Prolific Programmer on the Internets!

I don't hide my politics on this blog. In my opinion, the Republicans incessantly whinge about government incompetence when standing for election. Having achieved power, they proceed to prove themselves right. The Democrats are only marginally better. So, when people like Andrew Feinberg go on incessently about how Congress has an impact on our industry without convincing me. But, he has convinced Robert. Indeed, Robert is now gushing about what Andrew arranged for him. Now, here's my view and I can be, nay have been, criticised for it, but here it is: government actions impact an industry with the provision that you can't move. As an generation-0 immigrant myself, with a perfectly decent place to call home, I don't accept it. See, I'm part of the generation E, the world is my playground, and therefore no one country's government has any detrimental impact on me. I will grant you that the US government has a bigger impact than most (I mean who gives a rat's posterior if Zimbabwe bans the BBC vis a vis the US wanting to bomb al-Jazeera). You need to expand your purview and remove your arbitrary restriction and you'll realise that government actions don't matter half as much as the government says they do.

Lifehacker (which seems to have fixed its previous issues) tells us how to find a farmers market. I did pick up two melons from the Ferry Building for a barbee yesterday for about 7 dollars. It seems the US Department of Agriculture has a list of them, which I doubt is comprehensive or up to date.

Watching the debate last night, I get the impression that Mrs Clinton's tactics are to accuse Mr. Obama of lacking the necessary experience to be president. Here's how he should answer that, in my opinion. Hillary, you voted for a war that killed over 4000 Americans. Why do we want more of that experience in the White House? I'd love to hear her answer to that.

Ok, so he doesn't have the same panache as George Galloway or Ken Livingstone, but it's a good start for the Yanks to get a more eloquent leader.

The Guardian reports that the United States has gone completely batty and wants to sanction armed air marshalls on board every flight that crosses US airspace. In order to fight terror, I don't accept that we should enable terrorism to take place by letting people have automatic weapons on board.

John Robb, the Global Guerillas guy, posts on his personal blog today:

Montana governor Brian Schweitzer (D) declared independence Friday from federal identification rules and called on governors of 17 other states to join him in forcing a showdown with the federal government which says it will not accept the driver's licenses of rebel states' citizens starting May 11.

...But Homeland Security spokeswoman Laura Keehner says DHS has no intention of blinking. "That will mean real consequences for their citizens starting in may if their leadership chooses not to comply," Keehner said. "That includes getting on an airplane or entering a federal building, so they will need to get passports."

So, for those people who need to defeat a coming national ID, do so through cooperation at the implementation level.

Scary, innit?

Check out this gem from Daily Kos:

From a regional perspective, and specifically this region that currently holds the hopes of so many Democrats, the swing voter is king. Republicans hold about a 12 point registration advantage across the region. Obviously, Republicans don't have a lock on every office in each of the eight states, so some of those Republicans, as well as the swelling ranks of the unaffiliated, are splitting their tickets.

National polls and pundits have turned their eyes to the West as the Democrats' big chance to win nationally. However, the reality is that a Democrat doesn't win in many parts of the region unless they can appeal to the always elusive independent or unaffiliated voter, not to mention some Republicans.

This isn't a new phenomenon for Democrats in the West--it's why you rarely find a Western Dem who is an enthusiastic supporter of gun control, for example. Finding avenues of nonpartisan, and even anti-partisan, appeal have been critical to the survival of the Western Democrat in the lean years since Ronald Reagan helped solidify the region as solidly red, as has keeping the national party at arm's length. The key for the Democratic Party in shaping a strategy for the 2008 elections will be allowing Democrats running in the region to run with a high degree of independence from the national party's message and structure. The key for national Democrats running in the West will be to find those issues that can be branded as Democratic and that uphold our progressive values.

No... the key to winning elections is a realisation that turnout was 64% in 2004. Mr. Kerry had 48% of this and Mr Bush had 51%. In other words, assuming everyone wanted to vote, Bush won with 32.6% of the vote. Kerry lost with 30.7%. If the Democrats had gotten another 25% of those to turnout and vote for the democratic candidate, we would be talking about President Kerry. The problem seems to be that the party has decided to play with only that 65% who turned out to vote, when what they should be doing is giving the 35% that didn't vote last time a reason to vote. Elections are not won by winning the independents. They are won by bringing new people into the system until turnout is saturated.

Vote Smart lists a primary calendar for America. Do vote, we need you lot to get sane leadership in Washington.

Ohio Congressperson and Presidential Candidate Dennis Kucinich has won a recount of the New Hampshire primary:

At the request of U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich and another minor candidate who got only 44 votes, New Hampshire officials will conduct a hand recount of the Democratic and Republican presidential primaries.

In a letter to Secretary of State William Gardner, Kucinich claimed there were "serious and credible reports, allegations and rumors" about the integrity of the primary results.

The top vote-getters in Tuesday's primary were Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, with 39 percent, and Republican Sen. John McCain, of Arizona, with 37 percent.

See, John Kerry, this is backbone. If you had it, Abu Ghraib could have been avoided.