Cop Car's Beat

Great-Grandpa S would have loved this.

Another goody from Slashdot.org:

    Bionic Hand Wired To Nerves Can "Feel" When Touched21

Posted by samzenpuson Monday February 18, @10:30AM
from the all-the-better-to-feel-you-with dept.

An anonymous reader writes in with a breakthrough in prosthetics. "The first bionic hand that allows an amputee to feel what they are touching will be transplanted later this year in a pioneering operation that could introduce a new generation of artificial limbs with sensory perception. The patient is an unnamed man in his 20s living in Rome who lost the lower part of his arm following an accident, said Silvestro Micera of the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland. The wiring of his new bionic hand will be connected to the patient’s nervous system with the hope that the man will be able to control the movements of the hand as well as receiving touch signals from the hand’s skin sensors."

 

As a youngish man, my great-grandfather worked for Missouri Pacific Railroad Company. During one unfortunate run, Grandpa S leaned too far out of the locomotive, looking toward the back, and was knocked off and under the train resulting in surgical amputation of his left arm just below his elbow. Although he had a prosthetic, I don't recall having seen it (although I had nightmares about Grandpa's arm being in the closet of our bedroom when I was three or four years old). Had Grandpa S gone through the experience, today, he might have a totally different attitude toward a prosthetic. Grandpa could do just about anything he wanted to do and worked at one job or another for another 50 years following the incident. Nothing kept him down! I still miss Grandpa S. He died during my freshman year at college.

Addition of three hours later

It was Grandpa S who showed me the lack of reverence that people held for human cells in the early 1950s. An 18-year-old who was slicing pickles at the warehouse that Grandpa supervised was showing off to a friend who had stopped by to visit - and - managed to slice tips off of three fingers on his left hand. Grandpa, after loading the guy into a taxi for a trip to the hospital, nonchalantly picked up the finger tips and tossed them out the window where they landed atop the heap of pickle-leavings that had accumulated there.

This bit of family/personal history was brought to mind by my having just heard, on Talk of the Nation (transcript not yet available online), a discussion of the cell-line of Ms Henrietta Lacks that has been propagated since 1951. The linked article mentions that, "The history of this event, described in the Johns Hopkins Magazine, is a commentary on the lack of informed consent common in medical research at the time." Lack of informed consent was not a big issue in the early 1950s. Nobody really gave it a second thought.

Note to Bogie: I was listening to Talk of the Nation while making the blue cover for your boudoir pillow. Done!

Grandmother Hall's comforter - plus a turkey photo

The first photo, below, shows the front of a comforter that (my mother told me) my paternal grandmother made from her (and Grandfather's?) wedding clothes. Over the years (about 100 of them, give or take - the wedding was in 1908), the batting had clumped and shifted and torn so badly that the comforter was unusable. As my sewing machine was clattering and skipping stitches (as opposed to its usual beautiful stitching), I knew that I wouldn't be using it for a while - until it had been serviced and, possibly, repaired. (I took the machine in for servicing, yesterday, and they said it would take about one week.) Thus, I started disassembling the comforter. My intention is to keep the front and back as intact as possible while making the comforter into a quilt.

The lighter pieces are from muslin. If you are familiar with old, old fabrics, you know that muslin had about the weave and heft of well-made cheese cloth. Thus, many of the lighter pieces have holes worn through by abrasion of cloth edges at the seams. The large, black squares are a hefty, highly textured material that is in good shape. The smaller, navy pieces are a plain weave; but, are a little tighter, heftier weave than the muslin and are almost all in good shape. (For those who wonder at the bits scattered over the surface of the quilt: they are tufts of thread. Grandmother had used two strands of yellow-ish tan and two strands of rusty red threads to tie knots - intended to keep the batting from shifting.)

The back of the comforter, below, is a twill woven of a fine-gauge yarn - wool, I think. The back is sewn from the gores of a skirt - alternating direction to provide uniform width. I suspect that, at some point in its life, the comforter spent time (perhaps years) folded at the foot of a bed - which would account for the bleached look of one end (which is the "foot" end). Originally, I believe that all of the panels were of the same, deep green. (Note the patch in the foreground.) One panel is badly spotted and has several holes (some of which had been patched on the inside), so I am pondering the adviseability of replacing the whole panel or of applying one large patch (probably on the inside, with top hand stitching around each of the holes - the way that Grandmother taught me to make a neat patch!)

Today, at the office, I was unable to work (computer problems that were not solved within a couple of hours); so, I dropped by a quilt store where the owner is having a going-out-of-business sale. (The owner, at age 87, has decided it is time to retire!) They had no woolen fabrics; but, I was able to pick up wool batting (photo, below) for the quilt that the comforter is to become.

Finally, because I know that one of my blog friends grooves on turkeys, a photo of our turkey family that has recently returned after an absence of several weeks. Originally, we had a mother and nine chicks (see Young Turkey Family). Now, the family is down to seven, total, and I can no longer tell the hen from the chicks. Unfortunately, one of the turkeys has a lame leg.

Bragging on family

While I don't normally plug commercial products or ventures, I'm "bustin' my buttons" over my S-I-L's new book - her second (that I know of!) The following excerpt is from a posting on Helen S Fletcher's blog, The Ardent Cook. (Helen is Hunky Husband’s wonderful, much-loved younger sister.)

European Tarts –  Divinely Doable Desserts with Little or No Baking

By Helen S. Fletcher, on October 25th, 2012
Copyright, Helen S. Fletcher, 2010.  All rights reserved.
All photos by T. Mike Fletcher, unless otherwise noted.

European Tarts – Divinely Doable Desserts with Little or No Baking will be released on December 1st – just in time for the holidays.  So start making a list of anyone you ever knew that likes to cook/bake/eat.  For an advance peek at the blog, go to www.europeantarts.com,

This is a unique concept in cookbook publishing.  While this book is fantastic for anyone interested in baking, the blog that accompanies it makes it almost foolproof for anyone.  The blog holds a lot of  how to photographs, just like this blog, to assist anyone who needs additional help or just wants to see how I do something.  So please do visit it to see what I mean.

I feel vindicated

Years ago, while single, I had a beau who chastized me (and others) for having "routines". His theory was that one's brain was kept sharper by varying everything that one did, as frequently as possible. Well...the article, below, that was posted on Slashdot.org, will make no difference to that guy (who is dead); but, it vindicates (as if I needed it - lol) how I have always felt. I always felt that routines left my brain free to think about more important things and saved me the time that the decision-making process consumes.

Snippets of comments from friends: 1) "You have three dresses and I've seen enough of them. Go buy more clothes!" 2) "I know what day of the week it is by which outfit you are wearing." 3) "Are apples and cheese the only foods you buy? You always have an apple and a little cheese for lunch." 4) "Why don't you wear makeup?" or "...shave your legs?" or "...go to a hair dresser?" or "...dye your hair?" or - you get the idea.

The only time I was forced to abandon routine was for the nine years when I worked for the Little Engineering Company. With them, I had to be really flexible because I traveled - a lot! - and, during a few of my years with them, varying my routines was a matter of security. Now that I am retired, though, I generally follow many fewer routines. I don't need to save my attention/time for anything!

For Obama, Jobs, and Zuckerberg, Boring Is Productive222

Posted by timothyon Thursday October 04, @09:28AM
from the your-prism-for-the-autism-spectrum dept.

Hugh Pickens writes "Robert C. Pozen writes in the Harvard Business Review that while researching a behind-the-scenes article of President Obama's daily life, Michael Lewis asked President Obama about his practice of routinizing the routine. 'I eat essentially the same thing for breakfast each morning: a bowl of cold cereal and a banana. For lunch, I eat a chicken salad sandwich with a diet soda. Each morning, I dress in one of a small number of suits, each of which goes with particular shirts and ties.' Why does President Obama subject himself to such boring routines? Because making too many decisions about mundane details is a waste of your mental energy, a limited resource. If you want to be able to have more mental resources throughout the day, you should identify the aspects of your life that you consider mundane — and then "routinize" those aspects as much as possible. Obama's practice is echoed by Steve Jobs who decided to wear the same outfit every day, so that he didn't have to think about it and  the recent disclosure that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is proud that he wears the same outfit every day adding that he owns 'maybe about 20' of the gray, scoop neck shirts he's become famous for. 'The point is that you should decide what you don't care about and that you should learn how to run those parts of your life on autopilot,' writes Pozen.  'Instead of wasting your mental energy on things that you consider unimportant, save it for those decisions, activities, and people that matter most to you.'"

Done and done

Computer Desk

A couple of weeks ago, trying to find something that I had seen at a Staples store in Ridgecrest CA while out there, I happened across a computer desk that seemed to fit my requirements: pull-out drawer for mouse and keyboard (check!), small size to fit in the available space (check!), and cheap (eventually...check!). There wasn't a single clerk available to help me, but a man who told me that his usual work was moving merchandise tried his best and, eventually, provided me the information that I wanted (there was no price tag on the display model, and no information concerning the desk!) Since other pieces of furniture displayed 20% off prices, I asked if the computer desk would also be 20% off. Eventually, he ascertained that it would not be. So...I came home...and looked the desk up on the Office Depot website. No, it wasn't available at 20% off there, either - but - 40% off and free shipping! Thus, I ordered the desk (crediting the sale to the store where the stocker had helped me) and it was delivered on the 14th. And it sat in our entry hall. Until about 4:00pm Thursday. While Hunky Husband was out buying a new car, I got the urge and tore into the box. Now my upstairs computer station (the one that I use the more - as long as I don't need a printer) looks like the photos, below (the black-and-white photo is included to clearly show the desk.) Assembly time (including getting everything re-connected and cords somewhat corralled): 1.5 hours

 

It isn't visible in the photo, but my "real" desk (built in when we built the house - a really dumb move on my part) is behind the chair, shown. I can swivel in my chair to turn from computing to using the landline phone, writing, filing stuff, et cetera at my real desk. That is why the computer desk had to be small. I had previously used a backgammon game table for the purpose, inducing shoulder/neck pain when I sat at the computer too long because the keyboard and mouse were too high.

Hunky Husband's Comforter

I mentioned a few days ago that I was getting close to finishing the binding on HH's old comforter, made by my mother in the 1960s-1970s, and replacing the protector. Here is a photo of the finished project, with the top turned down to show the back. Note the difference in coloration of the strip of backing from that of the rest of the backing. The more brightly-hued band had been under Mom's original protector. I put the new protector at the other end of the comforter, to even out wear. The backing was made from feed sack material, as were nearly all of my dresses (girls were not allowed to wear pants to school in those days, except snow pants were allowed to be worn under our skirts when it was cold - until we got into our classrooms) until I started 8th grade which was held in the high school building.

       

 

 

Round trip: 2904 miles

Bogie has it all over me for endurance and toughness. She rode her motorcycle on a 2530-mile journey a few weeks ago. Being a coward (and need I mention, old?) I took my 2007 Lincoln MKZ on the trip to California for Younger Brother's memorial service.

During this trip, I traveled within six states: Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.

August 21 route - 625 miles

Derby KS to Albuquerque NM via US-54 to Tucumcai NM, thence I-40

August 22 route - 759 miles

Albuquerque NM to Ridgecrest CA via I-40, C-58, & US-395

August 27 route - 759 miles

Ridgecrest CA to Albuquerque NM via reversing routing of August 22

By happy accident, the motel into which I had been booked (by the desk clerk at the motel in Ridgecrest) was situated just off of I-40 near Old Town of Albuquerque. While eating dinner in Albuquerque, I decided to take a mental health day by staying a day to visit my favorite places in Old Town of Albuquerque. The day was spent afoot as it was only a 10-minute walk from Old Town.

August 29 route - 713 miles

Albuquerque NM to Derby KS via I-40 to Oklahoma City OK, thence via I-35.

Miscellaneous driving - 48 miles

As you may recall (or not!) I had severe sciatica a couple of years ago. Fortunately, I had no trouble with sciatica (or any other health issue) at all during this trip. I arrived home full of vim and vigor!

Is this where I should tell you that I took no maps (or GPS) with me since I am so familiar with the route?

In remembrance of my brother

My younger brother has sent our family into a tailspin. He shot himself to death, yesterday. He was a smart fellow (with an earned PhD in Geophysics) and a beloved family man (two children, four grandchildren, and a loving second wife - his first wife having died 21 years ago) with a wicked sense of humor. He had, frequently, an undercurrent of sadness - at times, even, depression - which stayed with him for his 70 1/2 years.

Perhaps I'll add more at a later time; but, for now, I am just missing him. I firmly believe that he had every right to "pull the plug" when he no longer found living worthwhile for him (and, possibly wished to spare his family a more prolonged dying experience); but, such events are inevitably hard on the survivors.

Remembering ME Hall

From a posting of four years ago [with added asides]:

This year, recalling how drought tolerant they were, I planted two planters with California
poppy seeds.  The first bloom appeared, Thursday.  Here 'tis (to the right).

My Grandmother H [Mary Etta Hall who always signed "M.E. Hall"]* always had a bed of rose moss [Portulaca grandiflora].  For some reason, I didn't think it [could be grown here] until, two or three years ago, I planted a couple of planters with rose moss seed.  They not only reseeded within the planters, but have come up as volunteers across the double driveway from the planters and in our strawberry & cherry bed (strawberries fill 1/2 of the bed while a cherry tree and some cherry bushes fill the other 1/2.).  This (to the left) is a photo of a golden one--nearly the color of the California poppies--that grows in the edge of the cherry bed, overhanging the apron to the garage.

 

 

 

From today, more photos of volunteer rose moss plant blossoms:

      

Rose moss, as you can tell by looking at the leaves and stems, is a succulent - a distant relative to the ice plant (below).

       
  
*Because Xtreme English signs herself as "M.E." at times, she and I have traded private communications on this. I always think of my grandmother when I see XE's comments.

NEW DEAL UNITS INCREASE

Inauguration of the huge new $4,000,000,000 work-relief program increased the New Deal alphabetical list to 84 units. The NRA decision chopped off a few of that number. But the work-relief program to take people off the dole and put them to work has already added five new agencies, including DAL, WAD, WPA, RRA and REA. Four others were created by Congress later in the session recently closed. These were NBCC, BCLB, RRR and SSB, bringing the total to nearly 90. All of the alphabet agencies, however, were not created by the present administration. Some of them were adoptions from previous administrations. The complete list of alphabetical units, past and present, follows:

AAA--Agricultural Adjustment Administration.

ALB--Automobile Labor Board (defunct).

AVA--Administrator of Veteran Affairs.

BAPC--Business Advisory and Planning Council.

BCLB--Bituminous Coal Labor Board.

BOB--Bureau of the Budget.

CAB--Consumers Advisory Board (defunct).

CCC--Civilian Conservation Corps.

CCC--Commodity Credit Corporation.

CES--Committee on Economic Security.

CSB--Central Statistical Board.

CWA--Civil Works Administration (defunct).

DAI--Division of Applications and Information.

ECW--Emergency Conservation Work.

EHC--Emergency Housing Corporation.

EHFA--Electric Home and Farm Authority.

EIB--Export-Import Bank.

FAA--Federal Alcohol Administration.

FAC--Federal Advisory Council.

FAC--Federal Aviation Commission.

FCA--Farm Credit Administration.

FCC--Federal Communications Commission.

FCT--Federal Coordinator of Transportation.

FCUS--Federal Credit Union System.

FDIC--Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

FEHC--Federal Emergency Housing Corporation.

FERA--Federal Emergency Relief Administration.

FESO--Federal Employment Stabilization.

FHA--Federal Housing Administration.

FHC--Farm Homes' Corporation.

FHLBB--Federal Home Loan Bank Board.

FICB--Federal Intermediate Credit Banks.

FMC--Farm Mortgage Corporation.

FPC--Federal Power Commission.

FRB--Federal Reserve Board.

FSHC--Federal Subsistence Homestead Corporation.

FSRC--Federal Surplus Relief Corporation.

FTC--Federal Trade Commission.

FTZB--Foreign Trade Zones Board.

GFA--Grain Futures Administration.

HOLC--Home Owners' Loan Corporation.

IAB--Industrial Advisory Board (defunct).

ICC--Interstate Commerce Commission.

IEC--Industrial Emergency Council.

JEB--Joint Economy Board.

LAB--Labor Advisory Board (defunct).

NBCC--National Bituminous Coal Commission.

NCB--National Compliance Board.

NEC--National Emergency Council.

NIRA--National Industrial Recovery Act.

NIRB--National Industrial Recovery Board.

NLRB--National Labor Relations Board.

NMB--National Mediation Board.

NPB--National Planning Board.

NPPC--National Power Policy Committee.

NRA--National Recovery Administration.

NRB--National Resources Board.

NRS--National Reemployment Service.

NYA--National Youth Administration.

PA--Petroleum Administration.

PAB--Petroleum Administrative Board (defunct).

PLPC--Petroleum Labor Policy Board (defunct).

PWA--Public Works Administration.

PWAP--Public Works of Art Projects.

RACC--Regional Agricultural Credit Corporations.

REA--Rural Electrification Administration.

RFC--Reconstruction Finance Corporation.

RRA--Rural Resettlement Administration.

RRR--Railroad Retirement Board.

SAB--Science Advisory Board.

SAPFT--Special Adviser to the President on Foreign Trade (defunct).

SBPW--Special Board for Public Works.

SEC--Securities and Exchange Commission.

SES--Soil Erosion Service.

SHD--Subsistence Homesteads Division.

SLIC--Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation.

SLRB--Steel Labor Relations Board.

SSB--Social Security Board.

TEC--The (President's) Executive Council.

TFI--Textile Foundation, Inc.

TLRB--Textile Labor Relations Board.

TVA--Tennessee Valley Authority.

TVAC--Tennessee Valley Associated Co-operatives.

TWAB--Textile Work Assignment Boards.

USES--United States Employment Service.

USIS--United States Information Service.

WAD--Works Allotment Division.

The above article is the text of a newspaper clipping saved in a scrapbook by my mother. I believe it to be from a Nevada MO newspaper circa 1936.

 

Shuttle Discovery's last flight

Space Shuttle Discovery Flown Over the U.S. Capitol

Space shuttle Discovery, mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, is seen as it flies near the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday, April 17, 2012, in Washington. Discovery, the first orbiter retired from NASA’s shuttle fleet, completed 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited the Earth 5,830 times, and traveled 148,221,675 miles. NASA will transfer Discovery to the National Air and Space Museum to begin its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and to educate and inspire future generations of explorers.

Image Credit: NASA/Smithsonian Institution/Harold Dorwin

Many years ago, I flew my parents from Kansas City MO to Tulsa OK where they attended the 50th wedding anniversary of the couple who had lived next door to us, in Tulsa, in the early 1940s. As we approached the Tulsa airport (at which my father had been a "line boy" for a time during our Tulsa residency) air traffic control called to tell us to look at our nine o'clock position to see the space shuttle. I thought they were kidding! Fortunately, my mother looked - and there the shuttle was, looking much as Discovery looks in the above photo, with a small (it looked like a toy!) chase plane (an F-104, as I recall). I was to see other shuttles, in free flight, as they returned to Edwards AFB from orbital missions.