Democracy, Polical Transparency, and Instant Runoff Voting

Thanks to Bob Richard and his comment on yesterday's post, which included a reference to Second Choice Voting. The premise is the same as Instant Runoff Voting, which I had heard of before but couldn't remember what to call it. This is really an idea whose time has come. According to Fairvote.org (http://www.fairvote.org/?page=19), McCain and Obama have supported it in the past. I don't see why any American would be opposed to it.

I would welcome any comments or insight as to why Instant Runoff Voting has not become more popular. One possible suggestion is that the established politicians may see it as a threat as they hoard up votes from 3rd-party supporters who are afraid to waste votes and who ultimately support the main party candidate who most resembles their values.

Another concept I discussed with friends the other night is proportionate representation, which allocates political representatives based on the percentage of voters, rather than a winner-take-all mentality. If 5% of people vote for the Burrito Party, then the Burrito Party gets to comprise about 5% of the congressional representation. I believe England has this sort of thing going on. Some would say that proportionate representation dilutes the governing body and makes it harder to achieve results since more than two major opinions need to be considered. It seems to me that proportionate representation would lead to more compromise and sophistication in the process.

There is so much disconnection between what happens in our government and what the will of the people is that people seem fairly desensitized to it. We often appear to have become resigned to the fact that our vote doesn't count, our voice isn't heard, and government is just for the deep-pocketed. If that is the case, then we cease to live in a democracy. We are coming dangerously close to that point. I am heartened by the voter turnout in the current election process.

Nader Supporters

The Green Party set up a way for Nader supporters to indicate their support for Ralph Nader running for prez on the Green Party ticket by posting their names on a website. The names of the near 4,000 signatories appears at http://www.draftnader.org/. By no means scientific, an analysis of the number of signatories by city shows my fair 'burg, Austin, among the top contenders for Nader-phile capital of the USA. Looks like Nader will take the coveted Chico, CA, vote by a landslide.

Enter the Nader

Ralph Nader is taking another stab at the presidency. Here's a rundown of what Nader claims to be in favor of, and which his website (http://www.votenader.org/) further claims that Clinton and Obama are against:

• Single-payer national health insurance
• Cutting military budget
• Pushing solar power over nuclear
• Reversing US middle east policy
• Ending corporate personhood
• Carbon pollution tax
• Repeal anti-union law, Taft-Hartley Act

Taft-Hartley essentially restricts the ability of workers to engage in certain kinds of strikes to flex their bargaining muscle. Wikipedia has a good summary of it (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taft-Hartley_Act). I didn't have the time to read it all, but I can say there are some elements I disagree with and others which probably make sense.

Many of Nader's positions resonate with me and I think he represents the biggest threat to our unsustainable, profit-over-people culture in the US. Some may try to cast him as a pied piper leading us down a golden road to hell or a self-aggrandizer seeking personal acclaim. I have no idea how to respond to that. Perhaps when I can quit my job and blog professionally I'll have time to write about those notions. For now, I'll just take him at his word and say that he's a guy who means well and likes the limelight at least a little bit. I make the same assumptions for any politician.

The first question that arises for those who align with his thinking is clear:

Does a vote for Nader reduce the chances for a victory by Clinton or Obama in the presidential race?

For me, the answer to the first question is yes. There is no way Nader will win. Most people are too busy to educate themselves fully on Nader's positions so will avoid him or are too scared to risk shaking up the status quo to vote for him - or both. So he will not win.

However, many progressives vote Democrat for lack of a better choice. They long for someone with Nader's outlook. With Nader's entry, the Democrat candidate will lose votes to Nader. Presumedly no Republican would vote for Nader since his stances on the issues are fairly unconventional. So his candidacy has no effect on McCain. This blog breaks it down well with some nice comments from readers:
http://blogs.theroot.com/blogs/downfromthetower/archive/2008/02/25/nader-response.aspx

If he's guaranteed to lose, is it still pointless to cast your vote for Nader? Could it be considered making a statement? Will that make the "powers that be" sit up and take notice? If so, is that more important than actually electing someone who, at least somewhat, resembles your values? Is the system so messed up that there is essentially no difference between a republican and a democrat, necessitating a vote for Nader even if he'll lose?

I hate long blog posts, so I'll just answer breifly.

Liberal thinkers: Voting for Nader might make a statement, but it won't change anything meaningfully. Change takes time. Vote for the Democrat and hope for a slow evolution toward more progressive values. Even if elected, Nader's power to change things would be limited. Our system is set up for gradual change, right or wrong. And yes, there is a difference between McCain and the major Democrat candidates.

Conservative thinkers: Vote McCain, promote Nader in secret, and put up roadblocks to Second Choice Voting (see below).

One thing may hold the answer: Second Choice Voting. Instead of casting a vote for one person, cast a vote for your favorite, then name a second person, in case your top choice doesn't make the cut. Here's where to learn more: http://www.genarts.com/karl/second-choice-voting.html

Book Covers

I have often found myself fascinated by book cover design. COVERS is a website devoted to the art of book cover design. If features what should be my next book to read, Supercapitalism by Robert Reich. Enjoy: http://covers.fwis.com/

Vegetables Iz Yummee

I've been eating vegetarian lately. I find that my body digests plants much better than meat. Even dairy is something I'm trying to stay away from. I think it's working well for me. I'm noticing less bloating, less, um, stagnation in the bowel region, and more energy. Not that I won't ever eat meat again, but I think it has health benefits.

In the past, the idea of going vegetarian would have scared me because it seemed like deprivation, but there are lots of choices available. In fact, going vegetarian (not that would call myself that - yet) has led me to explore more foods (like Indian) which I hadn't explored much before. Listening to the podcast of Compassionate Cooks has influenced me a lot in this area.

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The Paradox of Choice

I recently read a book called "The Paradox of Choice." It's about how the glut of choices we have available to us in the United States is actually decreasing our overall happiness. I was in Whole Foods last night, which is one of my favorite places to be in the world, and I marveled at the number of cheeses on offer. There are hundreds, I'd say, of options. Hard, soft, French, Austrailian, smelly, white, yellow, etc. One could spend all day deciding. Yet that is precisely the problem. We are losing life satisfaction over these choices. How?

• We lose precious time making these decisions.
• Because of the large amount of time it takes to make a decision, we have a greater stake in making sure it's a good one. When it turns out bad, we hate ourselves even more.
• We suffer the illusion of perfection: with all of these choices, the perfect one MUST be out there. When it eludes us, our expectations of perfection are shattered, leaving us disppointed.

Those are the reasons I can remember, anyway. One I'd add is that focusing on these product choices makes us farther apart from our loved ones - if we place so much importance on our purchases, we cannot devote the time on relationships.

Of course, SOME choice is good. One who has no choices is unhappy for obvious reasons. One who has a few choices is happy and is not plagued by the threats listed above. However, there is a diminishing marginal return on each additional choice. Eventually, the detriments of added choices overtake the additional satisfaction you might have received. You descend into choice hell. The graph below illustrates beautifully.


That's the post for the moment. Adieu.

Cuba: One Perspective

Scenes from Cuba, and one man's commentary: http://mahalanobis.twoday.net/stories/4731876/

 

Cash/Vending Machine

Read this link for the case of the vending machine that spit out $20 bills.  The question I have after reading this article is who puts bills so large into a vending machine that the vending machine has a slot just for $20 bills to be returned as change?  I never saw a vending machine that took $50s.  If you're carrying a $50, I say treat yourself to a nice meal.

 

http://www.lawroom.com/Story.asp?P=B&STID=1783

 

Sexism in the Press

This article, from a website with a strikingly similar name to this blog, discusses treatment of female presidential candidates in the media.  Conclusion - women's clothing and emotions receive more play than their male counterparts. 

 

http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/3539/cutting_women_out/

 

 

US Government Scaling Back Nuclear Weapons

According to the National Nuclear Security Administration's website, the agency is streamlining its office complex to more efficiently dismantle existing nuclear weapons.  Apparently President Bush has a vision of the "smallest stockpile consistent with our national security needs."  At least we're trying to scale back, if not cut them out altogether.  Link at: http://www.nnsa.doe.gov/complextransformation.htm

 

Got me thinking - what would it take for us to NOT need nuclear weapons?  There are some, I'm sure, who'd say we already don't need them and never needed them.  Some would say we need more.  Do we need more military arms, service men and women, etc.?  If I had the time to research it, I'd tell you that John McCain thinks we do and that Obama and Clinton think we don't, but I am not sure. 

 

 

 

 

Mind Over Matter

Some say larger folks are less healthy.  It appears that body image, rather than actual body shape, may be more significant in determining your health.  Read this excerpt from a slate.com article:

 

A second study, published in the American Journal of Public Health on Jan. 30, looked at the relationship between body image and health. The authors compared people of similar age, gender, education level, and rates of diabetes and hypertension, and examined how often they reported feeling under the weather over a 30-day period. It turned out that body image had a much bigger impact on their health than body size. In other words, two equally obese women would have very different health outcomes, depending on how they felt about their bodies. Likewise, two women with similar insecurities would have more similar health outcomes, even if one were fat and the other thin.

 

In other news, I read a terrific article in Utne magazine recently about the unfair stigmas placed on larger people.  Excellent piece. 

How Many Spaces Between Your Sentences?

Some say one, some say two. Should you care? I have been trained to use two (as you can tell from this posting). I used one when I worked at a newspaper, but that was to save space. Based on my research, it sounds like using two spaces is considered outmoded and based on typewriter functionality, not today's computing reality.

http://www.westminster.edu/staff/nak/courses/spaces.htm
http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/typespacing/a/onetwospaces.htm
http://nayyeri.net/blog/double-spaces-between-sentences/

New Blog Name and Address

blog used to be called "pattyandmike's blog"
blog address was "pattyandmikelyons"

Patty's name is not "Patty Lyons" so the old address didn't make sense. (There I go counting my eggs before they hatch.) The name change is due to the fact that I - Mike - make all of the postings, so it's not fair to represent the blog as ours since I don't consult Patty before posting. Of course, she is free to post any time.

The new name - it's all about living in the present, baby! No old thinking. Just fresh thoughts and news about our life.

Peace

- mike

Mattress

If you're going to buy a mattress from Ikea, make sure you have the proper side facing up.

 

We bought such a mattress a few weeks ago and observed that while we wanted a firm mattress and remember that model being rather firm, our mattress seemed unusually so.  Being the tough people we are, we slept through it.  I noticed this weekend that the mattress has been upside down this whole time.  See, the mattress has two layers - one, a thick firm foam forming the base of the mattress and another, a thinner, more cushioned top layer.  We were sleeping on the hard base side.  Imagine reposing on a carpeted living room floor and you'll get an idea of the sensation.

Ideas That Could Save Mankind Tons of Time and Resources

Consider the rationality of these activities:

 

• The making of fine-fabric clothing (businesswear-type stuff)
• Ironing your clothes each morning
• Commuting to work more than 15 minutes
• Putting on cosmetics, thinking about cosmetic purchases, and doing the work to earn the money to pay for cosmetics
• Wearing neckties
• Wearing skirts in cold weather
• Wearing skirts at all
• Shaving if your facial/leg har doesn't bother you (e.g., because your office requires it)
• Objects, resembling testicles, for hanging from your truck's trailer hitch
• Calling anyone "sir" or "ma'am"
• Pink for girls and blue for boys

What would happen if these things were not done?  What do you think about when you consider that idea? 

 

That's all.  Just asking us all to consider these things.

 

- Mike

Marital Bliss

So this blog hasn't taken on any consistent theme, but it has evolved from topic to topic.  We seem to have moved off of economics and justice to marriage.  And why not - Patty and I recently wedded.  My best friend Aaron did so recently, as have several of his friends.  Still more in our network are planning future weddings, children, etc.  As I have aged, I begin to place more importance on family and such. 

 

So, here's another article on marriage: http://www.healthleader.uthouston.edu/archive/MIND_BODY_SOUL/2008/7marriagemyths-0213.htm  I get a lot of great content from the University of Texas' institutions' websites.  Working for UT has been nice that way.

 

Peace

 

- Mike

Who Do You (Really) Love

Think you know which presidential candidate makes you feel all warm inside?  Might there be some subconscious feelings of negativity toward a candidate?  The website link below seeks to use word association technology to determine how truly feel about the major candidates.

 

The instructions are a bit complicated, so I will try to explain a bit - the program will take you through 14 blocks of exercises.  Each block will focus on a particular candidate.  When you are in the Barack block, you a series of pictures of candidates and you'll hit the "yes" button if Barack's face comes up OR if a positive word (e.g., "love," "pleasant," "friend") appears on the screen.  Different faces will be coming up, pictures of Barack and other candidates from various angles.  Various positive and negative words will appear to throw you off.  At the end, the program will tell you which candidates you have the strongest association with.  If you want to know my test results, e-mail me after you've taken it and I'll let you know! 

 

http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/banaji_greenwald08/presidential_candidates.html

Toxins in tha Bodi

I found this link interesting - it has to do with proper digestion and eating habits. 

 

http://www.mapi.com/en/newsletters/toxin_detoxification.html
 

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Marriage: It Makes Me Sick

Okay, the title of this post does not reflect MY opinion of marriage, but for some whose marriage is not a happy one, it could be more appropriate.  Read on this article on how marriage affects our health: http://www.utexas.edu/features/2008/marriage/

 

PS - I love you, honey!

 

- Mike

Craig David is the Smoothest

Okay, so I don't listen to much R+B, but this guy just strikes a chord with me.  Fast jams, slow jams - he rocks it all.  Dude's from England, too.  Whack.  Check him out - http://www.craigdavid.com/

Sweet Tooth

I think I am losing my sweet tooth.  I sucked on a peppermint for a bit today and couldn't finish it - the sweetness got to me.  Now, this was after eating a handful of cereal and a few fig bars, but nonetheless - I've never been unable to not finish a peppermint.  I did eat almost a whole chocolate cake at our guesthaus in Fredericksburg and the whole darn cinnamon roll, but it's my honeymoon for cryin' out loud. 

 

- Mike

Hitting them Young

This article from the University of Texas at Austin website (http://www.utexas.edu/features/2008/stereotypes/) shows how kids are affected by stereotypes at an early age.  Discriminatory thought patterns crop up very early, it would seem.  Questions for thought:

 

- What is it about these kids' behavior is rational in today's world?  Is any of it rational?

- What might have made more sense in the earlier times of humankind? 

- How can we break any non-rational behavior down and move toward a society of equals?

- Should activists use their votes to elect someone in a minority group in hopes that it will lead to breaking down of stereotypes instead of focusing on issues?

Cat