October 27, 2008 by dave.

Gambling is a source of entertainment for many.  I remember my grandmother going to Bingo several times a week, I have friends who like to go to casinos, and I know others who play lotteries on a regular basis.  I have even been known to buy a square or two during for the Superbowl.  Beyond that I’m not much of a gambler.  I did attend a conference in Las Vegas once and hit the slot machines and blackjack tables for a little bit but that got old real fast.

As I was trolling the Internet for data on the upcoming Presidential Election I discovered a site making ‘predictions’ on the outcome that was designed much like a stock trading site.   It’s called Intrade Prediction Markets.  Basically, you can buy and sell ’shares’ in your candidate’s ‘chance at winning’.  If your candidate wins then you make some money….if they lose…then you lose.  It’s an interesting concept and it balances the price between those who feel the candidate will win and those who don’t feel they will win.  Side note: I have not done this….and I don’t plan to.

As I dug deeper I realized this site lets you ‘buy shares’ in a wide variety of ‘events’ including things like weather events, entertainment, the economy, sports, etc.  I can, for instance buy shares in the belief that the last named storm of this season will be ‘Teddy’.  It’s currently going at $12.30 for a share of this.

You need to go to the site and read up on this concept a bit more if it interests you.  It’d probably be a neat teaching tool for the areas of statistics or the stock market.  Here’s what puts it in perspective for me: Shares of Barack Obama are currently $87.70 and John McCain is going at $12.70….that should tell you something!  If I buy Obama at $87.70 and he wins then I get $100.00($12.30 profit)…..and if I buy McCain at $12.70 and he wins then I get $100.00 ($87.30 profit).  I believe Obama, despite the smaller potential return, is the best bet!

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October 21, 2008 by dave.

The subject says it all.  I stumbled upon this site (www.electoral-vote.com) when I noticed it on the web site of Ohio University’s student newspaper (The Post).  Usually I don’t put much stock in these small things that come across as ‘ads’on other sites…but this one peaked my curiosity.  I dug in and realized it seems pretty reliable.  The site tracks how candidates are doing in national and semi-national elections and it does so on what appears to be a daily basis.  It uses a number of polling groups to gather the data and also gives high points involving the candidates campaigns and strategies for the day.  I’ll be following this until Election day on November 4th.

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August 20, 2008 by dave.

I won’t elaborate on the title of this entry….because there’s nothing new to say about it.  Look at the economy, the wars that were prompted by incorrect or non-existent ‘intelligence’, the consistent disregard for constitutional rights / laws, and the abominable ways in which the administration has handled foreign affairs.  He has embarrassed the  United States in the eyes of the world….and he embarrasses me as a citizen of this country.

I had supported Bill Richardson as a candidate until he dropped out.  Barack Obama was my second choice.  As I look at him versus John McCain…it’s obvious.  John McCain would be a better president that George W. Bush (that’s not saying much at all)….but Barack Obama is the person that will have the best chance at cleaning up the mess he will be inheriting.

A friend forwarded this CNN article to me and it puts things into perspective in terms of John McCain as a presidential candidate.  I am open-minded enough to know not to believe everything you read….but I’ve seen a lot of what is referred to in the article.

Note: Image is from  www.president-bush.com

Posted in Politics, Web Sites, Annoying Things | 1 Comment »