Current graph of the Iowa political Elections Market, one of the most accurate predictors of political elections for some time. It shows a wide and increasing gap between presidential candidates. In this particular case, I think I might start looking at moving to Canada.

[ I think there's a fairly good chance that what this shows is people sending their money to democratic causes rather than investing in the presidential futures market.

I did meme this last month because i thought it was pretty interesting as a concept, but all the indicators are all over the place this year. We have polls ranging from a dead heat to a 12 point lead. I don't think any predictors are faring well at the moment. -k]

IEM 2004 US Presidential Election Winner Takes All Market Price Graph

] During the program, a rambling sermon by Swaggart who is
] trying to rehabilitate himself after an arrest for
] soliciting a prostitute, the televangelist turned to the
] subject of gay marriage.
]
] According to a transcript of the program, Swaggart said:
] "I'm trying to find the correct name for it ... this
] utter absolute, asinine, idiotic stupidity of men
] marrying men. ... I've never seen a man in my life I
] wanted to marry. And I'm gonna be blunt and plain; if one
] ever looks at me like that, I'm gonna kill him and tell
] God he died."

[ Yeah, that's right... i remember the part in the bible where Jesus said "If another man shall look at you with lust, then you must kill him and when he is dead, tell God, that He may reward you."

Seriously, why is it that the most fucked up assholes get awat with pretending to be paragons of virtue? It's unbelievable. Disgusting. If I believed in Hell, I say people who commit atrocities, or proclaim atrocities, in the name of virtue and morality, get a very special corner of the place. -k]

Evangelist Jimmy Swaggart Threatens To Kill Gays

] COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - Soldiers from a combat
] unit at Fort Carson say they have been told to re-enlist
] for three more years or be transferred to other units
] expected to deploy to Iraq, the Rocky Mountain News
] reported Thursday.
]
] Hundreds of soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team
] were presented with that message and a re-enlistment form
] in a series of assemblies last week, two soldiers who
] spoke on condition of anonymity told the newspaper.
]
] "They said if you refuse to re-enlist with the 3rd
] Brigade, we'll send you down to the 3rd Armored Cavalry
] Regiment, which is going to Iraq for a year, and you can
] stay with them, or we'll send you to Korea, or to Fort
] Riley (in Kansas) where they're going to Iraq," said one
] of the soldiers, a sergeant.
]
] The second soldier, an enlisted man, echoed that view:
] "They told us if we don't re-enlist, then we'd have to be
] reassigned. And where we're most needed is in units that
] are going back to Iraq in the next couple of months. So
] if you think you're getting out, you're not."
]
] The sergeant told the News the threat has outraged
] soldiers who are close to fulfilling their service
] obligation.

9news.com | News

] The question lingers: Could the $144.4 billion spent on
] Iraq been better used to protect the American people from
] terrorist threats? The Center for American Progress
] offers this answer.

What follows is a long list of measures that would have made Americans safer. This is the true cost of the Iraq War.

The Opportunity Costs of the Iraq War - Center for American Progress

] LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- If Doreen Seelig pocketed
] all the money she has spent on classroom supplies over 35
] years as a teacher -- the printer cartridges, the paper,
] the pencils and the paperback books lent to her Venice
] High School students -- she figures she would have a new
] car by now.
]
] Now, as the new school year gets under way, the burden on
] Seelig and other teachers around the country is even
] heavier.
]
] Because of a budget crunch, California has suspended a
] tax credit that reimbursed teachers up to $1,500 for
] classroom supplies. Meanwhile, a $250 federal tax
] deduction for teachers that helped defray out-of-pocket
] spending expired this year.

I. Hate. [expletive]. [expletive]. [expletive]. President Bush.

What good is No Child Left Behind since children can't possibly get "ahead" without any books or pencils?

CNN.com - Teachers lose tax breaks for class expenses - Sep 16, 2004

] Senator Chuck Hagel, a Nebraska Republican described the
] rebuilding effort in Iraq as "beyond pitiful".
]
] "It's beyond embarrassing, it's now in the zone of
] dangerous," he said.

BBC NEWS | Business | Iraq rebuilding efforts 'pitiful'

] A growing number of doctors and pharmacists are now
] refusing to dispense it, on the grounds that it is
] actually a form of abortion.

[ Jesus christ. I fucking hate people sometimes. -k]

BBC NEWS | Americas | Pill propelled into abortion debate

] Multiple divorces are also unexpectedly common among born
] again Christians. Barna's figures show that nearly
] one-quarter of the married born agains (23%) get divorced
] two or more times ... Bible scholars and teachers point out
] that Jesus taught that divorce was a sin unless adultery was
] involved

So why isn't anyone pushing a Constitutional Amendment against divorce?

Born Again Christians Just As Likely to Divorce As Are Non-Christians

] Of course, it's always possible God did put George W.
] Bush in the White House. But if He did, it doesn't
] theologically follow that He wants him to have a second
] term. Even those who believe that God controls world
] events usually concede it is hard for humans to divine
] the intent of the Divine.
]
]
] After all, in the Bible, God is described as doing things
] for all sorts of inexplicable reasons%u2014sometimes as a
] reward to the people, and sometimes as a punishment.

Heaven Sent - Does God endorse George Bush? By Steven Waldman

] For those who are interested, there's an enormous debate
] across the Blogosphere regarding the authenticity of the
] National Guard documents released by CBS yesterday (and
] highlighted in an earlier post of mine).

If you haven't noticed this debate, its worth a look. Adamist has some good links here. Apparently this discussion started in the Blogosphere and made it out to the mainstream media via the drudge report. Much like the details of Kerry's service record, the truth here is irrelevant. In this case its also illusive. Each commentator has detailed analysis which defends the position most favorable to their political leanings. All of the analysis sounds compelling. Everyone accuses someone else of playing loose with the facts. I don't expect a good answer to appear. If it does, a lot of people are going to be embarrassed.

[ Yeah, it's unfortunate, because the whole thing is now just a mess. I've read a ton of analyses, and they all sound ok to me, so what the fuck. That being said, the right answer is probably for Kerry to try and ignore it, and stress the things he knows and the things that are patently true : Bush fucked up *now* regardless of what happened back in the day. I'd be as happy as anyone if people saw these documents, if they're real, and said "What a fucking liar our president is, fuck that guy." But realistically, that was never gonna happen, even if the authenticity wasn't questioned. Hopefully Kerry can stay on message and keep pointing out that the job indicators suck, the economy sucks, iraq sucks, and the rest of the world is pissed at us due to bullshit foreign policy. There's only so much you can blame on 9/11. -k]

Damaging Anti-Bush Guard Records May Be Forgeries