So 15 more uncounted ballots were found in Kanawha County this morning during the table games vote recount.Will more be found as the day goes on? Will somone bother to ask why no one appears to have reconciled the number of votes cast with the number of people who voted? That should have shown that 15 ballots were missing. Will someone bother to ask how all this could happen?What will Secretary of State Betty Ireland say? What surprise will come out of the Kanawha County clerk's office next?This could get interesting.Better them than us.UPDATE: The AP says only 14 extra ballots were found, and when they were counted, the antis gained three votes. Another vote was gained somewhere, giving the antis a neg gain of four, which still left them far, far behind. So it's over.But the Kanawha County Clerk will have a black eye over this one as long as she's in office. And you can't help but wonder what this says about the election as a whole.
The gang that couldn't keep track of and count ballots
This is from a delivered at Hillsdale College on June 30 by S. Fred Singer, among other things a professor emeritus of environmental sceinces at the University of Virginia:IN THE PAST few years there has been increasing concern about global climate change on the part of the media, politicians, and the public. It has been stimulated by the idea that human activities may influence global climate adversely and that therefore corrective action is required on the part of governments. Recent evidence suggests that this concern is misplaced. Human activities are not influencing the global climate in a perceptible way. Climate will continue to change, as it always has in the past, warming and cooling on different time scales and for different reasons, regardless of human action. I would also argue that—should it occur—a modest warming would be on the whole beneficial.This is not to say that we don't face a serious problem. But the problem is political. Because of the mistaken idea that governments can and must do something about climate, pressures are building that have the potential of distorting energy policies in a way that will severely damage national economies, decrease standards of living, and increase poverty. This misdirection of resources will adversely affect human health and welfare in industrialized nations, and even more in developing nations. Thus it could well lead to increased social tensions within nations and conflict between them. Agree or disagree with Singer's conclusions, it's hard to disagree with the second sentence of the second paragraph.Global warming ceased being a scientific matter or a social problem a long time ago. It's a political one. As with most political debates, people are free to choose whatever facts fit their biases and prejudices. Claiming the moral high ground is more important than determining the truth. Namecalling replaces reasoned thought. Shouting replaces rational discussion. The stakes are too high to admit you might be wrong. That's particularly true when the topic is so complicated that few of us understand what is really happening.Case in point: For all I know, a slight increase in temperatures worldwide would be beneficial. (It still depends on the distribution of the increase in temperatures, not in the increase in average temperature worldwide, but we'll save that for later.). Somewhere I read that someone was concerned that a great enough increase in arctic regions would release a lot of methane that is stored in the tundra. Such a release would trigger catastrophic warming.Assuming I remembered that argument correctly, I have to say I have no idea what that "tipping point" would be. And I cannot adequately judge whether that argument is reliable. All I can do is continue my own research and guard against people on one side or the other who seek to recruit me to their cause.UPDATE: Here is a piece about . I have not checked into the author's background yet. I merely offer this for people who want to read more.
Climate change: A political shoutfest
As of this morning, my 1996 Jeep Cherokee has 216,146.8 miles on it. I say that as an intro to this news release, which is based on the latest edition of Consumer Reports magazine:YONKERS, NY — With proper care, many of today's cars can last 200,000 miles or more, and owners seeking to limit repair costs by trading in their vehicle every three to five years may lose out on thousands of savings, says Consumer Reports October issue. Consumer Reports 2007 Annual Auto Online Survey identified 6,769 readers with 200,000 miles or more on their vehicles' odometers. The report featured accounts that ran the gamut of make and model, including a '95 Honda Civic with 227,000 miles, a '90 Lexus LS400 with 332,000 miles and a West Virginia family's 1994 Ford Ranger pickup with an impressive 488,000 miles.When comparing the costs of buying and keeping a car for 225,000 miles over 15 years to buying and financing an identical model every five years, CR found the savings could be more than the original purchase price of the vehicle—and even greater if the savings were invested. I hate buying cars. I want every one of mine to get at leat 150,000 miles. If memory serves -- and this is back to my childhood, so please correct me if I'm wrong -- about 30 or 40 years ago it was an accomplishment to get a car to 100,000 miles. If they didn't break down, they rusted out. But now it should be a lot easier to get 150K or 200K out of a car.Back in April, when I was getting new plates for the Jeep, I proudly told the person at the DMV counted that I had 200,000 miles on it. She told me her Pontiac has more than 300,000 miles. My face hurt when I dropped it and it hit the floor.I want to get another three or four years out of the Jeep. It drives like a truck and it's not nearly as comfortable as a car, but it's paid for.###I know this isn't funny, but when I read the first paragraph of this AP article, I wanted to post it under the headline "Smoking kills."NEW CONCORD, Ohio (AP) — A Greyhound bus passenger was struck by a car and killed early Friday after stepping off a disabled bus for a smoke along Interstate 70 in eastern Ohio, the State Highway Patrol said.The bus broke down and the driver got off to put out some warning signs. He told the riders to stay on the bus, but several got off to have a smoke.###From the :RIO GRANDE - Area residents with science degrees or middle childhood science teaching licenses now have an opportunity to earn licenses to teach high school and junior high science in just one year, without paying any tuition.The University of Rio Grande/Rio Grande Community College has received grant funding through the Ohio Department of Education, in collaboration with the Ohio Board of Regents, to offer this program for science teachers.Sangeeta Gulati, assistant professor in the Bunce School of Education at Rio Grande, explained that there is a statewide and national shortage of science teachers. The Ohio Core Program is a statewide initiative to increase the number of math and science teachers in the state.A lot of us have said such a program is needed. Now at least one area has it. Let's see how many people sign up.###According to an article in , the Mason County Board of Education is considering a policy requiring school visitors to leave their photo IDs with the main office while they are in the building. They can pick up their IDs when they leave.Bad idea. Why would I leave my drivers license with a stranger for a while? I mean, does anyone out there know of any other place that confiscates your drivers license when you enter the premises?### How can you not read a story with a headline like that?###And one thing before the weekend:Why does Marshall prefer Conference USA to the Mid-American Conference?In 2003-04, Marshall's distribution from the MAC was $207,342.In 2005-06, its distribution from C-USA was $1,638,535.I have not yet obtained figures on what the distribution from the MAC likely would have been in 05-06 had Marshall stayed put there.
Odds and ends 8/31/07 (already?)
Taxes. Litter. The cost of living. Anything that makes news in the Tri-State is worth a thought or two.
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Blogs @ herald-dispatch.com: Hot Topics: August 2007
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