Standard Time Blues

We're back to standard time today. It's 5:30PM and it's pitch black outside. And, it's only going to get darker, sooner, as we approach the winter solstice. Hey, at least we have good coffee.

Seattle Voting Guide: A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Votes

Recently, The Believer published short book reviews based on one sentence selected at random from the book in question. Why limit this system to book reviews? What if we, say, look at people's pictures published in election guides, and use those to decide who to vote for? Great idea!

King County Executive
Both Ron Sims and David Irons look friendly enough, almost to the point of being neighborly. But, I don't know; being the Executive of King County requires more charisma. A higher level of poise and self-assurance, perhaps. An ability to enchant someone into going your way, one could say. That's why my vote goes with Gentry Lange. He's got that movie-star look of confidence, and that ability to hold your gaze while he tells you about his policy ideas on voting transparency. Pretty soon you'll forget what the topic at hand is, while you instead compliment Gentry on his well-tailored look.

Sheriff
Sheriffs are supposed to keep the peace. Most sheriffs I've seen (well, technically, they're Rangers) wear cowboy hats. Walker is a great example (played by that tirelessly obtuse actor, Chuck Norris). Now, who would look better in a cowboy hat, keeping the peace in King County? Sue Rahr, hands down. Greg Schmidt looks a bit too much like a television evangelist to garner my vote.

King County Council - District 1
Gosh, this is a tough one. Both Bob Ferguson and Steven Pyeatt look like high school science teachers. On that metric, I think Bob wins out on the techy/nerdy look. We need someone familiar with quarks on the council, after all.

King County Council - District 2
Larry Gossett is the clear winner in this photo race. He looks like a guy as comfortable sitting on the council deciding on policy as he does sitting in your backyard, enjoying a beer at a cookout. Brian Thomas looks downright angry at you, and Morgan Catha looks like he's fifteen.

King County Council - District 3
Well, Kathy Lambert is running unopposed. I think that's why she looks so happy. And confident. I mean, talk about the comfort of knowing that you're pretty much guaranteed another term. Has to be nice.

King County Council - District 4
Wow, more happiness here. Both Larry Phillips and Ed Pottharst are just so happy to have the chance to be elected. This is a toughie...can I vote for Kathy again?

King County Council - District 8
Ah! A competitor to Kathy's happiness - John Potter. So, my first impression of Dow Constantine is he has the slick and finesse of a lawyer (indeed, he received a law degree from UW). That may serve him well in front of a jury, convincing people that it wasn't actually the defendant, dressed in a chicken costume, who robbed that convenience store while doing the chicken dance. But this King County Council spot needs someone a bit more casual. More friendly. More "chummy". Thankfully, John Potter fills that role quite well. I mean, c'mon: he's bursting with happiness and is ready to buy you and your kid a present for Christmas just for you considering a vote for him.

King County Council - District 9
While I admit my first inclination was to vote for Reagan Dunn (so much finesse!), on second glance he looks a little too polished. District 9 needs someone who isn't afraid to get in there and get his or her hands dirty. Shirley A. Gaunt-Smith's got the edge here. Reagan's suit is just too clean.

Port of Seattle - Commissioner - Positions 1, 3, and 4
If you're a Port Commissioner, you better have some sea legs. A sailor's life have ye, maybe with a tinge of pirate, to be able to control what comes in and what goes out of our ports. To that effect, Lawrence Molloy trumps John Creighton, Richard "Rich" Berkowitz beats Lloyd Hara (nice mustache, Rich!), and Patricia "Pat" Davis is ahead of Jack Jolley (I'll give you that Pat needs a sailor's hat to complete the image).

City of Seattle - Mayor
Al Runte has that laser-like, no-BS look in his eye. Like a hungry tiger, he's ready to pounce on the issues facing Seattle and tackle them to the ground. To Al, Greg Nickels must look like a gazelle.

City of Seattle - City Attorney
Come on, Tom Carr. Could you find no other lawyer in Seattle to spar with on the field of election battle? This is why you look so bored. Stop dealing with the issues and start looking for an opponent!

Federal Way Fire Department - Commissioner - Position 1
Mark L. Thompson. I'm severely disappointed in you. Much more so than Tom Carr, see. You couldn't find one picture to submit to the election guide? What gives? I'm writing myself in for this one, despite the fact I don't live in Federal Way.

Seattle Popular Monorail Authority - Board Member - Position 8
The Monorail is in trouble. If voters pass the revised plan, we'll need someone intimately familiar with all facets of the project to make progress. Cindi Laws looks decent enough...but wait, there's something about Beth Goldberg.... Ah! She's outdoors, which is exactly where the monorail will be! Beth is in her natural element here; she has to know what's she's doing with stuff that's out of doors.

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You know, on a serious note, I bet these images actually do play a part in how people vote. If that's true, that's sad. Read up on your candidates and go vote, people.

Podcast Class?

This article on Purdue podcasting class lectures has me split. On the one hand, it's a great convenience in case you need to miss a class. On the other hand, it's one step closer to virtualizing the whole classroom experience. If you have the podcast, plus the class lecture powerpoint, plus online practice questions, plus IM/video chat with your TA...then, well, why are you physically on campus?

Maybe that's the point...it is, after all, cheaper for the institution. I still feel it's a suboptimal way to learn. Maybe I'm just an old hat, though. Still, I wouldn't feel like I was getting my money's worth unless I could actually interact (physically or virtually) with a professor, ask questions, get feedback, and so on.

Halloween Costumes

We spent this weekend going from costume ideas to actual costumes for next weekend's Halloween party. The results?

- Traci's going to be Rosie the Riveter, complete with blue coveralls, red bandana, boots, and a "Rosie" name tag.
- Yours truly will be Jesus, complete with robe, sash, crown of thorns, sandals, and stigmata on the hands and feet. I'll also wear my hair down for the occasion (hey, Irwin always thought I was Jesus back in college, when I walked out of the shower in a towel).

Should be fun. And, judging by others' costume ideas, the above are pretty tame in comparison. Fun times indeed.

Bird Flu Arrives in Greece

Well, it's happened. Bird flu has arrived on the island of Inousses, near the island of Chios, Greece (for reference, that's here). Articles state that testing of birds in areas near Turkey led to the discovery.

That's the bad news. The further bad news is that we don't know whether this is a trailing discovery of sorts, meaning that other birds (or people) have been contaminated and have moved to other islands.

The good news is that it should be relatively easy to contain this infection, given the nature of an island. The tough part, naturally, will be to control transports of birds into and out of the island, as well as the testing of local villagers to ensure they're not infected.

As some say, it's a "lottery" whether the flu will mutate into a form that transmits easily to and between humans. Better safe than sorry in this case, as our story on a preventive vaccine is not that great.

New Commerce Arrivals

I'm not big on malls, or shopping for that matter. But one of the better bath & body retailers (Lush) and tea purveyors (Teavana) have arrived in the 'burbs (Bellevue Square Mall, to be exact). Too bad they're not within walking distance, but hey, not having to drive 3 hours or order by mail is kind of nice.

Georgia Tech Gets A Bomb

This news report is pretty scary. I didn't expect Georgia Tech to be the center of any "terrorist act", whatever its motivation. I guess I was wrong.

I used to live in the Glenn dorm my freshman year, along with Scott and Irwin. I remember spending many a time in that courtyard between Glenn and Cloudman.

I'm eager to hear what the leads turn up, in terms of both a perpetrator and a motive.

Gillette Fusion: More Blades, Less Interest

Gillette, in pursuit of "a better way to shave", has announced plans for their Fusion line of razors. The big news? 5 blades.

Hard to contain your excitement, isn't it? I mean, 5 whole blades "spaced 30 percent closer together than MACH3 blades". Wow. I can't wait to try out that "5 blade Shaving Surface(tm)". I mean, it's got to be, what...2-blade-units better than the MACH3, right? Sign me up!

I'm seriously considering switching to a Merkur "Classic" Safety Razor. Nice write up here, courtesy of Cool Tools. $26 for the shaver & 1 blade, but then replacement blades are much cheaper than most other cartridge-based razors.

Seattle Monorail: Piñata, Anyone?

I'm sick and tired of the Seattle Monorail. The plan to build an elevated transit system in Seattle, approved on November 2002, has suffered piss-poor planning from the beginning. Some interesting background here, here, and, amusingly, here.

• In June, the Seattle Monorail board revealed the project would cost $11 billion dollars over 50 years, including $9 billion in bond interest. That's four times the initial estimated cost.
• The revised financial plan assumes car tab taxes will grow faster than most experts predict, according to Mayor Nickels.
• The "shortened" line that's currently being put to voters is, in my opinion, a hastily-drawn compromise that doesn't have clear cost/benefit numbers, and doesn't reflect any qualities of a well-planned, financed, and sustainable public project.

So, instead, I propose the following: let's cut the Monorail, and instead use the money we've collected to date from the car tab tax to throw a big party.

• We'll have an entire weekend of free food and fun in different parts of the city that the monorail could have (but won't) serve - Seattle Center, Ballard, Queen Anne, Alki.
• We'll have information about Sound Transit's light rail plans (which is actually being built) and alternatives to driving in the city.
• We'll buy a bike for everyone who needs it. No excuses for leaving your car at home for a quick errand, people.
• And, best of all, we'll make a humongous, life size, piñata of a monorail. Then, we'll hand everyone large sticks, and then tell everyone to beat the living crap out of the piñata.

Come on, Seattle: what better way to release some aggression over this most mis-planned, mis-handled, and embarrassing public project in recent memory?

North Carolina Pictures Posted

They're available here. Includes pictures of the Todd General Store, a historic place where folks like Doc Watson play from time to time, and hiking in the Blue Ridge mountains near Grandfather mountain.

Southern Smorgasbord: The Dan'l Boone Inn

Visiting the South has its perks. Summer lasts longer, for one. The people use creative expressions when speaking to you, for another. And the food, oh, the food. There's nothing like ordering tea at a restaurant and getting it iced and sweet by default, or ordering grits and ham biscuits and not have the waiter stare at you with a confused look on his face.

Enter The Dan'l Boone Inn, located in Boone, North Carolina. We had the pleasure of eating at this fine establishment a couple of nights ago. Walking into the restaurant feels like you're entering someone's home. Plates line a shelf near the ceiling, and simple wooden tables and chairs are arranged neatly in the main dining room. The story is simple: they bring out plates of food from a fixed menu. They refill all plates, save the ham biscuits, as many times as you want. And you can pack stuff home if you can't eat it all.

The food was quintessential southern: the biscuits and corn had plenty of butter, the fried chicken was drenched in a super-crispy, savory breading, the beans were well done and tangy (not steamed and green, as "Yankee beans" are referred to on occasion), and the mashed potatoes were topped with a thick, tan gravy. The waitresses bring food out and take your plates away on rolling carts. And, pitchers of sweet, sweet tea are everpresent.

You leave quite full from an evening at the Inn. It's hard not to; the food is just that good. This "reverse buffet, limited menu" system needs to catch on in other parts of the country. What better way to sample the best of a local cuisine?

Doing The Puyallup Fair

Last Sunday a group of us went to the Puyallup Fair. A quick run-down:

The Good
- It was certainly more fun than most of us expected. Quite a few food options, carnival games, and rides were to be had. Add to that barnyard animals, the RCMP, and a petting zoo and you make for a good day out of doors. We spent about eight hours there total.
- The food was great. BBQ, fresh Fisher Scones, fried corn fritters, sausages, lemonade. Mmm...
- The weather held up nicely. It wasn't hot, nor was it rainy or particularly cloudy for that matter.

The Not So Good
- Rides were more expensive that we expected. Tickets were $1 a piece or $14 for 20. Rides cost 3-6 tickets, with the good ones being 5-6. As for ride quality, we're talking typical carnival rides, a couple of small roller coasters, a quick water-splash ride, a Ferris wheel, and the like. Not bad, but not worth $4-6 a ride.
- Horses tend to poop. A lot. And it smells.

The Weird
- There was a large area devoted to infomercial-style commerce. Weird brooms, knives, sushi making kits, makeup, and window treatments were being offered. It was like walking through the Home Shopping Network. Weird. I think it worked: about half of the group ended up buying something.

Searching For Perfection: The PerfectManForMe.Com Mystery

We have a mystery woman on our hands, who through a web site complete with a survey, a blog, and 1" advertisements in the New Yorker, is looking for the perfect man. People aren't sure whether she's really using a web site to find a mate, whether it's a front for a dating service, whether there's really a "she" here, and so on.

Looks like the domain was registered on July 7, 2005, for one year. The web server seems to have an IP address out of Grove City, Ohio. The server runs two sites:
- www.perfectmanforme.com
- www.perfectman4me.com

The latter address was registered on May 20th, 2005, for two years.

Looks like a small operation, and I'd bet it's a real person here with few ulterior motives. Time will hopefully reveal more here. If this is truly a person on a mission to find the right man, then I'd say...wow, that's an expensive, time-consuming, voyeuristic way to do it.

We Don't Need Nostradamus. We Have National Geographic

Undoubtedly you've heard about the National Geographic article from last year describing in clairvoyant detail the events that took place last week in New Orleans and the surrounding areas, due to Hurricane Katrina. The description's accuracy is surprising every time I read it, however. An excerpt:

But the next day the storm gathered steam and drew a bead on the city. As the whirling maelstrom approached the coast, more than a million people evacuated to higher ground. Some 200,000 remained, however...

A liquid brown wall washed over the brick ranch homes of Gentilly, over the clapboard houses of the Ninth Ward, over the white-columned porches of the Garden District, until it raced through the bars and strip joints on Bourbon Street like the pale rider of the Apocalypse. As it reached 25 feet (eight meters) over parts of the city, people climbed onto roofs to escape it...

Thousands drowned in the murky brew that was soon contaminated by sewage and industrial waste. Thousands more who survived the flood later perished from dehydration and disease as they waited to be rescued. It took two months to pump the city dry, and by then the Big Easy was buried under a blanket of putrid sediment, a million people were homeless, and 50,000 were dead. It was the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States.

Biking Is Cool

A few weeks ago we picked up some mountain bikes and joined the world of amateur bicycling. It's been years since I've ridden a bicycle, but I'd forgotten only one thing: how much fun it can be. It's efficient and fun to get around town on a bike, especially for local errands or just exploring a neighborhood.

Bikes can be crazy expensive. I went with a K2 Zed Sport. Decent, basic, gets me around.

I didn't realize how accessory-laden biking can be. I can see how one can go out of control on this stuff. I've focused on the essentials for now (front and rear visibility lights, bike lock, air pump, etc.). Sorry, no tight pants for me yet.

Next up: a better seat. I've been recommended to go with Serfas. Any other suggestions?

Hurricane Katrina Aerial Photography On Google

Google has posted a relatively small, but very recent, aerial photo of New Orleans post-Katrina. The images are from Wednesday, August 31 at 10AM, according to Google. If they have the data, it would be interesting (and probably very disheartening) to do a time-lapse from several points after the hurricane, as the city flooded.

Cars Of The Future Have It All Wrong

According to this article, cars of the future will vibrate, beep, and exude scents at you. Why? In the name of reducing accidents. The idea is that if you're not seeing that the car in front of you is slowing down, maybe a jostle via the steering wheel, pedals, or seat belt will grab your attention. And, if you're a stressed-out driver, wafting lavender or citrus scents may calm you down.

Fair ideas, I guess. But tell me: if the car already knows that the car ahead is slowing down, why not slow down with it? If most every car on the road had some look-ahead capability and could react to it using some basic heuristics, then one could argue we'd have fewer accidents that rely on the hand-eye coordination of the driver.

I think it's a significant hurdle for a driver to accept losing control of the vehicle at any time, even though the vehicle could be better at a specific task than the driver. Naturally, those drivers don't think anything of the planes they get in to travel, and how much of their trip is computer-controlled.

Waffle House, 50, Needs To Come To Seattle

I've spent admittedly too much time at Waffle House, which turns 50 this year, mostly during high school and college. In Dalton, where I grew up, it was the main meeting point with friends, where you planned what you would do next, or come back to after having done something.

Now, in Seattle, I miss the 24-hour appeal of WaHo. Even worse, other east-coast mainstays like Krispy Kreme have made it out to Seattle, with much fanfare. Why not Waffle House?

Checking their website, I see Colorado as the western-most border of WaHo-ness. I emailed them a note to request them to consider the Seattle area as a new store prospect. I haven't heard back from them.

If you're in the area, and you care to see them move out to the West, send them a note using this form, or call them at the phone number listed on that page.

Camping In The Olympics: Pictures Posted

Check them out here. Thanks to Michal for taking them.

Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts: Donate To Help

A friend of mine sent this around at work. It's a great list of organizations that you can donate to that will have an impact in the relief efforts underway due to Hurricane Katrina. The outpouring has been encouraging to date, but this disaster appears to be larger than anyone expected, so help is always needed and welcome.

• American Red Cross, 800-HELP NOW, 800-435-7669
• Operation Blessing, 800-436-6348
• America's Second Harvest, 800-344-8070
• Adventist Community Services, 800-381-7171
• Catholic Charities, 703-549-1390
• Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, 800-848-5818
• Church World Service, 800-297-1516
• Convoy of Hope, 417-823-8998
• Episcopal Relief & Development, 1-800-334-7626 or
• Lutheran Disaster Response, 800-638-3522
• Mennonite Disaster Service, 717-859-2210
• Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, 800-872-3283
• Salvation Army, 800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769)
• Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief, 800-462-8657, ext. 6440
• United Methodist Committee on Relief, 800-554-8583