Election Prediction: Forget The Polls, It Comes Down To Common-Sense

Kerry is going to win the 2004 Election, and it may be a landslide. I have been saying this for almost a year, based solely on this common-sense logic:

In 2000, a weak candidate like Gore, was able to win the popular vote (and electoral vote if you look at the recount), when Democrats were apathetic, Nader was a major vote drain, and millions of new voters were not yet registered in the system.

In 2004, the Democrats have a significantly stronger candidate team with Kerry and Edwards. But more importantly, Democrats are more motivated than ever, Nader will likely only take fringe voters this time around, and millions of new Democratic voters have come into the system.

When you pile this common-sense logic onto all of the troubles the current administration has had over the past year and (in recent days) with Iraq, flu, missing weapons, poor economic numbers, and on and on, it just seems clear that the Democratic candidate will handily win this time around.

Everyone is saying it is neck and neck, but the polls this season are essentially irrelevant because pollsters are polling the past. Any statistician will tell you that you need a representative and random sample to predict accurate results. Yet, they are not polling people who have just registered or who have cell phones. Garbage in, garbage out.

So we'll see in just a few days if my reasoning holds up. And if it does it will be a Kerry landslide.

Unity's Holiday Sangria Recipe

It's holiday season again, which means it's party time. To help spread good cheer and make your life easier when it's your turn to play host, I am sharing my personal Sangria Recipe.

Ok, the key is to prepare this recipe at least 12 hours in advance to let the ingredients stew. In the biggest bowl, pan, pot you have mix the following:

3 bottles red wine (any kind will do as long as it is not your best wine and not corked)
3 apples, sliced into bite size chunks
3 oranges, sliced into bite size chunks with the peel left on
1/2 cup of sugar dissolved into the wine (sugar to taste, but don't add too much)
1-2 cups white rum
1 cup of water
A few spoons of grenadine syrup if you have it
2 cups of gingerale (mix this in right before the party begins)
Ice cubes (add a few cubes to each glass when serving)

Tips: stir ingredients well; taste along the way; cover and store in the fridge until ready to serve; Experiment with your own ingredients as you wish.

Right before party-time serve yourself a sangria, crank up a warm fire, dim the lights, put your favorite mix cd on and enjoy!

The Many Faces Of Bush

I thought these images were particularly funny.
Copyright Unity

MAKE THE PIE HIGHER

This is a short poem made up entirely of actual quotations from George W. Bush. These have been arranged, only for aesthetic purposes, by a Washington Post writer.

MAKE THE PIE HIGHER

by George W. Bush

I think we all agree, the past is over.
This is still a dangerous world.
It's a world of madmen and uncertainty and potential mental losses.

Rarely is the question asked
Is our children learning?
Will the highways of the Internet become more few?
How many hands have I shaked?

They misunderestimate me.
I am a pitbull on the pantleg of opportunity.
I know that the human being and the fish can coexist.
Families is where our nation finds hope,
where our wings take dream.

Put food on your family!
Knock down the tollbooth!
Vulcanize society!
Make the pie higher! Make the pie higher!

Sculpture Quiz

Do you know where this sculpture stands? If so, then you know what a treat it is to visit this garden...if you don't, then email me and I will tell you. This is a place worth visiting.


Copyright Unity

My Secret Cheese Crisp Recipe

Ok, ok, you may call them Quesadillas. But I call them cheese crips. They are a tasty snack, easy to make, and everybody loves them.

Ingredients: flour tortilla shells; cheese*; butter.

*Experiment with different types of cheese. I love Jack, Mozzarella, Colby, and Cheddar.

So here's how to make 'em. Melt a pat of butter in a non-stick pan. Toss a shell in and let it soak up the butter on one side. Flip the shell to heat the other side. Flip the shell again and sprinkle a bunch of shredded cheese on top. Fold it in half. Cook on both sides until cheese is melted and outside of shell is golden and crispy.

Get creative with toppings like salsa, sour cream, or guacamole. Or just gobble them up plain.

Enjoy!