Bush the poet

b** A short poem made up entirely of actual quotations from George W. Bush.

These lines have been arranged, only for aesthetic purposes, by Washington Post writer Richard Thompson.

MAKE THE PIE HIGHER

I think we all agree, the past is over.
This is still a dangerous world.
It's a world of madmen and uncertainty
And potential mental losses.

Is our children learning?
Will the highways of the Internet
Become more few?

How many hands have I shaked?
They misunderestimate me.
I am a pitbull on the pantleg of opportunity.

I know that the human being
And the fish can coexist.
Families is where our nation finds hope,
Where our wings take dream.

Put food on your family!
Knock down the tollbooth!
Vulcanize society!
Make the pie higher!
I am the Decider!

Is child beating still a right?

** In the US it apparently still is. This shocking website has links to products that are sold specifically for the purpose of "Biblical" discipline of children.

Also links to commentaries on James Dobson's teachings on discipline. You'll be disgusted, but there's a petition you can sign to promote legislation to ban these kinds of products.

So glad it was the religious right that got the beating in this midterm election.

Thank goodness for Dan Dennett

** This man has been pivotal in rethinking my life. It started with Breaking the Spell, and continues with his other books. (see my librarything catalog). This is the story of his recent hospitalization, which I find quite inspiring.

Thank goodness by Daniel C. Dennett

Death threat to democracy

** How ironic that the country that has killed over 300,000 Iraqis and over 3000 of its own in order to bring “democracy” to the Middle East is killing its own democratic systems. Voting is so fundamental to the operation of a democracy that the actual process usually gets no attention. We just assume that voting works and the results of voting bear testament to the will of the people.

But starting with the 2000 US elections, the process itself has become the focus of investigation. Technology enables both good and evil to be done with greater and greater ease. Those who would warp the process and apply it in favor of a particular candidate now have tools to accomplish that task much more easily than in the past. And those who see the seriousness of this capability also are investigating, and are being vocal about what they are finding.

It's a shame that the HBO special “Hacking Democracy” should be restricted to those who can pay for premium cable. [UPDATE: The full program is now available on the Web - see link below] This documentary is so persuasive that it should appear on every television channel that purports to bring “news” to its audience. Barring that, everyone who knows about the problem with electronic voting should spread the word far and wide.

The following are links to information sources, blogs and videos that should awaken true patriotism and cause a militancy against electronic vote-rigging. What are you waiting for? Raise hell!

Blackboxvoting.org
Security Analysis of the Diebold AccuVote-TS Voting Machine
Hacking Democracy - full film here
Diebold insists HBO cancel documentary on voting machines