What a Dream

If I ever said Chris Muir was funny before, I was wrong. He is funnier now. My God, this one is hilarious.

I Could Have Told You That!

Yahoo: In the past year, 30 percent of U.S. high school students have stolen from a store and 64 percent have cheated on a test, according to a new, large-scale survey suggesting that Americans are too apathetic about ethical standards.

The first number is probably spot on. The second is just wrong. 64% surveyed admitted to cheating on a test. 99% have. That's a promise. I wrote an editorial about this a few weeks ago for the Minuteman. It was published, but it didn't make it onto the website, so I'll copy and paste it here:

School Scope: Cheating, Who Me? No…

Fairfield students, it seems, tend to consider cheating an acceptable means to an important collegiate end. That is, until they are asked if they ever have used such tactics. At this point, the response usually comes after a brief pause, and the student says, “Me? No, no way.”

Students interviewed for this article all spoke on the condition of anonymity, and even then refused to admit ever participating. But someone is doing it, because all students report that a “large majority of [high school] students” cheat to improve their GPAs. One student, a senior at Warde, said, “Almost everyone cheats, or will cheat, at some point in high school; kids recognize that to keep the playing field even, they need to do what other kids are doing.” But, alas, when the student was asked if he had ever cheated, he responded with, “No, I don’t do that.”

A recent New York Times editorial by Ms. Maura J. Casey reports that a study found 90% of high school students employ tactics generally considered cheating. How the study’s supervisor, Dr. Donald McCabe, managed to coax students out of their shell is beyond me, but the results are not surprising. A junior at Fairfield Prep said, “If I hear that a kid I know cheated on a test or something, it doesn’t at all change how I feel about him,” and he added, “I guess I’m kind of immune to it by now.”

The idea of apathy raised by this student seems to be a universal notion. An upperclassman at Ludlowe lamented about how her views on cheating changed over their high school career; “Freshman year, I would never even consider cheating as an option, but now, I can see why people do it; it is sort of just another way to get ahead.” But, again, the student refused to actually claim personal participation.

If no students see any conflict with cheating, why do they refuse to say they are involved? Students cite it as a high school phenomenon sweeping the nation that just happens to have excluded them. The answer is simple; students innately know it is wrong; they just do it anyway. They have developed a sense of apathy towards that side of morality because they see their future as far more important. The collegiate competition is more competitive than it ever has been, and students are willing to do what is necessary to compensate and be successful. “Why give up an opportunity now,” the thought is, “and miss out on a better one later?” It isn’t hurting anyone, and the kindergarten mantra that “it hurts no one but yourself” is something students find themselves remarkably capable of living with. But students know that what happens in the classroom now stays in the classroom, and that people on the outside, “wouldn’t understand,” so they protect their reputation.

So Fairfield is a town of cheaters. But then again, America is a nation of cheaters, according to Dr. McCabe’s study. Everyone cheats to get ahead. Everyone, that is, except for me.

Taj Mahal Hotel, Etc.

Things are still nuts in India.

Hide & Seek Ramblings

So I am currently hidden in a closet in a massive family game of Hide & Seek, and I have established myself relatively unfindable. I'll take this moment, then, to reflect on a few realizations I've made over the past few days. We had a great family discussion last evening. It was one of those when the candles are burning down, the wine is low, and the children are off playing games in some faraway room. I have long since been promoted into the world of "grown-up time," a world every child dreams of being a part. 

I have an uncle who played in the NBA for eight years. He was of the lucky few who made it and, while he was and is naturally talented, being 7 feet tall never hurt his chances. But he gets phone calls from old friends on a regular basis. Phone calls begging for money. Phone calls looking for legal counsel on unpaid child support. Phone calls looking for job references for Home Depot and Taco Loco... references Marty is completely unprepared and unwilling to write. This has inspired a new movement in my mind. It's one that may die within the next 48 hours, or it may survive to its completion. I plan now to write a book on the untold story of the underbelly of professional and Division I college athletics. The untold story that desperately needs to be revealed. Hopefully, I'll get this done. I want to. Badly.

I'm hearing calls of "Will! We give up," so more on this later. I'm "it" now.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Enjoy your respective feasts, and divulge in one of the great American pastimes: eating! As a note, we have relatives here, so don't expect anything for the rest of the day. Now go dig in, the gravy is getting cold!

Inauguration Plans

Maybe I will be able to see the inauguration. 

In accordance with the Committee’s commitment to provide the most open and accessible inauguration in history, the PIC is working with relevant authorities to open up as much of the National Mall as possible to accommodate more Americans than ever before.

Then again, maybe not.

I Would Do It, Too

Now we are just being sore losers. 

Russian Predictions

Nostradamus strikes: A leading Russian political analyst has said the economic turmoil in the United States has confirmed his long-held view that the country is heading for collapse, and will divide into [six] separate parts.

His six-part breakup? As follows...

1. Pacific coast, due to the growing Chinese population (LA's Chinatown and Tom Cruise have clearly always objected to New England's stranglehold over them, and desire a sovereign nation).
2. The South, due to Hispanics (I told you we needed to close off the border! Did you listen? No...).
3. Texas, due to movements for independence (obviously remembering the Alamo).
4. Atlantic Coast, due to a "distinct and separate mentality" (I'm offended! That's New York. Don't blame us for their differences. In fact, we now shun New York from our country. Go be a part of Canada, New York, we don't want you).
5. Five poor central states, due to Native Americans (right, because all poor people will join up with Iroquoy remnants and attack the U.S. military with teepees and trailers. THIS IS SPARTA!)
6. Northern States, due to strong Canadian influence (False, obviously. No one likes Canada).

All this talk of a breakup leads clearly to questions about the future of the NFL. Who, exactly, will be their target market? Or maybe, instead of a massive civil war, land division disputes shall be decided by football games. Let's get this done soon, because my area of the country is setting up a pretty kickass military. (Let's go, Giants!) Also, if this ever goes down, we (the Atlantic Coast) are becoming a dictatorship, and I call being dictator.

UPDATE: Roger Simon finds it ridiculous as well.

Zogby on the News

Let's analyze a Zogby poll, shall we? Read it first, then come back.

"A majority of those polled trust FOX News over any other televised news source."

Well, that's obviously because FOX is fair and balanced, duh! But really, Fox? I'm impressed. My positive feelings are obviously quickly relieved as I read on to see that the New York Times is the most trusted written news source. Continuing on, though...

94.2% of Republicans surveyed and 55.6% of Democrats surveyed believe media coverage influenced the Presidential election.

I guess no real surprise there, I mean who likes to proudly delegate their candidate's victory to bias news? Okay, well obviously 55.6% of Democrats, but I suppose Republicans are more standard examples of human psychological behavior anyway. They, it seems, chalk up their loss to bias media, just like a 3rd grade little leaguer claiming the umpire struck him out. That is a prime example of human nature right there!

Now it gets interesting...

Of those surveyed, 37.6% said they consider the Internet the most reliable source of news, 20.3% consider national television news most reliableand 16% say radio is the most reliable source.

By the very nature of what I am doing right now, I would obviously fall into that category. Basil over at IMAO makes the quantum leap to indicate that blogs are, indeed, the most trust news source around, but I don't exactly follow that logic. It is interesting to see, however, that the delivery of said news is so important to the trustworthiness of its content. It what way is news delivered on CNN less reliable than that posted on CNN.com, as Basil so eloquently pointed out?

One last tidbit, for the road...

...survey respondents named Rush Limbaugh(12.5%), Bill O’Reilly(10.1%) and Tom Brokaw (8.5%) the most trusted names in news...

That doesn't even deserve the dignity of a response. 

Geithner

For Secretary of the Treasury.

JFK's 45th

A nice memorial for the anniversary of JFK's assassination: still, no one knows why. "Four and a half decades after the tragic event and no one really knows if the conspiracy theories are right or if Lee Harvey Oswald truly acted on his own."

Off the Hook

Barry Bonds can do whatever he wants, can't he?

Barry Bonds, Major League Baseball’s home run record holder, won dismissal of five of 14 counts in an indictment accusing him of lying about taking steroids.

What's worse? They were all tossed on basic technicalities.

Commerce Secretary?

"President-elect Barack Obama has chosen New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to be commerce secretary..." Read it.

Across the Universe Post 1: Revolution

I've become obsessed to an almost unhealthy degree with the movie Across the Universe. I saw it when it first came out, and I didn't love it, but it has since grown on me. It's basically a musical using Beatles' songs to take a young couple through the obviously tumultuous 1960s. Many of the songs are strongly political, and I'll be posting clips from Youtube every once in a while... 

The clip below is the song Revolution. For reference, Jude (the main character) is a Liverpudlian artist illegally living in America, and Lucy (the other main character) is an increasingly radical Vietnam protester. This scene is  Jude's callout 0f Lucy (the other main character) for her overly zealous role in anti-war revolution. This one gets my blood boiling every time.

For starters, William Ayers, anyone? The organization Lucy works for eventually self-destructs itself (literally... they make bombs in the attic that explode and kill Paco, the leader Jude scuffles with, and his two main associates).

This clip, as I mentioned, gets me excited every time. Yes, we can say that most extremist American terrorist organizations are roughly extinct, but I think this video can connect generally to all political overreactions. It is a shoutout to the Dissident Voice, the radical extremist sect that goes through great pains to accomplish generally nothing. It is the realization that problems must be attacked with forethought and moderation, as the new media movement has attempted to do against the MSM, instead of with sock bombs and shouting. This clip is no longer simply a piece of the 60s, but it is a timeless metaphor for the call to moderate justice.

UPDATE: This will now be a weekly piece, available every Sunday at exactly noon, and I'll call it the Sunday Universe... maybe - I don't know

Day by Day Rock 'Em Sock 'Em

I hate that I can't get this any larger. Today's DBD is funny - go read it here. 

APEC Promises

Do promises really mean anything anymore?

"Leaders from Asia and the Americas promised on Saturday to push for a global free trade deal and reform international lenders in an effort to keep the world from sliding into a deep recession."

Sick

A Florida teenager who used a webcam to live-stream his suicide Wednesday was reportedly encouraged by other people on the Web site, authorities told ABCNews.com.

What's worse? Online viewers didn't call police until the kid was absolutely dead.

Grassroots Republican Convention

In the works? Maybe.

Glenn Reynolds: Since I mentioned it last night there’s been some talk of having some sort of rightroots conference to organize things post-election. (Call it a counter-Kos if you want, but not exactly). What do you think? I’m polling, and I’m also going to open comments for a while. If you’ve got a better idea, share it!

Thoughts & Prayers

Thoughts and prayers today go out to AG Mike Mukasey, who collapsed during a speech just a few minutes ago:

Mukasey was 15 to 20 minutes into his speech about the Bush administration's successes in combatting terrorism when he began slurring his words. He collapsed and lost consciousness, said O'Conner, the department's No. 3 official. It was unclear whether he regained consciousness.

UPDATE: False alarm.

Civil Union and Marriage: Separate But Equal

Straight from Change.gov:

While an increasing number of employers have extended benefits to their employees' domestic partners, discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace occurs with no federal legal remedy. Obama also sponsored legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

I find it interesting that Obama is so strongly opposed to discrimination based on sexual orientation, but somehow supports only the gay man or woman's right to a civil union. As a conversation at my school a few days ago (to which I was only a witness) went:

Teacher: "So you support Obama's opposition to gay marriage... why?"

Student: "Well, a civil union gives all the same rights of marriage, just under a different name."

Teacher: "So, it's like, 'separate but equal.'"

Student: "Yeah, I guess."

Teacher: "So how does Barack Obama not support government-enforced segregation?"

My jaw dropped.

Tech Comments

I understand I've been having technical problems related to posting comments. I'm working on that, please keep trying.

UPDATE: After making some adjustments to HTML settings, my extraordinarily scientific test of going through and commenting in every manner possible proves that comments are back up and running. Comment away, oh commenting commentators.

A-Bomb and Israel-Arabic Relation Rant

International Herald Tribune:

Iran has now produced roughly enough nuclear material to make, with added purification, a single atom bomb, according to nuclear experts analyzing the latest report from global atomic inspectors.

The bomb itself, though, still seems a bit farfetched. They have yet to actually make it into a warhead or create a bomb shell able to house it. As of now, I guess Iran could just roll it over to Israel, but if I was Iran, I would give Israeli "national" security a little credit where it's due, despite the fact that they are not, in fact, part of any nation.... Israel is simply a... uh... a cluster of people lead by a president that happens to be part of the UN - ya, that's it! A cluster of people - disgusting, pig-paranoid people. Hmm... people may be to respectful a term, though. Let's just call them Jews. Oh, wait. They call themselves Jews, you say? Hmm... we'll work on that. Until then, though, it's a nati- strike that - a cluster of subhuman humanoids.

A Golf Clap to...

J.P. Hayes!

An interesting ethics article about golfer J.P. Hayes:

Now, the easy move here would be to either do nothing or blame the caddy. Hayes rose above both those temptations, putting all the blame on himself and asserting that everybody else on the PGA in his shoes would have done the exact same thing. We'll never know, but let's hope so.

Also, Hayes already has more than $7 million in career earnings, so it's not like he'd consigned himself to another year working the counter at the Quik Stop. But still, knowing you're taking yourself out of the running for a year of career stability and wealth takes some serious situational ethics.

Impressive, I think.

Dow < 8000

Read it:

Wall Street hit levels not seen since 2003 on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones industrial average plunging below the 8,000 mark amid a dour economic outlook from the Federal Reserve and worries over the fate of Detroit's three automakers.

It gets me all teary-eyed-like.

New Head of Homeland Security?

Reuters reports Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano is Obama's top choice to head the Department of Homeland Security.

It's All Over in Alaska

It appears Ted Stevens lost his bid. Good riddance.

U.S. Republican Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, convicted last month on corruption charges, appeared to have lost his re-election bid, trailing his Democratic challenger on Tuesday by more votes than Democrats said remained to be counted.

Vetting General Holder (Yes, "Saving Private Ryan" Reference)

It appears Eric Holder is being vetted for Attorney General. The big blemish on his record is his pardon of billionare fugitive Marc Rich. Jennifer Rubin thinks it's enough to hold him off, but I'm not so sure.

UPDATE: A commenter on the PJM article named David Thomson (linked above, second), states:

It clearly shows that he believes the MSM will provide him enough cover until Election Day to easily capture the White House. He could be right! The impact of postmodernism on the general public may make it impossible to save this nation. Historical illiteracy and the inability to think and follow a logical argument seemingly have become the norm.

It's a large leap, but it's possibly true.

NFL Gambling: Legitimate?

I'm not generally a sports guy, but Sunday's Steelers-Chargers game has lit a fire in the gambling underbelly of NFL spectatorship:

"There's no way a real Steelers or Chargers fan could have possibly cared about this particular ruling one bit — the Steelers had won the game either way. And trust me, the people who had the visceral responses to the ruling were not the ones wearing Steelers black and gold or Chargers blue and yellow. To put it simply — all these guys had 'other' interests in the game."

Conflict in the Congro, Cont'd.

The rebels are pulling back in the Congo conflict to allow for discussion with military officials.

Lieberman Holds On

Joe Lieberman has been allowed to hold on to his Homland Security Committee Chairmanship. The Democrats are all talk, it seems. He was stripped of his chairmanship on the Environment and Public Works SubCommittee. Very threatening. Very, very threatening. Hopefully Iran will be given back its spot in the Department of Defense, given this new bipartisan Congress.

Bashar Akram Ameen

Read the incredible story of Bashar Akram Ameen, as written by Michael Yon. You've got to love this guy. Read the whole article, my little snippet below does it no justice.

So now, Bashar is no longer “Bishop,” and he has begun an American life, with the many ups and downs we all have to face. His next fight is to find a job in our troubled economy and overcome a high-voltage dose of culture shock. He will come to understand that our culture is just as complicated as the one he left behind — but without the violence, threats, and scars of war.

Many people have welcomed him to America. I think Bashar can be of particular value to America at this time, simply by getting on the radio stations and talking to reporters and telling his story — the story of Iraq — and showing people how it really is over here. (I write this from Iraq.) Perhaps he can explain why many of us think that it was all worth it. I asked Bashar if I could publish his e-mail address, and he agreed.

This is not just a happy ending, but a happy beginning. Please welcome this new family to America and pass this story to your local papers and radio stations. Ask them to talk with a real Iraqi who just got here. People need to know what happened in Iraq.

From the Mailbag: Shays

I received an email from a reader in response to my longtime support of Congressman Shays (R-CT). He referenced this bill, supported by Shays, and said, quite succinctly:

That is why this Republican voted to throw Chris Shays out on his ear. I will not reward someone for pretending to be something they are not, and actively working against my constitutional rights.

Shays found himself as the last standing Republican in New England exclusively because of his "purple" philosophy, yet hardcore Republicans like the one quoted above seem to think voting out moderate Republicans to be replaced by left wingers like Mr. Himes makes a strong statement against R.I.N.O.s. In reality, it simply decreases an already shrinking minority of Republicans in the house, a number which Republicans - both moderates and hardcore conservatives alike - cannot afford to see decrease any further.
As a Republican in extraordinarily left-leaning Connecticut, what, exactly, is Congressman Shays supposed to do to please you, the hardcore right minority? Vote strongly in your favor on every bill and lose his seat after a brief two year stint? Or play the role of a moderate-conservative and come to terms with the fact that, while he cannot vote Republican on every ticket, he must act in a bipartisan manner to actually get things done and accomplish the actual progress? It is Shays' bipartisan nature that garners my respect and support, and your inability to see that he can do nothing less than what he does astounds me. You must understand that the loss of a Republican incumbant hurts you far more than it hurts Shays, who very much supports people on both sides of the aisle. Your willingness to make a statement hurts your cause. You are now a voiceless minority, and it's really no one's fault but your own.
So, goodbye to the little influence the hardcore right had in this region, and thank you for taking the slightly greater influence the moderate right had away from us. God knows Shays represented both sides of the aisle; only Himes knows how liberal he will be.

Chris Shays with Andrea Mitchell

It's a little old, but it's quality Shays material.

$350 Left Over for the Big O

...Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson passed the word over the weekend that he intends to leave $350 billion untouched when the administration leaves office on Jan. 20. That would mean the incoming Obama administration would decide whether and how the funds should be spent.

Add that to the list.

Thoughts & Prayers

CC California on your thoughts and prayers this week, please.

That's the Constitution

People don't have the right to protest? Why not?

"The protests thus far have come in the form of impromptu marches down various thoroughfares, disrupting traffic and raising a minor ruckus here and there. Los Angeles Police Department officers have arrested a handful of protesters, but most of the marchers have been voicing their opinions loudly but peacefully nearly every day since the election.

But even peaceful demonstrations can be disruptive to a community, and it’s been disheartening to witness the lengths to which the management of the LAPD has acquiesced to the disorder engendered by these protests."

Isn't that the right to assemble, as granted by the 1st Amendment to the Constitution? Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought all people had these constitutionally supported rights.

Inaugural Address Tickets

This article on Fox regarding inaugural tickets reminded me to save both myself and my limited Connecticut readership a bit of hassle. If you are a 4th District Connecticut resident, do not call the office of Congressman Shays for tickets. As a member of his office, I am telling you straight forward that we WILL redirect you to Senators Dodd and Lieberman. I wasn't kidding in that last post. I was very, very serious.

Voting 'Present' Once More? Not Really, No.

Obama has yet to decide on his cabinet, but:

But the cautious decision-making style and refusal to leap into the fray should come as no surprise. After all, candidate Obama during the financial meltdown viewed events from afar and refused to weigh in for weeks on the propriety of the AIG bailout. (No word yet on whether he likes the re-bailout better than the original.) And, of course, Obama took flak in the campaign for voting “present” over a hundred times in the Illinois State Senate.

It's an interesting article, but there appears to be one glaring hole. Why, exactly, do we want Obama to jump the gun on picking cabinet members? He still has a few months before he even takes office. I'd prefer he take his time, research thoroughly the best man for the job, and make an educated decision. Scrambling for people is not yet necessary nor is ever desirable. People also seem to forget that past president-elects have waited quite a bit longer than Obama has so far. 

Give the man time, he has it.

All Out by New Years' Eve 2011

"The total withdrawal will be completed by December 31, 2011. This is not governed by circumstances on the ground. This date is specific and final."

-Ali al-Dabbagh

As Reuters reports, Iraqi cabinet members approved a pact allowing U.S. troops to remain in Iraq until 2011.

Not Today

Alright - no posts for today, or at least most of today. Today is the last Early Action deadline, so I have to get a few final applications done and out. My apologies. Check back in the late afternoon; I may finish early.

Richardson/Clinton for S.O.S.

A number of sources have discovered that it's looking like Richardson and Clinton are closing in on the Secretary of State seat:

President-elect Barack Obama has interviewed primary election rivals Hillary Rodham Clinton and Bill Richardson for secretary of state, according to Democratic officials who revealed his secret meetings with both as he weighed the decision on folding former foes into his new administration.

If I was Obama, who I (happily) am not, I would jump all over Richardson before touching Clinton. Something about having a former First Lady and the most vicious opponent I faced in my race to this seat would create a dynamic I wouldn't exactly love. But that's just me. Maybe it's a liberal thing...

The obvious sexist joke here: Clinton is right for the job. She's a woman; women are supposed to be secretaries.

Note to the offended: I'm kidding, I'm kidding... women should never be allowed out of the kitchen.

Okay, again, it's a joke.

And That is a Recession

You know what? It's not the Dow dropping, not the fact that the media says we're in a Recession. It's not the unpaid mortgage loans, the need for a $700 billion bailout, or the debt clock running out of digits. It's the fact that Citigroup will be cutting over 10,000 employees. And you can say the Wall Street businessmen are evil, they don't care, and they were alright with pulling the plug on these guys. But you really know that somewhere, some guy had the responsibility of crossing off names from a list, of choosing which man would no longer be able to support his family. And you know he lost sleep over it. That is a Recession.

Dodd Interview is All %$#!ed Up

Here is that heavily censored Chris Dodd interview. It's been found, and it's out there. Listen here. It comes from the New Haven Independent, so kudos there.

Involuntary Service

Michele Catalano denounces the intelligence of those who tie Obama's former community service policy with slavery, or some form thereof. A quote below:

The other thing wrong with the woman’s quote — and the contention of some bloggers — is the equivalence of community service to slavery. One of these things is not like the other.

There are thousands upon thousands of high school and college students, as well as adults, doing some form of community service right now. Service to your community is an altruistic thing; it is a way of perhaps giving back to a community that has given to you. It is a way to reach out to a community, to help others who may not be as fortunate as you, to teach young adults about sharing, caring, and helping others, to do something out of the goodness of your heart that will benefit your community.

The same could have been said for slavery itself. There were thousands upon thousands of people picking cotton across this great nation. It is a way of giving back to those who give you, quite literally, food, shelter, and a means of life. That doesn't make it not slavery. It just rationalizes actions in direct contradiction to the Constitution.

It is not work done out of the goodness of one's heart, is work done out of fear of legal punishment. That is slavery.

"Go Green" Manhattan Project

Megan McArdle has an interesting post on ridiculous comparison between the Manhattan Project and any future energy project.

The Manhattan Project had a relatively simple goal, blowing things up. We knew this goal was possible, because the sun was already doing it. At that, it consumed approximately 100% of the top physical science and engineering talent in the United States.

Well, yes, but we already could blow things up - it was on an entirely different scale. Saying it took the top physical science and engineering talent in the United States to figure out how to blow things up is a big ole kick in the nads to every redneck in the country. (To any offended redneck, I mean that in the nicest way. And you also obviously know you're a redneck if that offended you).

On a serious note, McArdle's article of displeasure with the idea of any heavily funded, top secret "Go Green Manhattan Project" misses the boat a bit. She makes point after point as to why, exactly, energy independence is impossible. But the question really is not whether achieving energy independence is possible, but whether it is affordable with public monies at this point. The answer is, quite simply, no.

FBI After the Crooks and Liars

It appears the FBI is on the tail of all phony military heroes out there:

...the FBI told ABC News that it is investigating hundreds of reports of phony heroes who have lied about their military experience...

Are we talking about people who exaggerate stories over a malt beverage at a cocktail party? If so, we're going to have to bring 'em all in... Yes, that means you too, General Petraeus - what's that you say? You really did save an entire nation from civil war? Yep, I'm sure ya did *nudges fellow guard and giggles*, and we'll get you out as soon as we can verify that, but for now, why donchya follow Private Ryan on in there... that SOB claims Tom Hanks saved his life.

Ha.

Gay Marriage Begins

Gay weddings begin in Connecticut:

Dozens of gay and lesbian couples planned to wed in Connecticut on Wednesday after a judge cleared the way for the state to become the nation's second to allow same-sex marriage.

Good for them. In other news, I'm slightly disappointed that I had to go to Reuters to find the story.

Hats Off

To a fellow blogger from Burma who was sentenced to a harsh 20 years 6 months in prison for his opposition to the "militarily controlled government."

And with that, Goodnight, Moon. 

Federal Googling

Drudge just cracked this story:

"Flu Trends" uses search terms that people put into the web giant to figure out where influenza is heating up, and will notify the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in real time!

GOOGLE, continuing to work closely with government, claims it would keep individual user data confidential: "GOOGLE FLU TRENDS can never be used to identify individual users because we rely on anonymized, aggregated counts of how often certain search queries occur each week."

Engineers will capture keywords and phrases related to the flu, including thermometer, flu symptoms, muscle aches, chest congestion and others.

It's an interesting idea, and I know they certify user data will be kept confidential (highlighted in bold above), but anything internet reporting gets me a bit queasy. Sure, this doesn't itself break privacy restrictions, but maybe a next step, specifying age ranges for the affected, will bend such laws. It's scary.

Gore? No... Please, No

An interesting Op-Ed at the Washington Post puts Al Gore in the secretary of state spot:

If there is a single appointment Barack Obama could make to signal how dramatically things will change in Washington, it would be to name Albert Gore Jr. -- former House member, former senator, former vice president, former presidential nominee and current Custodian of the Planet -- as secretary of state.

But, in doing so, Obama would signify that his most important - possibly sole - task as Commander-in-Chief would be to join forces with the likes of John Mayer and other celebrities to "go green." A respectable goal, no doubt, but really, the most important the world faces? Iraq is on the brink of civil war, Iran and North Korea are threatening nuclear destruction and the bloody death of Israel, Russia is flexing its muscles at anyone who will look, and thousands are dying to epidemics and genocide in Africa. Somehow, I'm thinking saving the trees and monkeys with recycled paper and controversial movies should not be task #1. 

Also, Gore's recent Oscar and step toward the world  of Michael Moore & Grammy Awards would bring a certain Hollywoodification to the White House that I really doubt the world can afford right now. More on that later (if Gore gets the spot).

Thank You

Thank you to Web Design Schools Guide for including me in their list of the top 100 libertarian bloggers, despite the fact that I am not, actually, libertarian. 

Ugh, The Disrespect

At the office of a defeated Congressman, you would expect calls from disappointed supporters expressing their regret for his loss, liberals admitting he really was right for Connecticut, and independents expressing their condolences, right?

Wrong.

The calls pretty much follow this general path:

Me: Congressman Shays' office, this is Will.

Idiot: Uh, hi. I was looking for tickets to Obama's inauguration.

Me: Well, since the recent defeat of the Congressman, we are no longer able to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, end AIDS in Africa, or help you with your selfish needs. But I can direct you to Senators Dodd or Lieberman, although I must inform you that your selfish needs may be put behind those of Senator Dodd, so I would recommend calling Lieberman.

Idiot: Oh, okay, can I have his number?

Me: No. [Click]

As you can see, we have turned into a very angry Congressional office.

Bush/Obama Conversation Leak

"Senator Obama may not be familiar with a long-standing tradition of presidents holding their private conversations, private."

Read it.

$2 Trillion Out and About

Where is our money going?

The Federal Reserve is refusing to identify the recipients of almost $2 trillion of emergency loans from American taxpayers or the troubled assets the central bank is accepting as collateral.

Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said in September they would comply with congressional demands for transparency in a $700 billion bailout of the banking system. Two months later, as the Fed lends far more than that in separate rescue programs that didn't require approval by Congress, Americans have no idea where their money is going or what securities the banks are pledging in return.

President(-Elect)

The President-Elect getting it done before even taking office:

[Head of transition team John] Podesta pointed out that there is a lot the president can do without waiting for Congress, and voters can expect to see Obama do so to try and restore "a sense that the country is working on behalf of the common good."

$586 Billion Spending Package in China

China announces a huge government spending package:

China's official Xinhua news agency said the world's fourth-largest economy approved a 4 trillion yuan ($586 billion) government spending package between now and 2010, focused largely on infrastructure projects.

It's not nearly enough if they're looking for any real effect, which I assume they are. The cities are terrible, infrastructure and transportation is falling apart, it's a mess. They need a lot more than $586 billion.

The New Media Really Does Move Mountains

Michael Malone uses the reaction to his media bias column to exemplify the newfound strength of the blogosphere and the power of the media. It's interesting stuff:

So, what did I learn from this experience? That it is possible in this new cyber-world to be a lone writer sitting at his laptop in suburbia and write something that actually changes the course of events and, momentary at least, sets the national debate. I also learned that the raw power -and the ability to mobilize people — of the Web and the blogosphere is both immense and growing fast. But legitimacy is still conferred by the traditional media - which makes their duty to be fair and unbiased even greater.

It's an experience I had, albeit on a much lesser scale, with Glenn Reynold's discovery of my blog last week. It's simply jaw dropping to watch one's readership skyrocket from a measly 35 a day (most of them probably me checking for grammatical errors and three loyal friends who think I'm crazy) to a powerful 3,200, intently reading my opinions on the 2008 Presidential election. I actually had a number of readers who clicked 'refresh' every five minutes for two hours during my liveblogging session. 

Aftermath

Check out this video:



He's an interesting guy. As you may well know, I disagree with his Mike Huckabee rant, but other than that, it's quality stuff. I just added his channel to my blogroll, so if you're looking for his other stuff, it's there.

Hmm...

Say what?
In 22 states, including Arkansas, it is illegal to call yourself an interior designer without going through an arduous and expensive certification process. In Nevada, it's illegal to do interior design without a license. That's right, advising someone about drapes could land you in the hoosegow.

Yes, I did steal this post from Instapundit, why do you ask?

Admitted Bias

Running objectively through the numbers, Deborah Howell of the Washington Post admits that her paper was a bit bias this election season:

The Post provided a lot of good campaign coverage, but readers have been consistently critical of the lack of probing issues coverage and what they saw as a tilt toward Democrat Barack Obama. My surveys, which ended on Election Day, show that they are right on both counts.

The honesty is good, but we could have used this before the election.

(Hat tip to Instapundit)

Meeting With Medvedev

Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev apparently spoke on the phone today regarding the need for a meeting between the two.

The Race for a High Office

It's a competitive race for Chief Dog of Staff:

Yet as President-elect Barack Obama makes his transition to the White House and fills top positions such as chief of staff, he's been quiet about his inclination in another critical matter: Who will become chief dog of staff, the puppy he promised his daughters in his acceptance speech.

There's been talk that 10-year-old Malia Obama has put in a bid for a goldendoodle, a cute, fluffy crossbreed between a golden retriever and poodle. At his news conference yesterday, Obama dropped a couple of other hints. An Obama dog has to be hypoallergenic, he said, since Malia has allergies. Ever the populist, he said the family was leaning toward a shelter dog, and "a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me."

While the goldendoodle has a wonderful outward appearance and exceptional temperament, it has only been in the game for a brief period, raising questions about the experience and qualifications of this breed for such a high office. 

Sarah Palin Response to Anonymous Aids

Below is Sarah Palin's response to anonymous McCain staffers revealing various details of Palin's knowledge (or lack thereof) :

Press Secretary: Gibbs

Politco reports that Robert Gibbs will be Obama's press secretary:

Robert Gibbs, a top aide to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) on his campaign and in his Senate office, will be named the White House press secretary, a top Democratic official said.

Compulsory Service

Dr. Helen writes her thoughts on Obama's compulsory community service program.

I would say that forcing kids to act like do-gooders will be just as fake as instilling self-esteem and result in resentment and irritation later in life.

Being of the age that this program would most directly effect, I figure I'll put my two cents in. I go to a Jesuit school that requires its students to participate in community service. Going into this education curriculum, I knew this would be part of the experience. My service projects, forced in part by my school, have expanded me as a person, introduced new thoughts and ideas into my life, and most likely helped tone down my conservatism. I have gone on mission trips to Ecuador, served the urban poor in nearby Bridgeport, and worked at homeless shelters. It has been, I would say, a wonderful experience. But it is not the role of the federal government to force this upon its people. I know people who are resentful of the service requirement, and for them, a governmental obligation is not fair and simply unconstitutional.

UPDATE: It appears Obama is getting a little shaky on this one.

School Collapse In Haiti

A school in Haiti collapsed on its students today. Reports say roughly 700 students are in the building during a given day, but the exact amount for today is not yet known. Casualties are expected. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

UPDATE: The death toll is up to 75 so far.

Job Loss

Interesting. Depressing, other adjectives as well:

The nation's unemployment rate bolted to a 14-year high of 6.5 percent in October as another 240,000 jobs were cut, far worse than economists expected and stark proof the economy is deteriorating at an alarmingly rapid pace.

Also keep in mind the unforgotten job losses that result from every lost incumbant seat. Shays has himself added about 20 people to unemployment in this country. Those guys (and girls) haven't been factored in yet.

Join The Obama Team

Check out Obama's transition project, Change.gov. You can apply for a job in the Obama administration here, if you so desire.

I'm applying for First Lady, although Michelle appears to have that on locks.

Why Stevens Won

This actually clarifies quite a bit about Alaskans voting for Stevens, thanks Volokh:

It seems nearly certain that Stevens will be expelled, which means he will be replaced, likely -- in heavily Republican Alaska -- by a Republican in the next special election. (The question whether there'll be a temporary appointed replacement, also a Republican, is irrelevant here.) And this prospect was clear at the time of the election as well.

So the choice isn't between getting a Republican crook and getting a Democratic noncrook. It's between getting a Republican crook for a very short time followed by a Republican noncrook and getting a Democratic noncrook. Anyone who generally thinks the Republican Party is better than the Democratic Party (e.g., who wanted Republican control in the Senate, or a Republican minority capable of mounting filibusters, or just as many Republican votes as possible) could thus quite reasonably vote for Sen. Stevens, even if he thought Stevens was a crook who doesn't deserve to be in the Senate. The same is true of anyone who supports government that's as split as possible, given his anticipation of a Democratic victory in many places.

Interesting, although I don't love Volokh's proven willingness to give in to the two party system.

Time to Start Sucking Up...

Lieberman met with Harry Reid today. 

During the meeting in Reid's office, Lieberman rejected a proposed reprimand that included him being stripped of the chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee.

I'm not sure how he got away with that against the most powerful man in the Senate... the conversation must have gone something like this:

Reid: "So you've betrayed our party, endorsed an opposing Presidential candidate, campaigned extensively with this candidate, supported further involvement in Iraq, ran against a Democrat in 2006. This all comes after being our Vice Presidential Nominee on the 2000 ticket. You are now a member of neither party, and I am the Senate Majority Leader. I propose that I strip you of your chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee."

Lieberman: "No."

You go, Joe. 

UPDATE: Mitch McConnell invites Lieberman to the dark side of the force.

Wrapping Up a Few 'Spitzer Case' Loose Ends

ABC reports that prosecutors will not be bringing criminal charges against Spitzer for his little "accident." I'm also not sure why she's still married to him:

The Governor's sex scandal was front page news around the world, as he announced his shame and resignation with his wife, Silda, standing by his side. She remains married to Spitzer and they have been seen walking hand-in-hand in their Upper East Side Manhattan neighborhood.

(Hat tip to Volokh)

Shays' Office

Things are a bit depressing here. We're packing up and throwing stuff out. Hundreds of copies of the Connecticut State Constitution as well as a record of the office numbers of Congressman and Senators who served from 2007-2009 are in a dumpster in Bridgeport, if you're interested. We've also gotten a number of calls asking if Shays will run against Dodd in two years. Interesting idea... The answer, if you were looking for one, is that he has no idea yet. I would predict a victory if he did, though.

Here is the Minuteman article on the Shays/Himes race.

Himes, 42 years old, was born in Lima, Peru and came to America as a 10-year-old boy. He said he was a real beneficiary of the American dream - that with a good education and a commitment to hard work one can succeed.
A graduate of Harvard University, Himes worked as an investment banker for 12 years at Goldman Sachs & Co. in the telecommunication area. He now works for the non-profit Enterprise Community Partners, a housing agency working to alleviate urban poverty.

This guy follows everything Barack Obama does. Another example here; claiming that he is a textbook example of the American dream because he was born in Peru, sort of like Obama. Unfortunately for him, Barack Obama is the first black President, was raised in Indonesia, and actually did remarkable things. Jim Himes is a white guy who happened to be born in Peru. He went to Harvard and is an investment banker with Goldman Sachs. Congrats, buddy, you're just like the President.

Blacks Get the Worst Jobs

The Onion: African-American man Barack Obama, 47, was given the least-desirable job in the entire country Tuesday when he was elected president of the United States of America. In his new high-stress, low-reward position, Obama will be charged with such tasks as completely overhauling the nation's broken-down economy, repairing the crumbling infrastructure, and generally having to please more than 300 million Americans and cater to their every whim on a daily basis. As part of his duties, the black man will have to spend four to eight years cleaning up the messes other people left behind. The job comes with such intense scrutiny and so certain a guarantee of failure that only one other person even bothered applying for it. Said scholar and activist Mark L. Denton, "It just goes to show you that, in this country, a black man still can't catch a break."

(Hat Tip to Glenn Reynolds).

At Least There's That

For all you migrane suffering women out there, you can be comforted by the fact that migraines somehow reduce the risk of breast cancer. It's probably God's way of saying, "Ah, hell - her head hurts as it is, let's let 'er live." Or, on a much more cynical note, God simply wants to keep people alive who wish they were dead. Either way, migraines reduce the risk of breast cancer:

"We found that, overall, women who had a history of migraines had a 30 percent lower risk of breast cancer compared to women who did not have a history of such headaches." Dr. Christopher Li, Head of Study

Ugh, Drunken Communists... Literally

Probably one of the funnier videos post-election. Also, quite unfortunately, one of the more stomach churning ones as well. I like to keep my giggles and near puking moments separate but maybe once a month, I'm up for a video like this.

Also, in his own comments on the video, John Hinderaker over at Powerline makes what I would consider to be the most farfetched assumption of 2008: These are among the many disreputable associations that Obama will try to leave behind as he prepares to assume the Presidency.

And, with that: Goodnight, Moon.

Concession & Victory Speeches

Both speeches last night were incredible. McCain, I think, gave probably his best speech of his campaign. Obama's will most likely go down in civil rights history, next to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s I Have a Dream and others. Both videos are posted below. Full text of Obama's speech is here (scroll down a bit), McCain's text is here.

Obama's Speech:

McCain's Speech:

And It Falls... Again

The market took a spill today; the Dow is down 400+ points. Here is a good article about it:

A case of post-election nerves sent stocks plunging Wednesday as investors, again anxious about a recession, began questioning what impact a Barack Obama presidency will have on business and the overall economy. The Dow Jones industrials dropped more than 400 points and the major indexes all fell more than 4 percent.

Proposition 8

California voted in favor of Proposition 8, banning gay marriage:

California voters have approved a constitutional amendment outlawing same-sex marriage that overturns the state Supreme Court decision that gave gay couples the right to wed just months ago.

Although Box Turtle Bulletin reports that the No on 8 campaign refuses to concede, citing uncounted absentee ballots.

Take a Peak at the Next Chief of Staff...

Obama offered Rahm Emanuel (D-Illinois) the Chief of Staf position. He is expected to accept the offer, although he hasn't yet. Emanuel has been in office since 2003 and coauthored a book entitled, "The Plan: Big Ideas for America." More information on him is here.

UPDATE: Fox reports that he has accepted the position.

'Grandparents' Metaphor

Oh, and apparently children are safer under the care of their grandparents. Metaphor, anyone?

If you think you’re doing a better job than your parents at child rearing, think again. A new study shows children are less likely to be injured when they are in the care of grandparents.

The study is important because grandparents are a growing source of child care for working and single parents. Some health researchers speculated that grandparents may be out of touch with modern safety practices, and as a result, they worried that children being cared for by grandparents might be at higher risk for injury.

But the opposite appears to be true. Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health analyzed caregiving and injury data from the National Evaluation of the Healthy Steps for Young Children Program. The program includes information about 5,500 newborns in 15 United States cities during 1996 and 1997, with follow-up over the next three years.

See, because Obama is like the parent, because he is younger, and people think McCain is too old, but really, he's the better pick... and the children are... the citizens... no? Oh, come on! It's a damn good metaphor!

Thanks to Instapundit for the link.

Oh... Congratulations

I realized that I never actually congratulated the Obama camp for the win last night. Didn't mean to sound like a sore loser, so I'll say it now... Congratulations!

Gaza Rockets

I think this is what Ms. Johnson was talking about:

Israeli rescue services on Wednesday reported what a statement called a "massive" cross-border rocket barrage by Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip, hours after an Israeli air strike, in the first major exchange of fire since a truce took effect in June.

A Dangerous World

Bridget Johnson points out some of the more daunting global possibilities Obama will face. She lists the survival of Israel, a new attempt by Russia to invade Georgia and the Iranian conflict as the most important. I would ad to the list the tentative relationship with China and new Cold War possibilities with Russia.

'I Have a Dream'

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.

We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by a sign stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."²

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

Live Election Coverage

Welcome to the show, boys. Stick around, I'll be updating frequently

• 10:36: Oh, and one final point. We have elected President a black man named Barack Hussein Obama. Can we officially claim racism dead, now? More on this tomorrow, but that statement stands on its own, I believe. Now, I really am going to bed.
• 10:30: That was an awful night. I'm going to bed. 
• 10:22: It doesn't annoy me that Obama won. Well, it does, but what annoys me astronomically more is the ignorance of his voters. That, I promise, is the last time I ever link to a Howard Stern video.
• 10:13: Shays lost. He conceded defeat about 30 minutes ago.
• 10:05: PJM and Instapundit both just called the election for Obama. That shouldn't be a big deal; I did like three hours ago.
• 10:00: Iowa goes to Obama, McCain wins Utah. Oh, and Texas, obviously.
• 9:57: Nevada, Iowa, Utah and Montana are closing at 10. Nevada will be interesting to see.
• 9:54: Things are still going poorly for Chris Shays.
• 9:43: John McCain got West Virginia - no surprises there.
• 9:40: As far as CT state politics go, Senate Minority Leader John McKinney won his reelection bid.
• 9:32: Haha: "Welcome your new overlords." 
• 9:31: A diamond in a pile of poop: McCain just grabbed Louisiana.
• 9:25: If Jim Himes ends up beating Shays in the 4th District, you can expect about 50% of my future posts to be investigating his campaign, as well as his future office.
• 9:23: Fox called Ohio for Obama. That could be the election right there.
• 9:14: Ha. This is what our local news reports. This is what really happened.
• 9:08: Things aren't looking good for Shays in CT. With 28% recorded, he's down 65%-35%.
• 9:05: The popular vote is currently at 50% to 49% in Obama's favor. Wow, really close.
• 9:01: NY, RI, MN, NM, WI go Obama. WY, ND, and MI for McCain
• 8:57: A whole bunch of 'em close in two minutes. More then.
• 8:50: Absentee ballots in Ohio are breaking heavily for Barack Obama (70%). It doesn't worry me too much.
• 8:40: Georgia goes to McCain. To paraphrase Brit Hume: "Republicans can take comfort in the fact that Obama didn't... win... or pull off a huge upset in Georgia. Shit, I need a nap." - It was something like that.
• 8:31: Arkansas went to McCain, obviously. Kerry won his Senate seat back in MA as well. No major news there.
• 8:22: Jeanne Shaheen wins against John Sununu 57% to 40% in NH
• 8:10: Fox News called Kay Hagan as victorious over Elizabeth Dole.
• 8:04: Most outlets gave PA to Obama, although FOX is being stubborn. That's a big story. McCain needs Virginia now.
• 8:03: Biden just got his senate seat back.
• 8:00: Polls just closed pretty much everywhere in the east. MA, DC, IL, NH, MA, NJ and my home state of CT were just declared for Obama - no surprises there. Oklahoma went to McCain, also no surprises.
• 7:55: ABC reports a status quo black turnout. 
• 7:47: South Carolina was just called for McCain, and Virginia appears to be strongly in his favor right now. That is with only 6% in, but it's a start.
• 7:45: I've noticed that I am the only blogger who liveblogs the right direction - newer entries to the top. It makes extraordinary sense.
• 7:35: Fox calls West Virginia for McCain Oh, and much thanks to Glenn Reynolds for his second link of the day.
• 7:33: NBC also reports that, in Indiana, moderates are breaking in favor of Obama 63% to 36%.
• 7:21: This 8-3 lead by McCain could be the last time McCain holds the lead. Hey - I'm not a pessimist, just sayin'!
• 7:03: Setting up shop now, sorry for the three minute tardiness. NBC has already awarded Vermont to Obama and Kentucky to McCain.
  

A Quick Plug

I'll take this opportunity, with the refreshing flow of Instapundit readers, to advertise that I am liveblogging the election tonight. I will be starting at 7:00 PM, EST. Come back for minute-by-minute coverage!

What Now?

Maybe this is a bit preemptive, but with the McCain cause all but lost, what do we look forward to in the next four years?

Really, though, has anyone actually explained how Obama plans on cutting taxes for 95% of the population (despite the fact that only 60% even pay income taxes), exponentially increase spending for education and Medicare, and conduct a phased-withdrawal, resulting in the reoccupation of Iraq by the United States shortly thereafter? I am almost positive that's impossible, especially if we factor in our national debt.

At Shays' Office, The Calls Come In

I've been at the office for about ten minutes, and we have so far had eight calls from people at the polls. In Stamford, the Black Panthers are huddled around outside, apparently scaring the hell out of some. Polling locations are apparently "losing" the registrations of registered Republicans as well. It's a bit rediculous. I'm calling shananigans on this one. Also, a white woman claimed she had six African Americans in front of her, none of whom were asked for identification. When she got to the front of the line, she was asked for identification. The polsters claimed it invalid and refused to let her vote. Take that story with a grain of salt, though, I can't confirm it. The other points (the Plack Panthers and polls losing registrations) are proven.

UPDATE: Thanks to Glenn Reynolds for the link! Welcome, new readers!