I guess I should credit the sites where I gathered these, but for some reason I can't find the reference right now. I'll add it when I find it. I was almost fooled by the antiquity that supposedly resembled Bart, but then I discoverd the others, just cleverly and well made pseudo-artifacts.

Much has been written about the Alto, the computer developed in Xerox's PARC (Alto original price? $32,000), the graphical interface and mouse ideas eventually leading directly to MAC, and all PCs for that matter.

Here is a clip from Byte Magazine in 1981 describing some of the new devices and ideas:

The mouse is a small box with three buttons on the top and several ball bearings on the bottom. A slender cable connects the mouse to the Alto keyboard . . . The mouse is typically held in the user's right hand and rolled along the table on a soft piece of plastic that provides traction for the ball bearings.

Movement is detected by the motion of one of the ball bearings. The mouse reports changes in position to the Alto. From this, a cursor on the Alto display can be positioned. . . . Alto programs can be controlled with the mouse alone independent of a keyboard.

Then this paragraph that was like a fortune teller:

A stand-alone Alto is usable, but the best configuration is a group of Altos connected by an Ethernet system. Since the Ethernet system is a local network, a special device called a gateway was developed to allow local Ethernet networks to speak to other Ethernet networks or packet networks of other types. Many companies are researching network schemes that would allow packet transmission across cable-television lines. Since these cables are currently installed in many homes and buildings, it is not difficult to imagine a city with an "information grid," analogous to the electric-power grid that exists today. Combined with an electronic mail system (a prototype called Laurel is used on Altos today) the possibilities are staggering.

Update: Forgot to mention the coincidence that the digitized Bible resides at The University of Texas at Austin near my sister Meredith. I was overestimating the age, as well. I was thinking a thousand years; actually printed 1454 or 1455, 548 years ago.

We saw these strange round balls along the side of a side road in East Windsor Connecticut. They were hard and bumpy and most were about the size of baseballs - some like softballs.

Sadly my digital camera croaked, so here is a scan from my scanner - pretty good 3D picture for a flatbed.

It took Martha a while in the books to find out they were from the Osage Orange tree. The internet was little help until I knew the name - then there were a lot of neat references to this strange tree. Google and even Jeeves search engines just didn't know what to suggest when my search was "I found these weird bumpy green things off a tree" If you want info about these, here is one link.

When we stopped in D.C. a couple of years ago, Martha and I went to the National Archives building and remember the beautiful old things displayed there and the hodgepodge marble and mosaic floor and wall pattens and the spectacular dome in the main hall. I remember best my daring picture I took of the original Gutenberg Bible in a glass case. You can almost see on the right the plackard that said something about federal law and no photos being permitted.


Well now I see I could have waited. I am a little rusty on my antiquated Latin script, but the Bible now is digitized and available on line, along with some interesting explanations:

Ransom Center: Exhibitions & Events: Permanent Exhibitions: The Gutenberg Bible: Introduction

I put these pictures of the former Warburton Inn in our Talcottville newsletter this time. It makes me muse over how my appreciation of old buildings has changed for the better over the years. As a kid, I was an ace at rock throwing at abandoned buildings' windows. Not maliciously or habitually, I just didn't think it was hurting anyone (except me, if I got caught). This wonderful brick inn, with a chimney in each corner was built by Warburton, an English immigrant in about 1810. It must have had great echoes in the walls of being his house, then a quarters for his mill workers, then a stop on the old Boston Road, housing itinerants of all kinds in the heyday of the industrial revolution. There is an old story that Warburton early on, when his mill had a particularly good season, would keep an open keg of something out in front for all to sample. Now there's a friendly place! Makes me sad that they tore it down, bricks, echoes, broken windows and all in 1962.

Graphic image that was a demo that came with my 1984 256K Macintosh.
Meredith and I redrew it in MacPaint in my kitchen in Richmond.

There was a competition of sorts at UCONN to determine the Architect for the planned Fine Arts Building complex. One of the designs had caught my attention, and because I liked it, that must have been the deciding factor, because it was chosen. I forgave the fact that the Architect, Frank Gehry, was from LA. The design looks like a bunch of metal flakes or shapes strewn across campus. The other two finalists were not dull, but more conventional in design, so I'm glad they went for the flashy, wild one. It is bound to attract national attention as it develops, which is more than likely one of their goals. Here is the model of the proposal:

It was a dark and stormy night. . . . Well, it was dark, I know that. This was a summer day back probably ten years ago in Richmond, Virginia. My wonderfully non-conformist friend John Adams announced to us that we would surely want to come with him that night on a "Chicken Roundup".

My brother Scott happened to be visiting from Ohio, and we definitely were up for anything out of the ordinary, and we did get it that night. Out in the country, on a chicken farm owned by a notable name in chickens, there was to be, according to John's inside information, a roundup. As we found out, hundreds, possibly thousands, of white chickens were being raised in this huge building, open, with a dirt floor, with carousel like feeders throughout. When the chickens were a certain age or size or something, they had to be taken in trucks to the plant. But how do you get those birds to travel, you ask?

You back up a semi or two with cages on it. Then in the dark of night, with spotlights and action, these men swoop into the teeming clucking masses of birds grabbing clusters of them upside down by the legs, and stuff them brawking into the cages on the trucks. It was a festive night for us, witnessing this action as observers, rooting for a bird here or there to make a dash for the woods to escape, and I suppose somebody or other might have yelled YEE-HAW! It was a night to remember, the chickens didn't know what hit them, but we all knew it was the final trip for them.

Well, I just read a postscript to this story just by chance! Somebody has invented a machine to automate the chicken roundup! It still catches the birds by surprise, but it is much more humane than grabbing, dangling and stuffing. If they keep it up, they'll take the adventure out of everything!

»»»»»»»»»»] Dirge [««««««««««

by Kenneth Fearing (1902-1961)

1-2-3 was the number he played but today the number came
3-2-1;
bought his Carbide at 30 but it went to 29; had the
favorite at Bowie but the track was slow - -


O, executive type, would you like to drive a floating power,
knee action, silk-upholstered six? Wed a Holywood star?
Shoot the course in 58? Draw to the ace, king jack?

O, fellow with a will who won't take no, watch out for three
cigarettes on the same, single match; O democratic voter
born in August under Mars, beware of liquidated rails --


Dénouement to dénouement, he took a personal pride in the
certain, certain way he lived his own, private life,
but nevertheless, they shut off his gas; nevertheless,
the bank forclosed; nevertheless the landlord called;
nevertheless, the radio broke,


And twelve o'clock arrived just once too often,
just the same he wore one gray tweed suit, bought one
straw hat, drank one straight Scotch, walked one short
step, took one long look, drew one deep breath,
just one too many,


And wow he died as wow he lived,
going whop to the office and blooie home to sleep and
biff he got married and bam he had children and oof he got fired,
zowie did he live and zowie did he die,


With who the hell are you at the corner of his casket,
and where the hell are we going on the right hand silver
knob, and who the hell cares walking second from the
end with an American Beauty wreath from why the hell not.


Very much missed by the circulation staff of the New York
Evening Post; deeply, deeply mourned by the B.M.T.

Wham, Mr. Roosevelt; pow, Sears Roebuck; awk, big dipper;
bop, summer rain; bong, Mr., bong, Mr., bong, Mr., bong.

»»»»»»»»»»]<>[««««««««««

If you want to hear me read the poem in real audio click here.

Not to get to wordy here, but I saw an article on critical thinking, and realized that that is one of the traits I admire in people. There are many more traits that also are high on the list, like kindness, quirkyness, etc. but save those for later. What is critical thinking? Well, when we say about a new idea, "I'm ## years old, I ought to know my mind by now, so this is my final answer on that!" This is not critical thinking. (although I feel that way many times) Even if your views of things are stong and well developed, you should be willing to think again. Here is a clip from the paper I read: Critical Thinking: Peter A. Facione, Santa Clara University .

The approaches to life and living in general which characterize critical thinking include:
* inquisitiveness with regard to a wide range of issues,
* concern to become and remain well-informed,
* alertness to opportunities to use critical thinking,
* trust in the processes of reasoned inquiry,
* self-confidence in one's own abilities to reason,
* open-mindedness regarding divergent world views,
* flexibility in considering alternatives and opinions,
* understanding of the opinions of other people,
* fair-mindedness in appraising reasoning,
* honesty in facing one's own biases, prejudices,stereotypes, or egocentric tendencies,
* prudence in suspending, making or altering judgments,
* willingness to reconsider and revise views where honest reflection suggests that change is warranted.

Someone strongly disposed toward critical thinking would probably agree with statements like these:
*I hate talk shows where people just state their opinions but never give any reasons at all.
*Figuring out what people really mean by what they say is important to me."
*I always do better in jobs where I'm expected to think things out for myself.
*I hold off making decisions until I've thought through my options.
*Rather than relying on someone else's notes, I prefer to read the material myself.
*I try to see the merit in another's opinion, even if I reject it later.
*Even if a problem is tougher than I expected, I'll keep working on it.
*Making intelligent decisions is more important than winning arguments.

A person with weak critical thinking dispositions would probably disagree with the statements above but be likely to agree with these:
*I prefer jobs where the supervisor says exactly what to do and exactly how to do it.
*No matter how complex the problem, you can bet there will be a simple solution.
*I don't waste time looking things up.
*I hate when teachers discuss problems instead of just giving the answers.
*If my belief is truly sincere, evidence to the contrary is irrelevant.

A follow-up to a rant of mine a while ago concerning the government software efforts to scan the private email and web activities of citizens. Actually in place years ago, so called 'Carnivore' artificial intelligence software looked for word and phrases, combinations that "they" deemed criminal-like. This effort was given legs by 9-11. Who could disagree when we had the terrorists to fight? Ashcroft was certainly not worried about stepping on civil rights. Well, people did and do disagree! The bureaucrats have at least been alerted that we want privacy on the internet, and they have softened the software. They say.

I promise I won't go on about PC, politically correct, attitudes, because it is so easy to get outraged at the examples. We collectively have turned or are turning into a bland intolerant bunch of ninnies with no sense of humor, in the name of being sensitive and tolerant. If you want to laugh and/or cry, check out Tongue Tied , a blog.

Here is an example from that site about my old adopted home town:

The Robert E. Lee Council of the Boy Scouts of America in Richmond, Va. voted this weekend to change its name later this year for reasons that should by now be obvious to all, reports WRVA radio. . . . .

I thought I had seen the last of the stupid "Best viewed with Netscape" or similar banners that used to be the hallmark of the bottom of web pages back in the ancient internet days a few years ago. Of course web designers still have to worry about such things, trapping browser types behind the scenes or working out incompatibilities. We know that the web was not lucky enough to have settled on pdf, which would have made content identical on any platform, but instead is saddled with html's less predictable format, even though xml, java, php and the like make things snazzier. On top of this, only maybe 20% use older browsers now, making things more standardized.

My point is that the user, bless his soul, does not have to be warned of these things. What is he going to do? Turn back in shame, or trade up on demand? What was the point of these notices? If he or his company has for some reasonable or non reasonable excuse, stuck with Netscape 3.0 or IE3 or something believe me, he already KNOWS from experience that things are not going to look exactly perfect all the time.

Well, a college student in Virginia, for a class assignment, re-did the concert band web site I started years ago, and abandoned when I moved up north. They must have taught him from an old textbook, because right there on the first page, distracting from the otherwise fine design job he did, is:

Site requires Internet Explorer 5, Netscape 7, Opera 7, or Mozilla 1.3
If you do not have one of these browsers, click here.

I discovered Zeal.com. This is very much like dmoz Open Directory, as it is a human selected and maintained directory for the Web. It is kin to open source programming, since the power is with the masses, not corporate search engines or commercial interests. Unlike Open Directory, which has a hierarchy of specialized editors who must review and categorize everything for you, with Zeal you can become a contributor and start participating right away. You do have to register and learn the guidelines to get started. After this you earn points for good submissions and category selections, which are reviewed by more advanced "Zealots". You are given progressively more authority as you do good work. I think the presence of these types of diretories , feeding results to search engines, helps democratize the web and perhaps will keep the paid marketing forces from taking over.
Zeal.com - Share your knowledge. Set the standard.

Here is a great idea - maybe it will be the way it shakes out in some areas. I just heard of a guy who, while waiting for cable modem or DSL to be available to him, and then getting shocked by the monthly gouge, set up a better idea. He was lucky to have a neighbor who was already leasing a T-1 line (expensive but fast) for a home business, and he had a wireless network for his home office. He and several other neighbors were able to get this 802.11b wireless signal and they could access the web over his line. They contributed to the line charges. Home spun mini ISP?

For those who haven't tried this technology for yourself, it's amazing really. A $50 card in a laptop, or a PC wireless adapter would be all you need to receive. The sender needs an access point which is the base. Even if you have DSL or cable internet service, you could get the next door neighbor to help you pay for it by sharing the connection by wireless. There are antenna and signal issues, but you're all right within a reasonable area.

This stuff is easy! You can just get in the range of a network, say in the parking lot of a business or in a starbucks so equipped, as long as the network hasn't been clamped tight with security (and most have not) you can just jump on and get your e-mail, surf the web, IM, whatever. I just read an article that Home Depot had to shut down their network for a time after somebody tapped into their wireless network from the parking lot. In a city hotel lobby, I found I could 'see' 4 separate networks - I had no idea where they came from. Only one of these did not allow me to log right on the web. And not because I tried anything techie - just clicked on it.

As my mother in law ("Ma" aka Bette ) slips more and more in her ability to do things, we struggle each day to decide how to react to her problems. In her eighties, she is old beyond her years it seems to me. She can keep up with conversations to a great degree, and does pick up a lot about current events from the radio and TV, and calls and gets phone calls from a few friends and relatives regularly. She was on the verge of not being able to live in the house independently when we got here a few years ago. Now she is almost totally dependent, 'though. she is still the master of the house, and we are still just visitors. She does dress and care for herself still, and even though she gets confused and disoriented at times, does know basically what is going on, especially since Martha keeps her on track, lovingly doing things on demand to keep things as they were for as long and as much as possible. Even though she has almost no eyesight, she does daily duties as long as it is within her familiar territory and there are no surprises.

She would be shocked, I'm sure, by her previous self, if she realized how many of the hundreds of things she has totally forgotten about. Things that just a few years back had to be "just so", and done every day at the same time without fail, like adjusting the blinds, dusting her knick-knack mice and collectable door knobs. On top of this there are some things she does which I think she has forgotten why she does them. For instance she collects twigs in the yard, breaks them up and puts them in the wastebasket in the kitchen, to be taken out later. She remembers Wednesday is trash day, and helps take the trash and recycling to the street. Her one dedication is that she endlessly broadcasts birdseed in the yard, Johnny Appleseed style, going through 20 pound bags of birdseed sometimes twice a week. It is something to fill some time, she enjoys it and thinks it is vital, so who could stop her?

She is frail but smart enough to move appropriately slowly with baby-steps to avoid falls. She has had some depression, and we think some mini-strokes, but is usually stable and still functions fairly predictably. That is why it surprises us when she parts with reality sometimes. She sees imagined creatures in the yard, particularly at night. She sometimes insists that we look to see if we see them too. What do you say? When we say we can't see them, or say they must have just gone, she thinks we are mocking her or implying she is crazy. So we just try very hard ignore it and avoid the question so as not to hurt her feelings. "See them running right there?" she says, pointing with her crooked finger to moving targets out the door - making Z-like traces that would describe faster movement than any possible real creature could move. Of course there is nothing there.

She sadly also thinks - no, she "knows" - that the neighbors are watching her every day (of course they are not). Especially the neighbor boy (who we know is in college now and moved away several years ago). He is watching her even to the extent that he often is jumping back and forth from their roof to ours (30+ feet) to get a better look - in the dark, at night. We think there must be floaters in her eyes that are the starting point of these illusions, mis-interpreted by her mind so she takes them as reality.

Even in normal situations she can see very little - maybe just a little fuzzy dime sized area - and anything to her left seems to be invisible. It's hard to tell what she sees or doesn't because she doesn't admit readily that she can't see, or that she has a problem. She has improved a little on this, though, asking for help sometimes.

A specialist diagnosed her with a rare disease called Anton's Syndrome that seems to involve a degeneration of the blood vessels in the brain around the optic nerve in a very peculiar way. According to an article I found the internet, one frequent part of Anton's syndrome is deniability. For instance they told of one totally blind person who for years still believed strongly she could see. One way that this manifests itself in "Ma" is she trusts her failed eyes and perception totally when she should know that she can't see very well anymore. If it were I who couldn't see well or had reduced vision, I would trust the word of someone who could see to help me, not stubbornly insist that my perception was fine. Not so with this syndrome.


For instance she could be sitting at the little breakfast bar taking her pills. She knows which pill is which because they are in specific bottles and in the same place where Martha puts them for her. She will forget perhaps that she had picked up one bottle and moved it about 6 inches to the left. At that point she might be convinced that somebody took it from her because she can't see it. "Martha", she might say, "Have you been hiding my pills again? I wish you wouldn't touch my pills". or something like that. Even when we push her hand over to the bottle and she discovers it, it still doesn't seem to register in her mind that her head and eyes have been lying to her. Nothing is learned from this. She could not see it, therefore it was not there - - end of subject. She goes on as if nothing had happened.

In some ways I can understand this. If you saw something with your own eyes - an alien or something - you would probably be a believer since your senses have been truthful to you all your life. Why should you all of a sudden believe somebody else over your own perception? On the other hand, it is very hard for me to understand because I try to rely on science and logic, and you would think in such a fix my pragmatism would overcome an impossible event, but who knows. Very interesting.

Feul cell computer power! I have been reading about fuel cells for two years, and the prototypes and tests go on and on. All of a sudden there is this use on a smaller scale that really seems interesting and promising. 10 Hrs on a little methanol cartridge.

Fuel Cells in a Laptop?

I went to a new industry conference in Boston last month, Search Engine Strategies 2003. It was for my new techie specialty, Search Engine Optimization, or SEO. Quite an interesting and vibrant bunch of people were there. The reason for this blog is because while I was there, I ran into a luminary of computer lore that brought back memories. This bearded and familiar man said hello to me in passing and I kept thinking I knew him. A little later, I heard somebody mention Dan Bricklin's name. Flash! The light went on and I realised he was THE Dan Bricklin who started it all on personal computer software by creating VisiCalc in 1979!

By creating a useful application with his partner Bob Frankston, it gave "real" people reasons to buy expensive computers, not just the hobbyists and nerds. I remember his name and reputation from Byte magazine and all that back in the early days of computing that actually seem like last week to me. Here is Dan's blog: http://danbricklin.com/log/ if you want to read an interesting story or two. Dan has not been idle since those days, either, it seems, Having been a consultant to Lotus, with their 1-2-3 spreadsheet, the next runner to pick up the "visible calculator" baton. Then he was a pioneer in the pen tablet arena, which never took off, and created industry software, like Demo-it, and founded Slate and Trellis, among other things.

Here is a scan of a VisiCalc 5 1/4" disk sleeve I saved from those days. This may have been from the IBM version that we felt would not make it because it required a hard disk, which people would find too expensive.

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Here are a couple of flags that have croped up in our area in the last week: The huge house flag in Rockville, The tree in Manchester.

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