tingilinde

tingilinde turns 10,000!

 

 

10,000 posts

 

yikes - tingilinde has been around since 2002.   I've spent about $1,000 on it over the years along with a few hours.  Thanks to all who have commented and suggested links and topics!

I'll have some ice cream in celebration - it is a lame excuse, but if you are looking for one ...

the vanishing american dream

A piece by Timothy Noah on income inequality and lack of opportunity - and why people overestimate opportunity

snip

When Americans expressindifference about the problem of unequal incomes, it’s usually because they see the United States as a land of boundless opportunity. Sure, you’ll hear it said, our country has pretty big income disparities compared with Western Europe. And sure, those disparities have been widening in recent decades. But stark economic inequality is the price we pay for living in a dynamic economy with avenues to advancement that the class-bound Old World can only dream about. We may have less equality of economic outcomes, but we have a lot more equality of economic opportunity.

The problem is, this isn’t true. Most of Western Europe today is both more equal in incomes and more economically mobile than the United States. And it isn’t just Western Europe. Countries as varied as Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, and Pakistan all have higher degrees of income mobility than we do. A nation that prides itself on its lack of class rigidity has, in short, become significantly more economically rigid than many other developed countries. How did our perception of ourselves end up so far out of sync with reality?

...

 

 

 

(thanks for the link Bart)

rmoney romney battles to get to the right of genghis kahn

sometimes satire gets to the heart of things

a tip of the hat to Jim ...

 

grave marker aliases...

Bjarne notes a novel use of QR codes...  (translation by Google translate)

staying active at 100

taking a bike ride for his 100th birthday

snip

Marchand, who turned 100 a few months ago, completed 24.251km around the velodrome at the World Cycling Centre in Aigle, Switzerland. "But I’m not playing at being a champion," he said. "I just wanted to do something for my 100th birthday."

He rode a standard track bike with no aero equipment for his attempt, his biggest problem being his familiarity with velodrome riding. "I haven’t cycled on a track for 80 years," he said. "You have to get used to the fixed gear! I prefer cycling outside but that is impossible at the moment. I don’t want to catch the flu. So I am short on training."

During his preparation, Marchand was warned not to get his heart rate above 110, a rule that for the most part he obeyed. "I did climb a steep hill not long ago and went up to 134 but it’s best to avoid that," he said. "But I would be very surprised if I had heart attack.

"For the last five years I have decided not to go for rides of more than 100km. There is no point going overboard. I want to keep cycling for some time yet."

... (more)

 

 

 

 

headless heartland

I have refrained about commenting on the controvery about the Heartland Institute this week - but it is deepening and serous law-breaking may have taken place.

These guys are extremely anti-science   They are funded by people who want to protect the status-quo to maximize their own profits ...  certainly all of that is within their right - but they may have crossed a line.

They also are involved with the telcos ... something those companies should watch if this suddenly becomes hypertoxic...

It will be interesting to watch...

 

 

transport bike

If you do a lot of shopping within a few miles of where you live and want to drop car use - possibly even getting rid of one of the cars - transport bikes are worth looking at.  Although they are still rare in the US, a variety of models are available.  Over the weekend I saw a Trek Transport at the local grocery store - the first I've seen around here.  These go for about $1400 and can haul fairly large loads safely and comfortably.  The bike appeared to be built well and they are well equiped for the money...  if you have hills or longer distances to cover there is a human-electric hybrid version for about $2800.  

About the only changes I'd like to see are a rear fender  (cheap for the rider to install or have installed) and perhaps a carbon belt drivetrain with an enclosed multispeed rear hub (that would best be done on a premium version of the bike and would probably add $300 to $400 to the price).

 

services where you are the product

Google and Facebook are interesting services -  the end user does not buy the product, but is the product.  I've become more and more unconfortable with that type of relation and even though it is impossible to avoid, I've been cutting back usage of this type of service.

A recent note about Google and Apple Safari users...  (c|net article as the wsj story is behind their paywall)

"evil" is a relative thing I guess..

 

 

listen --

this WBUR OnPoint interview of Kevin Olusola is a complete delight! (47m mp3)

 

 

guessed a name...

There is always some speculation about how Apple names its OS X releases - here was mine last Spring.

and today from John Gruber...