Predicting the Presidential Election with Baseball

Predicting the Presidential Election with Baseball Can the winner of the World Series predict who will become President of the United States? If the American League wins, will that mean a win for the Republican candidate? If the National League wins, does that mean a Democratic president for the next four years? A 24-Year Hot Streak Up until  the 1980 presidential election, it appeared that the World Series was an accurate predictor of the presidential race. From 1952 to 1976, whenever the  American League won the World Series, the President to win in that years election was a Republican. If the National League won, then the election went to the Democrat. However,  the Series hot streak ended with the 1980 election. That year, the Philadelphia Phillies, a National League team, won the Series and Ronald Reagan, a Republican, won the White House. Since then, the World Series has accurately predicted the presidential race 5 out of 9 times, giving is a batting average of 0.555 (or round it up to 0.556, if you must). Thats a very good average for baseball but otherwise is not much  better than flipping a coin. Seven-Game Sage The Series is a better predictor of presidents when it goes to seven games. In all of the following election years, the Series got it right. If an American League (AL) team won, so did the Republicans; if a National League (NL) team won, the next president was a Democrat. And the winners were... 1924: Washington Senators (AL) and Calvin Coolidge (R)1940: Cincinnati Reds (NL) and Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)1952 and 1956: New York Yankees (AL) and Dwight Eisenhower (R)1960: Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) and John F. Kennedy (D)1964: St. Louis Cardinals (NL) and Lyndon Johnson (D)1968 and 1972: Detroit Tigers (AL) and Richard Nixon (R) Another (Brief) Streak The Series got hot again in 2000 and accurately predicted the next four presidents, starting with George W. Bush. Actually, it was only two presidentsBush and Obama, both of whom won reelectionbut you cant fault the Series for that. In 2016, it was almost too close to call. The Cubs (National League) won, but so did Trump (Republican). Maybe the Series was banking on the popular vote, which was won by Democrat Hilary Clinton. Darn that electoral college! Other Sure Things? Many Americans swear by patterns and coincidences to help them predict presidential elections. Other examples of predictors from past and present years include the following: If the Washington Redskins win the week of the election, this means a win for the incumbent party. This has held true since 1936.Whichever candidates likeness is on the halloween mask that sells the most will be the next president.  When companies produce competing products, the one that sells the most is supposed to predict the winner. For example, if a company has cups with images of the Republican and Democratic candidates, the one that  outsells the other would be a predictor.If the Dow Jones Average goes up between  August and October, this predicts a win for the incumbent.If the Los Angeles Lakers win the the championship, then the Republican candidate will win. Obviously some of these predictors have a greater basis in reality than others. While most people would say that the Lakers or the Redskins winning is more chance than anything else, the state of the economy does have a huge impact on the presidential election. After all of these predictors, are we any closer to knowing who will win the next presidential election? The answer, of course, is no. However, one thing is fairly certain: to cover their bets, it is more than likely that the Republican candidate will be rooting for the American League team and the Democratic candidate will be cheering on the National League team when the first pitch is thrown in the 2020  World Series.

Universal Design - How to Build for Accessibility

Universal Design - How to Build for Accessibility In architecture, universal design means creating spaces that meet the needs of all people, young and old, able and disabled. From the arrangement of the rooms to the choice of colors, many details go into the creation of accessible spaces. Architecture tends to focus on accessibility for people with disabilities, but Universal Design is the philosophy behind accessibility. No matter how beautiful, your home will not be comfortable or appealing if you cannot move freely through its rooms and independently perform the basic tasks of life. Even if everyone in the family is able-bodied, a sudden accident or the long-term affects of illness can create mobility problems, visual and auditory impairments, or cognitive decline. Designing for the blind is one example of universal design. Your dream home may have spiral staircases and balconies with sweeping views, but will it be usable by and accessible for everyone in your family? Definition of Universal Design The design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.- Center for Universal Design Principles of Universal Design The Center for Universal Design at the College of Design, North Carolina State University, has established seven overarching principles for all universal design: Equitable UseFlexibility in UseSimple and Intuitive UsePerceptible Information (e.g., color contrast)Tolerance for ErrorLow Physical EffortSize and Space for Approach and Use If product designers apply universal design principles, with a special focus on accessibility for people with disabilities, and if usability experts routinely include people with a variety of disabilities in usability tests, more products will be accessible to and usable by everyone.- Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology (DO-IT), University of Washington Your local housing agencies can give you more detailed specifications for construction and interior design in your area. Listed here are some very general guidelines. Designing Accessible Spaces President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law on July 26, 1990, but did that start the ideas of accessibility, usability, and universal design? The Americans with Disability Act (ADA) is not the same as Universal Design. But anyone who practices Universal Design will likely not have to worry about the minimum regulations of the ADA. Allow enough floor space to accommodate a stationary wheelchair and also enough room for a smooth U-turn: at least 1965 mm (78 inches) by 1525 mm (60 inches).Include tables or counters that are a variety of heights to accommodate standing, seating, and a range of different tasks.Provide shelves and a medicine cabinet that can be reached by persons seated in a wheel chair.Make sure entry doors to rooms are at least 815 mm (32 inches) wide.Mount bathroom sinks no higher than 865 mm (34 inches) from the floor.Install grab bars in the shower and beside the toilet.Provide a full-length mirror that can be viewed by all people, including children.Avoid shag carpets, uneven brick floors, and other floor surfaces that could pose slipping and tripping hazards.Design a room so deaf people can accomplish tasks while facing the rooms center. Mirrors are a poor solution to universal design. Learn More The Universal Design Living Laboratory (UDLL), a modern Prairie Style house completed in November 2012, is a National Demonstration Home in Columbus, Ohio. DO-IT Center (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) is an educational center at the University of Washington in Seattle. Promoting universal design in physical spaces and technologies is part of their local and international initiatives. The Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University College of Design has been at the forefront of innovation, promotion, and struggles for funding. Sources Portions of this article are adapted from The Stress-Free Home, a home design book by Jackie Craven, Rockport PublishersThe Principles of Universal Design, Version 2.0, College of Design, North Carolina State University, April 1, 1997What is the difference between accessible, usable, and universal design, DO-IT, University of Washington, January 24, 2013 [accessed May 10, 2014]