neurotwitch

Friday, August 06, 2010

mid-century views

Stanley sent me a link to an interesting page on the Denver Post photo blog. The exhibit, Captured: America in Color from 1939-1943, is a collection of color photos developed from slides and is a fascinating collection. The are images by photographers from the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information. Below are two of the many interesting shots from that collection, the first by Jack Delano:

Switchman throwing a switch at Chicago and Northwest Railway Company’s Proviso yard. Chicago, Illinois, April 1943. Reproduction from color slide. Photo by Jack Delano. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress [click to enlarge]

And this one, by Arthur S. Siegel:

Hanna furnaces of the Great Lakes Steel Corporation, stock pile of coal and iron ore. Detroit, Michigan, November 1942. Reproduction from color slide. Photo by Arthur Siegel. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. [click to enlarge]

Rummaging around, I saw another interesting collection: From the Archive: American Cities Pre-1950. It doesn’t have as much information about the photos as other sets do, and the digitized photos are, in many cases, badly digitized, but most of the images are striking, such as this one:

Five steam locomotives, side by side, outbound from Chicago at dusk, ca. 1940. (Courtesy of the National Archives). [click to enlarge]

Every once in a while I dive into the digital collections at the Library of Congress, getting so lost, sometimes, I forget what I started out looking for. GREAT way to lose a few hours!

posted by lee on 08/06/10 at 07:12 PM
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Monday, August 02, 2010

setting up a new computer is hell

My laptop, less than three years old, bit the dust. The monitor puked pixels and zapped out. So Stanley hooked another monitor, which worked for a couple days before it, too, crapped out. Or rather, whatever controls the monitor crapped out. Pffffft—gone. The flowchart we found for diagnosing and hopefully fixing Toshiba laptop woes said “Shoot it and put it out of its misery.”

Fortunately, the first day of pixel death I headed to Toshiba to order a new one. Hmm, good deals, should cost me less than a grand these days. Hah. Not if you need it to do anything. Still, it ended up about $300 less than the one I bought less than three years ago, with twice as much hard drive and RAM and speed. And if I ordered via the chatline, I would get it within two or three days (off the shelf is what I ordered). Perfect. Thank goodness. Else I’d still be waiting for it.

I think setting up a new computer is like moving—it’s never gonna be as comfortable as you’ve gotten used to, tweaking stuff over the past less than three years. But I think I’m getting there, save some truly annoying quirks. I managed to find my very old version of WeatherBug, which I love (I hate the newer versions, too much crap and way, way too ugly). I found TClockEx, which makes the date thingie in the lower left corner display what I want it to. After several attempts, I managed to get rid of the godawful cartoon interface bubble bullshit that is the standard stuff for XP and Windows 7. You know, the twee look and feel inflicted upon us initially by Apple.

Most of the programs I need are installed—just a few more to go. I badly need to update Dreamweaver and PhotoShop, but can’t afford to yet. I still can’t get QuickBooks 2010 to send email properly—something about my profile that just isn’t taking in the Windows interface. Frekking annoying. And I think it’s AVG 9 that’s putting stupid green check marks on documents—gotta figure out if I can get rid of that nonsense. And Mozy backup is not working well at all—opened a case with them to figure out what needs tweaking to get it to work properly.

But I’ve got Pandora set up and managed to retrieve all my Firefox settings, apps, and bookmarks, so it’s starting to get more comfortable. I think I’ll be able to get some real work done Tuesday.

A DISCOVERY
Aside from my computer woes, I discovered something wonderful tonight: Blue Moon Pear Ginger Sorbet. Intense pear flavor, a hint of ginger, so good. It cost $5 for a pint—a shocking price, but there are four servings in it ... (she rationalized). Ingredients: pear, water, pure cane sugar, ginger puree, lemon juice. That’s it. One hundred calories per serving (which is half a cup). I’d be hard pressed to choose between the pear ginger sorbet and a Butterfinger Blizzard. Now I want to try the other flavors, like Lemon Zest and Peach Melba.

LESS THAN THREE WEEKS
Until we head to Oscoda. July was godawful, hot enough to kill brain cells, computer broke, lost a contract, got really sick. August is starting out better, weather has improved some, new computer arrived, work is still on the busy side, and I feel better.

But we really, really need a break and we miss Dad and the Michigan division of the family.

Our motel room is already booked for the trip out there, my new suitcase arrived a couple of days ago (I won’t get into why I needed a new one except to mention that cats can be evil creatures), and we ordered an audiobook to listen to on the trip out (Star Island by Carl Hiaasen) We’re ready already.

posted by lee on 08/02/10 at 11:36 PM
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Thursday, July 22, 2010

on the river queen

Kristine posted photos on her Facebook page—had to snag some of them because I love them so much. Jamie, Kristine, and Riley were up in Oscoda (where we’ll be, if all goes well, this time next month!) visiting Dad and on July 16, took a trip on the “River Queen,” a paddle-wheel boat on the Au Sable River.

I’m not sure in this case if “River Queen” refers to the boat or to Riley! At any rate, here are some of the photos—I’m not sure who snapped ‘em.

Jamie, Kristine, and Riley, River Queen, July 16, 2010

Papa Jim on the River Queen, July 16, 2010 (click to enlarge)

Papa Jim and Riley tell the boat where to go ... (click to enlarge)

Granny Jamie and Riley (click to enlarge)

Kristine and Riley Downey
Mother and daughter on the River Queen

Papa Jim and Riley (click to enlarge)

posted by lee on 07/22/10 at 11:20 PM
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Tuesday, July 06, 2010

i saw the new hhs find-some-health-insurance website

And I was appalled. It’s here: healthcare.gov Not that it doesn’t work well or isn’t well on it’s way to completion (in October, apparently, we’ll be able to see the prices). Nope. I was appalled that we even need it.

But William Blum says it better:

Another thing Americans have to be thankful for on July 4

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has a new feature on their website called “Find Insurance Options.” You just provide certain information about your family size, your age, your employment situation, your financial situation, whether you have certain disabilities or diseases, whether you now have Medicare or some other health insurance, or how long you have not had health insurance, whether you have been denied insurance, whether you are someone’s dependent, a veteran? an American Indian? an Alaskan Native? etc., etc., etc. ... and the site gives you suggestions as to where and how you might find health insurance that might suit your particular needs. The head of HHS, Kathleen Sebelius, tells us “This is an incredibly impressive consumer tool,” adding that the site is capable of providing tailored responses to about 3 billion [sic] individual scenarios. “This information can give folks choices that they just didn’t have any idea they had available to them.” *

Isn’t that remarkable? Where else but in America could one have such choice? Certainly not in Communist Cuba. There it’s only one scenario, one size fits all — you’re sick, you go to a doctor or to a hospital, and you get taken care of to the best of their abilities; no charge; doesn’t matter what your medical problem is, doesn’t matter what your financial situation is, doesn’t matter what your employment situation is, there’s no charge. No one has health insurance. No one needs health insurance. Isn’t that boring? Communist regimentation!
* Washington Post, July 1, 2010

Our rate from Oxford Health Care Small Business went from $890 per month for a couple to $1,129. And that’s for a shitty plan that doesn’t even pay for anything until we’ve kicked in three grand. Aren’t we lucky.

posted by lee on 07/06/10 at 03:23 PM
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Wednesday, June 30, 2010

just ‘cause i love the photo

Riley got her first haircut yesterday, and Kris posted the photos on Facebook. For the Facebook challenged (like PapaJim), I snagged my favorite one to post here:

Riley, here with Grandma Jamie, just got her first haircut. I think they both look pretty darned good! (click to enlarge) photo by Kris Downey

posted by lee on 06/30/10 at 09:46 PM
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Tuesday, June 29, 2010

design & construction by leo

Leo decided Papa Jim needed a place to put his BBQ grill, so he designed and built it. Not only that, he created a place for horseshoe tournament viewers to sit and watch. I love, love, love the patterns and the colors and can’t wait to check them out “in person” in August.

Leo started the work one weekend and then went up to Oscoda to finish the job when school got out for the year. (click to enlarge) photo by Jim Fleming

The completed patio, June 29, 2010. (click to enlarge) photo by Jim Fleming

Leo Robertson, designer and builder. (click to enlarge) photo by Jim Fleming

Leo also added an observation area to watch the horseshoe tournaments. (click to enlarge) photo by Jim Fleming

posted by lee on 06/29/10 at 11:00 PM
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Friday, June 25, 2010

modern superstition

Michael Specter was on Colbert tonight, and he managed to get some thoughts out that interested me. Specter is a journalist who recently released his book Denialism, which is about how irrational thinking harms us.

He asks questions like, “Why are we afraid of genetically modified food? Why do we take vitamins, most of which do nothing more than produce expensive, dark-colored piss? Why would a government leader let his people starve rather than allow in genetically modified wheat? ... ” He talks about our mistrust in institutions such as government and the medical establishment, and how even intelligent people succumb to belief in anecdotes over facts and can’t grasp that correlation is not the same as causation. How most of our irrational thinking is driven by fear.

At any rate, he gave a TED presentation, so I watched it:

He is right—it is hideously difficult to ignore anecdotal “evidence.” There is, for me, always an undercurrent of “Well, what if ‘They’ are wrong? What if future studies prove acupuncture works, or visualization is the key to wealth, that taking this or that vitamin every day really will stave off this or that particular disease ... or my knees started feeling worse when I stopped taking that supplement, so that supplement must work—for me?” I guess it’s only natural to hedge, but at what point does hedging become no better than appeasing the angry gods so the crops will grow again? I am a skeptic by nature, but it’s so hard to ignore the anecdotes, especially when they’re either my own or those of someone I know well and believe is intelligent. I bet even the most rock-solid, scientific method or nothing scientists have a superstition or two that he or she clings to in the face of evidence to the contrary.

I do plan on reading the book—even sent the sample to my Kindle (I absolutely love my Kindle—but that’s another post some day ... ) and if the sample intrigues me as much as his appearances and articles from the New Yorker, I might even fork out the $14.99 to buy it (that’s an outrageous price for an e-book ... but I digress yet again.) He’s certainly gotten me thinking about stuff, though.

posted by lee on 06/25/10 at 12:56 AM
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Saturday, June 05, 2010

bingo would love this so much

She never tires of chasing the tennis ball. So yes, she would love this:
http://www.wimp.com/engineersdogs/

She’s pretty adept at putting the ball into my hand when she wants me to throw it, so I’m sure it would take her about 20 seconds to master this contraption. Once she got over her fear of the noise it makes, that is!

posted by lee on 06/05/10 at 11:57 PM
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Thursday, June 03, 2010

ok go from nasa via spaceweather

Happy June. I think.

This utoob video of OK Go singing “This Too Shall Pass” comes via a NASA blog, which I arrived at by clicking a link on Spaceweather after I clicked a link in my email about noctilucent clouds over Europe. Sometimes I feel like I’m on a Rube Goldberg trip as I click my way through the interwebs, which is fine with me since I just love Rube Goldberg contraptions—and I love this video. Would’ve been fun to be on the team.

text

Sometimes it’s just necessary to take a break from all the horror stories.

posted by lee on 06/03/10 at 10:58 AM
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Thursday, May 27, 2010

of kittens and hot may nights

Right now it’s 81° at just past 1 a.m. on a May night. May! It was 96° around 6 p.m. today. It normally gets up to 71-75° this time of year. Today it’s only supposed to get up to 79-80°. Strange weather.

We had a bit of excitement on Sunday—our neighbor Reneev and Stanley fished two tiny kittens from behind some shrubs next to Reneev’s garage. We noticed a black cat hanging around for a few weeks, so we figured they were her kittens. Another neighbor said there are four, but Blackie apparently moved a couple of them and two of them ended up in the street—not a good place given the insane and illegal traffic on our street. Don’t know where the other two ended up, but Stanley and I ended up with the two that were rescued. They looked for the other two, but they’re well hidden.

The kitties were about four or five weeks old. There is no way we could keep them—it just wouldn’t be fair to our gang of four, though Bingo was ridiculously in love with one of the kitties and probably would’ve adopted it. Bingo is a cat lover anyway.

We called Save Our Strays on Monday. They don’t save OUR strays—they only rescue animals about to be killed from New York. So they wouldn’t take them. They suggested we call PAWS here in Norwalk. We did, but the cat person wouldn’t be available for at least two days and could we please foster them until the cat person called. Well, no, we couldn’t unless we really had to—we attach way too quickly to the creatures in our life (except mice) and two days may as well have been 10 years ... So we called the Connecticut Humane Society in Westport, who took them and assured us they’d be adopted pretty fast. It cost us $20, which we would’ve donated to whichever rescue group took them anyway, and we gave them a small carrier that we didn’t need anymore (Slink is too big for it and Twitch knows how to open it and escape). We love the Human Society anyway since we got both Twitch and Ginger there.

grey kittie
This little kittie tried to play with Bingo, who was crazy about it.

The girls at the Humane Society named them Ross and Rachel, which cracked me up. We’re paying attention to see if we can find the other kittens—they must be around somewhere since Blackie keeps appearing. I don’t think Mom cat is feral—doesn’t act like a feral cat—but Stanley can’t get close to it. But we sure don’t need three wild cats hanging around so I would love to be able to find the other two and even catch Blackie, though nobody will take her if she really is feral. Too bad there’s nothing we can put out in some cat food to sterilize her so she doesn’t gift the world with more litters.

ASIDE FROM THE KITTENS
The roses climbing over the trellis this summer are so beautiful. The peonies are blooming, too, at least the ones on the sunny end.

With one light setting. (click to enlarge)

No flash on this one. (click to enlarge)

The peonies are more than two weeks early—they usually bloom in June. What’s really weird is none of our irises came up this year—I have no idea why as usually once those are established it’s very difficult to kill them. Maybe rabbits like them?

posted by lee on 05/27/10 at 01:16 AM
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