February 2012
8 posts
6 tags
On the Presidential Apology
On February 22, charred copies of the Islamic holy book, the Quran, were found in fire pits at the Parwan Detention Facility in Afghanistan. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which runs Parwan,explained that the burning stemmed from extremist inscriptions written in several copies of the Parwan library’s Qurans, which were destroyed in an effort to curb the spread of radical...
4 tags
Social Media and Polling
It has never been harder to get a person to answer questions over the phone, but millions are eager to share their opinions on Facebook, Twitter, and other emerging social media sites. Figuring out how to analyze this new massive source of information could make conventional polling based on lengthy telephone surveys obsolete.
According to a Gigaom article, IBM is so high on social media...
4 tags
The Robe Adds Ten Pounds
On Thursday, February 9th, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 11-7 to advance a bill (S. 1945) that would permit cameras to televise Supreme Court oral arguments, with the exception for when it would affect the due process of a party before the Court. A similar measure (H.R. 3572) has been referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary for similar consideration.
Many state courts televise...
5 tags
Racism, Politics, and Money
Last weekend, the political world went into automatic “shocked and appalled” mode after Pete Hoekstra, a Republican candidate in the U.S. Senate race in Michigan, released an ad during the Super Bowl featuring an Asian women in a rice paddy, speaking broken English and thanking Hoekstra’s Democratic opponent, current Senator Debbie Stabenow: “Debbie spends so much American money. You borrow more...
2 tags
On Low Voter Turnout
People who don’t vote aren’t necessarily lazy or apathetic. Some work on hourly wages and cannot justify a trip to the polls over paying their mortgage. Some are discouraged by the knowledge that they live in a town, city, or state so ideologically entrenched that in winner take all politics their vote is rendered meaningless. Many don’t have proper ID. Still, others no longer live in the...
3 tags
Which Countries Have the Most Mobile Phones?
We’re impressed with the Slate/New America Foundation’s Map of the Week this week showing stats on mobile-vs-landline subscriptions all around the world. The map is a bit funky, you have to click around a lot…but the data is interesting.
According to their data, there are now around 50 landline subscriptions per 100 residents in the US. In the Congo, there are almost 400 cell phones vs. each...
6 tags
How Important Is Income Inequality to Americans?
2011 was about the 99% vs. the 1%. The 2012 continuation of that story began with the release of Mitt Romney’s tax returns and President Obama’s State of the Union address. Recently Romney was asked a question about the distribution of wealth, he responded, “I think it’s fine to talk about those things in quiet rooms and discussions about tax policy and the like.” The discussion about income...
4 tags
The Buck Stops Where?
Ownership Society. Personal responsibility. Personal accountability. Tell the truth. These are not difficult concepts to understand. These are not grey issues.
Over coffee this morning I read a Washington Post story about Ron Paul and the “He said. She said.” about whether or not he used racist, anti-semitic and homophobic rants in his newsletters in the 90’s. This led me to then think about...
