THURSDAY WHATEVER

Local Measures

Well, the Big Bummer is over and at least I’m proud to say that my state, Oregon, backed Kerry. But before you start thinking we have a Liberal bastion here, take a look at what we think about some controversial local measures. Well, we meaning the majority of those who voted….
Public Schools – We got slapped with a 3-year county tax a year ago to help bail out our miserably performing public school system. Not a single high school in Portland, for example, passed the new No Child Left Behind standards this year. We could spend hours debating why the governmental and private forces that be cannot manage to fund education for our children on an excellent level as a priority but there it is. So we the little folks had to pony up, and I’m proud to say that by a kind of slim margin we voted not to repeal that tax. I for one will hurt when I have to pay it again, but if my grandchildren will benefit, I’m willing.
Medical Weed – I can’t believe this is still happening in the 21st Century. As a child of the 60′s the idea that somehow a tiny amount of marijuana in the hands of terminally ill patients with severe pain will somehow do more damage than all the legal alcohol on the shelves of your nearest grocery store is dumbfounding. Nevertheless, by a healthy margin Oregonians voted to make these patients climb out of bed and plant their own plants and harvest them to get the relief. The measure would have made it possible to obtain it from a pharmacy, but selling it is not legal. So there you whining cancer patients. I will say that Oregon is one of only 9, count them 9, states in the country that even allows medical marijuana in this primitive fashion to patients.
Macerating the Environment – Well, this was about controlling the loggers in the state from wiping out even more of the forests over coming years basically. But in a state with one of the highest unemployment figures and a history of big timber production, the loggers won out by a huge margin. So much for the beauty of natural resources. Wonder what they’ll do when the timber is finally all gone. Maybe come into town and start on the trees on my street that I planted last year?
Suing Doctors Big-Time – Just barely, the little guys pulled this one out. It would have put a limit on how much you can sue a doctor who just cut off your boobs by mistake, or whatever other disaster happens more often than you’d care to think. Of course, this is kind of a no-win deal because the doctors will just take it out by raising their prices yet again.
Marriage is Love – We may have a large gay community here in Portland, but as far as the rest of the state goes, Mom and Pop do not want to even hear about it. Same-sex marriage was shot down big-time in spite of Vice-President Cheney’s daughter.
Abolishing SAIF – Once again, the unions for the little people marshalled their forces and defeated this one which would have put another company in competition, thereby threatening the low worker’s comp premiums Oregonians have paid for years.
So before you think about heading out to Oregon to bask in the Liberal rainshowers, think again. It’s practically as conservative here as where you are now. But enjoy the current level while you’ve got it, because it’s just about to get worse. Much worse.

Deep Thought: “If you ever catch on fire, try to avoid seeing yourself in the mirror, because I bet that’s what really throws you into a panic.”
Today I am grateful for: Being able to cast a ballot, though I’m getting less and less sure as time goes by what happened to it.
Guess the Movie: “I want to spend the night with you.” “Do you mean sleep over?” “Well… yeah.” “Well, okay… but I get to be on top. ” Answer: Big, 1988 Winner: Leonidas.
From the EVP: “Various people sent me mail saying that it is awfully fishy that the exit polls and final results were substantially different in some places. I hope someone will follow this up and actually do a careful analysis. Does anyone know of a Website containing all the exit poll data? If we go to computerized voting without a paper trail and the machines can be set up to cheat, that is the end of our democracy. Switching 5 votes per machine is probably all it would take to throw an election and nobody would ever see it unless someone compares the computer totals and exit polls. I am still very concerned about the remark of Walden O’Dell a Republican fund raiser and CEO of Diebold, which makes voting machines saying he would deliver Ohio for President Bush. Someone (not me) should look into this carefully. The major newspapers actually recounted all the votes in Florida last time. Maybe this year’s project should be looking at the exit polls. If there are descrepancies between the exit polls and the final results in touch-screen counties but not in paper-ballot counties, that would be a signal. At the very least it could be a good masters thesis for a political science student. The Open voting consortium is a group addressing the subject of verifiable voting.”
End of Day: 9:03 pm
+ = Cold much better – trying Zicam (homeopathic) suggested by somebody at work , seems to be helping.
- = Reminded of the situation in the Sudan happening simultaneously with Iraq but overshadowed – see post by new Xangan SynergyLife.

WEDNESDAY MOVIE

The Control Room

Listening to National Public Radio in my car, as I always do, I heard an interview regarding this film that added to the little whispers of information I’d picked up elsewhere that it was Really Good. So for lack of my usual serial killer movie rentals on the video store shelves this week, I decided to invest in expanding my knowledge of the world situation and watched The Control Room. It was directed by a female Egyptian-American documentarian who went to Qatar in the days just preceding the invasion of Iraq and filmed what followed from the standpoint of Al-Jazeera, the most watched TV news station in the Arab World. It includes visits inside U.S. Central Command in Qatar for a perspective from Americans stationed there. But for the most part, it is the only footage I’ve seen anywhere that really gives you a feeling of what it was like (and is like) to be on the inside looking out of this nightmare that our newly reelected government created. I would suggest watching this must-see film with the thought that this is how our own world may look before the next four years is out. Apparently, over half the citizenry of this country is up for that. For more information on the film and an interview with the director click here. And thanks to all those who tried with their vote to make a difference. Stay alert for what you can do next. Peace.

Deep Thought: “Once I was passing a roadside fruit stand, and I stopped to ask for directions. There was an old grizzled farmer there, with a face that looked like he had seen many things in his life. I asked him which way to go. He paused for a moment, then took out a handkerchief and wiped his brow. I don’t know what he said, because I just peeled out. I don’t have time for guys to pull out handkerchiefs. “
Today I am grateful for: My remote control so I can quickly change channels when I see Certain People
Guess the Movie: ” As long as the roots are not severed, all is well. And all will be well in the garden. ” Answer: Being There, 1979.
Looks like the EVP guy is going to keep posting for awhile, so check back later. Guess he’s taking a well-deserved day off.
End of Day: 9:29 pm
+ = Got stitches out of gums.
- = Miserable all day from cold virus.

TUESDAY POLITICS

A Humble Servant

Well, the Electoral Vote Predictor (see sidebar) guy hasn’t posted yet this morning and I have to go off to work so I thought it might be interesting to show who he is in his own words after all these weeks of yeoman service to us all. He’s quite an interesting guy. When I was at the political action office doing my volunteer work for the Kerry campaign, THEY were looking up his website to see how things were going. I don’t know if he’ll be around much longer but I for one have totally depended on his insight and humor throughout this whole stressfest. Hang on to your butts, we’re going for a ride today and tune in tomorrow to see what happens next.
From Andy:
Who are You?

My name is Andrew Tanenbaum. I am one of the 7 million U.S. citizens living abroad. I am a professor of computer science at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Most of you have never heard of me but in an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny corner of the universe I have done enough stuff that Google has somehow managed to dig up 10,000 pages referring to me.

When I am not collecting data, analyzing it, or blogging, my day job is doing the kind of stuff professors at major research universities normally do. The best part is working with young people, especially my graduate students.

To answer the question of why I am in The Netherlands, my lovely wife is Dutch and long ago we decided that she couldn’t do her kind of work in the U.S. whereas I could work anywhere. I visit the U.S. several times a year and am thoroughly familiar what is going on there. I also read the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Washington Post on-line every day, as well as numerous political websites and blogs.

I grew up in Westchester County, just north of New York City, a Republican bastion and then the 5th wealthiest county in the country. My parents were staunch Republicans. They liked Ike. I went to M.I.T. and then got a Ph.D. from the University of California.
Read rest of Andy’s story here.

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Deep Thought: “When I was a kid, the people next door had this little yappy poodle that I used to make fun of all the time. I thought it was real stupid-looking and annoying. But let me tell you, I didn’t make fun of it after the time it saved my life. How did it save my live? It’s a long story. Too long to tell here. But I can tell you it was full of excitement and danger, and afterwards I never made fun of that poodle again. Well, I suppose I can at least try to tell the story. I’m still not sure I believe it myself, so many strange and fantastic things happened. Briefly what happened, though, is this: I was walking across a vacant lot near my house when I heard a noise. I turned. You know what? This story is just too hard to try to tell here. Just believe it when I say that the poodle came out of nowhere to attack a cobra. Where did the cobra come from? Okay, I guess I can at least tell that part. No, I’m going to change my mind again. It’s just too hard to explain – although if I did explain it, you would be glued to the edge of your seat. Maybe someday I’ll tell the story of the poodle and the cobra. No, I won’t. It’s a good one though.
Today I am grateful for: Snotrags
Guess the Movie: “So I guess this is where I tell you what I learned – my conclusion, right? Well, my conclusion is: Hate is baggage. Life’s too short to be pissed off all the time. It’s just not worth it. Derek says it’s always good to end a paper with a quote. He says someone else has already said it best. So if you can’t top it, steal from them and go out strong. So I picked a guy I thought you’d like. ‘We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.’ ” Answer: American History X, 1998.
Polls Today: Kerry 262/Bush 261. What can i say? This is the last day for this feature. If you haven’t voted yet, make it your main priority today. EVP – “Another bumper crop of polls, 47 in all. Five states changed since yesterday. A University of New Hampshire poll breaks the tie there and gives Kerry a 1% edge in New Hampshire 49% to 48%. According to Zogby, Kerry is also edging ahead in New Mexico, 51% to 48%.

Now come some controversial polls. Yesterday we had Kerry ahead in Ohio on the strength of a Gallup poll showing him 7% ahead there. Today we have a new Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll showing Kerry 3% ahead there Please don’t send e-mail telling me what you think of Fox news. I’m pretty good at guessing, but I am trying very hard to be impartial. Tomorrow we’ll know. Similarly, in Wisconsin a Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll shows Kerry’s 7% lead has vanished overnight and been replaced by Bush’s 3% lead. Again, PLEASE no e-mail about this. Instead, come back tomorrow for the post-mortem. If you don’t buy these numbers, add 30 to Kerry and subtract 30 from Bush to get Kerry 292, Bush 231.”
End of Day: 8:41 pm
+ = Kerry hasn’t lost yet.
- = Bush hasn’t lost yet.

MONDAY BOOK

Grace and Grit (cont.)
by Ken Wilber

It’s been awhile since I returned to this story so quick recap:
Treya and Ken Wilber meet in 8/63. Treya discovers lump in right breast in October. They marry in November and right after get diagnosis of malignant tumor poorly differentiated invasive stage 2 grade 4. December Treya has segmental mastectomy/removal of half of lymph nodes, 6 weeks radiation. Summer 1984 Treya must abort pregnancy because tumor was estrogen positive. Does meditation retreat. November she finds 2 small lumps under R breast – rare recurrence within irradiated area (cancer cells got caught on end of drainage tube when pulled out, caught in skin and left behind). December right simple mastectomy, left breast reduction – no chemo/radiation because docs feel cancer localized. Treya and Ken develop a holistic protocol. January 1985 follow-up visits reveal docs feel there had been a chest wall recurrence and cancer was metastatic, grade 4 stage 4. Decision to do adriamycin (strongest chemo with terrible side effects) in window of opportunity to act quickly – at MD Anderson in Houston. Protocol involves catheter in chest with portable pump to carry 4 days a month for up to a year. Chemo followed by Reglan for antinausea and Benadryl to counteract anxiety caused by Reglan. Treya asks Ken to read to her during chemo from his book No Boundary, a summary of ways world’s great mystics move beyond mind and body.
To explain again, I’m reading this story because I want to know more about breast cancer, a disease that affects so many families today and because I want to know more about how people with spiritual depth face such challenges. Ken and Treya Wilber were both in this field before they even met, so it’s fascinating to see how they handle the situation. Ken reads to Treya: Instead of fighting a distress, then, we simply assume the innocence of a detached impartiality toward it. The mystics and sages are fond of likening this state of witnessing to a mirror. We simpy reflect any sensations or thoughts that arise without clinging to them or pushing them away, just as a mirror perfectly and impartialy reflects whatever passes in front of it. To the extent that you actually realize that you are not, for example, your anxieties, then your anxieties no longer threaten you. Even if anxiety is present, it no longer overwhelms you because you are no longer exclusively tied to it. You have nothing to lose, nothing to gain, by its presence or absence, for you are simply watching it pass by, as you might watch clouds pass by in the sky. (more next week)

Deep Thought: “I think a good movie would be about a guy who’s a brain scientist, but he gets hit on the head and it damages the part of the brain that makes you want to study the brain. “
Today I am grateful for: Big honkin’ socks to wear when the floor gets cold
Guess the Movie: “We are not groupies. Groupies sleep with Rock Stars because they want to be near someone famous. We’re here because of the music. We are band aids. ” Answer: Almost Famous, 2000. Winner: chicksdigbooks.
Polls Today: Kerry 298/Bush 231 EVP: “We have another bumper crop of polls today, 50 in all. Since Sept. 1, the total number of polls in the Polling data file is 937. Toss in another 252 polls from May 24 to Aug. 31 and we have the most studied election in the history of the world. And what’s the conclusion? Nobody knows. If we just look at the most recent poll in every state, John Kerry will be elected the 44th President of the United States tomorrow with 298 votes in the electoral college vs. 231 for George Bush, with New Mexico and New Hampshire exact ties. However, even in Bush carries both of these states, Kerry still wins 298 to 240. But again, a caution is in order, Kerry’s margin is razor thin in Pennsylvania, Florida, and Ohio. Pennsylvania will probably go to Kerry. Ohio is more iffy. Bush won it in 2000 and stands a decent chance of winning it in 2004 although he trails by 2% using the average of the Zogby and Gallup polls taken Oct. 28-31. Thus after 4 years of campaigning, more money spent on attack ads than the gross national product of small countries, and an exhausted electorate, what do we have? In the immortal words of Yogi Berra: “It’s deja vu all over again.” The whole thing comes down to Florida. where Kerry currently holds a tenuous 48% to 47% lead according to the most recent poll, from Zogby. The reality is that everything depends on turnout, how many voting machines fail, and how much monkey business happens. Oh, yeah. And there are those 10,000 lawyers ready to do what lawyers are trained to do–file lawsuits.

If Bush picks up Florida and the two states that are tied (NH and NV), then Kerry wins 271 to 267, the same margin Gore should have lost by last time. Actually, he lost 271 to 266 because one Gore elector from D.C., Barbara Lett-Simmons cast a blank ballot in protest of D.C.’s not having representation in Congress. It could be to be a long night, especially if Bush picks up either Florida or Ohio and a couple of small Kerry states in the East or Midwest, so everything depends on New Mexico.

As I have discussed repeatedly, normally people with a cell phone but no landline are not polled. Most of these are in the 18-29 year old group. Up until now, no one has known how their absence from the polling data might affect the results. Zogby has now conducted a very large (N = 6039) poll exclusively on cell phones using SMS messaging to get a feeling of how they will vote. The results are that they go strongly for Kerry, 55% to 40%, with a margin of error of only 1.2%. If they all vote tomorrow, the pollsters are going to spend the rest of the week wiping egg from their faces. But historically, younger voters have a miserable turnout record, so the pollsters need not yet stock up on paper towels.

Here are some things to remember about voting. Read carefully. Your vote could decide this election.

1. Find out today where your polling place is by calling your county clerk or checking www.mypollingplace.com
2. Alternatively, call 1-866-MYVOTE1 to find your polling place.
3. Check the hours the polls are open with your city or county clerk.
4. Print the League of Women Voters’ card in English or Spanish and put it in your wallet or purse.
5. Bring a government-issued picture ID like a driver’s license or passport when you vote. Some states require it but if there are problems, you will certainly need it. If you have a cell phone, take it to call for help if need be.
6. As you enter the polls, note if there is an Election Protection person outside the polling place.
7. If you are not on listed as a registered voter, try to register on the spot. Some states allow that. Otherwise, talk to the Election Protection person if there is one or call 1-866-OUR-VOTE for instructions. If neither of these helps, ask for a provisional ballot, but you will need a picture ID to get one.

Your vote counts. Don’t let anyone take it away from you.
End of Day: 9:08 pm
+ = By tomorrow the real fun begins.
- = Caught a cold today so have hideous sore throat and swollen glands plus blinding stabbing pains in my left jaw from having to chew only on that side because of healing dental surgery on the other side. My head thinks it can kill me and go on living.