tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2522844416638759922024-02-07T19:22:23.492-05:00Virtual UrbanityLet's see if we can get away with it.Dukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445693363495221225noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252284441663875992.post-16676648194332568822009-04-21T08:37:00.003-04:002009-04-21T09:18:11.818-04:00Of Montreal<p>These guys write the most logically-creative lyrics I can think of without trying. Which is to say I've never thought about the logical creativity of lyrics before. Check out the first chunk of "Gallery Piece":</p><blockquote>I wanna be your love<br />I wanna make you cry<br />And sweep you off your feet<br />I wanna hurt your pride<br />I wanna slap your face<br />I wanna paint your nails<br />I wanna make you scream<br />I wanna braid your hair<br />I wanna kiss your friends<br />I wanna make you laugh<br />I wanna dress the same<br />I wanna defend you<br />I wanna squeeze your thighs<br />I wanna kiss your eyelids<br />And corrupt your dreams</blockquote>Some of the stops along the way, as he paints all the aspects of his desire, are pretty outrageous.Dukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445693363495221225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252284441663875992.post-535569224126771202009-02-05T12:59:00.002-05:002009-02-05T13:02:04.841-05:00The Meltdown in Two CowsIn the simplest terms possible, <a href="http://clusterstock.alleyinsider.com/2009/2/aig-implodes-the-two-cows-version">Clusterstock</a> tells us what happened:<br /><br /><blockquote>You have two cows.<br /><br />John Paulson borrows one cow so he can sell it for $100. He gives you $10 as collateral.<br /><br />You buy your neighbors cow for $100, which you finance by taking out a $90 loan from the bank and use John's $10 to make up the rest.<br /><br />You brag to everyone about your financial health. You have assets--two cows you own, plus one Paulson owes you--worth $300, and liabilities of just $100.<br /><br />A third of the country goes vegetarian.<br /><br />You thought your two cows were worth $200 and now they are worth $140.<br /><br />You express confidence in your financial health. Your assets are now worth only $200--your two cows plus the one John owes you--but your liabilities are still only $100. If necessary, you could sell the assets at this distressed price and pay off all your loans.<br /><br />You hold onto your cows because you are sure the market is "dislocated." Some day someone will want to eat beef again.<br /><br />The rest of the country goes vegetarian. Your two cows are now worth $2 each to guys who want to make dog food.<br /><br />John Paulson buys a cow in the market for $2 and he gives it to you as repayment of the loan. You now have three cows worth six bucks.<br /><br />John wants his $10 back.<br /><br />The bank calls. It wants its $90 back.<br /><br />You call the Federal Reserve and ask for a bailout.</blockquote><br /><br />LOL, kinda...Dukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445693363495221225noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252284441663875992.post-6133306992865589102009-01-13T12:53:00.001-05:002009-01-13T12:53:43.079-05:00Make Money Like Porsche<div>I saw a <a href="http://kottke.org/08/10/volkswagen-worlds-largest-company">post</a> on <a href="http://kottke.org">kottke.org</a> a while back when Volkswagen became the largest company in the world by market capitalization. It piqued my interest, but I didn't know enough to look deeper. Turns out there's a fascinating story there, beginning with Porsche recognizing an opportunity to engineer a short squeeze and ending with the well-publicized suicide of Adolf Merckle. <a href="http://radian.org/notebook/porsche">Here</a> is a very lucid explanation of what happened.</div> Dukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445693363495221225noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252284441663875992.post-16718532828585583232008-12-16T13:59:00.001-05:002008-12-16T13:59:36.265-05:00Dear Friends<div class=Section1> <p class=MsoNormal>We haven’t posted in a while. I fully accept one third of the responsibility for this. We received at least one complaint about it (I’m sure there are a million more—they must be getting caught in my spam filter). Maybe this isn’t the best forum for our thoughts. My problem is that I don’t have that many thoughts. Do you have any thoughts? Put your best thoughts in the comments and I’ll publish the best of those best in a subsequent post. <span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> Dukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445693363495221225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252284441663875992.post-30188412921787060462008-11-24T09:53:00.002-05:002008-11-24T09:53:41.705-05:00Well SaidRec'd on Friday:<blockquote>"While I am out of the office, the following people should be contacted if necessary during my absence. Keep in mind, that not all questions will be able to be answered instantaneously, and additional resources might be required."</blockquote>Dukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445693363495221225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252284441663875992.post-65755317013519010462008-11-21T17:14:00.002-05:002008-11-21T17:17:24.392-05:00Makes Me Cry Different Kinds of TearsMy previous link to the Onion, some recent history, Thanksgiving, and the dawning future make now a good time to reminisce about bad times and the humor they inspire:<br /><br />From the Department of Wishful Thinking:<br /><a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/node/38718">Bush Finds Error In Fermilab Calculations</a><br /><a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/node/31077">Bush Regales Dinner Guests With Impromptu Oratory On Virgil's Minor Works</a><br /><br />From the Department of Barely False:<br /><a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/news/bush_cuts_off_diplomatic_relations">Bush Cuts Off Diplomatic Relations With Congress</a><br /><br />From the Department of Deeper Truth:<br /><a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/node/41690">President Bush Urges Nation</a><br /><br />and this vid:<br /><embed src="http://www.theonion.com/content/themes/common/assets/videoplayer2/flvplayer.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="always" wmode="transparent" width="400" height="355" flashvars="file=http://www.theonion.com/content/xml/82237/video&autostart=false&image=http://www.theonion.com/content/files/images/BUSH_TOURS_article.jpg&bufferlength=3&embedded=true&title=Bush%20Tours%20America%20To%20Survey%20Damage%20Caused%20By%20His%20Disastrous%20Presidency"></embed><br/><a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/video/bush_tours_america_to_survey?utm_source=embedded_video">Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency</a><br /><br />Or just <a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/search/onion/advanced?search=bush&restrict=&start=0">browse the archive</a> yourself.Dukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445693363495221225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252284441663875992.post-58543519991640310302008-11-21T14:50:00.004-05:002008-11-21T16:54:23.063-05:00Advil ReleaseSpot on from The Onion:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/news/new_pain_inducing_advil_created?utm_source=onion_rss_daily">New Pain-Inducing Advil Created For People Who Just Want To Feel Something, Anything</a><br /><br />The primary axiom of Infinite Jest!Dukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445693363495221225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252284441663875992.post-90583051587089646662008-11-17T23:24:00.003-05:002008-11-17T23:36:05.078-05:00HousewarmingIt's cold in Boston, but our apartment is cleaner today than it's ever been, making Friday or Saturday high time (ha) for the housewarming party. This is the advance invitation for our closest friends—who the hell else reads this? Keep your channels open for nailed-down details tomorrowish.<br /><br />Here's a little preview to trick you into coming:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgZvNlQHX7biN8xJNhgTwB8UDpMj9hFnQdFKOuJkRmcaYs7093CGlxGZtagNjV8fWMvWGvMGX-e1AoqhQm41Vd_cK343JG-vkT_G9IPd8rtdrSJk1BQQZt5_SX9IOhJXMAUgpkAw1HyLBp/s1600-h/DSC_0718.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgZvNlQHX7biN8xJNhgTwB8UDpMj9hFnQdFKOuJkRmcaYs7093CGlxGZtagNjV8fWMvWGvMGX-e1AoqhQm41Vd_cK343JG-vkT_G9IPd8rtdrSJk1BQQZt5_SX9IOhJXMAUgpkAw1HyLBp/s400/DSC_0718.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269851002750134530" /></a>Dukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445693363495221225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252284441663875992.post-21377879198987065622008-11-14T10:50:00.003-05:002008-11-21T16:55:10.079-05:00New York/erNobody's posted in a while, so I'll take this moment to say this week's <a href="http://www.cartoonbank.com/product_details.asp?mscssid=S7AUUTKK2H7A9J95FWC9LUCBKMF4252C&sitetype=1&sid=126233&did=4">New Yorker cover</a> is gorgeous, and I'm going to NYC for the weekend. Holler if you're up and around.Dukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445693363495221225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252284441663875992.post-48586589458233144962008-11-06T11:14:00.005-05:002008-11-21T16:54:39.015-05:00I wonder who plays Bowser...And old favorite updated with a new favorite: <a href="http://superobamaworld.com/">Super Obama World</a>. SNES, anyone?Dukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445693363495221225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252284441663875992.post-23011479978596123872008-11-04T07:21:00.004-05:002008-11-04T07:46:58.958-05:00GametimeI'm at the NH Obama HQ coordinating rides to the polls. We were here until 2 last night, got back in at 5 this morning; but despite only 2.5 hrs of sleep, only 2 cups of coffee, and only approximately a keyhole of daylight coming into the room, I'm stoked for the next 12 hours. Call me if you need a ride to the polls! Chatlos did.<br /><br />We got a call from a guy registered to vote in NH but living in Boston who forgot to get an absentee ballot and needed a ride to the polls. We checked the ride out-of-state volunteer ride database from Boston and Chatlos' name popped up first, because he's scheduled to volunteer today. "Sweet," thought Jack, "I can send this guy up here with someone I actually know!" He called the guy back to pass the message, and when he hit send the phone recognized the number as "John Chatlos."<br /><br />"Were you too embarrassed to tell me you forgot to vote?"<br /><br />"Umm... yes."<br /><br />Surreptitiousness fail!Dukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445693363495221225noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252284441663875992.post-20767537604915745232008-10-31T15:44:00.004-04:002008-10-31T15:51:11.429-04:00Quote of the Day"You don't need to boo, you just need to vote."<br /><br />- Obama at a campaign rally in Sarasota, FL as the crowd booed at the first mention of John McCain.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252284441663875992.post-20050792691899214262008-10-30T00:23:00.005-04:002008-10-30T01:14:47.703-04:00Undecided?As Election Day approaches, there continues to be discussion about undecided voters. In <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/humor/2008/10/27/081027sh_shouts_sedaris">a piece </a>from last week's New Yorker, David Sedaris asks the question many of us have been asking: how can one be undecided in this election?<br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-size:85%;">To put them in perspective, I think of being on an airplane. The flight attendant comes down the aisle with her food cart and, eventually, parks it beside my seat. “Can I interest you in the chicken?” she asks. “Or would you prefer the platter of shit with bits of broken glass in it?” </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">To be undecided in this election is to pause for a moment and then ask how the chicken is cooked.</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></p>That's definitely funny, and a big part of me agrees. But perhaps it's also a bit harsh. A recent <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/28/opinion/28wang.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink">op-ed</a> in the NY Times adopts a different perspective by articulating the undecided voter phenomenon as a reflection of the neuroscience and psychology of decision-making. It argues that many such voters have actually made a choice that has not yet gained enough confidence to reach the threshold of consciousness.<br /><br />This might seem to rescue undecided voters from the accusation that they are out-of-touch or foolish. But I must admit, it remains puzzling to me how these "implicit choices" that ultimately mature into votes could be without intensity, force, or passion for so long when there is so much at stake.<br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252284441663875992.post-30594380137957643532008-10-29T16:06:00.003-04:002008-10-29T16:11:46.697-04:00Voted: YesI just filled out my absentee ballot—feels really good. Now go get this feeling yourself!<br /><br />Mass voters: note Question 2.Dukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445693363495221225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252284441663875992.post-72384420831043136412008-10-28T23:48:00.001-04:002008-10-28T23:49:43.697-04:00Planet Earth cinematographer:<br /><blockquote>"Nobody should have to live one month in poo."</blockquote>Dukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445693363495221225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252284441663875992.post-4297257540444921532008-10-28T23:40:00.004-04:002008-10-28T23:59:42.985-04:00News, yes--but paper?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Christian Science Monitor </span><a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1029/p25s01-usgn.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">just went totally web-based</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. Maybe their new slogan could play subtly off the New York Times': "All the News That Would Be Fit to Print, Except We're So Over That Tired Business Model, Web N3wzP@p3r FTW!!!11"</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252284441663875992.post-25957926323000900642008-10-28T16:02:00.003-04:002008-10-28T16:16:20.860-04:0023/6: Some of the News, Most of the Time23/6 has done some really funny coverage of the debates using video editing, including their latest video "Synchronized Presidential Debating"<br /><br /><div><embed src="http://www.236.com/video/shareplayer.swf?videoID=1885473979&permalink=/d/?video=1885473979&width=425&height=364&embedCode=http://www.236.com/video/shareplayer.php?v=1885473979&tags=Original+Video&urlPath=/d/?video=&translatorSwf=http://www.236.com/video/xml_translator.swf&xmlURL=http://iacas.adbureau.net/xtserver/site=236.com/aamsz=300x250video/area=video2/frmt=0/frmt=1/frmt=16/lnid=-1/ttID=1885473979/cue=post/cgm=0/RANDOM=0000000000&roll=post&policyFile=http://www.236.com/video/adPolicy.xml&title=+" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" name="flashObj" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" swliveconnect="true" allowfullscreen="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash" height="364" width="425"></embed><div style="padding: 0px 5px 5px; width: 410px; text-align: center; font-size: 0.8em;">Get the latest news <a href="http://www.236.com/">satire</a> and <a href="http://www.236.com/video/">funny videos</a> at <a href="http://www.236.com/">236.com</a>.</div></div><br />If you haven't seen their earlier videos, they're definitely worth watching:<a href="http://www.236.com/video/2008/watch_first_presidential_debat_1_9186.php"><br /></a><blockquote><a href="http://www.236.com/video/2008/watch_first_presidential_debat_1_9186.php">First Presidential Debate in a Minute</a><br /><a href="http://www.236.com/video/2008/watch_second_presidential_deba_9434.php">Second Presidential Debate in a Minute</a><br /><a href="http://www.236.com/video/2008/watch_final_debate_in_a_minute_1_9610.php">Third Presidential Debate in a Minute</a><br /><a href="http://www.236.com/video/2008/watch_vp_debate_in_a_minute_9334.php">VP Debate in a Minute</a></blockquote><a href="http://www.236.com/video/2008/watch_vp_debate_in_a_minute_9334.php"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252284441663875992.post-40727233996458814962008-10-28T10:25:00.002-04:002008-10-28T10:28:26.909-04:00T Minus 7 Days<div align="center"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_9OhVMHIuO4&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_9OhVMHIuO4&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></div><br /><p>Via Andrew Sullivan: Obama at his most electrifying. Compare to any five minutes of McCain</p>Dukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12445693363495221225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252284441663875992.post-65478969385348555282008-10-26T22:35:00.002-04:002008-10-26T23:00:15.655-04:00Of Mice and MemoryThere is a lot of interesting work being done on manipulating memory processes in mice. <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5279432.stm">This article</a> recounts effective attempts at restoring memory function in mice with Alzheimer's by increasing the activity of the enzyme <span style="font-size:100%;">Uch-L1.<br /><br />Research is also being done on mice with the opposite goal in mind: the erasure of uncomfortable memories. <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7685541.stm">Check it out</a>.<br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252284441663875992.post-59642090974469564882008-10-26T22:12:00.005-04:002008-10-26T23:05:06.851-04:00Advances in Printing<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">First of all, props to </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Gutenberg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Johannes Gutenberg</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">, inventor of the mechanical printing press and namesake of an </span></span><a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">awesome website</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">. A more recent advancement in printing technology is </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_printing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">3-d printing</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">, which is especially interesting because printers are themselves 3-dimensional. Lo and behold: this past May a 3-d printer replicated itself. From</span></span><a href="http://reprap.org/bin/view/Main/WebHome"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"> RepRap.org</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">: </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"></span></span><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">"</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Not counting nuts and bolts </span></span></span><a class="twikiLink" href="http://reprap.org/bin/view/Main/RepRap" style="color: rgb(30, 91, 189); background-color: transparent; text-decoration: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">RepRap</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"> can make 60% of its parts; the other parts are designed to be cheaply available everywhere. This is an interesting coincidence: we can make 60% of our proteins; the other parts are evolved to be cheaply available everywhere..."</span></span></span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; "></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: 13px; ">The next version of RepRap will be able to manufacture its own electric circuitry. The Mary Shelleys out there are already picturing a world overrun with Erector sets gone bad; having grown up with a deep knowledge of how easily LEGO robots break, I'm quite optimistic that's a war humanity would win.</span><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252284441663875992.post-76895653526254711562008-10-25T15:55:00.005-04:002008-10-25T16:15:00.863-04:00Bachmann's Creepy Non-Apology ApologyIn an ad "apologizing" for the egregious interview <a href="http://virtualurbanity.blogspot.com/2008/10/censure-bachmann.html">posted earlier</a>, Rep. Michelle Bachmann draws a stark distinction between government and freedom. This doesn't distance her from earlier comments linking left-wing views and anti-American sentiments; it further paints liberals as anti-freedom, anti-children, and as somehow working against the greatness of America.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/j3_VRUHStOg&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/j3_VRUHStOg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />"I may not always get my words right, but I know that my heart is right."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252284441663875992.post-18701987994190419262008-10-24T23:42:00.001-04:002008-10-24T23:44:22.851-04:00Obama-McCain Dance-Off<a href="http://observers.france24.com/en/content/20081023-obama-vs-mccain-dance-floor">Enjoi</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252284441663875992.post-2452765608217301472008-10-24T13:41:00.007-04:002008-10-24T15:46:41.416-04:00Promising News from FiveThirtyEight.comAfter incorporating recent polling information, FiveThirtyEight.com is putting Obama's chances of victory at 96.3%:<br /><blockquote><img alt="" id="Image1_img" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbB5paNtfHhyphenhyphengsYuGlAX1E0qwV3Uu0XoGJcO-ymPzeFBgeUbSi9a-g_zwnN8dmBf-2Ynk_ZSLk3zgoE8zbJHcE_mUt5cd6zIU2xqXhUfO4PH02HbaPn_NFGdxQh-pn26ot2aYScda8foz6/s1600-r/1023_mainchart.png" height="300" width="178" /></blockquote>FiveThirtyEight's composites of polling in battleground states:<br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">Colorado: Obama +6.3<br />Florida: Obama +2.8*<br />Iowa: Obama +13.7<br />Indiana: Obama +1.6*<br />Missouri: Obama +1.7*<br />North Carolina: Obama +1.7*<br />Nevada: Obama +2*<br />Ohio: Obama +3.6*<br />Pennsylvania: Obama +10.7<br />Virginia: Obama +6.8</span></blockquote>The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bad</span> news: Asterisks mark states where Obama's lead (according to this composite) is within the margin of error.<br /><br />The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Good</span> news: Even if McCain wins every single one of the asterisked states, he won't reach 270 unless he also wins Pennsylvania's 21 EVs.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252284441663875992.post-50298182464602163532008-10-23T15:00:00.006-04:002008-10-23T17:18:36.279-04:00Unusual and Cruel<span style="font-size:100%;">Sarah Palin in a recent interview for <span style="font-style: italic;">People</span></span><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">:</span></b><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Alicia in New York City asks, Do you think about having more children?</span><br />SP: No-o-o-o. We got our starting five. That's the final five.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Alicia also wondered if you had any more unique names up your sleeve.</span><br />SP: We did. We never got to get our Zamboni in. I always wanted a son named Zamboni.</span></blockquote>"Zamboni Palin." It has a nice ring to-oh wait no it doesn't. That's just horrible. Growing up is hard enough without being named after a brandname for a gargantuan machine that smooths ice. "Maybe it has another meaning," I thought. Nope.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">Zam•bo•ni<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">trademark</span><br />a brand of machine that smooths the surface of the ice on a rink</span></blockquote>As long as you're going for a brandname, why not choose something a little softer, like "Kleenex?"Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252284441663875992.post-42053487433977371162008-10-23T14:21:00.004-04:002008-10-23T14:50:35.346-04:00Confessions of an Ideologue<span style="font-size:85%;">Alan Greenspan today <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/24/business/economy/24panel.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin">conceded the limits</a> of his free-market ideology in his testimony before members of the House Committee of Government Oversight and Reform:</span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:78%;">“I made a mistake in presuming that the self-interests of organizations, specifically banks and others, were such as that they were best capable of protecting their own shareholders and their equity in the firms,” Mr. Greenspan said.<br /><br />Referring to his free-market ideology, Mr. Greenspan added: “I have found a flaw. I don’t know how significant or permanent it is. But I have been very distressed by that fact.”<br /><br />Mr. Waxman pressed the former Fed chair to clarify his words. “In other words, you found that your view of the world, your ideology, was not right, it was not working,” Mr. Waxman said.<br /><br />“Absolutely, precisely,” Mr. Greenspan replied. “You know, that’s precisely the reason I was shocked, because I have been going for 40 years or more with very considerable evidence that it was working exceptionally well.”</span></blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">This is an impressive acceptance of fallibility from one of the most prominent free-market ideologues of our time. As <a href="http://meganmcardle.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/10/libertarianism_is_dead_vive_le.php">the article posted below</a> suggests, we shouldn't let the apparent failure of one ideology result in an intensified embrace of its opposite. Greenspan's comments shouldn't fuel a potentially misguided crusade against deregulation in all its forms, but rather invite a more thoughtful consideration of the limits of economic ideology in general.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0