Author Archives: Jeff Porten

Based on the number of websites I’m reading simultaneously, this would’ve been a good day to buy three more MacBooks.

erika owens @erika_owens:
You get the overall map AND deep dives in the same interactive from @WNYC, wow. wny.cc/Ui09hN

@erika_owens Fond of this one: elections.nytimes.com/2012/results/p…

@erika_owens Just realized, Jesus, you have a late night tonight.

erika owens @erika_owens:
@jeffporten ha, yeah. I figured I’d stay up until I couldn’t anymore. I like that NYTimes one, but I find “lead” and the coloring confusing.

@erika_owens I think I need more neural glucose to really grok the WNYC map. Wasn’t expecting all those demographics.

@erika_owens I like the very easy visual of how it’s breaking down, since we’ve all memorized the expectation.

erika owens @erika_owens:
@jeffporten yeah, it’ll be an interesting visualization of how much precincts matter. I bet lots of states will turn many shades.

@erika_owens Might end up playing with that one tomorrow. PS: Earl Grey excellent for pick-me-up.

erika owens @erika_owens:
@jeffporten thanks. Earl Grey is tasty. I’m afraid if I have more caffeine, I’ll be up till tomorrow afternoon.

@erika_owens Tea has itty bitty amounts of caffeine. It’s the Flintstones vitamin of neurostimulants.

@erika_owens Meanwhile, I’m trying to figure out why *I’m* so tired, and suddenly remembered I was in Toronto yesterday. Man. Brain fried.

erika owens @erika_owens:
@jeffporten guess that explains why I get so wired when I eat dark chocolate.

@erika_owens Is there any other kind?

“@thinkprogress: There are 30 Romneys in Boston tonight with Mitt thkpr.gs/UvXsnu #30Romneys” // 8 of them are Mitt facets, though

Glenn Fleishman @GlennF:
In the middle of me being political, asinine, and argumentative, I’m gaining followers. What to do, what to do.

@GlennF Ignore both content trend and headcount and write what you care about? Just thinking out loud, here.

Terrence Ryan @tpryan:
PHL to LHR. Somebody make sure they post election results on twitter. Just in case no one else does.

@tpryan Your timing is impeccable.

Based on early results, it appears that 72% of people standing near polling places and 40% of popular retweets are lying motherfuckers.

Glenn Fleishman @GlennF:
Mr @petersagal didn’t know what a phlebotomist was (called on @waitwait). Revoke his public-radio card.

Melody Kramer @mkramer:
@GlennF One of Peter’s former associate producers is a volunteer phlebotomist now.

Glenn Fleishman @GlennF:
@mkramer I’m sure he was terribly hurt [EMOTICON] My mom worked as a phleb. at one point.

Melody Kramer @mkramer:
@GlennF She. (It’s me.)

Glenn Fleishman @GlennF:
@mkramer This gives you oceans of grief you can needle him with.

@GlennF @mkramer I always confuse phlebotomy with trepanning. Probably why I haven’t spent much time with Mel recently.

I was blocked from voting in Philly numerous times, GOP would file against all Penn students en masse before every election.

I “solved” this problem because Philly kept me registered under 3 misspelled names at 4 addresses. When one was blocked, tried another.

Glenn Fleishman @GlennF:
Still suspect @boingboing corrupted geography to make New Dorp Beach exist. bit.ly/SrrqZw

.@GlennF Thanks to Mark Twain, I discovered there’s a town called Portendick in Mauritania. Must visit.

First time I’ve listened to NPR live in a long while. Usually it’s podcasts at 2x speed. Neal Conan sounds like he’s on megadose of Xanax.

Rob Griffiths @rgriff:
The iPad mini makes a perfect added monitor for the MBP on the treadmill desk, via Air Display.

@rgriff Really? This is why I WASN’T going mini. Isn’t it too small?

Rob Griffiths @rgriff:
@jeffporten However, keep in mind I think an 11″ MacBook Air has a very usable screen size.

@rgriff I’m on a 13 Air. Might upgrade to retina if I need even more space.

Rob Griffiths @rgriff:
@jeffporten Yea, I’m contemplating a 15″ Retina at some point, to run at native resolution. Current treadmill Mac is 15″ MBP w/ hi-res.

Marco Tabini @mtabini:
I’ve been watching someone try to pair their mouse via Bluetooth for the last ten minutes. Wondering when I should mention that it’s USB.

@mtabini Depends. Is he bigger than you?

Darby Lines @Angry_Drunk:
Given that U.S. electoral system will never let a 3rd party candidate win, voting 3rd party is just a way to feel superior to everyone else.

@Angry_Drunk Agreed, with major exception: when one of the Big Two declines, a 3rd party becomes a 2nd party. True since 1820s.

Darby Lines @Angry_Drunk:
@jeffporten True, but I think that already happened, it’s just that the Tea Party took the GOP’s name too.

@Angry_Drunk I’d expect Democrats to become new center-right, and hoping for a new Liberal party to spring up. Yes, I tilt at windmills.

Darby Lines @Angry_Drunk:
@jeffporten You and me both.

Darby Lines @Angry_Drunk:
Given that U.S. electoral system will never let a 3rd party candidate win, voting 3rd party is just a way to feel superior to everyone else.

@Angry_Drunk It’s not a bad idea to support a 3rd party if you think GOP will lose its base in next 2 decades or so.

Darby Lines @Angry_Drunk:
Given that U.S. electoral system will never let a 3rd party candidate win, voting 3rd party is just a way to feel superior to everyone else.

@Angry_Drunk Agreed, with major exception: when one of the Big Two declines, a 3rd party becomes a 2nd party. True since 1820s.

Darby Lines @Angry_Drunk:
@jeffporten True, but I think that already happened, it’s just that the Tea Party took the GOP’s name too.

@Angry_Drunk Tea Party likely a short flash in the pan. Unless you have Grangers and Populists in your neighborhood.

@Angry_Drunk I’d expect Democrats to become new center-right, and hoping for a new Liberal party to spring up. Yes, I tilt at windmills.

Darby Lines @Angry_Drunk:
@jeffporten You and me both.

Darby Lines @Angry_Drunk:
The GOP are true conservatives. They just want to bring back the voting processes of the 1860’s.

Andrew Laurence @atlauren:
@Angry_Drunk funny that some our greatest public works were achieved during eras of crippling taxes, vote buying, and graft.

@atlauren @angry_drunk Ever read Plunkett of Tammany Hall? He explains all that. Great book.

Andrew Laurence @atlauren:
@jeffporten @angry_drunk wish listed. Thanks! (And it looks like a community-converted Kindle edition is free!)

@atlauren @angry_drunk Published in 1908, IIRC, so it’s before the Mickey Mouse copyright extensions.

Michael T. Rose @MikeTRose:
Wow MT @ToddKincannon Avg Dem voter is feckless trash with a low IQ, no attention span. Not someone who will typically stand in a long line.

Jeff Carlson @jeffcarlson:
@MikeTRose If you have to declare yourself the modern Mark Twain, you’re not.

@jeffcarlson But I already have the white suit and I’m growing the mustache!

John Aravosis @aravosis:
Romney emails black Democrat today, telling him to vote tomorrow americablog.com/2012/11/find-w…

@aravosis John: good article, but not that part. Email can be delayed, and it arrived after midnight.

John Aravosis @aravosis:
@jeffporten Chinese Jeeps

@aravosis (PS: we met in 1994 in Cleveland Park Starbucks when you were working with the other Tim McVeigh. If that jogs your memory.)

John Aravosis @aravosis:
@jeffporten Would have been 98. Oh. That’s intg. Because I never go up there, I do vaguely remember seeing someone there.

@aravosis That was me. We talked AOL outreach, IIRC. I get to say I knew you before you were Twitter-famous. :-)