(no subject)

An interesting article about what really changes carbon emissions (thanks to David J. for the link).

This puts very well one quandary I have about some of the ideas I have about where I might like to move to: a lot of them are more rural than where I live now. The *distance* I drive might not decrease, even though the *time* I spent doing so almost certainly would. That's not a very climate-conscious choice, and that's a factor that I want to at least consider in my decision making.

(no subject)

I'm not as angry, sad, bored, or resentful of election coverage and election debate as many people seem to be (maybe it comes from spending a lot of time reading about places where elections--if allowed at all--are completely corrupt or life-threateningly violent, or both).

But I am amazed at how much electioneering I've been subjected to, both by phone and through the mail. It's almost entirely related to state and county ballot measures, and it's heavier than I can recall encountering before. Ever.

I'm sure my friends and family in Virginia are getting swamped with material on the federal races, as they are much more of a swing state than Maryland is. I'm hearing a LOT about casino gambling, some about police unions, and a little about gay marriage. Almost nothing about about the presidential and Senate races, and just a little about the House race, I suspect largely because my neighbourhood has been redistricted and they want to be sure everyone knows who their rep actually  *is*. :-)