This Christmas, I requested and received something that many of you will find highly nerdy and not all that interesting: an electrical power meter. I have long wondered just how much various items around the house use (home electronics, mainly) and I now have a way to measure and see for myself.
First up, the computer. Instead of shutting my computer (iMac G5) down every time I am done using it, I put it into "sleep" mode. The display turns off, the disks spin down and the computer appears to be off except for a pulsing heart-beat-like light below the display. Power consumed in this state: 9W. Considering most house-hold incandescent lamps are 60W or greater, this is not much power at all. Overnight in the state, my computer consumed 0.08 kW-hrs. Even at $0.10/kW-hr, this is only pennies a month to avoid the hassle of shutting down and restarting my computer every time I want to use it.
Other misc. measurements I made on the computer:
-The display can be set to turn off after a period of disuse. The display consumes about 15W at full brightness. This is a lot less than I expected considering...
-During my normal usage, my computer consumes about 70W. This varies quite a bit depending on what I'm doing but the normal email, web-surfing, typing all weigh in about the same.
-When I'm doing processor intensive work like photo-editing or DVD-rendering the computer consumes about 110W.
I'll be measuring other stuff and probably (maybe) post on it later but I'll leave you with this one highly practical tidbit: those compact florescent lamps REALLY DO use a lot less energy than incandescent bulbs. The ones I've measured have all met their advertised power consumption. These light sources consume only 14W and provide the light of a 60W incandescent. Do us all a favor and go out and get yourself some of these for all the high-usage areas of your home. They'll probably pay for themselves over the life of the bulb and provide the warm fuzzy that you get when you save energy.
Well, at least I do.
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Audit #2
Our mail was on hold while we were out on Christmas break and, due to Gerald Ford's death, we didn't get our mail until Wednesday. Waiting in the stack on my desk was a little letter from our friendly neighborhood IRS office.
Yes, once again, I am being audited.
The last audit was for my charitable contributions during the 2004 tax year. This audit is for contributions during 2005. I guess the good news is that I haven't filed my 2006 return so I can't be audited for it. Yet.
I don't know what to make of this. Katie thinks that once you're audited, you stay on the IRS watch list. I'm skeptical but don't have a better guess at this point. I haven't started to assemble the documents yet but I'm not very worried. Additionally, since I've done this before, I have a pretty good idea what to expect.
Two audits, eight months.
Sheesh.
Yes, once again, I am being audited.
The last audit was for my charitable contributions during the 2004 tax year. This audit is for contributions during 2005. I guess the good news is that I haven't filed my 2006 return so I can't be audited for it. Yet.
I don't know what to make of this. Katie thinks that once you're audited, you stay on the IRS watch list. I'm skeptical but don't have a better guess at this point. I haven't started to assemble the documents yet but I'm not very worried. Additionally, since I've done this before, I have a pretty good idea what to expect.
Two audits, eight months.
Sheesh.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Early Speilberg
My wife borrowed a copy of Close Encounters of the Third Kind over Thanksgiving and we watched it the other night. I know it was quite popular at the time but when all was said and done, I have no idea why. Well, that's not quite true, the visual effects used to create the alien spaceships were quite well done. I would say that to this day, they hold up quite well and don't appear fake at all. (This is not true of the make-up used on the aliens. They looked like small children with rubber masks.) Aside from that, though, I found the film rather disappointing.
This isn't the only early Speilberg film that was popular when released and that I find mostly unentertaining. Just a year or two ago I finally saw Goonies, about twenty years after the peak of its popularity. There were many moments throughout the film where I had flashbacks to grade school and finally figured out the pop culture references I had missed at the time. The "Ah-ha!" effect was probably the only redeeming part of the film for me. That and the fact that it was filmed on the Oregon Coast (along with other run-away hits like Free Willy and Kindergarten Cop).
For me, the most annoying part of these early Speilberg films is the dialog/relationships between the main characters. If I had to say, the rule seemed to be that all family units must be dysfunctional in a painful way and all dialog must include at least three people talking at the same time. In the case of "Goonies", the dialog must also be loud and obnoxious.
Obviously, Speilberg went on to make other films that will probably stand the test of time: my votes are on Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. Oddly enough, there were also two films that received critical acclaim when released and were made in-between "Close Encounters" and "Goonies": The Color Purple and ET. I haven't seen "The Color Purple" but I remember the buzz surrounding it and it has been a while since I've seen ET but I know I generally enjoyed it.
So maybe early Speilberg is more inconsistent than anything else; I'm sure some would say that this just isn't early Speilberg but all Speilberg. For me, though, I think I am much more able to tolerate his more recent films than his early ones.
That said, it looks like Jurassic Park IV is in pre-production with Mr. Speilberg as the executive producer. I think I'll pass.
This isn't the only early Speilberg film that was popular when released and that I find mostly unentertaining. Just a year or two ago I finally saw Goonies, about twenty years after the peak of its popularity. There were many moments throughout the film where I had flashbacks to grade school and finally figured out the pop culture references I had missed at the time. The "Ah-ha!" effect was probably the only redeeming part of the film for me. That and the fact that it was filmed on the Oregon Coast (along with other run-away hits like Free Willy and Kindergarten Cop).
For me, the most annoying part of these early Speilberg films is the dialog/relationships between the main characters. If I had to say, the rule seemed to be that all family units must be dysfunctional in a painful way and all dialog must include at least three people talking at the same time. In the case of "Goonies", the dialog must also be loud and obnoxious.
Obviously, Speilberg went on to make other films that will probably stand the test of time: my votes are on Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. Oddly enough, there were also two films that received critical acclaim when released and were made in-between "Close Encounters" and "Goonies": The Color Purple and ET. I haven't seen "The Color Purple" but I remember the buzz surrounding it and it has been a while since I've seen ET but I know I generally enjoyed it.
So maybe early Speilberg is more inconsistent than anything else; I'm sure some would say that this just isn't early Speilberg but all Speilberg. For me, though, I think I am much more able to tolerate his more recent films than his early ones.
That said, it looks like Jurassic Park IV is in pre-production with Mr. Speilberg as the executive producer. I think I'll pass.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Our Thanksgiving Weekend
Our Thanksgiving Travel:
Wednesday Night: Wichita, KS to Enid, OK
Thursday Night: Enid, OK to Mutual, OK
Friday Afternoon: Mutual, OK to Hitchcock, OK
Friday Evening: Hitchcock, OK to Stillwater, OK
Saturday Afternoon: Stillwater, OK to Wichita, KS
Why all the driving? Well, Katie's extended family all showed up for Thanksgiving day but the turnout was not so fantastic the following day, her birthday. For whatever reason, almost everybody had made other plans so we decided to take the initiative and go and see them. It made for quite a bit of driving and we were definitely vagrants for most of the weekend (a different bed every night) but we didn't have much of a choice; family is important to Katie
So how did we end the weekend? We rolled back in to town Saturday afternoon and proceeded to do nothing most of the day. Katie signed up for a bow-tying and wreath-making class at a gardening store near here, we went through the mail, and then watched a movie while having delicious pizza for dinner. Oh, and we had cake and ice cream afterwards. Though her actual birthday day wasn't that spectacular, I think her birthday weekend is going to end up just fine.
Wednesday Night: Wichita, KS to Enid, OK
Thursday Night: Enid, OK to Mutual, OK
Friday Afternoon: Mutual, OK to Hitchcock, OK
Friday Evening: Hitchcock, OK to Stillwater, OK
Saturday Afternoon: Stillwater, OK to Wichita, KS
Why all the driving? Well, Katie's extended family all showed up for Thanksgiving day but the turnout was not so fantastic the following day, her birthday. For whatever reason, almost everybody had made other plans so we decided to take the initiative and go and see them. It made for quite a bit of driving and we were definitely vagrants for most of the weekend (a different bed every night) but we didn't have much of a choice; family is important to Katie
So how did we end the weekend? We rolled back in to town Saturday afternoon and proceeded to do nothing most of the day. Katie signed up for a bow-tying and wreath-making class at a gardening store near here, we went through the mail, and then watched a movie while having delicious pizza for dinner. Oh, and we had cake and ice cream afterwards. Though her actual birthday day wasn't that spectacular, I think her birthday weekend is going to end up just fine.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
UPDATE: Sam's Club and Aviation
As a follow-up to my previous post, it should be noted that the jet has sold.
UPDATE: Sorry for the bad link; it's fixed now.
UPDATE: Sorry for the bad link; it's fixed now.
Thanksgiving and Pumpkins
For Halloween, Katie and I got a pumpkin. We didn't end up carving it or really doing much of anything with it other than set it out on the porch for the trick-or-treaters. We only got the pumpkin the day before the grand event and felt it was the least we could do. That and have candy for the kids.
A few days ago, somebody stole the pumpkin off our porch. We don't exactly live in a crime-filled neighborhood but our porch is about three or four steps from the sidewalk and, naturally, the pumpkin makes a tempting target. All in all, the theft is not the big of a deal except for the fact that Katie had plans for it; pumpkin pie if I remember right. Being the kind and loving husband I am and noting that she was particularly grieved that somebody would actually go to the trouble of taking our pumpkin, I decided I would get her another one.
A simple task, I thought. It's the week before Thanksgiving, pumpkin pie is a very traditional dish, there should be loads of fresh pumpkins for sale.
Five stores later, I have realized how sadly naive I can be. There are no fresh pumpkins to be easily found here in Wichita. I tried a farmer's market of sorts, three grocery stores, and the home and garden store Katie got her first pumpkin from. None had any left except small, decorative ones.
The funny thing is that all but one of these stores were all decked out in Thanksgiving regalia. Lots of browns and oranges (for our purposes we'll call this pumpkin-color), cornucopias of squashes, corn, potatoes and, yes, pumpkins, scarecrows, and turkeys. All of these items are available for purchase EXCEPT the pumpkins.
So let me ask you, my friends. Is it normal for pumpkins to disappear shortly after Halloween? If so, how are the pumpkin pies made? How about where you live; can you still buy a fresh pumpkin? Is it asking too much to still be able to buy a pumpkin this far after Halloween? Are they already out of season? Are most pumpkin pies made with canned pumpkin? What would the pilgrims think?
Please, share your thoughts in the comments.
A few days ago, somebody stole the pumpkin off our porch. We don't exactly live in a crime-filled neighborhood but our porch is about three or four steps from the sidewalk and, naturally, the pumpkin makes a tempting target. All in all, the theft is not the big of a deal except for the fact that Katie had plans for it; pumpkin pie if I remember right. Being the kind and loving husband I am and noting that she was particularly grieved that somebody would actually go to the trouble of taking our pumpkin, I decided I would get her another one.
A simple task, I thought. It's the week before Thanksgiving, pumpkin pie is a very traditional dish, there should be loads of fresh pumpkins for sale.
Five stores later, I have realized how sadly naive I can be. There are no fresh pumpkins to be easily found here in Wichita. I tried a farmer's market of sorts, three grocery stores, and the home and garden store Katie got her first pumpkin from. None had any left except small, decorative ones.
The funny thing is that all but one of these stores were all decked out in Thanksgiving regalia. Lots of browns and oranges (for our purposes we'll call this pumpkin-color), cornucopias of squashes, corn, potatoes and, yes, pumpkins, scarecrows, and turkeys. All of these items are available for purchase EXCEPT the pumpkins.
So let me ask you, my friends. Is it normal for pumpkins to disappear shortly after Halloween? If so, how are the pumpkin pies made? How about where you live; can you still buy a fresh pumpkin? Is it asking too much to still be able to buy a pumpkin this far after Halloween? Are they already out of season? Are most pumpkin pies made with canned pumpkin? What would the pilgrims think?
Please, share your thoughts in the comments.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Flickr
At the request of a friend, I have fired up a Flickr account. No promises on how often I'll be adding to it so enjoy it for what it is.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tubby_mac/
(Don't ask about the user name. I was not attempting to be funny or cute. I chose the name because I gave myself the nickname Tubby in Idaho and I use a Mac; it seemed like a natural fit. That and all the other user names I normally use were already taken.)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tubby_mac/
(Don't ask about the user name. I was not attempting to be funny or cute. I chose the name because I gave myself the nickname Tubby in Idaho and I use a Mac; it seemed like a natural fit. That and all the other user names I normally use were already taken.)
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Voting
Oh, yeah. Before I forget, voting on Tuesday was pretty smooth in our district. We had those electronic voting machines which are all the rage these days. There was long line to use them, though, so I just used a paper ballot. No hole-punching here, we were all 1990s and had a Scantron™-like ballot (but were told to use black ink instead of a number two pencil). I was in and out in about ten minutes. When I handed my ballot over to the election officials they fed it into this big copier-looking thing that I'm assuming scanned it and added my votes to a running tally. Over-all, a slick system. In fact, probably better than many (maybe all) the electronic voting machines out there in that a paper trail for each votes exists (the original ballot), but a computer does all the hard work of tallying the votes.
The only drawback in the experience: signing-in. The following has happened at EVERY vote I have ever done in-person. To split up the work-load of getting all the voters signed in, the voting officials form a set of lines divided out by the first letter of voter's last name. They then place a sign or placard with the corresponding letters on the front of the table, taping it to the top of the table surface and letting it hang down the front.
The problem: if ONE person is in line, nobody else can read the sign. With just a handful of voters, it is possible to completely possible to remove any clue which line a given voter needs to be in. As you can imagine, when things are busy, it gets even tougher; in my voting location, it was hard to tell there were even separate lines. Fortunately for me, the line I needed to be in completely emptied out and I was actually able to see the sign and realized I was in the wrong line.
To all poll workers: hang your signs from the ceiling so we all can see them.
The only drawback in the experience: signing-in. The following has happened at EVERY vote I have ever done in-person. To split up the work-load of getting all the voters signed in, the voting officials form a set of lines divided out by the first letter of voter's last name. They then place a sign or placard with the corresponding letters on the front of the table, taping it to the top of the table surface and letting it hang down the front.
The problem: if ONE person is in line, nobody else can read the sign. With just a handful of voters, it is possible to completely possible to remove any clue which line a given voter needs to be in. As you can imagine, when things are busy, it gets even tougher; in my voting location, it was hard to tell there were even separate lines. Fortunately for me, the line I needed to be in completely emptied out and I was actually able to see the sign and realized I was in the wrong line.
To all poll workers: hang your signs from the ceiling so we all can see them.
(Extra) Scooter Parts
Yesterday I spent most of my afternoon hunting down two mystery noises on my scooter. In the process of doing so, I ended up removing most of the external body panels from the machine and got a chance to poke around and see its inner workings. By the time I was done, I had found two small parts that had been, well, just hanging out unattached inside the body of the scooter.
Well, at least they weren't attached any more.
This guy was resting on the undercarriage panel (the mostly flat plate of plastic that keeps gunk from the road from getting kicked up into the engine) and was a big confusing at first. I eventually found that it had broken off the backside of the panel that covers the windshield bolts. It appears to be a mounting point for a screw and (obviously) is not one that I have been using. I think I'll call it a vestigial part as it doesn't appear there is any way to get a screw in it; you would have to drill through the instrument panel to make it work.
Extra part worry-factor: None. I'll be getting along just fine without this guy. The next part though....
In case you can't tell, this is a bolt. (If you look down toward the bottom you can see what remains of the threads.) The curvy profile of the bolt is not by design; this bolt has been seriously worn down. It fell out as I was putting the scooter up on its center stand and I have spent a long time looking for a place that it might call home. I have a guessed but nothing I feel very confident about.
Extra part worry-factor: High. Bolts shouldn't be worn down like this, not after six months of use. Very scary.
By the way, I did find one of my mystery noises, it was the front brakes. I'm hoping to coerce a mechanically-inclined person to show me how to work on disc brakes. My normal point of contact is a new dad so I don't know how available he will be in the near future. The noise isn't overly distressing, just something I need to check on relatively soon.
The other noise is still a mystery. I couldn't replicate it yesterday so I guess I'll have to work on it another time.
Well, at least they weren't attached any more.
This guy was resting on the undercarriage panel (the mostly flat plate of plastic that keeps gunk from the road from getting kicked up into the engine) and was a big confusing at first. I eventually found that it had broken off the backside of the panel that covers the windshield bolts. It appears to be a mounting point for a screw and (obviously) is not one that I have been using. I think I'll call it a vestigial part as it doesn't appear there is any way to get a screw in it; you would have to drill through the instrument panel to make it work.
Extra part worry-factor: None. I'll be getting along just fine without this guy. The next part though....
In case you can't tell, this is a bolt. (If you look down toward the bottom you can see what remains of the threads.) The curvy profile of the bolt is not by design; this bolt has been seriously worn down. It fell out as I was putting the scooter up on its center stand and I have spent a long time looking for a place that it might call home. I have a guessed but nothing I feel very confident about.
Extra part worry-factor: High. Bolts shouldn't be worn down like this, not after six months of use. Very scary.
By the way, I did find one of my mystery noises, it was the front brakes. I'm hoping to coerce a mechanically-inclined person to show me how to work on disc brakes. My normal point of contact is a new dad so I don't know how available he will be in the near future. The noise isn't overly distressing, just something I need to check on relatively soon.
The other noise is still a mystery. I couldn't replicate it yesterday so I guess I'll have to work on it another time.
Monday, October 30, 2006
And the high is...
(Truly this is the nadir of this blog: the classic small-talk that is weather.)
The leaves are turning, the days are noticeably shorter, these are the days of fall.
Except its 70 degrees outside. Not that we mind but I think I would prefer the highs to be more in the high 50's instead of having us contemplating whether we should turn on the air-conditioner. We are two days from November; shouldn't it be cold right now.
Oh well, it does still make for a beautiful day.
The leaves are turning, the days are noticeably shorter, these are the days of fall.
Except its 70 degrees outside. Not that we mind but I think I would prefer the highs to be more in the high 50's instead of having us contemplating whether we should turn on the air-conditioner. We are two days from November; shouldn't it be cold right now.
Oh well, it does still make for a beautiful day.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Gas Prices
Last week gas was $1.979/gal. here in Wichita.
Under $2/gal.
I never thought I'd see that price again in my lifetime.
And like a dream, it is gone. Prices are now $2.159/gal.
Shoot.
Under $2/gal.
I never thought I'd see that price again in my lifetime.
And like a dream, it is gone. Prices are now $2.159/gal.
Shoot.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Blinking Lights
My scooter had it's first significant failure: the turn signals started not blinking. Some of the time. I hate "random" failures.
First stop for trouble-shooting: the internet. Less than a minute of digging revealed that most motorcycles and cars have a special little part that tells the lights how to blink and since both left- and right-hand signals would check-out on occasion, I decided this little guy was the culprit. The tricky part was finding where he lived and, on top of that, finding a replacement part for my "Chinese" scooter.
Well, it only took an hour or so to tear off the front of the scooter. ( I have removed nearly every single exterior body panel on the scooter now; this should make future repairs easier.) When confronted with the mass of wires and connectors, I decided to resort to my keen sense of hearing to find the faulty part. I turned the ignition, flicked the blinker switch and after a few intermittent blinks, had found the part. Next stop: motorcycle shop.
I stroll up to the very official-looking parts counter, plunk down my broken blinker module and ask for a replacement. The clerk begins to type stuff into the parts database and is halted when I tell him I've got a "Chinese" scooter.
"Oh, we don't carry parts for stuff like that. That has wires hanging out of it. All of ours just plug in."
I assure him that I feel comfortable making my own wiring harness and ask to see what he's got. He brings out two options, I choose the one that looks easiest to work with, and $20 later I'm on my way home.
Making switch was pretty easy. The part has a connection diagram on the back of the package. A few minutes of voltmeter action and I knew the corresponding wires on my harness. Solder up the connections, coat the thing in hot glue to avoid any shorts due to moisture and I was done.
Except for putting all the body panels back on. I'm getting better, I swear, but it still took another hour or so to get everything back in place.
Monday was the full road test to and from work and the new module is great. The turn signals blink like a charm.
One thing is bothering me about all of this though: should a failure like this occur after only 1000 miles? Me thinks this does not bode well for the future.
First stop for trouble-shooting: the internet. Less than a minute of digging revealed that most motorcycles and cars have a special little part that tells the lights how to blink and since both left- and right-hand signals would check-out on occasion, I decided this little guy was the culprit. The tricky part was finding where he lived and, on top of that, finding a replacement part for my "Chinese" scooter.
Well, it only took an hour or so to tear off the front of the scooter. ( I have removed nearly every single exterior body panel on the scooter now; this should make future repairs easier.) When confronted with the mass of wires and connectors, I decided to resort to my keen sense of hearing to find the faulty part. I turned the ignition, flicked the blinker switch and after a few intermittent blinks, had found the part. Next stop: motorcycle shop.
I stroll up to the very official-looking parts counter, plunk down my broken blinker module and ask for a replacement. The clerk begins to type stuff into the parts database and is halted when I tell him I've got a "Chinese" scooter.
"Oh, we don't carry parts for stuff like that. That has wires hanging out of it. All of ours just plug in."
I assure him that I feel comfortable making my own wiring harness and ask to see what he's got. He brings out two options, I choose the one that looks easiest to work with, and $20 later I'm on my way home.
Making switch was pretty easy. The part has a connection diagram on the back of the package. A few minutes of voltmeter action and I knew the corresponding wires on my harness. Solder up the connections, coat the thing in hot glue to avoid any shorts due to moisture and I was done.
Except for putting all the body panels back on. I'm getting better, I swear, but it still took another hour or so to get everything back in place.
Monday was the full road test to and from work and the new module is great. The turn signals blink like a charm.
One thing is bothering me about all of this though: should a failure like this occur after only 1000 miles? Me thinks this does not bode well for the future.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Sam's Club and Aviation
This is not a joke, I promise:
http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?catg=7822
That's right, boys and girls, you can buy a Citation Mustang, Cessna's latest and greatest business jet, from Sam's Club. Instead of going directly to us, the manufacturer, you can go to the king of bulk-items retail. The jet you are buying is the demonstration plane we have been flying around to show off to prospective customers. Pay now and get the product in a year.
The only people who I think will be interested in this are those you want a Mustang but don't want to wait until 2009 to get one. (Yes, we are sold out that far in advance.)
Weird.
http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?catg=7822
That's right, boys and girls, you can buy a Citation Mustang, Cessna's latest and greatest business jet, from Sam's Club. Instead of going directly to us, the manufacturer, you can go to the king of bulk-items retail. The jet you are buying is the demonstration plane we have been flying around to show off to prospective customers. Pay now and get the product in a year.
The only people who I think will be interested in this are those you want a Mustang but don't want to wait until 2009 to get one. (Yes, we are sold out that far in advance.)
Weird.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Christmas in Wichita
For those of you living in "big cities" (I'll let you decide what qualifies as a "big city") you are probably already knee-deep in Christmas decorations at stores. Here in Wichita, the party is just getting started. Small but prominently placed sections of decorations and "gift ideas." Tunes faintly drifting throughout the stores. Lots of red and green.
It is the second week of October.
It is the second week of October.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Project Vote Smart
With the upcoming election I wanted to place a plug in for my favorite election website: Project Vote Smart. The website is run by an organization whose goal is to provide voters with accurate information about politicians and their views on a variety of political issues. (Daunting task, to be sure). The website contains a bunch of information like short biographies, campaign finance information, ratings from interest groups, and this little thing they call the NPAT.
The NPAT is the crown jewel of Vote Smart's information arsenal and seems to be generally feared by politicians (at least based on their participation). The National Political Awareness Test is less a test and more a survey that Vote Smart asks running candidates to complete to evaluate their stance on issues that Vote Smart has determined are of interest to voters. That's right, the NPAT is a long list of questions that require a politician to voice an opinion on an issue. No hemming, hedging, weaseling, or generally obfuscating their stance through verbal trickery. Just answer the question. To give you an example, here is the first question from the abortion section:
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding abortion.
a) Abortions should always be illegal.
b) Abortions should always be legal.
c) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
d) Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
e) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
f) Prohibit public funding of abortions and to organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
g) Require clinics to give parental notification before performing abortions on minors.
h) Abortion clinics should be required to submit more detailed information on late-term abortions to state health officials.
There is also an "open response" area associated with each question which, in past elections, I have seen used by politicians as another PR avenue but I'm sure is more intended to allow a candidate to add any clarifying remarks. If I remember right, in a previous election I saw the one of the candidates answer none of the questions and then use the open response area to tell of all the wonderful things he or she did in the past that were at least mildly related to the issue. I was not impressed.
As you might guess, participation on this survey is not the greatest. I remember during the 2004 elections that neither Bush nor Kerry filled out the NPAT. Looking over the ballot for my area, I can see that neither of the two leading candidates in our gubernatorial race (I've always wanted to use that word) filled out the NPAT. Granted, they may be too busy to fill this silly thing out but, well, I know I'm not the only one that could use straight-forward answers on some of these issues.
The only weapon we the voters have in attempting to get politicians to fill out the NPAT is shame. I'm going to be emailing all the relevant candidates who haven't yet filled out the NPAT and letting them know I would REALLY appreciate them providing this information and that the NPAT is a key tool in how I make voting decisions. Vote Smart spends most of their time trying to coerce candidates to filling it out and by lobbying other organizations, people, and groups, to get the candidate to fill it out. As a candidate continues to refuse to fill out the NPAT, Vote Smart keeps a running (and public) tally on the variety of avenues they thus far employed. Check out the big red text at the top of the incumbent governor of Kansas Kathleen Sebelius showing just how uncooperative she has been.
So there's my plug. I encourage you to use the website and give your candidates some grief if they haven't completed the NPAT. In my mind, Project Vote Smart is attempting to put politics back in the hands of voters by providing clear information about those we face on the ballot each election. I'm a fan and I'm eager to convert others to the cause.
The NPAT is the crown jewel of Vote Smart's information arsenal and seems to be generally feared by politicians (at least based on their participation). The National Political Awareness Test is less a test and more a survey that Vote Smart asks running candidates to complete to evaluate their stance on issues that Vote Smart has determined are of interest to voters. That's right, the NPAT is a long list of questions that require a politician to voice an opinion on an issue. No hemming, hedging, weaseling, or generally obfuscating their stance through verbal trickery. Just answer the question. To give you an example, here is the first question from the abortion section:
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding abortion.
a) Abortions should always be illegal.
b) Abortions should always be legal.
c) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
d) Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
e) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
f) Prohibit public funding of abortions and to organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
g) Require clinics to give parental notification before performing abortions on minors.
h) Abortion clinics should be required to submit more detailed information on late-term abortions to state health officials.
There is also an "open response" area associated with each question which, in past elections, I have seen used by politicians as another PR avenue but I'm sure is more intended to allow a candidate to add any clarifying remarks. If I remember right, in a previous election I saw the one of the candidates answer none of the questions and then use the open response area to tell of all the wonderful things he or she did in the past that were at least mildly related to the issue. I was not impressed.
As you might guess, participation on this survey is not the greatest. I remember during the 2004 elections that neither Bush nor Kerry filled out the NPAT. Looking over the ballot for my area, I can see that neither of the two leading candidates in our gubernatorial race (I've always wanted to use that word) filled out the NPAT. Granted, they may be too busy to fill this silly thing out but, well, I know I'm not the only one that could use straight-forward answers on some of these issues.
The only weapon we the voters have in attempting to get politicians to fill out the NPAT is shame. I'm going to be emailing all the relevant candidates who haven't yet filled out the NPAT and letting them know I would REALLY appreciate them providing this information and that the NPAT is a key tool in how I make voting decisions. Vote Smart spends most of their time trying to coerce candidates to filling it out and by lobbying other organizations, people, and groups, to get the candidate to fill it out. As a candidate continues to refuse to fill out the NPAT, Vote Smart keeps a running (and public) tally on the variety of avenues they thus far employed. Check out the big red text at the top of the incumbent governor of Kansas Kathleen Sebelius showing just how uncooperative she has been.
So there's my plug. I encourage you to use the website and give your candidates some grief if they haven't completed the NPAT. In my mind, Project Vote Smart is attempting to put politics back in the hands of voters by providing clear information about those we face on the ballot each election. I'm a fan and I'm eager to convert others to the cause.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Weird Plant
This thing has been growing in our yard since we have moved in and nobody seems to know what it is. Especially now in early autumn it looks very corn-related but I know no specific. Any ideas? (For reference the shed in the picture is probably 15 feet tall at its peak.)
Friday, September 29, 2006
One Six Right
I like movies, all kinds of movies. Some have said I like weird movies, and, at times, I must agree. I enjoy seeing art of many kinds but films offer a very large canvas on which to build. Just think about it. There are movies filled with special effects eye candy and there are films with only a few characters set in places that could be just down the street. They are all trying to tell a story of some kind (well, almost always) and those creating the film work to realize that story.
Last night Katie and I saw a film made by a man who is passionate about aviation. It was released a year or two ago and was playing one night in Wichita as a sort of 'thank-you' to Cessna who helped underwrite it. The story is of aviation told through the busiest general aviation (that is, "non-commercial") airport in the US (maybe the world): the Van Nuys Airport. The producer and director learned to fly at this airport and loves flying. He spent four years of his life building this film to express that love and did an truly wonderful job. No fancy special effects to speak of, just a simple documentary he crafted together in an expert manner.
We were blessed to have this man, Brian Terwilliger, there at the screening and it was wonderful to hear what you might call "DVD extras" live and in person. After hearing him speak, it was easy to see the strong connection between the film and the man. If I ever get into film, I would be blessed to be able to so clearly and simply communicate through that medium.
If you get a chance to see it, especially if it is on the big screen, take it. It is a great example of simple and powerful artistic expression.
One Six Right
(As a side note, the film was shot in digital HD and a digital projector was used in our screening. The quality was noticeably improved over regular film but nothing so spectacular that I would call it "revolutionary". I wouldn't stay up too late worrying about when your local theater will decide to go digital.)
Last night Katie and I saw a film made by a man who is passionate about aviation. It was released a year or two ago and was playing one night in Wichita as a sort of 'thank-you' to Cessna who helped underwrite it. The story is of aviation told through the busiest general aviation (that is, "non-commercial") airport in the US (maybe the world): the Van Nuys Airport. The producer and director learned to fly at this airport and loves flying. He spent four years of his life building this film to express that love and did an truly wonderful job. No fancy special effects to speak of, just a simple documentary he crafted together in an expert manner.
We were blessed to have this man, Brian Terwilliger, there at the screening and it was wonderful to hear what you might call "DVD extras" live and in person. After hearing him speak, it was easy to see the strong connection between the film and the man. If I ever get into film, I would be blessed to be able to so clearly and simply communicate through that medium.
If you get a chance to see it, especially if it is on the big screen, take it. It is a great example of simple and powerful artistic expression.
One Six Right
(As a side note, the film was shot in digital HD and a digital projector was used in our screening. The quality was noticeably improved over regular film but nothing so spectacular that I would call it "revolutionary". I wouldn't stay up too late worrying about when your local theater will decide to go digital.)
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Shameless Pitch
I recently ordered a flash memory card from Memorysuppliers.com and they are offering me $10 back for posting their link on my blog so here it is:
http://www.memorysuppliers.com/
The store appears to be the place to get memory for both mobile devices (like digital cameras, cell phones, PDAs) as well as memory for your desktop or laptop computer.
Sorry if this ad is distracting, thanks for being understanding. Feel free to leave a comment about my shameless efforts to save a few bucks.
http://www.memorysuppliers.com/
The store appears to be the place to get memory for both mobile devices (like digital cameras, cell phones, PDAs) as well as memory for your desktop or laptop computer.
Sorry if this ad is distracting, thanks for being understanding. Feel free to leave a comment about my shameless efforts to save a few bucks.
Equinox
In the park down the street from us, Wichita has a very cool piece of public art that is especially neat four times each year: a solar calendar. In the tradition of many ancient cultures, a couple of artists here in Wichita collaborated to construct an accurate solar calendar that clearly marks the two equinoxes and two solstices that occur each year.
The piece has several stone pillars throughout the area but there is one central stone pillar and it has a steel and glass orifice mounted at its peak (make to look artistically similar to a human eye).
This orifice casts an eye-shaped shadow (with the pupil being open) on the ground and as the sun moves throughout the day and year, so does this shadow. The artists have also placed on the ground three marker stones with tennis-ball sized glass discs mounted on the surface such that at "high noon" on each solstice and equinox the pupil of the eye lands exactly on the glass disc and illuminates it. Think of Indiana Jones in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" but without all the special effects.
Well, today was the day after the equinox and a small crowd gathered at the solar calendar to see the show. (Yesterday being a work day, I'm assuming the turn-out wasn't as good). Due to daylight savings, "high noon" was around 1:30 or so and there was probably about two dozen people there. We were also blessed to have the artists show up for the event which I really enjoyed. Since celestial event itself was rather slow-paced and predictable, they were able to explain how they constructed the piece and explain some of the more esoteric artistic references. (All of the pillars are decorated with painted tiles meant to allude to the various ancient methods of time-keeping).
As it turned out, being one day late for the event meant the shadow was slightly out of place. The artists said that the equinoxes are the most precise and every day counts but around the time of the solstices, the eye appears to land exactly on the glass for several weeks.
Here's the view of the glass target stone looking back up towards the eye.
The next event is on December 21st at the winter solstice and it should be easier to see the eye exactly on the eye (as long as it isn't cloudly). The artists also mentioned they had another project in the works for a larger, calendar/time-piece for the county park here in Wichita. Considering they just got this one done in 2004, I'm surprised and pleased that they would be able to do something similar so quickly. Maybe Wichita isn't as un-cultured as I thought.
The piece has several stone pillars throughout the area but there is one central stone pillar and it has a steel and glass orifice mounted at its peak (make to look artistically similar to a human eye).
This orifice casts an eye-shaped shadow (with the pupil being open) on the ground and as the sun moves throughout the day and year, so does this shadow. The artists have also placed on the ground three marker stones with tennis-ball sized glass discs mounted on the surface such that at "high noon" on each solstice and equinox the pupil of the eye lands exactly on the glass disc and illuminates it. Think of Indiana Jones in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" but without all the special effects.
Well, today was the day after the equinox and a small crowd gathered at the solar calendar to see the show. (Yesterday being a work day, I'm assuming the turn-out wasn't as good). Due to daylight savings, "high noon" was around 1:30 or so and there was probably about two dozen people there. We were also blessed to have the artists show up for the event which I really enjoyed. Since celestial event itself was rather slow-paced and predictable, they were able to explain how they constructed the piece and explain some of the more esoteric artistic references. (All of the pillars are decorated with painted tiles meant to allude to the various ancient methods of time-keeping).
As it turned out, being one day late for the event meant the shadow was slightly out of place. The artists said that the equinoxes are the most precise and every day counts but around the time of the solstices, the eye appears to land exactly on the glass for several weeks.
Here's the view of the glass target stone looking back up towards the eye.
The next event is on December 21st at the winter solstice and it should be easier to see the eye exactly on the eye (as long as it isn't cloudly). The artists also mentioned they had another project in the works for a larger, calendar/time-piece for the county park here in Wichita. Considering they just got this one done in 2004, I'm surprised and pleased that they would be able to do something similar so quickly. Maybe Wichita isn't as un-cultured as I thought.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Third Injection
Two weeks ago I had my third and final epidural injection for the herniated disc in my back. (For reasons I don't understand, they only do three injections for any one injury.) It had been about five months since I had been in for my second injection; it had only minimal long-term effect. I had waited this long since the last one to give physical therapy a chance to do its magic and, as I have mentioned previously, there has been some definite improvement as my abdominal muscles have strengthened. With the physical therapy ending, it was time to give this all one more shot.
The procedure went very smoothly. From the time when the surgeon walked in to him walking out was no more then ten minutes; I had forgotten just how quickly these things can go. Post-proedure pain was fairly minimal but I knew by the time I got in the car I wouldn't be going back to work that day.
Two weeks later, I can say that the injection has gone a long way and that I am as pain-free as I have ever been since the injury. I am able to walk long-distances (a mile or so) without significant pain and have been able to do more than lay down when I get home from work. I am very thankful for such marked improvement.
The flip-side is that I'm not all the way healed and still have to answer the surgery question. Due to insurance weirdness, if I do the surgery this year, its free. If I wait, I will definitely have to pay and, due to ever-decreasing insurance coverage, probably have to pay more than I expected. Despite, or maybe because of, all my progress, this decision is still not clear cut. I'm going to be visiting my neurosurgeon soon and see what he thinks. Feel free to leave a note and let me know you're thoughts.
Hey, maybe I'll get to do another cool MRI!
The procedure went very smoothly. From the time when the surgeon walked in to him walking out was no more then ten minutes; I had forgotten just how quickly these things can go. Post-proedure pain was fairly minimal but I knew by the time I got in the car I wouldn't be going back to work that day.
Two weeks later, I can say that the injection has gone a long way and that I am as pain-free as I have ever been since the injury. I am able to walk long-distances (a mile or so) without significant pain and have been able to do more than lay down when I get home from work. I am very thankful for such marked improvement.
The flip-side is that I'm not all the way healed and still have to answer the surgery question. Due to insurance weirdness, if I do the surgery this year, its free. If I wait, I will definitely have to pay and, due to ever-decreasing insurance coverage, probably have to pay more than I expected. Despite, or maybe because of, all my progress, this decision is still not clear cut. I'm going to be visiting my neurosurgeon soon and see what he thinks. Feel free to leave a note and let me know you're thoughts.
Hey, maybe I'll get to do another cool MRI!
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