From Heather Cox Richardson tonight... "Indeed, so far, election data for next week’s election is not showing the red wave that media has recently tried to argue was in the offing. Pollsters Simon Rosenberg and Tom Bonier both have focused less on polls and more on the early vote, which so far has shown Democrats overperforming. Races are still very close, but the idea of a red wave appears to be premature. The results of the election will come down to voter turnout."
Truth is that U.S. government is riddled with anomalies. In addition to the political factions, which have no legal standing, the press, which has no supervision has insinuated itself into the electoral process at both the candidate selection and promotion stage. More recently, they want to argue that assessments of the will of the electorate are predictive. It is no wonder that the citizenry is confused. Then there is the matter of the presidential electors, a temporary body designed to deliver information from one entity to another in ceremonial fashion. Supposedly, state legislators designate the electors to transmit election results to Congress. However, the electors are actually chosen by established political parties/factions during exclusive conventions. So, if, however unlikely, an independent candidate were to get the majority of votes, there would be no electors to forward that information. Never mind that there is no Constitutional basis for partisan rules by which Congress organizes itself. The founders warned against factions, but they have merrily insinuated themselves. 50% of the electorate have now declared themselves independent. So, the partisans are ina dither. Why are Republicans fielding such awful candidates? Because responsible individuals want nothing to do with them. And the press? It wants to make money before it is out of the picture entirely.
We spent the day driving to and from NH to surprise our DIL at her art show at a gallery in Portsmouth, NH, at the seacoast. It was well worth the trip! We had a great visit, the art looked fabulous, and a bunch of relatives we hardly get to see were present. FUN!
Also! I will be working at the polls on Tuesday 9:30am to 1:30pm. Our Town Clerk wrote to me on Friday and added:
"I would like to have you start at the entrance checklist. We are going to be in the computer lab room, first room on the right after entering the main door. There are windows so we will be able to see what is going on in the front parking lot. The policy for us would be to leave the building if there was a gun in the building."
I feel so much relief that we wouldn't be on lockdown, we could leave. I'll be at the entrance checklist at first, then covering for others during lunch. It will be good to be able to be home in the evening watching returns...with time in the afternoon for a nap, so I can be up late with late returns expected. Whoo hoo!
70ºF expected all weekend, and 60's on Monday. This is 15º-25º above normal for this time of year. We can't recall a previous year with a November day in the 70's and we'll have had 4 in the first week! It's NUTS! We're getting our snow tires on mid-week and it almost seems ridiculous. However, as of Election Day, we'll be back to normal temps for a bit and maybe we'll finally get a killing frost.
I have come across Ben Hodges before and found him to be extremely level-headed--- just what one would want in a high-ranking general. (Hmmm... I think I will read his Wikipedia entry. His interviewer in the video is also pretty good, but Hodges was definitely the star. And that 20cm particle accelerator makes me think of a cartoon ray gun!
Friday (yesterday for you, today for us as I type this) we got some gardening done--got the epiphytic cacti out from under the trees where they were sheltered from the summer sun and into places where they will be sheltered from frost (if we should have any). Also got a bit of pruning done; together with the weeding the day before we filled the green-top trash can and part of the gray-top one. Tomorrow no rain predicted, so I will spray the weeds that have popped up where I had largely pulled them. I was planning to cut back some Japanese iris and similar-shaped plants to make room for new growth, but there isn't room in the trash cans for the cuttings. Not warm, but no need for a jacket in the afternoon.
That will take care of the front yard. . . . will be starting on the back yard next week or the week after. The weeds got out of hand while we stayed inside during our hot weather. (Three weeks of 100-degree plus weather, then a bit of a break, then a solid month--worst I can remember here.)
I use glyphosate (off brand concentrate)--carefully. It doesn't work for nutgrass, but last year I found a selective for it that works. I can check the name of it if you need some.
It seems to me that with modern technology we should be able to have clocks that work on ancient Roman time--sunrise = 6AM, noon is 12, sundown 6PM. But alas, that would vary with longitude, and wouldn't work above the arctic nor below the antarctic, circle.
Dare we hope??
ReplyDeleteFrom Heather Cox Richardson tonight...
"Indeed, so far, election data for next week’s election is not showing the red wave that media has recently tried to argue was in the offing. Pollsters Simon Rosenberg and Tom Bonier both have focused less on polls and more on the early vote, which so far has shown Democrats overperforming. Races are still very close, but the idea of a red wave appears to be premature. The results of the election will come down to voter turnout."
Truth is that U.S. government is riddled with anomalies. In addition to the political factions, which have no legal standing, the press, which has no supervision has insinuated itself into the electoral process at both the candidate selection and promotion stage. More recently, they want to argue that assessments of the will of the electorate are predictive. It is no wonder that the citizenry is confused.
DeleteThen there is the matter of the presidential electors, a temporary body designed to deliver information from one entity to another in ceremonial fashion. Supposedly, state legislators designate the electors to transmit election results to Congress. However, the electors are actually chosen by established political parties/factions during exclusive conventions. So, if, however unlikely, an independent candidate were to get the majority of votes, there would be no electors to forward that information.
Never mind that there is no Constitutional basis for partisan rules by which Congress organizes itself. The founders warned against factions, but they have merrily insinuated themselves.
50% of the electorate have now declared themselves independent. So, the partisans are ina dither. Why are Republicans fielding such awful candidates? Because responsible individuals want nothing to do with them. And the press? It wants to make money before it is out of the picture entirely.
We spent the day driving to and from NH to surprise our DIL at her art show at a gallery in Portsmouth, NH, at the seacoast. It was well worth the trip! We had a great visit, the art looked fabulous, and a bunch of relatives we hardly get to see were present. FUN!
ReplyDeleteAlso! I will be working at the polls on Tuesday 9:30am to 1:30pm. Our Town Clerk wrote to me on Friday and added:
ReplyDelete"I would like to have you start at the entrance checklist. We are going to be in the computer lab room, first room on the right after entering the main door. There are windows so we will be able to see what is going on in the front parking lot.
The policy for us would be to leave the building if there was a gun in the building."
I feel so much relief that we wouldn't be on lockdown, we could leave. I'll be at the entrance checklist at first, then covering for others during lunch. It will be good to be able to be home in the evening watching returns...with time in the afternoon for a nap, so I can be up late with late returns expected. Whoo hoo!
Now, come on Georgia and don't blow it!
70ºF expected all weekend, and 60's on Monday. This is 15º-25º above normal for this time of year. We can't recall a previous year with a November day in the 70's and we'll have had 4 in the first week! It's NUTS! We're getting our snow tires on mid-week and it almost seems ridiculous. However, as of Election Day, we'll be back to normal temps for a bit and maybe we'll finally get a killing frost.
ReplyDeletePlus, notes on the last thread.
ReplyDeleteI have come across Ben Hodges before and found him to be extremely level-headed--- just what one would want in a high-ranking general. (Hmmm... I think I will read his Wikipedia entry. His interviewer in the video is also pretty good, but Hodges was definitely the star. And that 20cm particle accelerator makes me think of a cartoon ray gun!
DeleteFriday (yesterday for you, today for us as I type this) we got some gardening done--got the epiphytic cacti out from under the trees where they were sheltered from the summer sun and into places where they will be sheltered from frost (if we should have any). Also got a bit of pruning done; together with the weeding the day before we filled the green-top trash can and part of the gray-top one. Tomorrow no rain predicted, so I will spray the weeds that have popped up where I had largely pulled them. I was planning to cut back some Japanese iris and similar-shaped plants to make room for new growth, but there isn't room in the trash cans for the cuttings. Not warm, but no need for a jacket in the afternoon.
ReplyDeleteThat will take care of the front yard. . . . will be starting on the back yard next week or the week after. The weeds got out of hand while we stayed inside during our hot weather. (Three weeks of 100-degree plus weather, then a bit of a break, then a solid month--worst I can remember here.)
DeleteWhat do you spray the weeds with? Do you have something safe for pollinators?
DeleteI use glyphosate (off brand concentrate)--carefully. It doesn't work for nutgrass, but last year I found a selective for it that works. I can check the name of it if you need some.
DeleteRemember that this coming Sunday will be 25 hours long!
ReplyDeleteYes. Humankind keeps thinking it knows time better than Nature…but my body always tells me otherwise.
DeleteIt seems to me that with modern technology we should be able to have clocks that work on ancient Roman time--sunrise = 6AM, noon is 12, sundown 6PM. But alas, that would vary with longitude, and wouldn't work above the arctic nor below the antarctic, circle.
DeleteI don't mind clocks. I mind shifting them twice a year.
DeleteHow about everybody uses Greenwich Mean Time/Universal Time/Zulu Time?
DeleteThe Polling Averages Are Different This Year [Click]
ReplyDeleteGeorgia county elections office mails hundreds of absentee ballots to voters just days before Election Day
ReplyDeleteScroll down to the title
More than ten hundreds.
Delete