®
Notebook Entries, November 2002

November 25, 2002

I put the finishing touches on my latest book review, Social Dominance: An Intergroup Theory of Social Hierarchy and Oppression. It is, perhaps, one of the most important books that I have read in the past several years.  It has had made a major impact on my thought processes and has attached many citations and scientific social psychology terms to my evolutionary knowledge.  The theories presented within the book helped to solidify my understanding of evolutionary psychology and placed much of my political knowledge on a more solid footing.  I found the book to be so helpful that I have purchased several copies and have passed the book out to several local state politicians and hope to have future dialog on the theories presented.  Hopefully, it will put their politics on a more solid footing as well.  I think that it will. 

You can go to the book review from here by clicking on Social Domiance.

November 19, 2002

Well, the results of the 7th CD provisional votes came in: out of 160,000 votes cast, Republican Bob Beaubrez came out on top with 122 more votes than Democrat Mike Feeley. This means, by Colorado Law, that the ballots automatically go into a recount because the difference falls within .05% points of each other. It does not look good for Mike, but I have a sign that hangs on my filing cabinet  that reads: WE DON'T BELIEVE IN MIRACLES.  WE RELY UPON THEM.  As Yogi Berri, a retired American baseball player used to say: "It ain't over till it's over." Results have to be back by December 17th.  Stay tuned.

November 17th, 2002, Sunday

Diana and I had brunch with the former Lt. Governor of Colorado, Gail Schoetter. Ms. Schoetter placed herself up for bid at the silent auction of the Eleanor Roosevelt Dinner this last September. I bid $60, and won lunch for two with this special lady. How delightful and most informative coming right after the election. We gave her a copy of Social Domiance (nice light reading, huh?) as a gift. Hope to meet with her in the future.

Notebook Entries, November 11, 2002. 

Happy Veterans day to those of you in America, and Happy Birthday to me -- I am 57 years since I saw the first light of day.

I also am a military veteran having served four years in the U.S. Air Force from 1963 to 1967.

Notebook Entries, November 10, 2002

Well, the election has come and gone, and all of the candidates that my wife and I went out and supported (like knocking on doors and making telephone calls for) won.  Well, that is not quite true, but after the poor showing by Democrats across the country, and in this now solidly Republican state, they have done remarkably well.  Jeri Jahn, the Democratic in my local state House District {HD24) was so strong that she ran unopposed. [that's probably, because they could not find any Republicans that poor willing to run in my house district -- a little political humor there].  In the State Senate District (SD20) Moe Keller, the Democrat won by 167 votes out of 38,818 cast, and of course, the big race, CD7th, is still undecided with the Republican candidate Beauprez out ahead of Mike Feeley, by just 368 votes.  The holdup in the decision making process is that the provisional ballots (some 2000) have to be counted.  Provisional ballots are when a voter moves since the last election from one district to another and has not re-registered, someone who says that did not receive their absentee ballot, or for whatever reason, can request to vote with a provisional ballot. Since the new 7th CD spans across three counties, all three county clerks have to count only those ballots in the new 7th CD.  Well, bottom line is this: the winner will be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 19.  Well, maybe the second bottom line is: YOUR VOTE DOES MATTER!

Here's a picture from the Feeley Campaign HQs on Nov. 6th, 2002 that pretty much sums it all up.

Notebook Entries, November 6, 2002 

I finally finished my review of Dr. Paul Rubin's Book, Darwinian Politics. and placed it on the web site on Oct 27, 2002. There were parts of the book that really chafed my liberal butt the wrong way, but the arguments raised by Dr. Rubin were too important to derogate on this web site. ( They have to do with different kinds of hierarchies and the major influence of macroeconomics in 2002).

Below find correspondence between Dr. Rubin and myself.  The email will send today, November 6th, 2002.

Paul:

My apologies for not informing you that I placed the review "up in lights" on Oct 27th.  I was having printer problems (for the copies needed), then I ran smack into my election commitments here in Colorado (my local state candidates won, but the new 7th Congressional is still undecided).
 
Now that both issues are past, I'll get out the required copies.
 
Yes, I don't read a book, but  tend to absorb them.  While studying a book, my mind is free to ponder and explore all aspects of the arguments taken.  I have no deadlines or schedules to meet. 
 
I really did enjoy reading your book, and I hope the review generates some sales and interest from other parties for  future projects.
 
Hope our paths cross again at the next HBES conference.
Bill Spriggs @ Evolution's Voyage 
----- Original Message -----
From: Paul Rubin
To: wspriggs@evoyage.com
Sent: Tuesday, November 05, 2002 2:50 PM
Subject: Review

William:

Thanks for the review.  I really appreciate it.  Not only is it highly favorable, but it is clear that you read the book with great care. 

Paul H. Rubin
Department of Economics and School of
Law
Emory University
Atlanta, GA  30322-2240
Voice: 404-727-6365     

Fax 630-604-9609
Email: prubin@emory.edu
http://www.emory.edu/COLLEGE/ECON/Rubi.htm


Darwinian Politics: The Evolutionary Origin of Freedom,
Rutgers Series in Human Evolution, Rutgers University Press, 2002
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0813530962/qid=1023721671/sr=12-11/002-4193036-2531267