{"id":153,"date":"2008-08-02T22:58:35","date_gmt":"2008-08-03T05:58:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/35.225.155.113\/blog\/index.php\/2008\/08\/02\/what_day_is_it\/"},"modified":"2019-10-13T13:51:05","modified_gmt":"2019-10-13T20:51:05","slug":"what-day-is-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.weinstein.org\/blog\/index.php\/2008\/08\/what-day-is-it.html","title":{"rendered":"What Day Is It?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>According to CNN the current estimated number of electors Senator Obama has for the Electoral College is 221. Senator McCain&#8217;s count is 189. Of the 538 total available, 270 are needed for either candidate to win the presidency<a name=\"_ftnref1\" href=\"#_ftn1\"><span class=\"MsoFootnoteReference\"><span><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class=\"MsoFootnoteReference\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\">[1]<\/span><\/span><!--[endif]--><\/span><\/span><\/a>. <span>&nbsp;<\/span>That leaves an estimated 128 &#8220;available&#8221;.<span>&nbsp; <\/span>Of those &#8220;available&#8221; the breakdown by state is:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Florida: 27<\/li>\n<li>Ohio: 20<\/li>\n<li>Michigan: 17<\/li>\n<li>Virginia: 13<\/li>\n<li>Missouri: 11<\/li>\n<li>Minnesota: 10<\/li>\n<li>Colorado: 9<\/li>\n<li>Iowa: 7<\/li>\n<li>Nevada: 5<\/li>\n<li>New Mexico: 5<\/li>\n<li>Hampshire: 4<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">It should be no surprise that the Democrats &#8220;just happen&#8221; to have scheduled their convention in Denver for August 25-28, 2008. The Republicans will be holding theirs here in Minneapolis the following week, September 1-4, 2008. Moreover, the rumor about the McCain camp is that current Minnesota Governor <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tim_Pawlenty\">Tim Pawlenty<\/a> is a front-runner for the vice-presidential slot. In other words, Minnesota is a &#8220;key battleground&#8221; state for both campaigns.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">This could get interesting.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Both McCain and Obama have taken some jabs<a name=\"_ftnref2\" href=\"#_ftn2\"><span class=\"MsoFootnoteReference\"><span><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class=\"MsoFootnoteReference\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\">[2]<\/span><\/span><!--[endif]--><\/span><\/span><\/a>, McCain for running some ads <a href=\"http:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Politics\/wireStory?id=5484924\">equating Obama to Paris Hilton<\/a>, famous for flash but lacking in substance, and Obama for suggesting &#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.politico.com\/blogs\/bensmith\/0808\/Obama_explains_dollar_bill_line.html\">the race card<\/a>&#8221; when Obama noted that McCain&#8217;s campaign was using its negative ads as scare tactics because Obama <span>&nbsp;<\/span>&#8220;doesn&#8217;t look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Of course, with the start of the Beijing Olympics less than a week away and the primary conventions just over the horizon, this amounts to nothing more that &#8220;trash-talking&#8221; before the big game.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">For my first week, I have to say I think I&#8217;m starting to get a handle on everything. That&#8217;s not to say everything can&#8217;t blow up in my face tomorrow, but I feel a hell of a lot more comfortable now than I did on Tuesday when the lack of sleep and stress of trying to grab hold was getting to me.<span>&nbsp; <\/span>As Tom<a name=\"_ftnref3\" href=\"#_ftn3\"><span class=\"MsoFootnoteReference\"><span><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class=\"MsoFootnoteReference\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\">[3]<\/span><\/span><!--[endif]--><\/span><\/span><\/a> jokingly put it in a group email &#8220;Since arriving in Iowa, I have faced a barrage of how can I do this, why can&#8217;t I do this and when are you going to get this setup for me? Anyone else heard this?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">This has made me push on an idea I had even before I came out here, but in which Brian had reframed in my mind on Monday or so, to develop a group of tech volunteers who can offer first line support for various issues. While I&#8217;m not from the area, I have the benefit of having some college friends<a name=\"_ftnref4\" href=\"#_ftn4\"><span class=\"MsoFootnoteReference\"><span><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class=\"MsoFootnoteReference\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\">[4]<\/span><\/span><!--[endif]--><\/span><\/span><\/a>, one of whom works in the local tech industry, for a basic search. I&#8217;m also thinking of posting a question on LinkedIn.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Why? Well it will only get worse as more staff is added and the intensity of a potentially close state race grows. If this week is any indication as for the most part my daily issues can include hurry up and waiting, wondering, for example, when data\/voice setups from the local cable\/phone companies will be installed such that I can move on to setting up networks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">But setting up is just the beginning, our main office has a data line from Comcast and for the most part the line is doing well. But one issue I&#8217;ve been trying to eliminate is our WiFi has at times been a bit flaky. Now the access point is not in the best location and is a combined router\/wifi access point (Linksys WRT160N) for home, not office, use and we do have some competition from our neighbors. So for the most part I&#8217;ve been trying to lay down Ethernet to everyone&#8217;s desk, which has put a run on what Cat5 I&#8217;ve had on hand. I should have more cabling and better WiFi access points in the next day or so, thanks to Mark<a name=\"_ftnref5\" href=\"#_ftn5\"><span class=\"MsoFootnoteReference\"><span><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class=\"MsoFootnoteReference\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\">[5]<\/span><\/span><!--[endif]--><\/span><\/span><\/a>, but I figure this is going to be an ongoing battle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">How do I figure? Well because the other half of my time this will has been dealing with questions of scaling resources. Specifically adding more phone lines, we&#8217;re talking about VoIP as a cheap, fast solution and terminals, refurbished desktops or thin clients running off of a handful of new desktop computers<span>&nbsp; <\/span>&#8211; looks we&#8217;re going for refurbished desktops, it&#8217;s the know quantity in terms of what to expect and plan for &#8211; for volunteers to work at.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Of course everything should be in place and sunning smoothly by sometime in December&#8230;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><\/p>\n<hr size=\"1\">\n<p><!--[endif]--><\/p>\n<div id=\"ftn1\">\n<p class=\"MsoFootnoteText\"><a name=\"_ftn1\" href=\"#_ftnref1\"><span class=\"MsoFootnoteReference\"><span><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class=\"MsoFootnoteReference\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\">[1]<\/span><\/span><!--[endif]--><\/span><\/span><\/a> Oh and we have to hold an actual election too, but why be so nitpicky?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"ftn2\">\n<p class=\"MsoFootnoteText\"><a name=\"_ftn2\" href=\"#_ftnref2\"><span class=\"MsoFootnoteReference\"><span><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class=\"MsoFootnoteReference\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\">[2]<\/span><\/span><!--[endif]--><\/span><\/span><\/a> Egged on of course by everyone&#8217;s not so impartial judge and jury, &#8216;mainstream&#8217; &#8216;mass&#8217; media.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"ftn3\">\n<p class=\"MsoFootnoteText\"><a name=\"_ftn3\" href=\"#_ftnref3\"><span class=\"MsoFootnoteReference\"><span><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class=\"MsoFootnoteReference\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\">[3]<\/span><\/span><!--[endif]--><\/span><\/span><\/a> Tom C., Iowa IT Director<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"ftn4\">\n<p class=\"MsoFootnoteText\"><a name=\"_ftn4\" href=\"#_ftnref4\"><span class=\"MsoFootnoteReference\"><span><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class=\"MsoFootnoteReference\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\">[4]<\/span><\/span><!--[endif]--><\/span><\/span><\/a> Glenn and Cyndi<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"ftn5\">\n<p class=\"MsoFootnoteText\"><a name=\"_ftn5\" href=\"#_ftnref5\"><span class=\"MsoFootnoteReference\"><span><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class=\"MsoFootnoteReference\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\">[5]<\/span><\/span><!--[endif]--><\/span><\/span><\/a> Mark J., IT Special Projects Manager and Midwest and Southwest Regional IT Director who I blame for getting me into this mess since he is the one reasonable for originally sending out a email to me, among others, soliciting applications for various IT Director positions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>According to CNN the current estimated number of electors Senator Obama has for the Electoral College is 221. Senator McCain&#8217;s count is 189. Of the 538 total available, 270 are needed for either candidate to win the presidency[1]. &nbsp;That leaves an estimated 128 &#8220;available&#8221;.&nbsp; Of those &#8220;available&#8221; the breakdown by state is: Florida: 27 Ohio: [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[133],"tags":[134,136,135,137],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.weinstein.org\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.weinstein.org\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.weinstein.org\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weinstein.org\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weinstein.org\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=153"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.weinstein.org\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":791,"href":"https:\/\/www.weinstein.org\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153\/revisions\/791"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.weinstein.org\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weinstein.org\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=153"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weinstein.org\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}