Month: August 2008

The second installment of Charlie the Unicorn, the trippiest thing on the web:

A reader writes:

With regards to the idea that Obama’s campaign has been ineffectual over the last few weeks, I can’t help but give these guys all the benefit of the doubt.  They’ve run a nearly flawless campaign, aside from the Wright episode.  I’m reminded of the tactics of Muhammed Ali versus George Foreman in their great boxing fight of the early 70’s… I can’t help but wonder if Obama’s campaign is purposely taking all of the best (worst?) that McCain’s campaign can come up with during the current Olympic buildup/downtime with the thought of turning everything into a downhill run to victory from the conventions on.

I can’t help but think we’re seeing political rope-a-dope …

Well, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve worried about Obama’s seeming reluctance to fight back. But my worry is simply about him losing control of the narrative of this campaign.

Some evangelicals tout Obama’s family values. The contrast with the once-philandering, adulterous divorcé running for the GOP goes unstated:

You thought those dancers in the opening ceremony were selected on ability alone?

A reader writes:

You asked, "By what logic can gay rights be more significant an issue for a religious party like the GOP than abortion?"

By the electoral logic. Anything touching on homosexuality cuts into the Republican strategy to define this, along with every other, presidential election as a choice between a folksy, ordinary, and masculine patriot and an elite, peculiar, and effeminate cosmopolitan. Merely mentioning anything gay, let alone having gay friends, wavering on gay marriage, etc. punts you in the latter camp. You can’t say the same for abortion.

A seal jumps at the zoo in the northern German city of Hanover on August 15, 2008. The zoo held an animal Olympic games to coincide with the Olympic games in Beijing. By Nigel Treblin/AFP/Getty.

A reader writes:

Andrew, Andrew, Andrew. Are you aware that 36% of all American women know how to knit or crochet? And that that number reflects an 51% increase in the number of knitters in the last 10 years? Or, incidentally, that there are more and more men knitting every year? At a recent production of Midsummer Night’s Dream that my theater company did, there were five knitters backstage–three women, two of them in high school; two men, one in college and the other my 55 year old father.

Knitting ain’t just for Grandma anymore.

The first man-made biological brain? Well, almost:

The robot’s biological brain is made up of cultured neurons which are placed onto a multi electrode array (MEA). The MEA is a dish with approximately 60 electrodes which pick up the electrical signals generated by the cells. This is then used to drive the movement of the robot. Every time the robot nears an object, signals are directed to stimulate the brain by means of the electrodes. In response, the brain’s output is used to drive the wheels of the robot, left and right, so that it moves around in an attempt to avoid hitting objects. The robot has no additional control from a human or a computer, its sole means of control is from its own brain.

Nate Silver crunches the numbers. The gist:

A 6-point convention bounce represents par. If a candidate gets a bounce larger than 6 points, that can be considered to be a good sign. If the bounce is smaller than 6 points, that can be considered to be a bad sign.

Paul Wells continues the conversation about Georgia at McLeans. Coyne’s original piece (and my response) is here.