:: groupthink ::

:: Wednesday, October 08, 2003 ::

the running man won

short of every absentee ballot counted, i'm sure its pretty much official. i feel a mix of embarrassment, pride, and a sense of loneliness and awe at this point. embarrassment because of the laughing stock that California has become in conducting this recall- how it chose to prioritize spending for our collective anger over textbooks and so on.

there is pride because good god, this was one of the most amazing examples of a democratic society that can legally and peacefully overthrow its leaders (the legality of the recall escapes me but nonetheless).

when I look at the interactive graphics on the nytimes site and see the breakdown of what happened in the state by county I’m in awe of the bastion of liberal ideology that I’m surrounded by. I love it here. I guess I’m becoming so conservative in my liberal thought that I can’t even understand how such huge swaths of the state could be so decidedly of an opinion opposite mine. this isn’t anything new- its just indicative of a series of things- one that I have a different background and upbringing then most of the people in the central valley of California and consequently a different value system.

what I hope happens probably won’t. I hope arnold’s people decide to haul in the top 25 vote getting candidates each for a 10 minute chat- and say ok- here it is- lay it on the line, whats your BIG idea? what would u do if you were me? what have you thought about more than anything else during your run for the guv? I hope these people are listened to. I’m not saying that the guy wearing all blue needs to be called in, but the ones that took this race seriously- should be heard- and their ideas should be co-opted. it’s a bit like what happens in most other major democracies around the world- when a party (yes theres that notion of more than 2 parties again) gains a percentage of the vote- they gain proportional representation in the legislature and over time the dominant parties have to form coalitions which means they have to co-opt the smaller parties’ big idea to shore up support. I also hope that the 135 people (short of a few obvious ones) use this as an opportunity to run for their local school boards or town councils, that they INFECT those who voted for them to do the same. I’m hoping for a renaissance I suppose, but someone has to dream a little dream don’t they- or else the future just becomes a tired sequel of the past, with cooler explosions.



:: h 3:00 AM [+] ::
...

steering powerlessly...

rarely does news and information affect your life in a tangible way, but when it came to a newsbit/ conversation on something as basic as how to hold the steering wheel- this fahrvegnugen driver has been flummoxed ever since hearing a bone shattering little factoid.

a couple of weeks ago on a sat. morning i was headed back into the city and listening to cartalk as always. a caller phoned in with a seemingly laughable question- he said his 16 year old daughter had been questioning his 10 and 2, hand over hand, palm pressure release method - one that most of us learned during traffic ed. she alleged that the new way they were teaching her in school was to not cross her arms at any point and to keep her hands at 8 and 4 or 9 and 3 if must be, and to use a push-pull motion to turn. i found this link in the UK for those who are learning to drive on the web i guess- they still have 10 and 2 but they do the push pull method (press the turn left/ turn right things to see). i'm thinkin' to myself- what a crock... the dad is obviously right... well i was in "shock and awe" to find Tom and Ray siding with the 16 year old. the reasoning behind this seeming lunacy is that airbags apparently have the strength to knock your forearms (especially when they are crossed) back into your face- good times.

since that sat. i've been trying desparately and unsuccessfully to break my iteration of the 10 and 2... (usually its just a 10 or sometimes the left crosses over ) . i've been driving for 13 years and i think the habits that i've formed while driving are embedded into my subconscious. when most of us drive- its autopilot isn't it? i'd call myself an assertive driver who knows the edges of his vehicle and occasionaly lapses into some genetic rickshaw-wallah predisposition exploiting the inefficiencies inherent in the traffic flow- that said... i need to have the control that 10 and 2 brings me. there is hardly any quick reaction potential with the lower 8 and 4. you can barely execute a 90 degree turn w/o herky jerky motions.

should i also mention that i used to criticize my father for how dorky the push pull method looked back in the days when he was in the US and could still drive? i mean i'm not all about lookin' pimpdaddy when i drive or else i'd have the left-hand-only at 12 o clock with some sickass gangsta lean where my seat was reclined so far back that you can't even see it... but i'm not goin' there... i'm just sayin' if you aren't gonna be able to make your machine perform optimally by having decent control of the vehicle because you have to worry about your forearms knocking you out, then why not just settle down with a nice little plastic car that can't go more than 40mph and you can 8 and 4 till the cows (hindu) come home. right?

i don't see race car drivers obeying this sort of suggestion- they're 10 and 2ing it for 500 laps. (yes yes i know, they have flame retardant suits, 5 point harnesses and helmets to keep their nostrils from bruising and breaking but i was trying to make a point- as feeble as it was- that people who know how to drive better aren't thinkin' about the airbag).

if i can't get my habits to change in the next month of driving, i think i'm gonna have to write myself off as a casualty to the airback kickin' my ass. i figure if i was in a wreck bad enough that the airbag actually had to deploy, i might have some bigger issues than the fact that i bit off a chunk of my forearm.

this is all very pleasant when you think about it isn't it? when i mention this to other drivers, they seem rather ho-hum, when i mention this to driving enthusiasts, they're up in arms- or forearms as the case is.
:: h 2:11 PM [+] ::
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