This past election brought to light many issues concerning non-verifiable electronic voting, especially in hotly-contested Ohio. Some of the criticism surrounded statements made by Wally O’Dell, chairman of Diebold, and his pledge to help deliver Ohio for the President. These statements were made with the full knowledge that Diebold was in the running for the contract to provide electronic voting machines for use in last year’s election.

It finally appears that someone was listening, albeit way too late, to the calls for a paper-trail with regards to tallying votes. Yahoo! News reports that Diebold is finally marketing a paper-trail e-voting system. Hurray!!!!!

A machine with a printer that creates a voter-verified paper trail permits voters to review their selections on a printout after using an electronic ballot. Advocates of such printers say the functionality allows voters to be confident that e-voting machines recorded their votes as intended, and provides paper evidence for a recount.

The only part that burns my backside, so to speak, is this statement:

The company’s decision comes in large part because of state requirements for paper-trail ballots, says David Bear, a Diebold spokesperson. Nevada used e-voting machines with paper-trail capabilities in the November U.S. election, and California and Ohio have joined Nevada in requiring e-voting machine printers in future elections.

Mr. Bear’s (sounds like a cartoon character!) comments make it seem to me that Diebold would never have pursued this had it not been for “state requirements“. While this is a big step in the right direction for Election Reform, we are not quite there yet. Here are my suggestions as to how elections can be run more smoothly, accurately, and efficiently:

1. Require a picture ID at time of registration AND time of voting.
2. Have the Election Commissions send out registration confirmations at least 3 months prior to major elections. (I know, it’s a stretch.)
3. Require all election materials to be staged at each polling place a minimum of 24 hours prior to an election.
4. Require any electronic voting machines to be staged and tested 2 weeks prior to any election. If repairs are needed, have them made no later than 3 days prior to elections.
5. Make sure that enough voting machines are available and poll workers on hand to ensure smooth, quick, and efficient voting.
6. Make sure that poll workers arrive at least 1 hour prior to the polls opening for setup.

These are just a few of the things that will help our elections go much more smoothly. With the exception of having registration confirmations sent out, all of the above items are easily attainable.

Got an email yesterday from my brother, RoadRage, who has been in Iraq since the Monday before Christmas. Seems he’s doing alright, but keeping awfully busy.

This is such a relief to finally hear from him; it’s like an enormous weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

I want to say thank you to everyone who tunes in to my rantings here (regardless how few of you there are) for keeping my brother in your prayers, thoughts, whatever. I’ll try to keep you guys updated as I get more information. In the meantime, hit up my links on the sidebar for the Organizations that help! Every single one of them helps our troops or others in a time of need.

Here’s a model of the truck he drives:

Bulldog

How I find this stuff, I’ll never know. It appears that in Oklahoma, straight (heterosexual) students want a week that’s all their own. Click2Houston.com’s article College Republicans Plan ‘Straight Pride Week’ says it all. In response to another group, Gay Alliance for Tolerance and Equality or GATE’s gay pride week, these students must feel they’re being left out in the cold with no “week” of their own.

“The general gist is that if you are a straight student on campus be proud, be loud, this is your time to shine,” said college Republican Kyle Houts.

The group has posted fliers on campus that read, “we’re here, we’re conservative, we’re out.”

My question is this: Why can’t these same students participate in GATE? GATE seems to me to be an organization of TOLERANCE and doesn’t appear to DISCRIMINATE against anyone based on their sexual preference. The ‘Straight Pride Week’ that College Republicans are planning is a slap in the face to tolerance and is evidence of further prejudice by right-wingers. From what I can tell, based on the article, GATE does not have a bias against heterosexuals when it comes to membership.

This is just one more example of how some Republicans don’t want to unite this country. They fail to realize or even acknowledge that there are opposing views, lifestyles, opinions, etc. out there, all the while preaching that theirs is the right way: “You’re either with us, or against us”.

As most everyone knows by now (if not, just turn on your TV, it’s plastered EVERYWHERE!), the inaugural Iraqi elections are to take place on Sunday. Violence across the country has increased in an effort to try and stop the elections from occurring. Intimidation is increasingly used against Iraqi citizens by the insurgents in an effort to compel them from voting. Throughout all of this, CNN reports that expatriates worldwide are excited:

“I’d like to thank every American in uniform,” said Nick Najjar in Southgate, Michigan.

“I’d like to thank the government of the United States entirely, Democratic or Republic[an] for what they did to Iraq to liberate Iraq from Saddam’s dictatorship. Thank you very much.”

“It’s the greatest day in my life, the greatest feeling ever in my life,” said Montador Almosawi, also in Southgate.

“My feeling is that I’m doing something for my country. And we always say that a distance of 1,000 miles starts with one step — and that’s the biggest step we’re doing right now.”

“This is democracy in the making. This is freedom in the making,” said Ghanim al-Shibli, Iraq’s ambassador to Australia.

“The Iraqi people are experiencing and tasting freedom. This is something tremendous — just give you goose pimples.”

I cannot help but be a bit skeptical about the elections. Afghanistan’s elections were mired by tales of election fraud, intimidation, etc. to the point that no one can legitimately say that “fair” elections were held. Yes, 4 million Afghani women were extended the right to vote. I applaud that. But when there are questions of whether your vote actually counted, it doesn’t seem to matter how many people voted. I fear we may see or hear of allegations similar to that in Sunday’s elections.

The most interesting thing to note, especially since the mainstream media didn’t pick up on it, is that all of the above comments were by Iraqi expatriates. That means ‘people who have been exiled, by choice or not‘. That’s pretty significant considering that they have NOT been subject to the violence of late by insurgents, NOT been intimidated recently into not showing up at polls, nor have they been subject to limited infrastructure, unsafe drinking water, etc. as a result of both coalition (I still use that term loosely) or insurgency bombing. It’s great that they want to see a united, democratic Iraq, but I fear they are a bit jaded by the reports in the news and from our Administration concerning the progress we have made/are making over there.

Sunday’s elections in Iraq ARE a major milestone, however. Citizens who had never before had the right or opportunity to vote will be given the chance. I just hope, for their sake and ours, that the elcetions go smoothly, are not marred by violence, and are seen as legitimate both to Iraqis and the world. These elections constitute the first, important step to bringing our troops back home and finally turning Iraq over to the Iraqis. I am trying to be as optimistic as I can about these elections, I really am.

Yahoo! News reports on Condoleeza Rice’s first day at work:

Condoleezza Rice worked the phones on her first day on the job as America’s top diplomat Thursday, reaching out to European allies and partners in the war on terrorism and echoing President Bush’s inaugural charge to promote liberty across the globe(my emphasis).

There is where she misspoke or at least did not fully state what that means. To me, and perhaps to the rest of the civilized and rational nation in which we live, it means force democracy upon countries that neither want it nor want us interfering. Presumably, our next “country of interest” is going to be Iran. By all accounts, they have not been straight-forward with the U.S. nor the U.N. with regards to their nuclear (that’s new-klee-urr for non-speaking presidents) programs. I just wonder whether there is going to be another vote on whether we should invade since sanctions don’t appear to have worked.

What’s that you say? The U.N. hasn’t imposed sanctions yet? What the hell does that matter? We are the United States, the biggest dog on the world’s block. Since Iran is harboring terrorists, we must engage in diplomatic conversations with them (read ‘bomb their asses back to the stone age’; everyone know there’s no pursuading a terrorist).

With the attack negotiations soon to take place with Iran, I hope they see the writing on the wall that the U.S. isn’t playing games anymore and opt, instead, to comply immediately, for their sake and our military’s sake. God knows they are stretched too thin already, just don’t tell the President that.

Condoleeza Rice may very well make a competent Secretary of State provided she doesn’t hesitate to give the President a full estimate of whatever situation instead of being a lap dog; a yes-man. She is a brilliant person, no doubt, but somehow I am hesitant to put my faith in her blindly. I want to see some results before I whole-heartedly buy what she’s selling.

You will never help a political campaign by engaging in illegal activities. Unfortunately, with that said, it appears that the sons of former Milwaukee Mayor, Marvin Pratt, and U.S. Representative Gwen Moore, have been charged with criminal damage to property. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has the full article HERE - 5 charged in GOP tire slashings.

Unfortunately, I did not get to see the news coverage of this, but my wife tells me that Gwen Moore (who I voted for), had nothing to say that addressed the issue at hand, yet shed plenty of tears. That is quite disturbing to me. I understand why these people may have wanted to commit this crime, but damn it, behavior and activities like this are exactly what the Republicans have been accusing us of. Now, the sons of two prominent Milwaukee politicians, make their parents out to look like fools! As well as the rest of us who voted against George Bush. When are people going to learn that breaking the law will NEVER have GOOD consequences.

Here is what Gwen Moore should have said:

The activities that led to the charges brought against my son are disheartening. While I love my son, I will NEVER condone the type of activity that he engaged in on November 2nd of last year. If I couldn’t have won legitimately, as I did, I would not have wanted to win at all. I ask that Mr. McCann be lenient, yet firm, as these charges and their subsequent punishment are levied against Sowande and the others involved.

That’s what should have been said. Hopefully, Wisconsin Democrats will step up and publically state that the actions of these 5 are to be deplored and that the Wisconsin Democratic Party will NOT tolerate behavior such as this.

As many of you know by now, today we lost one of the Greats. Johnny Carson died today at ripe old age of 79. Since his last ‘Tonight Show with Johnny Carson’ in 1992, very little had been heard from him. Johnny preferred it that way. Many stars that knew him noted that he was an intensely private person. My memories of Johnny Carson, unfortunately, are from his last few years before retiring and countless reruns on Nick at Nite or Comedy Central. So with that, let me set the stage for you:

(lights go down, curtain goes up)
[St. Peter enters stage right]

St. Peter: Back for his first performance in 13 years… Heeeeeeerrreee’s Johnny!
Johnny: Hey, thanks a lot Pete. Boy, it’s good to be here. You know, I just flew in and man are my arms tired! (muffled laughter) We’ve got quite the show up here in Heaven for you tonight. What an audience too. Tonight’s guests include the great Bob Hope… (Johnny’s voice starts to fade as we draw back…)

I can almost imagine this kind of a scene going on right now. I absolutely loved the wit and humor that Johnny delivered every night. I may be a young pup, but what I saw on his show, in a way, forever changed me. Here was a man who made a living telling jokes, delivering monologues, zinging one-liners, and not once (that I know of) did he ever feel the need to degrade another human being in the interest of humor.

Johnny, if you’re listening, I wish you a very heartfelt goodnight. May God give you your own studio and show in Heaven.

(caution: long post ahead!)
This article from MSNBC - Survey finds church-goers growing bolder, epitomizes why we will never have religious harmony or political peace in this country. In my mind, this country, politically, is moving backwards to the days of open discrimination. This time it is not so much against those of different races, but those whose ideas politically differ, and those whose religious or ethical values differ.

I have already written about the discrimination rampant in anti-gay marriage legislation HERE. While the idea of homosexuality is considered a sin according to conservative Christian values, others do not feel the same way. Most Christians seem to have misunderstood Jesus’ teachings that we should hate the SIN and not the Sinner. Members of my family fall into this category as well. While my personal religious beliefs have taught me that homosexuality is a sin, they have also taught me to be accepting of everyone as Christ himself was, just not their sin. This is where I am able to separate my religious views (personal) from my political views (applied to everyone else). Read the rest of this entry »

DID YOU REMEMBER ME?

Did you remember me,
As you drank your wine
and gave champagne toasts?

Did you remember me,
at your fancy balls,
and celebrations?

Did you remember me,
as you shook their hands,
those who helped put you in power?

Did you remember me,
at the big party,
you threw in my honor?

Did you remember me,
when you said how proud,
myself and others like me have made you?

Will you remember me,
when your time is done,
and God calls YOU home?

I doubt it.
I fought for you, and
I died for you.
And you partied,
as though my life meant nothing.

I caught this on the local news tonight and it about floored me, it was so funny. Apparently a man went to rob a local Mom and Pop grocery store with a knife. Unbeknownst to the would-be thief, the clerk had a gun. The thief then chased the clerk through the store until he cornered him. The clerk then proceeded to pump him full of lead! Four shots total were fired, with 3 of them hitting the thief. The thief is dead and the clerk is a hero.

So ends another episode of Never Take a Knife to a Gun Fight