If you look at the full size image you can make out the covers. All that red is thanks to the big red box that is the Economist logo.
Showing posts with label president. Show all posts
Showing posts with label president. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
President Elect Barack Obama Mosaics
I love mosaics. Last night I was inspired to make a few of President Elect Barack Obama (and a few with Obama and Senator McCain). I made these using AndreaMosaic with the tile images as Economist covers between 10/12/2002 - 11/1/2008 (the only dates there are large versions available). Click on the images to get larger versions of the images or even full size if you'd like (I didn't link directly to the full size image as they are all 6-11mb).
If you look at the full size image you can make out the covers. All that red is thanks to the big red box that is the Economist logo.
If you look at the full size image you can make out the covers. All that red is thanks to the big red box that is the Economist logo.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Congratulations President Elect Obama!
I'm calling it. Congratulations President Elect Obama! Now don't blow it! Live up to your campaign promises that will hopefully mend the reputation of our country and help bring us together. Pick a competent Cabinet from people across the political spectrum. Run the country from the center and be a President we can all be proud of.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Word Clouds of the State of the Union Addresses from President George W. Bush
I've noticed a lot of word clouds from the presidential debates lately (first debate, VP debate, second debate) and it got me to wondering what other speeches look like. Word clouds show the frequency of words used based on size and can give you some idea what the important themes of the text is. The more times a word is used the larger (and often darker color) it is in the cloud. This should be very familiar to anyone who uses sites like del.icio.us with their tag clouds. In addition to the information shown graphically, word clouds are just cool as art.
I really wondered, what would the State of the Union address look like over time? As Article II, Section 3 of the US Constitution says: He shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.
Comparing each year would show a glimpse of what important happened in the previous year and what the future holds as seen through the eyes of the President. To do this I found the text of all past State of the Union speeches at ThisNation.com. The images were then generated using Wordle and are all under a creative commons license.
For each images, I used the same settings so they could be compared more easily. I also went with an easy to read font, made all text horizontal and only used black text to make the comparisons easier. I could have made them a lot better looking with colors and different alignment of the text (look at some of the debate examples) but that would have made comparing each one more difficult.
I hope to do this for other presidents too. It would be interesting to see the evolution of the State of the Union from its beginnings with George Washington.
The things I notice most about these images are
- President Bush uses the word "must" a lot in these speeches.
- As everyone knows, the world changed after September 11th, 2001. This first address was in February 2001 so the 2002 address and later are post 9/11.
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
What are your thoughts? I want to make a word cloud t-shirt now!
Friday, September 26, 2008
Cumberland County and Fayetteville, NC Voter Guide - November 4, 2008
Being a knowledgeable voter is not easy. Hopefully every voter knows who is running for President by now but what about your local officials? What do you know about them? Do you even know what offices you can vote for? I know I don't know them all. When it really comes down to it too, your local officials have a lot more of an affect on your day to day life which makes their selection all that more important.The best way to know who you can vote for is to go download a sample ballot. This way you will know exactly who and what will be on your ballot in the voting booth on November 4th. You can even fill out the sample ballot and take it with you.
The first thing you should do is check your voter registration. When I last checked, there was a link to download a sample ballot there. That is the easiest way to make sure your voter registration is up to date and to get a sample ballot. Also make note of your precinct as that is how you will know where to go to vote. (Once you know your precinct go to the Cumberland County polling locations page to see where to go. Google is also working on a voter info site but it is not yet complete as of writing this.) If you don't see your registration or ballot listed, call the Cumberland County Board of Elections at 910-678-7733, tell them your name and verify your address. I asked about a way to look this up yourself on their website since Cumberland County has 34 (34!!) different ballots and was told that there should be something up to do that soon (so look before you call).So, if you live in Cumberland County, I've listed are all the people you may be able to vote for (depending on your precinct) along with links to their campaign sites. If I could not find a campaign site, I have not linked to anything. I will update this if I find any more. I was pretty disappointed not to find many sites for most of the County Commissioners and Board of Education offices.
US President
- Barack Obama / Joe Biden (Democrat)
- John McCain / Sarah Palin (Republican)
- Bob Barr / Wayne A. Root (Libertarian)
US Senate
- Kay Hagan (Democrat)
- Elizabeth Dole (Republican)
- Christopher Cole (Libertarian)
US Congress (District 2)
- Bob Etheridge (Democrat)
- Dan Mansell (Republican)
- Will Adkins (Libertarian)
US Congress (District 7)
- Mike McIntyre (Democrat)
- Will Breazeale (Republican)
US Congress (District 8)
- Larry Kissell (Democrat)
- Robert C. (Robin) Hayes (Republican)
Governor
- Bev Perdue (Democrat)
- Pat McCrory (Republican)
- Michael C. Munger (Libertarian)
Lieutenant Governor
- Walter H. Dalton (Democrat)
- Robert Pittenger (Republican)
- Phillip Rhodes (Libertarian)
Attorney General
- Roy Cooper (Democrat)
- Bob Crumley (Republican)
Auditor
- Beth A. Wood (Democrat)
- Leslie Merritt (Republican)
Commissioner of Agriculture
- Ronnie Ansley (Democrat)
- Steve Troxler (Republican)
Commissioner of Insurance
- Wayne Goodwin (Democrat)
- John Odom (Republican)
- Mark McMains (Libertarian)
Commissioner of Labor
- Mary Fant Donnan (Democrat)
- Cherie Berry (Republican)
Secretary of State
- Elaine F. Marshall (Democrat)
- Jack Sawyer (Republican)
Superintendent of Public Instruction
- June St. Clair Atkinson (Democrat)
- Richard Morgan (Republican)
Treasurer
- Janet Cowell (Democrat)
- Bill Daughtridge (Republican)
NC State Senate (District 19)
- Tony Rand email (Democrat)
NC State Senate (District 21)
- Larry Shaw email (Democrat)
NC State House (District 22)
- William Brisson (Democrat)
NC State House (District 42)
- Marvin W. Lucas email (Democrat)
NC State House (District 43)
- Elmer Floyd (Democrat)
NC State House (District 44)
- Margaret Highsmith Dickson (Democrat)
- Lou Huddleston (Republican)
NC State House (District 45)
- Rick Glazier (Democrat)
County Commissioner (District 2)
- Kenneth Edge email (FayObserver page) (Democrat)
- Marshall Faircloth email (FayObserver page) (Democrat)
- Jimmy Keefe (FayObserver page) (Democrat)
- Jessie Bellflowers (FayObserver page) (Republican)
- Diane Wheatley (FayObserver page) (Republican)
- Bob White (FayObserver page) (Republican)
Register of Deeds
- Lee Warren (Democrat)
Supreme Court Associate Justice (Edmunds Seat)
Court of Appeals Judge (Martin Seat)
- John C. Martin
Court of Appeals Judge (Wynn Seat)
Court of Appeals Judge (Tyson Seat)
Court of Appeals Judge (McCullough Seat)
Court of Appeals Judge (Stephens Seat)
Court of Appeals Judge (Arrowood Seat)
District Court Judge (District 12) (Devan Seat)
District Court Judge (District 12) (Dickson Seat)
- John W. Dickson
District Court Judge (District 12) (Pone Seat)
- Ed Pone
Board of Education (Dsitrict 1)
- Arnita Mace Bristol (FayObserver page)
- Alicia S. Chisolm (FayObserver page)
- Helen Hooks Farrior (FayObserver page)
- Zandra Bryant Peele (FayObserver page)
- Freddie A. Robertson (FayObserver page)
Board of Education (Dsitrict 2)
- Donald W. LaHuffman (FayObserver page)
- James Archie McLauchlin (FayObserver page)
- Dinah Shamblin (FayObserver page)
Board of Education (Dsitrict 3)
- Frank Barragan (FayObserver page)
- Ronnie Lee Peele (FayObserver page)
- Carrie Sutton (FayObserver page)
Board of Education (Dsitrict 4)
- Mbonisi Farri (FayObserver page)
- Larry Lancaster (FayObserver page)
Board of Education (Dsitrict 5)
- Kevin Paul Rodriguez (FayObserver page)
- Mary Emily Royal (FayObserver page)
Board of Education (Dsitrict 6)
- Leroy Atkins (FayObserver page)
- Adam Beyah (FayObserver page)
- Macky Hall (FayObserver page)
- Sheryl Lewis (FayObserver page)
Soil and Water Conservation Supervisor
- Reuben Cashwell
- D. H. Vinson
One last note, please, please don't vote a straight ticket. Evaluate each candidate for each position against the other candidate(s). If you still can't decide, just leave it blank. It is worse to vote blindly than to not vote at all. I hope this page makes your research easier and helps you to make a knowledgeable decision about who to vote for.
Other Resources
- North Carolina State Board of Elections
- Cumberland County Board of Elections
- Fayetteville Observer 2008 Election Information
- North Carolina (NC) Voter Guide
- Cumberland County Library Election 2008 Resources
- Kids Voting in Cumberland County, NC
Images used in this post are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic and Attribution-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic respectively from myJon and Steve Rhodes
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Durham, NC - Republican Primary Voter Guide - May 6, 2008
Looking for the 2008 Democratic Primary Guide for Durham, NC instead?
This is just a page of links to the candidates campaign websites for the Republican Primary in Durham, NC on May 6, 2008. This list is based on the sample ballots.
Also, you can print out a sample ballot that will be exactly what you will see when you get to the voting booth. First, go to check your voter registration and make note of your precinct number. Then go find you ballot based on your party affiliation and precinct.
This is just a page of links to the candidates campaign websites for the Republican Primary in Durham, NC on May 6, 2008. This list is based on the sample ballots.
Also, you can print out a sample ballot that will be exactly what you will see when you get to the voting booth. First, go to check your voter registration and make note of your precinct number. Then go find you ballot based on your party affiliation and precinct.
President
US Senate
US Congress District 4
Governor
Lieutenant Governor
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Other Resources:
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Durham, NC - Democratic Primary Voter Guide - May 6, 2008
Looking for the 2008 Republican Primary Guide for Durham, NC instead?
This is just a page of links to the candidates campaign websites for the Democratic Primary in Durham, NC on May 6, 2008. I know I am missing some races because I only looked at 2 of the sample ballots. If I could not find a site, I did not link to anything. As I got farther down the list and the races got more local and smaller level offices, finding sites became much harder. Sites also started not being the top result or even on the first page. That is kind of sad. They need some SEO help. At least they have sites. Maybe my links here will help their ranks. Many of these candidates only have a week left though because they won't make it to the general election.
Also, I am very disappointed in our local newspapers and other media. Their election sites are very incomplete, hard to find, some are not up to date and they are all just generally crappy. The ones that are still showing info from the last election are the ones that piss me off the most. No one is going to use a voter guide in 2008 with Mike Nifong on it! They obviously do not care about the primaries. It is hard enough as it is for voters to get good candidate information. At least we can get it straight from the candidates now. Get with the times old media!
Also, did you know that you can print out a sample ballot that will be exactly what you will see when you get to the voting booth? First, go to check your voter registration and make note of your precinct number. Then go find you ballot based on your party affiliation and precinct.
Without further ado...
This is just a page of links to the candidates campaign websites for the Democratic Primary in Durham, NC on May 6, 2008. I know I am missing some races because I only looked at 2 of the sample ballots. If I could not find a site, I did not link to anything. As I got farther down the list and the races got more local and smaller level offices, finding sites became much harder. Sites also started not being the top result or even on the first page. That is kind of sad. They need some SEO help. At least they have sites. Maybe my links here will help their ranks. Many of these candidates only have a week left though because they won't make it to the general election.
Also, I am very disappointed in our local newspapers and other media. Their election sites are very incomplete, hard to find, some are not up to date and they are all just generally crappy. The ones that are still showing info from the last election are the ones that piss me off the most. No one is going to use a voter guide in 2008 with Mike Nifong on it! They obviously do not care about the primaries. It is hard enough as it is for voters to get good candidate information. At least we can get it straight from the candidates now. Get with the times old media!
Also, did you know that you can print out a sample ballot that will be exactly what you will see when you get to the voting booth? First, go to check your voter registration and make note of your precinct number. Then go find you ballot based on your party affiliation and precinct.
Without further ado...
President
US Senate
Governor
Lieutenant Governor
Auditor
Commissioner of Insurance
Commissioner of Labor
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Treasurer
NC State Senate District 20
Ryan O'Neal Echoles(search)- Floyd B. McKissick, Jr.
District Attorney District 14
Durham County Commissioner (Vote for 5)
- Fred Foster, Jr. (search)
- Becky Heron
- Brenda Howerton
- Don Moffitt
- Michael D. Page
- Josh Parker
- Victoria Peterson (search)
- Ellen Reckhow
- Doug Wright
- Joe W. Bowser (search)
Other Resources:
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Obma is an elitist, just what we need!
Barack Obama's recent comment that some in Western PA are "bitter" and they "cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them" was not good for his campaign but it isn't all that wrong either. Americans have been ruled by fear, ignorance and incompetence for the last 7 years. We have to cope somehow.
People cling to things that make them feel safe like their guns, their religion and a common animosity for people who are not like them. Everyone does this. I cling to the idea of checks and balances, my civil rights, my right to privacy and my faith in God. For several years I have had to fall back on these ideals to get me through the day and I too am bitter. So listen up, there is nothing wrong with your guns, religion or your concerns over immigration but don't forget there are other important issues in the world.
But now Obama gets to be labeled an elitist for all who will listen to his competitors or the pundits. As Jon Stewart points out, despite jokingly, is being elite really such a bad thing for a President? (Especially considering our current leader.)
Or watch Jon explain that we really do want an elite President on the Daily Show site.
One of my favorite aspects of the fictional President Bartlett was the fact that the man was brilliant. A democracy should be a meritocracy so shouldn't the top position in that system be the best of the best?
People cling to things that make them feel safe like their guns, their religion and a common animosity for people who are not like them. Everyone does this. I cling to the idea of checks and balances, my civil rights, my right to privacy and my faith in God. For several years I have had to fall back on these ideals to get me through the day and I too am bitter. So listen up, there is nothing wrong with your guns, religion or your concerns over immigration but don't forget there are other important issues in the world.
But now Obama gets to be labeled an elitist for all who will listen to his competitors or the pundits. As Jon Stewart points out, despite jokingly, is being elite really such a bad thing for a President? (Especially considering our current leader.)
You know, I hear what you are all saying but doesn't elite mean good? Is that not something we're looking for in a President anymore? You know what candidates, come with me. I know elite is a bad word in politics. And you want to go bowling and throw back a few beers. But the job you are applying for, if you get it and it goes well, they might carve your head into a mountain. If you don't actually think you are better than us then what the f*!k are you doing? ... In fact, not only do I want an elite President, I want someone who is embarrassingly superior to me.
Or watch Jon explain that we really do want an elite President on the Daily Show site.
One of my favorite aspects of the fictional President Bartlett was the fact that the man was brilliant. A democracy should be a meritocracy so shouldn't the top position in that system be the best of the best?
Friday, March 21, 2008
I'm a registered Democrat again, Yay!
A few months ago I changed my life long registration as a Democrat to Republican. It was a pretty big deal for me but I changed it because I like choices. I figured I'd be ok with the Democratic candidate for President regardless of who it was (ok, I wouldn't have been too keen on John Edwards but I wouldn't have been repulsed). I knew I would have problems with some of the Republican candidates though. I despised the idea of Mr. 9/11 (Rudy Giuliani) being our next fear mongering President. I didn't think much of Mitt Romney either and despite liking Mike Huckabee a lot as a person and a candidate, we don't need 4 more years of the religious right making our country look like loons.
Now back to why I switched parties. I switched so I could help expand my choice in the general election. I knew if my choice was between a Democrat and Giuliani, Romney or Huckabee then it didn't matter who the Democrat was. They would get my vote.
If the Republican was McCain or Ron Paul, then I could actually listen to the candidates arguments, watch the debates and make a real decision. I was actually planning on voting for Ron Paul in the Republican primaries. Now, I am not as sure I would have really liked Ron Paul as President but I do like his libertarian views. Free Markets, Free People.
Since McCain is definitely now the Republican candidate, my vote for Ron Paul would have been purely symbolic (more so than it likely would have been if the race was closer at least). I switched my registration back to Democrat because of choice. I would much prefer to choose the Democratic candidate if I don't have a choice in the Republican candidate.
And I choose Barack Obama.
I am ready for a fresh face and Bush - Clinton - Bush - Clinton would not be a fresh face. More so, Hillary Clinton is a very entrenched career politician. That does not appeal to me.
Now back to why I switched parties. I switched so I could help expand my choice in the general election. I knew if my choice was between a Democrat and Giuliani, Romney or Huckabee then it didn't matter who the Democrat was. They would get my vote.
If the Republican was McCain or Ron Paul, then I could actually listen to the candidates arguments, watch the debates and make a real decision. I was actually planning on voting for Ron Paul in the Republican primaries. Now, I am not as sure I would have really liked Ron Paul as President but I do like his libertarian views. Free Markets, Free People.
Since McCain is definitely now the Republican candidate, my vote for Ron Paul would have been purely symbolic (more so than it likely would have been if the race was closer at least). I switched my registration back to Democrat because of choice. I would much prefer to choose the Democratic candidate if I don't have a choice in the Republican candidate.
And I choose Barack Obama.
I am ready for a fresh face and Bush - Clinton - Bush - Clinton would not be a fresh face. More so, Hillary Clinton is a very entrenched career politician. That does not appeal to me.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
What is the Senate Doing For Their Christmas Vacation?, Staying in Session is What!
I read an article last night on CNN about the Senate's plans to technically not take a break for the holidays (you know, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Years and others). They plan to hold "pro forma" sessions through mid-January. I say not technically taking a break because all but a handful of Senators will be gone. The Senate will be taking the minimum amount of action required to legally remain in session. I believe that involves someone banging a gavel every 3 days or so. Senators Jim Webb of Virginia, Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Ben Cardin of Maryland and Chuck Schumer of New York will all take a break from their holiday plans to keep the Senate in session.
The reasoning for this really shows how at odds President Bush is with Congress. The US Constitution, Article II, Section 2, Clause 3 provides the ability for recess appointments. The reason for this was so federal governmental positions would not go unfilled while the Senate, who confirms those appointments, is not in town to vote on those positions. Back in the day, the Senate was often out of session for many months at a time so it made sense for the President to have this ability. Sadly, recess appointments have become nothing more than a political maneuver.
Now the Senate does not take breaks nearly as long and with the advent of the flying machine and commercial air travel, the Senate can get back in a hurry to vote on a Presidential appointment if necessary. Recess appointments are now used by the President to make appointments that he (or she) can not get approved by the Senate for any number of reasons.
The Senate did this same thing over Thanksgiving and is doing it now to prevent the appointment of Steven Bradbury to the head of the Office of Legal Counsel for the DOJ. I think we should expect our President to use this provision responsibly and for the reason it was intended. Otherwise, maybe we should just get rid of it all together. That would take a Constitutional amendment though. I guess we should just start expecting longer sessions of the Senate.
The reasoning for this really shows how at odds President Bush is with Congress. The US Constitution, Article II, Section 2, Clause 3 provides the ability for recess appointments. The reason for this was so federal governmental positions would not go unfilled while the Senate, who confirms those appointments, is not in town to vote on those positions. Back in the day, the Senate was often out of session for many months at a time so it made sense for the President to have this ability. Sadly, recess appointments have become nothing more than a political maneuver.
Now the Senate does not take breaks nearly as long and with the advent of the flying machine and commercial air travel, the Senate can get back in a hurry to vote on a Presidential appointment if necessary. Recess appointments are now used by the President to make appointments that he (or she) can not get approved by the Senate for any number of reasons.
The Senate did this same thing over Thanksgiving and is doing it now to prevent the appointment of Steven Bradbury to the head of the Office of Legal Counsel for the DOJ. I think we should expect our President to use this provision responsibly and for the reason it was intended. Otherwise, maybe we should just get rid of it all together. That would take a Constitutional amendment though. I guess we should just start expecting longer sessions of the Senate.
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