Is 1.0 × 1048 one quindecillion or one billiard? The real question is, which numbering system do you use?
From http://spectrum.lbl.gov/www/personnel/smoot/smoot-measure.html:
In 1987 the Mass. Dept. of Public Works decided the concrete of the bridge was due for replacement. They had no plans for smoot preservation. The Boston Press tracked down Oliver R. Smoot, Jr. who was then age 48, and executive vice president of Computer and Business Equipment Manufactures Association in Washington D. C. He had no plans of being reused for new markings.
The Mass. Metropolitan District Commission, the government body in charge of the bridge went on record in support of smoots. They stated, “We recognize the smoots’ role in local history. That’s not to mean that the agency encourages graffiti painting. But smoots aren’t just any kind of graffiti. They’re smoots! If commemorative plaques and markers are not installed by the state once the bridge work is done, then we’ll see that it’s done.”
Stephen Smoot, a son of Oliver R. Smoot, Jr, was then age 21 and attending MIT was ready to redo the smoot measurements, although he was 5’11”, so everything would be off.
There are a couple of pictures of Oliver R. Smoot, of MIT students ready to redo measurements with Stephen Smoot, and of a plaque that reads:
“This plaque place in honor of THE SMOOT which joined the angstrom, meter and light year as standards of length, when in October 1958 the span of this bridge was measured, using the body of Oliver Reed Smoot, M.I.T. ’62 and found to be precisely 364.4 smoots and one ear. Commemorated at out 25th reunion June 6, 1987 M.I.T. Class of 1962″
Another clipping states that the Mass. Dept. of Public Works gave two Smooted sections of sidewalk to the MIT museum at a ceremony. Continental Construction Company of Cambridge also agreed to make the new concrete sidewalk slabs 5′ 7” long to coincide with the Smoots, instead of the usual 6′ increments.
I had lunch with an old friend today (Hi, Martha!) at Copley Plaza and thought I’d search for a few of the Boston Toynbee Tiles on the walk back. First I headed down St. James to see if I could find the one that’s supposed to be on the corner of St. James and Berkeley (right in front of Heather’s old office building, strangely enough). Nothing. Spent a few minutes circling the area but couldn’t find it. Fine. Next target was the tile that’s supposed to be on Charles between the Public Garden and the Common. After 10 minutes walking up and down Charles I gave up. Damnit, I want to find one! I used to see them all the time in Philly but never gave them a second glance.
Lee over at Right Thinking just reminded me about this Simpsons gem from “The Day the Violence Died”. It’s (obv.) a spoof of “I’m Just a Bill” from Schoolhouse Rock.
Boy: [spoken] Hey, who left all this garbage lying on the steps of Congress?
Amendment: [spoken] I’m not garbage.
I’m an amendment to be
Yes, an amendment to be
And I’m hoping that they’ll ratify me
There’s a lot of flag burners
Who have got too much freedom
I wanna make it legal
For policemen
To beat ’em
‘Cause there’s limits to our liberties
‘Least I hope and pray that there are
‘Cause those liberal freaks go too far.
Boy: [spoken] But why can’t we just make a law against flag burning?
Amendment: [spoken] Because that law would be unconstitutional. But if we _changed_ the Constitution…
Boy: [spoken] Then we could make all sorts of crazy laws!
Amendment: [spoken] Now you’re catching on!
Boy: [spoken] But what if they say you’re not good enough to be in the Constitution?
Amendment: Then I’ll destroy all opposition to me
And I’ll make Ted Kennedy pay
If he fights back
I’ll say that he’s gay
Big Fat Guy: [running up] Good news, Amendment! They ratified ‘ya. You’re in the U.S. Constitution!
Amendment: Oh, yeah! Door’s open, boys!
[many bills and amendments run in, guns a-shooting and bombs a-flying]
Berkeley Breathed, creator of Bloom County, is back with a new comic strip!
From the Washington Post:
The Washington Post Writers Group, which will syndicate the strip, is expected to officially announce Breathed’s return this Sunday. The reclusive Breathed, who rarely gives interviews, could not be reached yesterday for comment.
The new strip will appear on Sundays in The Washington Post starting Nov. 23.
More info on CBS News site.
Here’s some good links for LG VX6000 info (will update this link as I find more):
— Starting Speakerphone Mode —
Now you’re all set. To initiate Speakerphone mode, you need to press and
hold the * key twice to throw the phone in Silence All mode. Go into your
My Media menu (Menu + 7), Music (2), and scroll down to the voice memo you
saved as a voice ringer. Let the phone sit there for a few seconds, then
hit End to return to the main screen.
If you like, you can now hold * a few seconds to exit Silence All mode.
Place a call. To turn the Speakerphone on, press any key.
— Drawbacks/Bugs/Needs Further Investigation —
The press-any-key-to-go-speakerphone functionality seems to remain active,
surviving power-cycles, until you remove the battery. I haven’t found a
way to turn off this functionality without killing power to the phone, but
then again, most of my work tonight has been focused on getting the phone
INTO speakerphone mode, not out of it.
Obviously, this is better suited for use as a “toy” feature more than
something that will appeal to die-hard speakerphone fans, since there’s no
way to toggle the speakerphone off during a call. You need to pop the
battery off and reboot. But, again, I’m sure someone else will find a way
around this and will post it here (e-mailing me a copy of the details
while they’re at it, of course).
2. Install the Prolific USB driver which is included on the CD. It will install the driver on COM4 by default.
3. Set the phone to
Menu/(9)Settings/(6)1xData/(2)Select Port = RS232C(COM Port)
and
Menu/(9)Settings/(6)1xData/(3)Port Speed = 115200
You may need to repeat step 3 as the phone sometimes reverts to USB.
In the Device manager under ports set the Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm Port (COM4) speed to 115200 as well.
Now if you have the Verizon Dialer you can install it and it will add a modem, and 2 dialup connections.
The modem name is “Verizon Wireless Phone HS (1xRTT)”
Dialup Connections are
Express Network (1XRTT)
and
Quick 2 Net (14.4kbps)
Both are configured to use the modem above.
If you do not have the Verizon Dialer software, you can get to the same point by adding a *generic* 33.6K modem and adding the initialization string: AT$QCMDR=3
Place this modem on COM4 or whatever port your cable is on.
Next create a dialup connection using the modem above and use
Phone Number: #777
Username: 10digit_phone_number@vzw3g.com
Password: vzw
I think to get the 14.4 Quick 2 Net connection use the
Phone Number: #777
Username: qnc
Password: qnc
or
Phone Number: your dialup isp #
Username: your dialup isp id
Password: your dialup isp pwd
I think that’s it. Happy surfing…
Toynbee Tiles:
[I remember seeing these all over Philly when I lived there back in 1992. I’ll have to track down a few of the Boston tiles…]
Obey Giant (Andre the Giant has a Posse):
It’s about time the 5 second rule was tested:
According to Clarke, a senior at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, the 5-second rule dates back to the time of Genghis Khan, who first determined how long it was safe for food to remain on a floor when dropped there. Khan had slightly lower standards, however; he specified 12 hours, more or less.
Among Clarke’s findings:
–Seventy percent of women and 56 percent of men are familiar with the 5-second rule, and most use it to make decisions about tasty treats that slip through their fingers.
–University floors are remarkably clean from a microbial standpoint.
–Women are more likely than men to eat food that’s been on the floor.
–Cookies and candy are much more likely to be picked up and eaten than cauliflower or broccoli.
–And, if you drop your food on a floor that does contain microorganisms, the food can be contaminated in 5 seconds or less.
My personal theory is that the impact of a cookie hitting the floor actually decimates all bacterial life within a 10 inch radius, therefore making it safe to eat for roughly 4-5 seconds. 
From hotjobs.com:
Working for idiots and losers?
Doing all the work but underpaid and under appreciated?
Then quit and join us.
We can take your bs if you can deliver the deals. We will kiss your ass and overpay you. You can come in late, take 2 hour lunches, forget to turn in your reports, scream at the staff, and pretty much do whatever else you want. We will even hide you when the police show up, tell lies to your wife (or husband) when she (he) calls, and look bill collectors right in the face and say we never heard of you.
All you have to do is sell like a maniac and put up or shut up by taking the gig on a commission only basis – no sales, no money.
Q: How much?
A: A realistic opportunity to earn $20K a month. Unless you’re a poser – then you get squat. Note the words “realistic” not fantasy, “opportunity” not guaranteed, “earn” not a giveaway salary.
Q: Who do I have to kill?
A: That’s optional. We pay extra.
Q: What’s the gig?
A: Sell money to lawyers on the phone.
A one-call close. A high level job doing business on the phone with professionals.
Q: What about the recession?
A: Screw the recession. Lawyers are like vultures – when something bad happens it’s time to eat!
Q: What experience do I have to have?
A: If you can sell at this level or have run a business then you the man (or woman). I could care less what you know or don’t know about the law. This is all about helping small business owners be more successful.
Q: Why should I work for you? How do I know you’re not a bunch of losers?
A: We’re the leaders in our space – a large mainstream market. We’re in our third sales year and cash positive from sales – we aren’t living off sucker (investor) money. We offer a unique product with no real competition. We have the legal, technical, and marketing expertise that the pretenders don’t have so we kick sand in their face and laugh. If you use Internet Explorer type “lawyer” into the search box and see who comes up on top. LegalMatch. We own the net and have tons of clients waiting for an attorney. Therefore the attorneys line up and have to sell us.
Q: Who the hell are you?
A: The VP Sales. A commission only top gun closer from way back. As a rep, I hated working for useless poser managers who couldn’t close a door let alone a deal and therefore couldn’t teach me anything and only got in my way. I told a few that they were no longer allowed to go on sales calls with me because they were stupid and would blurt out idiotic words like “discount” which cost me money. I vowed that when I got into a position of power I would literally design the company and product around the close and the rep. Mission accomplished. See it for yourself and be prepared to smile so much your face will hurt.
Q: Are you for real? Crazy? Some kinda comedian? Serious?
A: Yes.
Q: When do I start?
A: We start a training cycle every 2 weeks. If you impress me and are in a hurry I may let you start today and train later.
Q: What’s next?
A: Email a resume and tell me why I should hire you. Back up your bs fairy tales with some heroic stories about how you slay dragons and pull deals out of your . . . Make it good or I’ll drag your email into the trashcan with the other losers.
Q: This post is “unprofessional”. You can’t say this kinda stuff when recruiting. Blah, blah, blah . .
A: Professional is as professional does. We provide a real service in a win-win truly ethical manner and tell no lies. Which is more than you can say for Enron, Arthur Andersen, Imclone, WorldCom, Tyco, and the rest of those crooks. Feel free to send me your best flame – just make it interesting. I plan on reading the best ones at our IPO party some day.
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