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"Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'" — Isaac Asimov
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Mira Mesa Bumps (0 comments) - Reply
Mira Mesa's not a bad place to live, but getting anywhere sucks. There are only a few main thoroughfares to serve tens of thousands of people, and all the freeways are a long ways away. Those who get sick of the lights might be tempted to meander through the side streets, but our fabulous citizens have solved that problem: all the side streets people might be tempted to use to circumvent the arterials have been defended with speed bumps.
Well, I wanted to get over to Jack in the Box for an Extreme Sausage Sandwich in a minimum of time. In true fashion for an over-thinker, I spent half an hour scouring Google Maps (satellite view) for streets with bumps, and marking them in a custom map overlay (the redlines, below). I then found a fairly easy route I can take avoiding these annoying barriers (the green line).
Voilá!
View Larger Map
It involves a lot of turns, but only 3 lights and 3 stopsigns, as opposed to 9 stoplights and one sign if you go down Mira Mesa Blvd.
Well, I wanted to get over to Jack in the Box for an Extreme Sausage Sandwich in a minimum of time. In true fashion for an over-thinker, I spent half an hour scouring Google Maps (satellite view) for streets with bumps, and marking them in a custom map overlay (the redlines, below). I then found a fairly easy route I can take avoiding these annoying barriers (the green line).
Voilá!
View Larger Map
It involves a lot of turns, but only 3 lights and 3 stopsigns, as opposed to 9 stoplights and one sign if you go down Mira Mesa Blvd.
Polls (0 comments) - Reply
Anticipation is high for November's election, and it's my turn to play Talking Head.
Like any reporter in the traditional media, I will tell you that the election is tight (after all, I don't want you to get bored -- I need ratings!), and could go either way, depending on October Surprises, the turnout, voter excitement, the Bradley effect, the anti-Bradley effect, the economy, the stock market, and the candidates' ground games.
About the best case McCain can hope for, if everything goes his way:
And likewise, the best Obama can hope for:
The maps were made on RealClearPolitics, a site run by republicans and largely highlighting anti-Obama news stories (from sites like the National Review). They assemble all the various polls into composite scores. There has been some question about the neutrality of the polls they select to include in their composite, but overall it's pretty good. Not nearly as cool as Five Thirty-Eight, but then 538 doesn't have a tool where you can select who you think will win a particular state.
Like any reporter in the traditional media, I will tell you that the election is tight (after all, I don't want you to get bored -- I need ratings!), and could go either way, depending on October Surprises, the turnout, voter excitement, the Bradley effect, the anti-Bradley effect, the economy, the stock market, and the candidates' ground games.
About the best case McCain can hope for, if everything goes his way:
And likewise, the best Obama can hope for:
The maps were made on RealClearPolitics, a site run by republicans and largely highlighting anti-Obama news stories (from sites like the National Review). They assemble all the various polls into composite scores. There has been some question about the neutrality of the polls they select to include in their composite, but overall it's pretty good. Not nearly as cool as Five Thirty-Eight, but then 538 doesn't have a tool where you can select who you think will win a particular state.
Disappointing BIke Ride (0 comments) - Reply
I finally hopped on the bike for the first time in months (apart from biking to work from my parking spot). Well, my chain's been slipping a lot lately, no matter how I adjust the position of the chain; I'll have to inspect it for damage on either the sprocket or stretching of the chain. When you weight twice as much as other bicyclers who consider themselves fat, you tend to put more strain on your components.
Anyhow, between the slipping chain, the winds (15MPH WNW, gusting to 23MPH), and not using bike shorts (in my mind I thought it was about half as far away), it was a pretty uncomfortable ride on an otherwise absolutely beautiful day.
So where was I going, you ask? I was riding from my home to The Map Centre, in Kearny Mesa (Clairemont Mesa Blvd), hoping to find some good maps of Argentina for when Tina and I visit this December -- specifically, hoping to find a map for what will likely be our base of operations in Mendoza:
View Larger Map
Decent mapping data is hard to come by for Argentina. Of the four big-time mapping websites:
Well anyhow, when I get there, I find this note on the door:
What a bummer. It's so sad to see such an iconic business die -- it makes me wish I'd bought more of the maps I'd always wanted.
Well at least I was able to get a country-level map from Barnes and Noble.
Anyhow, between the slipping chain, the winds (15MPH WNW, gusting to 23MPH), and not using bike shorts (in my mind I thought it was about half as far away), it was a pretty uncomfortable ride on an otherwise absolutely beautiful day.
So where was I going, you ask? I was riding from my home to The Map Centre, in Kearny Mesa (Clairemont Mesa Blvd), hoping to find some good maps of Argentina for when Tina and I visit this December -- specifically, hoping to find a map for what will likely be our base of operations in Mendoza:
View Larger Map
Decent mapping data is hard to come by for Argentina. Of the four big-time mapping websites:
- Only Mapquest has street-level data for Mendoza
- Google Maps doesn't even show the highways in Argentina; compare to their coverage of Chile
- Alas, despite being Argentina's 3rd largest city, Mendoza doesn't show on Mapquest at all until you zoom down to at least "Regional" level.
- Despite having better streets of the area, everyone except Google Maps still sucks, so that's what I embedded above
Well anyhow, when I get there, I find this note on the door:
What a bummer. It's so sad to see such an iconic business die -- it makes me wish I'd bought more of the maps I'd always wanted.
Well at least I was able to get a country-level map from Barnes and Noble.
Suggestions for next year's debates (2 comments) - Reply
Debates are so unfulfilling. Candidates dance around issues, and never have the time to fully respond to attacks. Well, I'd propose 2 changes:
1) Give everyone in the room a button that they can use to decide if you answered the question. If you don't get at least 50% saying yes, you don't get to answer the next question - your opponent gets a clean shot. The incentive, obviously, would be to give a clear and direct answer to the question.
2) Don't limit the time per question. Give each candidate 45 minutes to talk - total - for the entire debate. That lets them make sure that they fully explore whatever issues are most important to them. It's up to them to make sure they don't run out of time before their opponent.
Of course, most campaigns would never agree to these rules.
1) Give everyone in the room a button that they can use to decide if you answered the question. If you don't get at least 50% saying yes, you don't get to answer the next question - your opponent gets a clean shot. The incentive, obviously, would be to give a clear and direct answer to the question.
2) Don't limit the time per question. Give each candidate 45 minutes to talk - total - for the entire debate. That lets them make sure that they fully explore whatever issues are most important to them. It's up to them to make sure they don't run out of time before their opponent.
Of course, most campaigns would never agree to these rules.
I've tolerated a lot of annoying ads, as have we all. The seizure inducing ads that flashed between opposite colors; the "congratulations, you are customer #100000" popups; the Netflicks pop-click ads; And those frickin' Lower My Bills ads with the dancing people, and the witches, and especially the striking cobra just about drove me nuts.
Well I've been pushed over the edge, this time, by those Skype ads. Seriously, how do any news websites expect you to read an article about apiculture in Argentina with someone making annoying faces at you in crisp, high resolution video?
Advertisers, you've lost me -- I will never again use a web browser without ad blocking software installed. I'm installing Safari AdBlock as I type. Cerf willing, I will never see another ad (except on Daily Kos and similar sites, where I've enabled ads to support their revenue stream).
Well I've been pushed over the edge, this time, by those Skype ads. Seriously, how do any news websites expect you to read an article about apiculture in Argentina with someone making annoying faces at you in crisp, high resolution video?
Advertisers, you've lost me -- I will never again use a web browser without ad blocking software installed. I'm installing Safari AdBlock as I type. Cerf willing, I will never see another ad (except on Daily Kos and similar sites, where I've enabled ads to support their revenue stream).