Working in Social Science/Public Opinion research has made me very sympathetic to anyone who makes their living talking on the telephone. Something about the anonymity of the phone seems to make people feel very safe in expressing their deepest (racist/sexist/classist) thoughts to the interviewer. Conversely, many people are certain that you are trying to steal their money, their opinions, nay, their very souls through your insidious questioning about their attitudes toward any number of innocuous things. I want to discuss some basics of survey research and explain some of the qualities of any kind of opinion or attitudinal research. These are often the surveys that form the basis of the “97% of Americans HATE BREATHING AIR” kinds of stories that we see on a daily basis. Continue reading
nerd
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Way back in May of this year, Conan O’Brien featured a sketch on his TBS show highlighting a small alley in an industrial part of Van Nuys, California. The purpose of the sketch was to jokingly ask the city of Los Angeles and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to change the name of West Raymer Street to Conan O’Brien Blvd.
In the initial sketch, he showcases the surrounding area of the dead-end alley, which is located next to some railroad tracks. What we see is familiar to anyone with experience in industrial or less wealthy neighborhoods in many cities. There is abandoned furniture, graffiti and what looks like an abandoned vehicle. It’s neighborhood blight. Continue reading