Today the two ministers of my church, Rev. Jeanne Pupke and Auspicious Jots (otherwise known as Rev. Alane C. Miles) gave a water service today. Rev. Miles mentioned that when she usually goes to Texas, she usually finds brown grass and easily available swimming pools. But this year, with Texas' rain and floods, the grass was all green. She really found it surprising to find a lush green Dallas. But the swimming pools could not be used because they kept closing them due to thunder. She also mentioned that you could hear the sound of sprinklers all over the place; that is, tsh, tsh, tsh, tsh… . But not this year.
I have had to use a sprinkler this summer in the Richmond, Virginia, area. There was no rain for a while and the counties were imposing all sorts of restrictions, such as even-odd sprinkling. These were voluntary, but they were threatening to make it mandatory. Then came a 6-inch deluge. It is the most I have ever seen from a storm here, exceeding Fran, Isabel, and Gaston. Three other storms came here and dumped their rain and lightninged and thundered all over the place. So now I don't need the sprinkler. I do need it now, however, because another drought threatens, and I have newly planted grass.
Which brings me to this point. I threatened to use the sprinkler after the 6-inch storm, because the drought had ended. But I didn't use it then. I didn't need to. Not with 6 inches in the ground. Earlier, I did really need to sprinkle, since we were not getting much rain. But the county said I could water only on certain days.
Which brings me to this principle, which I call the Sprinkler Paradox:
When you can use the sprinkler, you do not need to, because there is enough rain. But when no rain comes, and you really need the sprinkler, that's when the local governments tell you that you can't.
I am not sure how to get out of this paradox, but it confronts every homeowner who has a lawn to keep up.
A Journey through Blogrealm
Blogtrek
Blogtrek
2007/09/02
2007/08/02
Barry Bonds Rattles the Opposition
I have been keeping track every once in a while on Barry Bonds' challenge to Hank Aaron's 755 home run record. Last week, Barry scored homer number 754, and then I became more interested in it since I wanted to see what the fan reaction would be to tying the record and beating it. Outside of his home team town of San Francisco, Bonds gets booed a lot, especially where he is now, in Los Angeles playing the Dodgers. I watch late at night to see if I could see Home Run #755 and the resulting chorus of boos, and maybe bottles and other debris on the field. The boos result from the suspected or actual use of steroids by Bonds; certainly there is something funny about a batter who gets better each year he ages, and one who blasts Roger Maris' 61 home run record with 70 runs recently. But #755 hasn't happened. Instead, the Giants are beating the Dodgers, except for last night's game. I think Bonds has got the Dodgers all unnerved.
Since #754, Bonds has hit only 1 out of 10 at bats, with an additional 9 walks, some of them intentional. Why can't he hit? Why does he get walked a lot? Because he doesn't get anything good. No pitcher wants to be the one who throws #755 or #756 to Bonds. So the pitcher does not pitch good ones to him. When Bonds hits, he hits squibblers or short fly balls, which are easy outs. When he refuses to hit bad pitches, he gets walks. However it isn't all that simple.
Two days ago, I observed one trip to the plate by Bonds. The pitcher threw 4 balls and one strike at him, and the strike was not a good ball to hit. The next batter Klesko walked as well, and Molina then hit a single, loading the bases, and then Feliz hit another single, scoring two runs. And just tonight, August 2, Bonds walked, and then the Giants went through their entire batting order, scoring 3 runs. So not only are pitchers and other Dodger players trying to avoid getting Bonds into the action, Bond's mere appearance is giving the Dodger pitcher and fielders the jitters, causing other Giants to hit and score.
And so it shall go for a while. But not forever, as sooner or later, Bonds will come up to the plate with runners on 2nd and 3rd, or with the bases loaded. In the latter case, the pitcher will have to pitch to Bonds, especially if the game is close. And maybe then Bonds will score the home run, and the record will fall, and the boos will follow. That's baseball, with a little dash of steroids thrown in.
Since #754, Bonds has hit only 1 out of 10 at bats, with an additional 9 walks, some of them intentional. Why can't he hit? Why does he get walked a lot? Because he doesn't get anything good. No pitcher wants to be the one who throws #755 or #756 to Bonds. So the pitcher does not pitch good ones to him. When Bonds hits, he hits squibblers or short fly balls, which are easy outs. When he refuses to hit bad pitches, he gets walks. However it isn't all that simple.
Two days ago, I observed one trip to the plate by Bonds. The pitcher threw 4 balls and one strike at him, and the strike was not a good ball to hit. The next batter Klesko walked as well, and Molina then hit a single, loading the bases, and then Feliz hit another single, scoring two runs. And just tonight, August 2, Bonds walked, and then the Giants went through their entire batting order, scoring 3 runs. So not only are pitchers and other Dodger players trying to avoid getting Bonds into the action, Bond's mere appearance is giving the Dodger pitcher and fielders the jitters, causing other Giants to hit and score.
And so it shall go for a while. But not forever, as sooner or later, Bonds will come up to the plate with runners on 2nd and 3rd, or with the bases loaded. In the latter case, the pitcher will have to pitch to Bonds, especially if the game is close. And maybe then Bonds will score the home run, and the record will fall, and the boos will follow. That's baseball, with a little dash of steroids thrown in.
2007/07/22
SUUSI 2007: The Conclusion
Well now SUUSI is over, and it may be a while before I go onto the campus of Virginia Tech again. It seems strange. The 2007 April 16 shootings occur, and we SUUSIites claim our allegiance to VT, saying that we are all Hokies too. Then we take off for greener pastures at Radford. Seems strange, doesn't it? But things just could not work out at Tech: this fall's students needed to be oriented.
So what happened the last day? I gave my last workshop, on Sudoku, using the brick wall as a screen. I sang with SUUSIBoyz for the last time this year, and we went to see Teens Way Off Broadway at night. This time it was a spoof on Harry Potter, in which he becomes female. The highlight I felt was this woman singing the Dixie Chicks tune "Not Ready to Make Nice". We then went to Cabaret and Serendipity for the last night. In the past, this has really been a big night for Serendipity. After all it is the last night we are at SUUSI, and it is open until 2 am. But at midnight the place was practically deserted. I asked a woman to dance, and shortly after we started dancing I found that we were only one of two couples dancing, and there were only two people sitting on the sidelines. It's like dancing in the desert, or on the Moon. I found out why shortly. A really rousing number played by a motley array of SUUSI stars at Cabaret. Strange.
Closing circle went OK, and then we all took off for home with SUUSI memories. Next year we come to a new place, on a Pilgrimage from Virginia Tech to Radford. Here is a comparison table of the two of them. I will add more later if I think of it:
So what happened the last day? I gave my last workshop, on Sudoku, using the brick wall as a screen. I sang with SUUSIBoyz for the last time this year, and we went to see Teens Way Off Broadway at night. This time it was a spoof on Harry Potter, in which he becomes female. The highlight I felt was this woman singing the Dixie Chicks tune "Not Ready to Make Nice". We then went to Cabaret and Serendipity for the last night. In the past, this has really been a big night for Serendipity. After all it is the last night we are at SUUSI, and it is open until 2 am. But at midnight the place was practically deserted. I asked a woman to dance, and shortly after we started dancing I found that we were only one of two couples dancing, and there were only two people sitting on the sidelines. It's like dancing in the desert, or on the Moon. I found out why shortly. A really rousing number played by a motley array of SUUSI stars at Cabaret. Strange.
Closing circle went OK, and then we all took off for home with SUUSI memories. Next year we come to a new place, on a Pilgrimage from Virginia Tech to Radford. Here is a comparison table of the two of them. I will add more later if I think of it:
Virginia Tech | Radford |
| Sharing campus with many other groups | We are the only ones on campus |
| Madhouse meals | Pleasant meals |
| Long distances | Maximum distance only about 10 minutes |
| Parking way off in Litton Reeves infinity | Convenient parking, maybe right next to dorm |
| Ample room for Cabaret | Crowded Cabaret in a smaller room |
| Closer for those who live to the NE | Closer for those who live to the SW |
| Madhouse opening day registration | Much more convenient for registration |
| Teens Way off Broadway in a movie theater | Teens Way off Broadway in a large auditorium |
| 3 sharing double-sized bathroom | 2 sharing single bathroom |
| Medieval stone architecture | Homey brick architecture |
| Burruss tower the main landmark | Muse clock tower the main landmark |
2007/07/20
SUUSI Day 5
SUUSI got dramatic. Yesterday after eating at the dining hall, I talked with some friends from my congregation and got my picture taken with some others in front of Detrick, the dining hall. While this was happening, ominous clouds, thunder and lightning appeared. What were the SUUSI gods trying to say? That the SUUSIBoyz were the best all male singing group ever? That SUUSI was nearly over? That SUUSI at Virginia Tech would not be back for a good long while?
In the Ken Wilber class, I found out about levels higher than Turquoise in the Beck-Cowan system. They go Indigo, Violet, Ultraviolet, and Clear Light. I am not sure if I like that type of notation. For one thing it does not alternate warm with cool, individual with collective. I prefer to go Coral, Indigo, Magenta, and Chartreuse. In any case, these levels imply contact with such entities as God and the Great Void. Someone in the class says these are all mental patterns, circuitry in the brain. Indeed, we all know who Donald Duck is, although there is no such actual animal. But it is still brain circuitry. Yes, there is something beyond our experience, but it is beyond our experience. We have no access to it anywhere. Interesting anyway.
My Polyhedra class built the PHiZZ models of Thomas Hull. Two of them made the models, and the class got a good reception.
In the Ken Wilber class, I found out about levels higher than Turquoise in the Beck-Cowan system. They go Indigo, Violet, Ultraviolet, and Clear Light. I am not sure if I like that type of notation. For one thing it does not alternate warm with cool, individual with collective. I prefer to go Coral, Indigo, Magenta, and Chartreuse. In any case, these levels imply contact with such entities as God and the Great Void. Someone in the class says these are all mental patterns, circuitry in the brain. Indeed, we all know who Donald Duck is, although there is no such actual animal. But it is still brain circuitry. Yes, there is something beyond our experience, but it is beyond our experience. We have no access to it anywhere. Interesting anyway.
My Polyhedra class built the PHiZZ models of Thomas Hull. Two of them made the models, and the class got a good reception.
2007/07/18
SUUSI Day 3; Next Year at Radford
SUUSI 2008 will be at Radford University next year. That was announced in a town hall meeting on Tuesday afternoon. It will be 2008 July 20-26, and the theme is “Pilgrimage”.
SUUSI 2007 is doing great. The dancing at Serendipity is good. My workshops turned out well, including Stories of the Sky, which created some new constellations, including a radio telescope in the sky. I found out about the Biological Test Station near Mountain Lake, and about a local cohousing community. Today in a workshop entitled “Integral sexuality”, we learned about how masculine and feminine attributes affect our lives. I think this is stereotyped, but it does explain some things.
In SUUSIBoyz, we sing a song about the earth turning round and round, as well as one about a homesick World War I soldier.
The best performer so far at Cabaret is the combination of Wishing Chair and Amy Carol Webb. Wish they would do an album together. I took a video of Serendipity doing a Latin tune. I especially like the human motion to an alluring Latin beat.
SUUSI 2007 is doing great. The dancing at Serendipity is good. My workshops turned out well, including Stories of the Sky, which created some new constellations, including a radio telescope in the sky. I found out about the Biological Test Station near Mountain Lake, and about a local cohousing community. Today in a workshop entitled “Integral sexuality”, we learned about how masculine and feminine attributes affect our lives. I think this is stereotyped, but it does explain some things.
In SUUSIBoyz, we sing a song about the earth turning round and round, as well as one about a homesick World War I soldier.
The best performer so far at Cabaret is the combination of Wishing Chair and Amy Carol Webb. Wish they would do an album together. I took a video of Serendipity doing a Latin tune. I especially like the human motion to an alluring Latin beat.
2007/07/16
SUUSI 2007 Day 2
It is now the second day of SUUSI.
Another blogger said this SUUSI would be very very hard because of the tragedy of 2007 April 16, three months ago. SUUSI is held at Virginia Tech. We observed silence on the walk to the Ingathering at Burruss. While I went through the memorial of the slain students and faculty near that hall, the heavens shouted. A crack of thunder split the entire countryside. This sounded somewhat ominous to me. Is this to be a thunderous SUUSI? Are voices from up high calling?
However, I felt the SUUSI was just as fun as ever. I straightened out Serendipity by requesting a danceable number. There was a name game, and I selected the name “thunder”. The moving in was a madhouse, however, as the traffic in the tiny Owens parking lot was horrendous. We had more walking with heavy objects to do than in most years.
Today we had our first workshops, and in the morning I told my workshop about math and religion but had no definite answers, as indeed no UU has. In the afternoon I attended a class on Ken Wilber and my leaders told us something that implies that women are abrasive. I disagree with this completely. The logic: women go with the flow, flow is associated with the Yellow Meme, people at the Yellow meme tend to be abrasive; e.g., Jim Kunstler. Therefore, women are abrasive. We were discussing masculine and feminine types. This puts us into boxes, and even worse, stereotypes the sexes. Take the words “masculine” and “feminine” out – replace with individualistic and collective, perhaps.
Another blogger said this SUUSI would be very very hard because of the tragedy of 2007 April 16, three months ago. SUUSI is held at Virginia Tech. We observed silence on the walk to the Ingathering at Burruss. While I went through the memorial of the slain students and faculty near that hall, the heavens shouted. A crack of thunder split the entire countryside. This sounded somewhat ominous to me. Is this to be a thunderous SUUSI? Are voices from up high calling?
However, I felt the SUUSI was just as fun as ever. I straightened out Serendipity by requesting a danceable number. There was a name game, and I selected the name “thunder”. The moving in was a madhouse, however, as the traffic in the tiny Owens parking lot was horrendous. We had more walking with heavy objects to do than in most years.
Today we had our first workshops, and in the morning I told my workshop about math and religion but had no definite answers, as indeed no UU has. In the afternoon I attended a class on Ken Wilber and my leaders told us something that implies that women are abrasive. I disagree with this completely. The logic: women go with the flow, flow is associated with the Yellow Meme, people at the Yellow meme tend to be abrasive; e.g., Jim Kunstler. Therefore, women are abrasive. We were discussing masculine and feminine types. This puts us into boxes, and even worse, stereotypes the sexes. Take the words “masculine” and “feminine” out – replace with individualistic and collective, perhaps.
2007/06/17
Sack's Handsome Man
Yesterday I found out from Auspicious Jots a blog posted by someone named Sack. This blog is written by someone living in a typical suburban cul-de-sac. As such, the neighborhood probably did not have much interest to it. It probably consisted of a row of large, closely arranged houses with driveways and multi-car garages, with no stores, parks, or other interesting places. The people there have to drive all over the place to get to the stores, parks, and other centres of action. I can tell from the spelling of "centre", as I have just spelled it, in the blog that the cul-de-sac is in some English-speaking nation other than the United States, perhaps Canada or Australia. It's a driving culture. So nothing much interesting goes on in these cul-de-sacs.
So one day Sack pointed out what happened when a runner ran on these streets. He caught the attention of everyone, especially the women. He was apparently young and handsome, dressed in a light T-shirt and baggy shorts, and attracted more attention when he ran without the shirt.
I too have had similar experiences. When I worked, I used to run in an adjacent park, with nice trails that were easy on the feet. Since I retired, I have to run in my development instead, with streets lined with closely-aligned McMansions that squiggle and turn and end in cul-de-sacs. I usually run in running shorts and shoes and socks. In cooler weather, I also wear a T-shirt, but when the temperature exceeds 68 degrees F (20 degrees C), I run without the shirt. Usually I don't hear of any comments or other people looking at me.
But once in a while I do. Recently a bunch of motorcyclists decided to make a drag pad out of their yards adjoining the development, and the neighbors in the development sued them. They wanted my signature. I visited their house and saw the denuded property and a protective berm. The woman there said she has seen me running up the street many times. Sometimes when I run without the shirt on, someone asks why I am not wearing one. I tell them that it is too hot for a shirt. So apparently running up and down the streets of your development will cause some interest. There are a few runners in my development and occasionally I run into one, but walkers are more common, especially in the morning.
But what this development needs is more interesting stuff, more than what the developers have provided us. In fact, when oil grows scarce, we will really need some of this stuff. In the meantime, the neighbors will have to settle for watching me run up and down its streets and cul-de-sacs.
So one day Sack pointed out what happened when a runner ran on these streets. He caught the attention of everyone, especially the women. He was apparently young and handsome, dressed in a light T-shirt and baggy shorts, and attracted more attention when he ran without the shirt.
I too have had similar experiences. When I worked, I used to run in an adjacent park, with nice trails that were easy on the feet. Since I retired, I have to run in my development instead, with streets lined with closely-aligned McMansions that squiggle and turn and end in cul-de-sacs. I usually run in running shorts and shoes and socks. In cooler weather, I also wear a T-shirt, but when the temperature exceeds 68 degrees F (20 degrees C), I run without the shirt. Usually I don't hear of any comments or other people looking at me.
But once in a while I do. Recently a bunch of motorcyclists decided to make a drag pad out of their yards adjoining the development, and the neighbors in the development sued them. They wanted my signature. I visited their house and saw the denuded property and a protective berm. The woman there said she has seen me running up the street many times. Sometimes when I run without the shirt on, someone asks why I am not wearing one. I tell them that it is too hot for a shirt. So apparently running up and down the streets of your development will cause some interest. There are a few runners in my development and occasionally I run into one, but walkers are more common, especially in the morning.
But what this development needs is more interesting stuff, more than what the developers have provided us. In fact, when oil grows scarce, we will really need some of this stuff. In the meantime, the neighbors will have to settle for watching me run up and down its streets and cul-de-sacs.
2007/05/23
The Fifty State Quarter Program: An Update
The Fifty-State Quarter program is now nearing an end. 42 states' quarters are out in general circulation. That has made the change in our pockets a lot more interesting than it used to be. When you get change, you could get Massachusetts or Georgia or Oregon or a collection of such states. The designs have turned out to be interesting. They include the horses of Nevada, the branching tree of Connecticut, the spectacular bridge of West Virginia, the Double Buffalo quarters of North Dakota, train vs train of Utah, and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds with Arkansas. All of them say something about the state. Some ancient, such as the Jamestown settlement of Virginia, and some recent, such as the space shuttle of Florida. Some urban, such as the city skyline of Illinois, some rural as in Wisconsin and Iowa, and some wilderness such as Washington State. Some serious struggles as with New Jersey, and some leisure with Rhode Island. Mammals in Delaware and Kansas; birds in Louisiana and Minnesota, fish in Washington, trees in Vermont and Connecticut, flowers in Mississippi and South Carolina, and food in Wisconsin. So there is a wide variety.
What do I think of the coins? I have ranked them below. I have included states htat have not come out yet; 2007's have come out and one can find them on the Internet; 2008's are still to be decided upon and for these, I made a guess as to what the coin will contain. To me Nevada has the best design of all; the horses and sun are spectacular. California is next because it is a good nature scene. The worst are Montana celebrating death, Indiana celebrating a culture that turns me off, and New Hampshire, which just plain looks ugly. Here is the complete list:
1. Nevada. Horses and Sun are spectacular.
2. California. Great nature scene of hiker and condor.
3. Maine. Good shore scene with lighthouse.
4. Utah. The old-fashioned trains make this one interesting.
5. Iowa. Schoolhouse gives this a rural flavor.
6. West Virginia. Spectacular view from this bridge.
7. North Dakota. Our only two-buffalo coin.
8. Nebraska. Sunshine and scenery.
9. Vermont. Attractive scene of maple sapping.
10. [Alaska]. Good if it contains either polar bear or Big Dipper.
11. South Carolina. Attractive elements but a little crowded.
12. Connecticut. Most intricate of the coins.
13. Kansas. Good try at buffalo coin but too much open space.
14. [Arizona]. Cactus seems dreary - need some spark.
15. Georgia. Peach looks nice but otherwise hackneyed.
16. Rhode Island. Good summer scene but little to do with RI.
17. [New Mexico]. Native American design is interesting - nuke cloud would be frightening.
18. Wisconsin. Good elements but a little busy.
19. Texas. Looks plain but star is distinctive.
20. Minnesota. Good wilds scene but other coins have wilds scenes.
21. Arkansas. Diamond makes this one distinctive.
22. [Oklahoma]. Need something more than outline and woman.
23. North Carolina. Good history but plain design.
24. Alabama. Honors great person but design somewhat unattractive.
25. New Jersey. Battle scene interesting but can be confused with Virginia.
26. Washington. Naturalistic but ordinary.
27. South Dakota. Too obvious and pheasant is not native.
28. [Hawaii]. All designs look too obvious.
29. Tennessee. Instruments good but does not give overall good look.
30. Illinois. Too busy but Lincoln and towers give it a good look.
31. Oregon. Too obvious. What more?
32. Kentucky. Horse would be better outside the fence.
33. Virginia. Too ordinary - honors invaders.
34. Missouri. Arch and boat too incongruous.
35. Idaho. Why does this have a peregrine falcon head?
36. Louisiana. Louisiana, not entire US. But pelican is good.
37. New York. Too obvious but formidable symbol anyway.
38. Ohio. Too much empty space; contradicts North Carolina.
39. Colorado. Too ordinary; looks like torn paper instead of mountains.
40. Delaware. Horseman good but there is more to the state than that.
41. Florida. Three haphazard symbols and too much empty space.
42. Pennsylvania. Too ordinary.
43. Mississippi. Too obvious - was not designed by Mississippians.
44. Massachusetts. Too obvious and trite.
45. Wyoming. Too obvious and trite; also represents cowboy mentality.
46. Michigan. Is about Great Lakes not Michigan.
47. New Hampshire. Rock is ugly and formation crumbled in 2003.
48. Maryland. What's there to like about a steeple?
49. Indiana. Honors undesirable culture.
50. Montana. Symbolizes death.
All I ask now of the US Mint is please don't go back to the eagle in 2009! Continue the commemoration in these quarters and keep our change interesting. My idea is to start all over again with Delaware. Have Delaware find a different design for its coins; perhaps the Lewes Ferry. The same with Pennsylvania and all the rest. The mint could use historical events, trees, birds, or one of a number of themes. But select one and go with it. Let's not go back to the eagle.
What do I think of the coins? I have ranked them below. I have included states htat have not come out yet; 2007's have come out and one can find them on the Internet; 2008's are still to be decided upon and for these, I made a guess as to what the coin will contain. To me Nevada has the best design of all; the horses and sun are spectacular. California is next because it is a good nature scene. The worst are Montana celebrating death, Indiana celebrating a culture that turns me off, and New Hampshire, which just plain looks ugly. Here is the complete list:
1. Nevada. Horses and Sun are spectacular.
2. California. Great nature scene of hiker and condor.
3. Maine. Good shore scene with lighthouse.
4. Utah. The old-fashioned trains make this one interesting.
5. Iowa. Schoolhouse gives this a rural flavor.
6. West Virginia. Spectacular view from this bridge.
7. North Dakota. Our only two-buffalo coin.
8. Nebraska. Sunshine and scenery.
9. Vermont. Attractive scene of maple sapping.
10. [Alaska]. Good if it contains either polar bear or Big Dipper.
11. South Carolina. Attractive elements but a little crowded.
12. Connecticut. Most intricate of the coins.
13. Kansas. Good try at buffalo coin but too much open space.
14. [Arizona]. Cactus seems dreary - need some spark.
15. Georgia. Peach looks nice but otherwise hackneyed.
16. Rhode Island. Good summer scene but little to do with RI.
17. [New Mexico]. Native American design is interesting - nuke cloud would be frightening.
18. Wisconsin. Good elements but a little busy.
19. Texas. Looks plain but star is distinctive.
20. Minnesota. Good wilds scene but other coins have wilds scenes.
21. Arkansas. Diamond makes this one distinctive.
22. [Oklahoma]. Need something more than outline and woman.
23. North Carolina. Good history but plain design.
24. Alabama. Honors great person but design somewhat unattractive.
25. New Jersey. Battle scene interesting but can be confused with Virginia.
26. Washington. Naturalistic but ordinary.
27. South Dakota. Too obvious and pheasant is not native.
28. [Hawaii]. All designs look too obvious.
29. Tennessee. Instruments good but does not give overall good look.
30. Illinois. Too busy but Lincoln and towers give it a good look.
31. Oregon. Too obvious. What more?
32. Kentucky. Horse would be better outside the fence.
33. Virginia. Too ordinary - honors invaders.
34. Missouri. Arch and boat too incongruous.
35. Idaho. Why does this have a peregrine falcon head?
36. Louisiana. Louisiana, not entire US. But pelican is good.
37. New York. Too obvious but formidable symbol anyway.
38. Ohio. Too much empty space; contradicts North Carolina.
39. Colorado. Too ordinary; looks like torn paper instead of mountains.
40. Delaware. Horseman good but there is more to the state than that.
41. Florida. Three haphazard symbols and too much empty space.
42. Pennsylvania. Too ordinary.
43. Mississippi. Too obvious - was not designed by Mississippians.
44. Massachusetts. Too obvious and trite.
45. Wyoming. Too obvious and trite; also represents cowboy mentality.
46. Michigan. Is about Great Lakes not Michigan.
47. New Hampshire. Rock is ugly and formation crumbled in 2003.
48. Maryland. What's there to like about a steeple?
49. Indiana. Honors undesirable culture.
50. Montana. Symbolizes death.
All I ask now of the US Mint is please don't go back to the eagle in 2009! Continue the commemoration in these quarters and keep our change interesting. My idea is to start all over again with Delaware. Have Delaware find a different design for its coins; perhaps the Lewes Ferry. The same with Pennsylvania and all the rest. The mint could use historical events, trees, birds, or one of a number of themes. But select one and go with it. Let's not go back to the eagle.
2007/01/29
Mendacious Blogger
Here are the results of my posting this blog to the new Blogger. Blogger lied. In their "tour", they say that the dreaded bangangle (my notation for "triangle with an exclamation point in it") won't appear. It sure did appear. And it kept spinning and spinning and spinning and spinning. I knew that Blogtrek had over 500 posts but I did not expect this to happen. Just for fun, I checked out Blogtrek. It came up OK, and with the new blog added. So Blogger also lied about whether it was still publishing or not. And it still keeps coming up with these pink remarks about not being connected to Blogger. So from what I can see, Blogger (and Google, the instigator of all this), you have accomplished a downgrade, not an upgrade.
New Blogger
When I tried to reject a spammy comment to Beyond Opinion today, Blogger threw up this thing about the new Blogger. It is supposed to give me all these new features. OK, Blogger. What is it going to take away from me and what is it going to mess up on me? Huh? You don't explain. You don't say whether you are going to take my blogs and duplicate them on my web site, because if you do that you will mess up my website completely because you will exceed my size limit on my personal website. You say that you will let me use the old Blogger for a while. But then the next time I access your site I can't find anywhere where to get to the old blog that I had. You indicate old and new, but when I click on old, you throw up a site that says I need to upgrade to new. OK. You forced me to convert to your new system. If you mess up my website or my blogs, I will no longer use Blogger.
It converted them but it did not seem to do much. My megabyte usage on Mindspring is still the same. I have this new interface to begin with, but much of it seems like old. That is why I am writing this message. I want to see what happens when I post to the new Blogger. I hope this works out OK. And I hope this ends the spate of spam comments that I have been getting regularly. You won't see them on my blog. I moderate them and have rejected them all.
Oh, yes. One thing I see already that I don't see in the old blog. I get pink messages saying I can't connect to Blogger. I get them only a fraction of a second at a time, almost subliminally. So it looks like the new Blogger is not off to a good start. Here goes.
It converted them but it did not seem to do much. My megabyte usage on Mindspring is still the same. I have this new interface to begin with, but much of it seems like old. That is why I am writing this message. I want to see what happens when I post to the new Blogger. I hope this works out OK. And I hope this ends the spate of spam comments that I have been getting regularly. You won't see them on my blog. I moderate them and have rejected them all.
Oh, yes. One thing I see already that I don't see in the old blog. I get pink messages saying I can't connect to Blogger. I get them only a fraction of a second at a time, almost subliminally. So it looks like the new Blogger is not off to a good start. Here goes.
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