Disarranging Mine

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Interesting items in the paper

Impromptu entertainment:

A PLEASING SPECTACLE – Yesterday noon two dogs began to worry a good sized hog on North Sixth street. The pleasing spectacle was witnessed by a large number of that class of people, of both sexes, who loaf about the streets on Sunday. The fun was unexpectedly stopped, in the course of about two hours, by the death of the hog, and the police failed to provide another. Illinois State Register - July 19, 1869

Moving on. Getting rid of Springfield's pesky birds (and a snipe at people who enact weird bird riddance laws):

MAY KILL SPARROWS - Beginning Yesterday a Bounty Will be Paid for Them

The law which provides a bounty of two cents a head for sparrows went into effect yesterday, and from now until Jan. 1 the small boy and his rifle will be much in evidence. It has been often estimated which does most harm, the sparrow or the boy. There must be some damage done by the little bird, for the all-wise legislator would not agree to pass a law giving two cents for the head of a sparrow if such was not the case. But some people think that with doctor bills paid for the lad who accidentally shoots himself while gunning for the bird, the windows he breaks and the danger other persons are put to, the damage done by the bird is not so great as that done by the boy. [...] Illinois State Register - December 2, 1899

More such news items can be found starting here.

Posted by: Marie at 10:05 PM | Comments (2)

Monday, May 05, 2008

Google Reader recommendations

Does anyone know how Google Reader makes its recommendations? Until now, I always assumed it was based on feeds already subscribed to. But, maybe not.

Actually, I rarely give these recommendations hardly a glance. But this one caught my eye because of the nuclear thing. None of my feeds are related to nuclear energy. Yesterday, however, I did two nuclear related Google searches. So, obviously, Google deduced that I might be interested in subscribing to a nuclear feed. Don't they know that crossing the streams of information gathering could result in total protonic reversal? Apparently not.

Speaking of protonic stuff, I was doing a little nuclear research in anticipation of sending five questions to the CEO of Exelon. If and when I do, I'll blog it.

The second recommendation makes sense in that I do subscribe to several law blogs. The third recommendation is a bit odd. I can't imagine Google recommending I subscribe to an obsolete feed. More like they're trying to alert me that one of my feeds has died.

Posted by: Marie at 11:25 PM | Comments (0)

Low clouds

Last Friday, a little after 5:00 p.m. Notice how there's hardly any traffic on a major downtown street during rush hour on a Friday night. This could have been closer to six.

It looks like the flag on top of the Ridgely Building might be casting a shadow on the sky. But, it's really just a spot on a very dirty windshield.

Same clouds, different location.

Posted by: Marie at 10:27 PM | Comments (2)

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Something in the water

After an Associated Press investigation of several U.S. water systems found drugs in the water, Springfield got our lake tested. (SJ-R: Lake water has traces of drugs; But CWLP officials say levels of nine contaminants are low.)

The analysis by Underwriters Laboratories found nicotine; cotinine, a nicotine byproduct; a medicine that treats seizures and bipolar disorder; insect repellent; and a drug to treat high cholesterol.

Trace amounts of nine drugs — those five plus four others — were found in the raw, untreated water of Lake Springfield.

City officials tell us these drug levels are harmless to our health. Good to know. I thought this paragraph was particularly interesting:

The AP investigation found trace amounts of drugs in the water supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas. Trace concentrations of pharmaceuticals can make their way into water supplies after humans take medicine and excrete part of it into their toilets, according to the AP.

Toilets. I had no idea. See, I always believed that our toilet water, or any water that leaves our homes and businesses, goes to the waste water treatment plant, which is no where near the lake. The article does not specifically address how the water from our toilets ends up in our drinking water supply.

Link to map of Lake Springfield.

Posted by: Marie at 11:43 PM | Comments (2)

Monday, April 28, 2008

Pink

Somewhere on Washington Street not far from downtown.

Posted by: Marie at 11:20 PM | Comments (2)