He is exciting

Nearly twice as many Democrats turned out in Iowa tonight as compared to four years ago — 239,000 compared to 125,000.

Only 108,000 Republicans attended Thursday’s caucuses. And this is a state that went for Bush in 2004 (though by a relatively small margin).

And there’s these interesting statistics from Tim Dickinson at Rolling Stone:

1. Obama beat Hillary among women voters 35 to 30 percent.
2. Amid record Democratic turnout, as many people under 30 showed up to caucus as those over 65.
3. Sixty percent of the GOP electorate in Iowa were born-again Christians.
4. Rudy Giuliani finished with a mere 4,013 votes, in sixth place, with less than half of the support of Ron Paul.

Are cellphones dangerous to flight?

Ask the pilot, Patrick Smith answers the question: Are cellphones dangerous to flight? First, he tells us why we have to put other electronics away during takeoffs and landings.

Before getting to cellphones, passengers should know that the restrictions pertaining to computers, iPods and certain other devices have nothing to do with electronic interference at all. For instance, laptops. In theory, a poorly shielded notebook computer can emit harmful energy, but the main reason laptops need to be put away for takeoff and landing is to prevent them from becoming 200-mph projectiles in the event of an impact or sudden deceleration, and to help keep the passageways clear during an evacuation. Your computer is a piece of luggage, and luggage needs to be stowed so it doesn’t kill somebody or get in the way.

In the case of iPods and the like, it has to do with the headphones. During takeoffs and landings, you need to be able to hear and follow instructions if there’s an emergency. That’s hard to do if you’ve got your MP3 player cranked to 11.

Key point: “I would venture to guess that at least half of all cellular phones, whether inadvertently or out of laziness, are left on during flight.”

More on The Wire

David Simon responds to Matthew Yglesias’s thinking The Wire has too bleak a vision of the urban world.

You might want to scroll back up to the top to see what Yglesias says before reading Simon’s comment, but the link is to the comment.

The boys and girls on the bus

Just read it.

How much of the media’s reaction to Senator Clinton is because she’s smarter than them? How much is because she’s a Clinton? And how much is because she’s a woman?

The Wire

On the eve of the fifth (and final) season of the HBO series “The Wire,” Mark Bowden profiles creator David Simon, The Angriest Man In Television.

As The Wire unveiled its fourth season in 2006, Jacob Weisberg of Slate, in a much-cited column, called it “the best TV show ever broadcast in America.” The New York Times, in an editorial (not a review, mind you) called the show Dickensian.

Season five begins Sunday.

Note: Bowden’s profile is admiring but not friendly toward Simon.

NewMexiKen thinks The Wire is so good — and I haven’t even completed watching the first season on DVD yet — that I have acquired all four seasons on disk and — AND — am seriously considering satellite TV after a two year lapse from cable — just to get HBO just to get this show.

Good for him

Last night’s Fiesta Bowl was tough for Oklahoma fans but it turns out it was a great job interview for West Virginia interim coach Bill Stewart. The 48-28 win got him the job.

Oh, and go read this ODE TO OWEN SCHMITT.

The guy is weeping and the silly reporter still asks him “What does this mean to you?” A great moment anyway.

“Bill Stewart’s crying, everyone’s hugging, and Owen Schmitt starts to talk about his team, his state, and his home and just completely and gloriously loses his shit.” (Every Day Should Be Saturday)

Grammy

Here, while I think about it, are the nominees for the top four Grammy awards. The awards show is Sunday, February 10. The CD Grammy Nominees 2008 will be released January 29.

Album Of The Year:
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (Foo Fighters)
These Days (Vince Gill)
River: The Joni Letters (Herbie Hancock)
Graduation (Kanye West)
Back To Black (Amy Winehouse)

Record Of The Year:
“Irreplaceable” (Beyoncé)
“The Pretender” (Foo Fighters)
“Umbrella” (Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z)
“What Goes Around…Comes Around” (Justin Timberlake)
“Rehab” (Amy Winehouse)

Song Of The Year:
“Before He Cheats,” John Kear & Chris Tompkins, songwriters (Carrie Underwood, artist)
“Hey There Delilah,” Tom Higgenson, songwriter (Plain White T’s, artist)
“Like A Star,” Corinne Bailey Rae, songwriter (Corinne Bailey Rae, artist)
“Rehab,” Amy Winehouse, songwriter (Amy Winehouse, artist)
“Umbrella,” Shawn Carter, Kuk Harrell, Terius “Dream” Nash & Christopher Stewart, songwriters (Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z, artist)

Best New Artist:
Feist
Ledisi
Paramore
Taylor Swift
Amy Winehouse

GRAMMY.com

Rolling Stone’s Top 100 Songs of 2007

1. “Roc Boys” Jay-Z
2. “A Few Words in Defense of Our Country” Randy Newman
3. “Umbrella” Rihanna
4. “D.A.N.C.E.” Justice
5. “Four Winds” Bright Eyes
6. “Dough Is What I Got” Lil Wayne
7. “Rehab” Amy Winehouse
8. “Long Walk Home” Bruce Springsteen
9. “Boyz” M.I.A.
10. “Int’l Player’s Anthem” UGK

The 100 Best Songs of 2007

January 3rd

Today is the birthday

… of George Martin. The man who produced The Beatles’ records is 82.

… of Dabney Coleman. Franklin M. Hart Jr. is 76 (that’s the boss in Nine To Five).

… of Bobby Hull. The hockey hall-of-famer is 69.

… of Stephen Stills. The rock and roll hall-of-famer is 63.

… of John Paul Jones. No, not the Navy guy. The Led Zeppelin guy. He’s 62.

… of Victoria Principal. Pamela Barnes Ewing (Dallas) is 58.

… of Mel Gibson. Old Blood and Guts is 52.

… of Danica McKellar, 33. You know, Winnie from The Wonder Years.

… of Eli Manning, 27.

J(ohn) R(onald) R(euel) Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, on this date in 1892. Tolkien is best known for his fantasy novels The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings trilogy (1954-1955).

Joseph de Veuster was born on this date in 1840. Known as Father Damien, the Belgian priest spent the last 16 years of his life ministering to the leper colony on Molokai.

“This is my work in the world. Sooner or later I shall become a leper, but may it not be until I have exhausted my capabilities for good.”

With King Kamehameha, Damien’s statue is one of the two chosen by Hawaii to be displayed in Statuary Hall in the nation’s Capitol.

Source: Hawaii State Government: Father Damien

2008 Health Tips

3. Adding milk to tea negates the health-giving effects of a hot brew.

5. Cloudy apple juice is healthier than clear, containing almost double the antioxidants which protect against heart disease and cancer.

6. Dishcloths are purged of 99% of their bacteria during two minutes in a microwave.

The above from BBC News and its list of 100 things we didn’t know last year. The list touches on a vast array of subjects with links to details.

14. Antony and Cleopatra were ugly.