A new low for voter apathy

BlackBoxVoting.org is reporting that evidence has been obtained regarding the performance of Diebold voting machines used in Palm Beach County in the 2004 presidential election. Serious discrepancies have been found regarding the timestamps on many voting records, showing some votes having been cast two weeks before the election, and some showing a timestamp sometime in 2010. Other logs show massive incompetency/poor training of poll workers charged with maintaining the machines.

So of course, the election results from Palm Beach County have been nullified.... oh, wait, they haven't.

There's been a huge outcry by the voters and media demanding answers for the... oh, wait, there hasn't.

Hundreds of voters have demanded that their votes be verified as matching the votes recorded on their receipt.. oh, wait, there weren't any receipts.

Well, I'm sure that Diebold is completely impartial and has made the whole process of manufacturing and programming these machines as transparent to the voting public as possible, and have refrained from donating any funds to Republican campaigns while they had this contract... oh, wait. They aren't and haven't.

It's official, folks. Participatory democracy is dead in the USA. These machines have made the whole "hanging chad" debacle of the 2000 election look like someone dropping a ballot on the floor; there's not even any trace of impartiality or accountability. Repeated requests for access to the machines' code and hardware have been denied, with the excuse of "if we let people examine the machines, they'd figure out how to affect their accuracy blah blah blah". That's all well and good, but the whole point of said examination is to verify that it's not possible to corrupt or otherwise affect voting results, not to find out ways to hack them. In any event, an inside job, as any security pro will tell you, is a far larger threat to a process in need of protection than an outside attack.

There's also the fact that nobody seemed to care about these discrepancies during the election. "Oh well, the computers were messed up, I'm sure the results are fine." *blink* THIS IS AN ELECTION, not your fantasy football pool! An attitude that accepts unexplained and uncorrected computer glitches in a voting machine is one that shouldn't be allowed within 100 miles of a federal election... but since Diebold gives so much money to the Republican party's campaigns, the powers that be decided that Diebold could police its own procedures and provide its own accountability. And then not provide any method of verification in case there's a need for a recount or other election irregularity? How homicidally stupid is that?

So now we just accept the word of some black box that the results are accurate, and get abuse (even threats) when we question those results.

I knew that Big Business ran the country, I guess I just didn't realize that they were actually choosing the President now, rather than contributing to the campaigns. It's a good business move for Diebold; they get to save money on the campaign contributions if they can choose who wins the election.

The lack of media coverage disturbs me, as well... I can understand Fox not giving it any airtime, as it'd be a conflict with their core mission (providing propaganda for BushCo.) But why isn't this on CNN? In the New York Times? Has the Neo-Conservative cabal really extended its stranglehold on the media that far? It would make sense if it did; it'll need the media coverage of the (invented) coming civil unrest to sell the country on the suspension of the Constitution, which (by the way) will also have the side effect of allowing Bush the Second to remain in office indefinitely.

*adjusts tinfoil hat*

Anne Coulter Needs a Cockpunch Special Bonus Fun Size Happy Time edition

Nothing really new here, Ariana Huffington says it better than I ever could:

Sean Hannity Is Anne Coulter's Bitch

Drawing an analogy between AC and crack is better than what I've come up with. Kudos.

Anne Coulter Needs a Cockpunch #5

Today's lovely little nugget of strawman abuse from the right's most embarrasing bitch goes like this:

"When contemplating college liberals, you really regret once again that John Walker is not getting the death penalty. We need to execute people like John Walker in order to physically intimidate liberals, by making them realize that they can be killed, too. Otherwise, they will turn out to be outright traitors."

She's referring of course to John Walker Lindh, also known as the "American Taliban", arrested by US forces in Afghanistan in January 2002. He's been charged with conspiracy to commit terrorist acts and has been tried, convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison by a federal court.

But of course, since he comes from a liberal Californian family, clearly all liberals are terrorists. That's like saying all right-wing pundits are shrill, haggy, skinny skanks with a persecution complex and a far-too-specific hate of liberals. And clearly not all of them are; some of them actually have constructive ideas on how to solve society's ills. Oh, and by the way: advocating the murder of someone for what they think isn't exactly a conservative viewpoint. "Psychopathic" might be a better fit.

Not Anne, though. For someone who rants so much about how much liberals complain, she sure complains a lot herself.

On the death of quality by the sword of cheapness

I'm currently sitting in my completely pedestrian living room, (with its generic light beige carpeting and a coat of paint that in its infinite optimism has the nerve to describe itself as "Irish Coffee", when it and everyone else knows it's really just the bastard child of eggshell and off-white,) listening to a recording that's nearly as old as I am, and STUNNED by what I'm hearing. The album is Steely Dan's "Gaucho", remixed and remastered for a Super Audio Compact Disc release. I have a relatively low-end home theater setup; and by low-end, I mean it cost less than $5000 in total (that's amp, speakers, DVD/SACD/DVD-Audio player, PS2, and a hideously overpriced entertainment center to house them all in. Seriously, if you included the carpet and the paint, it'd still be less than $5k.) OK, so the album came out in 1980, and I was seven at the time, so it's not really nearly as old as I am, but hey, I'm old.

The album harks back to the days of tube amplifiers, precisely counterbalanced phonograph arms, (OMG VINYL LOL), the odd reel-to-reel tape recorder, and "Dolby" being something they put on cassette decks to cancel out tape hiss. Oh, and coke (and I ain't talkin 'bout that fizzy sugary shite). And the Golden Age of Porn (as described by Messrs. Fagen and Becker). Coincidentally, this seems to have been the last era that the American consumer actually gave a shit about the quality of the music they listened to. Let's take as an example this situation I'm in. Most people would be just as likely to think that "SACD" was something that happened to quarterbacks. That and DVD-Audio are the two high-resolution, multi-channel (exclusively) music formats available to the consumer at this time. Even in a stereo only setup (I'm listening in stereo right now, as opposed to the 5.1 surround mix) with relatively middle-of-the-road speakers, the difference between this and a regular CD is dramatic.

People are going to think that there's a huge increase in cost for this experience, but they couldn't be more wrong if they tried. Let's take as an example what I've got here. Most people wouldn't blink to hard at spending $150 on a component CD player; hell, for $200 you could get a fancy carousel one that holds 843793745 discs and does your taxes, practically. Yet, my player, which reads just about every form of media you can imagine (CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-RW, OMGWTFBBQ) as well as just about every major format out there (DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, CD Audio, Video CD, MP3 CD), and yet it didn't cost any more than a typical CD player. So the cost associated with the improvement in quality is negligible. The media themselves don't cost any more than CDs either, typically, maybe $3 more IF that. So everything else being equal, assuming you've got a typical home theater setup, the increased cost is next to nothing. (Like everything else audiophilic, of course you can spend obscene amounts of money if you want to, but IMHO you don't have to to get a marked improvement)

Unfortunately, the American buying public has been so conditioned to want the cheapest possible product at the expense of quality, that when a product hits the market that doesn't cost any more than the current "standard" but delivers a far superior experience, they ignore it for that exact reason - someone says "sounds better" and they IMMEDIATELY assume "costs more" and it's like the product never even existed.

So what we get (those of us who give a shit), is a classic chicken-and-egg situation. With (as it stands right now) just a niche market for the high-res formats, the titles released in the format are limited. (Some new releases are now being done in the DualDisc format, DVD-Audio on one side, CD audio on the other. Yet another complication.. and in addition, the disk is physically thicker, and the mere act of playing it may void your player's warranty... don't get me started.) So with a limited library, the market is going to be... limited... Lather rinse repeat.

I'm basically just bitching here about the fact that such a great thing (high-resolution audio) is dead, it just hasn't hit the ground yet. All because (like so many things), Americans are retarded as a species.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone.

You wouldn't have believed the time I had getting a good picture of a rose. Click to embiggen.

Some stats:
Nikon D50
Compressed RAW (12-bit)
Image Size: Large (3008 x 2000)
Lens: 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 G
Focal Length: 55mm
Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority
1/60 sec - F/5.6
Exposure Comp.: -0.3 EV
Sensitivity: ISO 400
White Balance: Flash
Flash Sync Mode: Front Curtain

Taken 12/5/05. Nikon D50, f8, 1/80, focal length 55mm (kit lens). This camera makes it way easy to take really good pictures. Taken with natural light, overcast December day in San Francisco. I was kind of bummed out, the morning was clear and sunny, but by the time I got from the Bay Bridge to the Golden Gate, it was overcast. Got some good shots of the bridge though, good moody lighting and all. Bigger version available here.

omg. It's Nancy Kerrigan time.

WHYY?????

Anne Coulter Needs a Cockpunch #4

Time once again to set phasers on "fascist" and listen as Anne "she CAN'T be a woman" Coulter dumps gas on the fire of American polarization:

"Whenever a liberal begins a statement with 'I don't know which is more frightening,' you know the answer is going to be pretty clear." Source

...

Ok, someone needs to explain this one to me. Someone who begins a statement with 'I don't know which is more frightening' is invariably about to describe two (duh) similarly frightening things. If you take 'a liberal' and substitute 'somebody' in this quote, there is no meaning whatsoever to this sentence. Even with 'liberal' in it, any characterization or description is notably absent; I guess we're just supposed to assume that our confusion means "HURR LIBERALS BAD HURR".

Seriously. For example: "I don't know which is more frightening: AIDS or cancer." And a liberal is saying it. Anyone? Clear answer? Anyone? Beuller? Beuller?

Most of her quotes have at least SOME statement of opinion or logic (deranged as it might be, in my opinion), but this one is just completely meaningless.

Anne, I've got a response. "When Anne Coulter is speaking, you know that something is being said."

How to shut down a debate on the "War" in Iraq

"I've got an idea. Why don't we stop killing people?"

Then dare people to argue with you.

Hold on just one fucking minute.

I was ready to go topic by topic ridiculing the Shrub-In-Cheif's State of the Union speech last night, but somehow, I just don't have the energy. I find it impossible to listen to the man directly. Even reading the speech makes me want to put an icepick through my temple.

Let's just hit the high points.

"Our generation has been blessed -- by the expansion of opportunity, by advances in medicine, by the security purchased by our parents' sacrifice. Now, as we see a little gray in the mirror -- or a lot of gray -- (laughter) -- and we watch our children moving into adulthood..."

OMG! The chimp told a joke! Good monkey, you get a banana. And how about you quit squandering that security before your great grandkids will have to help pay it back?

"America's economy is the fastest growing of any major industrialized nation."

Sure, if you consider Wal-Mart to be our economy. And then only the people who run or own stock in Wal-Mart, because the workers sure as hell aren't involved in that growth. Their economy grows when the minimum wage goes up.

"In the past four years, we provided tax relief to every person who pays income taxes,"

Great. A $700 check that got deducted from the following year's tax refunds. Thanks. I'm sure that 5 months of interest was a real hardship.

"overcome a recession, opened up new markets abroad,"

Hate to tell ya, dude, but the recession is still going on, and you can say it's over all you want, it doesn't make it true. And those new markets? Sweatshop labor in China and outsourced tech workers in India, both bad for the part of the economy that doesn't have trust funds.

"prosecuted corporate criminals,"

Actually, he's right about this sinc... BWAHAHAHA I knew I couldn't say that with a straight face. Ken Lay's entire defense seems to hinge on the fact that the government's complaint was hard to read, and he'll STILL do a couple years in club Fed while all the workers whose retirement funds he destroyed work as Wal-Mart greeters. That's really prosecution at its finest.

"raised homeownership to its highest level in history,"

Define "highest level". Sure, if you take all the homes in the USA and multiply them by the average cost of a new house, the number is bigger than it was before. It's called "inflation", perhaps you've heard of it.

"and in the last year alone, the United States has added 2.3 million new jobs."

Wal-Mart, McDonalds and Best Buy, thank you for helping the ruling class make more money by treating your workers like tampons.

"Small business is the path of advancement, especially for women and minorities, so we must free small businesses from needless regulation and protect honest job-creators from junk lawsuits."

Psst, Mr.President, that should read "protect huge corrupt criminally irresponsible multinational corporations from actually paying for their mistakes."

"To keep our economy growing, we also need reliable supplies of affordable, environmentally responsible energy. "

I guarantee you he doesn't even know how to spell "environmentally responsible", and he for DAMN sure doesn't know what it means. He probably thinks it means that it doesn't make smoke come out of the back of your Benz too badly.

"...including safe, clean nuclear energy."

*BEEP* DOES NOT COMPUTE *BEEP*

Oh, wait, his buddies in the energy industry would LOVE to manage some pork barrel projects involving uranium. Nevermind.

"I urge Congress to pass legislation that makes America more secure and less dependent on foreign energy."

From the Wikipedia: "Lip service is the name of the situation in which someone complies with a certain obligation, or expectation, they have been subjected to, to the minimum possible extent."

"To build the prosperity of future generations, we must update institutions that were created to meet the needs of an earlier time."

Hmm, noncommittal positive-sounding modernization proposal... Wait for it...

"Year after year, Americans are burdened by an archaic, incoherent federal tax code. I've appointed a bipartisan panel to examine the tax code from top to bottom. And when their recommendations are delivered, you and I will work together to give this nation a tax code that is pro-growth, easy to understand, and fair to all."

*blerp* Sorry, I just threw up in my mouth a little. I'm allergic to hypocrisy. What he really means here is "my rich buddies pay too much in taxes, so I want to make it so it looks like they're paying their fair share, but you'll have to be a CPA to understand how they're not."

"Here's why the personal [social security] accounts are a better deal."

Did they just switch from the live feed to a time-share infomercial?

"And best of all, the money in the account is yours, and the government can never take it away. "

By "yours", they mean "totally controlled by the government" and by "take it away" they mean "we'll only redirect the interest to the federal government, the principal is yours to keep!" Here's what I'm talking about. They're calling it "benefit offset", but what it really is, is "the federal government making interest money off your savings." Doesn't sound like such a good deal to me.

"The goal here is greater security in retirement, so we will set careful guidelines for personal accounts. We'll make sure the money can only go into a conservative mix of bonds and stock funds."

... that my buddies manage.

"Because marriage is a sacred institution and the foundation of society, it should not be re-defined by activist judges. For the good of families, children, and society, I support a constitutional amendment to protect the institution of marriage."

Translation: "Teh gheys are ruining the country with their "marriage" nonsense talk. Why do teh gheys hate America?" Also, it's interesting to note that this is probably the first time that a constitutional amendment that limits freedom for a specific minority has been considered.

"Because HIV/AIDS brings suffering and fear into so many lives, I ask you to reauthorize the Ryan White Act to encourage prevention, and provide care and treatment to the victims of that disease."

Well, geez, we were kind of hard on teh gheys, so I'll speak in code here and pretend to throw them a bone.

"And as we update this important law, we must focus our efforts on fellow citizens with the highest rates of new cases, African American men and women."

See? See? He DOESN'T hate black people. He even went so far as to use "AIDS bad" and "African American" in the same sentence. What a mind-blowing revelation. 'Scuse me while I pick my temporal lobe off the wall.

"In the three and a half years since September the 11th, 2001,"

I KNEW it! He couldn't get through a speech without mentioning 9/11! (Keeb, you owe me $20).

"Pursuing our enemies is a vital commitment of the war on terror -- and I thank the Congress for providing our servicemen and women with the resources they have needed."

I guess "kevlar vests" and "Humvee armor" aren't necessities, but optional extras.

"In the long-term, the peace we seek will only be achieved by eliminating the conditions that feed radicalism and ideologies of murder."

Code for "eliminating the radicalism of disagreeing with US policy."

"The United States has no right, no desire, and no intention to impose our form of government on anyone else." followed quickly by "Our aim is to build and preserve a community of free and independent nations, with governments that answer to their citizens, and reflect their own cultures."

Ok, so that's "not imposing government" followed by "building a form of government we choose to allow them to have." How do these two statements get reconciled? Someone missed an edit.

"If whole regions of the world remain in despair and grow in hatred, they will be the recruiting grounds for terror, and that terror will stalk America and other free nations for decades."

Maybe we should stop bombing them, and they'll won't despair and hate us quite as much.

"America will stand with the allies of freedom to support democratic movements in the Middle East and beyond, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world."

The tyranny of disagreeing with us, for example.

"We will succeed because the Iraqi people value their own liberty -- as they showed the world last Sunday."

See? They sat, rolled over and played dead for us. ... what? they weren't playing? oops, my bad.

"Recently an Iraqi interpreter said to a reporter, "Tell America not to abandon us.""

Suuuuuuure they did. Must have been Fox.

I could go on like this all night, but frankly I've spent too much energy thinking about what he's said already. This is how I see the speech:

Foreign oil bad. Fixing it good. Real change bad. Inadequate, miracle-requiring alternative energy research good. Talking about fuel mileage bad. Social Security good, but getting bad. Individual accounts good. Health care bad. Making health care better good. Poverty bad. Marriage good. Teh ghey marriage bad. Cloning bad. Medical research, however, good. Activist judges bad. My activist judges good. 9/11 bad. First responders good. Pursuing enemies good. Defining enemies bad. Imposing our form of government bad. Imposing our form of government good. (Yeah, that gave me a migrane, too.) Palestinian democracy good. Palestinian terror bad. Middle Eastern allies good. Middle Eastern states not doing what we say, bad. Men and women in uniform good. Iraq insurgents bad. Iraqi democracy good. Iraq insurgents bad (again). Soldiers following my orders good. Parents of dead soldiers sitting quietly and doing what they're told good.

And somehow that got stretched into an hour. I think they pre-empted SVU for this nonsense. Personally I'd much rather hear a story about a serial child molester that kills his victim's parents than have to listen to the Moron in Cheif read off the teleprompter. Actually, I think I'd rather have my fingers ripped off. Oh, wait, I'd have to be "detained" in an eastern European "independent detention facility" to get that treatment. And when I say "detained" I mean "chained to the wall" and by "treatment" I mean "getting a car battery attached to my junk".

Enough. I'm so glad he's gone in 2008. I'm also hoping to $deity that the GOP gets their collective spotty white behinds handed to them in the mid-term elections.

While I'm at it, I'd like a pony.