While democracy is taking hold in Iraq, it might be a good time to look at matters…errr…. closer to home….? Ehh?

Miami Herald.com: 12/15/05: New tests fuel doubts about vote machines: Ion Sancho, Leon County’s election chief, said tests by two computer experts, completed this week, showed that an insider could surreptitiously change vote results and the number of ballots cast on Diebold’s optical-scan machines. After receiving county commission approval Tuesday, Sancho scrapped Diebold’s system for one made by Elections Systems and Software, the same provider used by Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The difference between the systems: Sancho’s machines use a fill-in-the-blank paper ballot that allows for after-the-fact manual recounts, while Broward and Miami-Dade use ATM-like touchscreens that leave no paper trail.

SecurityFocus: 12/15/05: Diebold troubled by e-voting security: Computer scientists have questioned both the reliability and security of the systems, as well as pointing out that the confusing and secretive certification process made testing of the systems is essentially meaningless.

Yahoo! Press Release: 12/14/05: Stull, Stull & Brody Announces Class Action Against Diebold Inc.: The complaint alleges that defendants violated provisions of the United States securities laws causing artificial inflation of the Company’s stock price.

BlackBoxVoting: 12/13/05: Devastating hack proven: Finnish security expert Harri Hursti, together with Black Box Voting, demonstrated that Diebold made misrepresentations to Secretaries of State across the nation when Diebold claimed votes could not be changed on the “memory card” (the credit-card-sized ballot box used by computerized voting machines.

Slashdot: 12/13/05: Diebold CEO Resigns Under Cloud: Discussion on his resignation.

AP: 12/12/05: O’Dell Resigns As Diebold CEO, Chairman: Diebold Inc., a maker of automatic teller machines, said Monday that Chairman and Chief Executive Walden W. O’Dell has resigned “for personal reasons.”

philly: 12/05/05: Diebold in North Carolina II: Updates from Albert on North Carolina

EFF: 12/8/05: North Carolina Sued for Illegally Certifying Voting Equipment: The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) on Thursday filed a complaint against the North Carolina Board of Elections and the North Carolina Office of Information Technology Services on behalf of voting integrity advocate Joyce McCloy, asking that the Superior Court void the recent illegal certification of three electronic voting systems.

Wired: 11/29/05: Another Blow to E-Voting Company: One of the nation’s leading suppliers of electronic voting machines may decide against selling new equipment in North Carolina after a judge declined Monday to protect it from criminal prosecution should it fail to disclose software code as required by state law.

philly: 11/29/05: Diebold in North Carolina: Albert’s thoughts on what was occuring in North Carolina at the time.

Metafilter: 11/16/05: Deafening silence over GAO e-voting report, new evidence of abuse: Ultimately, there is no real security on these machines; the report shows that overturning election results would not be at all difficult for even a single moderately skilled attacker.

Brad Friedman: 11/3/05: Mainstream Media to American Democracy: Drop Dead:t’s been a full two weeks now since the non-partisan Government Accountability Office (GAO came out with their 107-page report [PDF] confirming what so many of us have been trying to ring the bell about for so long: The Electronic Voting Machines which are proliferating counties and states across America even as I type, are not secure, not accountable, not recountable, not transparent, not accurate and not adequately monitored or certified by anybody.

truthout: 10/21/05: GAO Report Finds Flaws in Electronic Voting: GAO report summary

A service like the following would have been very helpful when I was homeless. I had to convince someone to act as my “residence” and answering service. It was a crucial part in finding stable work. In fact, I believe it helped me land my job at Sears. The rest is, as they say, history.

Community Voice Mail provides voicemail for those in need. It’s inspiring.

There’s free email, so why not free voice mail? Especially for those that need it most.

Another part of my success was making sure I always had transportation – a monthly SEPTA transpass. It was a major expense that was very much worth it. You never knew if there was a job opportunity someplace, and having the transpass insured I had a way to get there, along with, for a period of time once, a place to sleep. It would be a worthy effort make available transpasses for those who need them.

Before you get in an uproar – this was not written by me – it was emailed to me. After looking up the passages in the Old Testament, and linking to them, it became quite thought provoking. In light of the news that certain chuches will be closed on Christmas… well I couldn’t help but post this.

This is probably a version of the oldie but goodie “Why Can’t I Own a Canadian?”

Anyways….

Dear President Bush,
Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God’s Law. I have learned a great deal from you and understand why you would propose and support a constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage. As you said, “in the eyes of God marriage is based between a man a woman.” I try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination… End of debate. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God’s Laws and how to follow them.

1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can’t I own Canadians?

2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanness – Lev15: 19-24. The problem is how do tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord – Lev.1:9. The problem is, my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them . Should I smite them?

5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?

6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination – Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don’t agree. Can you settle this? Are there ‘degrees’ of abomination?

7. Lev.21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle-room here?

8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev.19:27. How should they die?

9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? Lev. 24:10-16. Couldn’t we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I am confident you can help.

Thank you again for reminding us that God’s word is eternal and unchanging.