...and why not?

I understand the first of the primaries is happening today, in Iowa. Whoopie. The big news, to my mind, is hundred dollar oil. And special kudos to the man who intentionally overbid, just to say he was first. That's a story to tell your grandkids.

It's a "caucus" in Iowa. New Hampshire has the first primary in the nation. Today, the New York Times ran a nice graphic which does a decent job of explaining how Democrats caucus in Iowa: http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2008/01/03/us/politics/20080103_PROCESS_GRAPHIC.html

Somewhat serendiptiously, and not even on purpose, I was watching a 1998 made for tv version of Alice in Wonderland, and as incredibly bad as it was, I could not help but laugh aloud at the "caucus race" segement in light of yesterday's event... and I wonder if Lewis Carroll could have known how appropriate across the sea that little bit would be 150+ years later.

And really, what a shame that my advisor would not allow me to use it as my thesis!!!