Month: January 2012

Today’s lunchtime news chum brings together a collection of articles about old things and their use or reuse:

• Droning On. We’ve all been reading about the increased use of piloted drones in the military. The plan had been to replace the aging U2 fleet with drones, but it looks like budgetary considerations are going to keep the U2s flying. This is the problem with the budget situation: we’re having to make do with older things longer. People are putting off purchasing new cars or hard goods, and the same goes for our military. This reduces spending, but it also stretches out any economic recovery because people aren’t being put to work manufacturing the new and improved goods.
• Old Facilities Doing Good. An interesting article in the LA Times about the Biomedical Research Institute, which has been doing remarkable science in extremely antiquated facilities. Specifically, they are doing cutting edge biomedical research in left-over WWII era barracks that were originally the Los Angeles Port of Embarkation Hospital, opened in 1943 to treat soldiers shipping out to World War II. After the war ended, Los Angeles County bought the hospital and opened it in 1946. It became UCLA’s first teaching hospital, and in 1952, several doctors started a research organization that would later become LA BioMed. The current Harbor-UCLA Medical Center opened in 1963, and the vacant barracks were turned into more research space.
• Will Arlo Sing About Any Of These? An interesting Mental Floss article looking at 11 interesting cases of reuse of old church facilities. My favorite is the atheist headquarters.
• Re-Staging It. The Nashville Tennessean has an interesting article about the replacement of the stage at the Ryman Auditorium, which was the original home of the Grand Old Opry. They are incorporating pieces of wood from the old stage into the new stage, and will evidently be doing some form of reuse of the other wood.
• When to Toss It? Lastly, an age old question: Do those little half-and-half plastic creamer containers ever go bad, as they aren’t refrigerated?

Music: Crazy for You (1992 Original Broadway Cast): Finale

Let’s close out this themeless week with a lunchtime clearing of the links:

• Seceding from the Union. Over the years, institutions grow. Manifest destiny and all that rot. We’ve seen it with the US. In California, we’ve seen it with the UC and CalState systems, which have continually added campuses (quick–how many UC and CS campuses are there? Can you name them all?). But as with the Eurozone, things aren’t as rosy as they seem. Consider the case of little UC San Francisco. They’re fed up with the UC system and want to secede. Should we let ’em, or should we send in those crackerjack troops that did so well at UC Davis?
• Religious Discrimination. The other day, I wrote an item about separation of church and state. I’ve also seen things going around of late about how Christians are feeling discriminated against. I just learned about an example of a political party doing religious discrimination, and it has me really peeved. Here’s where I found it: Ron Paul is peeved that Nevada is holding a special caucus for Sheldon Adelson, who supports Gingrich. You’re probably wondering how that is religious discrimination. You see, the Republican Party scheduled its only caucus time for Saturday morning, 9am to noon. You can’t make it then, you have no say. Adelson is… you guessed it… an observant Jew, and can’t participate until after sundown on Shabbat. Now, I’m not in favor of Gingrich, and I don’t like Adelson. But I do think it is wrong for Nevada Republicans to disenfranchise all observant Jewish Republicans in the state. Further, Ron Paul’s complaint gives the implication of “look, special privileges for rich Jews”, and you know what that implies. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
• Airplanes in the Desert. The desert air is great for preserving old things. Just look at Harry Reid. (crickets). Seriously, retired airliners are often stored in the desert — either down near Tucson AZ, or near Mojave CA. It appears a Swiss artist now wants to buy a decommissioned 727 jet and bury it in a trench in Boron, CA. will be able to take a passageway and go inside the airplane whose windows will be sealed, according to KGET. They’ll even be able to use the airplane bathrooms connected to a septic system. Cool. The project is sponsored by MOCA.
• Boobs Visiting Nashville. Whenever Erin has visited Nashville, she’s always wanted to go to East Tennessee to visit Dollywood. She might not need to do that anymore. Dolly Parton has announced she’s opening a new theme park in Nashville — a Water and Snow park — near the Grand Old Opry and the former OpryLand.
• Drinking for your Health. Two articles related to stuff we drink. First, the Washington Post has an interesting review of a Gluten-Free Ale. Secondly, drinking lots of black tea can lower your blood pressure.
• Talking to Tyler. Yesterday, I wrote how President Tyler’s grandson was still alive. Someone hunted him down an interviewed him. If you’re curious how the grandson of a man who was President in 1790 is still alive, here’s the scoop: Harrison Tyler’s father was 75 when he was born, and President Tyler was 63 when Harrison’s father was born.

P. S.: For those of you in the San Fernando Valley: TAS is doing their D.E.A.R. (Developing and Encouraging Adolescent Resilience) program again. If you are the parent of a pre-teen or teen, this is a great program that will help you get through the years… and more importantly, get your child through the years alive. There are far too many teen suicides; we need to do what we can to prevent them.

Music: Back in Town (The Kingston Trio): Tom Dooley