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Lowering the tone...

Saturday, June 12, 2010
Link 'borrowed' from the b3ta newsletter.  It is a version of 'hot or not' focused on members of the US Congress, and the results of the crowdsourcing are in.

The best lookers, based on the wisdom of crowds, are these two - Mary Bono Mack, Cal (Rep) and Martin Heinrich NM, (Dem):

And the least pulchritudinous, these two - Ike Skelton, Missouri (Dem) and Nita Lowey, NY (Dem):


I reckon that Ms Lowey just looks her age, and there are significantly odder looking people in Congress, but judge for yourselves with vote rigging opportunities here.

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posted by Croydonian

Imagine the furore if London Zoo did this....

Tuesday, February 09, 2010
From The East African:

"In June 2009, Uganda conservationists had reason to smile: They witnessed the birth of the first ever baby rhino in Uganda, 27 years after the last rhino was seen. The rhino was named Obama, a tribute to its shared birth heritage with the current leader of the Free World. Like US President Obama, the baby rhino has an American mother and a Kenyan father".

Can't say I buy into Obamamania, but my skin is crawling.

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posted by Croydonian

US electoral college reform - a modest proposal from some random bod on the internet

Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Saw this earlier, and thought I'd take it to a narrower audience:

The idea is that each electoral college vote would represent more equal population, plus it makes for an interesting map and provides some head-scraching names.  More at the author's site.

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posted by Croydonian

Exciting factlets o' the day

Monday, January 25, 2010
I saw this on Wikipedia the other day:

"During the Cold War, the United States developed a geopolitical interest in Greenland, and in 1946 the United States offered to buy Greenland from Denmark for $100,000,000, but Denmark refused to sell".
Via the miracle of the Measuringworth calculator, that equates to anything from  $874,862,903.23 (GDP deflator) to $6,499,279,927.99 (relative gdp).

By contrast, Alaska went for $7.2m back in 1867, or a price ranging from $95,627,209.94 to  $12,462,059,710.40.  Going further back, the bargain that was the Louisiana Purchase was $15m in 1803, or anything from  $274,488,136.46 to $448,977,772,987.67.

Comparing areas we have 828,000 sq miles for Louisiana, 663,268 sq miles for Alaska and 836,109 sq miles for Greenland, so based on the low-balled current value, Louisiana went for $331.5 per square mile, Alaska for $144.2 per square mile and Greenland would have gone for a rather impressive $1046.35.  Running with the high-end values, Louisiana comes out on top at $542,243.70 per sq mile, followed by Alaska at $18,788.88 and Greenland at the bottom of the heap at $7,773.24.

Should Uncle Sam fancy putting in another bid, the Danish national debt is in the regiuon of $24 billion at the moment.

I would have a look at the Gadsen Purchase too, but life is too short.    


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posted by Croydonian

Legislating the unlegislatable

Thursday, September 03, 2009
This, from the Honolulu Advertiser:

"Leave it to Rod Tam. While others worry about how the city's rail project will look or how loud it will sound, the Honolulu City Council is concerned about how it will smell....Under the measure introduced by Tam and Nestor Garcia, stinky riders on city public transportation could be ordered to get off the bus or train and issued a citation by police. If convicted of violating the "passenger code of conduct," which includes the ban on stinking, a person could be fined up to $500 and/or spend up to six months in jail, which may or may not improve their personal grooming".

I have not been able to track down much more about the legislations author, but if anyone else feels up to digging around on the Honolulu council web page, good luck - it is a real retina burner.

Anyway, all of us will have been downwind of the foul -smelling in confined spaces, but doubtless the niffy have not been told that they are offensive to the olfactory senses of others. As to enforcement, would folk have to pass through sniff-o-meters at train stations - and would this be prior or post ticket purchase? This has the makings of a great revenue spinner, in that if one bought a ticket and then got bounced at the barrier, who would want to queue in the queue of shame for a refund?

Always supposing one was allowed to board a train, what then of individuals who opted to eat a few raw bulbs of garlic? Would there be roving teams of inspectors inhaling deeply at regular intervals.

And let's not even start on the appeals process.

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posted by Croydonian

Where to find ideological confreres Stateside.

Friday, August 14, 2009
Gallup has been kind enough to poll Americans, state by state, as to whether they deem themselves conservative, moderate or liberal.

Alabama and Mississippi emerge as the most 'conservative', with 49% and 48% identification respectively. At the other end of the scale, DC is the most 'liberal' at 37%, followed by Massachusetts and Vermont (surprise, surprise) at 29% and 28%. Rhode Island and Hawaii would appear to be the least ideological with 43% of each reckoning themselves moderate.

The figures mapped look like this:


By American terms, my politics are rather confused, in that I would fail on any number of 'conservative' shibboleths - abortion for starters - so perhaps that is why, broadly, I would rather visit the 'liberal' states rather than the 'consevative' ones. Apart from Hawaii, which because of its climate is one of my ideas of Hell.

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posted by Croydonian

Obama's stat pr0n

Wednesday, July 29, 2009
From CNS News, via Zogby:

"The traffic at President Obama's official White House Web site--whitehouse.gov--has fallen from a post-Inauguration peak to nearly the same level it was during the waning days of the Bush administration.

The dramatic drop in traffic has happened despite the Obama Administration's complete redesign of the site. According to the web-traffic tracking site Alexa.com, whitehouse.gov was almost the 500th most popular Web site in the world in February. Since then, it has fallen to the 3,732 ranked Web site in the world. Traffic to the site has fallen 51.6 percent in the last three months".


Anyway, Alexa allows statpr0n fans to download the daily top 1m sites (No, I'm not in it, alas. And neither are you, unless you are Dale, Fawkes, Dizzy or DK. Couldn't be bothered to check anyone else), and whitehouse.gov currently lurks at 4419, sandwiched between 1111.com.tw - having looked at it, I have no idea what it is about, although it appears to be work safe - and geenstijl.nl, of which I have heard. It is a sort of blog / news / waggishness site for sound Dutch types.

To add insult to injury, poor old 'bama does not even have the top US govt site - that goes to NIH.gov (a health site) at 478, followed by NASA at 545 and CA.gov at 748. He is outdone by Google Angola, but betters Google T&T.

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posted by Croydonian

Headline o' the year. Almost.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009
From the Miami Herald:

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posted by Croydonian

A little light White House-ology

Sunday, June 28, 2009
Compare and contrast:

"He told Mr Brown to continue showing "integrity" and to be sure that "every day you are waking up and making the very best decisions that you can despite the fact that sometimes the cards in your hand are not very good and the options are narrow". BBC 1/4/9

And:

"During German Chancellor Angela Merkel's White House visit on Friday, one thing topped the agenda: a show of friendship. US President Barack Obama praised Merkel to the hilt, while she returned the compliment. Politics were pushed into the background... [Obama] began with a "Wilkommen" in German, and praised Merkel's "wisdom" and "candor."...Obama greeted "my friend Chancellor Merkel." Der Spiegel 27/6/9

Get the feeling OB has just a touch more respect and amity for the Kanzlerin than the Prime Minister?

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posted by Croydonian

So much for easier voting prompting higher turnout

Thursday, May 28, 2009
Not in Hawaii it hasn't:

"Officials saw an 83 percent drop in the number of voters participating in the Honolulu Neighbourhood Board's recent election that is the nation's first all-digital election, where people could vote over the Internet or by phone. For the first time, Oahu voters had to use computers or the telephone to vote for their neighborhood board candidates and many people did not bother.About 7,300 people voted this year, compared to 44,000 people who voted in the last neighborhood board race in 2007".

Draughty church halls and scout huts are the only way forward....

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posted by Croydonian

When Nobel Laureates go wild

Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Obama is visiting Africa, as Presidents tend to do from time to time, and he has to start somewhere. Would it be worth getting upset if he did not make one's own country the first port of call? Not really, I would have thought.

Not, however, in the case of Nobel Literature Laureate (and stranger to the barber) Wole Soyinka, who seems to think that by choosing Ghana as his first stop that Obama has impugned the dignity of Nigeria:

"The Nobel Laureate had told THISDAY on Thursday at an Art Exhibition at the Italian Embassy, Abuja that Obama's decision to visit Ghana ahead of Nigeria in his first trip to Africa was a wise decision.

He went further to say that "If Obama decides to grace Nigeria with his presence, I will stone him. The message he is sending by going to Ghana is so obvious, is so brilliant that he must not render it flawed by coming to Nigeria any time soon", he said".

I doubt that the 74 year old is so good with a stone that Obama's goons will be that worried. Anyway, if other Nobel Lit laureates fancy their chances of lapidating the President, we are in a good position as we have two living Laureates in Doris Lessing and V.S.Naipaul. Mind you, they are both getting on a bit. Elsewhere, if he feels he has not had enough attention of late, Derek Walcott could have a go. Maybe it needs to be opened up to Peace prize winners and so on, in which case Jimmy Carter is going to be horribly conflicted - should he be on the side of the Laureates or that of his President? Decisions, decisions....

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posted by Croydonian

A way forward for the Republicans

Monday, May 25, 2009
From Gallup US:

"Veterans are more likely to be Republican than are those of comparable ages who are not veterans. This Republican skew is at least minimally evident across all age groups, ranging from a 15-point difference in the percentage Republican between veterans and nonveterans in the 25-29 age group, to a 2-point difference in the 85+ group".

Well, given Iraq II and Afghanistan, maybe things will look up for the GOP in 2012. Perhaps another war or two the next time they get in, possibly with conscription, is just what it needs to overcome the Democrats.

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posted by Croydonian

Arnie for President?

Thursday, May 21, 2009
No, not the US of A, but Austria:

"People’s Party (ÖVP) Environment Minister Nikolaus Berlakovich has prompted speculation California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger could run as the party’s Austrian presidential candidate. Berlakovich said in an interview in today’s (Weds) edition of weekly magazine News: "Yes, I can readily imagine a Schwarzenegger candidacy." The minister, who visited California last week, added the governor was "an excellent and extremely-successful politician" and when asked if the ÖVP would ask Schwarzenegger to become its presidential candidate, Berlakovich said: "That is a question for the party leader".

Can't see it, frankly. Arnie was friendly with a former Austrian president.....

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posted by Croydonian

Real estate opportunity of the year

Friday, May 15, 2009
The Governor of California is proposing to flog off the site of San Quentin prison, and quite choice its location is too:

"The correctional complex sits on Point San Quentin, which comprises 432 acres (1.75 km2) of desirable waterfront real estate overlooking the north side of San Francisco Bay. The prison complex itself occupies 275 acres (1.11 km2) of land, whose value a 2001 study estimated at between $129 million and $664 million".

Sounds like a plan. I would imagine that of British prisons, Wandsworth must sit on the most valuable real estate. One would think that our mainly 19th century prisons, often built in central (ish)residential locations, could be flogged off for redevelopment and be re-built to more modern standards elsewhere. After all, if the concept of prisons was invented today, how many of the current sites would be deemed sensible?

Anyway, shame the Man in Black isn't around to write another song about it.

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posted by Croydonian

Spot the alleged criminal

Tuesday, May 05, 2009
A diversion from the other side of the pond:

Welcome to PickThePerp.com! Click on the perp who you think was booked for the crime shown.

And it looks like this:

It is not especially easy, except when the charge is prostitution and there's only one woman in the line up. The drink /drug offences give you half a chance as the most wrecked-looking person is often the one who has been charged. Best I've managed is a streak of three matches and a 30 odd % success rate. Give it a go.

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posted by Croydonian

Bizarre survey o' the day

Friday, May 01, 2009
For reasons work-related, I was digging around in the archives of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, and while I failed to find what I was looking for, I did turn up this:

"Based on a survey released Thursday [5th March] of cities with American-made cars, hunting license applications, barbecue restaurants, monster truck rallies and hardware stores -- among other masculine attributes -- Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., claims to represent the "manliest" congressional district in America.

The survey, commissioned by Mars Snackfood U.S., looked at various manliness factors and then ranked 50 U.S. cities. Nashville, at the eastern end of Blackburn's 7th District, came in first and is referred to as "the mecca of manliness."

Ahem, men in Nashville wear rhinestones..... Mind you, 'Most of the district's residents have not been represented by a Democrat since 1973'. Source

The top ten looks like this:

  • Nashville, Tenn.
  • Charlotte, N.C.
  • Oklahoma City, Okla.
  • Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Denver, Colo.
  • St. Louis, Mo.
  • Columbus, Ohio
  • Kansas City, Mo.
  • Indianapolis, Ind.
  • Toledo, Ohio

    • The full 50 is here

    I hear good things of Cinci, and was impressed by what I have seen of Denver, and although I consider myself deeply masculine (2 boy children bearing my name and all that), I think I would still prefer NYC, which finishes fiftieth: "Despite high ratings in the "bowling" category, New York City ranked at the bottom of the manly survey due to low scores in manly indicators such as "fishing," "home improvement" and "drag racing."

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    posted by Croydonian

    Christians for torture

    Or so it would seem, judging from a survey by Pew Global on attitudes to torture among four US religious demographics - white Evangelicals, white Catholics, white mainstream Protestants and white unaffiliated.

    Some 62% of the former believe torture often or sometimes justified, as do 51% of Catholics, 46% of Protestants and 40% of the unafilliated. And approval rises with church attendance - 54% of those going at least weekly approve, compared to 51% of monthly attenders and 42% of rare / never attend.


    A rum business. A very rum business

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    posted by Croydonian

    Hurrah for the youth of America

    Wednesday, April 29, 2009
    In comparative terms, as 18-29 year olds are the demographic most likely to see free trade agreements as a 'good thing', at a still somewhat lukewarm 62% to 19%. 50-64 year olds go the other way at 32% / 47%, while I worry about the 30% of the 65+ cohort that cannot muster the intellectual challenge of having an opinion.

    Elsewhere, black folk are more supportive than white folk at 47% to 42% and an alarming 34% of college graduates are, it would appear, in the grip of the mercantilist fallacy as they deem free trade a bad thing.

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    posted by Croydonian

    Fancy a night on the town with Bill Clinton?

    Thursday, April 16, 2009
    The most fun you could have with or without sending your clothes to the dry cleaners afterwards, I imagine. Probably not a good idea for a woman though.

    Anyway, always supposing one could get around American electoral donations law, the prospect is out there:

    "Continuing to prove she's savvy as well as smart, Hillary Clinton is using the American Idol finale as a draw to help pay off her debts from her presidential campaign. Anyone who makes an online contribution will be entered into a contest to win two tickets to the show's last episode in Los Angeles.

    Not an Idol fanatic? You can also enter to win a day with President Clinton and a fun-filled weekend in New York. The price tag on these two potential prizes is actually dirt cheap! The lowest contribution is only five dollars".

    I cannot find a reference to having wheeled out this anecdote before, and even if I have, it bears repeating:

    Back in '96 when Bob Dole was running for the Big One, his spin boys and gals put it about that Bill's diet should be a cause for concern, and Carville (?) replied, "Who do you want ordering the pizza? Let's face it, Dole's strictly a boiled chicken kinda guy". From memory, and I cannot lay hands on the reference. Found a variant here, but there's no boiled chicken reference.

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    posted by Croydonian

    Those open-minded Democrats.

    A mildly interesting set of research findings from Pew on the 2008 Presidential election campaing, revolving around news sources and so forth, with this the stand out:

    "Percentage who usually seek out political information online from sites that share their point of view".

    All online political users - 33%
    Democrats - 44%
    Republicans - 35%
    Independent - 22%

    Well, of course, it is we on the Right who have closed minds, eh?

    The other jaw dropper is that apparently 4% of voters 'shared their experiences at the polls by commenting on someone's website or blog', and two per cent blogged themselves. Crikey.

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    posted by Croydonian