(no subject)

While there is much to find disturbing in this article http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/23/politics/campaign/23vote.html

the following particularly sets off my "I've got a bad feeling about this" warning bell:

Reno Oradini, the Cuyahoga County election board attorney, said a challenge would in effect create impromptu courts at polling places as workers huddled to resolve a dispute and cause delays in voting.

Impromptu courts are how bad things happen -- they are the hallmark of neither an organized society nor one at peace. I realize the speaker there probably chose that language specifically for that reason, because everyone on both sides needs to be afraid and alert and vigilant right now to get what they want, but oi!

There's practically no doubt in my mind that we will have (hopefully limited) incidents of violence at some polling places on Nov. 2.

(no subject)

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/24/magazine/24STYLE.html

I'm not entirely sure why I enjoyed this little article in the NYTimes so much, except that both interviewer and subject seemed to be playing with expectations a great deal in the process of it. Certainly it brushes both against our very modern world and a lot of nearly lost traditions (mostly involving wealth, travel, hand-made suits and the idle class).

At any rate, it amused me. And it's a quick read. But I don't necessarily know that it would amuse anyone else.