Polling numbers for August are in: http://spreadsheets0.google.com/ccc?key=pdhlCClsiyAPaeKoxMfAaXQ&hl=en. This month we’ve got polling results from two sources: the monthly UVVM and, for a change, MVK, which only occasionally publishes results during non-campaign periods.  The UVVM shows almost no change from last month (which is normal); the MVK is fairly consistent with UVVM, showing somewhat lower support [...]

Preliminary research at MSU by Ellison, Steinfield and Lampe  (http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol12/issue4/ellison.html) suggests Facebook works in Granovetter’s realm of weak ties.  This is good news for social capital (though the concept itself undergoing major reconceptualization).  The question is whether this can amount to something other than mere capital accumulation by the already-well-resourced.

I am not enthusiastic about the day-to-day gameplay of most sports but I am fascinated by the economics and sociology of sport and so I was delighted to see a blog that I like–strange maps (http://strangemaps.wordpress.com) post the following picture of what is apparently a Nike store display map.   Without getting too serious about [...]