As a follow-up to my "Deep Zoom: Obama" post back in July, here is a Deep Zoom-powered finale I created which shows just how our new President-elect redefined the electoral map. As you navigate down you can also see just how the electorate voted based on age, race, income, education and other pivot points collected by the CNN pollsters. I circled the following three data points I found most amazing or enlightening:

1. Voters age 18-29
2. Blacks age 65 and older (as compared to other Black age groups—remember this is the voting bloc that suffered the most under Jim Crow and the most egregious racial inequities of the 20th century)
3. First-time voters (admittedly there is significant overlap with bullet #1)

I am curious whether you think groups 1 and 3 will stomach an Obama administration with Hilary Clinton as Secretary of State. Further, what factors do you believe weighed in the decision of that 6% of group 2—twice the percentage of any other group of Black voters—that voted for McCain over Obama?

Similar Posts

• Deep Zoom: Obama
• Caucusing in Washington, Part 2
• Barack for President: Caucusing in Washington
• San Diego Photo Gallery
• Deep Zoom: China & Korea Photo Gallery

Looking at the chart below, you can clearly see the sharp decline gas prices have been on since my all-time high of $4.339 per gallon on July 8, 2008. That is almost $2 more per gallon roughly 4 months ago. Today’s price is still just a hair higher than when I wrote about how gas was fairly cheap in May 2006 at $2.259/gallon.

Similar Posts

• Gas Mileage Update
• Nerd Alert: The Obligatory Gas Mileage Chart
• On Vacation after Attending Annual Sales & Marketing Conference
• Cheap Gas
• Buying Light Bulbs at Wholesale Prices

RNG #1: “That’s bizarre. This isn’t my stuff. I just punched in my code to unlock this locker but these aren’t my jeans.”
RNG #2: “Huh?”
RNG #1: “Wait a second….” [a few seconds pass] “That isn’t my locker! This one is my locker. Here are my things.”
RNG #2: “What?”
RNG #1: [chuckling] “My locker is this one. It was just a random coincidence that the locker right next to it had the exact same four-digit code.”
RNG #2: [in disbelief] “Really?”
RNG #1: “Yeah! That’s so strange. What are the odds?”
RNG #2: “10 times 9 times 8 times 7, right?”
RNG #1: “Yeah, that sounds right.”
RNG #2: [after a short pause] “Actually, it’s 10 times 10 times 10 times 10 since you can repeat numbers.”
RNG #1: “Yeah, you’re right. Amazing.”

At this point, I didn’t know which was nerdier:

1. Two genuine nerds calculating the 1-in-10,000 (0.01%) probability of a specific 4-digit locker code, or
2. Two genuine nerds proving, when their kind congregates, there is a 100% possibility they will make their presence known.

They continued their nerd banter as I left the locker room. A few steps into my exit, I immediately felt ill as I realized I had immediately done the math too when RNG #1 dismissed it as a random coincidence.

I’m not a nerd. I’m cerebral. :sweet: Similar Posts

• Nerds only: Name that onesie contest
• Back from the Land of the Rising Sun
• Quote of the Day
• The Art of Evangelism
• Quote of the Day

Coming Zune…Not!

These things aren’t in stock anywhere! Not even on Microsoft’s own Zune Originals site. Perhaps it’s an attempt to artificially imitate the Wii Effect but methinks Nintendo’s game console is legitimately popular enough to warrant its “Out of Stock” label.

Microsoft really screwed the pooch on this one. The company would have been better off having Michael Vick endorse the new product line with some DMX playing in the background.^** Man, if Apple releases a 32GB iPhone that syncs with my Exchange-based e-mail & calendar…just kidding…not!

Last year, I searched high-and-low, far-and-wide for my Zune 30. Not this time. Hmph!

Meanwhile, I am definitely happy Microsoft updated old players with the new features. I have been able to soak up all the Zune 2 goodness on my Zune 30…which is now available for $90 on Amazon (originally $250). Talk about depreciation. Yikes!

^** – “Give ‘Em What They Want” would be fitting. :sarcastic:Similar Posts

• Zune Update
• Apple iPhone/iPod 6G Compared to Microsoft Zune
• Zune v2
• Pimp My Zune
• Old Zune Gets New Life

The "AVERAGES" row above is cumulative from June 2004 when recording began. Below are the averages restricted to the date range displayed in the chart above (Oct 16, 2006 through Sep 12, 2007).

Comparing this past year to the overall numbers:

• I go slightly longer between refills (27.5 vs. 23.9 days) and put more gas in my car (12.6 vs. 12.0 gallons) each time.
• My mileage (MPG) average of 25.6 continues to trail the historical average of 26.8 since moving closer to work. Considering how much closer we live (5 mile vs. 17 mile one-way commute) my MPG average remains very respectable. (Hypothetical high-five to the Mazda engineers.)
• All the "Price Per" entries (PPG, PPM, PPD) are more a reflection of the increasing cost of gas than my driving habits or car. Below is a chart showing how gas has increased almost 50% in our area between June 2004 and Sep 2007.

Note that May is still the worst possible month to take a road trip. I am considering making May my official public transportation month.

Similar Posts

• Nerd Alert: The Obligatory Gas Mileage Chart
• Gas prices near 2004 lows
• Cheap Gas
• Zune Update
• On Vacation after Attending Annual Sales & Marketing Conference

I am here to interview MBA candidates/recipients for exactly one position across my Vice President’s entire organization and to help staff the company booth in the exhibition hall. I have recruited and attended events for many years so the mechanics are familiar. This is my first time attending an MBA event, however, and MBA’s are some odd birds, indeed.

A few observations (warning: blatant generalizations follow):

1. Every recent MBA wants a base salary more than they are able to prove they deserve.
2. There are an awful lot of MBAs competing for very few well-paying jobs (see #1).
3. MBAs dress very well. There was a higher concentration of (knock-off?) designer handbags and tailored suits in the Orange County Convention Center than I saw my entire time in France or Italy, combined.

I realize the observations above only apply to a subset of the MBA population. Several of my co-workers and friends have MBAs. They are all smart, driven people who earn every dollar they are paid. Lawyers, on the other hand…

Similar Posts

• On Vacation after Attending Annual Sales & Marketing Conference
• Back from the Land of the Rising Sun
• One Year on the Job: The Office Move + RC Release
• Ten Months on the Job: People Management + Beta Release
• My First Month on the Job

Clearing customs was pretty easy. Not Barcelona customs easy, but quick and painless nonetheless. There were no forms to complete, I had nothing to declare and I carried on my bags. Being the 5th person off the plane, I waited in line less than 10 minutes for my turn with the customs agent. It would have been even shorter if another flight had not landed just before ours. I had already exchanged some greenbacks for Swedish kronor (SKR) while in O’Hare so I headed straight for the taxi line. The current exchange rate is about 6:1 SKR to USD. Sweden is a member of the European Union but, like Denmark and the United Kingdom, it has not replaced its currency with the euro.

By 8AM I was in a taxi heading south toward Stockholm. By 8:25 we had hit rush hour traffic. I expected the expressway to be chock full of Saabs and Volvos. I guess there isn’t too much national loyalty to the domestic brands as there were probably equivalent numbers of Peugeots, Benzes and BMWs. I even saw several Porsche Cayennes and Range Rovers. We eventually made it to the hotel and the 540kr ($90) taxi fare put me in a panic as I only had 600kr. I asked the taxi driver if he accepted Amex and, somewhat offended, he replied, “But, of course!” Cool. Out came the plastico fantastico and a moment later I was entering the wiggity wackest European hotel I have ever seen.

The Quality Hotel Nacka (pronounced nah-KAH with a really hard K) is one of those Comfort Inn caliber establishments located in Nacka which is just south of Stockholm. The problem is the “Quality” moniker which is the biggest oxymoron and load of crock. Immediately after entering the lobby, I wanted to run back outside to flag down the taxi driver and have him take me somewhere else. Unfortunately, there were no other rooms available within 130 miles of Stockholm. I knew this before I boarded my flight in Seattle as I had American Express Travel Services, the event coordinators, TB and even some colleagues help me find a room. There are several major conferences & events in Stockholm Mon-Wed. Availability trumps quality every time although I’m sure TB would have chosen to sleep in the train station over this hotel had she accompanied me on this trip. The do have complimentary Wi-Fi though. Sweet.

I was tired and hungry having traveled 15+ hours so I got settled in my room and headed out to tour the immediate vicinity. The hotel receptionist told me there were shops within 5 minutes of the hotel. She pointed me in the general direction and it was sunny and in the mid-70s so off I went. After walking around about 20 minutes I decided to try the Tutto Italia Pastabar. The name says it all. Choices were either jumbo plates of pasta or jumbo panini. One thing I should mention is everyone speaks English but none of the signs are translated. Imagine rolling up into a Scandinavian Italian eatery, being greeted by a Swedish hostess in her native tongue and not being able to understand anything you have read or heard since seeing the Italia Pastabar sign.

Swedish/Svenska is supposedly a Germanic language but it seems very few root words were preserved. I asked the hostess, “Do you  speak English?” and, somewhat offended, she replied, “But, of course I speak English!” (Next time I will go with, “Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?”) I requested her assistance choosing a suitable pasta dish for someone who doesn’t eat beef or pork. She sprung into action.

The next thing I knew I had ordered a dish with five types of pasta stuffed with cheese and spinach in tomato sauce with slices of smoked turkey on the top. My eyes lit up when she mentioned the turkey option. In my experience it is very rare to find restaurants outside (and sometimes within) North America that even pretend to know what a turkey is. Ask TB about me trying to order a turkey burger in South Africa.

I ate, walked around a bit more, went back to my room and succumbed to exhaustion.

After a few hours in Stockholm, I give it a B-. It is clean but the taxis are too expensive, the food is so-so and the people are accommodating but not in the “our survival is dependent on tourism” manner present in other cities and countries. One thing I love so far about Scandinavians is they seem genuinely colorblind when it comes to race. This is blonde hair, blue eye central in the truest sense and I am sure the melanin meters experienced a significant bump when I arrived. With that said, not once did me being a bald, tallish Black man walking around the land of the Vikings seem to be on anyone’s mind except mine. Contrast that with my last trip to Mexico when a White woman there asked if I was an athlete and wanted my autograph for her kids. Or, then there was my recent trip to Las Vegas when the receptionist at The Venetian was adamant there were no rooms with king beds until a White colleague came over (having just checked-in himself) and requested a room on my behalf.

In case you are wondering, Farg & Byggnadsvard means “Color & Building.” The sign in that picture is for a home improvement shop specializing in paint and wall treatments.

Similar Posts

• Stockholm in Pictures and My Latest Bus Adventure
• Sweden and Italy, Work and Play
• Arriving in Florence
• Taking the train from Florence to Milan
• My First Trip to China and Korea

“Afro Samurai”

It stars none other than the hardest working man in Hollywood, Mr. “Snakes on a Plane” himself: Samuel L. Jackson. Gator (term of endearment) does the vocals for both the protagonist, Afro Samurai, and his sidekick, Ninja Ninja. Ron Perlman is the voice of Afro’s nemesis, Justice. Justice is called #1 and Afro Samurai is called #2 for the headbands they each wear. I will discuss the headbands shortly.

What do I think after the first two episodes? The series has been entertaining for its storyline, quality animation and absurd anachronism.

For the storyline, I think the whole idea of the #1 and #2 headbands is brilliant. The wearer of the #1 headband is considered a god on earth and can only be challenged by the wearer of the #2 headband. As a result, the wearer of the #2 headband is destined to a life of killing, solidarity and, in the case of Afro, blood-boiling revenge. Everyone wants to be a god so there is an endless chain of challengers along #2′s journey to become #1. All #1 has to do is wait for the ultimate #2 to survive and locate him for a life-and-death battle for the #1 headband. You will have to catch a rerun of Episode 1 or read about it using one of the links above to discover how Justice and Afro became #1 and #2, respectively.

If you don’t have cable or Spike TV, it appears you can watch the current week’s “Afro Samurai” episode online. Episode 2 is up now if you hurry.

The animation, like most anime (and The Boondocks), is done overseas, by the masters. The “Afro Samurai” drawing and direction is both artful and cinematic.

As for anachronism, there are so many things so out of place in both space and time, it borders on absurdity. Take Okiko from Episode 2. The character is a Japanese woman who specializes in old-world, holistic medicine. However, midway through the episode she busts out a smartphone with a high-speed data uplink while bathing in the healing waters of a natural outdoor spring. No, I am not making this up. Another example:

Like many,  I too have always been fascinated by the legend of Ninjas and Samurai warriors. I actually did a group research paper on Samurai in high school. But, tell me how a dude with a sword battles another dude with a friggin RPG? (You know, those same rocket propelled grenades with the supporting role in “Black Hawk Down”.) I almost fell off the couch when I saw that duel unfold in Episode 1.

Beyond its storyline, artistic animation and fearless morphing of space and time, “Afro Samurai” gets another nod by having the RZA as music creator and director.

The Wu-Tang Clan was one of my favorite groups while in college. However, with full respect, the RZA should hang up his microphone and stick to producing. His flow is bollocks and buttock. He is no Asheru. His lackluster, slack-jawed performance of the “Afro Samurai” lead-in theme is an unfortunate blemish on the series. Asheru set the gold standard for hip-hop intros. Where is Method Man when you need him?

On the other hand, the “Afro Samurai Soundtrack” looks like it could be the truth. It blends the RZA’s beats with hip-hop all-stars like Big Daddy Kane, Talib Kweli, Q-Tip and fellow Wu-Tanger, the GZA (among others). I may check it out.

With “The Boondocks” and “Afro Samurai” I do see a pattern developing. There must be something I like about animated series that have:

• Angry Black dudes with afros as their main characters,
• A recurring or main theme involving the martial arts, and
• Hip-hop soundtracks.

Considering I grew up around, watching and listening to each of the previous elements, that would make a lot of sense purely from a nostalgia standpoint.Similar Posts

• The Boondocks & Asheru
• Boondocks Theme Song
• Music Review: Insomnia
• New Look
• Keith’s Greatest Hits

This time it’s worse…much worse.

The snow started coming down yesterday, coated the roofs then melted in most areas after 1-3 inches. Today there was sleet followed by a big dose of heavy snow and plummeting temperatures. This confluence of meteorological events combined with the innate inability of Greater Seattle area drivers to command their vehicles during bouts of severe weather — that really isn’t that severe by Midwest and Northeast standards — has created the most incredible traffic log jam I have ever experienced.

I called myself leaving work at 5:42 to arrive home before the roads iced over. I pulled out of the parking garage into a long line of fellow commuters that snaked itself deep into campus roadways. About 30 minutes later I made it about 50 feet to the next parking garage entrance and decided I would save myself the agony of a 0.02 mile-per-hour commute over the 5 miles home. I re-entered the parking garage and returned to my office.

Thankfully, I have my Zune and plenty of work to do. Also, I can follow the play-by-play of tonight’s Seahawks vs. Green Bay game courtesy of Fox Sports online.

Dangit, Green Bay just scored another touchdown :angry: How ’bout them Cowboys!Similar Posts

• “It doesn’t really snow in Seattle.”
• The Abominable Snow
• “Stop Freakin’…Call Beacon” – Part 1
• Honeymoon – Seattle to Frankfurt
• Microsoft gives employee special Halloween treat

• The row highlighted yellow indicates a roadtrip with extended driving over a relatively short period of time which skews the price per day average of that entry.
• The rows highlighted green were periods when we were on vacation which also skews the price per day averages, just in the opposite direction.
• The double-lines indicate points when I changed from 89 to 87 octane fuel (and back). I explain this later.
• The heavy, dotted-line signifies the move from our previous home which reduced my one-way commute from 17 to 5 miles.
• I subtracted the days I was out of the country from Aug-Sep from the 7/26/2006 entry.
• The 9/13/2006 entry is missing values because I am unable to supply the “Miles” and “Days” data until my next fill-up.

I have excluded the “yellow” and “green” anomalies from the analysis which follows.

Table 1	Table 2

Table 1 shows the effect the switches between 89 to 87 octane had on price per gallon (PPG), miles per gallon (MPG) and price per mile (PPM). The 38% increase in PPM ($0.08 average with 89 vs. $0.11 average with 87) immediately suggests a switch back to 89.

However, the PPG average of 87 octane is 18% greater than what I paid on average for 89 octane. In reality, 89 octane is always more expensive than 87 octane on any given date. Therefore, any conculsions drawn based purely on the above PPM data would be largely unreliable.

I also see, from Table 1, my car seems to prefer 89 octane over 87 octane as the MPG averages show I get about 2.3 more miles per gallon with 89 which is a 9% improvement over 87. Since the price of 89 is always within 9% the price of 87 (usually on 10-15 cents more), the MPG data indicates I would be better switching back to 89.

Of course my commute was much longer during the period I used 89 predominantly so the additional MPG efficiency is likely a factor of the amount of highway vs. city driving. The only way to be sure was to switch back to 89 octane and measure the MPG with my shorter commute. I did just that beginning on 6/30/2006 hoping the PPG would also stabilize enough to make such comparisons meaningful.

As you can see from the raw data, the 6/30/2006 and 7/26/2006 fill-ups with 89 octane had very similar PPG, miles driven, and days covered compared to the 5/3/2006 and 5/23/2006 entries with 87 octane. If 89 octane is better for my car I would expect to see improved MPG and PPM when comparing the two sets of entries. Also, after some quick math, I can see 89 cost 3.2% more than 87 but increased MPG only 1.5%. My engine doesn’t knock when I use 87 so there is no benefit for me to pay more for 89 to get essentially the same results.

Table 2 shows my price per day (PPD) average dropped $0.09 (6%) once we moved closer to work. My car’s average MPG of 28.2 when doing mostly expressway (far) driving is pretty good. Now that we live closer to the office, I no longer do as much expressway driving so my MPG has dropped (10%) as one might expect. Living closer to the office means I get fewer miles per gallon but go much longer between refills.

Looking at the chart below, it is interesting to see how the price of gas has changed over time and at different points during the year. The chart confirms prices are lowest in the winter and highest in the mid-to-late summer. I wonder if there are any road trips worth planning between December and February.

If being able to make informed decisions that save me money make me a nerd, so be it. In case you’re wondering: To maintain consistency, I usually get my gas from any nearby Unocal 76 or Chevron after the low fuel light comes on and fill up without topping off.Similar Posts

• Gas Mileage Update
• Gas prices near 2004 lows
• Nerd Alert: Switching Web Hosting Companies
• Nerd Alert: Switching Firewalls
• Cheap Gas