Comments for This Is Not News http://www.notnews.org Philosophy, public affairs and pop culture. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:40:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 Comment on Beijing: Reviving the Julio-Willie by Dave Thomer http://www.notnews.org/s-o-s/beijing-reviving-the-julio-willie.html#comment-9116 Dave Thomer Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:59:00 +0000 http://www.notnews.org/?p=520#comment-9116 Well, with the tragic exception of the volleyball coach's family, it looks like the Games managed to avoid any significant disasters. I'm happy to be wrong, and we'll see what kind of long term impact the Games turn out to have. Well, with the tragic exception of the volleyball coach’s family, it looks like the Games managed to avoid any significant disasters. I’m happy to be wrong, and we’ll see what kind of long term impact the Games turn out to have.

]]> Comment on Up in the Air, Not So Much? by Dave Thomer http://www.notnews.org/life/up-in-the-air-not-so-much.html#comment-9115 Dave Thomer Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:29:56 +0000 http://www.notnews.org/?p=523#comment-9115 And that's not even factoring in the energy cost to produce and transport the donuts and coffee. I admit, I'm pretty bad at talking to people over the phone. But if the alternative is a bunch of travel hassle, I think I could get over it. If the price of air travel keeps going up, I'm sure I could. And that’s not even factoring in the energy cost to produce and transport the donuts and coffee.

I admit, I’m pretty bad at talking to people over the phone. But if the alternative is a bunch of travel hassle, I think I could get over it. If the price of air travel keeps going up, I’m sure I could.

]]> Comment on Up in the Air, Not So Much? by rjmason http://www.notnews.org/life/up-in-the-air-not-so-much.html#comment-9114 rjmason Sun, 24 Aug 2008 01:25:12 +0000 http://www.notnews.org/?p=523#comment-9114 I did quite a lot of traveling this year. The great majority of it could have been replaced by some form of teleconference. However, it doesn't seem to work that way. You show up somewhere, people give you coffee and donuts, you talk for a couple of hours, and *then* they agree to send you the Powerpoint slides that they could have emailed to you in the first place. It's stupid, but there it is. I did quite a lot of traveling this year. The great majority of it could have been replaced by some form of teleconference. However, it doesn’t seem to work that way. You show up somewhere, people give you coffee and donuts, you talk for a couple of hours, and *then* they agree to send you the Powerpoint slides that they could have emailed to you in the first place. It’s stupid, but there it is.

]]> Comment on Up in the Air, Not So Much? by Dave Thomer http://www.notnews.org/life/up-in-the-air-not-so-much.html#comment-9110 Dave Thomer Wed, 20 Aug 2008 04:28:47 +0000 http://www.notnews.org/?p=523#comment-9110 I have nowhere near the physics or the math skills to argue with the back of your envelope, although I would have to think that moving at several hundred MPH goes against some of the advantages you cite. But even if it uses less fuel to go a certain distance than it would by car, there's still the question of, Is it a good idea to travel this distance? Is a lifestyle that depends on lots of airplanes - not just passenger planes, but shipping planes like those empty FedEx planes cited in the New Republic piece - sustainable? I have nowhere near the physics or the math skills to argue with the back of your envelope, although I would have to think that moving at several hundred MPH goes against some of the advantages you cite. But even if it uses less fuel to go a certain distance than it would by car, there’s still the question of, Is it a good idea to travel this distance? Is a lifestyle that depends on lots of airplanes - not just passenger planes, but shipping planes like those empty FedEx planes cited in the New Republic piece - sustainable?

]]> Comment on Up in the Air, Not So Much? by rjmason http://www.notnews.org/life/up-in-the-air-not-so-much.html#comment-9107 rjmason Mon, 18 Aug 2008 04:35:48 +0000 http://www.notnews.org/?p=523#comment-9107 I believe that the scapegoating of air travel as wasteful is way overdone. By my back-of-the-envelope, a person flying in a 747 burns only one-quarter to one-half as much fuel as they would driving the same distance alone in a typical car at freeway speeds. Some reasons this is so: (1) Aerodynamic efficiency is a top priority in airplane design. In car design, aerodynamics are a so-so priority, often compromised for other concerns including aesthetic styling. (2) Airlines do their level best to fly with full airplanes. Almost every car on the road has only a single person in it. (3) Cars have to overcome rolling resistance going over the ground. It's not clear to me that contact with the ground is a net benefit at high speeds. (4) Airplanes don't legally have to be built sturdy enough to survive head-on collisions with other airplanes. I believe that the scapegoating of air travel as wasteful is way overdone. By my back-of-the-envelope, a person flying in a 747 burns only one-quarter to one-half as much fuel as they would driving the same distance alone in a typical car at freeway speeds.

Some reasons this is so:

(1) Aerodynamic efficiency is a top priority in airplane design. In car design, aerodynamics are a so-so priority, often compromised for other concerns including aesthetic styling.

(2) Airlines do their level best to fly with full airplanes. Almost every car on the road has only a single person in it.

(3) Cars have to overcome rolling resistance going over the ground. It’s not clear to me that contact with the ground is a net benefit at high speeds.

(4) Airplanes don’t legally have to be built sturdy enough to survive head-on collisions with other airplanes.

]]> Comment on Beijing: Reviving the Julio-Willie by Dave Thomer http://www.notnews.org/s-o-s/beijing-reviving-the-julio-willie.html#comment-9103 Dave Thomer Wed, 13 Aug 2008 04:52:37 +0000 http://www.notnews.org/?p=520#comment-9103 I'm more of a Winter Olympics guy than a Summer Olympics watcher - although that's changed a little bit this year because my daughter has become an Olympics fanatic - so I kinda sorta remembered him, and then Pattie was listening to an NPR interview he did about a month ago. But yeah, the Chinese sure did figure out a way to give him a shot of publicity, eh? I’m more of a Winter Olympics guy than a Summer Olympics watcher - although that’s changed a little bit this year because my daughter has become an Olympics fanatic - so I kinda sorta remembered him, and then Pattie was listening to an NPR interview he did about a month ago. But yeah, the Chinese sure did figure out a way to give him a shot of publicity, eh?

]]> Comment on Beijing: Reviving the Julio-Willie by rjmason http://www.notnews.org/s-o-s/beijing-reviving-the-julio-willie.html#comment-9099 rjmason Sun, 10 Aug 2008 02:26:10 +0000 http://www.notnews.org/?p=520#comment-9099 I for one had never heard of Joey Cheek until his visa was revoked. I for one had never heard of Joey Cheek until his visa was revoked.

]]> Comment on You Know You’re a Derelict Blogger When . . . by Dave Thomer http://www.notnews.org/s-o-s/you-know-youre-a-derelict-blogger-when.html#comment-9008 Dave Thomer Tue, 24 Jun 2008 23:26:56 +0000 http://www.notnews.org/s-o-s/you-know-youre-a-derelict-blogger-when.html#comment-9008 Pattie watches Top Chef and a lot of the other skill-competition reality shows, and I'll follow along some times. We just got a new TV, so I have a feeling it's going to be a lot more compelling pretty quickly. :) Pattie watches Top Chef and a lot of the other skill-competition reality shows, and I’ll follow along some times. We just got a new TV, so I have a feeling it’s going to be a lot more compelling pretty quickly. :)

]]> Comment on You Know You’re a Derelict Blogger When . . . by rjmason http://www.notnews.org/s-o-s/you-know-youre-a-derelict-blogger-when.html#comment-8948 rjmason Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:55:25 +0000 http://www.notnews.org/s-o-s/you-know-youre-a-derelict-blogger-when.html#comment-8948 TV I enjoyed this year: Dexter (on DVD). American Idol (socially; I wouldn't watch it alone). Top Chef (my favorite reality show). How I Met Your Mother. House M.D. The Big Bang Theory (it's not always good, but sometimes it's true to life). TV I enjoyed this year: Dexter (on DVD). American Idol (socially; I wouldn’t watch it alone). Top Chef (my favorite reality show). How I Met Your Mother. House M.D. The Big Bang Theory (it’s not always good, but sometimes it’s true to life).

]]> Comment on The Time Crunch of Deliberation by Dave Thomer http://www.notnews.org/philosophy/the-time-crunch-of-deliberation.html#comment-8782 Dave Thomer Thu, 28 Feb 2008 03:13:15 +0000 http://www.notnews.org/philosophy/the-time-crunch-of-deliberation.html#comment-8782 Yeah, I'm trying desperately to stay on the horse. I think that if you go to a caucus, it feels more like you're doing something. (Which reminds me, I need to finish up my post on "Why Voting Is an Irrational Act." But it's a more demanding process, so fewer people go. And if fewer people participate, does that serve democracy? I have no trouble with the idea that if you want democracy you have to work a little for it, but I don't think that's the common attitude in our society. Yeah, I’m trying desperately to stay on the horse.

I think that if you go to a caucus, it feels more like you’re doing something. (Which reminds me, I need to finish up my post on “Why Voting Is an Irrational Act.” But it’s a more demanding process, so fewer people go. And if fewer people participate, does that serve democracy?

I have no trouble with the idea that if you want democracy you have to work a little for it, but I don’t think that’s the common attitude in our society.

]]>