Election Day in Madison

I've heard all over that lines at the voting locations weren't bad. I voted at 8:30am and the line was only 20 minutes long. For the post part it was very quiet (probably because everyone had just woke up) except for an intense discussion about the separation of Church and State prompted by the fact that our voting location was a Catholic Elementary School and they were selling cookies.

Supporters from both parties are out and about, and both were having difficulty keeping their signs upright with the occasional gusts of wind on an otherwise beautiful day.

If you haven't voted and don't know where, Google Can Help.

Added 2:00pm: My friend Kennis posted a photo of an Obama ad projected on the side of Memorial Library last night.

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The Two Tickets

I've been purposefully avoiding talking about national politics on this little website of mine to avoid being like everyone else with a blog, but there is something I need to throw out there.

Let's talk about the formal education of the two tickets up for presidency.

Now, let me disclaim, I firmly believe grades, test scores, and degrees play a relatively insignificant part in the measure of one's intelligence and ability to contribute to society. I think one's experiences, leadership, and initiative are a significantly better gauge, but aren't used as often because they're hard to quantify. I think it's perfectly possible, and almost easier to respect somebody who has 'worked their way up the ladder' than simply exclaim 'I got good grades in college'... which can often be arbitrary depending on the year, professor, and other classmates.

But this contrast is difficult to ignore:
Barack Obama: BA in Political Science from Columbia, and JD in Law from Harvard (magna cum laude)
Joe Biden: BA in Political Science and History from University of Delaware, and JD in Law from Syracuse University College of Law

John McCain: Graduated in the bottom 1% of his class at the United States Naval Academy
Sarah Palin: BA in journalism from the University of Idaho with a minor in Political Science.

I mean, come on.

And what is everyone's fascination about finding 'somebody just like us' and the fear of 'elitism'? I would prefer somebody significantly smarter than me, thanks.

listed in: McCain, Obama, politics | Comments (1)

Choose Wisely

Found on the 4th floor of Vilas Hall.

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Hillary Clinton in Madison

I just got back from Hillary Clinton's speech over at the Monona Convention Center. It was definitely different than Obama's rally.

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Barack Obama in Madison

Senator Obama came to speak at the Kohl Center in Madison today. The doors opened at 6pm, but he wasn't scheduled to speak until 8:15. I got there at 7:40, not really caring if I got good seats. (I wasn't going to sit there doing nothing for two hours... they wouldn't let people bring in backpacks)

However, as I approached the Kohl Center, there was somewhat of an angry crowd outside. Per Mar, the special events security on campus locked the doors saying the Kohl Center was full and walked away, refusing to answer questions (Can we sit on the side? In the back? Is it really full, or will you let more people in once the crowd settles?)

As I started to leave, I saw a door open up at the attached Nicholas Pavilion, and it was announced they setup large projection screens with a closed-circuit feed of the Kohl Center.

listed in: Madison, Obama, politics | Comments (3)

Voting Informed

Start by turning off the TV. The speeches are carefully calculated in every state just to make everyone happy, and the debates are a joke. Thinking of going to a political debate by the student organizations on campus? Just grab the pizza and leave before the politically uninformed start shouting at each other.

So what do you do? I'll start with this statement: Actions and money speak louder than words.

listed in: politics | ∞

Mad Art VII

War protest? Random work of Art? Semester-end Project?

On the North side of the Humanities Building. (thx Kennis)

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Mad Art VI

More spray paintings in the area:

Outside my Apartment

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Mad Art V

About every week, this falling woman appears spray painted in the entrance way to Starbucks on State Street. Every week, Starbucks paints it over. It's back again:

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Mad Art IV

All around Library Mall

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County Board Election and ASM Referendums

Ugh. Living Wage Referenda passed but the Wisconsin Union one didn't. Thanks guys. Now the guys scooping ice cream will get $10.28/hour, but the handicapped still won't be able to fully navigate the unions. It also appears as if Ashok Kumar won County Board District 5 by breaking University Housing policy multiple times to distribute his flyers all over our rooms and by harassing us when we're trying to do homework.

listed in: Madison, politics | ∞

Mad Art III

More politically oriented art around campus:

On the side of Humanities facing State Street.

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Mad Art II

A follow up to a previous post.

The following were found between Sterling Hall and Van Vleck.

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Google and Censorship

I read a frustrating opinion piece in the Badger Herald today condemning the Google Censorship of Google.cn in China. He said that all Google cares about is money and their shareholders, and don't care about the Chinese citizens who won't get full search results.

But here's the thing--- without Google censoring their own results, the Chinese government did it for them. The Google search engine became slow and unreliable due to the filters, and at times users were even being redirected to other government-run search engines. At this time, Google -- by far -- provides the best search results. Providing a fast, accurate search engine at http://www.google.cn, with just a few politically sensitive keywords censored, give users in China the ability to find more than they ever had before. Google is also up front about the censoring, and alerts users when their filters are censored. And the final thing is, the original uncensored-by-google http://www.google.com/ig?hl=zh-CN search is still available.

I think it's better to have a fast, accurate, powerful search engine professionally censored by Google than to have an unreliable, poor searching, hack job of censorship search engine. If Google doesn't censor, the government will.

Google explains these same things in their weblog.

listed in: Google, internet, politics | ∞

Mad Art I

A series of various artwork and spray paintings around campus.

A geek-oriented political statement outside of Selery Hall.

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Some Entertainment

A couple funny things around campus lately:

listed in: humor, Madison, politics | ∞

This man kicked a dog

You don't tell madison students they are going to hell, then kick a dog.

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Semester One Hightlights

I love madison! I had so much fun my first semester. Highlights include:

Nader came to Madison. He actually gave a really good speech. Yeah, I know Kerry came too but I missed both his rallies.

listed in: art, life, Madison, politics, school, sports | ∞