Side Notes and Detours

Monday, November 14, 2005

Linkage Roundup

Boingboing retro: This gigantic 1975 hard drive appliance held a whopping 500k and you had to wear a bunny-suit to work with it. It took "many days" to format it. (Note #1: 500K? My MP3 player holds more than that. Note #2: Since when did Oompa Loompas make computer equipment? Too much down time in the chocolate factory?)

"I started with one red paperclip back in July and I am making a chain of trades for bigger or better objects until I get a house. Right now I'm up to a 1000 Watt generator."

Bridge climbing goes legit.

If it were March 17th, I'd understand this. But for Thanksgiving?

LOL: If Dr. Seuss wrote for Star Trek:TNG...

Got an invite to the Vatican and not sure about protocol? How to address the pope in conversation.

One Good Thing

about hotels . . . free wifi. Update everything, buy all the music I've been meaning to get, etc. etc. etc.

Monday Quizzes

Kermit the Frog

You scored 54% Organization, 63% abstract, and 67% extroverted!
This test measured 3 variables.

First, this test measured how organized you are. Some muppets like Cookie Monster make big messes, while others like Bert are quite anal about things being clean.

Second, this test measured if you prefer a concrete or an abstract viewpoint. For the purposes of this test, concrete people are considered to gravitate more to mathematical and logical approaches, whereas abstract people are more the dreamers and artistic type.

Third, this test measured if you are more of an introvert or an extrovert. By definition, an introvert concentrates more on herself and an extrovert focuses more on others. In this test an introvert was somebody that either tends to spend more time alone or thinks more about herself.

You are mostly organized, both concrete and abstract, and more extroverted.

Here is why are you Kermit the Frog.

You are both somewhat organized. You have a good idea where you put things and you probably keep your place reasonably clean. You aren't totally obsessed with neatness though. Kermit is also reasonably tidy. He'll even dress up for interviews.

You both are sometimes concrete and sometimes abstract thinkers. Kermit spends a lot of his time as a reporter collecting facts, but he is also the author of the dreamy song "The Rainbow Connection." You have a good balance in your life. You know when to be logical at times, but you also aren't afraid to explore your dreams and desires... within limits of course.

You are both extroverts. Kermit gets along with everyone. Sure a few folks annoy him, but that's just because they are annoying. Kermit likes to meet new people when he does his job as a street reporter. You definitely enjoy the company of others, and you don't have problems meeting new people... in fact you probably look forward to it. You are willing to take charge when necessary or work as part of a team.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, Kermit starred on Sesame Street years before The Muppet Show.

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 38% on Organization

You scored higher than 80% on concrete-abstra

You scored higher than 68% on intro-extrovert

Link: The Your SESAME STREET Persona Test written by greencowsgomoo on OkCupid.

___________________________________

You are Schroeder!

Which Peanuts Character are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Friday, November 11, 2005

Just Wondering II

I've been seeing this in the news regarding the proposed fake rainforest in Coralville:

Grassley introduced the language into the annual appropriation bill for energy and water projects for fiscal year 2006. The legislation would prevent the $180 million Environmental Project from receiving anymore of a $50 million federal Department of Energy grant until project officials raise non-federal matching funds. . . .

Coralville officials have committed $30 million in land and infrastructure, although a majority of city councilors now oppose transferring the land to the project under its present leadership. According to Grassley's news release, the language of the appropriation bill excludes land donations as being part of the matching funds.

That leaves the $10 million initially from project founder Ted Townsend.

So they need $40 million more.

Hmmmmm.

So, where do you think they're going to look for that?

(Key quote: "A draft application for $20 million in funding from the Vision Iowa program is now under review by the city of Coralville. Originally, the application was planned for $40 million, but Nancy Quellhorst, vice president of the project, said less money is now available.")

And So It Begins

The first avian flu death has been confirmed in the US.

(CAUTION - somewhat graphic photo on link)

via VodkaPundit.

It's Official

I'm having one of those days.

Chalk up another deer tag for the Iowa blog brigade. Doug and Jody nailed one the other day in a scary little accident. I got mine today, right on the front passenger side. I'm usually pretty good at spotting them, but she jumped out of a ditch right in my blind spot and somehow managed to get in front of the car.

It occurs to me that this mating season/deer accident correlation may be more meaningful than they would have us believe. I mean, think about it: the minute the deer start worrying about getting dates, they suddenly all get suicidal start jumping in front of automobiles. . . .

Fortunately, the car's still drivable but it'll need a new hood, bumper, and possibly fender. Oh, the joys of living in Iowa. Anybody keeping a scorecard?

UPDATE: State wants blood-soaked pics. Last I looked, there were coarse white hairs sticking between the hood and the grill but no dripping blood. I'm not touching it to find out what's inside. If anyone else would like to volunteer, feel free. At least no airbags deployed, and nobody but the deer got hurt.

I still maintain she was suicidal. Forget bow hunting. Let's get the deer some Haagen-Daaz and the "Sex in the City" boxed set.

Just a theory.

UPDATE UPDATE: Even if I did think the lockers would take the carcass, I don't think I'm going to learn how to dress a deer.

(Okay, I just can't resist pushing this one step too far. . . . )

I mean, dating advice is one thing, but if you want fashion tips, you're on your own, deer.

Hey, it's Friday.

Theater Blogging

Sweet Charity

Book by: Neil Simon
Music and Lyrics by: Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields
Directed by Chris Okiishi

November 4, 5, 6 and 11, 12,13
Fri/Sat at 8 pm, Sun at 5 pm
at Oakdale Hall Auditorium
See this map for directions!

Telling the story of Charity Hope Valentine and her quest for love, acceptance and self-worth, this classic musical includes the now-classics songs “Big Spender” “If They Could See Me Now” and “Rhythm of Life”.

Splashy, bright, vibrant and full of color and light, the music will make you tap your feet, the jokes make you laugh out loud, and the story might even touch your heart.

Starring
Megan Sands as Charity
Tim Barnes as Oscar
Michael Stokes as Daddy
Chuck Bogh as Herman
Kehry Lane as Vitorio Vidal
Kate Thompson as Ursula
Janet Bently as Nickie
and Rachel Scott as Helene!

All backed by the most talented chorus of singer-dancer-actors in the state, featuring City Circle regulars Rod McCrea, Jerry Howe, Greg Redlawsk, Aprille Clarke, Beverly Mead, Deone Pedersen, David Hale, Erin Larsen, Ellen Stevenson, Jeff Mead, Rachel Howell, Danielle Phillips, Jonathan Darby and, in their City Circle Debut: Molly Gallentine, Jenna Lanning, Libby Heudenfeldt, Kim Kullmer, Tony "TST" and Jeanne Frantz.

Musical Direction by Ben Bentler
Choreography by Monty
Additional Choreography by Rachael Riggs

Set constructed by Russ Irvine
Lighting design by Marta Muellenberg
Produced by Rod McCrea
Technical Production by Maria Schroeder

Produced by Special Arrangement with Tams-Witmark, Inc.

____________________________________________

Fortinbras

directed by Josh Sazon
November 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19 2005
Order tickets online

Fortinbras, a hilarious sequel to Shakespeare’s immortal tragedy Hamlet, begins immediately after Hamlet’s death. When young Fortinbras of Norway and his army march into Elsinore, he finds the entire royal family dead, and immediately sets about the first order of business for any new leader – lying to the public. The story he concocts to fortify his claim to the throne is going pretty well, too – until the ghosts of Hamlet, Ophelia, Polonius, and more start to appear.

Cast:

Hamlet - Alex Stansky
Osric - Chuck Dufano
Horatio - Greg Aldrich
English Ambassador - Rich Riggleman
Fortinbras - Adam Olsen
Captain - Roe Lloyd
Marcellus - David Teagle
Barnardo - Nate Mims
Polish Maidens - Kate Gleason and Jamie Olson
Polonius - Bill Gerlits
Ophelia - C.E. Haworth
Claudius - Chris Carpenter
Gertrude - Doreen Loring
Laertes - Karl Gronwall

Praise for the actors of Fortinbras!

"In the title role, [Adam] Olsen is charismatic..."
"Greg Aldrich as Horatio and Chuck Dufano as Osric perfectly balanced the former's angst against the latter's desire to simply go along."

"Christopher Carpenter as the ghost of Claudius and Doreen Loring as the ghost of Gertrude are excellent together..."

"As the ghost of Polonious, Bill Gerlits shines in the first act without saying a word... and is even better when he breaks his silence in act two."

"As a lusty, embittered Ophelia, [C.E.] Haworth enlivens every scene in which she appears. The actress navigates Ophelia's shifting moods and efforts to manipulate both the living and the dead with zeal; her manic smile as she spars with Fortinbras and the ghost of Hamlet (Alex Stansky) is indelible."

-- Rob Cline, reviewer for The Press Citizen

____________________________________________

By Neil Simon
Directed By Madonna Smith

Iowa City Community Theatre is holding auditions for "The Odd Couple":
November 15 and 16 from 6:30 to 9:30pm at the Iowa City Public Library (ICPL) in Meeting
Room A.

Callbacks are November 17 from 7 to 10pm in Meeting Room B at ICPL.

Show dates are January 20-22, January 27-29.

There are roles for 6 men (30+) and two women (25+).

Scripts will be on reserve at the ICPL Reference Desk.

____________________________________________

I have friends in both shows, and have heard lots of good things.

Well, it's official:

Thursday, November 10, 2005

How to Handle Women . . . NOT

Courtesy of the July 1943 edition of Mass Transportation magazine.

My favorites:

While there are exceptions, of course, to this rule, general experience indicates that "husky" girls — those who are just a little on the heavy side — are likely to be more even-tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters. . . . .

Whenever possible, let the inside employe change from one job to another at some time during the day. Women are inclined to be nervous and they're happier with change.

And So it Begins

The first avian flu death has been confirmed in the US.

(CAUTION - somewhat graphic photo on link)

via VodkaPundit.

Just Wondering II

I've been seeing this in the news regarding the proposed fake rainforest in Coralville:

Grassley introduced the language into the annual appropriation bill for energy and water projects for fiscal year 2006. The legislation would prevent the $180 million Environmental Project from receiving anymore of a $50 million federal Department of Energy grant until project officials raise non-federal matching funds. . . .

Coralville officials have committed $30 million in land and infrastructure, although a majority of city councilors now oppose transferring the land to the project under its present leadership. According to Grassley's news release, the language of the appropriation bill excludes land donations as being part of the matching funds.

That leaves the $10 million initially from project founder Ted Townsend.

Just Wondering

Perhaps we'll eventually just banish sex offenders and smokers to the same gulag?

It would be more efficient . . .

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

The Latest Vanity Tool

Link Popularity Tool - Instant, online reports of a site's link popularity rating in 6 top search engines. The scale: A site that has a Link Popularity Score of 1,000-5,000 is considered average. A site with a Link Popularity Score of 20,000 is considered popular. Sites with a Link Popularity Score above 100,000 are Internet "Icons".

UPDATE: Interesting side note: you get different results depending on how you phrase your URL.

Miscellanea

Courtesy of the July 1943 edition of Mass Transportation magazine.

My favorites:

While there are exceptions, of course, to this rule, general experience indicates that "husky" girls — those who are just a little on the heavy side — are likely to be more even-tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters. . . . .

Whenever possible, let the inside employe change from one job to another at some time during the day. Women are inclined to be nervous and they're happier with change.

Fresh Law

The new Iowa Court of Appeals opinions are up. Some things that caught my eye:

Montgomery v. Wells deals with the issue of who can decide a child's surname if the parents are unmarried. Mom fills out the birth certificate, but can Dad challenge the name in court? Turns out he can. In fact, in this case, he wins. Basically, Mom had custody and named the child with her surname. However, by the time the case was brought, Mom was already going to get married and change her name, which would've left the child with a name that didn't match anyone else's. Based primarily on that, the court decided that Dad's surname should prevail. The fighting issue was whether the court even had jurisdiction to decide this, since Iowa Code chapter 600B confers subject matter jurisdiction upon the district court to decide cases of paternity, custody, visitation and support between unmarried parties, and says nothing about name changes. The court noted that another statute, Iowa Code section 598.41, which determines custody issues, had been specifically noted by the Supreme Court as granting name decision power:

Our Supreme Court has held that determinations of custody under section 598.41 encompass initial determinations of a child’s surname, as one’s surname is indicative of one’s legal status:
When we examine our custody statute, Iowa Code section 598.41, we believe that authority to change a child's name may be inferred. Section 598.41 provides the court with broad discretion in determining custody and the physical care of a child and expresses a preference for joint custody. Each custodian has equal participation in decisions affecting "the child's legal status." Iowa Code § 598.41(2). We believe an infant child's name is an incident of the child's "legal status." Accordingly, we hold the trial court possessed subject matter jurisdiction in this respect.

Gulsvig, 498 N.W.2d at 728. Although Gulsvig is distinguishable because it was a dissolution action between married parties, the Iowa General Assembly has granted the district court equal authority in an action between unmarried parties by enacting section 600B.40. “The criteria governing custody decisions are the same regardless of whether the parties are dissolving their marriage or are unwed.” In re Purscell, 544 N.W.2d 466, 468 (Iowa Ct. App. 1995). See also Lambert v. Everist, 418 N.W.2d 40, 42 (Iowa 1988).

We therefore hold that the district court does have authority under Iowa Code section 600B.40, as it does in section 598.41, to consider and enter a ruling on a child’s legal status, including the determination of a child’s surname.

Bartelson v. Grinnell Mutual involved a father who had gone in for an insurance overhaul. In talking about policies with the agent, he discovered you could save money by declining the state-mandated uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. So he changed his mind, and signed off on a form declining UM/UIM coverage on all the cars being insured at the time, including his daughter's. However, under Iowa law the daughter had to sign off herself, even if Dad was paying for the insurance. The fighting issue: it was a $100,000 policy, and they'd originally discussed having $100,000 in UM/UIM coverage (it usually matches the other limits). However, the state only requires policies to carry $20,000 in UM/UIM coverage. If there was a signed declination of coverage, but that signed declination was improper, how much insurance money does the court impute to the policy - $100,000 or $20,000? Bartelson argued for $100,000 on the basis that the oral discussion with the agent for a $100,000 policy was a "binder" which bound the company legally, and since the sign-off was invalid, the imputation goes back to the original discussion. The company argued otherwise, and the court agreed:

Assuming arguendo that Gary Bartleson’s discussions on April 13, 2001 led to an oral binder with the same terms as the policy he canceled, the binder was extinguished when Grinnell Mutual issued the formal insurance policy. See 1 Lee R. Russ & Thomas F. Segalla, Couch on Insurance 3d § 13:1, at 13-4 (2000) (“A binder is not an insurance policy, but is generally taken to be a contract providing for interim insurance effective as of the date of the application and terminating at either completion or rejection of the principal policy.”). A binder does not constitute part of an insurance policy, nor does it create any rights for the insured other than during its effective period. . . . Therefore, if an oral binder was created with a $100,000 underinsured motorist benefit, this benefit ceased to exist when the new policy which contained no provision for underinsured motorist coverage was issued. In the absence of Rebecca’s signature on the written refusal of the underinsured motorist coverage, Rebecca is entitled to $20,000 in underinsured motorist benefits. Accordingly, we affirm.

State v. Bevard is an OWI first case discussing whether there is probable cause to stop a vehicle if it comes to a stop, however brief, on the traveled part of the roadway in violation of Iowa Code § 321.354, which provides that “a person shall not stop, park, or leave standing a vehicle, whether attended or unattended . . . [u]pon the paved part of a highway when it is practical to stop, park, or leave the vehicle off that part of the highway . . . .” The appeal seemed rather odd to me:

Bevard appeals, contending the court incorrectly interpreted section 321.354 in finding that “stopping” on a highway includes even momentary stops, and that such an interpretation violated his “constitutional right of privacy” as embodied in the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

I'm not certain as to what privacy he was referring, the opinion doesn't say, because the defendant had waived it:

His motions did not expressly contend that an interpretation of section 321.354 which prohibited such stops would render the statute, either on its face or as applied to his stop, unconstitutional. More importantly, the district court did not in either of its suppression rulings address or pass upon the constitutional issue which Bevard now attempts to present on appeal. Issues must be presented to and passed upon by the district court before they can be raised and decided on appeal. . . . Error was not preserved on Bevard’s constitutional claim and we do not further address it.

I can't think of one off the top of my head. But anyway, given that there was no evidence that the exceptions to 321.354 applied (stopping (1) due to the vehicle’s disability, (2) by and for school buses, (3) in response to orders of a traffic officer, (4) where it would be hazardous to proceed, and (5) where made in the exercise of due care or caution under the circumstances), the Court found that the officer could have reasonably believed the defendant was in violation of that code section and the stop was accordingly valid.

Awww II - The "Nice Try" Edition

A corollary to the last post.

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Dating and Feminists

Remember that very strange Maureen Dowd article about how 1) Smart, sucessful women will never get dates because they intimidate men; and 2) Women are abandoning the feminist movement in droves in a backlash (implicitly because of #1)? My commentary basically said that was an incredible insult to men, implying the poor things are far too fragile to deal with a strong woman. Well, apparently her studies are a bit flawed:

In particular, Dowd hypes an alleged trend of men rejecting ambitious women based on a 2004 study by psychology researchers. Those findings, by psychologists Stephanie Brown of the University of Michigan and Brian Lewis of University of California, Los Angeles, were wildly overblown.

The study was done on a small sample of 120 male and 208 female undergraduates, mainly freshmen.

The males rated the desirability as a dating or marriage partner of a fictitious female, described as either an immediate supervisor, a peer or an assistant.

Surprise, surprise! The freshman males preferred the subordinate over the peer and over the supervisor when it came to dating and mating.

The study, however, was no barometer of adult male preferences. Rather, it reflected teen boys' ambivalence about strong women.

Men, by contrast, do not reject achieving women. Quite the opposite. Sociologist Valerie Oppenheimer of University of California, Berkeley reports that today men are choosing as mates women who have completed their education. The more education a woman has, the more likely she is to marry. Unlike the single University of California, Los Angeles study, this finding comes from an analysis of 80 peer-reviewed studies.

The rest of the studies were apparently similarly similarly skewed. That British one saying that for every 15-point increase in IQ score above the average, women's likelihood of marrying fell by almost 60 percent? That was a survey of people born in 1921. Oookay.

In fairness, I have to say that in my life I've had more than one man advise me to act less intelligent "if I really want to get a date." My general response: I'd want to go out someone who needs me to be stupid? In what universe is your brain vacationing at the moment?

UPDATE:
The Washington Post has this:
Beggan and Allison, writing in the latest issue of the Journal of Popular Culture, found a pattern to the way that Playboy's wordsmiths described the women who graced the magazine's centerfold. They were typically strong, career-oriented, aggressive and, in a surprising number of instances, downright "tough." Adjectives suggesting vulnerability, submissiveness or passivity appeared less frequently.

Hat tip to Matthew Yglesias, who says "Personally, I only read Playboy for its recommendations of awesome bloggers."

UPDATE UPDATE:
Salon blogger Rebecca Trister writes: Yes, Maureen Dowd is necessary
You can love her or hate her, but you can't dismiss her -- or her inflammatory new book on gender politics.

I disagree. She may make a few points in the book that weren't brought out in the article (I would hope so, given the relative length of the pieces). But the only real merit pointed out by Trister is that it brought "gender politics" back for another round in the national conversation. Okay, fine. But it's an inevitable topic that would make the rounds anyway with the next study on the statistical likelihood of marriage.

(NOTE: Salon requires you to watch a commercial in order to read the articles. A pain, but the articles are generally worth it.)

Blog War

Royce over at Iowa Libertarian makes the case against Professor Wallace Hettle for his actions against Paul Deignan at Purdue University in Lafayette.

What would a UNI prof have to do with a Lafayette PhD student?

Therein lies the tale. See, Paul Deignan left some comments on BitchPhD about Judge Alito. BitchPhD had been blogging about his record and whether or not to filibuster, from a liberal perspective. BitchPhD didn't like the tone of the comments, particularly this one:

"The question of the day, 'Can pro-choice activists be drawn out into a rational discussion of the Alito nomination and issues even more to the core?' The answer goes to determining character and capacity."

She banned him from her comments, which is her perogative. I don't agree with banning unless it's an egregious case, because I think debate should be open. Also, it didn't appear she banned other commenters who were far more inflammatory but agreed with her point of view, such as this one:
Paul,
got any slaves?
or is your state not allowed to protect the "right" to own slaves?
marky | Email | Homepage | 11.02.05 - 10:21 am | #

or this one:
I'm sure Paul is very familiar with two clicks ... two clicks of his heels. Sig Heil!
mskate | Email | Homepage | 11.02.05 - 10:25 am | #

The comments can all be found here.

If it had ended there, it wouldn't be anything more than a standard blog tiff between people with diametrically opposing viewpoints on a political blog.

But it didn't.

Instead, a reader of BitchPhD's blog, Wallace Hettle decided to take it out of cyberspace and into real life:

Troll boy is a student of the highly relevant field of mechanical engineering.

The moron is trolling under his real name from a home page which lists the names of his advisors. So I emailed them, as this behavior is thoroughly unprofessional.

BTW, I have a PhD and actual tenure. And I happen to know many profs who work from home, like myself.

I've read some of Dr. B's scholarship and it is superb.

Maybe Paul can come back after finishing HIS dissertation--if he finishes.

Anyway, Paul, I'm going to make an acquaintance with the admin. of your engineering school tomorrow, but I'm logging off for tonight.

Wallace Hettle
Actual Professor
Google Me
University of Northern Iowa

From what I can construct on Deignan's blog and Bitch PhD, it appears Hettle did contact Deignan's superiors, with unknown ramifications on Deignan's pursuit of a PhD. Deignan then began tracking Hettle, who kept coming over to Deignan's site. Emails were exchanged. It escalated, and now Deignan is suing for libel. Yikes.

My take: Hettle was absolutely and totally out of line for going to Deignan's advisors over a comment on a blog that wasn't even directed at him. Particularly as his own reply appears far more snarky than the comment he originally objected to.

I mean, seriously - "Actual Professor"??? "Google me"???

Hello, kettle? Pot's on the phone. He's got a news flash for you.

UPDATE:
If this is accurate, however, I'd say my sympathy for Deignan is about gone:

The most salient part of this fool's threat (which was also made in a now-deleted comment on my own blog) is that he intends to find out my identity and publish it, notwithstanding my obvious desire to remain anonymous.

Hettle shouldn't have gone to Deignan's advisors, but you don't threaten to "out" a blogger just because she banned your comments. Why blame her for Hettle's actions? This has surpassed "out of hand."

Fortinbras Review

Nice job, guys:

Greg Aldrich as Horatio and Chuck Dufano as Osric -- the only characters who know the whole truth of Hamlet's sad story -- perfectly balanced the former's angst against the latter's desire to simply go along.

Similarly, Chris Carpenter as the ghost of Claudius and Doreen Loring as the ghost of Gertrude are excellent together as they struggle to overcome their lust and convince Fortinbras to bury them in a more appropriate manner.

It's another pair of ghosts, however, who steal the show. As the ghost of Polonious, Bill Gerlits shines in the first act without saying a word (Polonious is still repenting his propensity for advice-giving when he was alive), and is even better when he breaks his silence in act two.

As a lusty, embittered Ophelia, Haworth enlivens every scene in which she appears. The actress navigates Ophelia's shifting moods and efforts to manipulate both the living and the dead with zeal; her manic smile as she spars with Fortinbras and the ghost of Hamlet (Alex Stansky) is indelible.

Stansky's Hamlet inexplicably spends much of the play as a televised image. Though the anachronism is extremely odd, the cast and crew pull off the effect quite nicely. Hamlet's emergence from the TV is less successful, but it is a relief to set the whole plot point aside.

In the title role, Olsen is charismatic, but most successful when he holds the stage alone (indeed, his first soliloquy includes what may be the play's most amusing line). His timing with other actors is occasionally off, but in general, he occupies the play's central spot successfully.

For tickets, go here.