Fun with the CHP Traffic Incident Information Page:
Incident: 1946 Type: Traffic Hazard – Loose Animal Location: CAMINO DIABLO AT MARSH CREEK RD Zoom Map: 636 2D Info as of: 2/24/2003 7:01:50 PM
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
6:29PM – AC 1097 – WILL 1023 FOR CHP
6:29PM – CHP ASSIST – ROUNDING UP COW
6:29PM – ANOTHER COW OO THE FENCE
RESPONDING OFFICERS STATUS
6:45PM – CHP Unit Enroute

On the heels of the Discover 2GO Card comes Bank of America’s mini-card. Designed for your keychain, the card has the account number in a small font so it can’t be easily read, and they claim you are not liable for any unauthorized use if you inform them when it is stolen. Next up, I’d like a credit card that I can paint on periodically with nail polish. I probably won’t lose that and the bottle can stay at home. (via eatonweb)

A very useful battery handbook, for those who are confused about things like whether you should fully drain before charging and whether batteries should be stored fully charged (never fully charge or discharge Li-ion before storage). I am accumulating too many devices with rechargeable batteries, and I’ve already worn out my digital Elph battery. Luckily that one’s easily replaceable, but the one in my Palm isn’t. (via Gizmodo)

Steve reports that the Joe Jackson Band is back with a new album and tour. They’re playing at SXSW. The album release date is March 11th.

There’s nothing like a NY Times food critic to validate an icon of food nostalgia. William Grimes, worried by a report that Times Square’s Howard Johnson restaurant may be closing, made a pilgrimage to relive the old times. Grimes reveals the reason why I was so enamored of the mint chocolate chip ice cream under those orange roofs. In the 1920’s, long before those gourmet brands we know and love today, Mr. Johnson bought an ice cream recipe from a German peddlar. It contained double the butterfat of the typical ice cream and used natural flavorings. I had thought it was yummy mostly because of the treat of eating out, but now I know the real secret, as do those guys Ben & Jerry. Grimes also mentions that Jacques Pépin, one of HoJo’s original consultant chefs, has written a memoir which will include reminiscences of his days at the restaurant. As for the Times Square location, the parent company says it will stay put. But the future for the chain as a whole still seems bleak. The total HoJo’s count is down to 11, plus one in Puerto Rico. (What I wrote about HoJo’s one year ago.)

I spent a good portion of my prime violin practicing years learning a proper vibrato. I had to do finger exercises, retrain my left arm to hold the instrument differently, and waggle my arm up and down over and over until my hand flopped back and forth on my wrist in a graceful undulation instead of a stiff whap. I can now flatten the top joint of my left pinky in a way that my right pinky would fear meant it was broken. All these efforts delayed the advancement of my repertoire, since all else stopped while we concentrated on my vibrato. For without vibrato, a violinist is nothing. Conductor Roger Norrington might disagree, however. He wrote a NY Times article that laments the advent of the modern “vibrato era.” From Fritz Kreisler’s “gentle shimmer” grew the impressive constant warble that is fashionable today. Orchestras started a shift to continuous vibrato in the 1920s, starting with the French, and reaching the German and Austrian groups in the late 1930s. The implication is that during the lifetimes of the classical, romantic, and even many late romantic composers, vibrato was not a constant feature. Norrington argues for the return to pure tone, stating that “Because the sound is not glamorized, phrasing becomes more important. Nowadays symphony orchestras tend to rely on sound rather than shape.” If this belief spreads, musicians will no longer be able to hide poor tuning behind fancy vibrato technique. (andante.com writeup)

Wired News notes that wireless provider Ricochet is still making a go of a comeback under Aerie. With service already rolled out in Denver and San Diego, the company has a long read ahead before they can support the 21 areas of coverage the original company offered in 2001. They are taking a reasonable pace, only planning to roll out 3-5 more cities before the end of 2003. Each new location poses logistical challenges as access to thousands of repeaters located mostly on streetlights will have to be renegotiated with each city. Ricochet hopes to work out deals offering free access to local police officers.

Was it an inside job? Who had the knowledge and audacity to swipe so many gems from Antwerp’s Diamond Centre? 123 of 160 vaults were cleaned out. Ten years ago, five vaults were robbed for an estimated loss of $4.55 million. According to this article on a foiled theft of the diamonds in London’s Millennium Dome, “the Guinness Book of Records says the world’s largest gem theft was carried out in August 1994 by three men who stole items valued at $43 million from a jewelry shop in the Carlton Hotel in Cannes, France.” Does the record still stand? A group of diamond merchants in Belgium are hoping so.

It’s fun to make a little joke about “The Book on the Bookshelf” being on the bookshelf. But it could be great fun to joke about “The Book on the Bookshelf” being on the book bookshelf. Jim Rosenau takes discarded hardback books, replaces most of their insides with salvaged lumber and creates unique bookshelves. (Rosenau, with partner Charlie Varon is responsible for those Salon.com haiku competitions.)

A new museum devoted to the art of the picture book recently opened in Amherst, Massachusetts. Founded by the author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and his wife, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art has a noble mission to “collect, present, preserve, and interpret picture book art from around the world recognizing its importance as an art form.” Readers of all ages are invited to view special exhibitions and try out crafts for creating their own illustrations.