The Senate Sucks plus Memes

I promised that 500 word manifesto on "What I believe (Politically)" yesterday, but I've found that without some time to actually sit down and write, it's not going to happen. I write this blog at work and I don't always have the time to really sit and write and think. So today's Lazy Friday blog will NOT be my manifesto's debut.

It will, however, have two very interesting parts.

First, a quick numerical examination of the U.S. Senate: I took census data for July 2005 (estimated) and assigned each state's population according to its Senate delegation. For example, if a state has 2,000,000 residents and two Democratic Senators, I gave a population score of 2,000,000 to the Democrats. Likewise, if that state had one Democrat and one Republican, I would assign 1,000,000 to the Democratic Party and 1,000,000 to the GOP.

Adding it all up, one finds that Democratic Senators (including Jeffords) represent a total population of 149,237,080 Americans, or 50.4% of the population. Republican Senators represent 146,622,809 Americans, or 49.6% of the population. Yet due to the number of small states with solid GOP majorities, we have a Senate with 55% Republicans and 45% Democrats. Damn fly-over states.

Second, the blogoshpere has 'memes' (rhymes with 'theme' and is only vaguely related to the actual scientific 'meme') that get passed around, each blogger giving his or her interpretation/answer/analysis/comments on a question or statement or whatever that is passed around organically, from blog to blog as bloggers read each other's posts. I found one that's actually interesting, as opposed to the sort of chain letter, what's your favorite movie, best/worst band names, kinda thing that usually make up the 'memes' passed around the 'sphere.

Incidently, Memetics, the study of memes and how they operate, is a fascinating. My thesis involved the memetic interpretation of history and how it applies to architecture. But that's another post...

Anyway, the meme.

Ten Views I Hold without Evidence
1. That Democrats actually have spines.
2. That somebody at the gym stole my towel and shampoo/soap bag while I wasn't looking and that I didn't just leave them in the locker room by accident.
3. That the American public was tricked by the Republicans into believing that the GOP has their best interests at heart. They can't really be that stupid, can they?
4. Art can make the world better.
5. Shushi is an essential part of a healthy diet.
6. Some time in the future I will have enough time to read all the books I have purchased.
7. My fiance will say 'yes' when I say I want our apartment to be all mid-century modern.
8. A 1972 Lotus, a 1968 Alfa Romeo GTV, or a Triumph TR7 would be a wonderfully practical form of everyday transportation and the purchase of said cars is both logical and reasonable.
9. Furniture making could be a profitable career.
10. People read this blog.

Daily Bonus Link:
Well, George, I guess Democracy in the Middle East didn't work out exactly the way you planned. Of course, this is just a preview of what will happen in Iraq.