Claire: Three Vowels. Berlin: Like the City. Ski: Like the Sport
Sometimes, very occasionally, if I use that description, it will result in the correct spelling of my name. But mostly it's hopeless. So I'm not entirely surprised to learn that Alaska's fate could be determined by a series of spelling mistakes. This was so predictable I even predicted it all the way from Istanbul. (Well, actually, I predicted that she'd just lose outright. But I noted the orthography problem.)
... in the event a voter misspells or abbreviates a candidate's name, such as "Lisa M." instead of "Lisa Murkowski," the Division of Elections would determine the voter's intent "on a case-by-case basis," according to division director Gail Fenumiai.
Case by case? Using what criteria? I sometimes reckon that bills addressed to Clair Berlinsky aren't addressed to me and therefore don't need to be paid, but it's rare for the bill collectors to see it the same way.
I have to imagine that someone named Gail Fenumiai might be prejudiced against people who just won't take the time to figure out how to spell a name correctly, even when it's important. But who knows. She may be a more fair-minded woman than me.
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Jun '10
Re: Claire: Three Vowels. Berlin: Like the City. Ski: Like the Sport
We are rapidly developing a generation that can't spell, can't calculate, can't read a map, or change a tire. After all, why bother to learn this stuff in school when you have a machine that will do it for you? Meanwhile, I'll enjoy the irony in seeing a politician lose because of institutional failure in public education.
Jun '10
Re: Claire: Three Vowels. Berlin: Like the City. Ski: Like the Sport
The only objective standard: If there is no one else in Alaska with the name as written then the voter intent may be presumed to be Murcowske
Re: Claire: Three Vowels. Berlin: Like the City. Ski: Like the Sport
Paules, in fairness, no amount of education would make the name "Murkowski" second-nature to anyone. Every single time I type it, I have to recheck it, and I took second place in both the third- and fourth-grade spelling-bees. I would have taken first place were it not for ... well, let's not bring up those bitter memories; I'm sure God will forgive her.
May '10
Re: Claire: Three Vowels. Berlin: Like the City. Ski: Like the Sport
Leilani Margolies Mezvinsky earned that seat. By which I mean her dad willed it to her, and she rigged the courts and shut down the radio stations.
Alaska is like the Montagues and Capulets. In Verona or somewhere.
Aug '10
Re: Claire: Three Vowels. Berlin: Like the City. Ski: Like the Sport
Kennedy Smith: Leilani Margolies Mezvinsky earned that seat. By which I mean her dad willed it to her, and she rigged the courts and shut down the radio stations.
Alaska is like the Montagues and Capulets. In Verona or somewhere. · Nov 4 at 6:46am
So Falstaff marries Iago , their little girl Goneril marries and becomes Lady MacBeth ?
Watch out Duncan.
Jun '10
Re: Claire: Three Vowels. Berlin: Like the City. Ski: Like the Sport
[off-topic comment self - expunged]
[We really need a delete option]
Edited on Nov 4, 2010 at 7:09amMay '10
Re: Claire: Three Vowels. Berlin: Like the City. Ski: Like the Sport
I can't imagine even Falstaff was drunk enough to marry Iago. Though you can never tell; Iago was wily. After admiring my goofy pic, I have but one thing to say: Expelliarmus!
Jun '10
Re: Claire: Three Vowels. Berlin: Like the City. Ski: Like the Sport
"Murkowski" is at least phonetic. I might be willing to make allowance for Chinese with its Q's, X's, and Ch's to represent the same phoneme, or Arabic with its assortment of Gh's, Kh's and Q's. But Indo-European surnames? It's not like "Murkowski" is some indecipherable Welsh place name.
May '10
Re: Claire: Three Vowels. Berlin: Like the City. Ski: Like the Sport
~Paules
"Murkowski" is at least phonetic. I might be willing to make allowance for Chinese with its Q's, X's, and Ch's to represent the same phoneme, or Arabic with its assortment of Gh's, Kh's and Q's. But Indo-European surnames? It's not like "Murkowski" is some indecipherable Welsh place name. · Nov 4 at 7:31am
Unlike "Wainscotting".
Oct '10
Re: Claire: Three Vowels. Berlin: Like the City. Ski: Like the Sport
Didn't they win the right to have a list of write-in candidates passed out to those who requested it? That thing was going back and forth so fast that I lost track of the final ruling.
Anyway, if the list was available, then I have no sympathy for anybody who wanted to vote for her, didn't ask for the list, and ended up misspelling the name.
Jul '10
Re: Claire: Three Vowels. Berlin: Like the City. Ski: Like the Sport
Because the esteemed Senator from Nepotism isn't the only write-in candidate, I'm not yet inclined to believe that her percentage of that 41% write-in vote is greater than Miller's 34% of the actual ballot but when it comes to evaluating these case by case, here's my question...who appointed the people at the board of elections? Were they elected, are they lifetime appointees, or political appointees serving set terms? If they were appointed since 2007, I'd have to imagine they're going to apply slightly more strenuous standards to these ballots. I wish I could believe otherwise, but that I don't think that would be very realistic...
Jul '10
Re: Claire: Three Vowels. Berlin: Like the City. Ski: Like the Sport
It's not like there weren't signs right outside the polling place.
May '10
Re: Claire: Three Vowels. Berlin: Like the City. Ski: Like the Sport
People in Alaska are quite familiar with the name. There has been a Murkowski in office for some time up there.
Of course, if one is concerned about the problem, the thing to do is win the primary. Then you get your name right there on the ballot.
Oct '10
Re: Claire: Three Vowels. Berlin: Like the City. Ski: Like the Sport
If Google can warn me when I misspell "Murkowski", It shouldn't be too hard to circumvent this problem at this day and age.