- Georgie wins re-election, Daschle loses re-election, Michigan makes the Rose Bowl, and Dan Rather is out at CBS. What a wonderful month! I figured Gunga Dan would leave CBS late next year, but the Texas Guard fiasco appears to have forced him out several months sooner. If Rather has any saving grace, its his election night quotes. Here is a link to many of the colorful metaphors and similes Gunga Dan used on election night 2004, and 2000:
http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/blratherisms.htm


- What's the deadliest disease to human beings? AIDS? Certain types of cancer? Anthrax? Its none of these. Its rabies. If rabies is left untreated, it is virtually guaranteed to kill you. In the history of recorded medicine, only five people have ever survived rabies without the usual treatment. Of course, rabies is completly curable if you seek medical attention. Here is an article about a young woman who recently survived rabies, and a webpage about rabies:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,139500,00.html
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/


- NASA has created a new type of airplane engine called a ScramJet (short for Supersonic Combustion Ramjet). Such an engine allows airplanes to fly at ten times the speed of sound! NASA successfully tested it last week. Here is a link to the official NASA website:
http://www.nasa.gov/missions/research/x43-main.html

FINAL ELECTION PREDICTIONS!

- These are my truly honest predictions for the election. It is quite obvious that I am partisan, but I will do my best to tell you what I really think will happen:

BATTLEGROUND STATES:
Florida: Bush 52, Kerry 48
Ohio: Bush 51, Kerry 49
Michigan: Kerry 51, Bush 48
Pennsylvania: Kerry 52, Bush 48
New Hampshire: Kerry 51, Bush 49
Iowa: Bush 51, Kerry 49
Wisconsin: Bush 50, Bush 49
Minnesota: Kerry 50, Bush 49
New Mexico: Bush 52, Kerry 48

Electoral Count: Bush 296, Kerry 242
Popular Vote: Bush 51%, Kerry 48%

I do not believe that Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, New Jersey, Hawaii, or Washington are battleground states.

Here are my predictions for the close senate races:
Florida: Martinez(R) 50%, Castor(D) 48%
South Dakota: Thune(R) 50%, Daschle(D) 49%
Colorado: Salazar(D) 50%, Coors(R) 48%
Oklahoma: Coburn(R) 53%, Carson(D) 46%
North Carolina: Burr(R) 51%, Bowles(D) 48%
South Carolina: DeMint(R) 54%, Tenenbaum(D) 46%
Alaska: Knowles(D) 51%, Murkowski(R) 48%

Republicans gain a seat in Georgia, but lose a seat in Illinois. The Republicans will net 2 seats. The new make-up of the Senate will be 53 Rep, 46 Dem, 1 Independent.


- I should have posted this a few days ago. It would have been more appropriate. In the city of Detroit (where I was born) there was a yearly tradition called Devil's Night. It always took place the night before Halloween. Detroit is the only city in the country that does this. Kids would roam the streets and toilet-paper people's homes, or rub soap on their windows, or throw eggs at their front doors. When I grew up in Michigan, it was mostly harmless fun, but in the past 20 years, Devil's Night is seen as a very dangerous night in Detroit (all nights are dangerous in Detroit.) Here is a link with slightly more information:
http://www.brainyencyclopedia.com/encyclopedia/d/de/devil_s_night.html


- I am a big fan of Harry Houdini. Not because of his amazing magic tricks, but because of the way he would later explain his magic tricks, and debunk other magicians or charlatans who tried to fool the American public. Houdini died on October 31st, 1926 (Halloween) in Detroit (nice lead in from my previous post huh? See! I know what I am doing.) Here is a webpage all about his wonderful life:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/houdini/