… Ram Bomjan, 18, appeared on Monday near the town of Nijgadh, about 160km (100 miles) south of the capital, Kathmandu.  His followers claim that he is an incarnation of Lord Buddha, who was born in the Nepalese town of Lumbini more than 2,500 years ago.

Mr Bomjan - sometimes known as “Little Buddha” - made international headlines in 2005 when tens of thousands of people gathered to see him sitting cross-legged under a tree for nearly 10 months, reportedly without food or water.  Since then he has disappeared into the jungle and re-emerged several times.

Given that Buddhism is a dharma, i.e. an innate way of life, and all humans, whether they know it or not, are Buddhist, why do the Buddha and the Lama have to be from Nepal or Tibet?

Hat tip to D, who swears Keanu Buddha Boy is none other than Eddie Van Halen.

6:30 AM - Leave Milwaukee
10:30 AM - Arrive in New Orleans
5:30 PM - Leave New Orleans
9:30 PM - Arrive in Las Vegas for geophysics nerd con.

Despite membership in the Krewe de C.R.A.P.S., a gambler I am not. Vegas has something to offer me every night, regardless, including a Landmark Graphics 3D Visualization Solutions Showcase at Blue Martini, An Evening au Cirque at Mandalay Bay, a savage journey into the heart of the American desert and hanging out with friends from all over the world whom I haven’t seen in ages. Back in a week with more dice and pictures.

My hopelessly-cute, twin godsons in their tuxedos. Don’t miss their little Chuckies!

Article

A bouncer at an Akron bar was shot after ejecting a patron as a Barack Obama celebration that attracted nearly 400 partiers overflowed into the street.

… After the shooting, a large crowd filed outside the bar, which is located in a small strip to the west of Main Street near Exchange Street. A glass marquee was shattered as the party was ending.

About a dozen police units used pepper spray to disperse the crowd. There were no other injuries and no arrests were made.

And they say the socialists will take your guns away.

The girls should ask for one of each.

From Mike’s post:

… The bar was strictly enforcing its rules for capacity, letting an equal number of people in and out, and in about 10 minutes we found some room inside next to a couple from Crystal Lake waiting for their son. The two decided that afternoon to come down for the festivities, which included corned beef sandwiches and for Mike Poper, remembering growing up in the city and playing ball with Richie Daley at Thillens Stadium off Elston on the northwest side.

They voted for Obama, and it turned out that typically GOP-loving McHenry County went for Illinois’s junior senator, too, as did most of Chicago’s collar counties. What turned the Mrs. off about McCain? The choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate and the way he ran his campaign the last month or so.

… I wandered off for some water, passing on the $10 barbecue Cuban pork sandwiches on the way. Further proof Democrats aren’t socialists: water was $3 a bottle.

… I think I may have been in one of those toilets when one of the first loud roars happened, laughing about my fate being taking a leak as history is being made. But I think the inevitable happened after I finished talking to the guy who was selling the $3 water, who originally was from Kalamazoo and could relate to a Chicago guy like me trying to wrap his head around what was happening in a city where less than 30 years ago a black guy became mayor for the first time after a really ugly campaign.

Hell, Obama got his political teeth cut community organizing about 10 miles from Grant Park, using Catholic churches where my parents went way, way back in the day - in a day when the tribal rules of Chicago meant you stayed with your own kind. Chicago got the first Irish Catholic elected, the Chicago way, less than 50 years ago.

Change, indeed.

What I did best from 1992 to 2000, but without a blog, was to criticize the then Democratic administration when it made missteps (given that we Indians are born with sharp critiquing instincts, geoscience is only my second-best achievement).  In his first 100 days, I blasted Clinton for his pick of attorney general and the gays-in-the-military issue. There were other problems down the road, but when you mess up like that right off the bat, prepare for a tongue-lashing, especially from your own.

Flash forward to 2008.  The permanent grin induced by the mere concept of president-elect Obama turns into a frown on learning that Lawrence Summers is at the top of the list of potential picks for Secretary of the Treasury.  Yes, that Larry Summers, economist, Treasury secretary at the tail end of the Clinton administration and erstwhile president of Harvard University.  Very much yes, that Larry Summers who, with very little real evidence, openly postulated that “many factors outside of socialization could explain why there were more men than women in high-end science and engineering positions” and even went as far as to suggest that men may be biologically better-equipped for high-end science, engineering and technology.  Someone who received a “no-confidence” vote and resigned from Harvard need not be the next secretary of my Treasury.  This is not change we can believe in.

Weren’t we given the impression that the same old spineless Democrats, the same old crooks would not make their way into this administration?  Sure, Obama has to dance, nosh and mingle with the Old Guard some in order not to earn his own no-confidence vote.  But Summers?  And Rahm Emanuel for White House Chief of Staff?  Is this a one-term thing?  *shivers*

The Ws and Palins of this world are very bashing-worthy, but the most caustic remarks are reserved for those I admire who should know better.  Knowing fully well that he is flawed and not the messiah, I am proud to have championed and voted for Barack Obama.  Now is the time to use this renewed connection with a government we believe in to keep it honest.

P. S. Don’t worry, folks, the smile is back.  I’m not that jaded.  Yet.

Related:
* The Guardian | January 2005 | Why Women Are Poor At Science, By Harvard President
* Ars Technica | June 2008 | Why Judy can’t add: gender inequality and the math gap

Our polls opened at 6AM. At 5:55, the line wrapped around the Terpsichore side of the International School of Louisiana and half a block up Camp St. The outside line moved very quickly and we got in the short inside line for our small precinct, when D was told that he is not listed in our precinct. Funny, I am. After I voted (ha ha, beat my husband to it), D told me that his printout from the online polling place locator placed him in Precinct 1. Why?  If we live in the same house, why are we listed in two different precincts?  Welcome to the wild and wacky world of Louisiana Motor Voter registration!  On asking friend and El Grande Jefe Poll Commissioner, Ellen, to check the roster for Precinct 1, we found that D was indeed listed there. Unfortunately, since Precinct 1 is much larger than most other precincts in our ward but was still awarded only two voting booths like all other precincts, D was forced to go to the back of a long, tightly-wound line inside the building. What a pain!

So, what’s a Maitri to do when standing around while someone else waits to vote?  Play temporary poll helper, of course.  While Ellen walked around the tables putting up the zero tally (proof that all the voting machines started at 0), I helped incoming voters find their lines.  If I didn’t have to work today, I’d still be standing there matching voters with their precincts.  Yes, I’m a dork, find stuff like this enjoyable and am all for Election Day becoming a national holiday so we can give back by taking the time and effort required to exercise our right to vote or to work the polls.

Lessons learned:

1. If you can help it, please go to vote with knowledge of what ward and precinct you are in.  With the huge turnout this year, people wondering what line they’re supposed to stand in soon turns into a giant goat rodeo.  Your prior preparation will greatly help the poll workers.

2.  Even if you know where you are supposed to vote, don’t be surprised if you are kicked into another ward or precinct.  As we learned this morning, Motor Voter isn’t perfect and doesn’t necessarily place your address in the correct voting district.  Talk to the poll commissioner, find out where you belong and fill out a (pink) change of ward/precinct form as soon as possible.

3.  Be prepared for long lines and for voting machines to be broken.  Regardless, please stay in line!

4.  According to Cade Roux, there is a text message going around New Orleans which says, “Due to
exceptionally long lines today, all Obama voters are asked to vote on Wednesday.”  You probably know this is false, but just in case, THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NOT THE CASE.  The polls close at 8PM for ALL VOTERS and that’s that.  The message came from a local number.  This was reported to the Election Protection Hotline at 800-432-4427.  ”They said this is indeed going around and they will report the person to the local, state, and federal authorities.  If you get this or any other type message regarding voting that is or appears to be fraudulent, please report them at the above number.”

After that, off to work it is, where I will monitor results at fivethirtyeight and at the new AP live election continuous stream.  InformationWeek refers to the AP as the place to be since it is “the most reliable source for election results, which it has delivered every four years since Zachary Taylor won the presidential election in 1848.”  Twitter also promises a lot of election-related action.

Come evening, I plan to shuttle between the First Draft extended crack van and my comfy couch, where I will chew on a pillow while watching the results come in on TV and, in the unbearable anticipation, lie down and moo like a cow in the middle of breach birth.  With twin calves.  Hey, you dismiss, but it was very cathartic in 2000 and 2004, especially in 2000 when I was in the fetal position on that same couch for days during the Bush-Gore-No Wait It’s Bush-Just Kidding It’s Gore-Electoral College-Florida-CHAD-WTF-Supreme Court-Bush boondoggle, which promptly ushered me into serious blogging.

Our alternative weekly, the Gambit, has teamed up with WWL-TV to live-blog the election results.  Rest assured William Jefferson and Steve Scalise winning their respective races will induce extra, local-flavored, bovine-style madness.

Given the media hubbub surrounding the election and the new James Bond movie out right now, I can’t get Barry Adamson’s A Phantasy Bond Theme out of my head.  “In case there’s trouble or we’re under attack, have no fear because Bond is black!”