Monthly Archives: December 2007

postgresql

1-800-GOOG-411

There are other free 411 services out there, but I thought I'd share this one:

Google threw a new product called Goog-411 into Google Labs today – a free telephone based information service that could replace toll 411 calls. About 2.6 billion 411 calls are made in the U.S. each year, and it is a $7 billion/year market.

Goog-411 can be accessed by dialing 1-800-GOOG-411. The product is completely automated and there is no way to talk to a human for additional or clarifying information. You tell it your city and state, and then ask for a specific business or business category.

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flood, oregon, washington

I-5 closure: chehalis & feds fought over funding, priorities

From the Oregonian Breaking News blog:
http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2007/12/reports_fix_for_flooding_probl.html

In fact, there was actually $30 million to control flooding from the river in the big nickel-a-gallon gas tax increase approved by Washington voters in 2003. But as the Times explains,Congress has failed to approve the federal share of the project while the cities of Centralia and Chehalis “have struggled to agree on needed flood controls.” While the project would have protected I-5, the cities would have still been vulnerable to flooding, so they didn’t want to assume the maintenance costs. As a result, Lewis County sent a letter to the Corps of Engineers last year rescinding its support for the project.

They go on to mention that Corps of Engineers priorities shifted funding to Katrina-related repairs and Iraq/Afghanistan, so even if Chehalis would have wanted to move foward, they couldn’t have.

I-5 is still closed, and Dept of Transportation says it will continue to be closed for several days.

From OPB:

Normally more than 50,000 cars and trucks would use that portion of I-5 daily. It’s estimated the closure is costing truckers $4 million a day.

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150 best apartment ideas

There are a couple nice pages in this link.. original link below. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/0061139734/sr=1-3/qid=1175487863/ref=dp_images_all/103-8644087-1651865?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1175487863&sr=1-3 == 150 Best Apartment Ideas == http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/mocoloco/KGTY/~3/105942160/003963.php (from MoCo Loco) 150 apartments from all over the world, “This compilation expresses the diversity of current trends in apartment design and provides an inspirational source of ideas for those active in the field of design or interested in catching up on the latest in contemporary residential architecture.”. Lots of ideas for small spaces (here are some pages from the book). Hardcover, 600 pages, well illustrated, $19.77 at Amazon. + 150 Best Apartment Ideas at Amazon

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postgresql

USDA coffee ruling

http://www.salon.com/mwt/food/eat_drink/2007/04/03/coffee_organic/

Until now, however, there has been a special provision for “grower groups” that made certification practical for farmer cooperatives in the Third World, whose memberships can reach into the thousands. Because of the immense logistical demands of inspecting every farm in a large co-op, a compromise was reached: An organic inspector would randomly visit only a portion of the group's farms each year, usually 20 percent. The grower groups would then self-police the remainder through a manager who made sure they followed the rules. The following year, an inspector would return and visit another 20 percent of the farms. After five years, all farms would be inspected.

But in the ruling made public this month, the National Organic Program overturned that system, saying every farm in a grower group must now be visited and inspected annually — as has been the practice in the United States — rather than only a percentage.

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flood, oregon

news about flooding in oregon

First off, we’re fine in Portland. A little flooding in the Johnson Creek and outer SE, but nothing like the 1996 floods that put much of “lower” Oregon City underwater, and nearly brought floodwater into downtown Portland.

Vernonia, about 45 minutes from Portland, was not so lucky.

One excellent resource for news about the flooding in Oregon has been the Oregonian Breaking News blog. They’ve done a great job posting road closures and information about the effects of flooding as it is happening. One good summary post is Coast Recovering as Flood Moves Inland.

Another great resource has been the Oregon Public Broadcasting Traffic Map. This is always useful, but during both the snow/ice warnings and the flood and storm that followed, it was quickly updated.

I’ve asked Hands On Portland about a project in one of the areas near Portland later on this month. If I hear anything back, I’ll post here.

The pictures of the flooding were pretty awful. The schools in Vernonia don’t look like they’ll be usable for the rest of the year. Vernonia residents were caught off guard because all the flood warnings had focused on the coast.

The I-5 freeway between Portland and Seattle is impassible right now. An incredible amount of truck traffic flows up and down I-5 year-round. Reports I’ve read say that traffic through I-90 and Yakima is terrible, and that I-5 will still be blocked through tomorrow.

I-5 Flooded

postgresql

pintoids

== Pintoids – Pinhole cameras made from Altoid tins == http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2007/04/pintoids_pinhole_cameras.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890 (from MAKE Magazine) Merrill photo has a gallery, kits and a how-to on making your own pinhole camera from a mint tin – Pintoids are pinhole cameras made from Altoid containers. A piece of pop culture transformed into something useful. An instrument to view the world with a dry, distorted, sense of humor. They tend to create curiously strong images. The Great Pintoid Adventure is a continuing journey. This first series represents a trip I took with my dog across the northern plains to the north shore of Lake Superior. Imperfections in the negative come from loading film at a campsite each night using a dark bag. Both hands in a dark bag, loading cameras … and it was mosquito season. Pintoids – Pinhole Cameras made from Altoid tins – Link. Related: HOW TO – Make your own – Link.Altoid camera kit – Link. [Read this article] [Comment on this article]

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