Calculated Spontaneity Builds a Repertoire

Each week I will try to produce some interesting links from a variety of sources and on a variety of topics. There will generally be no real method behind them, but instead they will be interesting things that I have seen over the course of the past week, or maybe just things that I look at regularly that I feel are worth checking out. I'll try to have at least a dozen or so good links every week.

Links

Design is Observed to be Good to the Core[77]. Mike has a pretty good design blog, too. The 2020 Olympics might be the bomb (bad pun). I Digg good comics. TED talks are always worth a listen. Beaches are nice too. Inhabitat and Pruned are a couple of neat architecture blogs. An interesting design process, though the blog hasn't been updated in a couple months. Also, Dyson is sweet.

Google Analytics

Began analytics on October 8th. Updates are to-current-date.

10/13/09: 43 Visits, 73 Pageviews, 12 Absolute Unique Visitors. Average time on site of 1:33.

Roman Mining

My research this semester is through the Classic Civilization department under Professor David Potter. I am studying the climatic and economic effects of mining on the Roman province of Hispania Tarraconensis. I may actually spin the research off into a separate blog, especially after the class ends if I continue to pursue it as a side-interest. Right now, I have too many things going at once. I'll try to make an informative update on the mining project in this post every week as well, just to be interesting. I don't really have anything for it today. Mostly I have been looking at the variety of minerals that the Romans were able to mine and process and the usage of those minerals. The theory that I am working with right now is that mining bred massive deforestation in the Iberian Peninsula in order to heat the necessary furnaces for smelting.

Quotes of the Week

Generally will contain a few quotes of random variety.

Television: One of my favorite wordplays from The West Wing - there are a Lot of them.

C.J.: Is there anything I can say other than "The President rode his bicycle into a tree?"
Leo: He hopes never to do it again.
C.J.: Seriously, they're laughing pretty hard.
Leo: He rode his bicycle into a tree, C.J. What do you want me to – "The president, while riding a bicycle on his vacation in Jackson Hole, came to a sudden arboreal stop." What do you want from me?

Design:

Good design is obvious. Great design is transparent. - Aaron Russell