On Loneliest Road, a Unique Tree Thrives [blogerated NYT link].

I always wondered why one refers to shoes over a wire in an urban setting as a shoe tree. Perhaps this is the root cause.

Ever-vigilant Roadside America offers further examples.

Impact Analysis of the Watergate Scandal on Nixon’s Gallup Poll Presidential Approval Rating, an academic study by Robert Yafee of NYU. [via this AskMe thread.]

Matt and Bart both have the, you know, online thingys with the posting and stuff. Which is purty neat.

Bellerophon is making the repeating grindy hard drive noise that means directory-structure problems. My site farm may be up and down over the next few days. Dammit, I just launched a date-and-event tied collaborative blog, too. Oh well.

Berg, Al Qaeda linked before, reports the New York Daily News.

There is some seriously weird stuff going on here.

Comm badges are set to be deployed at Seattle’s nearly-open Starfleet Headquarters main public library.

You know, the other day I happened to notice, driving by, that the administrative offices visible from the street were fully stocked with what appeared to be Aerons.

At the same time, it should be noted, this is a library system which shuts down entirely, web site included, for two weeks every year due to insufficient funding. No local library branch provides wireless internet access yet, either – I guess the installation cost of $35 to $50 in hardware is just too damn steep.

Finally, I was not surprised to learn that the central library will employ that wonder of technology, an automated book-sorting system.

In the early seventies, the newly constructed Monroe County Public Library opted to install just such a system, the “Randtreiver,” which promptly broke down and was eventually removed and replaced with that advanced functional book sorting technology known as shelving.

Auto Icon FAQ, from the Bentham Project.

The ‘Auto-Icon of Jeremy Bentham at University College London, a linked paper on the history of said curiosity.

I was led to this page by the rumor that the auto-icon was available for viewing via webcam, something that appears to have been too good to be true today, although traces appear to remain.

No panopticon for Jeremy, alas.

The Infinite Cat Project.

“It all began innocently enough when a user on a Mac help forum posted a picture of his cat, Frankie, contemplating the beauty of a flower. Shortly afterwards another user posted a picture of his cat, Sammy, bristling at the picture of the cat on the monitor.”

Following Dent’s Power Law, this must therefore be the most powerful site on the internet. [via MoFi.]

Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey – Table of Contents

This one translated by a team comprised of messrs. Leaf, Lang, Myers, and Butcher.

I’m looking for a rundown of all English translations, and keep coming up with new online versions.

How Much Does a Grecian Urn?, by the inimitable, and back in action, K-G, at the ID.

I urge you to peruse this prime slice of poesie. How this man remains unemployed is a mystery to me. But then, if I understood how it worked, I’d probably have a gig by now too, instead of spending my days soaking in SIFF press screenings.

Cincinnati’s premier Cicada information source:

From the FAQ:

What do Cicadas eat?  Human children are the primary source of nutrition for Cicadas. 

Are Cicadas poisonous?  Yes, Cicadas have a deadly venom that is injected through a small bone like tube known as the “Cicada deadly venom tube”.  The venom can kill a human being instantly.  In 1987, the last time the Cicadas emerged in Cincinnati, over 7 million people died from Cicada injections.  Many people escaped but most perished. 

Lots more helpful tips!

[via this MeFi thread]