quickies - Karen's Musings

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			quickies - Karen's Musings Random Rambling




			08:22 am September 26th, 2003

estherchaya


	quickies
	I have had an ear infection all week which is making me decidedly unhappy. It hurts. I'm dizzy. I can't hear a damn thing. It's making my Rosh Hashana preparations obnoxious. I'm tired. I hate politics. Specifically, I don't know who I'm voting for, and I'm having a hard time drumming up enough enthusiasm to take the time to educate myself enough to start knowning. I feel inadequate compared to all those out there who seem to know just who they plan to vote for and why. Rosh Hashana starts tonight. I am certain that I have not done an adequate amount of teshuva. Somehow I don't know how to rectify this. I love www.w3schools.com Thanks, Jeanne! :) I bought new clothes yesterday to wear for the holidays. I spent way too much money. So much for me buying a camera any time soon. I sold my oboe, finally. I took a $700 loss on it, but all in all, it wasn't a bad sale. I'm happy that it went to a nice home. I'm at work for the first time since Monday. This is a good thing. I need to make money so I can buy that camera (see afforementioned reference) This will be my first Rosh Hashana in an Orthodox shul. This will also, blessedly, be my first Rosh Hashana in several years without my mother-in-law Speaking of my mother-in-law, I actually had a conversation with her yesterday. And it was pleasant! I suppose that's it for now. Current Mood: awake

16 comments or Leave a comment


	Comments




			Thread started by Greg Cohoon

	From: drmellow	Date: September 26th, 2003 05:40 am (UTC)		(Link)

I don't know who I'm voting for

Let me know what races you're interested in and I'll tell you how to vote. ;-)

I love www.w3schools.com

Yes! Me, too. I regularly reference the XSL portion of their site as part of my job.

(Reply) (Thread)

	From: estherchaya	Date: September 26th, 2003 07:00 am (UTC)		(Link)

I do believe our politics differ somewhat. But at least you know WHY you prefer certain candidates. You're forty three steps ahead of me. Truth be told, I don't actually have to worry for a while; I'm not affiliated with a party, so I don't have to worry about primaries. So I may as well sit back and quit my bitching.

I love, love, love w3schools. They lay things out so clearly and simply. It's a fantastic tool. Even an idiot like me can use it.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

	From: drmellow	Date: September 26th, 2003 07:24 am (UTC)		(Link)

I do believe our politics differ somewhat.

Yeah, but I still hold on to the hope that I can change your mind.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

From: bodnej	Date: September 26th, 2003 07:27 am (UTC)		(Link)
Get back!

Karen's vote is mine, all mine!

I think we're supporting the same presidential candidate, anyway, but for different reasons.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

	From: estherchaya	Date: September 26th, 2003 08:09 am (UTC)		(Link)
	Re: Get back!

and that would be? You two can battle it out for my vote. Whichever one of you can give me the most comprehensive, convincing argument in 30 minutes or less wins. But let's get a little closer to the election.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)




			Thread started by yermie

	From: yermie	Date: September 26th, 2003 06:40 am (UTC)		(Link)

I hate politics.

Specifically, I don't know who I'm voting for, and I'm having a hard time drumming up enough enthusiasm to take the time to educate myself enough to start knowning. I feel inadequate compared to all those out there who seem to know just who they plan to vote for and why.

Well, since you're in Maryland, and your voting machines are from Diebold, it doesn't really matter who you vote for... the republican will win.

(In case you don't know what I'm talking about, there's been a big deal made out of the fact that the new "Touch screen" voting machines are very easy to hack and alter the results on... And considering that the head of the company promised his state (OH) to Bush in the next election.... If you want, I'll dig up some references for you.)

(Reply) (Thread)

	From: estherchaya	Date: September 26th, 2003 07:01 am (UTC)		(Link)

why in heavens name do you know what voting machines Maryland is using?

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

From: bodnej	Date: September 26th, 2003 07:26 am (UTC)		(Link)
MD Voting Machines

I'll take this one. MD bought a whole bunch of electronic voting machines (Montgomery County used them in the elections last fall. Yes, I vote in every election.). Researchers at Hopkins have shown that they are really easy to hack.

There are problems with ALL of the electronic voting machines. Some are using the highly-insecure WiFi (802.11b, AirPort, whatever you want to call it) to send information wirelessly. Others allow poll sitters to access votes during voting, and potentially change them, too.

And the root problem with electronic votes is that they are easy to fake. There's no proof. A bit is a bit is a bit. "The Moon is a Hash Mistress" gives a good demonstration of this. In Heinlein's book, the good guys fix the first election by the Moon Republic, to make sure they can set up the government that will work best. Ends, say hello to means.

There is one sure-fire way to make sure that votes are valid: paper ballots. Everyone can use the technology, it's cheap, and it's next to impossible to fake (everyone makes a check mark slightly differently, and if you came across 20,000 identical checks, you'd notice). The problem is that it takes a long time to count them. Boo hoo. Some things that are worth doing take time.

And I'll tell you how to vote in the next election. Luckily, the two of us can wait until November 2004 to decide. Right now, I'm ignoring social and economic policy and supporting Bush, because the war is too important. We need bastards running the country right now. I'll worry about the right to choose when I'm sure that we still have most of our major cities.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

	From: estherchaya	Date: September 26th, 2003 08:27 am (UTC)		(Link)
	Re: MD Voting Machines

yeah.
okay.

freak.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

	From: yermie	Date: September 26th, 2003 12:32 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Because I'm a freak?

I was reading about the new electronic voting machines, and how easy they are to break on various newssites yesterday.

Besides, if I wanted to rig the election, I needed to know what style machines y'all are using... right? I mean, um. I'm a freak?

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)




			Thread started by Jon Bodner

From: bodnej	Date: September 26th, 2003 07:31 am (UTC)		(Link)
w3schools

Yup, I used them as my first tutorials on JavaScript and XSLT/XPath. I graduated to books eventually, but they're damn useful.

What are you looking up?

(Reply) (Thread)

	From: estherchaya	Date: September 26th, 2003 08:29 am (UTC)		(Link)
	Re: w3schools

I was looking up some XML and JavaScript tutorials.

I think it's a nifty and remarkably well-crafted site.

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			Thread started by Devo

	From: kmelion	Date: September 26th, 2003 07:44 am (UTC)		(Link)

shana tova...may the best of the past year be the worst of the coming year.

(Reply) (Thread)

	From: estherchaya	Date: September 26th, 2003 08:29 am (UTC)		(Link)

shana tovah!
May you have a sweet new year filled with hopes of health, happiness, and success.

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			Thread started by Yael

	From: bluejeanjexy	Date: September 26th, 2003 10:08 am (UTC)		(Link)

Shana Tova!
Wishing you love and amoxicillin in the new year...

(Reply) (Thread)

	From: estherchaya	Date: September 26th, 2003 11:10 am (UTC)		(Link)

LOL!
Shana Tova to you and your family. May you have a blessedly sweet new year and many more to come.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)


	16 comments or Leave a comment