I asked in an earlier poll if readers would watch the major-party conventions (most respondents said that they would), and here’s a poll about the last big, formal political events between now and November 6th. (Otherwise, it’s campaign ads and speeches as each candidate wishes, with no set schedule as with the conventions or debates.)…

Update: the poll’s now open – It’s been a long season for the Brewers, with months of it spent under .500, but now they’ve a chance for a wild card entry into the post-season. Do they make it into October as a wild card team? They’ve missed so many opportunities this season, that instinct suggests…

The Packers beat Chicago last night, for a 1-1 start to the season. In their sixteen-game regular season, how many wins do you think they’ll have. (It’s the playoffs that matter most, but I’m curious how well you think they’ll do along the way.) I’ll say 14. What do you think? Packers 2012 Regular Season…

I saw a post at Slashdot that asked if we needed a longer school year. (That post has links to stories arguing in favor of a longer year.) Well, do you think we should we have a longer year? Alternatively, should school sessions be spaced more evenly throughout the calendar year? Perhaps both: a longer…

Update, 6:44 PM: A circuit court judge ruled today that the hunt could proceed, but prohibited the use of dogs. See, Update: DNR Says “Wolf Season Will Proceed” After Judge’s Ruling. Wisconsin plans a fall wolf hunt, something that’s the subject (as of this post) of a pending lawsuit over using trained dogs as part of…

Two national political conventions are upcoming: the Republican National Convention in Tampa (8.27 to 8.30) and the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte (9.4 to 9.6). I’ll be watching and recording both. The broadcast networks won’t have much live coverage (they didn’t have much in 2008, either), but C-SPAN will have a great deal, live throughout…

A recent World Health Organization study details the dangers of smoking, and to assess possible global risks from smoking, it lists the proportion of smokers in different countries: The study, conducted between 2008 and 2010, found that across 14 developing nations, 49% of men and 11% of women used tobacco. Most of them smoked —…

CNN has a story, Why Olympians bite their medals, about how common it is for victorious Olympic athletes to bite (or pretend to bite) their medals when they win an event.  Here are Russian athletes doing just that: CNN asks, at the end of its story, if their readers would do the same.  I'll ask that…

Slate’s Daniel Engber asks, “Is Air Conditioning Bad for You?” in a story in which he assesses studies for and against air conditioning (and how people’s politics are mixed up with their views on home cooling). Even in this very hot summer, there are bound to be differences on this question. What do you think:…

Earlier this week, Fearless Felix Baumgarnter set a personal best for a jump — in a pressurized suit — from 96,640 feet. ‘Fearless Felix’ falls far fast: krqe.com Let’s assume that Felix and others could prepare you, adequately, to do what he did. (It’s a big assumption, of course, because Felix has been skydiving from…

The Summer Olympics in London begin July 27th and run through August 12th. How interested are you in watching? I’ll watch something each day. How about you? 2012 Summer Olympics Interest

Today’s poll asks about one’s favorite music. I’ve added some of the most common genres from the Billboard charts, with a category for other.  Multiple selections are possible. It’s a mix of jazz, blues, and scattered pop tunes for me. What are your favorites? Favorite Music? <a href=”http://polldaddy.com/poll/6387213/”>Favorite Music?</a> 

It’s been a tough season for the Brewers, with game after game snatched from the jaws of victory in late innings. All this prompts the question: Should the Milwaukee Brewers Clean House or Go for Broke?. I’m not of one mind about this – my views change, game to game. What do you think? Brewers:…