Now don't say sociology don't larn you nothin'.

American Research Group's latest results by state

Washington: Kerry up by 7%
Oregon: Kerry up by 2%
(accounting for Nader, MOE 3 to 4%, 95% confidence interval)

W00T! With a confidence interval of 95% and that particular margin of error (according to this handy dandy chart I found), it is 69% likely that this is actually what people think in Oregon, and at least 94% likely what people think in Washington. The sample size is kinda small (only 600), but it's a damn sight more reliable than those Zogby email poll things.

(no subject)

During the signature gathering process for Measure 36, several churches were accused of coercing parishioners to add their signatures to the initiative. Currently, there are several pending complaints with the Secretary of State against these churches for violating election laws. And while the In Defense of Marriage Coalition has attempted to keep their membership largely secretive, its cadre is largely composed of pastors for massive regional churches. Ray Cotton (New Hope Community Church), Frank Damazio (City Bible Church), and Dennis Tuuri (Reformation Covenant Church) are just a few of their members. All have preached sermons commanding their flocks to vote yes on 36.

—Is God Homophobic?

I used to live right by New Hope. My parents still do. It's this awful huge sterile hulk of a megachurch (can you call them megachurches if they don't have McDonald's in them?), which thrives more on attracting people than nurturing the flock they have. Of course, I knew it was a bad sign when my mom went there (my mother does strange things from time to time, including expressing interest in Christianity where there was none previous) and that shithead of a pastor ignored her. Since when does clergy of any sort ignore anybody sitting in a pew or coming out of a service? I attended a Mass with my cousin in Vancouver, and I tried my damndest to get out of shaking the priest's hand, and I still ended up doing it just to be polite. Uh, I'm sure this had a point before it turned into a rant about New Hope, but I suppose I should cut my losses and stop.

(no subject)

Bush as CEO of America, Inc., and why Republicans are hypocrites, as well as ignorant morons to boot. See, I can understand two (quasi-) valid reasons to vote for Bush. One is if you genuinely believe in screwing the poor and making America a corporate paradise where anybody with enough money can buy access to power and legislation to benefit them. The other is if you support Bush's religiously based policies. I mean, I think banning "partial-birth" abortion and stem cell research are bad things, but some people don't. I can understand that. So that leaves all those people in the middle who are neither. What gives?