Can I have the research on rain dances & their effectiveness?

Wednesday – 11/14/07
Barbara was absent today – and a muted Jorja Fox (star of CSI) filled in as guest host, when the “Hot Topics” kicked off with the subject of “Prayer.” The state of Georgia has been suffering a dangerous drought for months – to the point where the state has only a 30 day supply of water left. Folks, the water situation is critical! Georgia’s governor – Sonny Perdue, requested various religious leaders to gather for a prayer session for rain. This prayer session was not held at the state capitol – yet the request was met with thunderous protest. Joy agreed (to a certain degree) with the protestors because this “prayer session” requested by the governor of the state was a gross blending of Church & State. Sherry (who’s a devout Jehovah Witness) strongly objected to the protestors (and Joy). Joy’s major bone of contention was the shear avoidance of the real problem – Global Warming. Focus on the problem of the environment – rather than looking for a miracle. The populace negligence of science seemed to piss Joy off. Whoopi quickly informed Joy that the Native American were famous for ‘rain dances’ which often paid off. Joy quickly retorted – “I want to see the statistics of rain dances producing rain storms.” The girl is scientific down to the wire. To respond – Sherry, in that cute yet sarcastic manner, told the panel that rain was predicted for Georgia. I’ll check in with my parents (Atlanta, Georgia residence) regarding the rain storm. Whoopi summed it up, “Why can’t we have both – prayer & science?”
Later, they went to politics (isn’t that fabu – a ‘prayer’ and ‘politics’ conversation in one day); specifically Michelle Obama’s statement (during an interview on MSNBC) warning Black American’s not to fall into the apathetic political trance (my words) because of the lack of role models.
“People who have been oppressed and haven't been given real opportunities that you never really of, you believe somehow, someone is better than you. -- I think that some black folks think that Barack won't win because the white people won't vote for Barack.”
Sherry quickly jumped in – making it clear that Black Americans have a host of role models to look to –but then she named them…Condoleezza Rice, Clarence Thomas, and Colin Powell. It was funny when she sort of trailed off and really heard her list (not that anything is wrong with the list) and looked to Whoopi. Well, Whoopi couldn’t save Sherry – but let everyone know her problem with Obama is his repletion of the old politicians’ ideas. “He’s not saying anything new” Whoopi explained! She’s tired of the indecisiveness Bush has brought. However, Joy played the semantics game – stating that Bush isn’t indecisive; he has a clear plan…flawed but a plan.