If'n You Didn't Know By Now

3 Losers and 1 Winner On November 8th

There's not much left to say in this presidential election.  A neglected tidbit for each candidate:

* When objective historians look back on 2016, I predict the thing that'll amaze will be the degree to which ever-so-slight sexism went undetected.  We've gotten used to dog whistles used to egg on racism, but perhaps because a female presidential candidate is so new to us. words like "secretary" have become popular, with its potential whip-saw of the 'secret' contained therein (a secretary of State being unavoidably secretive in order to keep the nation's secrets safe; and the error of secrecy when being a transparently public figure is expected).  Another such word is "e-mail" with its potential reference to the male sex (or the absence of the 'f' of 'female).  Thus, the anti-Clinton forces constantly refer to "secret e-mails".  And this, when the top secret "classified" material at issue could, at the time, be found in the public realm (essentially, news reports of our use of drones).  This sort of thing will be seen as harassment, in minor irritant form.  The fact that Hillary can be calculating and awkward in public is a direct reflection of the immense amount of unwarranted bile secreted in an effort to smear her.

* Another thing that historians will notice, in hindsight, is the degree to which Donald Trump's star fell.  I can remember the fascination with which his speech patterns, hand gestures and disarming frankness were met, despite the content of his speeches, in the first few months of his campaign.  Then gradually, the crazy uncle's fun became stunningly and decidedly gauche.  By the end of the campaign, the inherent sexism in his bossiness couldn't be ignored, and most reporting reflected this.

* Gary Johnson's hair.  I'm surprised I didn't hear or read about how off-kilter his hair usually was.  Of course, so was Bernie's.  But Senator Sanders' expression didn't reinforce thoughts of imbalance.

* Jill Stein's absence.  I don't believe I ever saw the Green Party candidate being interviewed on national TV.

Quiz: How Long Will You Live?

To A Longer Life

                                                                                                                Me
*** Start With Average Life-Expectancy
Female:   81       Male:   76                                                                      76


*** Definite Additions and Subtractions:

Cigarette Smoking, light (irregular, 4 or fewer years) = -1 year              75 (college years)
       "            "          heavy (regular, 5+ years) = -3 years

Alcohol Consumption, light (irregular) = +2 years                                  
       "             "              medium (regular) = +1 year
       "             "              heavy (uncontrolled) = -4 years

Caffeine (tea, coffee, chocolate), light (irregular) = +1 year                    
       "                                            medium (regular) = +2 years                 77
       "                                            heavy (obsessive**) = 0 years

Diet of few fruits and veggies = -4 years
  "    of only some fruits and veggies = -1 year
  "    of mainly fruits and veggies = +4 years                                             81
        extras:
  "    heavy on the carbs = extra -1 year                                        
  "    95%+ organic = extra +1 year                                                            82
  "    vegetarian = extra +2 years
  "    vegan, first 1-3 years = extra +1 year
  "    vegan for 4+ years*** = extra -4 years

Worklife (sitting, except for breaks) = -2 years
       "      (moving on feet, repetitive) = -1 years
       "      (moving, non-repetitive) =  +5 years                                            87


*** Subjective Additions and Subtractions (pick a number)

Social Life, meager (always wanting a companion) = -3, -4, -5 years
        "        , limited (rarely wanting companion) = +2, +3, +4 years          90
        "        , robust (engaged with companions) = +2, +3, +4 years
        "        , overwhelmed (can't get away) = -3, -4, -5 years

Movement, Spare Time (couch potato) = -3, -4, -5 years
        "                             (light movement & rest) = -1, 0, +1 years             90
        "                             (vigorous move. & rest) = +3, +4, +5 years        

Sleep, interrupted (by pet, companion, work, worries) = -2, -3, -4 years
   "     , uninterrupted, but tired during day = 0, -1, -2 years
   "     , uninterrupted, rarely tired  = +1, +2, +3 years                                  91
   "     , uninterrupted and deep, using sleep aid = extra +2, +3, +4 years     95 (melatonin)

Drug Use, marijuana (regular, irregular, never again) = -2, 0, +4 years
          "    , addiction = -3, -7, -11 years
          "    , non-addictive, positive experience = 0, +2, +4 years

Air, city = 0, -2, -4
 "  , country = -1, 0, +1                                                                                 95


Highest Possible Score: 118/123 (male/female)       Lowest: 27/32 (male/female)


*** Your Score:
27 - 49 = Hey dude, lighten up
50 - 89 = Come on, you can do it
90 - 123 = She's got it

Me at 95 = Wow, that's a long life.  I'd be on the train to Luckytown if this played out.

If you're in the 50-89 zone, there's probably room for additional nuance, and it likely boils down to three questions:

1. Do you have trouble sticking to a decision you know to be right?  For example, "Potatoes are vegetables, riiiight?  So double my fries."  That is, there's a constant fight inside your head between what's the right, hard path, and the wrong, easy path?  Fight: subtract 3-5 years.  No fight: add 1-2.
2. Do you value intent in your life?  Is there a reason why you choose to do something one day and not another?  Yes: add 6-8 years.
3. Do you look forward to the future?  Are there people and projects in your life that you eagerly look forward to engaging with?  Yes: add 3-4 years.


** Caffeine to excess almost certainly impacts sleep

*** Apparently, a vegan diet will exhaust the liver's stored supply of certain key nutrients after about 4-5 years, and in subsequent years health may gradually suffer accordingly.  

In Brief -- Workable Online Voting

21st Century Voting -- Easy, Meaningful and Comprehensive

For this proposal's long version with all the details, read this.


* Wanna vote?  Go online, watch a video on a random issue, comment, rank, vote.  Vote on as many issue videos as you want.

* You receive a confirmation for each vote.

* The website's raw data is analyzed by several polling firms that, using census and socio-economic data, generate constituent opinion on each issue.  Firm results are averaged.

* Your congressional representative can cite constituent opinion when voting, or during an election can pledge to abide by it.

* Any representatives who don't reflect their constituent opinion are liable to be defeated in the next election.  Voters become better educated.  Topics expand from an initial 1-2-3 to cover every policy question.

* Unless voters opt out, they're signed up for a lottery that pays out ten $10,000 voting incentives (savings bonds) per congressional district.  Annual cost: $523 million.

...................

This isn't voting you say?  But it makes the act itself part of a much larger process that is the political hive mind.

What Young People See in 3rd Party Candidates

After Reading 'Comments' In Radical Websites

Here's a typical comment:  "Lesz see..., angry, loud-mouth entertainer vs. hider of ties to big business...; and they're surprised I'm voting for Gary or Jill?  Come on." ***

Let's take a look at some of the reasons Hillary Clinton--and Donald Trump--are having trouble attracting young voters.  I list five, most-to-least important, and for Clinton, since her case is the more nuanced.   I then rate each as a percentage of the problem faced.

1.  Republicans in Congress refuse to cooperate (2009-2016).  On the day that Barack Obama's inauguration in Jan. 2009, Mitch McConnell (R - KY) secretly met with other leading Republican senators to agree on a blanket policy of obstruction to everything Obama.  And that strategy worked.  With the help of the press, which likes to blame both parties for disfunction, the ill-repute of 'politicians' has been turned into a vague frustration with the status quo, with 'change' the obvious antidote.   Clinton: 30%

2.  Many young voters are well enough off not to think twice.  Wealthier, and often non-minority voters, who have a cushion to fall back on, needn't worry too long about another financial collapse, about unaffordable health insurance, or about being discriminated against, should Trump win.  This is usually an unconscious reason.    Clinton: 20%

3.  Some younger voters enjoy feeling superior by rejecting 'compromise'.  "Only wimps vote establishment."  Especially when a voter only remembers seven years of lefty compromise, the frustration with such a slow pace outweighs any downside from the potential loss to a rightist candidate.   Clinton: 20%

4.  To commit, marginal voters need excitement.  Though most polls screen out registered voters who aren't likely to vote, in a race with one candidate of mixed popularity, and another who's all but toxic, third party allegiance is a logical 'escape hatch'--a place to park a vote that never quite gets cast.   This is why 3rd party polling is invariably so disappointing relative to the eventual outcome (if a 3rd party candidate at 4% in the polls they're likely to get 1% or less).  Trump: 40%   Clinton: 15%

5.  Many young voters have key issues that rule out both candidates.  For example, a vehement believer in never-abortion can't vote for Clinton.  But, Trump's boorish, profane, bullying campaign has given the hesitant voter many 'no-go' turn-offs: sexism being the most obvious barrier.   Again, with the parking of votes that will never be cast, or, especially for Republicans, voting for the other party.  Trump: 60%   Clinton: 15%

My own vote history as a 20-something was that I was too young to vote in '72, but campaigned anyway (for McGovern over Nixon), then voted in '76 (for Carter over Ford), 'parked' my vote for the 3rd party candidate, John Anderson, early on in '80, but ended up not voting (Carter-Reagan-Anderson).  Finally, I voted for Mondale over Reagan in '84

*** Actually, since I first started writing this in late September, Hillary has advocated: 1. a significant scaling back of the planned upgrade of our nuclear arsenal; and 2: a stiffening of anti-trust law and enforcement.  Both indicate a progressive candidate, rather than a closet corporatist, since both positions would shut down corporate profit in an extraordinary way.  In the first instance, this position was exposed in a WikiLeaks secret tape recording, which means it's not what she intended for people to hear--likely because it's a vote loser prior to the election (especially in areas with big defense contractor workforces, like Virginia).  The plan, likely, had been to whip out such a radical re-thinking during budget negotiations with Republicans, as the enormous cost savings would go a long way to paying for various other priorities--both Republican and Democratic.

Joel W. Scarborough August 26th, 1926 - October 6th, 2016

My Dad

Photo by Jared Scarborough, Dec. 12th, 2012

We had just finished decorating with bell ornaments and freshly cut holly.  Looking very good for 86 in black denim jacket, brown carpenter-style pants, and green swish Patagonia shoes.