Bits and Pieces
Just What We Need
A good reason to do two unhealthy things- drink and be obese:

Researchers say mice on a high fat diet that were also fed a compound derived from red wine lived 20 percent longer than overweight mice that did not get the compound.
--VOA News

Some More Election-based Musings

• I commented last week that it would be nice if at least 60% voted in one of these elections. Well 60% of Minnesotans voted which was better than the 40% national level. What good did it do? Well we now have the first ever Muslim in Congress (Keith Ellison) representing the 5th District and we have our first woman US Senator, Amy Klobuchar. Not bad. Not bad at all.
• Watching the news the other evening the pundits were all over themselves wondering if this is a major switch to being a "blue"- Democrat country instead of a "red"- Republican country. One of the things getting older does is that you can notice when you have heard something before. Like that question. No matter which way it goes, we ask the question. In reality it is probably just a normal back and forth swing.
• I also saw a lot in the paper about many of the voter referenda across the country. It looks like some of the upcoming issues will be banning smoking (for which the tobacco industry always had an alternative idea) and increasing minimum wages and tying them to inflation. (Gee- abortion and gay marriage are SO 2005.)

'Tis Almost The Season
I LOVE Christmas music. I spent a few days last week getting my Christmas music onto my iPod. Ahh. It is a great time. A lot of people would think that this is pushing the season. Well, since I am not selling anything, or trying to sell anyone anything, I guess I can listen to whatever I want even if it isn't Thanksgiving yet.

Why is Blue Blue?
No, not the sky. The blue and red on the maps for Democrat and Republican? Who picked the colors? Was it a TV network executive or who? And the question of questions:

Am I the only one who finds it ironic that the color for the "true-blue American" party most known for its anticommunism (i.e. Republicans) is the one designated by the old communist color of "red."

And finally,
Just for Fun
I would agree with the creator of the video that it has to be one of the dumbest- but it is fun. It's Lord of the Rings Dance Remix.