Retiring Guy's Digest: 2020-01-26

Saturday, February 1, 2020

Red, but not totally into that Trump's America thing; Powhatan County, Virginia

What Made Virginia Change Its Mind on Guns? (The New York Times, 1/30/2020)

Expanding suburbs in the Richmond area, for instance, have meant that Powhatan County, which has been among the most dependably Republican counties in the state, now has a Walmart — and Republicans are sometimes challenged for local office.

Source: Wikipedia

Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts

% of population 25 and older with bachelor's degree:

28.8% - Powhatan
38,2% - Virginia
30.9% - U.S.

% of population 65 and older:

18.2% - Powhatan
15.4% - Virginia
16.0% - U.S.

% of population living in poverty:

6.9% - Powhatan County
10.7% - Virginia
15.6% - U.S.

Source: Wikipedia

3rd party votes: 18.4% in 1992, 9.3% in 1996, 5.6% in 2016

(George Wallace received 35.2% of the vote in 1968)

Powhatan County Public Library
(Photo credit: Culture Works)

Other "Red but not totally into this Trump's America thing" posts:
Colorado.  Jefferson County. (3/9/2019)
Florida.  Duval County. (3/14/2019)
Georgia.  Cherokee County. (3/10/2019)
Georgia. Coweta County. (1/19/2020)
Georgia.  Fayette County. (3/10/2019)
Georgia.  Forsyth County. (3/10/2019)
Kansas.  Johnson County. (3/9/2019)
Michigan. Livingston County. (1/21/2020)
Minnesota.  Carver County. (3/9/2019)
Missouri. Platte County. (12/11/2019)
North Carolina. Union County. (9/9/2019)
Ohio.  Delaware County (3/8/2019)
Oregon. Yamhill County. (1/15/2020)
Texas. Amarillo. (
Texas. Collin County. (9/21/2019)
Texas. Denton County. (9/22/2019)
Texas. Williamson County. (9/25/2019)
Washington. Yakima County. (11/23/2019)
Wisconsin.  Ozaukee County. (3/8/2019)

Related series:
Blue zone sees Trump as con man
Greetings from Trump's America
Not Trump's America

Not Trump's America: Greetings from Chesterfield County, Virginia, where Democrats steadily cut into GOP hegemony

What Made Virginia Change Its Mind on Guns? (The New York Times, 1/30/2020)

But in recent years, the district has tilted leftward as once rural areas of Chesterfield County have been developed into housing that attracts young professionals. The newcomers often have brought different, more liberal political sensibilities, becoming a potent force on gun safety issues. And some suburban women, even longer-term residents of the district like Ms. Johnson, who now considers herself a Democrat, have changed their opinions on gun control or increasingly seen gun limits as central to their political outlook.

Source: Wikipedia

Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts

% of population 25 and older with bachelor's degree:

39.9% - Chesterfield County
38.2% - Virginia
30.9% - U.S.

% of population 65 and older:

14.9% - Chesterfield County
15.4% - Virginia
16.0% - U.S.

% of population living in poverty:

7.8% - Chesterfield County
10.7% - Virginia
11.8% - U.S.

Source: Wikipedia

3rd party votes: 17% in 1992, 6.9% in 1996, 5.8% in 2016

(George Wallace received 29.4% of the vote in 1968)

Chesterfield County Library

Other Not Trump's America posts:
California. Nevada County. Obama flips GOP in 2008, Clinton wins in 2016. (5/13/2019)
Florida. Hillsborough County: Obama flips GOP in 2008. ( 3/14/2019)
Florida. Orange County: Gore flips GOP in 2000. (3/14/2019)
Georgia. Cobb County: Clinton flips GOP in 2016. (3/10/2019)
Georgia. Douglas County: Obama flips GOP in 2008. (3/10/2019)
Minnesota. Washington County: Which way you goin' in 2020. (7/6/2019)
Missouri. Clay County. (6/9/2019)
New Mexico. Dona Ana County. (6/9/2019)
North Carolina. Forsyth County: Obama flips in 2008. (3/13/2019)
North Carolina. Guilford County. Kerry flips GOP in 2004. (3/13/2019)
North Carolina. Mecklenburg County. Kerry flips GOP in 2004. (3/13/2019)
North Carolina. Wake County. Obama flips GOP in 2008. (3/20/2019)
Pennsylvania. Centre County, Pennsylvania, where Democrats have won the past 3 presidential elections. (3/25/2019)
Pennsylvania. Chester County: Obama flips GOP in 2008. (3/11/2019)
Texas. Tarrant County. Which way you goin' in 2020?. (9/7/2019)

Related series:
Blue zone sees Trump as con man
Greetings from Trump's America
Red but not totally into this Trump's America thing

Skiing's lack of diversity

Photo credit: Wikipedia

Reported in Bring More Diversity to Skiing: Skiing is a rich white person's sport, and that needs to change. (Powder, 1/19/2017)

Related reading:
Colorado Tries To Get Skiers Out Of Cars And Onto Buses To Tamp Down Traffic. (1/30/2020)

But Colorado's bus fleet, with a capacity of about 500 passengers in a weekend, isn't big enough to have a noticeable effect on traffic just yet. And since launching in December of last year, they're running less than half full. Bob Wilson, spokesman for the Colorado Department of Transportation, said it takes time to build up ridership.

Take the bus? How plebeian!

CES2020: Wavee toothbrush speaker

Silly Products from CES 2020. Who Will Have the Last Laugh? (Residential Tech Today, 1/27/2020)

Let’s submit that, form factor notwithstanding, the speaker is good, and the toothbrush delivers what is needed for adequate dental hygiene. However, the projected retail price, according to Wavee’s own Kickstarter page where it should be noted funding is complete, will be $279.

Stop for a minute and add up the price of a good electric toothbrush and one of the Alexa or Google Assistant-powered speakers available. You’ll be able to buy both and have money left over for lots of toothpaste, streaming music subscriptions, and a bit more. Remember, sometimes the idea isn’t “silly,” but the price just might make it a silly purchase.

Other CES2020 posts:
November 2019
SmartyPans. (11/11/2019)
Warming up for CES2020 with a modern version of "Play Misty for Me". (11/29/2019)

January 1-15, 2020
Pizza served up by Picnic(TM) robot. (1/3/2020)
FutureLight files the Waydoo Flyer under 'bizarre'. (1/3/2020)
Townew automated garbage can, a discomposing sign of the times. (1/8/2020)
When it comes to useless consumer technology products, Charmin Rollbot wipes the competition! (1/8/2020)
LG encourages you to grow your own with its indoor garden appliance. (1/9/2020)
And the promise of a flying car just keeps on floating. (1/10/2020)
Qoobo and Petit Qoobo, robot pillows in two sizes. (1/11/2020)
Meet Samsung's Ballie, who looks like a yellow softball and will follow you everywhere. (1/11/2020)
U by Moen smart faucet. (1/11/2020)
Scary future brought to you by Samsung Neon. (1/11/2020)
Climate360 smart bed. (1/11/2020)
MamaRoo Sleep Bassinet keeps parents in dreamland. (1/12/2020)
Segway S-Pod. (1/12/2020)
Stick-up, highway robbery, case of grand larceny: Core meditation trainer. (1/13/2020)
One-wheel Yeti cooler. (1/13/2020)
Cubii Go compact seated elliptical device. (1/14/2020)

January 16-31, 2020
LG ThinkQ smart door. (1/17/2020)
BMW 13 Urban Suite concept car. (1/20/2020)
Sing along with the Kohler Moxie shower head. (1/21/2020)
Clean your teeth 10 seconds with the Y-Brush toothbrush. (1/22/2020)
The Narwal: It mops and vacuums! (1/25/2020)
Ampere Tech Side Pocket Wireless fanny pack. (1/26/2020)
NeuraSpud, the smart potato. (1/28/2020)
Baby Brezza Formula Pro Advanced. (1/29/2020)
The Bartesian (think Keurig bartender). (1/30/2020)
Hello, my name is BellaBot, and I'll be your server tonight. (1/31/2020)

The archives:
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015

You know what? Big tough guy Dave Craig is not into alternatives to jail and prison

Lock 'em up! he sez.

Photo credit: Wisconsin State Legislature

Some Wisconsin Republicans want to crack down on crime, but their plans would cost millions of dollars. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 1/30/2020)

Wisconsin Department of Corrections (highlights added)

Friday, January 31, 2020

As long as we're on the topic....

USA Today, 1/30/2020

For 12 years, from 1934 to 1946, there were no black players in the NFL. That’s right. For more than a decade, some of the most famous owners in the league’s history – George “Papa Bear” Halas, Art Rooney and Wellington Mara among them – had an unspoken agreement to ban black players.

Sources: Photo (Wikipedia), text (History.com)

Source: ESPN

Photo credit: SB Nation

Reported in Earl Lloyd, N.B.A.’s First Black Player, Dies at 86. (The New York Times, 2/28/2015)

1950-51 final standings

Source: Basketball Reference

Sources: Text (The Undefeated), photo (Wikipedia)

Sources: Photo (Wikipedia), text (World Golf Hall of Fame)

CES2020: Hello, my name is BellaBot, and I'll be your server tonight

8 Cool Robots And AI That Wowed Us At CES 2020. (CRN, 1/30/2020)

BellaBot is a delivery robot designed for commercial environments like hotels and restaurants. The best part? Its digital feline face, which reacts to human presence with animated emotions. The cat-headed robot even enjoys a good ear scratching.

Greetings from Trump's America: Cheboygan County, Michigan, an education desert

60 miles from college: Lack of education, a way out of poverty, could 'kill rural America'. (USA Today, 1/26/2020)

Related reading:
Michigan counties ranked from most Democratic to most Republican. (mlive)

Cheboygan County partisan rank: 48 of 83 in 2014, 58 of 83 in 2018. In 2018, the dust is still settling. All 83 counties saw a bigger share of votes for statewide Democratic candidates in 2018 compared to Hillary Clinton in 2016. But Trump and the Republican Party still have a firm hold on large swaths of Michigan.