Second! (After ScienceTim)
Where's everybody?

Foist?!

Foist?!

Second! (After ScienceTim)
Where's everybody?

Thoid and Fourth, I think.

Dang, that looks cold!

Those pictures are one of many reasons I am thankful that I do not travel for work. I remember some winter vacations with similar views out plane windows and the missed connections and the grubby hotels that resulted. I am so sorry for you right now Joel.

Hi, Aloha!

I hate travelling in conditions like that, but I'm sure it will be fine. Positive thoughts for Joel, wherever he may be.

*crossing fingers and toes*

I'm gradually working my way through all the Buckley tributes. Along the way I dipped back into the Remnick piece in Style circa 1987 or so:

'He has worn his gestures like a cassock and mitre, William F. Buckley Jr. has: the haute Tory leaning back in his chair at preternatural angles, his anteater tongue darting from his mouth as if for gnats, his mind clicking and whirring in wicked ratiocination . . . and his voice -- a honking concoction of dislocation and breeding -- whinnying and hooting after the Flaubertian mot juste . . . zeugma . . . sesquipedalian, perhaps . . . and then . . . gasp! . . . pari passu . . . some doughy liberal foe is pierced through his bleeding heart and pronounced DOA by the culture police.

'Time and again Buckley's teeth, as sharp and brilliant as a switchblade, form the grin of rebel victory. The polemical arena is littered with his victims. He reduced one guest on "Firing Line," novelist Nelson Algren, to hysterical singing. Some knew that in absence there is wisdom. Robert F. Kennedy, for one, declined a debate on the show, to which Buckley remarked as how the baloney was rejecting the grinder.'

Aloha, you're back! And the other day Miss Toronto was here! All me wee bairns!

Frosty, been there, done that, and my condolences. And BTW, I notice your Harold Stassen reference (I'm one of the few around here who remembers him) but didn't remark upon it. My apologies.

Tonight on the way home I heard a piece on NPR about a jazz/rock/blues musician in New York who goes by the name of just "Stu" (or maybe "Stew"). But what tickled me was the name of his backup group: "The Negro Problem." I just love that. So much more effective than NWA ever was.

Oh, he's in Minne-hopeless, er, Minneapolis. Frosti, looks like you just missed an airport rendezvous with JA!

Sending warm thoughts and our 80 degree sunshine Joel's way.

Anyone ever heard of Thermo-Exhaust Technology?

How about Corru-Skeletal technology?

Yes, I'm here, never left actually, just lurking this last month or so. Started a new job last week and am now the lone employee in Hawaii of an organization that's headquartered in California. Being the lone employee, I have a few minutes during the day to devote to the boodle again. Not that I'm taking advantage of the arrangement or anything, no siree, not me!

Added a third pic just for kicks.

Logging trucks! Another blast from the past. Just don't tailgate, Flying bark at 55 mph is no joke.

Okay. I am a philistine. When I think of Buckley I keep flashing back to Robin Williams riffing as the Genie in "Aladdin."

"Ah, almost. There are a few provisos, a couple of quid pro quos"

Riiight, RD, being from Washington State, you would know these things.

Frosti, hang tight. We all go through bad times with the grrrls. I was delighted when older child went to college. Younger child had her issues with mom as a college sophomore. Amazing how turning 22 changed their attitudes and perspectives.

Eames stamps available soon at a USPOST Office near you.

I read about these from three different, trusty sources just now when decompressing from the day.

Hey Canookies, we'll send some, should you want these.

On Flickr, within the Mid Century Modern photo pool:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eamesd/2141799800

mostly-a day early and no fly away hair in sight, story of my life.

A little Paso Robles Cabernet, over ice as the Basque family who sent it would drink it, and I'm not wound quite so tightly. Off to a good long read in a bubble bath.

CP, are those going to be issued as 41 or 42 cent stamps? Of course I have a bunch of 2 cent stamps, when the increase is going to be one...

greenwithenvy - those terms remind me of this video. We use it at work to inoculate people against seductive technical jargon.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lBp5ag6SJH4&feature=related

These were listed on a dominos pizza box, along with a message on the bottom of the box that says."why are you reading this?
we sure the pizza isn't in the box you are flipping over.

Hilarious

We sure hope the pizza isn't in the box you are flipping over.....it wasn't

Can you tell it is a boring night at work?

Frosti, my family also drinks red wine thusly. Portugesies from the Azores do this too. The priest that married half of my sibs before he left the order was from the Azores.

Fun fact about Basque shepherds: the employer of the two cowboy gents in BrokeBack Mt. was Joe Aguirre, of the Basque community. The moment I saw that name and some of the set touches I recalled these people, who lived in hard and isolated opposition to the cattle ranchers near us in the Belt range of mountains, SE of Great Falls.

So, when a colleague said that the sheep in the movie rather than cows was a play on a certain sheeply-manly interaction, I said, "hold up, partner!" The idea was to show how poor and isolated Ennis and Jack were: they couldn't even hire on as cowboys. The were shepherds! Now, recall the Marlboro cigarette man? He was a cowhand not an eeny-meeny-miny mo sheep-counting pastoral dude.

OK. I know you were all waiting for that. But like Omni knows, the boodle accepts all posts whether they make sense in the thread or not.

The Montana boodle run was great. I hope that JA and perhaps Mrs. JA were on vacation, instead of chasing a voter insight or two.

So, Minneapolis: everyone is friendly and speaks in such cute vowels that chime Nordy-Swedy bells.

Slyness, somewhat unclear, but let's hope they are sensible.

Here are other fab stamp options this year:

http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2007/sr07_084.htm

I ran across this the other day (in a magazine in a waiting room):
http://www.trailingofthesheep.org/Default.aspx

Sounds like fun. Ketchum, ID is near Sun Valley, playground of the rich and famous, and where Hemingway spent his last years. Mr Ml has been to the art festival there a couple of times and says it's beautiful. I would love to go to the "sheep trailing" sometime. It made me think of the sheep/cattle wars in the West, for sure.

Gosh, I have to get a set of those stamps. Almost all the furniture that I like in my house is some version of mid-century modern (though not genuine Eames or anything else, of course).

Kewl, CP. I love beautiful stamps. It'll be hard to use the flag ones, I'll want to keep them for myself. For my own use, I keep going back to the Purple Heart stamp. It's just so classic and lovely.

Remember your Sheep Parade etiquette:
* Please, please, don't bring dogs to the Trailing Parade
* Don't jump into the middle of the sheep
* Don't walk through the sheep. Stay behind them.
* Do look for a volunteer or Faulkner family members if you spot a problem.
* Do help the volunteers and follow their advice. They will have red bandanas around their necks.
* Do bring children but keep them with you at all times.
* Do take pictures BUT only from the side of the parade route.
* If you want to join in the walk, join in at the end.
* Do enjoy the experience. This is not Pamplona. These are not bulls, but sheep and they won't hurt you if you keep your feet from under theirs. Enjoy the Parade!

Please see above:

Posted by: Achenbach | February 28, 2008 07:44 PM

that is PROSE!

We should all hope to produce just a paragraph to equal that, sometime in our life!

Seeing the pictures of the Minneapolis airport, I once again thank my great-grandfather for leaving his job in a furniture manufacturing company and moving to California when he got home from the Civil War.

The fact that his California homestead was in Compton was unfortunate, but there is a street there still, with his name.

Unbelievable to drive thru that region now and think of it as original scrub or marsh --- and then farmland.

Yoki, can we procure stamps for you to frame and keep? Or can stamps cross international borders and not destruct?

Off to grade excellent student-papers, for which my excellent-student charges shall be grateful. Aint it great when you teach it and they get it!

A riddle haiku:

Biochemists two
Stamped with amazing glory
and that pesky three

I know that after reading this I'll never look at those snowy scenes the same way:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080228/ap_on_sc/snow_bugs

Rosalind Franklin, DNA girl?

Kim, mostly, you guys watching "Lost"?

Joel,

Looks as if you should add photojournalist to your repertoire. Or else the NattyG is egging you on. Feels like we are on the trip with you. The red combine and Front Range in the background pic is memorable. Like the logs, too.

Still in your home state, now in Cocoa Beach and boy did it get cold. But warming up again tomorrow. The locals are loving the dip.

The ocean beckons.

Mudge, I'm watching Lost but you Know that I know that I don't Know what's going on. Even after all the commentary, I'm still Lost!

A simple warning for us all...

http://tbgboodler.blogspot.com/2008/02/be-careful.html

Maggie! good to see you online!

LOL, TBG, great sign and good advice.

Aren't you glad we don't take it?

I envy your design skilz.

Not a threat, mind you... just a simple warning, that's all.

Franklin good for much
But not that riddle which was
Not non sequitur

Anybody got a good suggestion for relieving a pregnant lady's sciatica? This malady didn't occur with the first kid, but this one (8 months along) must be kicking back, leaning right on her nerve. Tonight's especially bad, and it pains me (no pun intended) to see the wife hurting so badly, hobbling around.

Also....Hello to all boodlers. I never know where I am in the ratings here but I press on. BTW, I just watched the move "The Enchanted." I recall someone on the boodle recommending it. Very fun family movie. Thanks!

Gomer... if it's safe for her to take, the only thing that's ever relieved sciatica for me was Naproxen sodium (Aleve). Poor thing.. Good luck!

Gomer,

Try a heating pad and changing positions. Best I can recommend.

Been there.

Gomer,

You might want to give the medical service a call too. Ya never know.

I hadn't realized that NASA had pictures of water on Mars!

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050401.html

Good one, TBG.

This strongly suggests that dogs were never just food from the beginning:

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/columnist/vergano/2006-01-22-dog-burials_x.htm

TBG, being without the boodle for over 24 hours was a trial. I must say I had to take to my bed.

Wilbrod,

What surprises me is that people do still eat them. Like in Korea?

My dachound is in her 15th year and going strong. She really does try to talk, too, since she is so used to human language. Okay, more of a whine..the best she can do anyway.

Wilbrod, for some reason, I take a great deal of satisfaction in that dog burial story, in the sense that I'm glad the human species did that, even as long as 12,000 years ago. Good for us. Good for us.

It's just a very light snow flurry up North, and doesn't look like a blizzard in the twin cities either.

The plane will survive somehow-- MSP would shut down completely in winter if they couldn't hack a few flakes in the air. The heavy grey clouds are a bigger concern, that actually looks like DC in February to me.

Strangely, one thing I like about MN is that there's far more bright sunny days than in DC. And when it's not, it's snowing. And when it's cloudy, the snow amplifies the light. It still doesn't quite compensate for how short the days are, granted, but many days in DC I never quite felt like daylight had come, thanks to night pollution and dim days.

I've never watched Lost. Is there something I would enjoy tonight(are they knitting or herding sheep or playing guitars)? Or did you mix me up with a Lost aficianado?

Boodle ratings? PG, most of the time, I would say...

eidrib, dog is common famine food-- you eat it because you must. Sometimes famine food become "cultural dishes." For instance, snails (escargot) was first eaten in quantity during the Siege of Paris way back then. (dog was also eaten, you can bet).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_meat

(Hmm, remind me never to take Wilbrodog to Taiwan in the winter.)

The kits with the pics are great.

My husband tells me I saw Montana back in 1973. All of it. All the way across the middle. We were moving from Seattle to Pennsylvania, and I remember absolutely none of it.

I was not a particularly good Navy wife.

Always leave yourself an out in the vicinity of a logging truck. Trees are about the only commodity left in these parts since the textile industry shipped out. The vehicles that move the logs seem to be overloaded, or at least operating with marginal brakes. There was a horrible accident at the front of the school grounds last year between a logging truck and a minivan driven by one of our cafeteria ladies. Two children lost. A roadside memorial is now maintained at the entrance to the school, replete with stuffed animals and flowers as a twice daily reminder to be careful at that intersection. My wife's cousin was also lost to a collision with a logging truck on the main E/W route through the county, halfway between our house and school. On the bright side, the sunlight diffuses through broken overcast skies in that area in the late afternoon during the homebound commute, fanning out as if heaven beckons. Sun dogs are common on days when cirrus clouds are present. The thought of it always brightens my day regardless of the procession of events to that point.

Hmm. Those jetliners in the snow, shouldn't they have skis instead of wheels? Or even snowboards?

The logging truck offers so many opportunities for jokes that I don't know where to begin...

bc

Probably so, bc. I don't fly frequently, but always get a bit unnerved when they de-ice the plane while snow is falling about, and landing at National and LaGuardia never fails to make me draw up.

I thought the logging industry was in trouble--no houses being built.

Grapefruit trucks don't seem too hazardous, but occasionally some of the big plastic boxes come loose while rounding a corner.

A random tune cootie, beautifully done by Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris long ago...

Written by Ira & Charlie Louvin

A house, not a home
Was the picture Satan painted
For sweet little sister and me
Our daddy would frown
While mother was prayin'
His heart was so hardened
That he would not believe

In anger he'd swear
His voice cold and loud
His Sundays were spent
Out with the gamblin' crowd
I've never seen my daddy
Inside a house of God
For Satan held his hand
Down the path of sin he trod

Not long ago
Our circle was broken
When God called on mother one night
In a voice sweet and low
Her last words were spoken
Asking our daddy
To raise her children right

The angels rejoiced
In Heaven last night
I heard my daddy pray
Dear God, make it right
He was smiling and singing
With tears in his eyes
While mother with the angels
Rejoiced last night
While mother with the angels
Rejoiced last night

jack, I knew of Gram Parsons, but really hadn't listened much to him, till I heard David Meyer talk about him at the Miami Book Fair. Since then I've been listening to him a lot, and the songs he does with Emmylou are wonderful.

mostlylurking: I knew of people who knew of Gram Parsons. People who knew of people who knew of Gram Parsons were friends of mine. And you, sir/ma'am/collective-theoretical-entity, are no person/people who knows/knew of people who knows/knew of Gram Parsons!

I hadn't thought of logging trucks since I escaped Wisconsin! Thanks for the pictures, Joel; makes me glad I'm not there freezing.

And now, pierogi for breakfast. To saute or eat cold, that is the question.

Wow! I hope that I was the only one amused by that! G'nite, all.

So much to backboodle!

That 3rd picture with logs on the lorry sure brings back memories. Those lorries were a common sight from the 60s to the 80s. About 10 to 15 of those monsters would pass us rubber tappers cycling along the 2-lane main road. In morning from 5am to 5:30am the roads will be lined with rubber tappers going to work. And then going home at around noon. The distance we travelled was generally 2 to 2.5 miles each way. Empty lorries would be going north and loaded (generally overload) ones heading south. Thinking back, it's scary because the road did not have bicycle paths and its shoulders were narrow, and we, too, have a load on our bicycles. Sometimes those lorry drivers would blast their horns just to scare us. The very sad thing about those lorry drivers and their attendants was that whenever there was an accident, the fatality rate was very high.

Jack, am a huge GP and ELH fan. I hope that "Angel Band" will be played at some time during my send off. But, I wonder if you are trying to tell us about your MIL. Steady? Sinking? We are all keeping watch with you: some with prayers, others with intentions as powerful as prayers.

Rainforest, thanks for the bike story. Can you tell me about your bikes at some point? The others won't mind. Perhaps we will hear about their faithful steeds of yore. Or in the case of Mr. Yello Q. J...., P.E., the stories are in the present tense.

My bike, bought in 1979, was stolen off the back of my car in the fall, which I was in the car. LOVED.THE.BIKE! Rode it everywhere; my trusty bike monkey dudes and one dudette were likewise devastated. I have a slip of a bike, bought off Craig's List, and semi-customized by these fine people. They would not charge me for the work. One item that took some getting used to are the screaming yellow mustache handdlebars! But, you know, this is a rebound relationship and I am holding my heart in kid gloves all the same.

G'morning, everybody.

CP, what a heartbreaking story. I have a nice mountain bike that I seldom ride. I should get it out this spring and use it.

Jack, I remember that wreck and the loss of the children. Wasn't it the trucker's fault?

'Mornin' everyone. Cold as all get-out here this morning but will enjoy the blue skies while I can as Big Snow is moving in (again!) later today.

Frosti, I didn't have a daughter but I WAS a daughter and you must have done something right if yours still even wants to live at home. Myself, I couldn't WAIT to move out. It wasn't so much that I had a bad relationship with my parents but I wanted to live life on my own terms. I guess I don't get a lot of kids today who stay at home but want their "own life". My feeling is you can only do that if you're willing to take responsibility for all aspects of said life. I feel for ya, tho - my 14 year old niece and my sister have many "issues" already - I shudder to think what the next 4 years will be like. Thankfully, my son was an absolute joy during his teen years (much to my parents chagrin who said many times "just wait till he puts you thru what we went thru with YOU!).

Cassandra, where are you? Up and att'em!

Happy leap day everyone! Despite my arguments that this day ought to be, by rights, a paid national holiday, my employer seems to insist I show up and do stuff.

But they can't make me like it.

OK, you Canukistanis joke about the invasion, but I think the joke is just to throw us off the scent. First Emm Gryner now this: Basia Bulat. Another Ontarian...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWJxTWQHH6s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewHplRWjwcY&feature=related

Frosti, I posted at the end of the last kit regarding your daughter problem. I don't have time to go back and get it, but basically, if she wants to leave, don't give her monetary support. However, 18 is young, depending on the individual, so tread carefully here. Oldest daughter and I had many conflicts for various reasons, but all is well now (many years later). Good luck.

So glad it's Friday, more snow coming but we'll get mostly rain as usual here.

Regarding bikes. Biking was, and is, my favorite way to get around. (Those cool scooters that were hot a few years ago came close, but I got tired of the taunting.) Speed is more salient when you are pedaling, and reaching a destination is more satisfying when you have put some sweat into it. And coasting down a hill is still like flying.

As a kid, of course, a bike meant freedom. You could explore the universe free of inhibitions and constraints, just as long as you were home by dinner time.

Alas, I can't bike nearly as much as I once did. The dependents don't much care for it, and get cranky when I decide to disappear. But one day, probably just in time to save my fading metabolism, I plan on resurrecting my touring bike and hitting the road. But given my lack of practice, I just hope the road doesn't hit back.

Morning all.

Very chilly here in Tidewater, 33 degrees. I am officially ready for spring. I am only working a half day today and have the whole weekend off...yea!!!

Mudge - Lost just gets better and better, IMHO. What did you think of last night's episode? I have a mad crush on Desmond. That Scottish accent and flowy hair....mmm, mmm.
Maggie, lots of times I haven't a clue about some of the hidden meanings, etc., but I enjoy it just the same. I do love to read Liz Kelly's musings after each episode.

Ok, sorry, carry on.

CP, so sorry about your bike. There were only one type of bicycle during those days - the normal utility bicycle. Nowadays, nobody rides utility bikes anymore because it's old fashion and doesn't look cool.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle

Morning, morning, friends. Arriving a little late this morning. I had to take the g-girl to school, and today is "show and tell", so of course, she had to find just the right thing to take, which required a lot of study.

Not feeling so good this morning, woke up with a headache. I did not get a chance to check in last night, just too tired.

nellie
Why was your father's homestead not so good in Compton? Just asking.

It is still cold here, but oh, so, sunny. If the look went along with the numbers, we would all have on shorts and halter tops.

JA, the pictures are beautiful, yet the sight of that airport does not make one want to fly. It is dismal and bleak. Just kills the spirit for flying. The log truck reminds me of some here, although the cargo here isn't that big. There's a lot of logging near the coast in North Carolina. The pictures are really great, Joel. Thank you.

Loomis, hope you're okay and everything is well with you and family.

This is my rest day, but I was planning on cleaning up the place. The way I'm feeling it just might end up being a rest day. I had great plans yesterday, but implementing them today seems to have disappeared. *sigh*

Slyness, Martooni, Mudge, good day to you and to all.*waving*'

Ivansmom, I hope you and family are feeling better and everyone is on the mend.

Have a great day, folks. Whatever the problem or situation in your life, remember it never as big as it looks when you compare it with what others endure. I am getting depressed about the economy, not so much for myself, as for others. Living on a fixed income is always like a depressed economy so I have the experience and a little know how of what to do. But for those not used to this economy it is frightening and very hard. So many families are suffering. The gas prices and the cost of everything is really hard for so many families. And when one throws in the loss of a home, it is pretty much at the very bottom. I do hope this thing doesn't continue and we see some relief and a turn around. This is a situation that really does impact everyone.

God loves us so much more than we can imagine through Him that died for all, Jesus Christ.

mostly, did you mean Merthiolate?

C9H9HgNaO2S

That Hg is mercury

Also very dangerous stuff

Yeah, slyness, the trucker was at fault. The whole mess is in litigation. Sorry about the downer post last night; I was a bit down myself. The tune cootie lightened things up for me.

My MIL will be discharged from the hospital today and will be in a rehab facility for the forseeable future, until she can resume a nore normal life. Until then she has a break form chemotheapy. I'm hopeful that the cancer will behave itself. My son is eager to see her back home so he can use his metal detector to scan for bionic parts.

Yeah, omni, that was what was in our medicine cabinet to put on scrapes and skinned knees when I was growing up. I also remember kids in my chemistry class playing with the mercury from a broken thermometer, till the teacher had a fit and made them stop.

So many dangers. It's amazing that we survived.

I wonder what substances/habits that are normal today will be found to be terribly dangerous in years to come?

Cassandra, I hope you feel better as the day goes on.

All I know is that merthiolate stung like crazy. I wonder how long it was used as a disinfectant prior to its diappearance from the shelves?

Kim, I have mixed feelings about that episode. While I agree it was pretty exciting, as "Lost" goes, all that bit about time travel starts to get hokie and science-fictiony in my mind. So Faraday invented a time machine, did he? And nobody seems to know about it, and he's allowed to wander loose in the world?

But yes, Desmond is a hunk, all right; I can see why you are infatuated. Of course, I'm all hung up on Kate, and she (and a lot of the other regulars I like) wasn't in that episode at all.

Hmmm. It's still around, except now is goes by its proper name, thimerosal. IIRC, this is the preservative in a lot of vaccines that some claim as a contributing agent in the development of autism.

Mornin' all...

Just a quick drive-by while I'm waiting for the shop thermometer to break 20F.

That logging truck reminds me of the coal trucks I always managed to get stuck behind in the Western PA hill country (which is most of Western PA). I can't count how many windshields I've had to replace because of them. If you don't get whacked by a chunk flying off the truck, you get whacked by one kicked up by its tires. "Stay back 100 feet" is a warning not to be considered lightly.

On bikes... my favorite of all time was my Big Wheel with separate brake levers for each back wheel. If they made an adult-sized one, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Nothing like flying down the sidewalk, pulling one of those levers and going into a power slide/spin.

Off to check the temps and hopefully get some work done. Got a big craft show coming up in two weeks and have absolutely no inventory on hand.

Peace out...

...and hope you feel better, Cassandra :-)

Good morning, all.

Speaking of bikes, not too long ago, a friend of mine gave me a classic '70s-vintage Schwinn Sting-Ray (in that metallic blue) with the original rear slick tire and metalflake banana seat.

I'm going to get around to restoing it at some point, but I did take it for a spin around the yard before parking it. That was *cool*.

Having said that, Error Flynn had a gorgeous original Schwinn Sting-Ray Lemon Peeler on his porch. I know he treasured it - and the memories it held for him (and for many of us as well).

The Formula 1 season is starting soon, and I'm missing that guy.

bc

The funny thing about mercurochrome and merthiolate is that we used to use it all the time when I was a kid as an alternative to iodine, which I always thought stung much worse than merthiolate or mercurochrome. As a kid, I was practically dowsed with the stuff. And we often played with mercury, and covered dimes in it. Nowadays people get freaky about it.

jack

I hope everything works out well for your MIL and your family. She has been through so much.

And cassandra, I hope you're feeling better as well.

bc

Backboodling furiously so I have to cover a lot of ground.

Of course I got 10/10 on the superhero quiz but I feel the victory is tainted since I was *expected* to. I do like that one of the explanations included the phrase "dastardly Canadians" which, surprisingly, is far from being a Googlenope.

Two summers ago I visited both the Anheuser-Busch and Coors factories within a few days of each other.

http://livebythefoma.blogspot.com/2006/07/free-beer-battle-of-brewery-tours.html

I still need to get to Milwaukee so I can complete the tour triumvirate of water mass-marketed American beers.

I can't begin to enumerate the stupid things I've done. The latest being using my drivers license as a bookmark and attempting to take a commercial airplane flight without it in my wallet. Is that stupid or merely absent-minded?

More in the general theme, when I was in sixth grade, I was riding my trusty bike home which had the glittery banana seat and a sissy bar higher than my head. I was kinda walk/riding it slowly so that I could tease a girl in my class. She faked some umbrage and grabbed the sissy bar. The bike slid out from under me and crushed my ankle in the gravel.

By the time little league practice rolled around, my ankle was the size of a softball and my mother took me to the emergency room. While nothing was broken, my ankle was in a plaster cast for three weeks and I had to be driven to school instead of riding my bike with my friends. The duration of this encompassed a Hampton Roads area cold snap that made my exposed toes very uncomfortable.

And something tells be that Fidel moving to Ybor City might shorten his expected lifespan somewhat. I had no idea Brandon (my former hometown) had such a Latin reputation now. It's got to be better than the reputation I gave it when I was a disaffected suburban youth.

Howdy y'all. More evocative pictures. I admit, the airport views evoked relief that I wasn't there.

Thanks for that very funny jargon-laced video, RD. Does it really deter people from using too much jargon? I know a couple of folks who would secretly admire it. And snow bugs - changes the whole flavor of snow ice cream.

Cassandra, thanks for reminding us how good it is for us to look at our lives through the lives of others. I hope you feel better.

The Boy is basically recovered, though still a little puny in the mornings, and Ivansdad is much better though not well. He isn't infectious any more and was able to get on a plane, so there is progress. In addition to our flu epidemic we also have bronchitis here. Everyone is sick everywhere.

RD.. I forgot to mention how much I enjoyed learning about the Allen-Bradley Retro Encabulator. I especially liked this comment on the related Chrysler training video that appeared below it...


"A very clear explanation of an obsolete device. Even Chrysler abandoned encabulator technology in the mid-90s for plenigistic transputation like everyone else. Of course, since then all auto makers have gone to Digital Plenigistic Transmollification (DPM) for its higher thrust-to-cut ratio, lower dihydrogen monoxide consumption, and easier maintenance (all hypocritical functions in firmware). Still, some say these old analog devices, when properly crebed, run better for the first 100 meters."

When we lived in Okinawa I used money from my summer job to buy a beautiful silver 10 speed (remember when they were called "English racers?")from a Japanese bike shop. The exchange rate was 300Y to the dollar and I miss that as much as the bike. It was hit by a car, with me on it, before we left the island. A new front wheel and it was fine, but the love was gone. A few years on I sold it to Mr.F#1's younger sister who has it still-30 years later. Her stepdaughter rides it when she visits her dad.

My all time favorite bike of childhood was a boy's stingray with a 3 speed stick shift. So incredibly impractical, because of the stick shift you couldn't ride with a passenger on the bar, so 3yo Frostsis#2 often rode on the handlebars (the spoiled one didn't like to ride on the back of the banana seat because she couldn't see). No helmet of course. I've always wondered how we figured it was easier to ride a half mile to the park, 3 kids on a bike, with all the false starts and having to stop every half block or so to take turns pedaling. Walking should have made more sense.

This looks like the bike bc wants to restore I think: http://sickcycles.tk.istemp.com/images/schwinn_stingray.jpg

And I believe this is Error's treasure: http://www.antiquewhs.com/2005016.jpg

The jargon film is important for those of use who are routinely pitched advanced technology because it gives us permission to look stupid. When you are an important government official, or even when you are me, there is a strong temptation to avoid displaying technical ignorance. It is easy to just sit there looking dignified while some contractor rattles on about stuff you don't understand.

So what we try and instill is the confidence to clearly and proudly state that you have no idea what the person is talking about. Which means the person needs to work harder to communicate. This is a hard sell and requires a certain intellectual hubris because it assumes that with proper explanation comprehension will follow.

The danger of faked comprehension, of course, it that it is easy to get hornswaggled or, at the very least, buy into a technical approach that is inappropriate to your actual needs.

Which does nobody any good.

I was going through my deep-archived email last night looking for something, and came across a message from Error. A very funny, entirely characteristic message. It was lovely to hear his voice unexpectedly.

'morning all. It is bitterly cold here this morning on this *almost first of March*, something like -22C/-8F, brrrrr.

Speaking of leap year and all on this February 29th the Other National newspaper has an interesting bit of fluff on calender issues.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/29/opinion/29turney.html?ref=opinion

Mercury compounds have a long and rich history in medecine. Calomel (mercurous chloride) makes and excellent reference electrode but a lousy medecine. Nonetheless, for centuries it was used to treat all kind of ailments, often poisoning the patient in the process.

I remember playing with quicksilver too Mudge. That was fun. Unfortunately, it is really dangerous. Long term exposition to the fumes, Hg has a very high vapour pressure, is as dangerous as ingestion. I was peripherically involved in a sad case of Hg intoxication when I first started in this job 10 years ago. A part time gold panner up North was using fairly large quantities of Hg to amalgamate tiny particles of gold that are difficult to recover otherwise. Unfortunately he was letting his 2 young kids playing with the mercury inside their small house. The house was saturated with mercury and had to be disposed off later as hazardous waste. The sick kids were finally diagnosed with Minamata disease (Hg poisening) and are left with permanent neurological damage.
Most emergency services have kits to recover mercury if you have spilled it from a thermometer or sphygmomanometer. It usually involves picking up as much as possible mechanically then making the remain react with sulphur for an easier collection of the resulting cinnabar.
Do not use a vacuum cleaner, ever. The thing will just vapourize the mercury everywhere and the machine itself will have to be disposed off as hazardous waste if the mercury quantity that was picked up was more than a few milligrams. It's emakes for an expensive clean-up.

This bike is one that I lucked across here in town. It doesn't have the original seat but it's all there, right down to the original Lucas battery powered headlight. The cycle in the picture is a '67. The cycle I have is a '72.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://homepage.ntlworld.com/catfoodrob/choppers/images/history/67rodeo.jpg&imgrefurl=http://homepage.ntlworld.com/catfoodrob/choppers/history/history10.html&h=268&w=350&sz=13&hl=en&start=5&um=1&tbnid=bCJ8YyAQup6LzM:&tbnh=92&tbnw=120&prev=/images%3Fq%3DRaleigh%2BRodeo%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7SUNA%26sa%3DN

I had no idea that the link was a half a gazillion characters.

RD says, "The danger of faked comprehension, of course, it that it is easy to get hornswaggled or, at the very least, buy into a technical approach that is inappropriate to your actual needs."

I picture a number of people involved in the decision making process for the "virtual fence" with Mexico repeating the above paragraph. :-)

Oh, I forgot to mention. Also, nowadays, all the rubber estates in our area have been turned into housing estates. For the very few rubber estates that have escaped some kind of a development project, they were being replaced by oil palm because prices of rubber have not been good. Most people now own cars and riding motorcycle is also very common. Instead, very few people own bicycles anymore. People have become more sedentary.

Iodine : Every time I messed up my knee or elbow, I had to hide it from my father who insisted on pouring nothing but iodine over the wound.

SCC It makes...

My grandmother tried to swab our sore throats with mecurichrome. She never actually caught us the second time. I never knew which was worse.. .the sore throat or the threat of Nana shoving her red finger into our throats. Yuk.


This quote from shriek's NYT link make me wonder how they explained the counting backwards thing...

"... in 46 B.C., Caesar lengthened several of the months and added a couple of temporary ones as a correction. The jubilant Roman public believed Caesar had extended their lives by the extra 90 days (you just can't buy publicity like that). And by 45 B.C., the calendar was back in phase with the seasons."

Why good heavens, I think my brother had one of those bikes. I was not aware they were *important*, I just thought it was a bike. HE thought it was important.

About 3 weeks after he got it, he allowed a girl cousin to ride it. She was not into derring do so he though she'd be safe. My sister and I ran along side her till that moment when when she decided to slow down and only used the front brakes. I can still see her flying gracefully through the air, before landing on the gravel road. She came out of it not too badly, just a mouth full of gravel, a few scrapes. The big external retainer she wore to correct a severe overbite died a quick death, though. Deeeeeep do do doesn't even come close to the kind of trouble we were in over the loss of that dental appliance, and my brother never let a soul ride other than himself the bike ever again.

Frosty, I could meet you at the border we could drink wine and commisserate. Stickman is making me nuts. (Ok, more nuts)

JA, eloquence like that ought to win a prize. I wonder when the Pulitzers are going to add a blog catergory?

Am I the first to announce New Kit?

This morning on the radio our local morning guy claims that Caesar's first exposure to the solar calendar which led to adding leap years came in Egypt when he was "courting" Cleopatra. I don't know if that is true, but it is a romantic provenance.

New kit!

Where are my manners? I forgot to thank all who responded to my moaning about Frostdottir. Mr. F is back and I do much better with back up. Sneaks-I will go back and read what you had to say in the last boodle.

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