Remember the "Busy Work" Column?

Remember how I complained that web-homework systems don't work for shit?

Remember how addition is commutative?

Not in OWL it ain't.

Presidential Pup.

Boston Globe columnist Sam Allis weighed in on the example Barack Obama set by promising his kids a dog in his acceptance speech.

A few days ago, so did Bill Kristol

In our own Collegian poll, the Wheaton Terrier, my personal pick, is kicking ass. Though for the record I prefer dogs from shelters, because I've always liked underdogs, from Ralph Nader to, well, Underdog.

The Obamas might also consider a cat.

S.P.

Well Look at That

Well, United States of America. I must say you've surpassed my expectations. I expected John McCain to win this election by theft if not by vote. As a matter of fact, Barack Obama won with 52% of the popular vote to McCain's 46% and a landslide in the Electoral College.

So congratulations, United States of America. You managed to turn off the TV, suppress your near-terminal oil addiction, look past religious demagoguery, and show a bit of courage in the face of a challenge to vote in a decent man for President. You earned that victory speech he gave you, too.

Now, however, comes the hard bit. You've elected a leader who ran from day 1 on a platform of hope and change, but Obama spoke absolute truth when he said that change does not come from above, from the federal government to the people. The federal government can do great things for this country, but only if you, the people, allow it to. Now that we have the leader for change, let us see if the people actually can change.

You voted in Barack Obama. Now we must see if you will earn Barack Obama.

Of course, this all assumes nobody assassinates him.

...Or not

This is a place for opinion and bias. If you don't want that, go to the news blog.

Without further ado:
Obama Wins. Suck it long and suck it hard.

McCain Wins!

It's 7:35 and I'm officially declaring senator John McCain as the next president of the United States.

He currently holds an 8-3 lead over senator Barack Obama, a lead that, according to this guy I know, has never been surmounted.

With a mere 270 votes to go for McCain, it's only a matter of time until he is named the winner.

This in depth analysis is based off of the yahoo.com headline "The results are in" and the fact that in the two pictures next to the headlines, McCain is smiling slightly more. You can't argue with facts.

I mean, in hockey terms, this thing's over. No one comes back from five down, it doesn't happen. And McCains the damn Maverick. He doesn't let the snake from his grasp once he's got it by the...snake... or something like that.

To vote or not to vote

The electronic voting booth screen in my precinct has a button you can press at the bottom left hand corner - it says (roughly) "abstain from voting."

Should someone even bother schlepping over to the voting station if they're just going to exercise there right not to vote? Or is it a strong statement? Now there's a record of people who came to vote just to say they're not endorsing any candidate.

-Melissa

No, this is.

Whenever there's a big protest on campus, in a big city, or on the Mall in DC, the crowd inevitably gets to chanting:

[CALL]: "Show me what democracy looks like!"

[RESPONSE]: "This is what democracy looks like!"

Catchy, but inaccurate. Democracy doesn't look like an organized crowd or an angry mob. It looks like a diverse group of individuals dragging themselves to public places to cast their ballots. 

I voted today at the North Fire Station, just above Sylvan. The views to the east and west are half decent, from the hilltop. I thought about the 3,000 mile stretch of land we inhabit, and the millions of everyday people getting out on their own two feet to make what might be the most important decision.

Voting is a powerful thing, and election day is a day to be proud of,  if only quietly so.

It's 2:22 PM, and that's my opinion.

JM

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Looks like Obama's going to win and its a good thing...Peggy Joseph certainly needs him.




Good thing Barack's gonna take it, otherwise we'd have to pay for our gas and mortgage, but now we can quit our jobs! It'd be funny if I didn't have reason to believe that a very large portion of Obama supporters harbor views equally as irrational as Peggy's. Same goes for McCain supporters.

Thus is our democracy.

Voting Schmoting

In part to respond to the post below, and in part because I want hate mail, I'd like to talk about how irrational voting tomorrow actually is.

I live in a suburb ten minutes north of Boston. Today after class I drove two hours all the way home (disregarding the precious time I would have had to write my column for the Collegian this week, finish up homework due, et cetera) because I was a slacker and forgot to get an absentee ballot. So, tomorrow (voting day) I have to get up at 6:30 am, vote, leave for another two hour ride back to school and make it in time for my first class. I'll be exhausted, unprepared, and grouchy.

So, just minutes ago I'm surfing around online and come across this video of economist Gordon Tullock telling me an argument that I've heard before, but didn't need to hear at this particular point in time (being so preemptively sleepy and grouchy as I am over going through all this trouble to vote).

Watch this. He's saying voting is irrational because the chances your voting is going to make any difference in the election is less likely than winning the mega-millions lottery.

People say that claiming "my vote doesn't count" is a cop out. People say that if i don't vote I have no right to say anything about the election or the issues. Truth is, I've done more by provoking the interest of my friends and family (through conversations and intellectual intercourse), and strangers I'll never meet (through my columns at the Collegian) about real issues than I ever could through voting. I've done more to rightfully claim my thoughtfulness and regard for important national and international issues by my own independent study and my devotion to the classes of my PoliSci major than voting ever could do me.

So to the vote or die crowd, I say "Relax, I voted." But tomorrow morning when I'm unprepared for class, poorer from the gas money I wasted, tired from the sleep I lost, and grouchy because of the rush I was in to get to class from two hours away...I'll sure wish I didn't. And I probably shouldn't have.

listen to p.diddy.

okay, so maybe vote or die is a little extreme.
but, the heart of the matter still beats strong.
tomorrow is the cause to a four years effect.
as american citizens, you have an option to be part of the butterfly effect.

i understand the voting process can be a little confusing or disagreeable to some.
it takes time out of your day. it takes effort to figure out what precinct you need to show up at. it takes time to decide who/what you want to vote for. all and all, it seems to be a good deal of time and effort. i know your time is precious, one day is minuscule compared to the four years of reflected result.

here's a time saver:

find out where you vote (if you're registered) here.
find out what the ballot questions are, what they mean, and what they'll do here.

making choices makes us part of a whole.
making choices that directly effect america, as a whole, makes us americans.
this is a democracy. if we refuse to act as a one of the many dominoes that fall in place landing on our future leader and changes to law, we will still will feel the earthquake of that fall.

why not be part of the cause if the effect is an imminent part of your life?

the excuse that "voting doesn't really make a difference" is a cop out.

be part of your america tomorrow.
exercise your rights.

vote.

-leigh greaney