tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20254132011-12-13T22:59:33.530-05:00random comments from John I. Hritz, Ann ArborJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.comBlogger2061100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-35057319489354044392011-12-07T02:40:00.001-05:002011-12-07T14:40:19.941-05:00

Hramblings: Rural fire protection, civility, community and tragedy of the commons **UPDATES**The web has been buzzing over a story about a man in Obion County whose house was allowed to burn to the ground due to not paying a $75 fee to the city of South Fulton, TN. Several bloggers have suggested that this highlights the difference between liberal and conservative notions of governance.I

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-5353342282667221382011-05-20T21:27:00.004-04:002011-05-20T21:51:33.604-04:00

Hramblings: The search for rational pricing continues...Recently there was a push to raise taxi meter rates in Ann Arbor and we're planning to be out of town for about two weeks. One of the exercises we go through is whether to hire a limo to take us to the airport or drive ourselves. There are now multiple ways to get to DTW from private limo to shared van rides. None of these options can

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-73756099965215447892011-01-27T20:04:00.005-05:002011-01-28T03:09:35.466-05:00

Hrecommended: My favorite books of 2006-2010Hard to imagine why I haven't posted a book list for five years. Three of those years were spent in grad school. This meant that I spent most of my reading time on course packs and weighty text books. There were times for reading for pleasure and avocation too.Animals Make Us Human by Temple Grandin. Temple has been in the news due to her HBO

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-4936845387067875112010-12-26T16:34:00.008-05:002011-02-09T23:13:04.042-05:00

Hrecommended: My Best of Ann Arbor Food for 2010The alphabetical order by venue is intentional. All of these places have more going for them than just the items I've chosen to highlight. That said, most of these are local, owner-operated and almost certainly have less consistency to their execution than the robots at a chain restaurant can deliver. This was the year of the food cart as vehicle

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-80047496668099217882010-11-27T07:09:00.010-05:002010-12-26T18:42:45.819-05:00

Hramblings: My Top Movies of 2010Note: This is my list. It probably doesn't match anyone elses. That's more or less by design. Ann Arbor gets flicks that don't hit other markets, but frequently Oscar contenders show up after the awards go out. My movie watching was a casualty of the graduate degree. Most of it was on Netflix, a good bit of it streaming from Amazon, relatively few forays to the

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-11140589749768847892010-06-09T16:19:00.002-04:002010-06-09T16:56:03.001-04:00

Hramblings: Heeding tornado warningsThe recent spate of tornadoes in southern lower Michigan generated some interesting conversations. Despite tornado sirens warning people to take cover, most did nothing.I have a NOAA Weather radio that is triggered by various hazards including severe thunderstorms, floods and tornadoes. Modern versions of these radios are selective about when they signal a

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-19922707210375121382010-05-10T18:30:00.006-04:002010-05-10T19:09:59.339-04:00

Trip Hreport: TorontoThe plan for this trip to Toronto was to do a clockwise loop around Lake Erie with stops in New Baltimore, Toronto, Niagra Falls and Cleveland. We headed out right as President Obama's choppers started their orbits of the stadium, so we were pleasantly surprised that we could get on the highway and on our way.The primary objective of the trip was to attend the Toronto

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-26196596003644479172010-01-03T17:24:00.006-05:002010-01-10T18:12:48.228-05:00

Hramblings: Favorite Movies of the Decade and BeyondNote: Making a list of the best movies of the decade is difficult, but here's my favorites. These are movies that generated repeated discussions, memorable scenes, multiple viewings, etc. More importantly, these are movies that I would watch again in the next decade. Some are epics, some are B-movies, most are neither.Two dozen made the cut

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-53142876678060134262010-01-02T03:37:00.001-05:002010-01-05T08:39:03.611-05:00

Hroad trips 2009In defiance of local conventions, we generally leave town on football Saturdays. Grad school has also conspired to limit my travel so car trips seem to fit the schedule better.Bloomington, Indiana (a surprisingly good foodie city. Farm and Restaurant Tallent were inexpensive and very good)South Haven (shortest drive to pounding surf, give Tello's carbonara a try)Baltimore -->

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-11312786600487191592009-12-30T22:55:00.002-05:002009-12-30T23:10:15.159-05:00

Hrecommended: My Best of Ann Arbor Food for 2009The alphabetical order by venue is intentional. All of these places have more going for them than just the items I've chosen to highlight. That said, most of these are local, owner-operated and almost certainly have less consistency to their execution than the robots at a chain restaurant can deliver. This year has been hard on local food outlets.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-83493718743896152422009-12-21T11:24:00.005-05:002009-12-21T13:45:30.352-05:00

Hramblings: My Top Movies of 2009Note: This is my list. It probably doesn't match anyone elses. That's more or less by design. Ann Arbor gets flicks that don't hit other markets, but frequently Oscar contenders show up after the awards go out. Nothing too challenging this year except (perhaps) "This is England". My advice is to pay attention to ratings and descriptions.AnvilBela Fleck: Throw

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-57747463458213252132009-04-27T10:00:00.005-04:002009-04-27T10:24:19.716-04:00

Hramblings: Buddy can you spare a tire?In the old days, you had a spare tire that was part of the tire rotation loop. Over time this was replaced by a temporary spare that was only used to get you to the repair facility. There are a smattering of run-flat options that feature a stiffened side-wall and/or an internal rubber support on the wheel.More recently we've seen inflators with tire

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-40282974551330958012009-01-18T15:53:00.003-05:002009-02-07T22:56:24.174-05:00

Hrecommended: My Best of Ann Arbor Food for 2008The alphabetical order by venue is intentional. All of these places have more going for them than just the items I've chosen to highlight. That said, most of these are local, owner-operated and almost certainly have less consistency to their execution than the robots at a chain restaurant can deliver. This year has been hard on local food outlets.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-58279389241380637122009-01-01T18:07:00.009-05:002009-01-01T18:42:00.396-05:00

Hramblings: My Best of the Internet 2008tools:Firefox and Opera Mini -- desktop and cellphone browsers resp.Google -- generalized searchGmail -- email clientBloglines -- RSS readerDelicious -- bookmark managerFlickr -- photographyPandora and Slacker -- music servicesJajah -- International VOIP that worksblogs:Green Car CongressAutoblog GreenMake MagazineSchneier on

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-89835905729898517972009-01-01T00:01:00.002-05:002009-01-01T00:03:12.712-05:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Happy New Year 2009! Snow and Mist, originally uploaded by jhritz.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-8321724080773729742008-12-25T17:18:00.000-05:002008-12-25T22:10:57.323-05:00

My Top Movies of 2008Note: This is my list. It probably doesn't match anyone elses. That's more or less by design. Ann Arbor gets flicks that don't hit other markets, but frequently gets Oscar contenders after the awards go out. 2008 was another great year for movies. Some of the choices this year are edgy or offbeat (YPF, The Gymnast). My advice is to pay attention to ratings and

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-63995051600021768402008-12-19T20:04:00.006-05:002008-12-19T21:35:18.168-05:00

Hrequests HreduxWhen I put my first web page up in late 1999, it had a Hrequests section that asked about things that weren't known to the search engines at the time. I thought it might be interesting to see how far we've come:Has anyone ever seen a book or website on the subject of hojojitsu/hojojutsu? This is the Japanese art of binding used by the Saumurai to tie up their

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-87556381717741869292008-12-15T14:56:00.002-05:002008-12-15T15:32:45.583-05:00

My Top Music of 2008This year was better than most for music and musicians. There was a lot to like from traditional to groundbreaking. Mature vocalists, guitarists of various styles, covers, blues, funk, folk, and jazz are represented in this list.Air and Kilometers by guitarist Kaki KingCoat Check Dream Song by Bright EyesEbon Coast by finger-style guitarist Andy McKeeFine Line by Little Big

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-18652679477520156042008-11-29T22:47:00.002-05:002008-11-29T23:25:22.068-05:00

Hroad tripsIn defiance of local conventions, I leave town on football Saturdays. Our old escape route took us out to Tecumseh to the now departed Chocolate Vault. This year we went to Blissfield, Mason, Napoleon, Clinton, Eaton Rapids, Fenton, South Bend and Traverse City to avoid the madness. A few notables that would bear a repeat visit next fall:The Napoleon Cafe in Napoleon, MI. Come

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-56950834039295634792008-11-25T15:08:00.002-05:002008-11-25T15:10:58.654-05:00

''I spend a lot of time lying very still and thinking flu-related thoughts. One insight I have had is that all this time, scientists have been telling us the truth: Air really IS made up of tiny objects called "molecules." I know this because I can feel them banging against my body. There are billions and billions and billions of them, but if I concentrate, I can detect each one individually,

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-77749549083653873542008-11-24T14:22:00.007-05:002008-11-24T15:11:17.429-05:00

Hrecommended: The 2008 H-list*I've skipped making this list for a few years because there wasn't much new to suggest, but here are a few ideas:Magazine subscriptions from Utne Reader, Paste, I.D., Photography Monthly, or WanderlustSketchbooks and Journals -- sometimes a gluestick, scissors and a fistful of pencils works better than ColdFusion Journal to the Self or Keeping a Nature Journal --

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-74888005526496008392008-11-21T15:46:00.002-05:002008-11-21T15:52:15.513-05:00

"When you have shot and killed a man you have in some measure clarified your attitude toward him. You have given a definite answer to a definite problem. For better or worse you have acted decisively. In a way, the next move is up to him."-- RA Lafferty (this was one of the darker entries in the Unix fortune database)

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-4543142213841104892008-10-29T10:42:00.006-04:002008-10-29T10:54:15.822-04:00

Hramblings: Newspaper endorsements and who elects the presidentBased on candidate rhetoric you'd believe that the country is primarily composed of lifelong commited members of the Democratic or Republican parties. This map of newspaper endorsements and the table of shifts from Bush to Obama reminded me of a discussion in my political science class. Clinton Rossiter breaks down each parties

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-45546006033889058682008-10-14T13:02:00.003-04:002008-10-14T13:11:19.266-04:00

Hramblings: Poet e e cummings born today, 1894Cummings was notable for his layout, neologism, grammer and typographical choices; but even more so for his ability to break these rules and still evoke deep emotion. In his poem, Anyone lived in a pretty how town for example, the lines "he sang his didn't he danced his did" and "they sowed their isn't they reaped their same" create remarkably clear

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-16274564043527657062008-10-01T16:08:00.002-04:002008-10-01T16:11:21.614-04:00

Hramblings: Jimmy Carter born today in 1924President Carter can be credited with redefining what a retired president does with their time after leaving office, but his words from the 70s seem very familiar...

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-33603373005615793052008-08-29T15:39:00.002-04:002008-08-29T15:52:39.463-04:00

Hramblings: Dr. Temple Grandin born today, 1947I've followed Temple Grandin's career since reading about her in Oliver Sack's book, "An Anthropologist on Mars." Dr. Grandin is an expert in animal behavior and a well-known designer of humane animal handling systems. She provides a unique and well articulated view on how people with autism should be treated and moreover, that their perspective

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-74883825106915442552008-08-26T15:51:00.002-04:002008-08-26T16:06:50.086-04:00

Hramblings: 2008 Fall Penny Stamps Design LecturesEvery year, UofM has a variety of designers, artists and engineers come in for an hour lecture on their work followed by a Q&A. Think of it as Ann Arbor's TED conference. Some are odd, others inspiring and a few are jaw dropping. Past lectures have included Arthur Ganson, Michael Braungart, and Peter Richards. This year's offerings are

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-88804963011461457362008-08-19T23:14:00.002-04:002008-08-19T23:30:13.742-04:00

Hramblings: Computer scientist Gordon Bell born todayEvery once in a while I check in on how things are going with MyLifeBits, particularly the SenseCam. There are no cheap small digital fisheye cameras at this writing although someone tried to construct one from a security peephole. Lomography has a new version of their analog fisheye, but you're not going to take a days worth of photos with

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-73086099130350549402008-08-16T16:08:00.006-04:002008-08-16T16:48:14.815-04:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Hroadtrips: Coal-fired pizza in Michigan During a lengthy discussion on the state of pizza in Ann Arbor, I related a story about childhood trips to a pizza place in Johnstown, PA. The secret was a coal oven which yielded an

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-68552610926728821932008-07-21T19:11:00.005-04:002008-11-14T23:20:51.385-05:00

Hramblings: The Briarwood ReportBriarwood's grasp of economic theory always seems to me a little suspect. Today was no exception. Coming soon to the center court: a pretzel place, within a few steps of an existing pretzel place. For those just joining the discussion, this is similar to the hot dog place going in across the hall from another hot dog place. Or the ink cartridge filling business

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-36518518293055580222008-07-08T08:27:00.003-04:002008-07-08T08:31:43.736-04:00

Hreviews: Hancock (***/5)The premise is an attractive one: a superhero with a serious personality disorder. The three leads (Smith, Theron, Bateman) do a very nice job with their characters, but things slowly unravel in the third act. Worth a look for folks looking for a unique character treatment, but I'd wait until its available as a rental.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-23405766483315207472008-06-01T21:40:00.004-04:002008-06-05T15:23:01.693-04:00

Cupcake Station, originally uploaded by jhritz.In typical Ann Arbor style, the Washington Street Gallery which had moved to Liberty and is now on Main will be the new location for Cupcake Station. We got to sample some of their wares at Taste of Ann Arbor.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-48930140070133273312008-05-02T16:33:00.002-04:002008-05-02T16:43:36.784-04:00

Hramblings: Los Tres Amigos changes handsLos Tres Amigos quietly changed hands and is now El Camino Real. The decor has been changed to neons, the uniforms are a bit long on "flair" and has the feel of a chain. The new owners appear to have had a long run in Toledo with a restaurant of the same name. Food quality seems to be similar if not a bit better. The menu is quite a bit shorter. The

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-35724165864568369292008-04-12T17:25:00.003-04:002008-05-21T20:35:54.623-04:00

Hrecommended: My Best of Ann Arbor Food for 2007The alphabetical order by venue is intentional. All of these places have more going for them than just the items I've chosen to highlight. That said, most of these are local, owner-operated and almost certainly have less consistency to their execution than the robots at your local chain can deliver. As always, this is my list. Yours will almost

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-12914355689068451352008-03-30T14:23:00.002-04:002008-04-12T17:23:56.537-04:00

Hramblings: Smithee Awards 17 in Ann Arbor at a new venue (updated) From the Smithee website:One more year and the Smithees can vote--but fear not! This year all you Ann Arborites will have a chance to vote in Smithee 17 on Saturday April 19th, 2008. From Superheroes to Cyborgs, Sentient Venus Flytraps to Vampyre-Hunting Gangstas there's enough fun for everybody. The Badness starts at 7pm

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-80751304310537648762007-12-30T02:46:00.001-05:002008-03-03T16:55:54.473-05:00

My (belated) Top Movies of 2007Note: This is my list. It probably doesn't match anyone elses. That's more or less by design. Ann Arbor gets flicks that don't hit other markets, but frequently gets Oscar contenders after the awards go out. 2007 was a great year for movies. Some of the choices this year (Shortbus, SuperBad, Our Daily Bread, etc.) are edgy or offbeat. My advice is to pay attention

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-19454632578942775892007-12-11T09:39:00.000-05:002007-12-11T09:41:48.974-05:00

''History doesn't repeat itself, but it rhymes''-- Mark Twain (attributed)

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-69830209644026794902007-10-31T19:48:00.001-04:002007-10-31T19:52:25.782-04:00

Hrequests: What's the name of this song!!!David Pogue's recent discussion on Bluetooth headphones included a demonstration of integrating your iPod and cellphone and switching between them. In the demo, the second song has a very funky horn part (around 2:30) that sounds like Earth Wind & Fire.Anyone know who this really is?

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-62306024568988990372007-09-11T15:54:00.000-04:002007-09-11T16:27:12.809-04:00

Hreflection: Toy Haunted House from the 60sOne of my favorite STNG episodes includes a subplot where a guest on the Enterprise helps crew members figure out what happened to their lost toys. Back in the 60s, I had a toy haunted house. It was made out of metal and ran on batteries. Along one side was a set of typewriter keys. Each key caused a different action to take place in and around the house

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-55105662344983647812007-08-24T15:06:00.000-04:002007-08-24T15:08:43.108-04:00

''No battle plan survives contact with the enemy''-- Helmuth von Moltke

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-8002268907636146372007-08-06T16:32:00.001-04:002007-08-06T16:33:47.969-04:00

''Americans flock to shopping malls to spend their hardly-earned money.''-- J. Hritz

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-29213210392624700432007-07-22T15:16:00.001-04:002007-07-22T15:19:41.195-04:00

Hredux: The Briarwood Apple Store is open!The Briarwood Apple Store opened on Saturday, July 21. We stopped by at 3pm and there was no problem getting to spend quality time with an iPhone or to have questions answered by the staff.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-55932602369362108302007-07-22T11:56:00.001-04:002007-07-22T15:13:52.457-04:00

Hramblings: Argierio's Dexter location closedSince it was the death throes of Art Fair, we decided to go out of town for dinner on Saturday. We headed for Dexter to visit the Argierio's on Dexter-Ann Arbor Rd. Generally it has no line and the food is every bit as good. This first factor may have played a part in the "closed/hoping to relocate" note on the window. The main location in

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-78029277474817058652007-07-15T16:59:00.000-04:002007-07-19T23:10:12.725-04:00

Hramblings: Presented without @#$!% interruptionsA transcript of Hindu Chaplin Rajan Zed's prayer before the Senate from the Congressional Record:Let us pray. We meditate on the transcendental Glory of the Deity Supreme, who is inside the heart of the Earth, inside the life of the sky, and inside the soul of the Heaven. May He stimulate and illuminate our minds. Lead us from the unreal to the

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-17593546393151763042007-07-10T21:30:00.001-04:002007-07-10T21:44:52.135-04:00

Hramblings: U-haul's ZipCar competitor?My wife and I noticed a discreet sign on our way back from the Zingerman's Bakehouse in front of the U-haul at 3655 S. State. A quick google confirmed that U-haul is piloting a carsharing service called U-Car-Share out of their truck rental locations.But here's the thing. Where Zipcar and Flexcar place vehicles in neighborhoods, the State St.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-48651926404026164642007-06-30T11:13:00.001-04:002007-06-30T11:29:49.136-04:00

Hredux: Ann Arbor weatherIn January, I wrote about my general dissatisfaction with Michigan's fickle weather and described a scoring system for tracking my subjective assessment of the latest climate disappointment. One interesting side-effect is that it gave me an insight into when spring started for me based purely on when the weather day-by-day was consistently good. So for 2007, the heart

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-31294399389024595722007-06-30T06:49:00.001-04:002007-06-30T07:32:15.821-04:00

''When you were CAG, you protected your people. You made them feel safe enough to be brave.''-- Admiral Adama in "The Passage", this episode places two leadership styles in sharp contrast. One based on love. The other based on domination.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-43077322816513531802007-06-26T17:59:00.001-04:002007-06-26T18:00:43.973-04:00

Hramblings: Kholrabi timeThe cool thing in this week's CSA box was a lone but very welcome kholrabi. An interesting looking veggie to say the least. Resembles something that a space alien would be munching on. Look for them at the farmers maket

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-48854851779556495402007-06-26T13:22:00.001-04:002007-06-26T13:22:34.114-04:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Pal's Diner, originally uploaded by jhritz. Moved from New Jersey to Cascade, MI, this diner has a fine grill man. Most of my turkey and trimmings made a trip to the flat top esp. the brocolli which was steam/sauteed to

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-84658677541676581212007-06-25T22:31:00.001-04:002007-06-25T22:35:41.252-04:00

''The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives. The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of Conservatives is to prevent the mistakes from being corrected''-- G.K. Chesterton

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-44184959775532858262007-06-05T20:07:00.001-04:002007-06-05T23:28:27.853-04:00

Hramblings: CSA's greetingsNeedlelane sent out their first newsletter of the year. I thought it might be useful to know what went out in the group shares as an indication of what to look for Wednesday and Saturday at the Farmer's market. Most everything this week is from their hoophouse:Snow PeasGreen GarlicGarlic Scapes (aka garlic tops)Bok ChoyGarlic ChivesSwiss ChardLettucesItalian Parsley

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-15269349931706349922007-05-04T22:10:00.000-04:002007-06-05T23:27:53.088-04:00

Hramblings: Artisan Bistro opens at 640 Packard at StateThe Atlanta Bread Company is now an organic sandwich shop, the Artisan Bakery. They're still working out some bugs and going though the paper goods from the previous business, but the food quality seemed very high. Several vegetarian sandwiches are on the menu, soups are made in-house and they have an assortment of muffins, croissant and

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-16278172078571847302007-05-01T10:10:00.001-04:002007-05-04T22:42:22.324-04:00

Designed for the velodrome, track bikes have found a home in urban settings with the addition of a few techniques to replace their lack of brakes...

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-21948132572438668692007-04-25T20:32:00.001-04:002007-04-25T20:39:38.674-04:00

Hrants: Your tax dollars at work?Senator Levin:I was amazed by this article on the barring of psychiatrist Andrew Feldmar from crossing from Canada to the U.S. based on what has been described as a "googling" during a random search.I am writing you because millions have been spent on Homeland Security and a border guard is possibly using a public internet search instead of the integrated

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-33622704762601204022007-04-10T21:26:00.001-04:002007-04-10T21:27:33.904-04:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Transparent design, originally uploaded by jhritz. This cafe table has levelers on the legs, but we still have the cardboard shims!?

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-31057200988156563502007-04-06T23:32:00.001-04:002007-04-06T23:37:09.585-04:00

Hrecommended DVD: Brick (2004)Smart dialog, unique setting and serious intrigue. Breakfast Club dynamics with higher stakes. Plan on rewinding, arguing and returning this one late. ****/5 stars.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-18297756120260437862007-04-06T15:12:00.000-04:002007-04-06T15:20:23.538-04:00

''Sad cultures have better foods than optimistic cultures. Optimistic cultures tend, like the United States, to have better jails''-- Richard Rodriguez interviewed by Bill Moyers

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-64592033854786388512007-03-31T22:31:00.001-04:002007-03-31T22:35:18.754-04:00

Hrandom: Wine tag i-ching.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Wine Tag I-ching, originally uploaded by jhritz. During a dinner party, we repurposed a set of wine glass tags to construct personality profiles of ourselves and each other. I'm sure the CIA (either

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-65806828265944765922007-03-30T18:31:00.001-04:002007-03-30T18:44:06.626-04:00

Hramblings: Where the son-in-law roams...not!My father-in-law, at least from a cell phone perspective, lives in the middle of nowhere. His place is covered by two CellularOne towers which are 850mhz GSM. That's it...for miles. My wife and I have Verizon phones which are CDMA. As a result, when one of us travels there, we have zero cell phone coverage. Not bad coverage...none.I thought it might

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-43837383443124268202007-03-28T13:50:00.000-04:002007-03-29T07:36:03.673-04:00

Hramblings: Wikipedia and methods of knowingThere has been a lot of discussion about whether Wikipedia is a sustainable model for knowledge aggregation. My only comment on the controversy is that encyclopedias, no matter how well vetted their contributors, are tertiary sources. If you're trying to get a rough idea about a topic, its reasonable to check the web or nudge the guy next to you. At the

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-63162027677975135892007-03-27T15:07:00.000-04:002007-03-27T16:02:30.813-04:00

Hramblings: Sephora and Apple stores to open at BriarwoodAccording to the Ann Arbor News, Briarwood will be getting a Sephora store with construction to begin in May. Sephora is a high-end cosmetics retailer that carries both men's and women's lines. In addition, we will be getting an Apple store with a TBD open date. These seem like two good additions.Still not much in the way of restaurants at

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-80571922326846408482007-03-22T19:53:00.001-04:002007-03-22T19:54:38.317-04:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Spring decides to put in a few hours..., originally uploaded by jhritz. It was a particulary nice evening after several days of rain and gloom. The diag was buzzing with roller blades, frisbees and a quintet singing folks

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-91857984940076664992007-03-19T16:30:00.001-04:002007-03-19T16:30:18.308-04:00

A wonderfully subversive video. Nothing quite like it.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-53537598089173855572007-03-16T17:45:00.000-04:002007-03-19T12:55:11.871-04:00

''The Americans are the only nation to leap from barbarism to decadence without becoming civilized''-- Bruce Sterling quoting George Bernard Shaw

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1169427356261873602007-01-21T19:51:00.000-05:002007-01-21T19:55:56.300-05:00

Hreviews: Pan's Labyrinth (****/5)Pan's Labyrinth is visually stunning and filled with fully flushed out characters. Unfortunately, this includes a sadistic captain in the Spanish Army. This flick is not for children and I plan to leave my nightlight on for a week or so. Hrecommended.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1168541280947742922007-01-11T13:24:00.000-05:002007-01-11T13:48:21.486-05:00

Hramblings: Ann Arbor weather is warmer but not necessarily better...As Mark Twain said, "Everyone complains about the weather, but no one does anything about it."Ed Vielmetti was writing about "Normal weather in Ann Arbor" today. As far as I'm concerned, normal weather in Ann Arbor is bad, i.e. some combination of damp, humid, overcast, blustery, frigid, slushy or broiling. Ann Arbor is listed

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1168208767391935662007-01-07T17:21:00.000-05:002007-01-07T17:32:04.010-05:00

Little Bang TheoryThursday, January 11 at 8:30 p.m.Kreft Center Black Box, Concordia College, Ann Arbor, MIFrank Pahl’s experimental trio, Little Bang Theory, performs music for theater, film and dance on an enchanting array of toy instruments, antique music boxes and home made automatic instruments creating a music Metro Times called "equal parts invention, intelligence and accessibility,

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1168206864130003862007-01-07T16:45:00.000-05:002007-01-07T16:54:24.143-05:00

Hrecommended: Children of Men(****/5)Its always nice to go see a movie that assumes an adult audience. Children of Men pulls no punches, explains little and leaves plenty of loose ends while telling the story of a worldwide two decade period of human infertility that saps the population of the will to live and the government of the ability to maintain order. Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, and

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1167861672393775662007-01-03T16:37:00.000-05:002007-01-10T15:22:59.876-05:00

Hrecommended: My Best of Ann Arbor Food for 2006The alphabetical order by venue is intentional. All of these places have more going for them than just the items I've chosen to highlight.Amadeus -- Cheapest Trip to EuropeArgerios -- Best Pasta, Salad and BreadCafe Zola -- Best Desserts (try the Nutella crepes)California Pizza Kitchen -- Best Pizza, Best Entree SaladsCorner Brewery -- Best New

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1167350388660076492006-12-28T18:12:00.000-05:002007-01-08T15:48:34.636-05:00

My Top Movies of 2006Note: This is my list. It probably doesn't match anyone elses. That's more or less by design. Ann Arbor gets flicks that don't hit other markets, but frequently gets Oscar contenders after the awards go out. Some of the choices this year are edgy or offbeat in part due to a trip to the East Lansing Film Festival and some UofM offerings. My advice is to pay attention to

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1162522904327805232006-11-02T21:54:00.000-05:002006-11-02T22:01:44.326-05:00

RSC on Design Originally uploaded by jhritz. The Royal Shakespeare Company is doing an artist-in-residence program during their time in Ann Arbor. As part of the Penny Stamps Lecture series, the lighting, music, video and set designers came in for a panel on The Tempest.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1161555510989088202006-10-22T18:11:00.000-04:002006-10-22T18:18:31.196-04:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 1px #000000; }.flickr-frame { float: left; text-align: center; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Happy Halloween 2006, originally uploaded by jhritz.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1161398941888303662006-10-20T22:42:00.000-04:002006-10-22T18:33:55.113-04:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 1px #000000; }.flickr-frame { float: left; text-align: center; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Mets win forcing a game seven,originally uploaded by jhritz.In spite of myself, I've been caught up in the possibility that the Tigers may win another World Series title. After more than 20 years, I dusted

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1159918785358174302006-10-03T19:33:00.000-04:002006-10-03T19:41:12.936-04:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 1px #000000; }.flickr-frame { float: left; text-align: center; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Volvo V50,originally uploaded by jhritz. After more than two years of doing digital photography, its nice to go back to low tech. This is the first reasonably usable shot from my Holga medium format camera

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1159239510073174202006-09-25T22:54:00.000-04:002006-09-25T22:58:30.086-04:00

Hramblings: Online interlibrary loans return to AADL!After a long hiatus after MILE was hacked into non-existence, interlibrary loans have returned to the Ann Arbor library system:You may request interlibrary loans directly by going to MeLCat. There is also a link to MeLCat from the Request ILL page on our website. All requests will require your name and library barcode (found on the back of

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1158525868845966512006-09-17T16:39:00.000-04:002006-09-17T16:44:28.856-04:00

Hramblings: [Elias Bros. | Frisch's | Bob's | * ] Big Boy's Cole SlawIn a world of large questions, I have a trivial one for balance. Is there a posted approximate recipe for Big Boy Coleslaw? It's a fine cut, slightly sweet, creamy, very crunchy cole slaw that for whatever reason goes great with fish and chips, or strangely spaghetti and meatballs. It suggests a combination of milk, sugar,

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1157167128340077102006-09-01T23:13:00.000-04:002006-09-01T23:18:48.426-04:00

Ned Kahn creates installations for museums like San Francisco's Exploratorium that are part art, part science. I stumbled across this variation of his much larger Digital Wind sculpture at the BART station that adjoins the San Francisco Airport. Its composed of thousands of pivoting metal disks catching and revealing subtle air currents.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1157157008965455852006-09-01T20:18:00.000-04:002006-09-01T20:30:08.980-04:00

Hramblings: When it comes to space travel, the second times the charm...not!I'm still mystified as to how we went from Alan Shepard's sub-orbital flight to the Apollo 11 landing in 8 years and it will take 13 years for the first Orion-based moon shot.NASA has announced that Lockheed Martin will build America's new space capsule, called Orion. Expected to orbit Earth by 2014, Orion is expected to

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1156386914825898702006-08-23T22:27:00.001-04:002006-08-24T08:42:42.230-04:00

Hrecommended: UofM announces Penny Stamps Lecturers for Fall '06Each year I look forward to the University of Michigan School of Art & Design's Lecture Series. Past sessions have included presentations and Q&A with Michael Braungart and Arthur Ganson. This year is no exception leading off with comedian and social critic Marga Gomez. I also think the talk by Aeon Flux's Peter Chung and artist

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1154904815146326012006-08-06T18:48:00.000-04:002006-08-06T18:53:35.200-04:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 1px #000000; }.flickr-frame { float: left; text-align: center; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Beauty in Death, originally uploaded by jhritz. A close-up of the damage done by Emerald Ash Borers. These tracks eventually girdle the tree and cut off nutrients to the canopy.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1153775636053254352006-07-24T16:47:00.000-04:002006-08-07T15:22:53.880-04:00

Hramblings: Ventiliation vs. Air ConditioningI read an op-ed piece that suggested that prevalent air conditioning might have contributed to Bush winning the White House. The notion even if true isn't very interesting, but it got me to thinking about whether air conditioning is really required for me to be comfortable. I ran across several articles on the topic that summarize to: 1) block heat

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1152479287816216402006-07-09T16:58:00.000-04:002006-07-09T17:22:22.496-04:00

Hramblings: Animal rights activists sleep through the wildfiresBack in March of 2006, a series of wildfires swept through the Texas Panhandle scorching nearly a million acres of range land and killing 11 people. Inexplicably, very little has been written about the thousands of horses and cattle that were killed in the fire, survived with injuries and are in locations with lost forage. Less

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1151539488543789842006-06-28T20:01:00.000-04:002006-06-28T20:04:48.683-04:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 1px #000000; }.flickr-frame { float: left; text-align: center; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Solve the great pickle container mystery!, originally uploaded by jhritz. This is a food storage container for pickles and olives that has a clever design. You put your relish in the top and the liquid

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1150770077303189422006-06-19T22:17:00.000-04:002006-06-19T22:27:59.983-04:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 1px #000000; }.flickr-frame { float: left; text-align: center; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Friend or foe?,originally uploaded by jhritz. An assortment of flowers, insects and farm tools found on Hoefgen Farm.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1150421887561684982006-06-15T21:25:00.000-04:002006-06-15T21:38:07.633-04:00

Hramblings: Improving Construction Zone designThe construction season is in full swing and while I'm inching along waiting to merge from 3 into 2 lanes, many ideas on how to improve the situation come to mind:Once the merge has occurred, don't allow additional merges within the reduced capacity area. Its perfectly ok to have vehicles exit the freeway in the construction zone, but permitting

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1146159952960425182006-04-27T13:45:00.000-04:002006-04-27T13:45:53.013-04:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 1px #000000; }.flickr-frame { float: left; text-align: center; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Spring 2006, originally uploaded by jhritz. Stuff is blooming, birds are chirping and the lawnmower must be unearthed.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1143735707007664792006-03-30T11:21:00.000-05:002006-03-30T11:21:47.053-05:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 1px #000000; }.flickr-frame { float: left; text-align: center; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Gateway Bridge Walk to attract record crowds, originally uploaded by jhritz. Michigan Governer Jennifer Granholm will join Taylor Mayor Cameron Priebe and other dignitaries in the first annual Gateway

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1142864304539792972006-03-20T09:18:00.000-05:002006-03-20T09:18:25.233-05:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 1px #000000; }.flickr-frame { float: left; text-align: center; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } If you don't like poetry..., originally uploaded by jhritz.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1140655927739317402006-02-22T19:46:00.000-05:002006-02-22T19:52:07.750-05:00

Hramblings: Upcycling and magazinesTreehugger had a recent post on the waste associated with the percentage of magazines that are disposed unsold. Elle and Vanity Fair are planning "green" issues to coincide with Earth Day. But in an industry based on unpredictable demand…do we have a solution to this?With regard to the comment on selling only 25-50% of the magazines printed, William McDonough

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1139936340917280692006-02-14T11:55:00.000-05:002006-02-14T11:59:00.933-05:00

Hrequiem: Is Ipdrum DOA?Looks like one of the interesting Skype products has vanished. IPdrum was a product that would allow you to make a Skype call from your cellphone via your PC. Either they've been purchased or run out of cash.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1139764110420810932006-02-12T12:08:00.000-05:002006-02-12T12:08:30.483-05:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 1px #000000; }.flickr-frame { float: left; text-align: center; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Cute? That's my job, young man..., originally uploaded by jhritz.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1139544325643998062006-02-09T22:51:00.000-05:002006-02-09T23:05:25.680-05:00

Hramblings: Kosmo Deli Status!Many Ann Arbor residents are fans of the Kosmo Deli in the Kerrytown area. They closed for remodeling which means that my wife and I are getting our BiBimBap fix elsewhere. Happily they are targeting a March 1 opening. Yayyyyy!Here's the email from Don Kwon:Hello fellow Kosmopolitans! Sorry for replying so late. I can't believe it's already been over a month

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1139023501419224312006-02-03T21:59:00.000-05:002006-02-03T22:28:08.866-05:00

Hramblings: The Kendama (Japanese stick and ball toy)Touch the Sound, a documentary about virtuoso percussionist Evelyn Glennie, was playing in Ann Arbor for a short run. I can recommend the movie for anyone who is interested in watching collaboration in realtime. One of the particulary compelling exchanges was between Glennie and the Japanese drumming ensemble Kodo.After rummaging through

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1138059142480482122006-01-23T18:05:00.002-05:002006-01-23T18:34:02.350-05:00

Hreflections: A Common ReaderIt appears that quality-over-quantity bookseller, A Common Reader, has passed beyond the rim. Their website brings up a blank page and the toll-free number, 800 832-7323, rings unanswered. There's not much to see a the Internet Archive. A Common Reader, differentiated itself by sending out a small catalog of overlooked, well printed, and/or well written books of

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1137530545806576912006-01-17T15:42:00.000-05:002006-01-17T15:42:25.846-05:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 1px #000000; }.flickr-frame { float: left; text-align: center; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Restraint, originally uploaded by jhritz. An oblique reference to today's execution of 76 year old blind diabetic Clarence Ray Allen. California seems more interested in retribution than mercy or redemption.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1136171702412921132006-01-15T15:50:00.000-05:002006-01-15T15:50:27.776-05:00

Hrecommended: My favorite books of 2005It was an amazingly good year for books on many subjects. Here's a cross-section of books that caught my eye, survived a quick scan and in some cases were added to my personal library.There are no shortcuts by Rafe Esquith: I picked this one up after seeing the PBS POV Episode The Hobart Shakespeareans.Masters of deception : Escher, Dali & the artists of

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1136149204239069332006-01-01T16:00:00.000-05:002006-01-01T16:00:06.256-05:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 1px #000000; }.flickr-frame { float: left; text-align: center; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Happy New Year 2006!, originally uploaded by jhritz. Here's to a prosperous, peaceful and creative 2006.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1135352018405067942005-12-23T10:25:00.000-05:002005-12-26T11:08:42.340-05:00

My Top Movies of 2005The AristocratsBatman BeginsBorn into Brothels (2004) Mad Hot BallroomMillion Dollar Baby (2004) MurderballOng-Bak, the Thai Warrior (2003) Schultze Gets the Blues (2003) Sin CitySerenityHonorable Mentions Broken FlowersChronicles of Narnia ConstantineIn Good Company (2004) RobotsRoll Bounce Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill (2003)Missed at the Theaters but

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1133496575963313562005-12-01T22:58:00.000-05:002005-12-06T22:42:28.510-05:00

Hrecommended: The 2005 H-list*Some suggested holiday gifts for friends and family:Candela lamps -- cat-safe mood lighting, illuminate your jack 0' lantern, stick 'em in the window during the holidays, great for power failuresCasio Waveceptor wristwatches -- the least expensive (and best looking) radio-based automatic time setting watches I've foundSwiss Army Knives (my current favorite is the

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025413.post-1130816694482239602005-10-31T22:44:00.000-05:002005-10-31T22:44:54.540-05:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 1px #000000; }.flickr-frame { float: left; text-align: center; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Happy Halloween 2005, originally uploaded by jhritz.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266356707388376317noreply@blogger.com0