RE: In Praise of Paper Ballots
Here in Georgia, the voting was completely automated. I'll admit I felt a little uneasy with no visible ballot. The touch screen voting machines installed over the last two years lack the advantage of transparency. How do I know that in the thousands of lines of programming code someone didn't slip in a line of code that subtly skews the results? I don't mean to sound paranoid and I'm not a Ludite. But even though computers have lots of advantages, their functioning is not transparent to the ordinary citizen. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:brin-l-bounces;mccmedia.com] On Behalf Of Julia Thompson Sent: Tuesday, November 05, 2002 7:08 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: In Praise of Paper Ballots J. van Baardwijk wrote: At 10:16 05-11-2002 -0800, John Giorgis wrote: http://www.techcentralstation.com/1051/techwrapper.jsp?PID=1051-250CID =1051-110502A A few comments. First, paper ballots are not as resistant to fraud and error as the author wants his audience to believe. People involved in counting the votes will have vast numbers of ballots going through their hands; it is easy count a vote as one for candidate A, while the vote was actually for candidate B (either intentionally (fraud) or unintentionally (human error, caused by the monotonous nature of the job)). Well, I used a paper ballot. I put marks in ovals with a #2 pencil. The ballots will not be hand-counted; they will be going through a machine that reads forms marked with #2 pencils. You don't do a hand count unless someone complains and asks for a recount. Second, the process of counting all those votes can take several days, which makes it look rather outdated in this era of I need the results yesterday. Not if they're going through a computerized reader at a rate of at least one per second (I don't know how long it takes to actually scan them in, but based on similar forms I've had experience with, 60 a minute would be an absolute *minimum*.) Third, there is the environmental issue: printing all those forms for all those millions of voters is going to cost you a lot of trees. Can't argue with you there. Maybe it's possible, though, once the election is truly *over* to recycle them, in which case it won't be totally wasted. It also may be possible that the paper the ballots are printed on is recycled already. Fourth, all those piles of papers have to be stored somewhere. The ballots from just one election take up quite a lot of valuable storage space. Once the results are in and there's no challenge that they'd need the paper ballots for, they can be disposed of. The alternative: electronic voting. And with that I do not mean the voting machines that are currently in use in the US, I mean real electronic voting, which does not require any pieces of paper to be marked or punched. And rather than needing entire warehouses to store all the ballots from all those elections, all you need is a harddisk and a backup tape. Impossible? No - we have been doing it that way for over a decade here in The Netherlands. All you need to do is look at the board, find the name of the candidate you wish to vote for, press the button beside the candidate's name, press Confirm, and you are done. When the polling station closes, the final results are sent on to another computer which processes the totals of all the polling stations. It is simple, it is safe, and it is fast: the final nationwide results are known within a few hours after the polling stations close. So, why is it that such a technologically advanced nation as the US is still using outdated technology, while some European country has been using a high-tech solution for over a decade already? Um, because the bugs aren't all worked out yet? I heard rumors of problems with the early voting in Dallas on a fully electronic system, where for some reason, everything was being recorded as straight-ticket Republican. Given that, I don't want to trust *my* vote to a fully electronic system until issues like that have been unheard of for a few election cycles. (I don't trust the programmers not to stick in something that they could be bribed to fix. I might trust specific programmers once I got to know them, but I figure there will be a couple of bad apples in the bunch and so I don't trust *all* of them as a *class*.) I'm happiest with the system under which I voted -- paper ballot that you mark to be scanned electronically and votes tallied electronically. Not paper ballot to be tallied by human, not paper ballot to have holes punched out, but paper ballot to be marked by writing instrument and scanned by machine. (And in the case of demanding a recount, you *can* have people eyeballing all the ballots; and the returns from a recount aren't under quite the same time pressure as results on election night.) Julia just my $0.02, and happy my ballot was the type I like best
RE: C.J.Cherryh's Timeline [was: I think I am becoming obsessed...]
Here's the link I use to C.J. Cherryh's timelines: http://www.cherryh.com/www/chrona1.htm -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:brin-l-bounces;mccmedia.com] On Behalf Of Alberto Monteiro Sent: Friday, November 01, 2002 8:32 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: C.J.Cherryh's Timeline [was: I think I am becoming obsessed...] Julia Thompson wrote: No, but I know who did it. Go to my Timeline of Everything at... http://www.geocities.com/albmont/timeline.htm I hope the link isn't dead If you mean the link to Edgar Governo's page, it doesn't have that universe. No, I had a direct link to the C.J.Cherryh's timeline. Unfortunately, it's a dead link. Yikes. I guess _all_ links expire after 3 or 4 years :-/ Alberto Monteiro ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Michael Bellesiles Resigns from Emory Faculty
The moral of this story is: 1. Don't mess with the National Rifle Association. 2. If you do mess with them, make damn sure you have your facts right before you publish anything. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:brin-l-bounces;mccmedia.com] On Behalf Of Robert Seeberger Sent: Friday, October 25, 2002 11:43 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Michael Bellesiles Resigns from Emory Faculty http://www.emory.edu/central/NEWS/Releases/bellesiles1035563546.html October 25, 2002 Robert A. Paul, Interim Dean of Emory College I have accepted the resignation of Michael Bellesiles from his position as Professor of History at Emory University, effective December 31, 2002. Although we would not normally release any of the materials connected with a case involving the investigation of faculty misconduct in research, in light of the intense scholarly interest in the matter I have decided, with the assent of Professor Bellesiles as well as of the members of the Investigative Committee, to make public the report of the Investigative Committee appointed by me to evaluate the allegations made against Professor Bellesiles (none of the supporting documents, however, are being made public). The text of the report is now available online at www.emory.edu/central/NEWS/. Emory considers the report authoritative. In conducting this investigation, Emory has scrupulously observed the procedures laid out in our published policy statement regarding matters of alleged research misconduct. Throughout the investigation process our efforts have been guided by the objectives of maintaining the highest standards of scholarly integrity, while also striving to ensure the confidentiality of the proceedings and to protect the rights of a member of Emory's faculty. The Investigative Committee was chaired by Stanley N. Katz, Professor of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, and included Hanna H. Gray, Judson Distinguished Professor of History Emerita and President Emerita, University of Chicago, and Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, James Duncan Phillips Professor of History, Harvard University. I hereby express my appreciation to these distinguished scholars for contributing their effort and expertise to the resolution of this matter of such great importance not only to Emory but to the wider scholarly community. Committee members have stated that they will not discuss or respond to questions about the investigation or the report. Emory also wishes to express its thanks and appreciation to Professor Bellesiles for his many years of service and his many valuable contributions to the University. Emory now considers the investigation of allegations of research misconduct against Professor Bellesiles in connection with his book Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture to be concluded and resolved. xponent Liar Maru rob ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Italian author slams Islam's 'hate' for West
I would like to believe it's just a few fanatics who give Islam a bad reputation. However the roaring silence of the so called majority speaks volumes about where their sympathy lies. Also the Moslem Fundamentalists are not misinterpreting the Koran. They are not stupid. They know how to read. Their interpretation is just as valid as the moderate's interpretation. (There is no Pope in Islam to settle these issues.) And I never claimed that other religions don't have their militant streaks. I merely said that in today's world it is the Moslems who seem to be fighting everyone else. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:brin-l-bounces;mccmedia.com] On Behalf Of J. van Baardwijk Sent: Friday, October 25, 2002 10:10 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: Italian author slams Islam's 'hate' for West At 21:30 23-10-2002 -0400, Joe Hale wrote: This author makes a good point. People who claim Islam is a religion of peace are turning a blind eye to history. If Islam was a religion of peace there would never have been a Battle of Tours. The Moslems are currently fighting the Christians, Jews, and Hindus, and they are responsible for blowing up the Buddhist statutes in Afghanistan. They can't get along with anybody. This is not a religion of peace. Are you really that intolerant, or just extremely ignorant? Islam's history is not one of peace and only peace, but the same can be said about that other major religion: Christianity. The aggressive actions of Muslems in current times are not typical for Islam; they are the actions of a relatively small number of Muslim-fundamentalists who misinterpret the Koran -- in pretty much the same way the Christian fundamentalists misinterpret the Bible. Islam itself is a religion of peace and tolerance; it is the words and actions of a few fanatics who give Islam a bad reputation. Look beyond that. Jeroen Intolerance towards intolerance van Baardwijk __ Wonderful-World-of-Brin-L Website: http://www.Brin-L.com ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Italian author slams Islam's 'hate' for West
This author makes a good point. People who claim Islam is a religion of peace are turning a blind eye to history. If Islam was a religion of peace there would never have been a Battle of Tours. The Moslems are currently fighting the Christians, Jews, and Hindus, and they are responsible for blowing up the Buddhist statutes in Afghanistan. They can't get along with anybody. This is not a religion of peace. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:brin-l-bounces;mccmedia.com] On Behalf Of The Fool Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2002 2:56 AM To: Brin-L Subject: Italian author slams Islam's 'hate' for West http://www.washtimes.com/world/20021023-18874592.htm Italian author slams Islam's 'hate' for West By Tom Carter THE WASHINGTON TIMES The Islamic world is engaged in a cultural war with the West and the worst is still to come, Italian author Oriana Fallaci told a receptive Washington audience last night. Spinning off a long list of Islamic countries, she told a group of about 80 people: The hate for the West swells like a fire fed by the wind. The clash between us and them is not a military one. It is a cultural one, a religious one, and the worst is still to come, she continued in what she said was her first public address in more than a decade. Tight security was in place for the speech at the American Enterprise Institute after death threats were issued against her and her attorney as a result of her latest book, The Rage and the Pride, which contains harsh criticism of Muslims. The book, which she called a sermon to Europe, was written in New York in the two weeks after September 11 as the smoke and dust from the destruction of the World Trade Center blanketed the city. Miss Fallaci contends in the angry polemic that the only difference between moderate Islam and radical Islam is the length of their beards. She said last night that critics have attempted to ban the book or have her arrested in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy. The 72-year-old author described these efforts as intellectual terrorism. Miss Fallaci, who lives in New York and is afflicted with cancer, also criticizes Western culture for its loose morals and licentiousness. Freedom cannot exist without discipline, self-discipline, and rights cannot exist without duties. Those who do not observe their duties do not deserve their rights, she said. In her prime, Miss Fallaci was famed as a belligerent journalist and argumentative interviewer, who had unprecedented access to the world's most reclusive and wary leaders. A partisan in the Italian resistance in World War II and a lifelong leftist, she once became so disgusted while interviewing Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini that she ripped off her head scarf and threw it in his face. The act of defiance was considered an unpardonable sin in the ayatollah's Iran. The Rage and the Pride, originally published in an Italian newspaper and then as a book, has sold more than 1 million copies in Italy and has been popular in Germany and France as well. All three nations have large Muslim immigrant populations. Variously praised as the painful truth or decried as a bigoted, anti-Muslim screed, Miss Fallaci's book is under threat of judicial action in France for inciting racial hatred. A lawsuit brought by the Movement Against Racism and for Friendship Between People, a Muslim human rights group, is demanding that the book be banned in France. In a ruling yesterday that may affect her case, a French court acquitted best-selling French author Michel Houellebecq of charges of racial insult and inciting racial hatred for calling Islam the dumbest religion. The Paris court threw out the case brought by officials from the main mosques in Paris and the central-eastern city of Lyon and other Muslim groups after an interview Mr. Houellebecq gave to the French literary magazine Lire. The dumbest religion, after all, is Islam, he told the magazine. When you read the Koran, you're shattered. The Bible at least is beautifully written because the Jews have a heck of a literary talent. While the court ruled that the 44-year-old author's comments were without a doubt characterized by neither a particularly noble outlook nor by the subtlety of their phrasing, they did not constitute a punishable offense. While Mr. Houellebecq indeed had expressed hatred for Islam as a religion, the court said, he had not expressed hatred for Muslims, nor did he encourage others to share his views or discriminate against Muslims. Miss Fallaci, in her first book in more than 10 years, said she was prompted to write by demonstrations throughout the Muslim world and in pockets of Europe celebrating the September 11 attacks on the United States. Her anger, based on years of reporting in Muslim countries, is evident. Her detractors call the work an incitement to kill Muslims. Unrepentant, Miss Fallaci calls the downing of the Twin Towers an act of cultural war and says the superior Western civilization
RE: The Multiverse Database
Thanks for the corrections Alberto. I've made the changes you suggested. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Alberto Monteiro Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2002 11:45 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: The Multiverse Database Joe Hale wrote: I've added four planets from Dr. Brin's Uplift Universe to my web site, the Multiverse Database www.multiverse-db.com I've added Garth, The star is Gimelhai, not Gimlhai. Jijo, The star is not Izmunuti. Izmunuti is a neighbouring Red Giant. The new GURPs Uplift will name Jijo's star. Also, Jijo's TL should be quite low, because they abandoned sophisticated technology. Something like Earth's XIX century, with steamboats and lots of mechanical, pre-eletronical, devices. Kithrup, The TL of Kithrup is ambiguous. You have to consider the Kiqui (that are pre-sentient) or the Karrank% (of whom we have few information). and Pila. Details about Pila are in Sundiver, not Startide Rising. I would like to get some data on planet position (1st, 2d, 3d from the star etc). I think this information is not available. I also need some population data for these planets. H... The problem is, we don't have them. Maybe we can estimate, but how accurate do you want this estimation? An error of 1 magnitude is acceptable? :-) Alberto Monteiro ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: The Multiverse Database
Based on your suggestion, William, I added Zarathustra to the database. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2002 3:42 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: The Multiverse Database In a message dated 10/15/2002 8:24:04 PM US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: 've added four planets from Dr. Brin's Uplift Universe to my web site, the Multiverse Database www.multiverse-db.com I've added Garth, Jijo, Kithrup, and Pila. They are entry #s 91-94. You can also do a search where Universe=Uplift. (There are still a few bugs in the search routine but it works fairly well.) I tried Universe = Piper and didn't get anything. Space Viking alone mentioned 103 planets by name. That'd be a lot of work. Though most planets are without any descriptions at all. Zarathustra would be the easiest choice for having just one of his planets in your database. I wish I could find my old notebook... William Taylor ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: The Multiverse Database
I was thinking of modifying an image of Bajor to make Zarathustra. I could split a continent in two to get the requisite five. Yes, it's definitely too bad you lost that notebook. :-) -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2002 10:31 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: The Multiverse Database In a message dated 10/16/2002 6:38:10 PM US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Based on your suggestion, William, I added Zarathustra to the database. Complete with the five continents? The known timezones between the capitol city and Holloway's camp. The divide, piedmont, and squiggle on Beta. Population at the date of the Fuzzy Trial. Lack of titanium. The low axial tilt needed for the milder climate. The orange sun. Etc. (Why I wish I knew where that notebook form the 80s wound up at.) William Taylor - Fuzzies are the most dangerous creatures ever invented in Science Fiction. They'd destroy Homo Sapiens through kindness. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Epic is now mundane. (Laid back rant)
I disagree. The characters in Star Wars are cardboard cutouts. The plot is pure space opera. What made Star Wars great was the special effects and the music. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, October 07, 2002 2:09 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Epic is now mundane. (Laid back rant) In a message dated 10/7/2002 10:42:29 AM US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: What makes the original _Star Wars_ so good and the new ones so bland isn't the special effects: it's the characters themselves. Translation: GL ran out of Japanese samurai movies and British WWII movies to take the plots from. ;-) Brin has said Sundiver would be a much easier movie to make. But it isn't what the public wants. William Taylor ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Scirth vs GP Hull
Yes, I've come to the same conclusion. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Matt Grimaldi Sent: Monday, October 07, 2002 1:25 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Scirth vs GP Hull Joe Hale wrote: I know this is a David Brin mailing list, but I have a question about the Known Space universe: Which is stronger, scrith or a General Products hull? Does anybody know? Any opinions? I would say a GP hull is stronger, as there is a cannonical reference in _Ringworld_ where scrith is stretched and punctured by an asteroid impact, whereas a GP hull has never demonstrated a structural integrity failure from stress. Antimatter on the other hand, has been shown to destroy a GP hull. Also, the things *inside* the hull can be flattened by forces such as strong gravity or an impact... -- Matt ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Epic is now mundane. (Laid back rant)
Brin is going to write a plotline to Star Wars III? The same Brin who calls the movies insidious and vile? -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, October 07, 2002 6:56 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Epic is now mundane. (Laid back rant) In a message dated 10/7/2002 2:38:34 PM US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: I disagree. The characters in Star Wars are cardboard cutouts. The plot is pure space opera. What made Star Wars great was the special effects and the music. I take it this is to [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: What makes the original _Star Wars_ so good and the new ones so bland isn't the special effects: it's the characters themselves. Maybe we've come full circle. Bland characters in the original Star Wars were carried by the music and special effects. Now that special effects are the norm, they ain't really that special and they can't carry the bad characters. I do want to read Brin's plotline to the final chapter after GL puts his movie out. That should be very interesting William Taylor [EMAIL PROTECTED] Star Wars / Dr. Seuss crossover sex scandal: Yoda lay de Who ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Scirth vs GP Hull
I know this is a David Brin mailing list, but I have a question about the Known Space universe: Which is stronger, scrith or a General Products hull? Does anybody know? Any opinions? ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Definitions of Anti-Semite
Smart people tend to take the definition of words literally. Therefore anti-Semite can mean anti-Arab. However, smarter people know language is not always logical. So just go with the flow and don't argue over what words should mean. Instead, accept them for what they do mean. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Matt Grimaldi Sent: Thursday, October 03, 2002 11:13 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Intellectual output from the Arab World Dan Minette wrote: Semite: 1 a : a member of any of a number of peoples of ancient southwestern Asia including the Akkadians, Phoenicians, Hebrews, and Arabs b : a descendant of these peoples 2 : a member of a modern people speaking a Semitic language So would that make an Anti-semite someone who detonates upon contact with a Semite? Ooh...that might actually work as a definition. :-) --Matt ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
The Multiverse Database
I'd like to invite everyone who likes science fiction to check out my website: www.multiverse-db.com It's a relational database of planets from the many worlds of science fiction. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Sonja van Baardwijk-Holten Sent: Thursday, September 26, 2002 3:44 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Anyone watch Firefly? Deborah Harrell wrote: --- Miller, Jeffrey wrote: snip ymmv, but its nothing more than a show about pretty people being angsty. Throw a cast slightly less attractive into the show with less sexy clothing, cut the oh-so-dangerous lesbian thing (that's there only to attract the panting fan-bois) and you'd have a show that was cancelled after the 2nd season. of course, that's just my opinion. :) scratching head Well, I'm neither lesbian nor of an age to fantasize about 'Spike' or 'Angel,' and I still enjoy the show. Hmmm, I guess I'm too old too apreciate it then. I really don't like the show. As for the main characters why can't they cast normal people. In a lot of those US semi action shows I see anorexic blonds and laddish men hurtling over and through the sets. I mean most series, that at the moment are shown here, are getting to a point where too much girlish and laddish beauty and agillity is getting really very annoying and terribly boring. Although I do like 'charmed' to a certain extend hm do I spot a contradiction somewhere in there? ;o) A well people are free to enjoy anything at their own discretion.:o) Sonja ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
