My most recent revelation wrt political generalizations of groups of people is Patio Man. What a great name!
Who is a patio man? Make a guess or you can read David Brooks' description.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Buses
This morning I rode the city bus to work. I've only ridden on 6 city buses since we've been in Raleigh, and had 2 break down on me. Hopefully I'm just unlucky and their failure rate isn't that bad.
It took 50 minutes to get to campus from my house. According to google maps new walking route feature (how cool is that) It's 3.3 miles and should take me 68 minutes. Which means they are assuming about a 20 minute mile. I'm pretty confident I can walk a mile in closer to 15 minutes, so it would be about even time-wise with riding the bus and I would get some exercise in.
So, I need a formula. I'm going to guess the breakpoint is somewhere around 3.5 miles at which point it might be worth it to ride. A few other factors to consider, number of bus transfers necessary, number of kids in tow, outside temperature (I don't want to be sweaty mess at work), time of day (=>road congestion), and time since last exercise.
As a side note, if I didn't have an enormous belly making it nearly impossible to bend over, I would have just ridden my bike this morning.
Anyway, it made me feel for people who daily ride the bus to and from work. What a pain. The thing breaks down and your screwed, nearly guaranteed to be late. This morning everyone got off and started walking. Fortunately I was relatively close to my building so it didn't cost me much, but I'm sure others had much further to go and were no doubt late as the bus was already running 15 minutes behind.
What a terrible system. There must be a better way!
It took 50 minutes to get to campus from my house. According to google maps new walking route feature (how cool is that) It's 3.3 miles and should take me 68 minutes. Which means they are assuming about a 20 minute mile. I'm pretty confident I can walk a mile in closer to 15 minutes, so it would be about even time-wise with riding the bus and I would get some exercise in.
So, I need a formula. I'm going to guess the breakpoint is somewhere around 3.5 miles at which point it might be worth it to ride. A few other factors to consider, number of bus transfers necessary, number of kids in tow, outside temperature (I don't want to be sweaty mess at work), time of day (=>road congestion), and time since last exercise.
As a side note, if I didn't have an enormous belly making it nearly impossible to bend over, I would have just ridden my bike this morning.
Anyway, it made me feel for people who daily ride the bus to and from work. What a pain. The thing breaks down and your screwed, nearly guaranteed to be late. This morning everyone got off and started walking. Fortunately I was relatively close to my building so it didn't cost me much, but I'm sure others had much further to go and were no doubt late as the bus was already running 15 minutes behind.
What a terrible system. There must be a better way!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Voter suppression
This topic is especially disturbing to me as I feel like it puts us in the same camp as those "democratic" countries who just *happen* (through a variety of threats no doubt) to elect the same dictator year after year.
The entire campaign process in which the candidates barely tell the truth and their respective campaigns spread blatant lies is really horrible already. I guess we've just learned to deal with it via things like post-debate fact-finding teams who report on which statements are true or stretched. I'm not sure why we let this happen, but anyway, at least there are sources of political truth and enough reporters working hard to hammer it out for us.
Now, voter suppression is a whole different game. To me this is a much more serious violation of our basic voter rights. Whether or not ex-felons should vote is just one small part of this problem. More seriously, regular people are purposely tricked or pressured into not voting. Hitting close to home, the 2006 VA state election has now been linked to obvious voter suppression with people receiving threatening phone calls, deceptive phone calls, and deceptive mailings to "encourage" non-voting.
In this election, the VA college student voting is clearly a problem. Now, in desperation, McCain's campaign is blasting ACORN for voter registration fraud. While this is a valid problem, based on history, registration fraud rarely results in actual fraud at the polls. Additionally, why would they be fighting a non-profit, non-partisan social justice group. Obviously, they are suppressing likely Obama voters. However, it's ridiculously cruel to continue to lay the big hand of conservative wealth again and again to strike down anything that helps the people they abuse. This organization has been around for 40 years helping people gain access to their right to vote in addition to organizing low-moderate income individuals to change things that concern them, like minimum wage, schools, fair-housing, all those things that people need!
Our country is so on track for an uprising from the low-moderate income workers. Maybe just maybe a democratic white house could push it off a little longer.
The entire campaign process in which the candidates barely tell the truth and their respective campaigns spread blatant lies is really horrible already. I guess we've just learned to deal with it via things like post-debate fact-finding teams who report on which statements are true or stretched. I'm not sure why we let this happen, but anyway, at least there are sources of political truth and enough reporters working hard to hammer it out for us.
Now, voter suppression is a whole different game. To me this is a much more serious violation of our basic voter rights. Whether or not ex-felons should vote is just one small part of this problem. More seriously, regular people are purposely tricked or pressured into not voting. Hitting close to home, the 2006 VA state election has now been linked to obvious voter suppression with people receiving threatening phone calls, deceptive phone calls, and deceptive mailings to "encourage" non-voting.
In this election, the VA college student voting is clearly a problem. Now, in desperation, McCain's campaign is blasting ACORN for voter registration fraud. While this is a valid problem, based on history, registration fraud rarely results in actual fraud at the polls. Additionally, why would they be fighting a non-profit, non-partisan social justice group. Obviously, they are suppressing likely Obama voters. However, it's ridiculously cruel to continue to lay the big hand of conservative wealth again and again to strike down anything that helps the people they abuse. This organization has been around for 40 years helping people gain access to their right to vote in addition to organizing low-moderate income individuals to change things that concern them, like minimum wage, schools, fair-housing, all those things that people need!
Our country is so on track for an uprising from the low-moderate income workers. Maybe just maybe a democratic white house could push it off a little longer.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
reducing? stuff
The Bronco is officially sold and out of our possession. We, and especially cspew, have lots of great memories while driving it, but we're now glad to be free from whatever window motor, wiper motor, gas tank, etc. will be breaking next. The subaru will be getting a hitch soon unless the jet skis somehow disappear.
We're also making progress on reorganizing our house to make room for a crib. Yes, a crib is not that large, but neither is our house. We are back to the sliding squares game we played while moving in. The computer gear and files are now in the living room so we have created a new blank in the game.
We're also making progress on reorganizing our house to make room for a crib. Yes, a crib is not that large, but neither is our house. We are back to the sliding squares game we played while moving in. The computer gear and files are now in the living room so we have created a new blank in the game.
Monday, October 13, 2008
NC Celebs
We've had two psuedo-celebrity sightings in the last couple weeks: Mike Connell (from The Connells) at a neighborhood pot-luck and Roy Williams (UNC basketball coach) at an Outback in CH...very thrilling I know.
Friday, October 10, 2008
CSA upgrade
The Raleigh CSA group is quite amazing. There is actually quite a variety in CSA's you can join. There is a drop-off in our neighborhood and I participate somewhat regularly by placing an order a day or so before the drop off. However, we've just stepped it up and actually purchases a winter share. It's seriously an amazing deal and I'm anxious to be forced into eating my local seasonal veggies over just occasionally purchasing them. Hopefully the fam is up for all the roots we'll be consuming this winter. The CSA we bought into is Beausol Gardens. I've added a link to a site some other members maintain with recipes....basically for my own convenience and not wanting to use bookmarks on my work computer.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Calling montgomery county residents...
I presume many of you are aware of this problem, but still might not hurt to send Randall Wertz an email or phone call.
I heard an NPR piece on this regarding ODU a few months back and this is the first VT related case I've seen. In a nutshell, the montgomery county registrar (and all local VA registrars) has been granted the power, due to vague state government language, to decide who is qualified as a resident to vote. Randall Wertz, the registrar, is purposely scaring away VT students so that they are unable to register to vote in Blacksburg. This clearly hurts Obama, but even if you are a McCain supporter it should be a bit appalling that VA is going against the spirit of a supreme court ruling in which students were granted the right to vote where they attend school. I can only presume that Wertz is in bed with the hedgepath cronies and is getting a high off this power because if VT students could vote in local elections, their good-old boy network would fall to pieces. Anyway, here a short blog about it...easy read. Seriously, at least send an email to Wertz telling him your a resident and think it tatics are a poor representation of the county and perpetuating the boss-hog style government that city slickers assume goes on in rural areas.
I heard an NPR piece on this regarding ODU a few months back and this is the first VT related case I've seen. In a nutshell, the montgomery county registrar (and all local VA registrars) has been granted the power, due to vague state government language, to decide who is qualified as a resident to vote. Randall Wertz, the registrar, is purposely scaring away VT students so that they are unable to register to vote in Blacksburg. This clearly hurts Obama, but even if you are a McCain supporter it should be a bit appalling that VA is going against the spirit of a supreme court ruling in which students were granted the right to vote where they attend school. I can only presume that Wertz is in bed with the hedgepath cronies and is getting a high off this power because if VT students could vote in local elections, their good-old boy network would fall to pieces. Anyway, here a short blog about it...easy read. Seriously, at least send an email to Wertz telling him your a resident and think it tatics are a poor representation of the county and perpetuating the boss-hog style government that city slickers assume goes on in rural areas.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Work and less blogging
My level of work requirements has finally picked up. I knew it would eventually happen, and the time has arrived. I've provided my first document to folks and now my list of demands and deadlines is looming. So today's post is just a quick collection of random thoughts.
Debate tonight...I am growing weary of the campaigns. I long ago made up my mind to vote for Obama, so the further the McCain camps gets behind and the more they resort to nasty tatics, the less tolerant I become at someone voting for McCain. Palin has really taken it all over the top for me with her ignorance lacing the attacks. I realize that republican policies are completely legit and that I'm being completely biased and unfair, but it's still tough to remain accepting. Yes, both sides play mean, but it is well document that when one falls behind, out come the real playground meanies. I hope to come away from tonight without additional resentment. My hopes are low as I read predictions that McCain will come out swinging with the dirt as a last resort. Maybe I'll be surprised!
Had a good weekend in the burg...saw lots of friends and although lacking the intensity of a big game enjoyed watching the hokies live win a football game. My belly even made the Hokievision (jumbotron). Lil-M had a great time with her friends and the pumpkin farm. It's fun to be in the mountains around fall time. Although another week or two is probably in order to get the real leaf affect. Lil-M wined last night that we haven't raked up leaves to jump in yet...the fact that the leaves were still on the trees was no consolation.
Getting your kid is swim lessons in Raleigh is like getting tickets to a basketball game. Maybe I'll camp out when the next enrollment session opens.
The more I'm in this office, the more it's like The Office. The latest...on Friday the major street by campus was going to close at 5pm for some event. A request by one office worker to leave a little early so she could get off campus, which would be somewhat difficult with the street closed, was denied because someone had to be here to answer the phone!...seriously? Maybe the thinking is that when the economy tanks you can stop offering anything nice to employees?
I wonder if #2 will have a name and/or a bed to come home to. Not yet!
Debate tonight...I am growing weary of the campaigns. I long ago made up my mind to vote for Obama, so the further the McCain camps gets behind and the more they resort to nasty tatics, the less tolerant I become at someone voting for McCain. Palin has really taken it all over the top for me with her ignorance lacing the attacks. I realize that republican policies are completely legit and that I'm being completely biased and unfair, but it's still tough to remain accepting. Yes, both sides play mean, but it is well document that when one falls behind, out come the real playground meanies. I hope to come away from tonight without additional resentment. My hopes are low as I read predictions that McCain will come out swinging with the dirt as a last resort. Maybe I'll be surprised!
Had a good weekend in the burg...saw lots of friends and although lacking the intensity of a big game enjoyed watching the hokies live win a football game. My belly even made the Hokievision (jumbotron). Lil-M had a great time with her friends and the pumpkin farm. It's fun to be in the mountains around fall time. Although another week or two is probably in order to get the real leaf affect. Lil-M wined last night that we haven't raked up leaves to jump in yet...the fact that the leaves were still on the trees was no consolation.
Getting your kid is swim lessons in Raleigh is like getting tickets to a basketball game. Maybe I'll camp out when the next enrollment session opens.
The more I'm in this office, the more it's like The Office. The latest...on Friday the major street by campus was going to close at 5pm for some event. A request by one office worker to leave a little early so she could get off campus, which would be somewhat difficult with the street closed, was denied because someone had to be here to answer the phone!...seriously? Maybe the thinking is that when the economy tanks you can stop offering anything nice to employees?
I wonder if #2 will have a name and/or a bed to come home to. Not yet!
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