stupid links

[squamous]

People send them to me, or I find them on my own, but either way I just can't keep them to myself.

First, via "Mike's List" we have this little animation that purports to show air traffic on standard day in the U.S. That's a lotta planes! For me, this brought to mind the claim that when air traffic over the U.S. was grounded for 3 days after 9/11, that "Without jets or contrails, the clear skies boosted the temperature swing between daytime highs and nighttime lows by about 3 degrees nationwide". Not a claim one can readily test I guess, but still sort of interesting.

For some unfortunate reason we had heated and snippy debates about voucher programs today, complete with swear words. Someone threw The Strange Case of the Marcus Garvey Charter School out for consideration. I must admit I am starting to get really curious what people think about vouchers, and why they think it. The topic does get people worked up, and does make you think about what an ideologically neutral education is, what shared values should be, etc.

And more questions. Should malignant little chimps and their slightly more civil cousins the bonobos be part of the human genus, 'officially' closer to us on the family tree (as I understand it)? And should we stop bogarting all the upgrades and get these apes talking?

Oh so many more links. Final meal requests of Texas death row inmates. Why is this online? Why am I interested?

Also, bedbugs are real.

Despite all the ill-will in the workplace today, this afternoon the office magically turned into Candyland. Dave the new guy has been bringing in big bags of candy. Mike's senses are attuned to delicate snack vibrations, and when he hears the rumble of the Whoppers carton being tilted, or sniffs Reese's Pieces, he wants a handful. I of course help myself from time to time as well, all the while cursing Dave for bringing in candy. To make it up to Dave, and also to have more candy, Mike dropped $20 on candy at a drug store this afternoon and brought it back to the office. His theme was anything Reese's Peanut Butter cup related, except, mysteriously, no actual Reese's cups. I of course cursed him for surrounding me with candy, then suggested we open the 'Reese's Bites' immediately.

Comments

[gooddreams.livejournal.com]

the only one of your links i felt compelled to click on was the death row inmates' final meal requests. why *is* that on the internet? wow. some thoughts while scrolling: people like fried chicken. very sad to see the guy who wanted Chocolate birthday cake with "2/23/90" written on top, seven pink candles. interesting that they recorded the requests for Justice, Equality, World Peace; God's saving grace, love, truth, peace and freedom; Justice, Temperance, with Mercy, etc. why can't they even give them beer or cigarettes? also, texas sure has executed a lot of people.

[squamous.livejournal.com]

The final meal requests were pretty wild. I had to try to imagine how one might feel in such a situation. Maybe you did commit a horrible crime, maybe you don't think you deserve some 'feast'. But this is your last earthly meal, isn't it OK to make that 'about you' and have your fried chicken or whatever? Some odd requests though... a pot of coffee... a flour tortilla and water... cherries and whipped cream. Did you look at any of the 'final statements'? A lot of these guys had found Jesus and wanted to apologize. Not all of them though. The birthday cake, that one was kind of sad, even if the guy apparently was a killer.

In happier news I have been enjoying that CD that you made.

Re:

[gooddreams.livejournal.com]

i didn't see the final statements--i'll have to go check that part out. i did see that you can see their photos and crime sheet.

glad you got the cd! does any of it jive with your musical tastes? (i really don't know what you listen to.)

[squamous.livejournal.com]

Hm, I mostly listen to the kind of 'classic rock' that you might've heard on an FM radio station in the early to mid 80s, combined with 'college music' from the late 80s, early 90s - just before they started calling that stuff 'alternative' if memory serves, along with some more modern stuff and some cult-type artists and curiousities. Nothing too exciting.

I had heard of maybe 3 of the artists on the CD and I only had heard of 1 of them because I read your journal. It is all fun stuff that pretty much grabs you on the first listen... it honestly reminds me of these 'Lemonlime' compilations that the spinART label put out back in the mid 90s. Those just had good catchy singles from mostly lower-profile artists (well, OK, from people I'd not heard of). I guess it is kind of afield to my tastes but still enjoyable... not like being, I dunno, a hardcore oldies fan and getting a Euro black metal mix or vice versa.

The song by The Books really intrigued me.

This was a very long answer to a short and simple question. It's early.

Re:

[gooddreams.livejournal.com]

spin art put out some great stuff. well, even if it's not your new favorite cd, maybe there will be a couple bands you'll want to check out more because of it...

[jackaninny.livejournal.com]

I think I'd just eat cabbage, beans and Burger King Onion Rings. That way when they flood my veins with the "Big Sleep Juice," I'd really stink up the joint as I slipped away from this World's surly bonds and pooped my pants (which, as I understand it, you do when you die). That would teach them to take that whole "eye for an eye" crap so seriously.

[squamous.livejournal.com]

Ha ha... there is a book, "Blackburn" by Bradley Denton where a character does that... I can't remember his last meal request but it's all stuff to guarantee that when his bowels let go, the results will be memorable. It's what they call morbidly funny I guess.

Bradley Denton does or did live in Austin btw and wrote at least one book set there, but I never read it.