GirlHacker's Random Log

noreply@blogger.com (Lilly) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:12:00 +0000

A cat spent a weekend on a power pole in Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood. Seattle City Light finally dispatched a two utility crews and two bucket trucks to get him down before someone else risked the 26,000 volts of electricity to do it. Photos.

noreply@blogger.com (Lilly) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:03:00 +0000

At Theo Chocolate in Seattle, Andy McShea uses his molecular biology background to make chocolate from actual cocoa beans. Other local chocolate makers are actually chocolatiers who start with purchased chocolate, not beans. He's truly making chocolate, like the folks down at Scharffen Berger (he doesn't have nice things to say about their parent company Hershey's), and he does it with fair trade and organic chocolate beans.

noreply@blogger.com (Lilly) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 07:54:00 +0000

Despite taking multiple precautions for fire-proofing their house, the Haroutounians of Yorba Linda, California still lost their home in the Orange County fires. A barrel tile roof, boxed eaves, brick and stucco siding and clean rain gutters may have helped stop the fire, but an ember got in an attic vent and all was lost. The vent had a mesh with quarter-inch holes. An eighth-inch hole mesh is recommended. Other fire hazards that can set off a house: wooden patio furniture, ornamental plants, mulch, and palm trees.

noreply@blogger.com (Lilly) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 07:15:00 +0000

Growing up in Connecticut, the Mystic Seaport was a popular field trip for social studies class. A maritime museum with an emphasis on 19th century seafaring life, the highlight of a Seaport visit is stepping aboard the Charles W. Morgan, the last wooden whaling ship in the world. At 167 years old, the ship has just been taken out of the water for restoration. The 3 year project actually began 10 years ago with the replacement of the shipyard's lift dock, needed to haul out the 340 ton Morgan. Wood from oak trees felled by Hurricane Katrina will be used for replacement lumber along with yellow pine scavenged from around the southeast. The N.Y. Times has an article and slide show on the impressive haul out.

noreply@blogger.com (Lilly) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 07:49:00 +0000

2008's Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is in place in New York City, ready for holiday festivities. The 8-ton, 72-foot Norway Spruce came from New Jersey. After using it as their Christmas tree in a pot indoors for a few years, the Varanyak family planted the tree outside in the early 1930s. It was bundled up and cut down last week, then taken on a secret route out of town and into Manhattan, via the George Washington Bridge (neither tunnel into the city being big enough). I found a "bird's eye" view of the tree at its old home on Live Maps as I did with last year's tree. Popular Mechanics has an explanation of how it was hoisted upright and installed at Rockefeller Center. The tree will be lit on December 3rd.

noreply@blogger.com (Lilly) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 06:32:00 +0000

It's no surprise that Sharelle Klaus, founder of Seattle's DRY Soda, had just given birth to her fourth child when she came up with the idea of a nonalcoholic, not-so-sweet soda. The significant stretch of pregnancy plus nursing time is the longest I've gone as an adult without alcohol and Klaus was on #4. I mentioned DRY Soda here in 2005 and they've recently added Vanilla Bean and Juniper Berry to their flavor line-up. Their Pioneer Square headquarters has a tasting room with champagne flutes. No ice please. Fun fact: Klaus' signature is part of the minimalist design on the first four flavors, but the two new flavors instead feature the signatures of her first two employees.

noreply@blogger.com (Lilly) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:24:00 +0000

Toscanini’s belt driven ice cream maker heads off the N.Y. Times' tour of places for science lovers in Boston. The museums at MIT and Harvard are noted, alongside the famed Boston Museum of Science (you really can't beat a one million volt Van de Graaff generator demonstration for entertaining science). The recommendations are capped off with suggestions for places to rub shoulders with the local geeks including MIT hangout, Mary Chung's restaurant. (bonus image link: Make Way For Dumplings by Craig Swanson).

noreply@blogger.com (Lilly) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:09:00 +0000

The low tire pressure warning light in my Subaru came on yesterday; we think it's because of the dip in temperature. This was the second time I've seen the light. The first time my tire had picked up a nail. So I finally decided to look up how the sensor works, especially since I was complaining that it couldn't tell me which tire was low. The Subaru "tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS)" consists of a sensor and transmitter in each tire, connected to the valve stem, and a receiver under the driver's seat. The sensor batteries are expected to last 10 years or 100,000 miles. If the receiver doesn't receive four signals, the warning light will flash, and although each sensor does have a separate ID code, there's no method to determine where that tire actually is. All cars sold in the U.S. now must have TPMS and fancier cars do let you know which wheel is low.

noreply@blogger.com (Lilly) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:17:00 +0000

In time for Thanksgiving, the TSA is adding a family lane to most airport security checkpoints. This line, while slower, will allow families with children to relax and take things at their own pace. Travelers with "medically necessary liquids" above the 3 ounce limit will also use the lanes. Our son became such an expert at removing his own shoes and listening to directions that we'd probably stick to the regular line, but multiply him by 2 or 3 at various ages and the line would be a huge relief.

noreply@blogger.com (Lilly) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:49:00 +0000

There was an actual, working farm close to our house in Mountain View, California. A relic in Silicon Valley's Santa Clara County, where at most you'll find a few acres of fruit trees retained for historical reasons, the farm on Grant Road was held in fond regard by locals. I used to stop by their fruit and veggie stand. Seth told me last week that the farm is now a vacant field. The owners sold it a couple years ago and it will likely become another cluster of too-close-together houses. The good news is that the farm's shiny windmill was dismantled and put back together at the Rengstorff House in Shoreline Park. It stands next to the replica tank house, providing an accurate picture of how water used to be stored for farm irrigation.

noreply@blogger.com (Lilly) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 09:23:00 +0000

The 'Studio of Exhaustion From Diligent Service' is the fancy name for the retirement home the Qianlong Emperor built within the Forbidden City, but never used much, preferring to keep close watch over his son's rule. The quarters were shut off and neglected when the City became a museum and the artwork within deteriorated over the years. A $3 million restoration, run jointly by the Palace Museum in Beijing and the World Monuments Fund, is now complete and will soon be open to the public. It reveals intricate craftsmanship, amazing both for its antiquity and its handiwork by present day artists who were brought in to recreate almost lost techniques.

noreply@blogger.com (Lilly) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:29:00 +0000

The Star-Spangled Banner, the large flag that reportedly inspired Francis Scott Key to write what became our national anthem, underwent a preservation project that began in 1998. Extensive and painstaking, including the hand removal of 1.7 million stitches to get rid of a linen backing, the restoration concluded in 2005. The Smithsonian National Museum of American History, home of the flag, closed in 2006 for major renovations including the creation of a new gallery to display the flag in an environment that will continue to preserve it. The flag has such historical value that the museum was originally designed with it as its centerpiece, and the renovations maintain the flag's role as the primary attraction. Mary Pickersgill, her daughter, and two nieces created the 30 by 42 feet flag which flew at Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. 400 yards of cloth were used, each stripe being two feet wide, and Pickersgill pieced it together on the floor of a brewery. The U.S. Army paid her $405.90. Unlike today's respectful flag keeping, portions of it, including a star and full swath of the fly edge, were clipped off for souvenirs so it's now smaller.

noreply@blogger.com (Lilly) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 09:11:00 +0000

Asphalt, the sticky stuff used to pave roads, comes from the "bottom of the barrel" of crude oil, what remains after gasoline and other substances are removed. There's currently an asphalt shortage that has delayed road repairs across the U.S. Two factors are cited. One is oil refineries installing cokers which can refine lower grade crude oil into gas and diesel, bringing in more profits than asphalt leftovers. Second, refineries have also cut back production of a polymer that's added to asphalt to increase durability. Concrete producers may find their pricier alternative becoming more in demand for roads.

noreply@blogger.com (Lilly) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:38:00 +0000

Winterizing becomes a daunting challenge when you're in charge of 1,600 towers that carry high-voltage power to customers in New York. Con Edison workers inspect each tower for damage, pilfered grounding wire, damaged ceramic insulators (sometimes shot by frustrated deer hunters), and bird nests. Winter's snow, ice, and wind add extra stress. With the help of Lidar they track the distance between cables and trees and remove any that may take down a line.

noreply@blogger.com (Lilly) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 09:42:00 +0000

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma aced his appearance on the Colbert Report. Doesn't everyone know that most classical musicians have a much better sense of humor than your average pop/rock star?

noreply@blogger.com (Lilly) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 09:19:00 +0000

Liberal Seattle wasn't an American flag-displaying kind of city -- until now. "With newfound patriotism, Seattleites want to wave the flag, hang it from their homes and stick it on their cars." It's everyone's flag again.

noreply@blogger.com (Lilly) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 10:06:00 +0000

Coming soon to the U.S. Iron Chef Wine. It's all about the branding y'know.

noreply@blogger.com (Lilly) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:30:00 +0000

Next year, King County Superior Court will file all legal paperwork electronically. The already dwindling bike courier profession is likely to shrink even further. When the federal courts eliminated paper documents, courier services were not longer used. However as a specialization, the few remaining bike courier companies may be able to charge more for this special service.

noreply@blogger.com (Lilly) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 08:45:00 +0000

A miscellaneous list of links for Election Day diversions. All inappropriately long to keep you from what you really want to be paying attention to:

The history of balloons. From animal bladders to foil and everything in between (and inside).
The Atlantic's Corby Kummer on saving the American Chestnut (The American Chestnut Foundation)
Whiff a short piece by John McPhee from Nov 2003: "William Shawn, this magazine’s editor absolute for a great many years, used to tell his nonfiction writers that the world’s worst subject was the future. Hard to tie down, the future could too easily come loose and take off on unexpected vectors."
America's First Transcontinental Highway: "The Lincoln Highway began in Times Square, Broadway and 42nd, New York City, and ended in Lincoln Park, San Francisco, spanning the continental United States in 3,389 miles." (more about the Lincoln Highway)
Aaron Sorkin's Sports Night is out on DVD again in a special 10th anniversary addition. I mention this mostly to say (shhhhhhhh) every episode of the show is on YouTube right now... just search (shhhhh!!! do NOT pass this on and remember, once you find them, you may be stranded there for hours).

And please, if you can, vote.

noreply@blogger.com (Lilly) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 07:13:00 +0000

As liquidation sales entice bargain hunters into "all sales final" deals, the S.F. Chronicle clues shoppers into what is really going on behind the scenes. Don't forget, liquidators are there to get as much money as they can for the creditors. Sometimes liquidators even bring in merchandise that wasn't even sold at the store, presumably to make the inventory look better. Prices aren't all that amazing at the beginning of the liquidation and, of course, the selection gets worse as they go down to true bargain territory. Shop around and don't make quick decisions, especially considering the inability to make returns.

noreply@blogger.com (Lilly) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 06:42:00 +0000

Berkeley Breathed has sent Opus off to a warm and loving nap spot. Clement Hurd, the illustrator of Goodnight Moon, owed his career in children's books to Margaret Wise Brown, the author of that same bedtime classic. Brown wrote a book, Bumble Bugs and Elephants, in 1938 specifically to showcase Hurd's talents. Their subsequent collaborations on The Runaway Bunny and Goodnight Moon anchored their place of honor in childrens' libraries. Years after his death in 1988, Clement Hurd made news again in 2005 when HarperCollins decided to remove the cigarette from his photo on Goodnight Moon. His estate agreed to the alteration (Hurd quit smoking in the 1950s) but some purists were not amused.

noreply@blogger.com (Lilly) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 08:28:00 +0000

I'm oddly fascinated by this Norma Kamali dress decorated with The New York Times logo. (Christie's listing)

noreply@blogger.com (Lilly) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 08:11:00 +0000

Thirty years ago, Connecticut passed the Farm Winery Act allowing wineries to sell wine and hold tastings. The Hopkins family in the town of Warren liquidated their dairy equipment and 250 cows and started planting grapes. Their ancestor Stephen Hopkins came over on the Mayflower and the farmland has been in the family since 1787. Other nearby farmland has also turned to vineyards. Connecticut has a tally of at least 19 wineries in the state.

noreply@blogger.com (Lilly) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:28:00 +0000

My go-to chocolate dessert recipes from Epicurious: Deep Dark Chocolate Cheesecake and Flourless Chocolate Cake (I haven't made the caramel sauce yet, just serve with whipped cream or ice cream -- or both). Both work well with the Trader Joe's 72% Dark Chocolate bars (with math or a scale to calculate the amounts). No complicated techniques involved, just melting and mixing, and both give me an excuse to take out my handy springform pan.

noreply@blogger.com (Lilly) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:24:00 +0000

Bellevue police chasing a suspect were aided by construction workers and a crane operator who radioed down instructions. With numerous cranes still up (I stopped trying to count), no fugitive is safe downtown during building hours. Perhaps the real estate slowdown will help.