Month: February 2007

What is a Super Speeder?

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There is a bill in the GA legislature to additionally fine people for excessive speeding. Fine. Good even. However, it disturbs me that people quote the wrong statistics as rationale and tie it to emotional cues.

Slowing down ‘super speeders’ on Georgia highways is a super idea – gainesvilletimes.com:

Last year in Georgia, 1,700 people lost their lives in traffic accidents; that averages to about one person every five hours. These aren’t benign statistics, folks. These are real people — mommas and daddies and sons and daughters, friends and neighbors — people who could and should still be with us.

People losing their lives in traffic accidents is quite serious. However, this isn’t 1,700 people who lost their lives because of excessive speeding. According to Weitz & Luxenberg (for 2003), speed was a factor in only about 20% of these traffic accident deaths. This is at the same level as deaths associated with alcohol (MADD for 2005 claims it higher: 35% and 30% in 2005). W&L also claim people were not wearing a seatbelt in half of these deaths? If that is true, then let’s raise the fine on not wearing a seat belt by $100 a year until this goes down to less than 5%.

Airbags are associated with an increase in deaths?

This map of crash deaths in GA is scary: 1) the map is unreadable unless you take the picture and look at the original JPG, 2) the lack of understanding of greater than vs less than. Plus, I’d rather it be deaths by percentage of amount of traffic than just deaths. More cars = more opprtunities for people to do stupid things. For example, I am impressed by the low numbers of deaths in certain counties along I-75 and I-85.

 

QotD: I’m Good.

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What are five things you're good at?
Submitted by HapaLove.

  1. Using Computers – I've been using computers for 22 years. I know dozens of programs, can find things easily, and am familiar with most operating systems.
  2. Troubleshooting – Solving puzzles and problems is something which has gainfully employed me for over a decade. Whether its locating information in a database or fixing a computer.
  3. Conversation – As much as I love finding information in books, discussing concepts with others helps me identify gaps in my understanding of topics and where I should direct my intellectual pursuits.
  4. Integrating concepts – I read a ton, so being able to place all the information I find into appropriate places in my congnitive map helps me stay sane. I also use this ability to explain concepts in conversations.
  5. Writng – In addition to reading, I can also write fairly well. So I can contribute back.
  6. Navigation – I have a pretty good sense of direction and can find my way around most places.
  7. Driving – When I drive, I have a good understanding of where others are in relation to me, what they are doing, and how they are likely to react to changing road conditions. I've only been in one moving accident. In college women liked to run into me after we were both stopped.

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Sunset Blue

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Sunset Blue
Originally uploaded by sneezypb.

It was a beautiful sunset yesterday. I might get to see the sunrise as well?

Honestly, I’d rather go back to sleep and miss it instead. I’ve been up since 4 am working on bringing up my application. It only took an hour, but there appears to be something wrong with a floating IP for TNS so the listener on the standby won’t start. 🙁

Sober Up!

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Some people call me a lush, so let’s say I was intoxicated and went to the restroom. The urinal talking to me? That alone would sober me up quite quickly.

N.M. orders 500 talking urinal cakes – Yahoo! News:

When a man steps up, the motion-sensitive plastic device says, in a woman’s voice that is flirty, then stern: “Hey, big guy. Having a few drinks? Think you had one too many? Then it’s time to call a cab or call a sober friend for a ride home.”