Though it was a good attempt, the is_human() WordPress module was a failure for me, so I pulled it off my website. It was blocking way too many legitimate comments and did absolutely nothing to address the hundreds of trackback and linkback spams showing up daily.
I am sad, as I had hoped it would help prevent the deluge of spam.
Tagged SpamTrying to make this as easy as I can, friends in Loudoun sent me this (thanks Rob and Dave):
http://loudoun.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=2408
It has the information you want to know if you are intending to vote early in Loudoun County, Virginia.
Tagged 2008 election, Loudoun CountyThis year’s November 4th General Election is going to be huge. Expected turn-out numbers are all record setters even by the most conservative estimates. We should expect really long lines and possibly some problems with the process even with the best of intentions.
One way we can alleviate some of the stress is to vote in person using an absentee ballot but much earlier than the actual election day. Of course, if you have not made up your mind by the cut-off day, you’ll have to wait in line; but if you already know how you plan to vote – you can make election day itself a lot smoother and avoid the long lines by voting early.
Rob at RaisingKaine has published this diary with information about where you can get official information on early voting in Virginia:
http://raisingkaine.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=16705. If you are not in Virginia, or your locality is not listed, ask your own state or county board of elections if you can help.
I have taken a stab at what I think our ballots will look like, but you can get the same information at your State Board of Elections. Here are the ones I’ve been able to assemble so far for Maryland and Virginia:
Voting Guide 2008 (that one page is non-partisan)
It’s October 17th, at 6:24 am Eastern, on News8 and I just saw the first positive campaign message advertisement I’ve seen from John McCain this election. In this ad, Senator McCain does not even mention Senator Obama. It’s ironic that a positive campaign ad shows up after the debates are over, and I think it will be too little, too late for McCain’s campaign.
3rd Debate Comments after the fold…
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Fifteen years ago Erci and I got our partnership recognized by the community (we snuck state recognition in several months before the public ceremony). Happy Anniversary my love.
Subject says it, go contribute to the Tom Perriello campaign please. There are hundreds and hundreds of reasons why Tom is a better choice than Goode.
Tagged Goode, Perriello, VA-05I had a pretty hearty laugh when I first saw Sarah Silverman’s YouTube video about “The Great Schlep” a week or so ago. I do not personally have any relatives in Florida, so it has no bearing on me, and though it is entertaining and a novel idea; I initially dismissed her video’s effectiveness.
I also get hundreds and sometimes thousands of junk emails every day, and mostly a combination of server filters (Spam Assassin) and smart Mail client (Mail.app which uses both Bayesian filtering and my own personal junk rules) keeps the junk out of my face. I routinely see email about political issues and often the claims of such email messages are quite obviously pure fabrications and I both ignore them and discount their effectiveness as I figure no one is ignorant enough to believe them.
Turns out I may have been wrong, on both counts: CNN has an article about the Great Schlep, and apparently not only are senior citizens more prone to the spread of fear, uncertainty, and doubt by these junk emails, but also getting a reasonable discussion going with readily available sources of facts can make a huge difference in their confidence and knowledge before voting.
So a belated Kudos to Sarah Silverman and her efforts to get people discussing the facts rather than the bull-crap sent around via anonymous email messages. Call your relatives and make sure they are not falling for the same crap emails. Jewish heritage and Florida residency are not requirements like I initially thought they were, this can happen to anyone anywhere; make sure your friends and family are informed.
For those who have not seen Sarah Silverman’s funny video message (contains some strong language):
Here are some relatively non-partisan fact reporting websites that can help you sort out the BS from the truth:
Congressional Quarterly
FactCheck.org
Update: Here is another video along the same lines as the Silverman video, but not specifically targeted at Jewish Grandparents in Florida:
Tagged 2008 election, civics, elections, votingJust tasted a little Eos Reserve Paso Robles Petite Syrah 2005 at Whole Foods in Fair Lakes with Kate and Erci; it was extraordinarily yummy. At $33 a bottle it will be for special occasions only, but it is very good. Dinner at the seafood bar inside Whole Foods was excellent too; blackened tilapia, miso scallops, lime scallops… yum!
Tagged food, WineSo we are nearly half-way through the last month before the General Election. I have been pondering what this year’s “October Surprise” might be, and I stumbled over this excellent article by by Rany Jazayerli:
I have also been perplexed that McCain’s campaign has been throwing everything they’ve got at Obama too early, and wondered what they might have held in reserve to try to save McCain’s campaign late in the game… and I also am getting more and more convinced that McCain has nothing left.
So the only remaining game changing even would have to be a dramatic, attention-grabbing act of international terrorism. Unlike Rany Jazayerli, I think there is a serious chance that the surprise may come from the departing Bush administration; but I agree that the most likely source of surprise is from Osama bin Laden or another terrorist group from the Middle East. I completely agree that bin Laden’s video release in 2004 was an attempt to shift the election in favor of continued war (and therefor for Bush); Bush’s policies have helped bin Laden’s recruiting more than anything else we’ve done as a nation in 50 years. It makes sense that bin Laden would favor more war and therefore would want McCain to be in the oval office. We are dangerously close to war with Pakistan already, so Al-Qaeda can probably sense greater escalation is just around the corner. I am guessing at a 65% probability that sometime this month, towards the end of the month we will either see a dramatic attempt at terrorism or a video with Osama bin Laden on it released to the world’s media.
It will be a crude attempt to change the outcome of the American general election, and this time, I think it will fail. I believe Americans have smartened up enough that the only people fooled by such a ploy are the fools who are already voting for McCain and Palin. The deciders will not shift one bit, and Barack Obama will be our next President as the result of a landslide election of historic proportions (a landslide that will happen even without a terrorist attack).
So, what of the 25-30% chance that the October Surprise will come from the Bush administration? Bush has very little to lose, and that makes him rather unpredictable. Perhaps another preemptive military action? I hope that is unlikely, our military is already stretched. I guess it will be a surprise.
Tagged 2008 election, Al-Qaeda, McCain, Obama