My apologies also - I promise no further posts from me on the issue!
Mark
----- Original Message -----
From: "John S. Gage" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2000 10:33 PM
Subject: Re: medical informatics and "clinical trials"
> I was waiting for this particular shoe to drop. I apologize profusely for
> starting all this with my intemperate remarks.
> John
>
> At 09:36 PM 12/20/00, you wrote:
> >Off topic. Can we please move on? -- IV
> >
> >Mark Sires wrote:
> >
> > > We obviously disagree politically, which is (in my opinion) our
greatest
> > > strength - we can disagree without fear of retribution (except for
flame
> > > mail perhaps :-) ).
> > >
> > > That aside, as a Florida resident, who is actually capable of
following a
> > > large black arrow from the name of the candidate I want to vote for to
the
> > > hole I am supposed to punch, I was absolutely appalled with the
'recount
> > > them until I win' philosophy that was so readily accepted by both the
> > > (extremely biased and partisan) media and much of the public. And
> > let's not
> > > forget to 'count every vote', unless of course they are probably for
my
> > > opponent (overseas absentee votes). The 'determining of voter intent'
> > > greatly resembled the tea leaf reader at the traveling carnival (most
of
> > > which winter here in Florida, so perhaps they had a ready pool of
qualified
> > > individuals available).
> > >
> > > And let's not forget the 'Florida goes to Gore' announcement by our
> > unbiased
> > > media. How many voters didn't go to the polls (which was announced
before
> > > the polls in Florida had closed) will never be known. This doesn't
> > generate
> > > a lot of sympathy from me I'll admit. Voting is important, and if you
let
> > > the media decide for you whether to vote or not, then you probably
wouldn't
> > > have been able to follow the large black arrow to the correct hole
anyway.
> > >
> > > I will say that the unsuccessful party did manage exceed the hypocrisy
> > > standard they had set when Sen. Ted Kennedy sat in judgement during
the
> > > Clarence Thomas sexual harassment hearings. William Daley, son of
Richard
> > > Daley, complaining of 'voting irregularities' certainly amazed this
former
> > > Illinois resident! The 'Mr. Technology' candidate declaring that
manual
> > > recounts performed by personnel working 16-18 hour days were far
> > superior to
> > > machine counts was also a high point of the process.
> > >
> > > >From my perspective, the court that showed its bias and partisanship
was
> > > without question the Florida Supreme Court, which attempted to set
> > aside its
> > > own ruling that extended the recount deadline to Sunday at 5:00pm to
> > further
> > > extend the deadline.
> > >
> > > It was not widely reported in the national press (surprise), but local
and
> > > regional reports of the results from those counties that were
recounting
> > > until halted by the U.S. Supreme Court were improving W's lead, which
> > > undoubtedly played some role in the final decision by G to surrender
> > > gracefully.
> > >
> > > The only good thing to come from the whole mess (including the final
> > > outcome) is that it appears we will spend some time and $$ here in
Florida
> > > to modernize and improve our election process. So in 4 years it can
be
> > some
> > > other State that didn't in the news for 5 weeks!
> > >
> > > And the rest of you should be thankful - you only have to deal with
the
> > > voters of Floriduh once every 4 years. I get to drive on the roads
with
> > > them every day of every year!
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: John S. Gage <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > > Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2000 4:04 PM
> > > Subject: Re: medical informatics and "clinical trials"
> > >
> > > > You see, I have been tormented by the thought of an upstanding
Yugoslav
> > > > citizen saying, "Ah, the Americans aren't that different from us
after
> > > > all. Slobodan used to throw away votes all the time." It will be a
long
> > > > time before the United States can tell anyone how to run their
country
> > > ever
> > > > again.
> > > >
> > > > John
> > > >
> > > > At 07:03 PM 12/19/00, you wrote:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > >"John S. Gage" wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > I will confess that having just witnessed a coup d'etat by the
> > > Republican
> > > > > > party engineered by its clients in the Supreme Court, the world
must
> > > have a
> > > > > > pretty dismal view of the U.S. Nevertheless, the tradition of
> > science
> > > is
> > > > >
> > > > >I have to admit, it was disheartening to see this (the worst
aspect: the
> > > > >partisan bias of every official in the country, including the
supreme
> > > court
> > > > >judges). The international press I read went from disbelief that W
was
> > > even
> > > > >running to dismay at the election to a well-practiced shaking of
the
> > head
> > > > >at the
> > > > >final result. But I have many American friends who I know are
shaking
> > > their
> > > > >heads in the same way. I think they are successful and do good
almost in
> > > > >reaction to such corruption. America has had some of the best
dissidents
> > > > >in the
> > > > >world.
> > > > >
> > > > >Open source is a good example: it is a kind of controlled anarchy
which
> > > lets
> > > > >people software control their own work outside of large
organisations.
> > > The
> > > > >energy is there; the trick is to a) shape the energy and b) avoid
> > > extremism.
> > > > >
> > > > >- thomas beale
> > > > >
> > > > >(Alright. I admit I would have voted for Nader. I thought I might
be
> > able
> > > to
> > > > >have a bit of a vote when in Florida in January, seeing the
election was
> > > still
> > > > >going, but it looks like I've missed out. Just. Perhaps a final
> > > recount?!)
> > > >
>
