gregladen | November 4, 2010If a storm like Tomas was as close to Panama City as it is to Port-au-Prince Haiti, there would be storm studs standing along the beach in what must be rain and some wind talking about how we're all gonna die and stuff.
As it is, I have no idea what is going on there. Anybody know?
The serious part of the storm should be affecting land areas in Haiti some time tonight, and continue to do so through the day Friday into the evening. The winds will not be strong but if you live under a sheet of corrugated metal (meaning you're one of the lucky ones in this earthquake-rattled region) a 55 knot…
gregladen | November 3, 2010Tomas has been most entertaining, but now it is time to get serious. This weather feature has not exactly been a meteorological mensch but what was a depression earlier today has reformed into an actual tropical storm. It is possible that Tomas will achieve hurricane status Friday night through Saturday morning, but if so, only barely so.
Tomas will cross the western part of Hispaniola, drenching Haiti in dangerously heavy rains. The "eye" of the storm will pass father to the west than previously expected, maybe. But the track prediction for Tomas is very uncertain. The worst rains will…
gregladen | November 3, 2010
She refuses to answer. But she does plan to eliminate health care reform.
Chris Matthews has a great theory as to how Michele Bachmann's brain "works." Listen for it just past 3 minutes.
gregladen | November 3, 2010Two years ago when the votes were counted in the US Senate race in Minnesota, Republican Norm Coleman was ahead of Democratic Al Franken, which automatically triggered a recount. The Republicans screamed about that recount from day one, saying the worse they could say about Franken and Democrats in general, even though a) the recount was automatic and b) the applicable wisdom strongly suggested that an errors would favor Republicans, and a recount would likely swing the numbers in favor of a Democratic candidate by several hundred votes. That recount happened, again with the Republicans…
gregladen | November 3, 2010This afternoon, the National Hurricane Prediction Center is using terms like "struggling to maintain its identity," "elongated area of low pressure," "losing definition," "motion is uncertain," "little change in philosophy," "cold," "guidance becomes divergent," "forecast is problematic," "the cyclone needs to survive its current state of disorganization," "if," "if," and .... "if."
If only. Alas, we must prepare to say to Tomas, "Adieu.... did we really waste a name on you?"
Or, it could turn into a hurricane in about three days. I'll keep you posted.
gregladen | November 3, 2010Tomas is like that relationship you always wanted to believe in but that never came through to you. The meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center have again and again given Tomas hurricane status when he didn't really deserve it (in my opinion) Every day, even twice a day, the meteorologists predict that the next day Tomas will be a bigger, stronger, more well formed hurricane but then that day comes along and every time Tomas disappoints (in my opinion).
And lat night, the worst thing happened.
In my opinion, anyway. Tomas became a tropical depression. A tropical depression!…
gregladen | November 2, 2010Which I take to be some kind of improvement.
Human rights advocates who felt that this resolution wasn't exactly what they were looking for have continued to fight on behalf of Ashtiani, a 43-year-old mother of two. But according to the International Committee Against Stoning, Iranian authorities have given the green light for Ashtiani's execution to take place as early as tomorrow, November 3rd. And it's not clear what means they ended up deciding on to take her life, or if they're going to go ahead and stone her after all.
Well, maybe they will stone her.
Click here, learn more, sign the…
gregladen | November 2, 2010Have a look at the Carnival of Evolution and the I and the Bird Carnival. Both have lists of excellent, amazingly wonderful non-political bird and evolution posts, the best of the best in the blogosphere for these topics.
gregladen | November 2, 2010The Delaware Democratic Party claimed Tuesday that Republican Senate nominee Christine O'Donnell's supporters were rallying outside polling places and creating a disturbance that amounted to illegal "voter intimidation"...
The state Democratic Party first leveled the charge in a brief written statement Tuesday afternoon.
"There have been some reports of voter intimidation from the O'Donnell campaign or her supporters throughout the state. This activity is illegal and contrary to our rule of civility in Delaware," the party said.
... voters had called their hotline to complain that groups of…
gregladen | November 2, 2010The Kansas Democratic Party has leveled a charge of voter intimidation and has filed a complaint with the Kansas Attorney General's office.
According to the Kansas Democratic Party, they received allegations from "individual" voters from around Kansas who claimed to have received a robo-call from who they called an "as yet named Republican organization" reminding them to bring their voter registration card and proof of home ownership with them to the polls on Nov. 3.
First, the election is slated for Nov. 2 and second, Kansas voters are not required to bring a voter registration card nor…
gregladen | November 2, 2010Chalk one up to the Republicans: A liberal leaning African American acquaintance was talked out of voting today because "they changed the rules and you need two forms of ID and a Minnesota Drivers License this year" etc. etc. Yes, folks, he was lied to, he gave up, and that's one point for the Teabaggers and one point against democracy.
Do not be a moron. You can vote if you live here. That's true pretty much everywhere. Just do it. If you get to the polls and things don't seem to be right for you to vote, talk to the people sitting at the folding table. It can always be done, even if it…
gregladen | November 2, 2010TPM reports that the Kansas Attorney General is looking into reports that some voters were called and told "the election has been moved to Wednesday, that they need to bring their voter registration cards to the polls and that they need proof of homeownership to vote."
and
The Delaware Democratic Party tweeted this afternoon about unspecified "reports" of voter intimidation in Dover.
source
You can check out the Dover Dems tweets here.
gregladen | November 2, 2010Surely, South Carolina is the suckiest state in the union these days. So, it is not a surprise to discover that teabaggers are intimidating voters they think may be against them.
Early this morning, self-identified tea party activists showed up at a polling station near Benedict College in Columbia, "basically harassing students--telling people not to vote and generally making voters feel uncomfortable," says Keiana Page, press secretary for the state Democratic Party, who said that the party's legal team is currently investigating the reported incident at the historically black college.…
gregladen | November 2, 2010A group called Minnesota Majority is said to have deployed over 10,000 people to polling stations across Minnesota in what is being called "an aggressive campaign to fight what organizers claim is a widespread problem of voter fraud."
And, in so doing, have launched a major episode of voter indimidation.
... Minnesota Majority is directing its members to wear "Please ID Me" buttons in violation of a federal judge's orders,...
Judge Joan Ericksen ruled Monday that the buttons "are designed to affect the actual voting process at the polls by intimating that voters are required to show…
gregladen | November 2, 2010Minnesota media is reporting several instances of overzealous election challengers in polling places as the Republican Party of Minnesota ramps up its allegations of voter fraud. In several Minnesota precincts, reporters confirmed that GOP poll challengers have overstepped their bounds. ...
...The Associated Press reports that in Hennepin County there have been some tense conversations between election judges and GOP challengers who don't seem to understand the rules....
...the poll challengers were entering restricted areas and making challenges that are against the rules....
...The…
gregladen | November 2, 2010... mostly other people's thoughts.
Why other people's thoughts? Because at this point, other than casting my own vote, there is nothing I can do to change an inevitably bad day for society, civilization, democracy, rational thought, and sanity.
I can hope that the day will not be as bad as it will, and there is indeed some evidence that this is possible.
5 Reasons Democrats Could Beat the Polls and Hold the House
A scenario like this one is possible tomorrow -- not particularly likely, but possible -- just as a 77-seat Republican gain is possible. It's probably a somewhat greater…
gregladen | November 1, 2010... So, if a teenager eggs your car, you can blow his head off as he tries to run away.
a driver enraged after his Mercedes was splattered with eggs on Halloween fatally shot a 17-year-old in the neck and leg as the teen tried to run away.
Atlanta police spokeswoman Kim Jones says the driver confronted the teen and fired 10 shots at him around 8 p.m. Sunday. The Fulton County Medical Examiner's office says the teen, Tivarus King, died as he was being taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.
source
Gun control anyone?
Hat Tip: Jaf
gregladen | November 1, 2010... as to how strong Tomas will get in the latter part of the forecast period."
Less than 48 hours ago, it was predicted that Tomas would by now be a Category One hurricane, and in a couple of more days, a Category Three hurricane, as it turned towards Haiti.
There has been wind shear.
Now, Tomas is a poorly organized tropical storm that is expected to weaken further, still turning towards Haiti.
It is still predicted that Tomas will reach hurricane strength by Thursday as it begins to bear down on Haiti. It is also predicted that Tomas will remain more or less intact as a cyclone after…