In Nate we trust

The news shows were all over a WaPo/ABC Poll which had Romney and Obama tied.  There was also a poll in Michigan showing it firmly in play.

Before reacting to this stuff I like to see what Nate Silver has to say about these things.  True enough, he has some insight.  

Firstly, while the WaPo has good polling quality, for various reasons they've tended to lean Republican this cycle.  This happens, Gallup are leaning too.  Weirldy Rasmussen has less of a lean to the GOP than usual.

Secondly, the poll in Michigan is a serious outlier and the polling internals are based on what appear to be essentially made up numbers by the polling firm who've decided that if they include too many African Americans it skews the results.  I am not making this up.

All continues to point to a tight(ish) race, with Obama in a slight lead but with a significant advantage in the Electoral College.

How any sane non-religious, socially liberal, Conservative could vote for these clowns still elludes me.

(no subject)

One for james_nicoll here:

Our vision of Africa is hopeless out of date via The Guardian.

Packing - Getting Ahead of the Curve

I'm packing.  Even though I don't leave until Thursday, I've a LOT of stuff to do tomorrow including a customer meeting Eastside which will eat into the day, and I don't want packing to eat into time with M.

So I've been packing various stuff and finding out that there are problems with the logistics of things I've agreed to bring and the mechanics of me bringing myself.

So far I've got:
- clothes - I'm only away a few days so a selection of shirts and t-shirts will work.  It'll be warm so shorts will work.  I'll bring my NASA flight suit on the off chance I get to wear it.
- iPod dock for London Calling play list I've put together
- Cables - power, AV and connectors 
- Pico-Projector
- Scotch... 15 yr MacCallan this time... mmmm
- Stuff for the party

Some will go in my hold bag, the expensive stuff in my carry on.  I've an iPad, Laptop etc...

Most of it is already in.  I need to find my spare VGA cable too.

CALLING SOMEBODY AT THE HYATT

Could you check on the back of the TVs and comfirm it has a Composite In set of sockets.  They'll look like round connectors in Red, White and Yellow.

Ideally, somebody who has seen the TVs they have in the Suites, or if they have Flat Screens throughout the hotel...  either will do.

EDIT: Also - do they have HDMI input?