The title of this article amused me: “Slide rule clings to life in the Internet Age“. I pictured a lonely slide rule, let’s say an “easy on the eyes” yellow model, hanging onto the bottom of a drawer for dear life. The article is actually very informative about the history of the slide rule, noting details of days past, such as a “techie’s” identity being based on what brand of slide rule they used. More recently, one collector gathered up 70 slide rules from eBay for about $1,300. There’s more where those came from. I wonder if the gigantic teacher’s model that was hanging over the blackboard of my junior high science classroom is still there. My teacher never actually used it; he kept it there for reminiscing about the good old days.

I’m still reading through my musty-smelling Time-Life Foods of the World series, collected from various used bookstores along the west coast. In one of the books on American cooking, there was a side note on eggs. It described various cooking methods and then stated that if you weren’t really sure how to cook eggs, you should contact your “county home-demonstration agent”. “Huh?” said I, and off to the web I went. I found many mentions of home-demonstration agents on web pages chronicling women and home life in the early 1900’s.

A job description from TBRNet reads: “Develops, organizes, and conducts programs for individuals in rural communities to improve farm and family life: Lectures and demonstrates techniques in such subjects as nutrition, clothing, home management, home furnishing, and child care. Visits homes to advise families on problems, such as family budgeting and home remodeling. Organizes and advises clubs, and assists in selecting and training leaders to guide group discussions and demonstrations in subjects, such as sewing, food preparation, and home decoration. Writes leaflets and articles and talks over radio and television to disseminate information. Participates in community activities, such as judging at rural fairs and speaking before parent-teachers associations. May direct 4-H Club activities.” In reading through the short biographies of women who held these jobs, it seems many were pioneers in the field of home economics, and had the opportunity, rare for women, to participate in government committees. It’s likely that this job still exists in some communities.

The home-demonstration agent appears to have been connected to the Cooperative Extension System, run by the USDA. They publish a Journal of Extension, where I discovered a review of the 1968 novel “County Agent”. It relates the tale of a home economics major who trains to be a home demonstration agent, surviving through tragedy, acceptance by the community, and fix-ups with the local county agricultural agent (apparently the male love interest). As the reviewer notes, this book now serves more as a historical document than a modern novel. I have an interest in “dated” girl’s series books, many of which are now hard to find and sell as collector’s items. I enjoy the nostalgic whimsy of reading the romanticized, often blatantly racist and sexist, tales of women forging non-traditional paths in times not so very distant. It’s heartening to realize what strides have been made recently, and sometimes, it’s a bit sad to remember where we still need to go.

Dave Faris is continuing to update his PenCam Gallery. He’s got a PenCam 2 and a PenCam VR now.

Safeway seems to have stopped carrying Stonyfield yogurt. They still have a few of the 32oz containers, but the 8oz cups are nowhere to be found. I eat Stonyfield yogurt (strawberry or vanilla) for breakfast every morning. So you can believe that I whined mightily at all the employees who asked me if I was “finding everything OK?” I was already previously complaining that they always ran out of strawberry and vanilla, and was hoping to campaign for them to start carrying some of the other flavors I find yummy instead of the peach (bland) and chocolate (bleh). But now the campaign will have to take on a more aggressive nature, or I’ll have to start shopping at Wild Oats, or make the drive to Mollie Stone’s more often. Why do I like Stonyfield? They don’t use high fructose corn syrup, the nonfat yogurt is creamy and rich, not gelatinous, it has real identifiable pieces of fruit, and it just tastes darn good!

One of the coolest techie things I ever did was walk up to a printer in a library, point an Apple Newton at it, and make the printer print. That was a few years ago. I was so thrilled then that something like that could happen. It was two different manufacturers speaking some common language, without the need for wires! It seemed so futuristic. Infrared, radio waves, psychic energy, whatever. Nowadays we have phones, networking, more infrared beaming, and even broadband access without wires. The future is here. Let’s make the most of it.

Astronomy Picture of the Day comes through once again with an enlightening photo. Moonbows are just like rainbows, but they are lit by the moon (I guess a rainbow is actually a “sunbow”). Here’s a Moonbow at Yosemite and info on Kentucky’s Cumberland Falls Moonbow.

We saw the more detailed trailers for Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings before we saw A.I. I have to say, they both look quite scary! It’s one thing to read the frightening parts of a book and another to see them come to life in someone else’s less cozy vision.

Notable closing credit from A.I.: art glass by Dale Chihuly. I don’t remember seeing any, but I am not surprised.

Don’t you want a Star Trek helm in your living room? It was made for the Deep Space 9 episode that fit itself into the original series’ “Trouble with Tribbles” episode. I wonder who got the captain’s chair (not included)?

A Mercury News reporter (Mike Cassidy) actually had the gall (well, maybe it didn’t take that much chutzpah) to ask John McCarthy to go see A.I. with him. The John McCarthy. As in, the guy who named artificial intelligence “artificial intelligence”. As in, the guy who invented LISP. OK, so maybe I’m just jealous that I didn’t think of taking him myself. Not that he’d go with little ol’ me. But he did go with the reporter. And I think he liked the movie. I didn’t read the article too closely because I haven’t seen A.I. yet and the less I know, the better.