11/18   UC Berkeley sociology prof reports Florida statistical anomalies
        http://csua.org/u/a0p
        "According to the study, counties with electronic voting machines were
        significantly more likely to show increases in support for Bush
        between 2000 and 2004 compared to counties with paper ballots or
        optical scan equipment. This change cannot be explained by differences
        between counties in income, number of voters, change in voter turnout,
        or size of the Hispanic/Latino population, said Hout."
        Again, I say how THE FUCK did we end up with voting machines without a
        paper trail in the 2004 election?
        \_ How the fuck are you stupid enough to believe in statistics?
           There are competing studies at three other universities, including
           one from MIT and Harvard, all of which refute one another. Before
           you present something as factual try to read up on competing
           papers before you jump to conclusions.
           \_ Interesting, where can I find the competeing papers?
        \_ This is serious. Hout is among the leading quantitative
           social scientists.
        \_ Because HAVA intentionally sucked.
        \_ Hey! I went to Berkeley!
        \_ Hout will die of a mysterious disease soon.
        \_ But the feds and everything is under the republican's control.
           By the time the truth comes out, Bush will be long dead and it
           won't make a difference.
        \_ Hehe, I like how the study is called the _effect_ of the voting
           machines on blahblah. -- ilyas
        \_ The election equipment is purchased by local county election
           boards, all Democrat in these questionable districts.
        \_ You guys do realize that these machines are made in Omaha,
           Nebraska, home of the most red and devout church going
           people? Secondly, there is no system in place that checks
           or audits the machines. There no accountability whatsoever.
           Thirdly, the report coming out from a school known for its ultra
           leftism, will make sure that most of the right wingers will ignore
           this report.
           \_ This comment reminds me of Lakoff's work on metaphors.  It's
              good work and all, but he couldn't resist making some jibes
              at the conservative world view at the end there.  Kind of
              spoiled the whole thing for me, his biases oozing through
              otherwise good work like pus from a boil. -- ilyas
              \_ oh my, you are so smart and we're all eager to know what
                 you think, ol great one ilya.
              \_ thank you! we are all eager to hear the important stuff
                 you have to say, ol great wise ilya s. Share your
                 wisdom and we shall worship you!
              \_ This metaphor (pus from a boil) doesn't work in context.
                 You just said it's otherwise good work. So to be consistent
                 the biases would have to be oozing from something otherwise
                 good, which a boil is clearly not.
                 \_ Eh, you are right.  Meh.  Maybe I can beg off on my
                    poor-russian-immigrant-boy status, or something.  I guess
                    I should have said it was like seeing an otherwise
                    beautiful face with an ugly ass witch mole.  -- ilyas
                    \_ or, it's like seeing an Ayran but only to find out he's
                       just a Russian Joo.    -conservative
                        \_ Hey, I'm a Russian Jew.  -John
                       \_ That sounds pretty damn ironic. - a. morissette