on 30 December 2011
Amusing quote from a thread in City-Data.com:

"The midwest is the land of corn, of farms and fields, of lazy winding gravel roads and the unspoken rule that every woman over 40 is mandated to cut their hair into a shapeless 'butch' cut and buy stretch-waist pants at Meijer and Walmart."

on 06 September 2011
Stroller or baggage cart? I'm still trying to figure out the purpose of the flag. Maybe the baggage handlers have races when the terminals shut down.
I tried to get a shot of an airport worker riding a three-wheeled kick scooter, but I was too slow.

on 04 August 2011
I was in Lisbon for a couple of days in the spring. My sister said that it was just meh, but I couldn't disagree more (in her defense, she was there about 20 years ago). Super-cool, for sure. Clean, modern, safe, and everything seemed to work really well. And the airport is only a twenty-minute bus ride from the center of the city.

The following pictures are of things I found particularly interesting. Murals, graffiti, bathroom vending machines, and subway seats.

A Giant Alligator Mural in Lisbon

How pimp is that? Just in case the building ever gets razed or the wall gets whitewashed, this picture was taken in the spring of 2011. 

The Three-Eyed King in Lisbon

I like how the windows on the roof were used as part of the crown.

And the next piece is a bit of random graffiti.

Somewhere Near the Ocean in Lisbon

I wonder who the author was...American, or Portuguese? The world may never know. 

And the sidewalks--they were all (well, most of them) were made up of these little pavers. I would say they are about 2-inch by 2-inches. And lots of them, all over the city. 

The Little Brick Road

Here's something that I've never seen sold in a restaurant bathroom, though it does make a lot of sense to have them there: toothbrushes. 

For Sale in a Lisbon Restaurant

The last bit of show-and-tell has to do with the public transit system, specifically the subway. The subway system seemed like it was pretty new--by far the cleanest that I've ever been on. And it was just loaded with all kinds of fancy magic, like timers that countdown the arrival of the next train (which don't exist in Chicago). The trains themselves were fast and quiet, similar to the subway in Washington, DC. But way more comfortable due to seats with springy lumbar support. 

The Most Comfortable Metro Seats in the World

Lisbon, neat place. Check it out if you can.



on 27 February 2011
I've been keeping these quotes in a Google Notebook for awhile. But that doesn't do anyone a lick of good. No reason not to share what I think are important words.


Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. --Calvin Coolidge
I am a maker. I think work should be about making things work. Better. Faster. Smaller. Smarter. So I build bridges between what's known and not. I tinker. I toil. I write poetically in an abundance of languages (including code). I hack. I dissect. I have an insatiable desire to uncomplicate the complicated. I am easily inspired. I believe that just  because it hasn't been thought of doesn't mean that it won't be. Potential is my thrill ride. Imagination is my most-used tool. I am a maker. And I am what moves the world forward. --Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering, Purdue University
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go. --Dr. Seuss
Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood. --Daniel Burnham
As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. --John F. Kennedy