Caucus Cluster

Well, after always having voted in primary elections during the nominating process for President, tonight I went to my first caucus. What a mess. And what an opportunity for election fraud.

The process went like this. You enter the building, find your name on your precinct's list of registered voters, and sign in on a separate sheet of paper. Once they read the rules, we broke out into our individual precincts (12 were meeting at the school where our caucus was held). Then we took a show of hands for a preliminary vote. Then we went through some confusion and finally took a final count of preferences for President. Then we elected delegates to the county convention twice, since nobody understood how it was to work. When the person I voted for to be a delegate won as the alternate and then proceeded to give her position to a woman who had only her own vote, I felt that wasn't right. I voted for the first woman, not the one she handed her position over to.

The problems are many with this system, and here are some of the reasons why I now believe a primary is better than a caucus:

1. There was no positive identification of voters. I could have claimed to be anyone whose name I saw on the list. They didn't check identification at all.

2. There is no secret ballot.

3. The problems and lack of understanding how the delegates were to be elected.

4. People who had to work or were out of town during the hours of the caucus were disenfranchised...a primary allows for absentee and mail in ballots; along with longer hours for polls to be open.

In other words, the caucus is a complete and utter cluster "you know what". While I respect politics beginning at the neighborhood grassroots level, this is not a good way to do it, in my most esteemed opinion.

Super Duper Tuesday

Super-Duper Tuesday is here. Since Colorado's political parties hold their caucuses tonight, they are actually early enough that what I choose may count for something. The bad news is that the remaining candidates have not highly resonated with me.

John Edwards message did strike a chord, but with him out of contention, and since I registered as a Democrat to oppose the Bush administration back in 2004, my choices are now down to Senators Clinton and Obama. I fear Clinton represents more of the same old way of doing business, that she is too divisive to win a general election, and that she is too cozy with the corporate lobbyist interests. Senator Obama is a refreshing and inspiring speaker, but is he truly ready for the awesome responsibilities of the Presidency?

Of course I could vote for the GOP candidate in the general election, but the issue of Supreme Court appointments is too critical to risk another round of packing the court with extreme right-wing ideologues. I respect Senator McCain's personal sacrifice in the Vietnam War, but he wants to continue the Bush tax cuts for billionaires, and continue the Iraq occupation indefinitely. Governor Romney is an empty, flip-flopping mannequin. Although I have many points of contention with him, Congressman Ron Paul (who once ran as the Libertarian candidate for President) is the only GOP contender I could possibly get behind, but he has no chance of gaining the Republican nomination.

Will Paul make an independent or Libertarian run? Will Mayor Bloomberg get in the race? Is what we see now the best we have? Whatever happens, it seems clear that the next President of these United States of America will be one of three people; Clinton, Obama, or McCain, any of which would be an improvement over the failed Bush administration. How anyone could have thought this idiot son of a former President, who failed at every business venture he ever undertook, could run this nation, I'll never understand. He ran it alright...ran it into near bankruptcy and ruin, shredded core freedoms, and now has the audacity to come up with his final lame duck budget containing a record $3-TRILLION dollar deficit.

So will I caucus? Probably so. Of the two, I will probably support Senator Obama. The good news is that no matter if Obama or Clinton get the nod, it will piss of the religious right, as neither is "Christian enough" to suit them. That in itself, makes it worthwhile.

Thoughts Early on a Monday Morning

Another Wave of Winter

Another Monday, another work week starting. By noon today, another snow storm is heading into the area, with its expected 4-to-8 inches of snow to fall here in Douglas County. It may be an interesting commute home this evening. Once this blast is through though, we are expecting warmer, clear weather for the rest of the week through next weekend. Maybe I can finally get my car washed in a few days. As I will be flying next Monday and Tuesday, I am also hoping for good travel weather.

Super Bowl

Justice! I really not a fan of either the Giants or the Patriots, but the NFL championship was decided by a great game, a close defensive battle that saw the Giants win over the highly-favored Patriots. With the cheating scandal earlier in the season, I was glad to see New England's almost perfect season end in defeat. The last drive by Eli Manning and the Giants was worthy of John Elway in his best days on the Denver Broncos.

It was also nice to go to my son's house to watch the game in high definition on his 50" TV. Not to mention the fantastic food he cooked for the party. The trip home was marred by a bad wreck on I-25 in Denver, but luckily, I got into the only lane getting through, and thus had only a minor delay. The rest of the freeway was closed by the accident.

Caucus

Tomorrow night is the caucus for the Presidential nominating process, and I am bummed over the choices. As I was supporting John Edwards, I am now left with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. I worry about Hillary being more of the same and Barack's lack of experience. So the question in my mind is do I even bother to go to the caucus, or just sit it out. It is not like me to opt out of any part of the political process, but I could do it this time, waiting instead for the General Election in November.

Everyone have a great week ahead!

Bill Maher Gets It Right

As usual, Bill Maher's commentary is spot on.



Oh yes...and Happy Groundhog Day to everyone!

Thundersnow!

Thundersnow and its unusual texture - Click picture for larger version

Tonight here in Douglas County, Colorado we are experiencing a rare phenomenon. We are having a Thundersnow storm. The sky is flashing with lightning, the air is filled with the sound of thunder, and the snow is falling hard and fast. Besides being a somewhat rare event, thundersnow storms sound a little odd, in that the sound of thunder is muffled by the snow in the air and on the ground. It is also very odd to see the lightning accompanied by snowfall. It isn't just a little lightning either, but a fairly spectacular display going on.

According to a University of Missouri study linked below, thundersnow occurs in only 0.07% of all snowstorms. Ours tonight was caused by the fact that it was near 50 degrees Fahrenheit today, and when the cold air moved in tonight, it caused a rapid updraft, creating static electricity and the resultant lightning.

To read more about thundersnow, CLICK HERE.

There is another strange thing about tonights snowstorm, and I don't know if it has to do with the lightning or not. Mixed in with the regular flakes are lots of hard packed little clumps of snow. At first I thought they were hailstones, but no...these are just packed little balls of snow that you can crush in your fingers, although they are firmer than the loose flakes. Click on the pictures to get a better look. The photo at the top of this post is the top of my patio table, showing the clumps and the craters they make in the other snow. Below is a rail of one of the chairs, giving a close up view. Very odd indeed!


More thundersnow - Click picture for larger version

One Day of the Iraq War

Not even counting the cost in lives and maimed survivors . . .

Big Boots in D-Town

Got any boots in a size 300? - Click photo for larger version

With apologies to George Strait for blatantly ripping off the title to this post from his hit record, Big Balls in Cowtown, I submit to you a giant pair of wireframe cowboy boots. While I imagine that the boots worn by Big Tex at the State Fair of Texas are bigger, these are no slouch in the size department. (Of course, any Texan knows that you never call that big annual event in Dallas, the Texas State Fair!) This sculpture resides at an unexpected place. I shot this photo at a RTD (Regional Transportation District) Park & Ride lot in Denver near Colorado Boulevard and I-25. While they are not placed in a very picturesque setting, they definitely add a point of interest to the mundane parking lot.

Like any good pair of cowboy boots, they have pointed toes. My dad has the humorous reason why that is so. Living near the Texas Gulf Coast, the area where he lives has an indigenous pest known in Florida as the Palmetto Bug. They are really giant flying cockroaches! My dad's story is that the boot is pointed so that you can squash the roaches when you get them trapped in a corner.

If you have never lived where these disgusting creatures abound, let me tell you, you ain't missing much. They fly at you, and when you squash them it makes a loud "SNAP" like breaking a twig. Then their white gooey insides ooze out like a giant Junior Mint being squeezed. People spread borax around to kill the bugs, which according to the bug experts, cause them to explode after they eat it. I am not making this up.

So let's see. . .Houston has giant cockroaches, killer bees, fire ants, chiggers, and other assorted insect critters. That explains why when I lived there, it was a quarterly affair to clear out the cabinets and have a proactive visit from the exterminator. As much as I love the Bayou City, there are good things about being here in Colorado.

Maybe I could have also titled this post Big Bugs in H-Town! Junior Mint anyone?

What if Mr. Freeze Met Spiderman?

If one keeps their eyes open, often they will find a new perspective on the very ordinary. That happened to me this morning. As I was letting Molly, the world's smartest Australian Cattle Dog, out to do her business in the zero-degree Fahrenheit cold, I looked up and saw what looked like white cords strung under the eaves by the patio. Although the weight of the snow had damaged the pristine structure of them, obviously these were spider webs that have gotten covered with snow.

These usually delicate threads of webbing had escaped my view, or I would have swept them down earlier. Today, it was hard to miss them, as the thin fibers now appear much thicker due to the build up of precipitation on them. I was still in my nightclothes, so it was quite cold out, but I had to grab the trusty Olympus and take a shot of this joint project by a spider and Old Man Winter.

Do You Recall These?

A while back, I wrote on this blog about going with my dad to replace the vacuum tubes in our old television when I was a kid. Thinking about that caused me to remember some other things that those of us who have reached "middle age" may recall that our younger friends and neighbors may not have any recollection about. Do you remember the following things? I do!

• Adjusting the "vertical hold" knob on the TV to stop the picture from rolling.
• TVs and "Hi-Fis" were built into a piece of furniture.
  
• Stacking records on the "changer", and using the fat spindle that went over the small one. The skinny one was for 33 rpm "LPs", while the fat one was for "45s". Then there were those "78s".
  
• Gathering pop bottles to return to the store for the 2 cents per bottle deposit refund.
• Regular Cokes came in 6.5 oz. bottles, King Size was 10 oz., and then they started making the extra tall 16 oz. bottles.
• Coke bottles has the name of the city where the bottle originated on the bottom.
• Bottle caps had cork inside rather than plastic.
• Appliance cords that had cloth insulation around them rather than plastic.
• Trading stamps, such as S&H, Top Value, and Plaid.
• Service station attendants who checked the oil, the tires, and pumped your gasoline for you. They also actually had service bays and mechanics on duty.
  
• Free road maps available at service stations.
• U.S. Currency was usually "Silver Certificates", redeemable on demand in pure silver.
• Ben Franklin silver dollars, Mercury dimes, indian head nickles, and wheat pennies.
• U.S. coins from before 1964, when they were not made of layers you could see on the edge.
• The NBC peacock on the TV, while the announcer intoned, "The following program is brought to you in living color on NBC". In our house, it was black and white anyway.
• Parents warned us that sitting too close to the TV would ruin our eyes, as would watching it with the lights off. (Come to think of it, I DO wear glasses!)
  
• Baby car seats that just hooked over the back of the seat, and had little steering wheels on them so the baby could pretend to drive.
• Tricycles, wagons, and such were made of metal. So were Tonka Toy trucks.
• Getting a polio vaccine, first as a shot, then on a sugar cube. Also getting the smallpox vaccination.
• Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs, and Erector Sets (yeah, these are still around, but not so popular anymore).
• You could get spanked at school, and if you did, you'd probably get another one when you got home.
• TVs were made in the U.S. by companies like RCA, Zenith, Emerson, and Philco.
• AM radio was king, and the band entended only to 1600 kilocycles per second, now called kilohertz.
• Celsius temperatures were called Centigrade temperatures.
• Air raid drills at school where you crawled under your desk, tucked your head between your legs, and placed your hands over the back of your neck.
• A fun passtime in the spring was flying a kite, and the best ones were homemade.
• Clock radios with hands, before those "digital" ones came out with the flip digits.
• Radio was local, rather than the same syndicated junk coast to coast.
• Many drugstores had soda fountains where you could get something to eat and an ice cream treat.
• Fishing was catching a fish with a long bamboo pole, line, hook, a bobber, and a worm.
• Shampoo came in glass bottles that were easy to drop and break in the shower (e.g. Prell and Breck).
  
• Pycopay toothbrushes ("Get a Pycopay today!"), Pepsodent and Ipana toothpaste. ("You'll wonder where the yellow went, when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent!")
• Brylcreem ("A little dab'll do ya!"), Vitalis, and Rose hair dressing for men.
• Five Day deodorant pads.
• Rotary dial telephones.
• Big Ben alarm clocks.
• Cigarette commercials on TV ("Over, under, around, and through; Pall Mall delivers flavor to you."; "Winston tastes good like a cigarette should."; "I'd walk a mile for a Camel!"; "Happiness is the taste of Kent"; "Show us your Lark!"; "LS/MFT, Lucky Strike Means Fine Tobacco"; "Come to where the flavor is, come to Marlboro Country."; "You can take Salem out of the country, but...you can't take the country out of Salem"; "Chesterfield 101s, a silly millimeter longer!"; "You've come a long way baby, now you have your own cigarette...Virginia Slims!")
• Flat tires were not the rare occurrence they are today.
• Chrysler experimented with an automatic transmission controlled by push buttons rather than a gear shift lever.
• Cars that you had to push a button after turning the key to start the engine.
• High beam switches on the floor board of cars.
• Those little spinner knobs people put on their steering wheels.
• Comic books were a dime, then went to 12 cents. Comics like Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, and various western and science fiction comics were popular, as well as Superman and other super hero titles.
• A nickel Hershey bar that was bigger than the ones we have now for over half a dollar. The dime size was more than a kid could comfortably eat at once.
• A quarter was a good weekly allowance for a kid.
• Pic mosquito coils burned at the drive-in theater to keep the bugs at bay. The drive in also had playground equipment, and featured cartoons between the two main feature films.
• Dentists had drills run by an electric motor and a belt. You had to spit in a sink with swirly water, and the tray was rimmed with white pointy porcelain that looked like pointed little teeth.
• Movie monsters like Dracula, Wolfman and The Blob were scary!

What things do YOU remember?

Another Republican President, Another Erased Tape

Philosopher George Santayana was right, when he wrote that "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." The Bush administration appears to be fulfilling this sobering statement in many ways. If only President Bush had paid attention to the lessons of the 1960s & 1970s, he would not be taking the nation down a misguided path we have traveled before.

First, the involvement in Iraq and the saber rattling against Iran are reminiscent of the divisive Vietnam War and the expansion of hostilities into Cambodia and Laos. Now we have a Nixonesque incident involving the erasure of White House tapes.

This time, it is the recycling of email archival tapes that were a record of White House communications over eight months in 2003. This should be considered destruction of evidence, as the time period in question would have email related to both the military action in Iraq, but also the unmasking of CIA agent Valerie Plame. One has to wonder if this is not accidental, but rather done to protect those involved in the outing of Plame, including Scooter Libby and possibly others in the administration.

If our senators fail to impeach Bush and his cronies, the nation owes an apology to President Nixon. In this writer's humble opinion, the current president has committed acts far worse than those allegedly done by RMN. This in no way excuses President Nixon for the Watergate cover up, but merely points out the fact that if his actions deserved impeachment, then certainly those of this administration deserve no less.

It get back to the Watergate-era question . . . "What did the President know, and when did he know it?"

Huckabee's Theocratic Agenda

Mike Huckabee is showing his true colors. This pandering theocrat wants to toss out the separation of state and church, replacing it with an altered U.S. Constitution that enshrines his view of God's standards as the law of the land. He wants to amend it to line the Constitution with the Bible, and obviously is isn't the Catholic or Mormon perspective of that tome.

What theocrats and theocons like the Huckster don't seem to realize is that there is no freedom of religion without freedom from religion. The two go hand in hand, by way of the establishment and free exercise clauses of the First Amendment. This shyster baptist preacher in politicians clothing needs to be kicked to the curb, hard and fast! People like him are not interested in having the freedom to worship as their conscience dictates. No, Huckabee and his followers will not be satisfied until they can dictate that we all follow their religion, or else become second class citizens in our own country.

Huckabee, if you love theocracy, may I suggest you run for President of Iran. You and Ahmadinejad are cut from the same cloth, and it is a moldy, foul, and mildewed cloth at that! You two would get along very well.

CES Redux

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I didn't get much time to wander around CES while working there last week, but from what I did see, I have to somewhat agree with Leo Laporte's assessment, where he called it the Craptastic Electronics Show. Leo thinks it could be following Comdex into history. Given what I saw, I think he is onto something here.