Monthly Archive for April, 2007
The following conversation happened over the phone
Nikky: Greenhouses, not Greek houses, G-R
*thinks a second*
Nikky: E-N
Katy: G-R-E-E-N dear…green has two Es
An unscientific study based on data culled from Facebook network pages.
Probably the most pressing question on your mind (if you even bothered clicking on this link, which I’m assuming you have), is where do the colleges stand based on their student bodies in political affiliation? Until now there hasn’t been an especially easy way to get this data, but now I can. Ranked from most liberal to most conservative. Please note that I combined “Very Liberal and Liberal” and “Very Conservative and Conservative” into “Liberal” and “Conservative” groups respectively. The “Very” modifer results is multiplied by 1.1 (10%) for a slight adjust. Ranked on Liberal:Conservative Ratio because many (near 50% average for networks) don’t respond to this question at all, and is thus the most reliable indicator of the general makeup.
Evergreen State College Is 40.5% Liberal and 2.1% Conservative with a ratio of 19.3:1
The University of Washington is a distant second with 25.5% Liberal, 7.1% Conservative, and a 3.59:1 Ratio
Western Washington University is third with 31.6% Liberal, 12.6% Conservative, and a ratio of 2.5:1
Washington State University is barely edging out Eastern for fourth with 18.3% Liberal, 14.1% Conservative, and a ratio of 1.29:1
Eastern Washington University fifth with 16.2% Liberal, 12.6% Conservative, and a ratio of 1.23:1
Central Washington University is “most conservative” (in quotes because it is still slightly liberal) with 17.3% Liberal, and 15.1% Conservative, giving us a ratio of 1.14:1.
No real surprises here… the top three slots are all filled by the three colleges west of the Cascades, and the Eastern Washington colleges are noticeably more balanced in their political views.
Some interesting notes:
-Fully 17% of Evergreen’s students have themselves listed as “Other.” The closest is 6% “other” in a tie with WWU, CWU, and WSU.
- Evergreen is the most open with their affiliations and only 33% have not listed theirs. EWU is the most secretive with 49% unlisted.
- WSU’s overall winner is for students who list themselves as “Moderate” (whom I suspect are conservatives in denial): 17%, which is more than the next highest category. CWU and EWU also have “moderate” as the top listing: both with 15%. UW, WWU and Evergreen all have liberal as their top listing.
- The most Apathetic is Evergreen with 3%, but most colleges are at 2% so don’t hinge on this too terribly much.
- Evergreen also is the winner in “Libertarian,” with 2% and actually beating everything both “Conservative” and “Very Conservative.”
- The Eastern Colleges (EWU [Country as 2nd], CWU [Country as 2nd] and WSU [Country as 2nd]) all seem to not like listing their favorite bands, while the Western Colleges don’t have any genres listed in their top ten music. This leads me to conclude that there isn’t any outstanding artist in the Country genre and that all of the singers and artists are really just background noise.
- Jack Johnson is the top music for all colleges except for Evergreen, who don’t have him listed in their top 10, but do prefer The Beatles.
So here I am, working on some English homework about how Americans are becoming to view news as nothing more than a form of entertainment, and that the news media is framing it as such,
when suddenly I get a random facebook message email!
I don’t know the person who is sending it (a certain Johnny Jones), but it seems he’s an administrator or officer on a facebook group I recently joined.
What follows is a transcript of our message exchange. Keep in mind that he sent this to all 992 members of this group.
Johnny Jones: "8 more members and then ill stop bugging you. just want to get over 1000"
Me: Hi- Please don't send meaningless group messages. Some people have better things to do than read that you want eight more members... have you ever heard that "patience is a virtue?" I'm sure it will grow to your target goal soon enough on all its own.
Me: In fact, you need nine more members now.
Johnny Jones: oh well excuse me. im sure there PLENTY of better things that you have to do. and if you really can stand the two messages that ive ever sent to all of the members and insist on being at douche about it then feel free to leave
Me: I'm simply pointing out that most people won't find your messages whining for more members useful in the least bit; in fact, I doubt that receiving them will inspire anyone to invite others. The function of sending messages to all group members is for events or important notifications--I'm sure facebook didn't have it in mind for administrators to abuse the feature like you have.
Cheesy goodness fills the flakey crust
Smoke pours out of the black box flooding the air
STROBEep….STROBEep….STROBEep….
Doors slam as girls flee, some in jeans, some in bathrobes, some in slippers
We stand in the cold across the street fearing the worst for our homework, our computers, our pictures and our meaningless trinkets.
Making sexual comments about fire-fighters and bonding over a bag of pretzels distracts us from the cold
Causing small mountains upon our skin.
The defendant: One Lean-Cuisine Pizza left in a microwave too long
The verdict: Guilty
Sentenced to: A burned crust
After the scene of the crime is cleared we file back into our boxes and hide in fear from the bag of popcorn
Kernels sit there leering at us from the back of the food drawer.
From the IRC (internet relay chat) channel #uw on UWIrc. You can use programs like xchat (for Linux), and mIRC or chatzilla (for windows) to connect. It’s free and fun!
<Velociraptor> I'm paper engineering, bitch
<Velociraptor> fear my mad skillz
<c> dude WHY
<lolz> Maybe he really likes paper.
<c> I guess
<Velociraptor> Velociraptor's love paper
<Velociraptor> Or I could be pulling your leg
<Velociraptor> ;)
<c> they also don't know how to use apostrophes...
<Velociraptor> I suppose eating your leg, to be in character
<c> I suppose
<Velociraptor> You shall suppose nothing!
<c> Come stop me, scaly.
<Velociraptor> Bring it on
<Velociraptor> single letter man
<c> one c is enough to defeat you.
<Velociraptor> Good thing that Velociraptor have TANKS!
<c> oh SHIT
<c> man
<Velociraptor> Yeah, humanity would be screwed
<c> so my students keep asking me for project ideas
<c> so far I've been telling them to make a cruise missile
<c> maybe I'll start adding tanks in there too
<Velociraptor> Tanks with Velociraptors?
<c> the raptors are more of a biology project I think
<Velociraptor> oh, EE projects?
<Velociraptor> For some reason I was thinking "computer game design ideas"
<c> haha
<Velociraptor> oe 3d modeling
<Velociraptor> and would pay money to see a simulation of a Velociraptor crewed tank wreaking havok upon downtown seattle
======================
On another channel
<Nikky> Hmm
<Nikky> Would humanity be doomed if Velociraptors had tanks?
<Zeromus> yes
<Zeromus> muchly
I wanted to share and don’t have enough time to write a full fledged post.
The pictures might be a bit weird, so view at your own risk.
Katy-Did says: I’m kinda excited about getting to study Poe perhaps
Katy-Did says: but Charles Dickens and Jane Austin and I are mortal enemies
Brian says: well then i guess you won that battle
Brian says: they’re dead
Gould Hall will now be haunted, and ISC has given up pushing for a track in Kitsap County.
That’s all for now.
