[...]
I quickly told the story about how Izzy, the 9-year-old, had been begging me to let him try to find his way home on his own from someplace, anyplace, by subway.
I know that may sound a little scary, but it’s not. Here in New York, fam-ilies are on the subway all the time. It’s extremely, even statistically, safe. Whatever subterranean terror you see Will Smith battling in the movies goes home when the filming stops—probably to New Jersey. Our city’s murder rate is back to where it was in 1963. And, by the way, it’s probably down wherever you live, too.
That’s why letting Izzy find his way home alone seemed like a fine idea. Not dangerous. Not crazy. Not even very hard. My husband and I talked about it and agreed that our boy was ready. So on that sunny Sunday when I took him to that big, bright store, I said those words we don’t say much anymore.
“Bye-bye! Have fun!”
I didn’t leave him defenseless, of course. I gave him a subway map, a transit card, $20 in case of emergencies, and some quarters to make a call. But, no, I did not give him a cell phone. Because although I very much trusted him to get himself home, I was a lot less sure he’d get the phone there.
And remember: He had quarters.
Anyway, it all turned out fine. One subway ride, one bus ride, and one hour or so later, my son was back home, proud as a peacock (who happens to take public transportation).
[Continue at THE WEEK]
I had talked about this when this first hit the wires years ago. And personally I didn’t think too much of it, and I sort of understood where she came from. I know from people telling me that I baby my son. And at the same time I think a lot of what I suggest he does, gets thrown out because “its too dangerous.”
Says who.
I walked almosta mile each day to school by myself, now-a-days a few blocks would have you getting weird looks. I used to stay out late after school each day, and my mom didn’t freak. A few minutes late and I know my wife is wondering where we are… worried. I seriously don’t think the world has quite gotten as bad as its been made out. I think its just publisized more. Given the knowledge to take care of themselves, I think a kid can handle themselves just as well now as a decade, generation, century ago.
And yes I’m saying this as I’m told I baby my son, and I have anotehr child on the way.
Tags: children, Interesting, News, Psychology, soapbox, Society
Here is one man with huge balls. The story of “Tank Man” is both long and extremely short.
And here is a documentary about him.
Tags: China, Tiananmen, Tiananmen Square, Video
“How old is your Scotch? Ask a scientist.
Alarmed by the rising amount of counterfeit antique Scotch whisky circulating worldwide, industry experts have turned to carbon dating to verify age, London’s Daily Telegraph reports.
In one case, a 1856 bottle of Macallan Rare Reserve, expected to sell for $30,000, was withdrawn from auction after tests showed it dated from 1950.
When they get a suspicious bottle, officials at the Edinburgh-based Scotch Whisky Research Institute send samples to the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit.
There, it’s tested for carbon-14, a naturally occurring radioactive isotope that begins decaying when a plant or animal dies. Paleontologists use this method to date organic samples.
From that, the age of the barley used to make the Scotch can be determined.
Whiskies bottled after the early 1950s are even easier to spot: Nuclear tests raised the level of carbon-14 in the atmosphere, giving those samples a unique signature.
“So far there have probably been more fakes among the samples we’ve tested than real examples of old whisky,” noted an accelerator lab official.
[via FauxNews]
I’ve heard it told many times about wines, and I was curious what they came up with. But I’m now more curious about how the samples are taken and how much was used. If it’s just part of the bottle or something like that, what’s to stop someone from using an old bottle?
Tags: dating, Interesting, Liquer, Science, whiskey
Okay… I have to say this new YouTube feature is cool. They have a number of classic movies (advertising supported) available to watch. I can see losing a “few” hours here. About dot com noted “…YouTube, which has struck a deal with MGM. You can get classic movies like The Magnificent Seven, and newer stuff like Bulletproof Monk.” In just glancing they’ve added a ton of movies to the collection.
I’d almost say this was old news since the Times posted about it November of last year. But this is the first time I’ve run across advertisement about it.
For example here is the spoof MGM Bond film Casino Royale.
Background
Retired after years of international espionage, Agent 007 is lured back into action to battle the evil spy organization SMERSH in this parody of the James Bond films. David Niven portrays the aging Bond, who atypically rejects the advances of a variety of women, and agrees to battle SMERSH’s hold on the lavish Casino Royale only after organization head M is murdered. There are several other secret agents, all named James Bond also mixed up in the affair, played by everyone from Peter Sellers and Woody Allen to a chimpanzee.
Tags: Classic Movies, Feature Length Movies, Intersting, Movies, Video, YouTube
I had this comment in my queue today:
God dag! Kan jag ladda ner en bild fran din blogg. Av sak med hanvisning till din webbplats
Which seemed weird so I did a little googling and found it repeated many places.
Translated its:
Can I download an image from your blog.
Good day! Can I download an image from your blog. Of cause with reference to your site!
But like the forums which they talked about this. The launguage is norge, but the browser shows russian and the ip is from South America.
Any verdicts?
BookSurge, part of the Amazon group of companies, offers a range of services to help you create a high-quality, marketable book, as well as innovative tools and resources to help you gain exposure and build readership for your work. Services include editing, cover and interior design, promotional tools, merchandising placements on Amazon.com, and more.
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[via BookSurge]
What they have here I know would make many writers drool. I can not tell you how many authors of History Books, Self-Help Books, Recipe Books, Tech Books and so forth, have come in wanting info on publishing their own professional book. Now I have a source to point them too.
Tags: Amazon, Book Publishing, Books, On-Demand Printing, Printing, Publishers, Publishing, Writers
Since 2004, the company behind the Hotelicopter has been working to modify a Soviet-made Mil V-12 that is already the “world’s biggest helicopter” into the “world’s first flying hotel.”
Not exactly a Motel 6. This gigantic flying contraption tries to fit in a 5 – star experience like:
- private entertainment systems
- room service
- spa treatments
- yoga classes
- gaming
- a tea garden (What!??!!?)
Specs:
- Dimensions Length: 42 m (137 ft)
- Height: 14m (45 ft)
- Maximum Takeoff Weight: 105850 kg (232,870 lb)
- Maximum speed: 255 km/h (137 kt) (158 miles/h)
- Cruising speed: 237 km/h (127 kt) (147 miles/h)
- Original Mi Range: 515 km (320 mi)
- Our augmented Mi Range – 1,030 km (640 mi)
The inaugural flight is set for June 26th. If you want to know the price, you can’t afford it. Those that are interested can head on over to the Hotelicopter website (which was down) to get more info about setting up a reservation.
[via Gizmodo]
Seriously, I can’t think of a more unaffordable way to go. A Zeppelin (there are other companies with that plan) at least are fuel economical in comparison… if not a “little” old. And there are already Jumbo Jet’s set up this way, for a price.
Tags: Design, Helicopter, Hotel, Interesting, Military, Style, wtf
Yet again this is a collection of images I found on another site*, in this case a fairly sexually oriented site, that I thought a wider audience might enjoy. Plus I’m sure a few of my friends will now go crazy looking to buy some of these. (I wish I could provide links to where.) I did find a few of the shirts linked here.
Tags: Humor, Interesting, shirts, Star Wars
As a graphic Artist I used fonts and fight fonts ALL the time. So when I ran across this table (No I didn’t make it) I wanted to share and keep for posterity.
Here is a Periodic Table of Typefaces.
Tags: Design, Fonts, Interesting, Science, Typography
