I can't get enough of A Knight's Tale. Seriously. The whole movie is a great metaphor for the rise of the modern era, the power of reason, and displacement of weak aristocratic blood with vital bourgeoisie guts. Plus, the soundtrack is aces.
In that vein, I also have a huge crush on Josie and the Pussycats. I don't know how a movie gets... Read More
To note: network analysis is going really well. GIS is hard to work in but damn satisfying when it works.
Spent the weekend downtown at a professional conference. Presented a poster - got some OK feedback for a change. Attending panels is like an ice pick to the brain: but seeing so much BAD work makes me... Read More
Some of his stuff is hard to find, I agree. I have the only copy of The Committed Men I've ever seen; nasty used Panther pbk, about 1977 IIRC. Not a great book. OTOH, The Centauri Device is well worth the effort, even if you have to buy second-hand via Amazon; EDIT actually I think it's essential, even though MJH dislikes it....
How do policies spread from one state to another state? In a more generalizable sense, we might ask: How do institutional forms migrate from one organization to another organization in an environment where those organizations are essentially autonomous (re: not already a part of a centralized field)? And - what happens to those policies as they... Read More
Living with a policy wonk (and being a bit of one myself), I'd say your model strikes me as fairly realistic, on the face of it. For instance, on your phase I - health care extension advocates M has worked with here in MD have tended to focus either on a) taking up legislation from other states and introducing it in MD or b) taking existing MD legislation and trying to extend it. And a strategy followed with HPV vaccinations was to target "easy" states (like MA) first, and then use those successes as persuasive models for "hard" (more conservative) states. Some of this may be the result of ease of coordination b/t activists across the country nowadays, but at least now it's a fairly common strategy.
I don't know what advocacy and industry groups looked like in your time period, but a lot of activist groups nowadays also write model legislation. So, e.g., if there're a lot of similarities between the VA and MD versions of a Darfur Divestment bill, it's because they were both drafted based on models from the Sudan Divestment Campaign. That's a phenomenon along the lines you describe - but that bypasses even the "states try something first" element.
If you haven't already, you may find it interesting to look at some of the agent modeling and network analysis lit, like Barabasi.
Y'know what's crazy-- we actualy got good service! I've been eating there for 10 years and this is the first time service wasn't below average. Made it all the better!
How are you doing, stranger? SGC is going out Wednesday for dinner, and I'd love you to come!
"This would be a great test in literary interpretation," Mr. Giuliani said. "I can interpret one way or the other depending on whether you are a Republican that is in favor of having... Read More
they're supposed to actually supposed to stay on point when they answer a questions relating to an issue? how would anyone who does that possibly get elected.
So we did the Pitchfork Music Festival over the weekend, and it was a great time. I got turned onto The Ponys, and had a blast seeing Cat Power, The New Pornographers, and Of Montreal, plus tons of other stuff.
But, no matter how many Beatles she had sex with, Yoko Ono just ain't it.
My wedding anniversary is coming up. We'll be dining vegetarian style at the Green Zebra a few days before. I still need to get my wife something. It doesn't have to huge, or even sickly sentimental - but I would like it to be nice. I haven't got a clue yet (I'm not terrible at buying gifts, but I'm not Zen master either). Maybe I'll... Read More
The Tribune ran this story on how flying this summer is a big pain in the ass. Basically, as airlines try to keep costs down, they run on such a tight schedule that *any* blip in the system causes huge breakdowns. This ripple only intensifies as people find it harder and harder to get onto new flights, since all the flights are running at... Read More
I mean, how could it not be? Val Kilmer, Sam Elliot, Kurt Russell, Dana Delaney, Billy Zane, Powers Boothe, Jason Priestly, Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thorton, Michael Biehn, Charlton Heston, Thomas Haden Church, John Corbett, Terry O'Quinn, and Michael Rooker all are in it. Plus, *Robert Mitchum* is the narrator? It's like a character actor wet dream.
I was listening to it all day today too. Love it, tho I prefer Separation Sunday, mostly on the strength of the religious undertones.
By the way, if you and your wife are free Wednesday, a small posse is getting together at Rock Bottom brewery (grand & state) at 6 pm. I'd love to meet you guys, since I'm missing you this weekend at PFork. Let me know ...
So I need to update. But falling behind isn't my fault this time. My MacBook had to go in to the shop AGAIN. At this point, the inverter has been replaced (twice), a new LCD screen put in, the combo drive replaced, two different logic boards have been put in, a battery switch has been changed out, AND the keyboard needed to be fixed. When... Read More
OK. So, here are some of our pictures and a general recount of our various adventures in San Francisco.
I'm really, *really* terrible with the camera. I'm just warning you.
We flew in on Thursday, and everything went great - we caught our connecting flight in LA and basically landed in SF right on time. We caught the BART to Union Square, which was where... Read More
