Author: swanksalot

Always good to have a second user look at things

Twitter Updates for 2010-08-02

swanksalot0 comment

Powered by Twitter Tools

Reading Around on August 1st

swanksalot0 comment

Some additional reading August 1st from 19:08 to 21:26:

  • The Wire Rewind: Season 3, Episode 3 – Dead Soldiers (Veterans edition) – HitFix.com – Tosha’s sparsely-attended wake, meanwhile, is shown in parallel with the sprawling drunken one the cops hold for the late Ray Cole. As mentioned previously in these reviews, Cole was played by “Wire” executive producer Bob Colesberry, who died unexpectedly before season three began. Cole’s long and impressive film career is alluded to in Jay Landsman’s eulogy (there are specific references to “Mississippi Burning,” “After Hours” and “The Corner,” which is where Simon and the late David Mills first teamed up with Colesberry).o01_23334333.jpg
  • Southwest Says Mechanical Issues Are Beyond Its Control, But It’s Not as Bad as You Might Think – >> The Cranky Flier – Many of you have already heard that in its contract of carriage, Southwest has now decided that mechanical issues are outside the airline’s control. How do I know? Because I’ve received more email from readers on this issue than any other, I believe. It’s amazing how this has grabbed people’s attention. The reality of this, however, is not as dire as many are suggesting.Anti-government-red-shirt-003.jpg
  • Communautarisme: la démocratie contre la République – Jean-Paul Brighelli revient sur les récentes sortie de Nicolas Sarkozy sur les «Roms». Un signe de plus que désormais, sous couvert de diversité, on désigne les citoyens, on les trie, par communautés. Cela revient à pulvériser la République.  (republished photo – swanksalot)

Twitter Updates for 2010-08-01

swanksalot0 comment
  • so what's the protocol for food for someone who is house-sitting? Do I buy extra food for them? Just encourage them to eat what is here? #
  • WSJ.com – Sites Feed Personal Details To New Tracking Indust: The largest U.S. websites are installing new and int… http://bit.ly/97V6ru #
  • The Chills – Pink Frost kind of morning. Damn, I love that song #
  • wonder if I can put .mp4 files on a SD card, and connect to my iPad? #
  • According to Jeff Carlson of @tidbits, using iPad and the camera connection kit for h.264 movies should work http://bit.ly/cw8Yck #

Powered by Twitter Tools

Twitter Updates for 2010-07-31

swanksalot0 comment
  • today's procrastination tool: removing myself from Flickr groups I never post to, or that have constricting rules for no reason #
  • Sergio Mendes kind of morning #
  • What the fuck does Dianne Feinstein got against pot brownies anyway? http://bit.ly/9Z5vRm #
  • WTF?!?! RT @MacMcClelland: This is just crazy. Senate votes to double fines, jail time for **Pot Brownies** http://fdl.me/dwdoRT #
  • NYTimes: Avoiding a Large Phone Bill When Traveling http://nyti.ms/9eBN62 #
  • FBI Releases 400-Page File On Howard Zinn: The FBI today released a 423-page file on Howard Zinn, the radical prog… http://bit.ly/bLpIGf #
  • Looking forward to 1st Virgin America flight, but their website is fairly lame #
  • Scientists Find Evidence That Oil And Dispersant Mix Is Maki: Scientists have found signs of an oil-and-dispersant… http://bit.ly/900nQd #
  • Luggage woes solved thanks to friendly folk at Kaehler on Clybourn http://bit.ly/bHupvV #
  • don't know if it is true, but someone calling himself the REAL STEPHON MARBURY left an odd comment on an old blog post re: Starbury China #
  • …here's the Starbury blog post and comment for your amusement: http://www.b12partners.net/wp/2010/01/28/starbury-in-china/ #
  • cool RT @CriterionCast: You can now watch Burden of Dreams (Criterion # 287) for free on Hulu (in the US of course) http://bit.ly/9y2YjV #
  • I want to read a book about Alexander Cockburn and Christopher Hitchens #
  • Adobe Photoshop CS5 One-on-One by Deke McClelland: Deke Press (2010), Edition: 1, Paperback, 544 pages http://bit.ly/bi30FA #

Powered by Twitter Tools

Twitter Updates for 2010-07-30

swanksalot0 comment
  • 1 Soldier or 20 Schools in Afghanistan? – http://nyti.ms/cQ8rI6 #
  • Damn it, my web-ordered luggage won't arrive in time for trip- what's plan B? Just found out now when I asked worldtraveler.com, lame. #
  • Apple – Safari – Safari Extensions Gallery http://icio.us/glbhdx #
  • Mayor Daley probably has a valid point: "Michigan oil spill worse than Asian carp" http://bit.ly/bhToSK #
  • official Twitter Safari extension annoyingly displays what is trending. I don't give a fuck about anything that is ever on this #
  • Twitter Safari extension needs an option to remove "Trending" b/c it is just visual noise on my browser bar #
  • Never did like Jon Spencer and his faux Blues Explosion. Jim DeRogatis explains one reason why… http://bit.ly/bbgfT3 #
  • "Neil Hagerty Meets Jon Spencer in a Non-Alcoholic Bar" probably fave Jon Spencer song, and that's not saying much since it's by Pavement #
  • shop-fronts and faded adverts for Blooms Pianos and Gillette Razors… and whisky; … Donovan Brothers' Paper Bags. http://icio.us/qu0wbq #
  • winter project really needs to be getting negatives from storage in Austin and sending to ScanCafe, or doing by hand http://bit.ly/1I3RE8 #
  • prominent conservative compared the Bushies' public-relations savvy to LeBron James. http://icio.us/1f2tii #
  • Atlantic Rhythm and Blues, Vol 1 is full of names that ought to be better remembered. Take Professor Longhair http://gu.com/p/2tkyk/tw #
  • Texas Governor Douche Perry Caught in Explosive Dirty Deals Scandal http://is.gd/dRFv5 #
  • ru-oh, upgrading to WordPress 3.01 froze in the middle #
  • yep RT @ebertchicago: I've known this good man for years. There is bipartisan support…victim of cruel immigration laws. http://j.mp/bKwOs1 #
  • DIY Kitty Crack: ultra-potent catnip extract http://is.gd/dRJsr #
  • Flickr and Safari 5.01 don't get along, font-wise. Looks like shite. #
  • work your fingers to the bone, what do you get? Dusty Fingers! and a bunch of break beats too… #
  • Swaying Motion of the Ride http://flic.kr/p/8nUSmJ #
  • can someone bring me more wine, please?
    #fb #
  • funny how this Willie Dixon box set is the size of an LP record – must have been made a long time ago (1988, per the CD). Now box sets tiny #
  • the enclosed booklet even lists Record/Cassette/Compact Disc, in that order. Still, Willie Dixon! #
  • Surprisingly, don't have much Lowell Fulson in my iTunes library. Rectifying now. #
  • Another reason why Miami sucks – C Miller: "I was attacked by a Metrorail security guard for shooting video" http://is.gd/dRRNl #
  • LeBron James Is the Story, Even When ESPN Doesn’t Want It – http://nyti.ms/b4m4Zl #
  • RT @ColonelTribune: Not bragging [yes, I am], but Gov. Quinn signed nursing home reforms based on my reporters' work: http://bit.ly/dD5fOR #
  • Outrage Aside, Chicago Drivers Fuel High Parking Meter Profits – http://nyti.ms/9Vyzwv #
  • Rehabbed, a Punk Dive Grows Up – revisiting the Fireside Bowl in Logan Square-http://nyti.ms/cQyGLi #
  • least favorite Flickr groups are those with too many rules. #

Powered by Twitter Tools

Prairie Farmer 1841

swanksalot0 comment
Prairie Farmer 1841

Prairie Farmer 1841, originally uploaded by swanksalot.

On the side of a building somewhere in Chicago

encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1004.html
Prairie Farmer

One of the leading farm papers of the Midwest, Prairie Farmer was the most influential force in the commercialization of Illinois agriculture. Headquartered in Chicago, the paper not only promoted scientific farming practices but also was dedicated to improving rural life through education, recreation, and better health practices.

First published in 1841 by the Union Agricultural Society, Prairie Farmer was the brainchild of founding editor John S. Wright. After a succession of owners, newspaperman Burridge D. Butler bought the paper in 1909. By 1931 Butler had absorbed Prairie Farmer’s competitors and expanded circulation to Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan by offering premiums, staging corn-husking contests, and landing the company plane in cow pastures. Butler purchased radio station WLS in 1928 to offer farm programming and produced the popular Barn Dance vaudeville show.

Butler saw his paper as the voice of the common farmer, and he conducted editorial campaigns against crime and deceptive marketing practices. The paper agitated for pro-farm legislation, and editor Clifford Gregory strongly supported the New Deal. From a peak of 370,000 subscribers in 1950, circulation dwindled below 60,000 at the end of the century, a sign of the declining importance of farming as a way of life.

Susan Sessions Rugh

Bibliography
Bardolph, Richard. Agricultural Literature and the Early Illinois Farmer. 1948.
Evans, James F. Prairie Farmer and WLS: The Burridge D. Butler Years. 1969.
Lewis, Lloyd. John S. Wright, Prophet of the Prairies. 1941.

Reading Around on July 28th through July 29th

swanksalot1 Comment

A few interesting links collected July 28th through July 29th:

  • George Bush’s Book Will Shape the 2010 Campaign – The Daily Beast – Still, that has not stopped some Republicans, traumatized over the last two election cycles, from fearing the worst. “Monumentally bad timing” was the reaction of one former Bush aide who learned of the book release date. Another prominent conservative compared the Bushies’ public-relations savvy to LeBron James. “Selfish and stupid” was another noted right-wing columnist’s reaction. Democrats, meanwhile, are gleeful.

  • Hail, Hail, Rock’n’Roll | Laura Barton – Walk around the streets near my home in east London and the area’s past will soon rise up to meet you – carved above door-frames, etched into glass and painted on awnings and the sides of buildings are the ghost-signs of former industries: shop-fronts and faded adverts for Blooms Pianos and Gillette Razors; fountain pens, glass, stoves and whisky; Strongs Meat and Donovan Brothers’ Paper Bags. This was once an area famed for furniture and shoemakers, matches and model-makers, but as the industry moved elsewhere many of the names drifted into obscurity, too: Lesney, Bailey & Sloper, Bespoke Shoes, Berger, Jenson & Nicholson, Batey & Co, F Puckeridge & Nephew. As the area reinvents itself with luxury flats and new train lines, galleries and delicatessens, the few names that remain serve as faded, barely noticed reminders of the vibrant history of this part of the city.
  • Apple – Safari – Safari Extensions Gallery – Extensions are a great way for you to add new features to Safari 5.0.1. Built by developers, Safari Extensions use the latest HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript web technologies. And they’re digitally signed and sandboxed for improved security. You can install extensions with one click — no need to restart Safari.

  • New Documentary Explores History Of Jews and Basketball : NPR – todays Golden State Warriors were the Philadelphia Warriors. They started from the Philadelphia Sphas, the South Philadelphia Hebrew All-Stars. That team was founded by Eddie Gottlieb in the 1920s at the South Philadelphia Hebrew Association. He formed a league as a kid and the team as a kid. And that team went on to become an NBA team, in essence. And he was one of the original NBA owners.

Twitter Updates for 2010-07-29

swanksalot0 comment
  • why does iThoughtsHD “save as PDF” always give, “Cannot extract the embedded font ‘RLMMYU+ArialMT’.” error? #
  • thanks, SuperDuper for saving a file I needlessly and destructively modified this morning – automated backup FTW! #
  • sigh, guess the lawyer is going to have to get involved. #
  • Wild! NBA star Amar’e Stoudemire (Knicks) heads to Israel after discovering Jewish roots http://bit.ly/aDRpHb #
  • Condo Board using GWB playbook of “with us or agin us”, with a little “fuck you” thrown in. Not interested in consensus or fairness #
  • which is why we’ve retained legal counsel. Better than purchasing a hand gun, though less satisfying. #
  • RT @tonyaengst: The Take Control ebooks are all on sale for 50% off this week! Macworld Superguides too. http://tinyurl.com/2wyhwyt #
  • The thing is, nobody can use the space on the roof for any other purpose anyway, so the opposition is just emotional, not structural #
  • My Top 3 Weekly #lastfm artists: Uncle Tupelo (106), R.E.M. (75) and The Coup (67) #music http://bit.ly/bb69Xx #
  • ESPN proves beyond doubt that they are an “entertainment” network, 1st, last, and in between. http://bit.ly/aCtAMV #
  • “Exposes ESPN as a positive publicity machine for LeBron James” http://icio.us/dkqdmq #
  • iTunes 9.2 adds Undo #
  • 3 Day Cure for Men, circa 1920 http://bit.ly/cze0l9 #fb #
  • how many Americans believe in angles? RT @MotherJones: Comment of the Day: “Keep in mind that over 2/3 of Americans believe in angels.” #
  • Golden State Warriors… started from the Philadelphia Sphas, the South Philadelphia Hebrew All-Stars http://icio.us/rhajgf #
  • Time Inc.’s iPad Problem Is Trouble for Every Magazine Publisher http://tinyurl.com/2972d5c #
  • Ben Keith RIP http://tinyurl.com/2ae7eu5 #
  • Prairie Farmer 1841 http://flic.kr/p/8nDNvU #
  • 656 or Noon Hour 657 depending http://flic.kr/p/6gCDnn #
  • Street Theatre – May Day 2009 http://flic.kr/p/8nB1un #
  • ha RT @BorowitzReport: FULL STORY: Arizona Governor Blocks Immigrants on Facebook http://tinyurl.com/26d347f #
  • http://tweetphoto.com/35479868 @MikeSula it’s like my office bathroom! #
  • End of Days blues http://flic.kr/p/8nBCrF #

Powered by Twitter Tools

Daffy Green

swanksalot0 comment
Daffy
Daffy, originally uploaded by swanksalot.

part of some parade or contest I unfortunately missed. Dozens of models and makes of small cars were all just parked on the street.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DAF_Trucks

I’m assuming one of these models, as it was quite tiny.

The first passenger car, assigned the model number 600, created a sensation when a prototype was presented in 1958. The car featured a unitary steel construction, with a front mounted, aircooled two cylinder boxer engine driving the rear wheels through a centrifugal clutch and the Variomatic CVT transmission. The way this was constructed eliminated the need for a differential, with the drivebelts taking up the difference of speed in the corners. This acted as a limited slip differential. The car had independent suspension all round, with McPherson struts and a transverse leaf spring at the front, and a coil sprung semi trailing arm design at the rear. The first 600s rolled off the production line in the following year. The next model was the 750, featuring a larger 749 cc twin.

Later, DAF produced a more luxurious type called the Daffodil, divided into three models assigned the numbers DAF 30, DAF 31 and DAF 32. The designation 32 was changed to 33 upon the 1966 release of the 44, a larger middle-class vehicle designed by Michelotti. The 44 featured a completely new design aesthetically as well as mechanically, but was of the same layout as the “A-type’s” (the 600,750,30,31,32 and 33), with the main difference being its 850 cc two cylinder engine, and its full swingaxle rear axle design as opposed to the A-type semi-trailing arms.

The 1968 DAF 55 carried a bigger watercooled 1108cc OHV four cylinder engine derived from the Renault 8 Cleon engine. Its body design was altered from the 44 by a new front which accommodated the longer engine and radiator, bigger taillights, and a more plush interior. The front suspension was changed from a transverse leaf spring to McPherson struts with torsion springs and an antiroll bar.

The DAF 66 was introduced as a successor to the 55. It featured new, boxy styling of the front, and a new rear axle design. The two drive belts now powered a differential, and the axle was changed from a swingaxle design to a leaf sprung de Dion-axle. It was a major improvement over the (tricky) handling of the swing axles of the earlier 33,44 and 55 models.

Reading Around on July 23rd through July 28th

swanksalot0 comment

A few interesting links collected July 23rd through July 28th:

Twitter Updates for 2010-07-28

swanksalot0 comment

Powered by Twitter Tools

Twitter Updates for 2010-07-28

swanksalot0 comment

Powered by Twitter Tools

Twitter Updates for 2010-07-28

swanksalot0 comment

Powered by Twitter Tools