America

Of Racism, Prejudice & Discrimination

February 5, 2013 by Danny Sullivan

When I was a senior in high school, I was fortunate enough to attend a leadership camp that taught me that we all have prejudices, but those prejudices don’t make us racists. There’s a huge gap between those two things that I fear gets terribly lost when discussions of race come up. The Tech Is […]

The 2012 Electoral College Map Done Right: States Sized By Votes, Not Geographic Size

October 23, 2012 by Danny Sullivan

It drives me crazy to see news outlets with US maps showing the states estimated to be either going for Barack Obama or Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election based on the geographic size of those states, rather than the number of Electoral College votes they carry. There are better maps they could and should use. […]

You Can’t Watch SNL’s Hilarious “Downton Abbey” Sketch Legally Online, So NBCUniversal Pirates Itself

February 6, 2012 by Danny Sullivan

All I wanted to do was share a funny “Downton Abbey Meets Spike TV” skit that was on Saturday Night Live this week. Unfortunately, there’s no authorized version of the sketch online from NBCUniversal. That made me hesitate, but apparently it wasn’t a problem for iVillage, an NBCUniversal-owned site. Nor was it an issue for Time, […]

California: The Robert Downey Jr, Not The Lindsay Lohan, Of States

November 8, 2010 by Danny Sullivan

Dear non-Californians upset that California re-elected a Democratic senator, elected a Democratic governor and is otherwise doing things you might not like. Tough shit. OK, that’s my initial reaction to some things I’ve read recently. My more thoughtful reaction is scapegoating one state isn’t the answer to America’s issues. Last week, the LA Times featured […]

How To Memorize The 50 United States On A Map

November 12, 2009 by Danny Sullivan

My fifth grader is having to learn US geography — in particular, to look at a blank map and write in the correct name for each of the states. I think that’s great. I love maps and geography. But that’s a lot of states. I’ve been sharing with him a number of ways I’ve somehow […]

Halloween Pumpkin Carving Stencils That Bring Star Wars & More To Your Porch

October 30, 2009 by Danny Sullivan

Your Halloween pumpkins don’t have the same old boring designs. Get some pumpkin stencils and carving! You can make some amazing stuff, including Star Wars pumpkins or for Twilight fans, Edward and Bella. How about Jay Leno? The Kool Aide guy? A Cylon pumpkin? Some tips and links, below. Like many, I’ve been carving pumpkins […]

Collectively, Americans Abroad Are 21st Most Populated “State”

July 30, 2009 by Danny Sullivan

Did you realize the US Census doesn’t count Americans who live abroad? It was pretty annoying to me last time. I wanted to be counted! More important, when there’s not a good count, in turn there’s less representation and support for the rights of Americans abroad. Some new numbers are in. According to an ACA […]

As Obama Turns America Socialist, An American Reflecting On Life In “Socialist” Britain

March 17, 2009 by Danny Sullivan

Apparently, some people believe President Barack Obama wants to turn the United States into a socialist country — with fears that this would be a terrible step in the wrong direction. Fair to say, most people with these fears have never lived in a socialist country. I have, in Britain, for 12 years. I thought […]

I’m A Real American, Despite What John McCain Thinks

October 22, 2008 by Danny Sullivan

I love America. But am I “pro-American?” Until recently, I had no idea my “pro-hood” was in question. Now I have the McCain-Palin campaign suggesting I don’t live in “real” America or that some parts of America are more “heartland-like” or “patriotic” than where I live. Knock it off. It’s not right. The American people […]

I’m Going Home

March 3, 2008 by Danny Sullivan

After 12 years of living in the UK, I’m going home — back to Southern California, back to Newport Beach. This will be a fairly personal post about the decision my family has made, but my blog was supposed to be for more than writing about gadgets and computers and donuts. Good writing is often […]