Category Archives: Uncategorized

April 5, 2003: The Janss steps on the UCLA campus in Los Angeles, among my minimal photographic evidence of being there. The Jeopardy All-Star Games are re-airing this week and next. The novelty tournament brought back 15 talented, fan-friendly contestants for … Continue reading →

(Yes, I love “Younger.” The fact it doesn’t have a pyramid of Emmys, even given some of its hiccups, is a shame.) (This is also, weirdly, the second combo reference to “The Orville” and Venn diagrams. But when I might be … Continue reading →

To the presidential candidates: Do you support mandatory minimums and/or the death penalty for robocall operators, and if not, why not? (EIGHT IN ONE DAY. SIX BETWEEN 9 AND 10:30 AM.)

October 3, 2013: An artist’s rendition of Neil Armstrong’s first step on the moon, with his face visible, at the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta, Ohio. Armstrong died in 2012 and was buried at sea. Only one-third of … Continue reading →

June 28, 2009: Apollo 11 command module “Eagle” at the National Air and Space Museum, Washington DC. The heat shield after re-entry kind of looks like the surface of the moon, doesn’t it? The command module is the one piece … Continue reading →

Consider the following. July 20, 1869: The Transcontinental Railroad has been complete for 70 days. July 20, 1919: The U.S. Army convoy taking the Lincoln Highway across the United States, “the largest aggregation of motor vehicles ever started on a trip … Continue reading →

December 30, 2005: Apollo-era Mission Control at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Reused from this blog post. Associated Press: Restored Mission Control comes alive 50 years after Apollo Meticulously recreated down to the tan carpeting, gray-green wallpaper, white ceiling panels, woven-cushioned … Continue reading →

May 29, 2009: Outside a low-rise midcentury government building, Cape Canaveral, Florida. Iowa connection: James Van Allen. I have been to just about every major installation related to the Space Race that isn’t in California. At both Cape Canaveral and … Continue reading →

It’s entirely possible that the number of non-Iowa DOT employees who regularly visit the online construction plans archive can be counted on one hand. (The link only works if you make sure the www is at the beginning.) But, as … Continue reading →

The news last week that famous Texas restaurant chain Whataburger has been sold by the founding family to an investment firm, and associated hand-wringing about what an expansion could do to quality, made me think of a blog post I … Continue reading →