diabola in musica

because perfection isn't easy

Political Blindness

This election season, I have often found myself discussing the principles behind Ron Paul’s political philosophies. The conversations often end in deadlock because the other person and I have a fundamental disagreement about the federal government’s role in regulating civil rights and services. Other times, the conversations end in my jaw hitting the floor because I receive statements like this: 

Well affirmative action is just a form of collectivism. Ron doesn’t believe in group rights like black rights, gay rights, women rights but rather individual rights. If we had individual rights then we wouldn’t have to worry about it.

That’s the Paul supporter version of “I don’t see race”.

This past weekend was the second field test for Project Catgirl. Last fall, I took the ears out for a spin around downtown Boston, but the battery pack didn’t survive my brisk step and being attached to my hip. Now the power source is worn on a harness around the chest (right under my bra strap), and the switches can be easily accessed through the fabric of my sweater. If the electronics crash, they can easily reset by the press of a button (as opposed to ruffling blindly up my skirt).

I was surprised at how quickly I got accustomed to wearing a set of robotic ears. I didn’t receive any direct feedback on what the ears were doing, but I was aware, vaguely, of their activity by whirring noises in my ears whenever they move. They were easily assimilated as part of my wardrobe, but they were also independent enough, I address them as separate entities.

I commented on how “the ears” don’t find Newbury Street interesting, because I was there all the time so there was nothing new that caught my attention. Visiting Coolidge Corner, however, was very exciting for the ears, especially since there were many new things to see at Good Vibrations. Familiar actions were also uninteresting to the ears. Though I considered myself being very attentive when applying makeup, the process is so practiced, the ears didn’t consider it a very interesting activity. Only new environments and behaviors, stimuli that require me to process new information, excited the ears This is no surprise since the NeuroSky headset measures mid-range beta waves, which are associated with active concentration.

The next prototype will have smaller leather ears with fur to cover the gears. Right now, the ears are large, bulky, and the cloth covering catches as the ears rotate. There is also talk about many other changes to the power source, but that is still further down the road.

Career Changer

HE: What made you leave neuroscience?

ME: The recession. I'd apply for lab jobs and then hear that the positions have been removed. This retail job was the first one I picked up after school.

HE: That's not uncommon. I know an entire lab that disappeared due to lack of funding.

ME: Oh good. So it's not really just me.

[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
3OH!3 - Déjà Vu

Hey, Mr. Bartender, mix me a drink. I really need something to tell me it’s okay not to think, because I’ve been to all these bars and I’ve seen all these places. I’ve hit on all these girls. I’ve heard the same conversations.

3OH!3, “Déjà Vu”

Election Night, Iowa Edition

ME: The Iowa caucus process is complicated. There are separate systems for each party. For the Republicans, most voters write their candidate's name. Some do a hand count, but others get a printed ballot. Also, the caucus doesn't directly select the delegates that go to Republican National Convention. There are, I think, three additional levels of delegate selection before the RNC. Iowa is the first in the nation to have elections, but they are one of the last to choose delegates.

DAD: With a system that complicated, no wonder. They need the time.

I’ve been delighted that I discovered the Gallup iPhone app, but the application is too limited for my nerdy needs. The app only displays the Gallup Daily, not the numbers for Election 2012. I still had to check the website for those polls.

So I went back to the iTunes store and after some exploration, I added a few more apps to my arsenal:

  • Real Clear Politics

    RCP has a very thorough and easily accessible compilation of polling data taken from multiple sources. Great for a quick glance at the numbers and headlines.

    Price: Free


  • New York Time’s Election 2012

    Free access to the top stories, but to experience all the features of the app, you need to have a subscription. The poll numbers aren’t as neatly displayed as they are on RCP, but easy access to The Caucus Blog, FiveThirtyEight, and NYT Politics—as well as whatever else NYT publishes—easily makes the subscription worthwhile.

    Price: Free to download, $0.99 for 4-week trial, $14.99/month for smartphone access, $34.99/month for complete digital access


  • Campaign 2012

    Bloated, this app loads so very slowly, but it is one of the few who lists all candidates from all parties.

    Price: Free


  • Congress+

    Great reference on the 112th US Congress! Learn more about your representatives, their staff, and the legislation they sponsored. Updates only once when you purchase.

    Price: $4.99


  • Real Time Congress

    What it says on the box: Get updates from Congress live.

    Price: Free


  • Political Fury

    Choose a political party, and then face-off with history and geography quizzes. Sadly, you can only be Democrat or Republican and the forum is a little juvenile, but still a lot can be learned from the game!

    Price: $1.99