Duane Gran’s log of thoughts

It is that time of year once again where we make resolutions and reflect on the past twelve months. It is a time for resolutions — to be resolute about something we wish to change within. As a fan of the agile methodology, which guides the development of new technology through iteration and willingness for change, I couldn’t be more conflicted about new year’s resolutions.

On one hand, I think inner reflection is great and welcome the opportunity, but on the other I believe that one iteration per year is too wide of a gap. If the calendar were only three weeks long!

But I digress, because I actually have something to resolve about, which relates to writing. I’m no politician, but I’m going to resolve to write more about solutions and less about problems. I enjoy the low hanging fruit of a good complaint as much as the next fellow, but it doesn’t advance the cause of humanity very much. I’ll endeavor to suggest an alternative to the status quo or to point out good examples of the social order I desire.

A Wall Street Journal article summarizes a Harris Poll:

About 22% of U.S. adults believe Mr. Hussein helped plan 9/11, the poll shows, and 26% believe Iraq had weapons of mass destruction when the U.S. invaded. Another 24% believe several of the 9/11 hijackers were Iraqis, according to the online poll of 1,961 adults.

I wonder if they are part of the same 15% in a 2002 National Geographic survey who couldn’t find Iraq on a map?

An essay from Rick Sincere raises some interesting counter points to the oft-repeated concern about the commercialism of Christmas. He persuades shoppers to feel morally comforted with the following refrain:

Simply remember that every time you buy a Christmas gift — a toy, a CD- player, a spice rack, a hunting rifle — you are helping to pay someone’s wages. Millions of such purchases, made every day in the Christmas-shopping season, keep factories open, keep workers employed, keep families fed.

I suppose one might also break windows and burn down buildings to keep people employed, but this in itself doesn’t constitute a moral foundation for doing so. By all means, people should feel happy and content to give gifts, as I’m personally doing, but in all things it should be done with moderation. There is a tipping point at which consumption becomes conspicuous and we have given leave of our better senses to serve others.

I believe, as many others do also, that we have eclipsed that point where Christmas is rarely about faith and more about consumption. That Mr. Sincere feels the need to quiet the discontent in some people’s hearts speaks volumes to me about the moral tremor that lies beneath. While I don’t wish to sound preachy, there is a moral component to how we conduct our commercial affairs, but correct execution goes much deeper than simply benefiting the already employed. We are judged in how we use our talents, not whether we expend them.

Jury awards millions to Wal-Mart workers

The world’s largest retailer was ordered to pay $57 million in general damages and $115 million in punitive damages to about 116,000 current and former California employees for violating a 2001 state law that requires employers to give 30-minute, unpaid lunch breaks to employees who work at least six hours.

Good news indeed. This, among other labor violations, is why employees of walmart should unionize.

PARK(ing) is a creative social experiment to transform parking spaces into short term public parks. From their description:

Feeding the meter of a parking space enables one to rent precious downtown real estate, typically on a 1/2 hour to 2 hour basis. What is the range of possible occupancy activities for this short-term lease?

PARK(ing) is an investigation into reprogramming a typical unit of private vehicular space by leasing a metered parking spot for public recreational activity.

The photos are particular interesting, including one which shows the sparse amount of public space in San Francisco.

Microsoft has officially announced that it will no longer support and develop Internet Explorer for the Apple platform. I usually prefer a diverse marketplace, but in this case I’m relieved that at some point we can write off this variant in the cornucopia of browser quirks. Web developers can rejoice in the elimination of this browser.

Now, if we could only do something about IE on the Windows platform…

The National Low Income Housing Coalition has put together its 2005 survey results. The study helps put some numbers on what is meant by affordable dwelling. In particular, it addresses the affordability of renting, which is often overshadowed by concerns about affordable housing. The results for Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville, where I live in Virginia, are interesting. The survey offers the following summary concerning Virginia:

In Virginia, the Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a two-bedroom apartment is $852. In order to afford this level of rent and utilities, without paying more than 30% of income on housing, a household must earn $2,842 monthly or $34,099 annually. Assuming a 40-hour work week, 52 weeks per year, this level of income translates into a Housing Wage of $16.39.

The rate for Charlottesville is $14.63. While not insurmountable, it is a wage that isn’t often found at employers such as walmart. What then of those who earn the minimum wage? The survey continues:

In Virginia, a minimum wage worker earns an hourly wage of $5.15. In order to afford the FMR for a two-bedroom apartment, a minimum wage earner must work 127 hours per week, 52 weeks per year. Or, a household must include 3.2 minimum wage earner(s) working 40 hours per week year-round in order to make the two bedroom FMR affordable.

This is sobering, and not just as a matter of social justice, but also in terms of the rental business. It is hard to offer affordable rent rates given current home prices. Of larger concern is the tendency of rents to increase along with interest rates. Solutions to the problem evade me, but my gut instinct says that reliable public transportation evens the playing field for property values, and consequently rents.

Warner proposes funds for UVa centers

With 38 days left in office and a growing budget surplus, Warner said state contributions to university research will be matched by at least $299 million in private and university-raised funds and “will serve as an economic engine throughout our state and will help improve the lives of our people.”

It is nice to see the governor reversing 15 years of stagnation in public funding for research.

Update (13-Dec-05): Following on the heals of the good news, the Ivy Foundation has pledged 45 million to the Virginia Health System. Details are in a Daily Progress article.

Dale Dougherty has written a thought provoking article about how the media uncritically repeats the claims from industry reports. In the article he takes a recent claim about robust sales in retail and traces its movement through various media outlets, only to find that no one really knows if the numbers are credible. His motivating opening line strikes me:

There should be a book titled “How News Is Made,” a book that could be for journalism what “The Jungle” was to the meatpacking industry. My version would offer no conspiracy theory, but I’d point out the preponderance of sloppiness and lazy thinking coupled with a herd mentality, most especially in business journalism.

While I agree emphatically, I would say that Chomsky covered this issue quite well in Manufacturing Consent. All the same, I’m pleased to see Dougherty raising the issue because a skeptical public is necessary for an honest media.

Readers interested in this topic may also wish to read an essay from Paul Graham about the impact of PR firms on the media.