cahwyguy | Entries tagged with miscellaneous

Observation Stew It’s Saturday. Furlough or not, that means it’s time to clear out the accumulated links (while I listen to some new music… 32767 songs, here I come)…

Furlough News. Here are 25 Front Pages that show how real people are hurting from the furlough. Want something closer to home? Next week is California Rideshare Week. I know our van will be down from 6 to 2, and a number of vans won’t be running at all. This will skew the numbers, and may imperil vanpool registration in the Metro program.
Don’t Jump. Here an article on the suicide magnet that is the Golden Gate Bridge. Want a different perspective on suicide. Here’s one that only an economist can give.
Broken Instruments. Boy, this seems to be downer post. First we have the furlough, then suicides, and now… here’s an article on the whole warehouse of broken instruments at LAUSD. There’s no money to repair them, so they backlog grows and grows.
Where Do The Elephants Go? Here’s one answer: Look on page 12 of the December 1927 CHPW. So, somewhere near Orick near US 101 is the buried carcass of an elephant.

Music: No Man’s Land (Charlie Peacock): “Beauty Left the Room”

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Crossposts: http://cahwyguy.livejournal.com/1667689.html

Observation Stew It’s Saturday at lunchtime, and by now you know what that means: time to clear out the links for the week. This has been a busy week, so a lot of links have accumulated. I was so busy this week I didn’t get a chance to even look for themes, so here goes.

First, we have a few articles that all seem to relate to women in some way:

Rabbit Relevance. When I grew up, boys often learned about girls through the pages of Playboy magazine. More importantly, this is also where we learned about what it was to be sophisticated, read great fiction and articles, wonderful interviews, and great cartoons. Today’s easy availability of porn makes the girly side of Playboy less relevant. What’s a magazine to do? Refocus on the sophistication. Art. Culture. Great fiction. The girls will also move from being enhanced beauty to natural women (or at least as Playboy comes to natural women — alas, I’m sure they won’t cover all sizes). I applaud this new approach, and hope it succeeds. If anything, perhaps it can reinforce the notion that women don’t need to artificially change their bodies to be beautiful.
Rosie Riveting. With the closure of the C-17 plant in Long Beach, lots of people will be losing their jobs. One of them will be one of the original “Rosie the Riveters”, who at age 93 is still working on the line. Nice human interest story.
Where You Sit. It seems that, on planes and trains and buses, everyone prefers to sit next to women. Even women. So what do the women think about it? Read the article.

Next we have two articles related to food and expiration dates:

Throw It Away. When does food go bad? It seems a lot of people don’t know, and so they trust the date on the can or carton. Problem is, that date isn’t (a) hard and fast, and (b) indicating when the food goes bad. Often, that date indicates when the food might start to deteriorate in peak flavor, and is typically just a guess. As a result, 40% of the food that people throw away is still good.
But Then Again… So what do do with the expired food. A former president of Trader Joes has one idea: serve it to people.

Lastly, we have some random articles and stuff that caught my eye:

Cyber-This. It’s the “in” word – Cyber. I no longer work in Computer Security, or even Information Assurance … it is now Cyber-Security. In fact, with the government, it is Cyber-this and Cyber-that, as we defend Cyber-Space. But where did the word come from? Here’s the bizarre evolution of the word “cyber”.
Plutonium Problems. This week, we’ve all been talking about Voyager leaving the Solar System. It was powered by Plutonium-238, which made its long trip possible. This may not be possible in the future, as NASA is running out of Plutonium 238. This could end deep-space exploration.
Back Pain. When your back hurts, where does the pain come from. If you said your back, you might be… wrong. It now looks like chronic back pain starts in the brain.
What Is The Singular of Broccoli? As we talked about “cyber” before, a bit more on words. Here are 11 words that only have a plural form (no matter what Alan Sherman sings).
Valley Stuff. A few valley items of now. First, the San Fernando Valley Relics museum is about to open. You can visit its webpage here. Secondly, there is now a flea market in North Hollywood. Thirdly (and sadly), it looks like Cliffs Books in Pasadena may be nearing the end of its life . It is having a final liquidation sale.

And Lastly… please don’t forget about the Bitter Lemons LemonHeadMeter Kickstarter. It needs your support.

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Crossposts: http://cahwyguy.livejournal.com/1664462.html

userpic=camp While scanning my RSS feeds while eating lunch, a Buzzfeed Article caught my eye: “Parents Outraged Over Field Trip Where Students Re-Enacted Slavery And Were Called The N-Word“. This concerned a camp in MA where slavery was reenacted for a short period; the article did not indicate why the school did this. Naturally, the parents were incensed about this.

It brought back a memory to me of something that happened at Camp Hess Kramer one summer between 1969 and 1971. Camp back then was very isolated — you got no news of the outside word; there was no TV, Internet, and phone access was limited. Some kids had transistor radios, but those were usually left back in the cabins and not brought to activities. One day during discussion groups, some of the senior counselors came down and informed the camp there had been a coup, and there were new restrictions on Jews. I don’t remember all the details (I was between 9 and 11 at the time), but do remember we were herded together and segregated. A few hours later, we learned that nothing had really happened; the purpose of the exercise was to provide a taste of what it was like for Jews in Germany. There were discussions the next day about it. I recall hearing that some folks got in trouble for this, but it was many many years ago and I don’t recall all the details.

This brought to mind similar exercises that were done at the time, where one group was deemed “superior” based on some clearly meaningless characteristic — hair color, eye color — and this was used to teach people what it was like to be part of a minority group. I don’t know whether any of these efforts ultimately imparted the lessons desired. I’m also not sure whether something this overt would fly today — especially if you were putting children in an overlord or superior position (I remember too many stories of such positions being abused).

My question today is: Are there any exercises — either like this or otherwise — that can be used to teach sensensitivity. Is there away to adapt any of this to teach the subtle cues that people don’t realize they are doing. For example, could a camp environment (and I’m not involved with any camps in this way) have counselors, without telling the camp ahead of time, give slight and subtle preference based on some meaningless characteristic (last letter of last name, for example) to see if people can realize it, and then later discussion how they either saw or didn’t see the signs. Would something like this just not fly in today’s society?

As I said, this is more of a thought experiment than anything else. The Buzzfeed article got me thinking, and I tend to just let thoughts roll around my head during lunch.

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Crossposts: http://cahwyguy.livejournal.com/1664185.html

userpic=pirate Today is “Talk Like a Pirate” Day, so I thought I would share wit yinz some tings piratical. Oh, yinz dint mean “Talk Like a picksburg Pirate“. But I couttent find a translator to Somali online…

Pirates in Washington I. Pirates like to take things that aren’t theirs to take. So why did we send them to Washington. Yes, I’m still incensed about how the GOP is trying to take the nation hostage. I just wanted to share a wonderful quote I saw in the comments in the LA Times: “It’s quite easy to be a libertarian when you already have yours and your liberty? What about the rest of us?” Many of those fighting to defund the ACA already have healthcare, or have the wherewithal to pay for health care. They don’t care about the rest, as demonstrated by the fact that they only think of “repeal”, instead of replacing it with a better solution.
Pirates in Washington II. The pirates in Washington not only want to take your government hostage, they are taking your name. Well, that is if it is too long. In California, the Social Security Administration is denying a women the ability to put her full name on her social security card because it is too long. The SSA blames the software (“The first and middle name fields allow 16 characters each and the last name allows 21 characters”) and NIST (the SSA noted that the agency is governed by, “Public Law 100-235 when printing characters on SSN cards. This law requires all Federaldatabases to follow standards determined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).”).
Pirates in Radio. There’s a radio station in Omaha that a continuous loop of Buddy Holly, Petula Clark and Bobby Darin. The problem? Nobody seems to know much about it. The Federal Communications Commission admitted it was stumped in papers filed last month. The airwave regulator said in the filing that it could find neither the owners nor the studio. But the music keeps playing…
Pirates and Water. Pirates operate on the water as well as the airwaves. So speaking of water… we’ve all been reading about the flooding in Colorado. Now, we’re reading that the floodwaters are likely contaminated. What we’re not reading about is where that water goes when it recedes. The answer is not the Colorado River, as I thought. According to this article, the water will make its way to Nebraska and the Platte River, and then to the Missouri, Mississippi, and the Gulf of Mexico. I’d say alas, but although this means that the Colorado River won’t be getting more water (which it needs desperately), it also won’t be getting contaminated water.

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Crossposts: http://cahwyguy.livejournal.com/1663482.html

userpic=observations In deference to Yom Kippur, we’re not serving up stew today. Instead, here’s a melange of articles to tie you over that period between your morning and afternoon services. Hopefully, you’ll read this instead of eating your lunch, and enjoy intellectual fullness even as your stomach growls.

Typewriters. Here’s an interesting look at the history of typewriters — in particular, looking at the relationship between typewriters and their owners, with some lovely pictures.
S.T.O.P. Plates. CSUN is now selling S.T.O.P. plates, which are a theft deterrent for electronic devices. The plates are sold and installed by the CSUN PD for $10. Students, faculty, and staff can participate in this program by buying a plate to discourage theft. Users can also install the plates themselves by purchasing an installation kit through S.T.O.P.’s website for $20. The plates are designed to alert potential thieves that the device is registered with the national S.T.O.P. database. The database contains the identifiable information of a user’s registered device, such as an address and telephone number, and the device’s unique serial number, make, model and type.A code printed on the plate allows police or S.T.O.P. to access the identifiable information, even across state lines.The program is available for any technology that has a serial number.
Are They Ugly to Their Mothers? Lots of people have been writing about the blobfish, the “worlds ugliest animal”. But there are more — here’s a report on a number of different ugly animals.
Useful Websites. Here’s a Buzzfeed list of 44 unique and useful websites. Now I already knew about some of these websites, and some mean nothing to me, but I’m sure you’ll see one or two that are useful.
Promoting Various Things. A number of little promotions. First, Windows XP is nearing end-of-extended-life. You can evidently still upgrade to Windows 7. I need to explore this for our remaining XP machines. Second, Bitter-Lemon’s LemonHeadMeter kickstart is still ongoing. It is well worth supporting, as it helps get word-of-mouth out there from audiences as well as professional reviewers. Lastly, a wonderful artist from our congregation, Isaac B-B, is having an exhibition in October. We’re going to try to make it to the opening after the October MoTAS meeting, but it runs through mid-December.

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Crossposts: http://cahwyguy.livejournal.com/1661277.html

userpic=fountain-pen This collection of news chum has to do with typography and words:

Practical Typography. Here’s an online book about practical typography. What I find interesting is that it shows the value of different fonts, and especially, why some fonts work OK on the screen but not on the printed page.
Old Typography. Here’s an interesting tumblr with loads of interesting old typography.
Who vs. Whom. Ever been confused on when to use “whom” vs. “who”? Go forth, and be confused no more.
Hawaiian. This is a collection of facts about Hawai’i, but I found the first few about the Hawaiian language, particularly interesting. Perhaps next year, at this time, we’ll be in Hawaii.

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Crossposts: http://cahwyguy.livejournal.com/1654263.html

userpic=television This morning, Buzzfeed had a list of 17 Reality Shows that Need To Come Back. Now, most of these were forgettable tripe, but there was one, oh one, that really needs to come back: “Trading Spaces“, with the wonderful Mindy Paige Davis Page (a/k/a Paige Davis).

For those of you not old enough to remember, Trading Spaces was a home-improvement show that had two neighbors trade spaces in their house. TLC brought in a decorator and a carpenter, and they had $1000 per room to redo the room. Simple concept, and it would work well in today’s economic times with constrained budgets. Trading Spaces had a mix of designers each with their specific quirks and styles, and would mix them up on the different shows. It spun off a number of variants (including a children’s version), most notably WYWO (While You Were Out).

A number of things killed Trading Spaces , but they all devolve into “tinkering with the format”. They over-emphasized two of the designers — Doug and Hildi — and their outrageous designs. They kept playing with “surprise” rooms and larger budgets. They had contests to find new designers. They even eliminated Paige for a year! These all hurt the show and its viewership.

Still, I believe that a back-to-basics Trading Spaces would succeed these days, especially on a network such as DIY or HGTV. I’d love to see it… and I’d especially love to see it with Paige!

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Crossposts: http://cahwyguy.livejournal.com/1653720.html

Observation Stew With all the Anniversary stuff yesterday, I never got around to posting the Saturday News Chum Stew. So here are some tasty tidbits for your weekend enjoyment (some were shared previously on FB during the week):

This Song’s For You. Here’s a really neat video — watch Elton John sing “Your Song” over the course of 43 years. One of the best editing jobs I’ve seen.
The Co-Dependency Dance. I’m a big lover of Shel Silverstein. Most people know him from his children’s poems, but the man had a wonderfully warped and twisted mind. Somehow, I think he’d appreciate this “preview” for “The Giving Tree” as a horror movie. It’s an interesting take on the subject, as many do think of that book as a horror, celebrating co-dependency.
There’s a Drug For That. Ever wonder how drugs get named? This article explores the whole game of naming prescription medicine.
I Can Write That Program in One Line. Many years ago, there was a game show called “Name That Tune”. Contestants would battle to name a song after hearing the fewest number of notes. We always envisioned a similar contest for programming, a “Write That Program” where you had to write the program in the fewest number of lines. Of course, the APL programmer would always win, because you can write any APL program in one line. Want to practice your APL skills? Here’s an APL emulator in Javascript.
One Direction. I have a cousin that is obsessed with One Direction (the band, not a particular driving practice). I see this as the typical tween obsession with boy-crafted bands that has gone on for decades, across the generations, with different bands (Davey Jones and David Cassidy – yes, I’m looking at you). Of course, (a) the tween never sees the depth of the obsession at the time; and (b) occasionally, the music stands the test of time. So two One Direction things caught my eye this week and made me chuckle: the first was a report on one sister that pranked her sibling, a One Direction fan. The other was a collection of photos of dad’s at a One Direction concert. Both are things that make me glad my daughter’s obsession has moved on to Elton John and Dolly Parton.
And Lastly… This was was just too adorable: pictures of babies tasting a lemon for the first time.

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Crossposts: http://cahwyguy.livejournal.com/1653088.html

userpic=pastrami Recently, a new “build-your-own” pizza place opened up near us, on the edge of CSUN: Pieology. This is competition for the other “build-your-own” pizza place three blocks north, Pizza Rev. So tonight we went over to Pieology to give them a try. I think we’ll stick with Pizza Rev. Here’s why:

Both have gluten-free crusts (important for my wife). But Pizza Rev has sauce for gluten-free crusts in separate squirt bottles, with a separate utensil to spread the sauce, and separate trays for cooking. Pieology uses shared sauce and shared spreaders. Bzzzzt, you lose, if you are celiac.
Pizza Rev has a greater variety of sauces: olive oil, red sauce, white sauce, BBQ sauce. Pieology has red sauce, herb butter, and olive oil.
Pieology optionally spreads olive oil on their crusts. Although this results in a browner crust, it also results in a greasier pizza.
Pizza Rev has a greater variety of cheese: mozzarella, reduced-fat mozzarella, feta, bleu, ricotta, and vegan cheese. Pieology: mozzarella, ricotta, parmesian, and gorgonzola.
Pizza Rev has a greater variety of protein: pepperoni, spicy pepperoni, beef pepperoni, Italian sausage, sweet fennel sausage, spicy chorizo, crumbled beef meatball, canadian bacon, crispy bacon, grilled chicken, and anchovies. Pieology … quite a lot less: pepperoni, sausage, meatball, chicken, ham, bacon.
Pizza Rev has a greater variety of veggies: Pizza Rev: mushrooms, red onions, green bell peppers, tomatoes, pineapple, black olives, kalamata olives, basil, spinach, garlic, pepperoncinis, jalapeños, fennel seed, arugula, capers, artichoke hearts, and sun-dried tomatoes. Pieology: black olives, mushrooms, red onions, green peppers, artichokes, tomato, pineapple, jalapeños, basil, cilantro, and garlic. The only thing unique to Pieology is cilantro, whereas Pizza Rev is the only one with kalamata olives, spinach, pepperoncinis, fennel seed, arugula, capers, and sun-dried tomatoes.

The pizza at Pizza Rev was about $1 more, and I think it tastes better. It will be interesting to see which wins in the long run. It all depends on the fickleness of CSUN students.

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Observation Stew It’s Saturday, and that means it is time to clean out the refrigerator and make some tasty link chum stew. Lots of meaty stuff this week, with just a hint of onion:

Passing Out. A fascinating study about what is means to “pass” in terms of interracial couples. The article reminds us of the privileges gained by being in marriages that society chooses to recognize. Speaking about discovering privileges you tend not to think about: This American Life this week alerted me to a real neat blog: The Real Housewife of Ciudad Juarez. It is about a woman, married to an illegal immigrant, who opted to move to Mexico to be with her husband for the 10 year waiting period.
Religion and Corporations. Here’s an interesting question that’s come up since Obamacare: Do corporations have relgious beliefs? If they do, can they impose them on their employees. The conclusion appears to be “no”: the beliefs of the corporation are distinct from the beliefs of the legal owners.
Placebo Buttons. Ever been ready to cross the street, and pressed the button to get the light to change. The button might not have done anything; the light would have changed anyway. Same thing is true for “Close Door” buttons on elevators. This article explores placebo buttons: buttons placed there primarily to make you feel better.
Madam, I’m Adam. Here’s a neat one: There may be a genetic basic for Adam and Eve. Well, to be more precise, there may be a basis for the claim that all men can track back to a single male ancestor, and all women can track back to a single female ancestor. No guarantee they actually knew each other, mated, or were the only ancestors.
Oregon Trail. We’ve all played it: the game Oregon Trail. Here’s the story of how it came to be. I love the fact that it started on a teletype time sharing system. HP 3000C BASIC anyone?
Railroads. Lastly, the Union Pacific is going to restore the Big Boy locomotive currently at the Pomona Fairgrounds.

Music: Jews With Horns (The Klezmatics): “Romanian Fantasy”

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Crossposts: http://cahwyguy.livejournal.com/1650122.html

Observation Stew Well, it’s Saturday, and that means it is time to clean out the links for the ones that didn’t coalesce into a tasty theme. Yup. News Chum Stew. It’s what’s for lunch!

Getting Bugged. Last week, when I went out to the compost bin, each bin had about 20 of these large irisdescent green beetles. I had no idea what they were until a post by Steve Hymon on the Metro blog. I now have my answer: A figeater beetle!
Seeing It All. Here’s an interesting article about people who, after cataract surgery, are able to see in the ultraviolet range. Evidently, our lenses normally filter out UV… but some people have the cones and rods that permit seeing it. Cool.
I No Computers. Here are 12 silly things people believe about computers. I’m sure you have friends… or parents… that believe these. Hopefully, you don’t. I’m sure you don’t. You’re too smart to believe any of these. Right?
Finding Lost Metal. Here’s an interesting article on the folks that use metal detectors on the beaches in Florida. Evidently, you can’t always keep what you find in Florida.
Dunkin Donuts. Dunkin Donuts is finally coming to Southern California. Well, most of SoCal. Reading through the list of new franchises, I don’t see a single one in the Valley. Don’t they think we eat donuts out here?
Lost Luggage. This Mental Floss article raises a question I’ve had for a while: What happens to the luggage and personal items after a plane crash? Alas, it doesn’t really answer the question. If they can recover it, do they return it?
Appropos Reading. Here’s an interesting one. Edward Snowden is trapped in the Moscow airport. His lawyer brings him stuff to tide him over and prepare him for asylum in Russia. What does he bring him? Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky. The LA Times thinks the lawyer might have been trying to send Snowden a hidden message about what his life might become.

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userpic=lougrant Today’s lunchtime news chum brings together a collection of articles all loosely related by being about things you normally don’t think about:

Why Do Hotels Not Provide Toothpaste. Here’s an interesting question: Why do hotels provide the toiletries they do provide? Specifically, why do hotels provide soap and shampoo, but not toothpaste? Arguably, toothpaste is more useful than lotion. The ultimate answer may surprise you.
Are We Running Out of Copper. The answer, is “no”, but have you really thought about where copper comes from? It turns out that copper mining is decidedly not green–in fact, it is quite dirty due to environmental effects and tailings. Further, the demand for copper is growing and growing — all of our electronics, electric vehicles, and such demand more and more of one of nature’s best conductors (only silver is better). Further, there are no good substitutes, unlike oil. PS: However, we are looking at a shortage of Helium.
How Important is Trash Collection. For most of us, we’ve grown up in a society where our trash is picked up regularly. We throw it away… and its gone. We don’t think about where it goes, and what would happen if it didn’t go. The linked article is a history of the New York Sanitation Department, and talks about the days before there was regular trash pickup in New York. It gives you a new appreciation of the sanitation engineer. [H/T to Andrew Ducker for this item]
Who Died in Los Gatos Canyon. If you like folk music, you are probably familiar with Woody Guthrie’s song Deportee. It talks about an immigration flight from the US to Mexico, returning temporary workers, that crashed in 1948 killing 28 workers and the crew. The names of the Americans were released; the names of the Mexicans were never disclosed. For the song, Guthrie made up typical Mexican names, and the song has been an example of the plight of the deportee. The linked article is an LA Times report of the effort to discover and memorialize those who lost their lives in the crash.
What Is It Like to Be in an Airplane Crash. If you are like me, you’ve been following the news on Asiana 214 closely. The linked article from Buzzfeed is a first-person account from one of the passengers on the back of the plane on what happened, from the passenger point of view. Two additional Asiana related items: (1) LA Weekly looked into the life and friendship of the girls that died; (2) the NTSB has released some video of their exploration of the crash site. It is looking more and more like this tragedy has a large human error aspect, including an overdependence on technology.
How Does Barnes and Nobel Survive. We’ve all read about the CEO of Barnes & Nobel resigning, and how the company is having trouble with the Nook. So how does B&N stay alive? Well, first, their physical bookstores are actually making money, due to downsizing to profitable locations. Secondly, and more importantly, they are a major manager of university bookstores, and make profit on the markup from textbooks. Combine these two facts with the thought that the book publishers don’t want Amazon to have a monopoly, and it looks like B&N may be around for a while.
Why Are There So Many Rules and Regulations. Many people I know bemoan the fact that government loves to place obstacles in the way of businesses. Licenses. Regulations. Rules. What most people don’t realize is that many of these come from other businesses attempting to make life a living hell for their competition. They present the issue to politicians in terms of health or safety, but the real goal is to keep those in the game in the game, and raise the barrier for those not already playing. We’re seeing this play out in Los Angeles, where services such as Lyft and Uber have come to town… and the Taxi and Limo companies are fighting back with enforcement of the rules and regulations. The city has given a cease and desist, and the new services are citing their state authority to operate. I hope the little-guy wins on this one. I’ve never been impressed with the taxis in LA.

Music: Tumbleweed Connection (Elton John): “Madman Across the Water (Original Version)”

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Crossposts: http://cahwyguy.livejournal.com/1642004.html

userpic=freberg Today’s news chum brings together a collection of articles that all answer the question: “How?”

How The West Was Won… By Waitresses. A nice article from Smithsonian Magazine on the impact of the Harvey Girls on the west.
How To Waste Time on the Internet. Buzzfeed brings you 35 random corners of the Internet.
How Thor’s Hammer Made It Onto US Veterans Headstones. An interesting explanation of how a Norse Pagan symbol became a religious symbol on headstones.
How TV Could Suffer The Fate of Newspapers. An interesting exploration of how TV could be going down the same path as print media.
How Rocky and Bullwinkle Became a Success. An interesting exploration of one of the best animated series out there, and how it reached the 100 episode level.
How You Land at San Francisco International. Ever wonder how Asiana 214 was supposed to land? Here’s an explanation — from a pilot — on how landing at SFO is supposed to work.

Music: Something About The Way You Look Tonight [Single] (Elton John): “Candle In The Wind 1997″

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Crossposts: http://cahwyguy.livejournal.com/1641969.html

userpic=political-buttons Today is the 4th of July. For those of you who haven’t already left for the 4th of July weekend, I thought it would be appropriate to celebrate the USA by looking at it in various ways. This post was prompted by a post today of 22 maps that define America. So (as Harry Shearer would say), let’s take a tour of American… through maps…

Business Insider has an article with 22 Gorgeous Maps that Define America. These maps include NFL loyalties, how Google autocomplete sees each state, the mean center of population, states labeled with the country that has equal population, and so forth.
Zip Codes turn 50 years old this week. So here are some zip code maps. The first shows each state labeled with the leading portions of the zip code for that state. The second is a zoomable Google map that shows zip codes as of 2010.
Perhaps you prefer politics. Here are a few political maps for you. The first allows you to see how presidential elections went from the first (1789) to the next (2016). The second site provides all sorts of statistical maps for elections from 1840 through 2008. The last looks at electoral college reform, and shows the US divided into 50 states with equal population.
Perhaps you want some perspective. Here’s a collection of maps that does just that: it overlays the USA with outlines of various countries so that you can see how small we really are.
Are numbers your thing? Here are 25 interesting US census maps, shows all sorts of stuff, from minority concentrations, changes in population growth, and much more.
Don’t know what you want? Here’s a Pinterest board of creative US maps. All sorts of interesting stuff here, including the US made of cast iron pans. As we’re talking miscellaneous maps, how about maps of US roadside attractions, a map of what each state is the worst at, or a map where the US states have been given porcine nicknames.
Language your thing? We close out with a map American English dialects.

Music: Under Fire (NYMF) (Demo Cast): “Follow Me”

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Every year I post this on the 4th of July. For all that certain groups purport to know what this country’s founders wanted, I think it is best expressed in the sentiment “life, liberty, and the purſuit of happineſſ”. We still have that, for all the complaints. At times we may not like our leadership, and at times we may be frustrated at how our government is working (or not), but it is still the best system out there. Lastly, as much as I get annoyed at what those on the other side of the political spectrum say, I am still pleased to live somewhere where they have the right to say it. Happy Independence Day!

Narrator: The trouble continued to brew. It was a time for action, a time for words. On a hot July night in 1776, Benjamin Franklin was aroused from his work by the call of destiny.

(door knocks)
Jefferson (J) (faintly): Hey, you in there Ben?
Franklin (F) (grouchily) Who’s that, Sylvia?
Sylvia (S): It’s the call of destiny.
F: C’mon, take a look through the curtains.
S: It’s Tom Jefferson
F: What? Again?
J: Pounds on door harder
F: Well, it’s no good, I’ll have to let him in. (walking to door) I’m coming, I’m coming.

(door opens)
J: Hi, Ben.
F: Tom.
(door closes)
J: You got a minute?
F: To tell you the truth, we were just going out of town for the weekend.
J: But it’s only Wednesday.
F: (signs) Well, you know. A penny saved is a penny earned.
J: (pauses) What does that got to do with anything, Franklin?
F: I don’t know. (chuckles) It’s the first thing that came into my head. I was just making conversation. An idle brain is the devil’s playground, you know.
J: Say, you’re pretty good at that, aren’t you?
F: They’re some new “wise sayings” I just made up.
J: Wise sayings?
F: Yeah, I call ‘em “Wise Sayings”.

F: What can I do for you?
J: I’ve got this petition I’ve been circulating around the neighborhood. I kinda’ thought you would like to sign it or something. It’s called a Declaration of Independence.
F: Yeah, I heard about that. Sounds a little suspect if you ask me.
J: What do you mean “suspect”?
F: You’re advocating overthrow of the British government by force and violence, aren’t you?
J: Well, yeah, yeah, but we’ve had it with that royal jazz.
F: Who’s “we”?
J: All the guys.
F: Who’s “all the guys”?
J: George, Jim Madison, Alex Hamilton, Johnny Adams… you know, “all the guys”.
F: Heh, the lunatic fringe.
J: Oh they are not.
F: Bunch of wild-eyed radicals. Professional liberals. Don’t you kid me?
J: You call George Washington a wild-eyed radical?
F: Washington? I don’t see his name on there?
J: Yeah, but he promised to sign it.
F: (laughs) That’s George for you. Talks up a storm with those wooden teeth of his. Can’t shut him off. But when it comes time to put the name on the parchment-o-roonie, try to find him.
J: What are you so surley about today?
F: Surly to bed and surly to rise makes a man…

J: Alright, Alright. Let’s knock off the one-line jokes and sign the petition. What do you say, huh, fellow?
F: Well, let me skim down it here. “When in the course of human events…” so-so-and-so. hmm-hmmm-and-hmmm. “… and that among these are life, liberty, and the purſuit of happineſſ?”
J: That’s “pursuit of happiness”
F: Well all your “S”s look like “F”s
J: It’s stylish. It’s in, it’s very in.
F: Well, if it’s in. (clears throat and continues) “…we therefore, representatives of the United States of America…” so-so-and-so. hmm-mmm-and-hmmm. “…solemnly publish and declare…” hmmm-hmmm-and-hmmm. “…and there absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown.” And so on.

F: A little overboard, isn’t it?
J: Well, uh?
F: You write this?
J: Yeah, I knocked it out. It’s just a first draft.
F: Why don’t you leave it with me, and I’ll mail it in?
J: C’mon.
F: I’ll tell you Tom, I’m with you in spirit. I’m sure you understand that, but I got to play it conservative. I’m a businessman. I got the printing business going pretty good. Almanac made book of the month. I’ve got the inventions. I’ve got pretty good distribution on the stove. And, of course, every Saturday evening, I bring out the “mag”.
J: The what?
F: “magazine”
J: Oh. That reminds me. That artist I sent by, did you look at his stuff?
F: The Rockwell boy? Skinny kid with the pipe?
J: Yeah, that’s the kid.
F: I glanced at it. Too far out for me.
J: Yeah, I know you gotta play it safe. But getting back to the signing of the petition, how about it, huh?
F: Well, uh.
J: It’s a harmless paper.
F: Oh sure, harmless. I know how these things happen. You go to a couple of harmless parties, sign a harmless petition, and forget all about it. Ten years later, you get hauled up before a committee. No, thank you, I’m not going to spend the rest of my life writing in Europe.
J: Ah, c’mon.
F: C’mon what?

(bell note)
J: C’mon and put your name on the dotted line.
F: I got to be particular what I sign.
J: It’s just a piece of paper.
F: Just a piece of paper, that’s what you say.

J: C’mon and put your signature on the list.
F: It looks to have a very subversive twist.
J: How silly to assume it
J: Won’t you nom de plume it,
J: today?

J: You’re so skittish? Who possibly could care if you do?
F: The Un-British Activities Committee, that’s who?

J: Let’s have a little drink-o and fill the quill.
F: It sounds a little pinko to me, but still…
J: Knock off the timid manner
J: If you want a banner, to raise.
F: (banner to raise)

J: You must take (F: I must take)
J: A stand (F: a stand)
J: For this brave (F: for this brave)
J: New land (F: new land)
J: For who wants (F: who wants)
J: To live (F: to live)
J: So conser- (F: so conser-)
J: vative? (F: vative)

F: I don’t dis- (J: he don’t dis)
F: agree, (J: agree)
J and F: but a man can’t be too careful what he signs these days.

(musical flourish, and the song ends)

F: Well, if I sign it, will you renew your subscription?
J: If you promise not to keep throwing it on the roof. If it isn’t on the roof, it’s in the rosebushes or in the mud.
F: My eyesight isn’t what it used to be, you know. Besides, it’s hard to hit the porch from a horse.
J: C’mon, all we want to do is hold a few truths to be self-evident.
F: You’re sure it’s not going to start a revolution or anything?
J: Trust me.
F: OK, give it to me. You got a quill on you?
J: Here you go.
F: Look at this showoff “Hancock”. Pretty flamboyant signature for an insurance man. (signs it)
J: You did a good thing, Ben. You won’t be sorry. Now if I can just get another three or four guys, we’ll be all set.
F: I’ll tell you one thing…
J: What’s that?
F: You better get them to sign it in the next couple of days, before they all take off for the Fourth of July weekend.

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userpic=murakami What brings you happiness? A recent opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times addressed the subject.* The article noted that a growing body of research shows that the mere whiff of money draws out our selfish sides, focusing us on what that money can do for us, and us alone. In particular, the article explored whether the growing acquisition of things made us happy. Let’s think about that for a minute (gee, I sound like the folks from Freakanomics or Planet Money, wondering if money really brings happiness).

So can money bring happiness? More specifically, can acquiring more stuff or nicer stuff make you happier? In some ways, we need only look at the true happiness of the wealthy, with lots of stuff to manage, protect, move, store, etc. That’s a lot of work. Further, studies by a generation of behavioral scientists show that material goods often fail to deliver lasting happiness.

According to the article, what does give happiness? Dozens of studies show that people get more happiness from buying experiences than from buying material things. Experiential purchases — such as trips, concerts and special meals — are more deeply connected to our sense of self, making us who we are. Experiences come with one more benefit: They tend to bring us closer to other people, whereas material things are more often enjoyed alone. Decades of research point to the importance of social contact for improving mental and physical health.

Perhaps this is why I enjoy going to live theatre and concerts. It is an experience — in fact, live entertainment is a unique experience (unlike movies, which are the same everytime you watch them).

The article goes on to note that the author’s research suggests that doing things for other people can provide an additional boost. In experiments they have conducted around the world, including in Canada, the United States, Uganda and South Africa, they find that people are happier if they spend money on others. And we’ve found that spending even just a few dollars on someone else provides more happiness than using the cash to treat yourself. Again, this is easier to see in small theatre. In the large theatre/touring shows, one feels your money is going to a machine. But going to a small theatre — a black box ala The Blank, REP East, Celebration Theatre, etc — directly brings happiness to others. You can see it as you interact with the artistic staff.

That’s not the only way to spend on someone else. We’ve all seen the fun in gift giving. There are also charitable donations. Does sending a check to a charity bring happiness? Alternatively, does charitable happiness come more from volunteering one’s time in addition to money? This ups the social aspect quite a bit. I’ve seen this in synagogue service — people are happy and make friends serving on synagogue boards. I have other friends that get happiness by volunteering with charities such as animal rescue, helping those in need.

The article’s conclusion?

Who was happiest? Those who treated someone else and shared in that experience with them. So the cost of increasing your happiness may be as cheap as two cups of coffee.

Taken together, the new science of spending points to a surprising conclusion: How we use our money may matter as much or more than how much of it we’ve got. Which means that rather than waiting to see whether you find $1 million under your mattress tomorrow, you can make yourself happier today. Switching your spending to buying experiences — for both yourself and others — can lead to more happiness than even the most amazingly Amazonian rain shower.

So what makes you happy?

(*: The piece was posted over the weekend; I wrote this up Monday night before posting it at lunch on Tuesday)

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Crossposts: http://cahwyguy.livejournal.com/1627188.html

userpic=observations Well, it’s Saturday, and that means it is time to clear out all the links that didn’t fit into a theme:

Wasting Time in Google. Yet again, Google has resurrected an arcade game as an Easter Egg (how’s that for a metaphor!). First, it was Pacman as a Google Doodle. That doodle, when it was released, caused a significant time waste. This time, it is Atari Breakout hidden in Google Images. Just type “Atari Breakout” into Google Image Search, hit enter, and start knocking your way through the various levels. Photo tiles appear just as they would on any Google search results page, but this time are lit up with their corresponding row’s color, creating a rainbow of Atari and Breakout images across a black screen. Game play is exactly as you may remember it: Knock out all of the blocks and rack up points, while trying to keep the ball from falling off the screen, and then move on to the next level.
Photos in Art Museums. Ever wonder why you couldn’t take pictures in art museums. Part of it is the damage from the flash, but it is also that the museum often doesn’t own the copyright for the works. From the article: “Museums often do not hold the copyrights to the works they display, which creates legal problems when visitors start snapping away. According to Julie Ahrens, a lawyer who specializes in issues of copyright and fair use at the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford University, a photograph of an artwork could be considered a “derivative work,” which is “potentially a violation of the copyright holder.” But the deluge of cameras, along with the fact that the vast majority of visitors simply want to snap a pic for a Facebook album, has led some institutions—such as MoMA, the Indianapolis Museum, and the Brooklyn Museum—to ask lenders for permission to shoot, with the stipulation that pictures are for noncommercial use.” But that all is changing…
Photos in Art Museums, Take II. Here’s another photo issue related to art. A New York City photographer took pictures of people in an apartment building without their knowledge, later using them in an exhibition. He did this from across the street with a birder’s telephoto lens. Now the people in the photographs are upset (even though their faces are obscured), calling it an invasion of privacy. So, is it an invasion of privacy if someone in a public space can see you doing something? What if they take a picture of it?
Apostrophes in Place Names. Did you know that there is an active effort to scrub apostrophes from place names in the US, so that Caesar’s Palace becomes Caesars Palace. That example was a joke, but the scrubbing is not. Here’s the scoop. Specifically, the Domestic Names Committee of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names doesn’t like apostrophes. The program took off when President Benjamin Harrison set up the Board on Geographic Names in 1890. By one board estimate, it has scrubbed 250,000 apostrophes from federal maps. The states mostly—but not always—bow to its wishes. An apostrophe, the argument goes, implies private ownership of a public place. When names appear on maps, “they change from words having specific dictionary meaning to fixed labels used to refer to geographic entities,” the names committee explains in its statement of “Principles, Policies and Procedures.”
AM Radio. It appears there is an active effort to get rid of AM Radio. You remember radio, don’t you. It’s that thing that streams music, talk, news, and commercials wirelessly to a movable receiver… oh, nevermind. In any case, here’s one reporters opinion on how to save AM radio.
Dr. George. A short update on Dr. George Fischbeck, who used to do the weather in Los Angeles. The man with the bow tie and glasses is 90 years old now, but is still a character, a performer and a teacher. He has never pretended to be a meteorologist, but he does know how to get peoples’ attention (he actually doesn’t have a doctorate, just like Sheriff John was never a Sheriff, nor was Hobo Kelley a hobo). Here’s another, older, article on Dr. George.

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Crossposts: http://cahwyguy.livejournal.com/1626434.html

userpic=observations Well, it’s Saturday at lunchtime and you know what that means… time to clear out the interesting bookmarks that didn’t quite fit into any theme during the week:

Where Did He Go, George? One of the most interesting maps in one of my highway books looks at people’s perceptions of one-hour away, two-hours away, etc. from their home in terms of transit times. Especially interesting was how it changed over time. NPR has published a similar map: this time, looking at the travel times and distances of one-dollar bills, courtesy of “Where’s George?” What’s fascinating about this is it shows — at least with cash — who we do business with and who they do business with. It is interesting how it clumps the country into various business regions. The article also includes a similar map for phone connections.
Improving Flight Efficiency. We’re all worried about miles per gallon. My car, on the highway, gets about 33 and I’m happy. What would you think if you had a vehicle that got ½ mile per gallon, and you had a technology that got it to ¾ mpg. You would think: gee, I’m in the airplane industry, because that’s what commercial jets get. BTW, that’s a good number when you convert it to passenger miles per gallon, just like when you deal with accident statistics for aircraft. In any case, National Geographic has a really interesting article on incoming technologies that would increase fuel efficiencies in aircraft. It will be interesting to see if any of these come to fruition, but I’m betting something will. The game of increasing fares has some natural limit before the traveling public rebels — the only answer to ensure profitability is to reduce costs, and a primary culprit is fuel.
The Great American Trailer Park. Recently, I’ve been dealing with a senior who we’ve just convinced to move into senior living. After only a few weeks, we’re already seeing an improvement in her attitude and demeanor. Close communities are important for the elderly. But not all seniors want to go into senior apartments — they need to be in a community, but also fiercely want their independence. Pacific Standard has an interesting article on one such solution: Trailer Parks for the Elderly. It profiles a trailer park in Pismo Beach that has become a thriving senior community where everyone looks after everyone else. It explores the problems with trailer park living, but also explores the benefits in an interesting manner.
Inking the Deal. Shortly after our daughter turned 18, she got a tattoo. We weren’t that enthused about it, although we understand why she got the tattoo that she did (in memory of our dear friend Lauren U, who was like a second mother to her). President Obama has a similar problem: his daughters are interested in tattoos. His solution: “What we’ve said to the girls is, ‘If you guys ever decide you’re going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will get the exact same tattoo. In the same place. And we’ll go on YouTube and show it off as a family tattoo.” It is certainly one way to slow down the impulse. So, Erin, if you are reading this…. should we make the same deal?

P.S.: If you’re in the San Fernando Valley tonight and like wine… (and are not going to the REP fundraiser (tickets))… there will be a Wine Tasting at Temple Ahavat Shalom in Northridge at 7:00pm. $40 at the door, if space is available ($20 non-drinkers).

Music: Songs of Peacemakers, Protestors and Potheads (The Yardbirds): “Shapes Of Things”

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Crossposts: http://cahwyguy.livejournal.com/1620570.html

userpic=observations The “clearin’ of the links” post seems to be increasingly moving from Friday to Saturday, so let’s just go with it. There is some slight connection between these stories, but not enough to make a full themed article:

Gluten Free Waste. My wife is gluten-free, for a reason. She’s dealing with Celiac, and there’s a medical basis. But for many people, going GF is the latest food fad. A recent Time article posits that we are wasting billions of dollars on GF food unnecessarily. They cite a new survey from market research firm the NPD Group that found America is cutting gluten out of its diet in a big way, with just under one-third of 1,000 respondents agreeing with the statement: “I’m trying to cut back/avoid Gluten in my diet.” Time notes that is the highest level since the company added gluten consumption to the surveys it does about Americans’ eating habits in 2009. TIME labeled the gluten-free movement #2 on its top 10 list of food trends for 2012. Time’s contention is that many of those paying a premium to avoid gluten are doing so without any legitimate medical reason. From what I’ve seen of fad diets, I’d tend to agree. As always, we’re heading towards a GF bubble here.
Foot Pain. Another article that hits close to home deals with Plantar Fasciitis. This is something I dealt with recently — it impacted my ability to exercise tremendously, and it took me almost a year to get rid of it. They recommend shoe fixes, but I haven’t seen that my fancy insoles made a big difference. More important, to me, was a “boot” I wore at night that prevented the Plantar from relaxing, so it didn’t get re-inflamed when I stood up in the morning. That, combined with anti-inflammatory medicine, seemed to make the biggest difference.
Remember Market Basket. Curbed LA had an article this week about a sad Pavillions at Wilshire and Stoner being closed, and talking about redevelopment that might occur at the even sadder (but open) Santa Monica and Barrington Vons. This caught my eye because of the location. You see, many many years ago (back in the 1970s and 1980s) the Wilshire and Stoner location housed the Market Basket where we did most of our shopping. My parent’s accounting office was in the Barrington Plaza next door, and I was always picking up stuff there for them (either there or Westward Ho on San Vicente). Wilshire and Stoner was also the location of the Crocker Bank where I got my first credit card (which I still have). In the 1990s, they “redeveloped” the parcel putting in an office building, but with a covenant that they retain a market there for the Seniors living in the Barrington Plaza. They put in a fancy Ralphs… which died. Then came the Pavillions, which died. Meanwhile, the really old Marina style Vons on Santa Monica stays busy.
There’s Profit in Everything. We often think about the big parts of business, not the little parts. For example, when we talk GF bread, we think about the bread itself not the bag… or how they close the bag. Well, Businessweek did that thinking. They have a really interesting article on a big battle between the clip-on bag closer and the twist-tie closer manufacturers to gain market share. As I said, big business… and not something you commonly think about.

Music: The Legendary Josh White (Josh White): “Trouble in Mind”

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Crossposts: http://cahwyguy.livejournal.com/1608458.html

userpic=angry-dog It’s Saturday. Time to clear out the bookmarks from the week that didn’t form into otherwise coherent themes. As always, these are news articles or other items that came across my RSS feed during the week:

Where Does Your Money Go? Have you ever wondered, as you buy things from corporate America, exactly which billionaire’s pockets you were lining? This special report from Forbes allows you to map corporate brands to the wealthy people behind them. Some of these I knew, such as the folks behind Aldi being behind Trader Joes as well. Some I didn’t, such as the Koch Brothers being behind Brawny, or some of the same folks being behind both Burger King and Budweiser. It’s like a giant game of concentration.
Historical Money. In the musical Tenderloin, one of the songs makes reference to a “double eagle”, and I’ve always wondered what that was. I found my answer in this Mental Floss article, which looks at 10 of the lesser known coins in the US. This is more than just Suzies and Sacajaweas. It is things like Gold Buffalos, Unions, Stellas, and various odd coin denominations such as ½¢, 2¢, 3¢, 20¢, half-dimes, and $3. Speaking of the ½¢, here’s another related item: Why are coupons worth ¹/₁₀₀^th of a cent? Hint: The answer goes back to trading stamps. Remember those?
Food Issues. Another twofer of food items. The first looks at a niche in the world of Chinese restaurants in Monterey Park, CA: Organic Chinese Food. Monterey Park is an Asian community east of Los Angeles, home to loads and loads of great Chinese restaurants. Many of these place the emphasis on quick and cheap. A few are bucking the trend attempting to go for organic and healthy cuisine (something that would go well in West LA), and the article looks at their struggles. Also food-related is a petition effort from a number of food bloggers to get Kraft to remove the food dyes from their Mac&Cheese. Of course, what they fail to realize is that one eats Kraft Mac & Cheese expressly for the food dye (it’s a food group, don’tcha know?); if you want healthy food for your family, don’t depend on the corporations — make it yourself! Great mac and cheese isn’t hard to make.
Plumbing Issues. This one I discovered through Boing Boing: An article about a fellow who buys a new house, has a drain problem, calls a plumber, and enters into the rabbit hole of plumbing problems. This is something I’ve run into — especially the situation of tarpaper sewage pipes, which we had in our front yard (our house was built in 1962). Plumbing is one of the reasons I hate houses built on concrete slabs — I still remember, as a kid, having plumbing leaks under the slab and having to rip up the carpets and jackhammer the floor.
Body Issues and Acceptance. One of the folks I read on Livejournal is TheFerrett. A wonderful writer, he often has very insightful essays (for example, his recent essay on being the dumb one in the room). This week he reposted an essay he had originally posted over at Fetlife, a fetish-oriented bulletin board. This essay looked at body image from the genitalia point of view, noting that whatever you’ve got, there’s someone else that finds it sexy. This essay hit a nerve with a lot of people — it is a very positive statement of body acceptance, and one that many people need to remember. It is something to think about everytime you see a couple and go: Why is he/she with her/him? The answer is because each has something the other loves. Related to this: The Nu Project kickstarter, as of when I write this, has about 3 hours left. This is your last chance to get the Nu Project book at a discounted price; the Nu project presents pictures of women of all shapes and sizes, taken in their homes, demonstrating that all bodies are beautiful.

Music: If Not Now When? (Debbie Friedman): “Kumi Lach”

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Observations Along The Road... at Dreamwidth

Roadkill Along The Information Superhighway

Furlough News Chum Stew

News Chum Stew: Women, Food, and Miscellaneous Stuff

Teaching Sensitivity

The Pirate Way

News Chum Non-Stew: A Melange to Tide You Over

Are You My Type?

Finding the Right Paige

News Chum Stew: Links from a Busy Week

Pieology vs. Pizza Rev

Saturday Link Chum Stew: Start Your August with Tasty Bits

Saturday Stew: From Bugsto Books, Cataracts to Donuts

Things You Normally Don’t Think About

How? Well, First I Stick The Flag In The Sand, and Then I…

These United States of America

Better Get Them To Sign It In The Next Coupla Days…

What Brings Happiness

Saturday News Chum Stew: Atari Breakout, Art Photos, Apostrophes, and Dr George

Clearin’ O’ The Links: Maps, Fuel Efficiency, Trailer Parks, and Tattoos

Saturday Miscellany: GF Foods, Plantar Fasciitis, West LA Markets, and Bag Closures

Saturday Miscellany: Money, Food, Plumbing, and Body Acceptance

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