote under the provisional voting process. (See prior list of valid identification.) [Sec. 81.172].

Q. When must a voter be permitted to cast a provisional ballot?

A. Voters must complete an affidavit of provisional voter in order to vote if:

A Voter who claims to be properly registered and eligible to vote at the election precinct, but whose name does not appear on the list of registered Voters and whose registration cannot be determined by the Voter Registrar; or

A Voter who is designated as a first time Voter on the List of Registered Voters, but who is unable to produce the required identification; or

A Voter who has applied for a ballot by mail, but has not returned the ballot by mail; or

A Voter who votes during the polling hours that are extended by a state or federal court; or

A Voter who is registered to vote but attempting to vote in a different precinct other than the one in which the Voter is registered.

A Voter who is required to present identification but does not.

A Voter who is on the list, but registered residence address is outside the political subdivision.

Q. What does the affidavit mean?

A. By signing, voters swear that they are qualified to vote and that they are registered to vote. If the provisional voter completes the provisional affidavit, he or she must be permitted to vote. [Sec. 81.172].

Q. What is the effect of the provisional ballot affidavit envelope if the voter is not a registered voter?

A. The provisional ballot affidavit envelope will operate as a voter registration application if the voter is not a registered voter, and if the voter is registered, it will operate as an update if new information is provided.

Quick Summary of the Provisional Voting Procedure

Voter does not appear to be an eligible voter. (See list of reasons for voting provisionally on page 11).

Voter presents valid I.D. (Note: if the voter has no I.D., the voter may still vote a provisional ballot, but it will not be counted.)

Election worker calls voter registrar to attempt to verify voters registration status.

If voter registrar has no record of voter being registered or voter registrar could not be reached, election judge completes a portion of the provisional ballot affidavit envelope indicating reason for voters casting a provisional ballot. Voter completes and signs provisional ballot affidavit envelope, affirming that voter is an eligible, registered voter of the precinct.

Election judge reviews the voters affidavit and accepts voter. Accepted voters name is added to the List of Provisional Voters and the Combination Form/Poll List where the box labeled "Provisional" is checked. Voter signs Combination Form/Signature Roster.

Voter is asked to select a provisional ballot, which must be sealed in a secrecy envelope after it is marked and then placed within the provisional ballot affidavit envelope previously completed by both the election judge and voter.

Voter is given Notice to Provisional Voter indicating the process by which the eligibility of the voter will be verified by the voter registrar. Notice tells voter that they will be informed within 10 days after election day as to whether the vote was counted.

Voter proceeds to voting booth to vote ballot, then places the sealed provisional ballot affidavit envelope in the regular ballot box or other designated container.

Using English and interpreters:

All election officials, while on duty at the polling place, must use English, except when helping a voter who does not understand English. [Sec. 61.031(a)].

Q. What is an interpreter and when is one used?

A.

If a voter cannot communicate in English, an election official may communicate with the voter in a language the official and the voter understand. [Sec. 61.031(b)].

An interpreter may be used when the voter and the election official(s) helping the voter cannot speak the same language. [Sec. 61.032].

Upon taking the oath of interpreter, any registered voter of the county may act as an interpreter for one or more voters. [Secs. 61.035 & 61.033].

The interpreter may be a person provided by the authority conducting the election. However, even if an interpreter is provided, a voter may use his own interpreter. [Sec. 61.032].

A watcher may request and receive an English translation of anything spoken in a language other than English by a voter or by an election official. [Sec. 61.036].

If the number of bilingual clerks is insufficient to serve the needs of the Spanish-speaking voters, a bilingual clerk may be appointed at a central location to assist Spanish-speaking voters. [Sec. 272.009].

Casting the ballot:

Q. If voters make a mistake marking their ballot, may they start over?

A. Yes. Voters who make mistakes while marking their ballots may take the spoiled ballot to an election official and exchange it for a new ballot. [Sec. 64.007(a)].

Q. How many replacement ballots can a voter receive?

A. A voter may only receive up to two replacement ballots (original plus 2 for a total of 3). [Sec. 64.007(b)].

Q: If a voter is accepted under the provisional voting procedure, do they use the same type of ballot as a non-provisional voter?

A: Yes. However, the ballot selected by the voter will be previously stamped with the word "provisional" on the back of the ballot. Then the following steps must occur:

voter enters booth and fills out ballot as desired;

voter places ballot into secrecy envelope;

voter then seals the secrecy envelope inside the provisional ballot affidavit envelope; and

voter then places the envelope in the regular ballot box or other designated container.

NOTE: Some electronic voting systems allow the voter to cast a provisional ballot directly on the machine.

CONCLUSION

As a poll watcher, you are entitled to observe the conduct of the election at the polling location to which you are assigned. Please remember, however, that the election judge is in charge of the polling place and must maintain control and order in the polling place. You should establish a cooperative relationship with the judge and work with the judge to ensure that the voting process works smoothly. If any questions arise during your service that the election judge cannot answer, please call the Elections Division at our toll-free number, 1-800-252-VOTE(8683). The Elections Division is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and during all uniform election dates from before the polls open until after they close. If you desire to learn more about the election process, please call our office to request one of our handbooks on election day procedures. Thank you for your participation in the election process.

(800) 252-VOTE(8683) is also the number that you call to report unlawful actions by Texas poll watchers. The Federal Department of Justice Civil Rights Division violation reporting number is (800) 253-3931.

Have a good tomorrow.

Posted at 00:22 by Randy Kirchhof [Permalink] [Reload all] [E-mail]

Mon, 01 Nov 2004

Musica

So, Saturday (in my aspect as audio engineer at Hanovers) I got to work with a band called Back Porch Mary. Go see them. Not only are they some of the nicest guys that I've worked with in nearly thirty years of doing this, they are in the top five hardest working bands I've seen ever, and that list already includes people like James Brown, Frank Zappa, Little Feat and Joe Ely. They play like some microbiologist took equal measures of DNA from Eddie Cochran, Webb Wilder, Joe Satriani, Buck Owens, Dwayne Allman, Randy Newman, AC/DC, Tony Joe White, and Hank Williams -- and successfully created a master race of musicians.

If you give them your money, they will earn it. They don't play Austin much; they tour like a homeless supercaffeinated long-haul trucker. But they're playing Hanover's again on January 14th. Mark your calendars.

Just one of the best bands ever. Five star, unreserved recommendation. Heck, I'll refund your money if you're dissatisfied.

Posted at 11:01 by Randy Kirchhof [Permalink] [Reload all] [E-mail]

No, Bush Can't

Andrew Tobias has turned into a wonderful daily read. Today he directs our attention to Yes Bush Can, an organization that has been on the road this year stumping for the preznit. Today, this is the lead from their banner page:

Yes, Bush Can, an independent group dedicated to communicating Bush policies directly to the public, has abandoned its campaign and is officially endorsing John Kerry for President.

Before changing sides, the Yes, Bush Can team drove around the country supporting the President in a campaign bus they had equipped with sound and light systems, confetti cannons, and various props and costumes. They gave dozens of stump speeches, distributed campaign videos and "USA Patriot Pledges," and performed patriotic songs to audiences across the country. (See http://www.yesbushcan.com/media.shtml and http://www.yesbushcan.com/pledge.shtml.)

Last week, the group officially split with Bush. "In the course of our travels, we ended up learning more about Bush's policies than he wanted us to know," said Harmon Spellmeyer, one of the Yes, Bush Can team. "We came to see that this administration is a catastrophe for most people."

Before breaking with Bush, the Yes, Bush Can team worked earnestly to support him. They went to the Pacific Northwest to promote Bush's Healthy Forests Initiative--and discovered it was enabling the logging industry to cut down our last old-growth forests. They visited a nuclear power plant in Ohio to promote Bush's domestic security policies--and found no one in the guard booth to meet them. In western Pennsylvania, while promoting the President's energy policy, they learned that it allows coal emissions which kill 23,000 people a year. Finally, while defending Bush's war on terrorism, they found out that even Donald Rumsfeld feels the Iraq War has made the world a more dangerous place.

After many similar discoveries and much internal turmoil, the Yes, Bush Can group arrived at the difficult conclusion that they could not continue their work. At a press conference Tuesday, in order to demonstrate how profoundly they are rejecting their former boss's ideas and policies, they defaced and abandoned the campaign bus they had purchased and outfitted.

Posted at 08:05 by Randy Kirchhof [Permalink] [Reload all] [E-mail]

Handy

Move On has provided a nifty little PDF Election Protection Card that you can print out and give to your friends, family, and neighbors who may be subject to intimidation at the polls.

Posted at 07:50 by Randy Kirchhof [Permalink] [Reload all] [E-mail]