Goodbye Rummy.

"Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know. And if one looks throughout the history of our country and other free countries, it is the latter category that tend to be the difficult ones."

- Donald Rumsfeld, Pentagon press conference, 12.2.02

If the 1994 mid-term election represented the start of the right-wing chill in the US, we can only hope that the 2006 election represents its end. The Democrats have taken control of the House of Reps. Maybe, just maybe, they may yet grab control of the Senate.

Bush 43's response at a Wednesday afternoon presser will be interesting. Is Rumsfeld's sword ready to be fallen upon?

Special mention to the squirrel in Oklahoma that ate through some cables and blacked out polling booths for a couple of hours. Honourable mention also to those thousands of fine, upstanding, computer-illiterate volunteers who muddled through manning the booths in the World's Greatest Democracy.

"Dear Mr Bono, Jeanette and I would be delighted to meet your good self and Cher on your next visit to Sydney." - the joke I didn't get to use after all.

There are, however, reports that Little Johnny said, after being told that his U2ness would be at Telstra Stadium this Saturday night, "I didn't know there was a footy game at Telstra Stadium this Saturday. Who's playing?"

"And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;

They will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."

- Mark 16:17-18 (NIV), quote attributed to Jesus following His resurrection

A 48 year-old woman died on Sunday after being bitten by a timber rattlesnake during a church service in London, Kentucky. Despite reptile-handling in churches being illegal in Kentucky, this is the seventh such liturgial fatality in that state since 1980.

Never mind the politics in the States. Staggering news from Newcastle this morning as the NSW Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Member for Swansea, Milton Orkopoulos, has been arrested by a police task force on about thirty sex and drug-related charges, some related to minors.

I wish we could have this standard of coverage in, for example, Nicaragua, the DRC or Tajikstan.

Anyway, for blog coverage of the US election count, my starting point today is the Daily Kos.

I'll add my own observations here from time to time.

Seattle residents are voting today on, among other things, "City of Seattle Referendum No.1: Adult Entertainment". It aims to define regulatory standards for the city's strip clubs.

There's stringent lighting standards, elevation standards for railings around stages, and, biggest shock horror, lap dancers will not be allowed within four feet of the patrons. (One wonders how the legislators arrived at that dimension.)

The Seattle Times and the Washington Post take up the story. The complete (and at times explicit) text of the ordinance being put forward at today's election is here.

The United States of America has more than a century and a half of experience in meddling in the sovereignty of foreign nations, and with that in mind I'm going to make some endorsements in Tuesday's US congressional and gubernatorial elections.

My short answer is to vote Democrat in both houses and remove Republican control of congress. That way, the gang at White House Halliburton will have to work harder at bypassing the US Constitution for their own corporate ends.

An even shorter answer: In the state Governors races, vote for candidates from the Green Party of the United States.

I certainly have no sympathy for Saddam Hussein. But he should not be executed for his crimes. No more and no less than any other human being.

Why, in any case, should anyone's monumental lack of respect for human life be even partly condoned through the state-organised termination of his?

One can only hope that further charges of crimes against humanity continue to be heard against Hussein, especially with regard to the chemical weapon attack on Kurds in 1988.

Liberals pass motion for Qld crocodile cull - The Queensland Liberals have called for crocodiles to be culled because people are being eaten. [ABC Environment]

The choice quote comes from convention delegate Brett Blade, who is reported as saying:

"You can't allow crocodiles to come into the main street of Cairns and eat people - and that is exactly what's happening"

Au contraire Brett, I think they should close one lane of the Cairns main street to traffic for the exclusive use of crocodiles.