Odd Weather

The high temperature in Dover (DE) today was 54 degrees, only about 10 degrees higher than average for the second day of February; but odd, given that the forecast for tomorrow is cold rain and snow. Skies were clear and the sun was warm. I spent my lunch hour on a brisk photo-walk and was quite comfortable in shorts and a polo shirt.

Silver Lake was iced over, but the ice was looking old and ragged and melting away from the shore. The gulls liked it.

Shameless Self-Promotion #217

I was very pleased recently to have one of my photos chosen as the header image for the State of Delaware web portal. It's a winter image, so I assume it will eventually be replaced. But, still...

Most of my Delaware-based friends have already seen this, and kindly offered their congratulations. But I thought I'd brag on-line this afternoon for my non-Delaware friends and family.

This image was created, by staff at the Government Information Center, from a photo I took in February of 2007 after a moderate snow-fall had added to the picturesque-ness of downtown Dover. I had given them blanket permission to use any of my images on the state web site in any way they please. I think they did a great job of pulling out a part of the picture that looks cool in the portal-header format.

I understand that this was one of several options presented to staff of the new Governor in the lead-up to his inauguration. I was thrilled that it was the one picked to start off the new look of the portal when it was unveiled on inauguration day.

As I have mentioned before, the changes in leadership here in Delaware, and particularly at the national level, have made me happy and hopeful and determined to get back to work. It's nice to have a little personal accomplishment to celebrate as well.

New Tool

I've built a new Yahoo Pipes tool to overcome a quirk in the News Journal's RSS feed collection that has been bugging me. I call it The News Journal Aggregator.

The News Journal, Delaware's top daily paper, offers a number of RSS feeds. I've come to depend on them, in my Google Reader, to track stories from the paper. But the various feeds repeat each other sometimes. The same story might appear in both the "news" feed and the "politics" feed. And sometimes they repeat within feeds; I think this has something to do with republishing for small changes.

I don't know what causes it, but I got tired of the same stories multiplying within my Reader.

So I have built a Pipe to collect the News Journal's news, updates, politics, business and opinion feeds; filter them to drop any sports stories (I have other sources); filter them again to remove duplicates; sort them by date and time published; and publish them in a single RSS feed.

A Milestone

Though I did not realize this until a few days later, I passed a milestone of sorts as a blogger last week. My Monday, January 19, 2009, post about an echo of the "Dean Scream" found in a novel I was reading was the 1,000th Mike's Musings post I have written since starting this blog back in September of 2004.

As of the 19th, I had been blogging for 1,597 days. I calculate that over that span I averaged a blog posting every 1 and a half days. Obviously there were days of too many blog postings and weeks when I was away doing other things.

Of course this is not my only blog. Since January of 2006 I have been blogging for the National States Geographic Information Council on the NSGIC News blog. And during 2008 I mini-blogged the books I was reading. That is not to mention my new twitter addiction. All things considered, my desire to write has been well satisfied over the years.

And, as we move forward, I find satisfaction in the fact that the first posting of my next 1,000 set of Mikes Musings was about the start of Inauguration Day and the feelings of re-beginning that I was feeling.

This is Me Being Terribly Petty and Picky...

...but it can't be helped.

I was behind this cab driving into Dover this morning. The mix of fonts on the back bugs me. I think City Cab needs to pick one font and stick with it. Having this many different styles and types on one car makes it look amateurish.

I've seen cabs from this company on the road for a while now, and I always get a slightly ...off... feeling about them. I think it is based entirely on this fontal confusion. I've never seen the drivers do anything unsafe. This one was moving at a stately, safe pace.

I just don't like the way this variety look reads.

Jack Markell's Inauguration

I got to go out at lunchtime today to see Jack Markell take the (ceremonial) oath of office as Governor of Delaware. Jack, and his Lt. Governor Matt Denn, actually took their oaths just after midnight on Tuesday so as not to conflict with Barack Obama's inauguration. On a cold Wednesday, then, they took ceremonial oaths and gave their inaugural addresses.

There were two bands; one from Dover Air Force Base and the other from Newark High School. A color guard brought out the flags. There were television cameras, newspaper folk, and radio reporters. I even got to say hello to WDEL's Al Mascitti.

A Rabbi gave the first prayer. I liked hearing a different religious voice in Dover. A cantor sang the national anthem. He had a great bass voice; I recommend having basses sing the anthem from now on.

Matt Denn went first. He gave a fine speech that was warm and humorous, but also sharply focused on the challenges ahead. I think he was developing the theme that Barack Obama introduced: "quit complaining, get up off your butt and get to work."

Jack Markell's speech was also bracing and honest about the challenges we face, but he gave us examples from Delaware history of how the people of this state have led the nation in difficult times in the past. His message was one of hope that, if we face up to the hard work, we can get it done.

After another prayer, and a bit more ceremony, the Governor and Lt. Governor were available in a reception line in the Governor's office in Legislative Hall. It was a great pleasure to shake their hands, share a word, and then head back to work.

That was One Hell of a Speech

I've watched Barack Obama's inaugural address twice today and listened to it on the radio once and I'm still digging it. It is a hell of a speech and well worth reading as well.

This is the part that keeps sticking in my mind:

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.

We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth.

And because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

I watched the speech as it happened on a television in a Dover restaurant this noon. I was with several work friends and we were all thrilled. I will always remember the tracks of tears down cheeks when I remember this day.

On my drive home this evening, NPR played the whole speech again. I listened as I drove south through the Delaware countryside.

Karen and I watched the whole ceremony this evening on Tivo. I had set it to record C-Span from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; we were able to scroll ahead through the introductions of varied VIPs and stop for the cute things, like the Obama girls. We both wanted to hear the speech again and to hear the performance by Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Gabriela Montero, and Anthony McGill.

We also wanted to hear the Rev. Joseph Lowery's inauguration benediction. We loved this part:

Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around ... when yellow will be mellow ... when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen.

This has been a good day.

A New Day

I have no idea how to approach an Inauguration Day blog post. This is such a huge day. I'm killing time this morning at home before a visit to Dr. Amy to hear her words of caution about weight and blood pressure and things like that. And waiting for the inauguration of Barack Obama

My state already has its new leader. Jack Markell was sworn-in as Delaware's Governor at 12:01 a.m. today. Jack was joined by Matt Denn, his Lt. Governor, who is already being noted as a man of humor (which appeals strongly to me).

Mr. Markell has a huge challenge ahead of him. We have a large deficit and need a strong and wise leader. I think he is up to it and I, frankly, really like the guy.

Meanwhile, there are reports that hundreds of thousands are already on the Mall in Washington. I hope to find a spot near a television at mid-day. I expect I'll have tears in my eyes.

We are about to change, I think. The cynic in me cautions that politicians are politicians and the world will be as it has always been. But I still am touched. An hope-filled. And ready for a new start for our community, our state, our nation, and the world.

Echoes of a Scream

I just finished The Hakawati by Rabih Alameddine, a Lebanese American writer, painter and one-time engineer. This is a fabulous book, exploring modern and ancient Arab, Muslim, and Lebanese life and culture. It is filled with wonderful stories -- myths, fables, lessons -- woven into each other like the many peoples who made Beirut such an interesting melting pot in the years before its civil war.

Much of the mythological portion of the book is the long tale of the great Sultan Baybars, who rose from slavery to dominion over all of the Islamic world. He is opposed by Arbusto, who tries, and fails, many times to prompt the overthrow of the ruler he feels has unjustly taken the throne.

At one point, in trying to inspire an army to victory, he offers a familiar-sounding speech:

"This is the city of Aleppo," Arbusto said. "Not only are we going to thrash them here, we are going to Damascus and Homs and Hamah, and we going to Baghdad and Mosul and Jerusalem, then we are going to Cairo to take back the sultanate. Yeeeeaaaah."

In fact, this speech, or one very like it, appears twice in the book.

Interestingly, towards the end of the book it becomes clear that Baybars is, in fact, an unjust king and the many stories of his glory are ancient public-relations efforts.

Echoes within echoes.

Want to Flow Your Own Data?

For the last month I have been beta-testing a site called "your.flowingdata.com" which uses the twitter API to create a simple data-tracker for personal information such as your weight and eating habits, your sleeping patterns, your feelings, and even your bowel movements. The site appears to now be out of beta-testing and open to all users.

I tried both "feelings" and "eating & weight." I didn't find much use for the "feelings" application, but I find it interesting to track what I eat and what I weigh as I try, again, to gain control of my personal mass. This is a simple application, but helpful as a regular reminder that what I put into my body has a connection to what I weigh and how I feel.

If you are interested in this sort of thing, and you are a twitterer, have a look and see what you think.