This is all I really want from my news media: a clear picture, minus interpretation, of What Happened in Ferguson. I have nothing but respect for police and the job they do, but at no time should this situation have involved discharging 12 rounds from a service weapon. There’s something wrong with this situation.
From Wired, An Oral History of the Epic Space Film The Right Stuff. This remains one of my favorite all-time films, so to get a little of the backstory is fantastic. It reminds me that I need to get a DVD copy of this one.
From the Wirecutter/Sweethome: Helpful Gear for Any Emergency. I found a nice alternative to the $100 tactical flashlight I was recommended, as well as a highly-ranked first aid kit to replace the janky one I’ve had since 2000.
nailhed is a ruin-porn/history site based in Detroit, where the pickings are many and vast. There’s so much history there that’s just crumbling, and the author does a nice job of researching and contextualizing each site. Prepare to spend hours reading.
David Foster Wallace is one of those authors everyone says you should read; I’ve got a couple of his books on my iPad but haven’t dug into them yet. Salon posted a copy of the syllabus for a class he taught in 2008, and it’s good.
Don’t be late. There are no “extensions” in workshop-type classes; your deadlines are obligations to [12] other adults.
No blocking. If a consumer requests access to a website or service, and the content is legal, your ISP should not be permitted to block it.
No throttling. Nor should ISPs be able to intentionally slow down some content or speed up others — through a process often called “throttling” — based on the type of service or your ISP’s preferences.
Increased transparency. The connection between consumers and ISPs — the so-called “last mile” — is not the only place some sites might get special treatment.
No paid prioritization. Simply put: No service should be stuck in a “slow lane” because it does not pay a fee.
I’m shocked it’s taken this long to state these ideas so clearly, but YES.
via Net Neutrality: President Obama’s Plan for a Free and Open Internet.
Holy Mary, mother of God, would I drive the shit out of this: a 4200 Mile 1961 International Metro A-120 Fire Tender. As the ad states, Raymond Loewy designed these and they are the best looking commercial vehicles ever built. As rare as hen’s teeth now, finding one in this condition is pretty much impossible.
As something that’s been on my mind a lot in the last couple of years, I found this article about ADHD very interesting:
In school, these curious, experience-seeking kids would most likely do better in small classes that emphasize hands-on-learning, self-paced computer assignments and tasks that build specific skills.
This will not eliminate the need for many kids with A.D.H.D. to take psychostimulants. But let’s not rush to medicalize their curiosity, energy and novelty-seeking; in the right environment, these traits are not a disability, and can be a real asset.
What we are tasting in a pumpkin pie is actually the huge load of sugar dumped into it along with the allspice, cinnamon, clove, vanilla, ginger and other spices. I’ve read where some brewers talk about how much pumpkin puree they use per batch, but they get coy when you ask about the sugar and spice. It’s essentially “pumpkin pie beer”.
Bob Brewer on Pumpkin Beers and Halloween, from the Anchor Brewing Blog.
So our CR-V is on the list of cars whose airbags could just up and explode. I’m supposed to be able to check at this NHSTA website, but apparently nobody at the NHSTA has learned about hardening websites for heavy traffic. Update: Honda sez we’re OK.