Mike and Tammy discuss how closely Sim City games reflect reality, neural networks playing Sim City, and constraint optimization. Also, the cats go nuts and Mike lands some serious relationship points.
BLBD 36: Fat Bear Week
Mike and Tammy discuss ethical issues in urban planning and analytics, as well as a primer on neural networks.
Also relevant:
- "You Look Like a Thing And I Love You" by Janelle Shane: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PBVN3YJ/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
- 24/7 neural network-generated death metal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwtVkPKx3RA
- Fat Bear Week (Oct 2-8): https://www.facebook.com/KatmaiNPP/?__tn__=%2Cd%2CP-R&eid=ARBOvWcDpgkRPmJpFyRCeBjiwxlio7xa-mluACsbZSZOKIuddLTd-ZQcoOZdRG6eAYuvXC4ZWT0pCDSl
BLBD 35: 44% Better (w/Daniel Beck)
Mike and Tammy talk with Daniel Beck about his work with DMARC's food network data and reporting.
To donate or volunteer, visit https://www.dmarcunited.org or call 515-277-6969.
BLBD 34: Grover runs for his life (w/Nathan Armstrong)
Mike and Tammy chat with Mike's brother, Nate, about his work as the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at Chicago's PBS station, WTTW. Also, impressions and some dubious family revelations.
Stuff to know:
WTTW: https://www.wttw.com
Rent-a-Swag: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUCzGi11Sto
Center Grove Orchard: https://centergroveorchard.com
BLBD 33: Cluster Puck-Man
Mike and Tammy discuss a famous data set, and respond to a listener request about urban growth boundaries.
BLBD 32: No One Twerks Like Gaston
Mike and Tammy discuss the urban planning and analytics developments of theme parks - mostly Disney.
Boke Bowl restaurant in Portland, OR: https://www.bokebowl.com
No One Twerks Like Gaston lyrics: https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/643184-gaston
BLBD 31: The Sequel
The second and final part of our movie episode!
Marvel movies ranked by how many trains are in them: https://news.avclub.com/finally-the-marvel-cinematic-universe-films-ranked-by-1834615825
BLBD 30: "It's Chicago!" and Other Totally Accurate Quotes
This is a little late because we’ve allll been sick. Part 1 of our 2-part movie review episode. Mike and Tammy each pick 1-2 movies that are good examples of their fields in action.
Some explanations:
BLBD 29: All for One (Iowa) w/Keenan Crow
Mike and Tammy chat with Keenan Crow of LBGTQ advocacy group One Iowa about policy issues, drag names, and the labyrinthine nature of the Iowa legislative workings.
Check out https://oneiowa.org for details on One Iowa and their upcoming events.
BLBD 28: +1 to Happiness
This week is all about the Women's World Cup! Join us as we discuss the game theory of penalty kicks, the impacts of hosting a major competition, and the gender pay gap in the US Soccer Federation.
Check out this NYT article for more data on the pay gap: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/22/sports/soccer/usmnt-uswnt-soccer-equal-pay.html
BLBD 27: (Older) Adulting w/Brad Anderson
Mike and Tammy chat with State Director of AARP Iowa Brad Anderson about AARP's role in advocating for livable cities, fraud protection, and informed voting.
Get involved: www.aarp.org/volunteer
BLBD 26: A Bicycle Built for Two Scoops
It's Bike Month! And we're celebrating by sharing stories: our own good and bad times on bicycles, and stories from our listeners, as well.
Thanks to twitter users @jscholbrock, @csaxon128, @Sean_McBeth, @frolferguy420, and @Nathan_haunts for sharing your stories!
Mentioned on the show:
Bike Month events in Des Moines: https://www.dsmstreetcollective.org/events
BFF Bikes - https://www.bffbikes.com
The Quick and the Rest - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38122681-the-quick-and-the-rest
BLBD 25: FARgate (w/Rachel Lunsford)
Mike and Tammy talk with Rachel Lunsford, vendor manager for the State of Iowa, about RFPs, negotiating contracts, and how governments interact with vendors to get things done.
BLBD 24: Egg-cited to Be Here (w/Ethan Standard)
Mike and Tammy talk with Ethan Standard, President of the Waveland Park Neighborhood Association, about the unique role of neighborhood associations in local government. Also, egg hunts and a bonus Harry Potter firm!
BLBD 23: Muggle Struggles
Mike and Tammy each build a consulting firm composed of four characters from the Harry Potter series. And have serious questions about magical labor laws.
BLBD 22: Optimistic Unicorns
Mike and Tammy talk about what it takes to make great analysts and urban planners.
BLBD 21: Murder Castle
This episode is about books, we swear. Mike and Tammy each share three book recommendations from or adjacent to planning and analytics.
Titles:
Competing on Analytics by Thomas H. Davenport and Jeanne G. Harris
The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs
The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver
Happy City by Charles Montgomery
Creative Confidence by Tom and David Kelley
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
Song credit:
300 MB by Neil Cicierega (from the album Mouth Moods)
BLBD 20: (s)NO(w)
We had a ton of fun recording this episode about our current least-favorite topic. Unfortunately, our sound equipment did not have a great time, and this episode is a little rough around the edges. We’ll do better next time!
In the meantime, please still enjoy this episode about some of the many planning implications of snow, and what we can learn about statistical uncertainty from weather forecasts!
BLBD 19: Terms of Endearment
Mike and Tammy each pick two terms from their respective industries' jargon and define them: big data, smart cities, machine learning, and equity.
BLBD 18: (LIVE) BLBD on the Hill
Enjoy a recording of our first-ever live show on Friday January 25 at the Iowa Commission of Latino Affairs’ 2nd Annual Latino Day on the Hill.