Slavishly Giving My Vote to the Highest Bidder
Levi finished swimming lessons today. Thanks to the glory of the 9/80 work schedule I was able to attend his last lesson and watched him get thrown in with all his clothes on, swim across the width of the pool, jump off the diving board, and with some help swim to bottom of the shallow end and grab some rings. I am very proud, very proud indeed. Too bad when I take him to the pool he just wants to relax.
As you can tell blogging is still going badly, or rather, not going at all. I thought I’d be able to muster up some energy for it and get it going over the long weekend but I can’t seem to get in the swing. And that’s sad because I’ve read some great things lately that I’ve personally found very compelling. One was a new book titled Americanism: The Fourth Great Western Religion which I appropriately read over the holiday. A very nice book. I’d encourage you not to be turned off from the title as it has nothing to do with christian reconstructionism or dominionism, but it does make a convincing and direct connection between our liberal ideals–liberty, equality, democracy–and the convictions of the US’s earliest Puritan settlers. For me, I think reading this book will mark the beginning of the end of ridding my mind of the utterly destructive cynicism that has plagued me for so long. I’d really like to hammer out a full review but that probably won’t happen, however it would be very cool if some friends read it so we could chat about it. Huh, huh, I know you want to. Anyway, a few of our great states fine representatives could definitely be challenged by the author’s eloquent presentation of what he calls American chivalry.
Oh yeah, computers should draw congressional districts and every smug modern liberal should get a tongue lashing from a beautiful refugee of the Muslim world. Good day.
July 20th, 2007 at 8:20 pm
I might give the book a shot, if I can find / buy an audio version. Interesting reviews on Amazon…
July 20th, 2007 at 11:28 pm
I just can’t get the being thrown in the pool. Seems a little cruel.
July 21st, 2007 at 10:30 am
shouldn’t district lines be drawn along cultural lines, as well as strictly by population? how can a representative represent their district’s wishes if they are culturally divided simply because two people that can’t see eye to eye happen to live across the street from each other? they point out california’s district 46, which on the surface looks horrible…until you actually drive through those areas and realize that palos verdes, south bay beaches, and orange county are all a pretty similar demographic. this gives also give unique representation to the poorer lax and inland long beach area.
i do agree that many of those prime examples they point out can’t be “fair,” but then again, i moreso think that congress as a whole should be abolished. :-)
i just don’t understand why it’s a political scientist’s dream to have every vote be a 60/40 win…allowing the nation to be run by the whims of the swing voters.
July 22nd, 2007 at 8:12 am
i should have linked “swing voters” to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJuNgBkloFE