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The NYT has an analysis of the post convention tracking polls that currently gives Obama a 79% chance of winning a majority in the electoral college. Personally I find betting odds resulting from real life people betting their own real life money on the election results an objective way of forecasting the election. Currently, folks are offering pretty good odds that Obama will carry Ohio and also that he will carry Florida (odds not quite so strong there). Given that there is no reasonable path to victory for Romney that does not go through Florida and only the most tenuous routes that do not also include Ohio, things are looking up for the good guys. Or not, lol, depending on your preferences.

As usual, you are not missing anything. The electoral college is the game lest we forget the Constitution and the 2000 Bush/Gore race. The news hypes the neck and neck race because the American culture sees everything as a simple horse race even if it is not. News is also more in the market of selling controversy than informing the public. It is all about ratings and circulation. If you haven't noticed, the entire media sphere has moved in the direction of tabloid journalism no matter what trappings they hang to obscure that fact. Murdoch has had a profound and deleterious effect on journalism. Bill Paley and Edward R Murrow wouldn't recognize the landscape these days beyond the superficial trappings.

I have no idea unless it is race. You don't have to be an overt racist to fear that you are becoming a minority and know there are racists out there of all stripes. I have no other rational reason if people understand, as I do, that this election is no less than a referendum on The New Deal and The Great Society. This country would be completely different without them. The fallout would be the decline of the middle class. That is a pretty stark choice.

My ex-lover, a part-time Funk DJ here and full-time LPN, sent me an e-mail that he will be "spinning"(?) (Does one still spin records when everything is digitized?) this Sunday after the Campo Grande(RJ and not MS - Mato Gross do Sul) gay pride parade. Rio de Janeiro's Gay Pride Parade is on November 18th, for those planning on cumming, by the way. This weekend is quite busy with today, September 7th, being Independence Day. Here where I am we are having a live show with one of my absolute favorites singing, Gustavo Lins. Here is his site if you want a listen. http://www.gustavolins.com.br/ Then Sunday, one of the Parades. Lots of the smaller cities here in the metropolitan region are having parades, by the way. If anyone read this far, wish me some congratulations. Here we say PARABENS! I am now an avo or grandfather. My bitch whelped 8 puppies late in the afternoon yesterday. Two(#'s 5 & 6) came out simultaneously. The whole process from 1-9 took about 5 hours. Number 3 popped out not totally developed sadly. My girl tried to eat it. Just like what people say. I am definitely sleep-deprived and in fact, needed to double-up on my heart medications last night. Quite interesting, all-in-all.

Congratulations on your new puppies!