Culture\Politics\Law Archives

For Those Who Can, Please Vote Today!

FEBRUARY 5, 2008

Unlike most days, when this site is bustling with activity and new posts, today I'm putting up Matt's vote page to remind ya'll to get out there and pull that lever, push that button or whatever it is you do to make your vote count.

And if you do go, take a picture and send it to the Polling Place project.

Posted in Culture\Politics\Law at 11:57 am.
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The Robot Vacuum

JANUARY 5, 2008

Politics piss me off. Everyone is too worried about keeping their job or getting a new one to bother doing what's best for their constituents. Most politicians enter Washington with the best of intentions, but a potential failure looms and their scruples go to the wayside.

"'You've got to do what's right, OK?' [McCain] told me, 'but if you want to succeed, you have to adjust to the American people's desires and priorities".

Unfortunately, the people don't always know what's best for themselves. As James Surowiecki says, crowds are smart, people are dumb. This is why I want a leader who is smart and has a mind of his/her own. I'm not so worried about aligning perfectly with their views, so long as it's close. I also don't mind if they're lacking in experience if they seem willing to turn to any of their dozens of advisers.

I singled out McCain above because, despite having very different views on social policy, I always liked him. After failing to get the nomination in 2000, he has been sucked into the robot vacuum. Sure, he'll talk off the cuff and verbally attack an audience member now and again, but he has sold out. He's just too willing to play the game.

Obama also seemed in danger of a one way trip to the vacuum. His speech at the 2006 DNC really moved me, but I was a bit turned off at the beginning of his campaign. Somehow, his advisers managed to make him boring, which is a travesty. In the last month or two, and especially at his Iowa victory speech, he's got me back into the fold. He's a real person and I love it.

Harold Washington

While this ended up being about the current election, the idea for this post came from an episode of This American Life about Chicago Mayor Harold Washington. I didn't know much about him, but the episode painted him as the rare politician who could both play the game and speak his mind.

There's plenty more to say about Harold and this episode of TAL, but an interesting statistic from Washington's original campaign is that he was able to register 140,000 new voters when his campaign thought 50,000 would be a stretch. On Thursday Democrats nearly doubled 2004's caucus with 100,000 additional voters.

Okay, to finish it off here is my favorite quote from that episode. This is what Harold had to say about Richard J. Daly, a man revered by white Chicagoans. Try to imagine anyone saying this today.

"When he says that he had hoped I'd have the good qualities of past mayors, there are no good qualities of past mayors to be had. None. None. None. None." "I regret anyone dying. I have no regrets about [Daly] leaving. He was a racist to the core, head to toe, hip to hip, there's no ding or doubt about it. He eschewed and fought and oppressed black people to the point that some thought that was the way they were supposed to live, just like some slaves on the plantation thought that that was the way they were supposed to live. I give no hosannas to a racist, nor did I appreciate or respect his son. If his name were anything other than Daley, his campaign would be a joke."

Posted in Culture\Politics\Law at 8:09 pm.
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You Got a Quarter?

AUGUST 29, 2007

I get asked this at least once a day, if not more, from people on the street. Sometimes they have an elaborate schtick, performed while captive on the train, and sometimes they just sit peacefully with a coffee cup at their feet. I rarely give change to these people. It's not that I'm cheap or don't think they deserve, I'm just aprehensive about how they might use the money (a man who reaked of whiskey once walked down the aisle of a subway car asking us for change). Some people are happy to give what's in their pockets, even if it may go to ill pursuits, but I just can't stomach it. I'd rather see them go to shelters and soup kitchens or see a counselor to learn how to get back on their feet.

Instead of just talking about it, I've decided to put my money where my mouth is. Today I made a donation to the Coalition for the Homeless, a charitable group that fights homelessness in New York City. They offer the ability to give a monthly gift of any amount for any length of time. I would have preferred to give directly to a few shelters, but I didn't know which one to pick from the list provided by NYC DHS.

How did I pick Coalition? Of course, I did a google search first, but I also used Charity Navigator, which gives you a breakdown of the financials and inner workings of the organization and a 1-4 rating. Coalition Against Hunger scored a three, which is a very good rating. A key indicator is the percentage of their gross income that goes to program expenses — good charities keep this above 70%.

If you don't live in the city, I also recommend National Alliance to End Homelessness (4 stars on CN). Another great option is Habitat for Humanity, which Jori and I may volunteer for early next year.

If you're like me and hesitant about giving money without knowing how it will be used, do something about it. Do some research, find a cause you're passionate about, and donate in whatever way you can.

Posted in Culture\Politics\Law at 11:57 pm.
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Why Be a Cop When You Can Beg?

AUGUST 13, 2007

Before I start, I wanted to mention that the Freakonomics blog has been awesome since moving to NYT.com. I've always liked their stuff, but I think they're hitting us with a bunch of great topics and I actually prefer the quick descriptions to the full content in the RSS feed.

I say all this because I was blown away by a quote on the Freakonomics blog from the book Blue Blood by Edward Conlon. It's worth re-republishing as its that good.

First, I can't believe panhandlers make that much money! That's eye-opening to me and helps explain how so many people can afford to live on the street. It also makes it frustrating that they're still on the street if they could theoretically take home several hundred dollars a day. I have enough concerns about giving to panhandlers as it is, but that's a whole other blog post.

Second, I'm sure most cops aren't in it to get rich, but that's gotta be frustrating. It mostly shows how little people understand what a little bit of money can do. We tend to piss away small sums of money all the time that could be terribly useful when pooled together. I guess it's hard to grasp that in the same way it's hard to convince someone their vote is important in a sea of 100 million.

Third, I really want to buy this book. Ever since my obsessions with the Wire began, I'm fascinated by realistic tales of police work. Thanks for the recommendation, Freakies.

Posted in Culture\Politics\Law at 11:18 pm.
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Crowd-Powered Technology

AUGUST 10, 2007

Two MIT graduate students have found a way to harness the power of steppin'. They've developed technology that generates electricity when you walk over a special sub-floor that shifts slightly as you depress each square. This magic device then converts the movement into energy. While a small step from one person won't do much, if you install this in a train station or concert areana, you're suddenly generating enough electricity to make it worth while.

While I love any renewable energy resource, the idea of directly effecting the energy output is exciting. It could become a game. Maybe they put a huge sign in Yankee Stadium that shows how many joules have been created this month. They could then compete with Mets fans at Shea. In some ways, this reminds me of the Hong Kong gym that generates electricity from treadmills. The more you exercise the more you help the community.

Not nearly enough useful technology incorporates fun. It's depressing hearing about how global warming is going to kill us all, so give us a fun way to help out. Sure, I'll still do the boring things like unplugging gadget chargers, but isn't it more pleasing to think my spastic game of tag in Grand Central is actually helping the environment?

Posted in Culture\Politics\Law, Technology\Web at 3:38 pm.
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