After reading a recent entry in my blog, Ben suggested that I might not want to advertise the fact that we're [redacted] a certain [redacted]. Seemed like a good idea. So I went through and purged previous entries of the offending content.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
I feel so ... Secret Squirrel
After reading a recent entry in my blog, Ben suggested that I might not want to advertise the fact that we're [redacted] a certain [redacted]. Seemed like a good idea. So I went through and purged previous entries of the offending content.
Summer Vacation, Part 4
Aaaah, summer. That magical time of year when temperatures rise to WTF and humidity makes the outdoors all but unbearable.
Here I am basking in the cool of Central Air, trying to get focused on school work. The dog occasionally pesters me, and the cats love the laptop, and I need to start writing a paper. Meanwhile, laundry tumbles in the washer and dryer, and I consider the pros and cons of going to the grocery store (pro: get more food; con: have to leave house).
We've [redacted] the most recent episode of [redacted], but haven't watched it yet - it's the middle of a [redacted], and I am trying to hold off watching until we have both parts. Can I make it? Place your bets!
A disrupted sleep pattern adds to the complexity of my life. Wow, it's tough being an unemployed American.
Last weekend, Ben & I went up to the Twin Cities. I did a little homework, and we went to see Daywatch (based (mostly) on the book Nightwatch, and sequel to the film of that name), then we had dinner with friends Melissa & Shane & Jessica & her husband Gabe, then a couple of drinks. Mmmm... drinks.
Here I am basking in the cool of Central Air, trying to get focused on school work. The dog occasionally pesters me, and the cats love the laptop, and I need to start writing a paper. Meanwhile, laundry tumbles in the washer and dryer, and I consider the pros and cons of going to the grocery store (pro: get more food; con: have to leave house).
We've [redacted] the most recent episode of [redacted], but haven't watched it yet - it's the middle of a [redacted], and I am trying to hold off watching until we have both parts. Can I make it? Place your bets!
A disrupted sleep pattern adds to the complexity of my life. Wow, it's tough being an unemployed American.
Last weekend, Ben & I went up to the Twin Cities. I did a little homework, and we went to see Daywatch (based (mostly) on the book Nightwatch, and sequel to the film of that name), then we had dinner with friends Melissa & Shane & Jessica & her husband Gabe, then a couple of drinks. Mmmm... drinks.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Friday, June 22, 2007
Red, Blue, .... Purple?
Science Avenger has a post that includes a link to a study indicating that
While it's nice to be able to make categorical statements, the use of statistics is always subject to skepticism. The most notable exception to the "Blue States Good, Red States Bad!" dichotomy was the Great Plains region. Looking just at the healthcare and education data provided on that page, I noticed that the Great Plains outperformed most of the West Coast and New York on both counts. That makes it pretty obvious to me that there are additional dynamics occurring - largely related to demographics and economic conditions, I expect.
Another curiosity is the Iron Range in northern Minnesota. This area is rural and not in great shape economically, but was solidly blue, according to this map illustrating a county by county breakdown of voting results.
(This map from Wikipedia shows a more interesting distribution, using a gradient of color from red to blue to measure the outcome more precisely.)
California is particularly interesting. On the minimum wage map, California is one of very few states with minimum wages higher than the federal minimum proposed for 2009. They also have (arguably) one of the highest personal income tax rates in the nation (the 2nd highest, at the top of its range, according to this data; however, the bottom of the range is 1.0%, so ... whatever that implies). So why does it perform so poorly on measures of health care and educational statistics?
But now look at these maps from the US Census (keep in mind that Blue States are predominantly found in the Northeast/New England, the Great Lakes region, and the West Coast).
Unmarried Partners
It's pretty rough, and Alaska is an anomaly, but it looks like Blue areas have higher rates of households headed by couples (both straight and gay) who are not married.
Nuclear Families
At the "opposite" side of the family composition spectrum, families with kids that are headed by a married couple are dominant throughout most of the country, but highest in the Great Plains (and Utah, but I wonder if it counts if the family is headed by one guy married to four women?). Looking a bit further, in those Red states with higher rates of this traditional family structure, educational performance appears to improve.
Now if we compare Nuclear Families to Poverty, an interesting trend appears:
If you look closely at the two maps, there's a reasonably strong inverse correlation between poverty and percentage of families headed by a married couple. There's a curve of poverty in the South, along the Mississippi River and stretching east to the North Carolina Coast, that corresponds almost identically to a stretch of high levels of households lacking married leadership. Some counties in North and South Dakota show the same relationship.
And now, look at this:
This map shows, by county, the percentage of the population that identifies as black and non-Hispanic. Remember that swath of poor, single-parent families?
So what does all this mean? Does this mean that poor single-parent black families living in states with bad educational systems vote the same is non-poor white traditional nuclear families with better public education? Not really: among all that Red in the South, there's a familiar curve working its way through the area.
But maybe if we throw religion into the mix, it will all become clear.
Hmm... Those traditional families in the Great Plains are pretty religious, but the South looks only slightly more religious than the Northeast.
Well what the hell!? You mean I can't draw any solid conclusions that allow me to make categorical statements about how certain people vote!? But I can't live without stereotypes and the ability to divide people into "them" and "us" groups! I also can't live without exclamation points!
"By almost any measure of societal breakdown that so-called Republican "values voters" decry, it is Red State America where moral failure is greatest."
While it's nice to be able to make categorical statements, the use of statistics is always subject to skepticism. The most notable exception to the "Blue States Good, Red States Bad!" dichotomy was the Great Plains region. Looking just at the healthcare and education data provided on that page, I noticed that the Great Plains outperformed most of the West Coast and New York on both counts. That makes it pretty obvious to me that there are additional dynamics occurring - largely related to demographics and economic conditions, I expect.
Another curiosity is the Iron Range in northern Minnesota. This area is rural and not in great shape economically, but was solidly blue, according to this map illustrating a county by county breakdown of voting results.
(This map from Wikipedia shows a more interesting distribution, using a gradient of color from red to blue to measure the outcome more precisely.)
California is particularly interesting. On the minimum wage map, California is one of very few states with minimum wages higher than the federal minimum proposed for 2009. They also have (arguably) one of the highest personal income tax rates in the nation (the 2nd highest, at the top of its range, according to this data; however, the bottom of the range is 1.0%, so ... whatever that implies). So why does it perform so poorly on measures of health care and educational statistics?
But now look at these maps from the US Census (keep in mind that Blue States are predominantly found in the Northeast/New England, the Great Lakes region, and the West Coast).
Unmarried Partners
It's pretty rough, and Alaska is an anomaly, but it looks like Blue areas have higher rates of households headed by couples (both straight and gay) who are not married.
Nuclear Families
At the "opposite" side of the family composition spectrum, families with kids that are headed by a married couple are dominant throughout most of the country, but highest in the Great Plains (and Utah, but I wonder if it counts if the family is headed by one guy married to four women?). Looking a bit further, in those Red states with higher rates of this traditional family structure, educational performance appears to improve.
Now if we compare Nuclear Families to Poverty, an interesting trend appears:
If you look closely at the two maps, there's a reasonably strong inverse correlation between poverty and percentage of families headed by a married couple. There's a curve of poverty in the South, along the Mississippi River and stretching east to the North Carolina Coast, that corresponds almost identically to a stretch of high levels of households lacking married leadership. Some counties in North and South Dakota show the same relationship.And now, look at this:
This map shows, by county, the percentage of the population that identifies as black and non-Hispanic. Remember that swath of poor, single-parent families?So what does all this mean? Does this mean that poor single-parent black families living in states with bad educational systems vote the same is non-poor white traditional nuclear families with better public education? Not really: among all that Red in the South, there's a familiar curve working its way through the area.
But maybe if we throw religion into the mix, it will all become clear.
Hmm... Those traditional families in the Great Plains are pretty religious, but the South looks only slightly more religious than the Northeast.Well what the hell!? You mean I can't draw any solid conclusions that allow me to make categorical statements about how certain people vote!? But I can't live without stereotypes and the ability to divide people into "them" and "us" groups! I also can't live without exclamation points!
100!
This is my 100th post! Huzzah! [animated gif of spinning guitar removed for your sanity]
One imagines this would be a good time to reflect back on previous posts, and perhaps look to the future of blog.
Here's one characteristic of Lady with a hat:
(click the pic to rate your blog!)
This rating was apparently determined by a single occurance of the word hell, but I know I also used the word shitty in at least one recent entry:
Another thing about this blog that might interest you is that the content ranges from random comments about me, to rants about religion and modern life, to links you might enjoy. It seems I also talk about TV a lot.
Anyway - I considered devising a vast array of Rockettes and Riverdancers to celebrate this 100th entry, but realized that digitizing them would take too long with my existing hardware. Plus, then they'd be running around my computer, all Tron-esque, and who knows what havoc they might wreak. Also, I'd be finding glitter in my keyboard for the next 12 years.
So what of the future? Likely more of the same, no?
In conclusion, the end.
One imagines this would be a good time to reflect back on previous posts, and perhaps look to the future of blog.
Here's one characteristic of Lady with a hat:
(click the pic to rate your blog!)
This rating was apparently determined by a single occurance of the word hell, but I know I also used the word shitty in at least one recent entry:
I feel like a shitty parent, having him lose teeth to gingivitis
Another thing about this blog that might interest you is that the content ranges from random comments about me, to rants about religion and modern life, to links you might enjoy. It seems I also talk about TV a lot.
Anyway - I considered devising a vast array of Rockettes and Riverdancers to celebrate this 100th entry, but realized that digitizing them would take too long with my existing hardware. Plus, then they'd be running around my computer, all Tron-esque, and who knows what havoc they might wreak. Also, I'd be finding glitter in my keyboard for the next 12 years.
So what of the future? Likely more of the same, no?
In conclusion, the end.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Photo op
I snagged this beauty in Uptown, at the corner of Hennepin & Lake.
My first thought was: It would be hilarious if they added Se habla español.
My second thought was: It would be even more hilarious if they moved it several blocks east along Lake St. And then added No habla español.
My first thought was: It would be hilarious if they added Se habla español.
My second thought was: It would be even more hilarious if they moved it several blocks east along Lake St. And then added No habla español.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
"Embryos are....
just tiny babies!" according to a billboard I saw on my way home today. And I thought, "Tiny, delicious babies, that you can sprinkle on a salad!"
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
New excuse: "The Buick made me do it."
Catholicism demonstrates again why it is utterly pointless in the modern world with its 10 commandments for drivers. Seriously, what is the point of this inane drivel?
Favorite lines:
Holy Mother Church urges drivers to, among other things, "refrain from drinking and driving, and to pray you make it before you even buckle up."
I'm sorry, don't we already have a pretty strong cultural pressure against drinking & driving? And if I'm so unsure of my driving skill that I have to pray that I survive a trip to the mall, I really ought to consider riding the bus instead.
They "also warned that automobiles can be 'an occasion of sin' -- particularly when they are used for dangerous passing or for prostitution."
These two examples aren't exactly similar in the eyes of the law. Again, if societal pressure isn't keeping you from picking up hookers, I doubt this ridiculous edict will have any effect.
Some church guy says, "We know that as a consequence of transgressions and negligence, 1.2 million people die each year on the roads. That's a sad reality, and at the same time, a great challenge for society and the church."
Actually, I don't see the necessity for the church in this equation. Maybe they're desperately trying to assert some degree of relevance in a world that would be better off without them?
Church guy also notes "that the Bible was full of people on the move, including Mary and Joseph, the parents of Jesus."
WTF does that have to do with anything? Moby Dick takes place on a boat, but I haven't seen anyone suggest that it should be a guide for ocean travel.
"drivers can kill themselves and others if they don't get their cars regular tuneups"
So now will I be committing a sin if I don't get my oil changed every 3000 miles? How many Hail Marys will absolve me of that?
Saying the Rosary while driving is "particularly well suited to recitation by all in the car since its 'rhythm and gentle repetition does not distract the driver's attention.'"
Nice. Growing up in a strongly Catholic household, I can remember always having trouble keeping track of which little plastic bead I was supposed to be holding on to. Sounds pretty distracting to me.
Commandment number 8 reads: "Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness."
This is one of the most bizarre things I've ever heard.
Sorry to go on - I'll leave the remainder to your own analysis.
PZ Myers over at Pharyngula sums it up nicely:
Favorite lines:
Holy Mother Church urges drivers to, among other things, "refrain from drinking and driving, and to pray you make it before you even buckle up."
I'm sorry, don't we already have a pretty strong cultural pressure against drinking & driving? And if I'm so unsure of my driving skill that I have to pray that I survive a trip to the mall, I really ought to consider riding the bus instead.
They "also warned that automobiles can be 'an occasion of sin' -- particularly when they are used for dangerous passing or for prostitution."
These two examples aren't exactly similar in the eyes of the law. Again, if societal pressure isn't keeping you from picking up hookers, I doubt this ridiculous edict will have any effect.
Some church guy says, "We know that as a consequence of transgressions and negligence, 1.2 million people die each year on the roads. That's a sad reality, and at the same time, a great challenge for society and the church."
Actually, I don't see the necessity for the church in this equation. Maybe they're desperately trying to assert some degree of relevance in a world that would be better off without them?
Church guy also notes "that the Bible was full of people on the move, including Mary and Joseph, the parents of Jesus."
WTF does that have to do with anything? Moby Dick takes place on a boat, but I haven't seen anyone suggest that it should be a guide for ocean travel.
"drivers can kill themselves and others if they don't get their cars regular tuneups"
So now will I be committing a sin if I don't get my oil changed every 3000 miles? How many Hail Marys will absolve me of that?
Saying the Rosary while driving is "particularly well suited to recitation by all in the car since its 'rhythm and gentle repetition does not distract the driver's attention.'"
Nice. Growing up in a strongly Catholic household, I can remember always having trouble keeping track of which little plastic bead I was supposed to be holding on to. Sounds pretty distracting to me.
Commandment number 8 reads: "Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness."
This is one of the most bizarre things I've ever heard.
Sorry to go on - I'll leave the remainder to your own analysis.
PZ Myers over at Pharyngula sums it up nicely:
The Vatican can't put together a rational policy on contraception, a far more serious problem for the world and to which their beliefs contribute, but they can send out these trivial and irritatingly idiotic suggestions for drivers?
Inappropriate use of vernacular gestures
This video at YouTube is not explicit, but probably not appropriate for the workplace. Nonetheless, it's completely hilarious, if slightly vulgar. Okay, more like moderately vulgar.
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