You Are Not So Smart

Admittedly, I found this link through www.economistsdoitwithmodels.com...but looks like a cool blog... You Are Not So Smart.

Gorillas Are Big!

Saw this pic on chrisblattman.com. Who wants to volunteer for that job? (They're relocating the big guy).

Pick #195

Alphaville - "Forever Young"

I guess that Jay-Z song "Young Forever" has brought this song forward from the back of my mind.

"Compostable" Sun Chips Bags

I've had 3 different Sun Chips bags in my compost pile for at least 8 weeks. They are showing no sign of decay. It's been pretty hot. The food waste that went into the pile around the same time is almost completely decayed. I'm not so sure that the average person can compost their Sun Chips bag...I guess I'll wait to buy more until I see some more break down of those bags.

Police Misconduct and Public Accountability

This article on The Freeman enumerates why we should hold police accountable for their actions. It reveals some surprising protections afforded to cops when they are accused of misconduct (even if that accusation is accompanied by video evidence).

What the article omits is how citizens can demand a transition to a more transparent handling of officers who have committed misconduct.

Jazzy, Rainy Days

We've had some rainy days recently and I've felt like they're a good time to listen to jazz, especially when I'm in my office at school. I have no idea why, but it feel appropriate.

Pick #194

George Thorogood - "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer"

Sunset at 11pm

I'm Takin' Me a Whiskey Trip

I may of said that we shouldn't grow corn because it's a stupid crop. I guess I can let a little corn slide for the production of whiskey. I'm not really a whiskey connoisseur but if I ever get to that point, it may be fun to go on a distillery tour...I mean from town to town seeing regional differences in style and learning about how these nuances translate into a different form of the drink. Who wants to come along?

Damn Good Bikes

My friend Micah is opening up a new bike shop in town called Damn Good Bikes. The grand opening will be Saturday, June 19. Crazy discounts. New KHS bikes and all kinds of used ones.

I've been helping Micah transition from the Green Bicycle Project to DGB. The new shop is way bigger, air conditioned, visible from the street (located at 652 B Capital Circle NE Tallahassee, Florida 32301...right across from the Women's Prison and next to the Sprint Store on the West side of the street).

Pick #193

Aiden - "Die Romantic" from Nightmare Anatomy

The Sound of Keys

When I was younger I could tell that my mom was nearby if I heard the sound of her keys jingling. No other key chain made that noise. I don't know exactly what the difference is in different key chains. I guess different keys make different noises and it's really unlikely for two people to have the same combination of keys and key chain(s). It's just amazing to me that you can tell the difference in the noise one set of keys makes over another.

Papyrus

I was helping Erin prep for a class she was teaching at art camp about ancient Egypt. The students were going to make papyrus. However, since they're kids they couldn't do the entire process. Enter prep. Here's how the process works:

You cut a stalk of papyrus grass out of the ground and remove the top because the leaves and seeds get in your way. Next you strip off the outer green layer (kind of like the grass equivalent of bark). Then you expose the grass equivalent of wood on the inside. You cut this woody stuff into strips that are as thin as your knife allows. Next the thin sheets are laid side by side in 2 layers; one of the layers is horizontal and the other is vertical. The modern way of making the paper involves putting the 2 layers between newspaper and laying a heavy book on top. I'm sure the ancients were able to find heavy things to lay on top, but I don't know what they used instead of newspaper...I'm guessing cotton.

Anyway, at the end of this process I was thinking...HOW did someone come up with this idea? Was there prize money for the first person to invent paper? I mean, it's far from obvious that this grass can be written on. I wonder if the paper making technology built on some other form of technology. Maybe the grass was used in another application and one day someone chopped a piece with a knife then the piece dried and there was a eureka moment. I doubt the discovery process is documented. It's kind of fun to come up with your own scenarios when you don't know. I have one more idea:

Maybe Egyptians tried to eat the grass. They peeled it and it didn't cook up right as the entire stalk. Someone had the idea that they could cut it into thin strips to make it cook better. Some of it didn't get cooked, was laying on a plate and someone stacked all the dirty dishes on top of it. The dishwasher discovered the paper the next day.

Pick #192

Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks" from Veckatimest

Fjord Flower

Look closely and see the water and the snow capped mountains in the background.

Pick #191

A Change of Pace - "Prepare the Masses" it's the title track.