Thursday, January 10, 2008
World's Cheapest Car
As a follow up to a post from August of 07, I see that Tata Motors has indeed announced the 1-Lakh car.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
The Hype Machine
Just a quick comment on the absurdity of much of the commentary on the ongoing Presidential nomination process. Most of the absurdity seems to be on the Democratic side.
The short story, it seems to me, is that the media and campaign staffs overreacted to the results of the Iowa Caucuses. They talked about the Obama wave and starting writing obituaries for Hillary.
As the New Hampshire returns began to firm up in the form of a Clinton victory, the media showed that they were NOT quick learners. Indeed, at the very moment of the pundits' and prognosticators' depantsification, they began overreacting to the latest results.
The best analogy I can think of is a child attempting to treat dizziness by spinning in the opposite direction.
For me, this was most properly distilled by a breathless Tim Russert declaring that Hillary's 2 percentage point victory was "One of the greatest political upsets in American political history."
Does that seem anything other than absurd in the light of the day after?
Did anyone notice or care that Clinton was a long-time leader in New Hampshire polls and it was only the polls taken in the 48-72 HOURS before the voting that showed an Obama lead. I want to give credit where credit is due. It would have been very very difficult for Clinton in the aftermath of a New Hamphire loss. But the "greatest comeback ever" ?!
Perhaps the only thing sillier that long-time poll leader Hillary Clinton carrying the mantle of "Comeback Kid" was the original moniker as applied to Bill Clinton.
In '92, the Democratic field cleared out of Iowa in calculated deference to native son Tom Harkin. Essentially, the Iowa Caucuses that year were conceded so nobody (except Harkin) could really win or lose. Then, in New Hampshire, Bill Clinton became the Comeback Kid by LOSING to Paul Tsongas by 8 points.
So... Not winning followed by not winning again = Comeback Kid? Huh?
But back to '08...
Admittedly, the tight time frame between voting in Iowa and New Hampshire made it more difficult to figure out what would happen. But I still think the lesson is to slow down a little bit. Obama was never in as good a shape as he seemed last Friday morning and Clinton is not in as good a shape as she seems today.
As for the Republican side, Mitt Romney's strategy of winning the early states and riding the momentum has gone horribly awry. Thompson is a non-event. Guliani is executing either the shrewdest or, more likely, the most moronic campaign strategy of all. Huckabee continues to exceed expectations and improbably, impossibly, John McCain is poised to assume the mantle of the GOP establishment's candidate which would likely be decisive.
The short story, it seems to me, is that the media and campaign staffs overreacted to the results of the Iowa Caucuses. They talked about the Obama wave and starting writing obituaries for Hillary.
As the New Hampshire returns began to firm up in the form of a Clinton victory, the media showed that they were NOT quick learners. Indeed, at the very moment of the pundits' and prognosticators' depantsification, they began overreacting to the latest results.
The best analogy I can think of is a child attempting to treat dizziness by spinning in the opposite direction.
For me, this was most properly distilled by a breathless Tim Russert declaring that Hillary's 2 percentage point victory was "One of the greatest political upsets in American political history."
Does that seem anything other than absurd in the light of the day after?
Did anyone notice or care that Clinton was a long-time leader in New Hampshire polls and it was only the polls taken in the 48-72 HOURS before the voting that showed an Obama lead. I want to give credit where credit is due. It would have been very very difficult for Clinton in the aftermath of a New Hamphire loss. But the "greatest comeback ever" ?!
Perhaps the only thing sillier that long-time poll leader Hillary Clinton carrying the mantle of "Comeback Kid" was the original moniker as applied to Bill Clinton.
In '92, the Democratic field cleared out of Iowa in calculated deference to native son Tom Harkin. Essentially, the Iowa Caucuses that year were conceded so nobody (except Harkin) could really win or lose. Then, in New Hampshire, Bill Clinton became the Comeback Kid by LOSING to Paul Tsongas by 8 points.
So... Not winning followed by not winning again = Comeback Kid? Huh?
But back to '08...
Admittedly, the tight time frame between voting in Iowa and New Hampshire made it more difficult to figure out what would happen. But I still think the lesson is to slow down a little bit. Obama was never in as good a shape as he seemed last Friday morning and Clinton is not in as good a shape as she seems today.
As for the Republican side, Mitt Romney's strategy of winning the early states and riding the momentum has gone horribly awry. Thompson is a non-event. Guliani is executing either the shrewdest or, more likely, the most moronic campaign strategy of all. Huckabee continues to exceed expectations and improbably, impossibly, John McCain is poised to assume the mantle of the GOP establishment's candidate which would likely be decisive.
Monday, January 7, 2008
When did food get so expensive?
I ran to Hy-Vee last night and managed to spend $100.68. That's not an all-time record or anything, but I was surprised considering that I wasn't making a full-fledged grocery run. The reason I went at all was that Evan was the "snack person" at school today so I had to pick up some Go Tarts.
The immediate rationalization was that I "got drinks" and beverages seem to be expensive. And how!
Over 40% of the cost of the groceries were in the form of beverages?! Is that normal? I guess pop and coffee aren't an "every time" expense and they amounted to over half of the beverage totals. But sheesh!
The other $60 included the Go Tarts ($9), ingredients for approximately 10 meals (That's 10 person-meals, i.e., 3 dinners for 3 people and not 10 dinners for 2-3 people.), and a smattering of staples (bread, eggs, bananas).
Can I count on Obama to fix this?
The immediate rationalization was that I "got drinks" and beverages seem to be expensive. And how!
| Item | Quantity | Cost |
| Juicy Juice | Gallon | $4.58 |
| Coffee | 34.5 oz. (dry) | $5.99 |
| Water | 5 Gallons | $1.95 |
| Half & Half | Quart | $2.09 |
| Whole Milk | Gallon | $3.79 |
| Skim Milk | Gallon | $3.49 |
| Soy Milk | Half Gallon | $2.50 |
| Diet Coke | 24 cans | $8.54 |
| Sierra Mist | 24 cans | $9.78 |
| Total: | $42.71 |
Over 40% of the cost of the groceries were in the form of beverages?! Is that normal? I guess pop and coffee aren't an "every time" expense and they amounted to over half of the beverage totals. But sheesh!
The other $60 included the Go Tarts ($9), ingredients for approximately 10 meals (That's 10 person-meals, i.e., 3 dinners for 3 people and not 10 dinners for 2-3 people.), and a smattering of staples (bread, eggs, bananas).
Can I count on Obama to fix this?
Friday, January 4, 2008
Caucus '08 - The Event
The kids and I pulled up to Nixon Elementary and walked through the doors at 6:26 PM. And yes, the school is named after Richard Milhouse.
We were presented with a view of the tail end of a line at the top of the stairs on the second level. Human nature spurred us to join the line. It hadn't even occurred to me that the Republicans would caucus at the same location, but I overheard some people chattering about how the Democrats were upstairs in the library while the Republicans were downstairs in the gymnasium. I say "library", but apparently that term is passe. Technically, we were meeting in the I.M.C. (Information and Media Center).
We reached the front of the line at 6:36 PM where voters were able to register, switch their party preference, and indicate an initial candidate preference. Many many voters were already on the scene. I made my way to the central location where the Obama supporters were gathered and found seats for the three of us.
One minor humiliation for Obama supporters is that there were no official stickers for us to display on our chests. We were reduced to using scotch tape and 3x5 sheets of paper with "Obama" scrawled across them. I guess it served its purpose but mitigated any "wear it loud and proud" factor. We didn't have any decent signage either! The Clinton, Edwards, and even the Richardson campaigns were better equipped in the advertising department.
At 6:48 PM the precinct captain made some opening statements, passed the plate for local Party organizations, and opened the floor to representatives from each campaign to speak on behalf of their candidates. Kucinic and Gavel were not represented.
At the conclusion of the speeches, the organizers announced a precinct voter count of 171. We would be selecting 6 delegates and the "viability threshold" was calculated to be 26 voters.
The initial group counts produced a minor comedy with conflicting counts within the larger groups and group counts which didn't tie to the overall number of voters. After a spasm of recounts, the precinct shook out as follows:
Biden 10
Clinton 41
Dodd 2
Edwards 32
Obama 67
Richardson 19
Undecided 0
-----------------
Total: 171
These figures may not be precise. I was scrawling notes, but the groups were a little fluid even here at the early stages.
So immediately, here on the precinct level, we see the ultimate story of the evening. Barack Obama, three years removed as a state senator in Illinois, manages to out poll Edwards (whom has essentially been campaigning continuously here in Iowa since the 2004 elections) by 2-1 and Clinton (with her image of "inevitability" and national stature) by 3-2.
I'm assuming that new participants (like me) were a big key for Obama. The captain announced that, of the 170-odd participants, 69 voters either registered or changed their party affiliation on-site.
The Richardson group immediately began working on the Biden group in order to gain the needed converts for viability. I heard one offer to "shovel your driveway" which may or may not have been a joke.
The Obama, Clinton, and Edwards camps appeared to largely sit back and wait to see what would happen with Richardson and Biden. The Richardson group was tantalizingly close on the numbers and made a second speech in a last ditch attempt to attain viability. The odds were long for the Biden group and they gradually started to dissolve. Unfortunately for the Richardson group, I don't think he was the second choice for much of anyone.
Time grew short for the realignment period and the larger groups split into separate rooms for a recount. Soon, several Richardson supporters appeared in our room and it was apparent that it would all come down to the Big Three.
Several people abandoned the process during all the jockeying which led to a final count of 164 divided as follows:
Clinton 46 (2 delegates)
Edwards 38 (1 delegate)
Obama 80 (3 delegates)
-----------------
Total: 164
The groups then swung into the chore of selecting delegates and alternates for the Linn County convention on March 15. Soon, it was all over and the crowd filled out.
The kids, on the whole, behaved quite well. After worrying about child care, etc... it turned out that they stayed by my side throughout the entire process. (Including two round trips to the Obama count room.) Trusting little to chance, I carried a selection of inducements and distractions: containers of crackers and sugared cereal, packages of fruit chews, sippy cups loaded with strawberry milk and Juicy Juice, and several toys.
In the middle of everything, Amelia saw me jotting notes and asked if she could "draw too." That request was quickly resolved with a few sheets of paper and a pencil snatched up from a nearby table. This morning, she declared that she "...thought last night was going to be fun, but it was 'boring'."
I was very glad I went. I thought it was interesting. I think the number of new people may have resulted in a less free-wheeling experience. People didn't know what to do, what was possible, and the group leaders didn't seem to have a strong presence.
My main complaint was that the "emcee" did not adequately communicate the mathematics of the caucus. There was some confusion in our group, for example, between viability and delegate allocation as some people erroneously assumed that multiples of the viability number would result in a corresponding number of delegates.
Actually, Clinton was perhaps the luckiest in terms of the math. She received 100% more delegates than Edwards with only 21% more votes and 33% fewer delegates than Obama with 43% fewer votes. I also saw an analysis this morning that it actually works to Clinton's favor that Edwards finished second. Finishing third might have demoralized him and caused him to drop out relatively earlier which would then crystalize the non-Clinton voters firmly behind Obama. As it is now, the non-Clinton block may remain split.
For my part, I'm hoping that Obama can carry momentum into New Hampshire. I think a win there may sew things up (however absurd that is in the grand scheme of things).
We shocked the world! Let's keep schocking! (In a good way.)
We were presented with a view of the tail end of a line at the top of the stairs on the second level. Human nature spurred us to join the line. It hadn't even occurred to me that the Republicans would caucus at the same location, but I overheard some people chattering about how the Democrats were upstairs in the library while the Republicans were downstairs in the gymnasium. I say "library", but apparently that term is passe. Technically, we were meeting in the I.M.C. (Information and Media Center).
We reached the front of the line at 6:36 PM where voters were able to register, switch their party preference, and indicate an initial candidate preference. Many many voters were already on the scene. I made my way to the central location where the Obama supporters were gathered and found seats for the three of us.
One minor humiliation for Obama supporters is that there were no official stickers for us to display on our chests. We were reduced to using scotch tape and 3x5 sheets of paper with "Obama" scrawled across them. I guess it served its purpose but mitigated any "wear it loud and proud" factor. We didn't have any decent signage either! The Clinton, Edwards, and even the Richardson campaigns were better equipped in the advertising department.
At 6:48 PM the precinct captain made some opening statements, passed the plate for local Party organizations, and opened the floor to representatives from each campaign to speak on behalf of their candidates. Kucinic and Gavel were not represented.
At the conclusion of the speeches, the organizers announced a precinct voter count of 171. We would be selecting 6 delegates and the "viability threshold" was calculated to be 26 voters.
The initial group counts produced a minor comedy with conflicting counts within the larger groups and group counts which didn't tie to the overall number of voters. After a spasm of recounts, the precinct shook out as follows:
Biden 10
Clinton 41
Dodd 2
Edwards 32
Obama 67
Richardson 19
Undecided 0
-----------------
Total: 171
These figures may not be precise. I was scrawling notes, but the groups were a little fluid even here at the early stages.
So immediately, here on the precinct level, we see the ultimate story of the evening. Barack Obama, three years removed as a state senator in Illinois, manages to out poll Edwards (whom has essentially been campaigning continuously here in Iowa since the 2004 elections) by 2-1 and Clinton (with her image of "inevitability" and national stature) by 3-2.
I'm assuming that new participants (like me) were a big key for Obama. The captain announced that, of the 170-odd participants, 69 voters either registered or changed their party affiliation on-site.
The Richardson group immediately began working on the Biden group in order to gain the needed converts for viability. I heard one offer to "shovel your driveway" which may or may not have been a joke.
The Obama, Clinton, and Edwards camps appeared to largely sit back and wait to see what would happen with Richardson and Biden. The Richardson group was tantalizingly close on the numbers and made a second speech in a last ditch attempt to attain viability. The odds were long for the Biden group and they gradually started to dissolve. Unfortunately for the Richardson group, I don't think he was the second choice for much of anyone.
Time grew short for the realignment period and the larger groups split into separate rooms for a recount. Soon, several Richardson supporters appeared in our room and it was apparent that it would all come down to the Big Three.
Several people abandoned the process during all the jockeying which led to a final count of 164 divided as follows:
Clinton 46 (2 delegates)
Edwards 38 (1 delegate)
Obama 80 (3 delegates)
-----------------
Total: 164
The groups then swung into the chore of selecting delegates and alternates for the Linn County convention on March 15. Soon, it was all over and the crowd filled out.
The kids, on the whole, behaved quite well. After worrying about child care, etc... it turned out that they stayed by my side throughout the entire process. (Including two round trips to the Obama count room.) Trusting little to chance, I carried a selection of inducements and distractions: containers of crackers and sugared cereal, packages of fruit chews, sippy cups loaded with strawberry milk and Juicy Juice, and several toys.
In the middle of everything, Amelia saw me jotting notes and asked if she could "draw too." That request was quickly resolved with a few sheets of paper and a pencil snatched up from a nearby table. This morning, she declared that she "...thought last night was going to be fun, but it was 'boring'."
I was very glad I went. I thought it was interesting. I think the number of new people may have resulted in a less free-wheeling experience. People didn't know what to do, what was possible, and the group leaders didn't seem to have a strong presence.
My main complaint was that the "emcee" did not adequately communicate the mathematics of the caucus. There was some confusion in our group, for example, between viability and delegate allocation as some people erroneously assumed that multiples of the viability number would result in a corresponding number of delegates.
Actually, Clinton was perhaps the luckiest in terms of the math. She received 100% more delegates than Edwards with only 21% more votes and 33% fewer delegates than Obama with 43% fewer votes. I also saw an analysis this morning that it actually works to Clinton's favor that Edwards finished second. Finishing third might have demoralized him and caused him to drop out relatively earlier which would then crystalize the non-Clinton voters firmly behind Obama. As it is now, the non-Clinton block may remain split.
For my part, I'm hoping that Obama can carry momentum into New Hampshire. I think a win there may sew things up (however absurd that is in the grand scheme of things).
We shocked the world! Let's keep schocking! (In a good way.)
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Caucus '08 - The Set-Up
I don't know if I fully agree with elements of the national media that the Iowa Caucus is an affront to democracy and, at the very least, byzantine and arcane.
For examples, see The Slice of the Sliver Speaks, The Iowa Scam, or Wait For New Hampshire by New York Times columnist Gail Collins, Vanity Fair writer Christopher Hitchens, and Washington Post veteran David Broder respectively.
One surreal aspect of the Iowa Caucuses for me is that you can read dispatches from Slate's chief political correspondent that include Iowa City stops at the venerable Hamburg Inn No. 2 and anecdotes about getting lost on the way to an event at Marshalltown High School (my alma mater).
Ultimately, I think everyone is served. The national press is able to breathlessly hype the process and wax poetic about the candidates facing the voters in intimate settings such as community centers and town libraries. Then they can turn around and trash the process as over-hyped and undemocratic.
Iowa can be happy for the attention while tiring fully of the interminable and oftentimes indistinguishable political ads. By this late stage, we're looking for something more familiar and authentic like, for example, herbicide commercials.
New Hampshire can feel superior because their process is more transparent and less beholden to the extreme elements of either party. They, after all, hold the first PRIMARY. But the Granite State can also hold an understated sense of aggrievement at all the attention gained by a pack of fools criss-crossing the prairie.
All the while, somehow, someway, the Republic will survive.
But I may change my mind about all of this because this year I'll be participating for the first time. Actually, not yet old enough to vote, I attended the Republican caucus in 1988 as an observer. But my experience there was limited generally to witnessing a bunch of old people filling into classrooms in Miller Middle School and a burst of conspiratorial excitement when my friends and I discovered our Social Studies teacher as a participant. This was notable because he had sensibly refused to declare any political allegiances during the course of his teachings.
So I had the impulse to participate this year but, with Jessica working, what would I do with the kids? This, of course, is one of the criticisms of the caucuses. You need to free a specific two-hour block which can be be problematic if you work second shift or need to worry about child care. But then I saw media reports that the campaigns were offering to provide child care. It seems the catering to special interests starts early in the process. One hand, as they say, washes the other.
I contacted the Obama campaign through their web site around 3:30-4:00 yesterday afternoon. At 1:58 AM this morning, I received a reply via e-mail from the Obama caucus night operations manager at my precinct indicating that child care would be available on-site. One curiosity is that the manager's e-mail address is from the indiana.edu domain. An Iowan on a distant but temporary tour-of-duty or an out of state interloper!? We shall see.
Tonight, the kids and I step into the breech.
I'm Fired Up and I'm Ready to Go!!!
For examples, see The Slice of the Sliver Speaks, The Iowa Scam, or Wait For New Hampshire by New York Times columnist Gail Collins, Vanity Fair writer Christopher Hitchens, and Washington Post veteran David Broder respectively.
One surreal aspect of the Iowa Caucuses for me is that you can read dispatches from Slate's chief political correspondent that include Iowa City stops at the venerable Hamburg Inn No. 2 and anecdotes about getting lost on the way to an event at Marshalltown High School (my alma mater).
Ultimately, I think everyone is served. The national press is able to breathlessly hype the process and wax poetic about the candidates facing the voters in intimate settings such as community centers and town libraries. Then they can turn around and trash the process as over-hyped and undemocratic.
Iowa can be happy for the attention while tiring fully of the interminable and oftentimes indistinguishable political ads. By this late stage, we're looking for something more familiar and authentic like, for example, herbicide commercials.
New Hampshire can feel superior because their process is more transparent and less beholden to the extreme elements of either party. They, after all, hold the first PRIMARY. But the Granite State can also hold an understated sense of aggrievement at all the attention gained by a pack of fools criss-crossing the prairie.
All the while, somehow, someway, the Republic will survive.
But I may change my mind about all of this because this year I'll be participating for the first time. Actually, not yet old enough to vote, I attended the Republican caucus in 1988 as an observer. But my experience there was limited generally to witnessing a bunch of old people filling into classrooms in Miller Middle School and a burst of conspiratorial excitement when my friends and I discovered our Social Studies teacher as a participant. This was notable because he had sensibly refused to declare any political allegiances during the course of his teachings.
So I had the impulse to participate this year but, with Jessica working, what would I do with the kids? This, of course, is one of the criticisms of the caucuses. You need to free a specific two-hour block which can be be problematic if you work second shift or need to worry about child care. But then I saw media reports that the campaigns were offering to provide child care. It seems the catering to special interests starts early in the process. One hand, as they say, washes the other.
I contacted the Obama campaign through their web site around 3:30-4:00 yesterday afternoon. At 1:58 AM this morning, I received a reply via e-mail from the Obama caucus night operations manager at my precinct indicating that child care would be available on-site. One curiosity is that the manager's e-mail address is from the indiana.edu domain. An Iowan on a distant but temporary tour-of-duty or an out of state interloper!? We shall see.
Tonight, the kids and I step into the breech.
I'm Fired Up and I'm Ready to Go!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
