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Posts published in April 2012

Big Data

Yesterday brought an email from a friend with the subject heading Data Plague, with a link to an article from the New York Times about Big Data, a hot topic in the world of computer science and technology.

The Crackpot Files

Insanity is the only sane reaction to an insane society.  — Thomas (“Mental illness is a myth”) Szasz   “…lunatics from the hospital up the highway, psycho-ceramics, the cracked pots of [society].”  — Ken Kesey,…

Castro, Baseball & The Thought Police

What a pitiful spectacle. Ozzie Guillen, the hard-partying eccentric who manages the Florida Marlins, sits weeping in the harsh glare of TV lights, forced by his bosses to recant his praise for Fidel Castro. He’s…

Batch Plant Traffic Disaster

After almost two days of public input and discussion the Supervisors unanimously approved the Environmental Impact Report for Northern Aggregate’s asphalt plant and expanded gravel mining operation. A startlingly obtrusive industrial presence at the top…

Albion! The History

In the introduction to his 1965 book The Making of the English Working Class, English social historian E.P. Thompson described his motivation as being to rescue “from the enormous condescension of posterity” the “lower orders”…

‘Teacher, You Have A Heart…”

My first day at Willits High School (1984-1985) was very interesting in a weird sort of way. I had no literature classes, just 8th, 9th and 10th grade basic English, meaning they were all at…

‘Go Back Where You Came From, Safely Please’

Thirty years ago, in 1982, when we moved to Rays Road in Philo I started visiting the Navarro River just a short distance down the road on a regular basis. Many people did, though mostly…

Chasing A Sea Snail?

They’re clammy. They’re rubbery. They’re often deep-fried in vegetable oil. And though the red abalone of California was once a staple of dirt-cheap seafood shacks, this big slippery sea snail is today one of the…

Valley People

“AN OPEN LETTER to all of the people in Anderson Valley who have expressed their love and concern towards Jamal to clear up a few details. After his travels in India and Central America, he…

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