Bad traffic can still be beautiful

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This person’s day went to hell fairly early on. Fortunately it only slowed me up a bit getting into the City this morning.

I hope everyone came out of this OK. Sadly, I suspect not considering the level of police activity. But there was still beauty to be found while I waded through an hour of traffic caused only by the extraordinary jackassery called “rubbernecking”.

It’s not necessary and it wastes a lot of time, gas, and emotional energy.

No plea for sympathy here… if you want to feel bad, feel bad for the folks who were trying to get out of the City who were stopped dead by the accident investigation. Innocent victims to be sure.

Maybe they had good coffee with them? More photos here.

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The week in links (10/11)

Yummy Autumn Treat

Toss the pumpkin seeds with cardamom, and cocoa nibs, then drizzle them with honey. Place them close together in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 5 – 7 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.

Try not to eat too much.

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 tsp. cardamom
2 tbsp. honey
1/4 cup cocoa nibs

Everyone remembered!

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It gave me great joy that almost everyone who showed up today at my parents house to deconstruct the sukkah and enjoy some grilled food said something about my grandmother.

Also to my delight, some said they knew because of the post.

My father pointed out that his birthday would have an interesting sequence next year, and I later learned that my sister-in-law will have an interesting anniversary sequence the year after.

This is about as far as my numerology will extend.

Maybe just for once, we were all the good ones?

10 • 10 • 10 “You be the good one.”

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My mother’s mother was born October 10th, 1910.

It’s October, 2010. That’s two of three tens. In a few days I’ll celebrate her life on the day of her 100th birthday. Sadly, it will be without her.

She reminded each of her grandchildren, in the midst of any conflict, “You be the good one.”

Excellent advice for anyone.

Join me next Sunday in this centenary celebration by taking a moment in the midst of whatever you’re doing, especially if you are arguing with someone, or on the verge of a conflict, to remember her words, and act on them. You’ll be better for it I assure you.

She also made unmatchable tuna salad, and the very best sweet gefilte fish ever. No holiday goes by without our thinking of her.

She was the good one. Always.

Progression

We had the hole in the driveway fixed…

fixing the driveway hole

Then we built sukkot and handled other chores…

tools in bucket

…and the peasants rejoiced (possibly with a bit too much raspberry tort.)

rasberry tort

Some art was framed and hung…

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And some things were noted for later…

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Some of the yard was left to overgrow…

overgrown yard with bamboo

Then there was more cooking, and as always…

cooking

There was more work to do…

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And so the month has gone. Looking forward to October… now just around the corner.

★ Then Welcome to Android

★ Then Welcome to Android:

Google vice-president for engineering Vic Gundotra, on-stage at the I/O developer conference in May, regarding why Google created Android:

If Google didn’t act, it faced a draconian future where one
man, one phone, one carrier were our choice. That’s a future we
don’t want.

Skyhook Wireless, in their “complaint and jury demand” filed against Google yesterday (I’m hosting a copy of their entire filing (PDF), and I highly recommend you read it — it’s not long, and is written in pretty straightforward plain language), regarding Google’s control over which devices have access to the Android Market:

22. Google’s established practice in determining Android
compliance consists of two steps. The first step requires each
Android-enabled device, and its embedded software, to be run
against the Compatibility Test Suite (CTS), a software-based
test platform that objectively evaluates whether the device
and software are compatible with the published Android
specifications. The second step involves a review of the
device and software based on an amorphous outline of
additional, non-standardized requirements known as the
Compliance Definition Document (CDD). This entirely subjective
review, conducted solely by Google employees with ultimate
authority to interpret the scope and meaning of the CDD as
they see fit, effectively gives Google the ability to
arbitrarily deem any software, feature or function
“non-compatible” with the CDD.

23. On information and belief, Google has notified OEMs that they
will need to use Google Location Service, either as a condition
of the Android OS-OEM contract or as a condition of the Google
Apps contract between Google and each OEM. Though Google
claims the Android OS is open source, by requiring OEMs to use
Google Location Service, an application that is inextricably
bundled with the OS level framework, Google is effectively
creating a closed system with respect to location positioning.
Google’s manipulation suggests that the true purpose of
Android is, or has become, to ensure that “no industry player
can restrict or control the innovations of any other”, unless
it is Google.

Vic Gundotra, at I/O:

If you believe in openness, if you believe in choice, if you
believe in innovation from everyone, then welcome to Android.

[I’ve really got nothing to add. It should be no surprise that Google the enterprise acts like an enterprise. Just keep it mind when you use their “free” services. If a service is free, then you are the product. And this applies to all companies. Caveat emptor was never so applicable.]
Source: Daring Fireball