plastic lawn chairs in times square

I had no idea of the story behind the lawn chairs, I just liked them.

now, I like them even more.

I love the kitch, I love that they're in the street, I love that they're being used by people who like them, I love that they're a temporary, stopgap measure.

I certainly wouldn't want cheap stuff that needs to be scrapped and replaced permanently, but it is a great idea for a short period of time.

They could probably sell them off for a profit at the end. and should.

I also worry that what they will be replaced with won't offer the same opportunity for abject relaxation that a cheap plastic lawn chair will. you cannot allow youself to collapse on a cafe chair, it's just not possible.

I would really like to see photographer and furniture maker Andy Gregg from Blackstone Bikes (where I briefly volunteered back in the 1990s) or some local (to NY of course) equivalent take this opportunity to make bike furniture for times square to encourage people to see reuse (and cycling) as fun and reasonable.

is there a more disgusting headline

than "Crews Recovering Bodies From NC Slim Jim Plant"??

The only thing that would have made it nastier would be if they had rats doing it instead of crews.

the sun never sets on the british empire

and never rises in england.

actually overheard on the Beeb:

DJ 1: "they say there is a place in norway where the sun shines for 14 days in a row"
DJ 2: "you know for some of that time the sun is actually in the sky and never sets"

Now, there was no hint of humor here. some might suggest this is because english humor involves a lot of deadpan, but they had been being "funny" quite a bit through their show.

we've actually been pretty lucky with weather whilst here, which included two nice days out of doors with no rain.

see, economists can be funny

albeit a bit pathetic at the same time...

this from the obit of nobel laureate Clive Granger:

"Clive William John Granger was born in Swansea, Wales, in 1934. He developed a strong interest in mathematics as a child but ambled into a career in statistics haphazardly. As a grammar school student in 1946, his teacher instructed him and his classmates to stand up one day and announce the careers they wanted.

“I preferred to use mathematics in some practical fashion and thought that meteorology sounded promising,” he wrote in his Nobel biography. “In those days I stuttered somewhat and when my turn came to stand up, I tried to say ‘meteorology’ but found I could not get the word out, so I just said ‘statistics,’ thereby determining my future path.”"

symmetry in industrial design

heat extraction does not necessarily mean state change.

finally some resolution

A few weeks ago A group of us happened to be in Oakland for a concert (Fleet Foxes actually) and decided to meet up at Radio (in our old neighborhood) before the show now that they actually prevent people from smoking in it. In a funny world sort of way the Green Day boys were there as well (Mary and I had just seen their surprise Independent show a week earlier). They were there with someone I couldn't place but who was familiar looking to me and the uncertainty was driving me crazy (I kept thinking "horn player" for some reason which was just confusing me to no end).

Well, it turns out in was Jon Pareles (duh I says, kicking myself) which became apparent upon reading the nytimes yesterday.

Pareles is good, always has been; he nailed this piece. I think though, that it helps to have such good material to work with, which the Green Day boys of course owe to being themselves and staying themselves as much as possible over the years. I was surprised to see that Butch Vig was behind the console for the upcoming album (insert Killdozer version of a "you've come a long way, baby" Virginia Slims advert here) and I think that was a great idea (no offense to Cavallo).

If the boys are going to play secret shows along the tour, as suggested by the article (and of course common sense), I am pulling for Fireside Bowl over the Double Door in Chicago, but I suppose that'd be more like playing Gilman over the Indpendent.

Who knows, maybe Henry will be able to go then after getting stiffarmed at the door to the Indepedent for being underaged (by about a dozen years). And guys, custom small show posters - make it happen now that you've got more warning...

keepin' it local with muh science education

Bio-rad is rad. I point out that the main part of the shoot is in "hour park" which was/is a favorite haunt of mary's and mine.