tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90533106903577907722024-02-19T01:39:40.807-08:00Field NotesMy little blog roll and occasional notes and linksBenjamin Smith, Intake Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14122842284274906985noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053310690357790772.post-33833801350654172862011-04-10T16:59:00.000-07:002011-04-10T17:00:35.985-07:00Is this what the Gowanus Expressway could look like someday?<a href="http://americancity.org/images/buzz/cheeon.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 640px; height: 480px;" src="http://americancity.org/images/buzz/cheeon.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Benjamin Smith, Intake Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14122842284274906985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053310690357790772.post-22375860331665100522010-08-07T08:08:00.000-07:002010-08-07T08:09:25.169-07:00<a href="http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1430.html">instructions</a> for pruning and care of blackberry bushesBenjamin Smith, Intake Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14122842284274906985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053310690357790772.post-61502868600459509742010-07-06T13:22:00.000-07:002010-07-18T09:31:43.345-07:00<a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/05/a-home-with-history/">times article about a beautiful home/garden</a>....<div><br /></div><div>Musing on how the most beautiful gardens are models of an ideal universe whose source of beauty is "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 14px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 21px; ">that chain of connectedness, whose linkages bind together history, land, animals, plants, people and home"</span></div>Benjamin Smith, Intake Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14122842284274906985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053310690357790772.post-26956750133760059532010-05-25T08:06:00.000-07:002010-05-25T08:07:35.347-07:00Interesting article: <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/retirement/article/109630/the-meaning-of-wealth-translated-around-the-world?mod=retire-planning">How the meaning of wealth varies by region</a>, from the WSJBenjamin Smith, Intake Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14122842284274906985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053310690357790772.post-55254288228271258572010-05-14T10:37:00.000-07:002010-05-14T10:38:23.970-07:00Interesting story<a href="http://www.brooklyndowntownstar.com/view/full_story/7398690/article-Green-market-and-jobs-for-Lafayette-Gardens-?instance=home_news_right">Article: Green market and youth employment for Lafayette Gardens</a>Benjamin Smith, Intake Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14122842284274906985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053310690357790772.post-88868962547739008702010-04-10T09:14:00.000-07:002010-04-10T09:16:54.151-07:00Cool image (thanks to <a href="http://blog.mikebot.com/">Mike</a> for the find)<br /><br /><a href="http://blog.mikebot.com/uploaded_images/obama-748928.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 1107px; height: 483px;" src="http://blog.mikebot.com/uploaded_images/obama-748928.png" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />(double-click for full image)Benjamin Smith, Intake Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14122842284274906985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053310690357790772.post-91947608770188210642010-04-05T06:58:00.000-07:002010-04-05T06:59:24.667-07:00<a href="http://www.kitchenemporium.com/info/castiron.html">seasoning and caring for cast iron cookware</a>Benjamin Smith, Intake Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14122842284274906985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053310690357790772.post-88901863024724447922010-03-27T13:11:00.000-07:002010-03-27T13:12:51.164-07:00"<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/26/nyregion/26jail.html?scp=1&sq=brooklyn%20playground%20jail&st=cse">Jail-themed playset at public complex is repainted</a>" March 25, 2010, NYTBenjamin Smith, Intake Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14122842284274906985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053310690357790772.post-11434251116169464492010-03-26T10:13:00.000-07:002010-05-30T08:25:50.883-07:00<em>I decided to write up a list of the plants I'm tending</em><br /><br />forsythia<br />dogwood<br />rose of sharon (hibiscus)<br />red bud tree<br />english ivy<br />hostas, multiple varieties<br />sedum, regular and autumn glory<br />toadlilies<br />echinacea (coneflower)<br />japanese anenome flower<br />ferns<br />oakleaf hydrangea<br />bleeding heart<br />sweet woodruff<br />lady's mantle<br />creeping jenny<br />wild mustard (?)<br />sedum makinoi<br />the clover-like ground cover<br />the succulent-like ground cover<br />honeysuckle<br />tulips<br />daffodils<br />hyacinths<br />variegated rush grass (juncus effusus, "Goldstrike")<br />dwarf spruce<br />dwarf juniper<br />another dwarf conifer (?)<br />a holly bush (Ilex meserveae 'Blue Princess')<br />the perennial with little white flowers and minty leaves<br />fine fescue<br />creeping red fescue<br />several varieties of perennial ryegrass<br />jade plant<br />aloe<br />succulent unknown identification<br />asparagus plant<br />pothos<br />blackberry bush ("Thornless Chester")<br />astilbe (false spirea)<br />lettuce ("simpson elite")<br />bamboo <br />a sapling pear or cherry tree (non-fruiting)<br /><br />Annuals:<br /><br />Petunias (white, red, purple)<br />Lobelia<br />New Guinea Impatiens (red)<br />Begonia<br />Ageratum<br />Alyssum<br />Geranium<br />French Marigold ('Antigua' yellow and orange)<br />Dusty Miller 'Silver Dust'<br /><br />And here are some of the fauna who live in or visit the yard (so far this spring):<br />starlings<br />sparrows<br />robins hunting for worms in the grass<br />a pair of bluejays gathering twigs (May 13)<br />one cardinal<br />a bumblebee<br />a lady bug<br />two cats (they're black with white on their paws and their neck, almost identical)<br />the next door neighbor's dog "Stella"<br />the downstairs neighbor's dog "Rosie"<br />spiders<br />centipedes<br />lots of ants (boo...)<br />slugs (boo...)Benjamin Smith, Intake Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14122842284274906985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053310690357790772.post-35201031863385487212010-03-06T08:30:00.001-08:002010-03-06T08:31:19.142-08:00so cool<object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9679622&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9679622&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/9679622">The Sandpit</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1639813">Sam O'Hare</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Benjamin Smith, Intake Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14122842284274906985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053310690357790772.post-6383204184865667832010-03-04T15:13:00.000-08:002010-03-04T15:18:17.399-08:00Cool website<a href="http://www.lawnreform.org/better-lawn-types.html">Lawnreform.org</a>Benjamin Smith, Intake Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14122842284274906985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053310690357790772.post-59666478222282003352010-03-04T07:49:00.001-08:002010-03-04T07:51:12.080-08:00Psst... Spring has sprungI shouldn't be surprised if we have one more blast of wintery weather (knock on wood). But there's a hint of spring in the air. I did a little bit of cleaning up in the yard this morning, and some of the green things are starting to grow again.... :)Benjamin Smith, Intake Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14122842284274906985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053310690357790772.post-86766865866470000832010-03-04T07:43:00.000-08:002010-03-04T07:47:23.145-08:00the shape of the netHere's a fun article from the Times: <a href="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/03/02/science/02topo_span/02topo_span-articleLarge.jpg"></a>"<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/02/science/02topo.html?ref=science">Scientists strive to map the shape of the shifting net</a>"<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/03/02/science/02topo_span/02topo_span-articleLarge.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 600px; height: 300px;" src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/03/02/science/02topo_span/02topo_span-articleLarge.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Benjamin Smith, Intake Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14122842284274906985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053310690357790772.post-87519505376106806232010-03-01T09:29:00.000-08:002010-03-01T09:35:00.027-08:00and....<a href="http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/02/corruption_derby_pt1.php#more?ref=fpblg">this</a> comment posted on Talking Points Memo is interesting:<br /><br />"I live in Juhsey (NOT "Joisey"): specifically Newark. I went to school in Rhode Island and Connecticut, and live in New York. Does that make me an expert?<br /><br />The word "corrupt" is a funny one. Each state has its own political culture. I remember when calling yourself a "Republican" in Rhode Island only meant that you weren't a love child of Raymond Patriarca. There were some liberal Republicans; some conservative Republicans. There were even some Republicans on the take. But at least a Rhode Island Republican wasn't a certified made Mafioso. Or at least some weren't. The pond scum of Narragansett Bay were insulted when compared to Freddy St Germain. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse are destroying a fine old Rhode Island tradition.<br /><br />There were some echoes of this in CT, but it didn't really compare to RI.<br />New Jersey? Our politicians don't take much salary; they work on the commission system. However, they do provide reasonable services in return for their commissions. Sharpe James was a good example. (Jon Corzine and Cory Booker, neither of whom need commissions, are not. Corzine didn't need commissions because he made so much money at Goldman Sachs. Some say the same is true of Booker, at least insofar as his campaign financing goes.)<br /><br />The politicians don't take many commissions in New York. But that's not because they're particularly honest; it is because New York has many many many many many la(w)yers of control. There is so much control that very little gets done in NY, unless you can find a rabbi who can circumvent the lawyers. It's kind of like late Soviet Communism, except that some of the New York rabbis are actually Jewish."Benjamin Smith, Intake Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14122842284274906985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053310690357790772.post-10542217026272053962010-02-28T09:50:00.000-08:002010-02-28T09:58:01.534-08:00As I've lived and worked in New York for eight years, I've observed a little bit about urban politics. Sam Roberts wrote an article in today's Times on the decline of the Harlem based old gaurd of black political power that was puntuated by the disgrace of David Paterson, <a href="http://changingthecourt.blogspot.com/search/label/Learning%20about%20large%20public%20bureaucracies%20and%20urban%20politics">here</a>. It's a great article that sketches the history of demographic shifts and old-style urban machine politics centered around powerful county leaders.<br /><br />Reading this article also inspired me to collect a few old posts from Changing the Court under a label, "<a href="http://changingthecourt.blogspot.com/search/label/Learning%20about%20large%20public%20bureaucracies%20and%20urban%20politics">Learning about large public bureaucracies and urban politics</a>."Benjamin Smith, Intake Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14122842284274906985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053310690357790772.post-40224614630101122712010-02-16T14:28:00.001-08:002010-02-28T09:59:21.477-08:00Here's the key trend reflecting increased partisanship in the US Congress (double-click to enlarge):<br /><br /><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e8/Cloture_Voting,_U.S._Senate,_1947_to_2008.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 725px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 450px" alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e8/Cloture_Voting%2C_U.S._Senate%2C_1947_to_2008.jpg" border="0" /></a>Benjamin Smith, Intake Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14122842284274906985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053310690357790772.post-47561862153797449122010-02-11T11:51:00.000-08:002010-02-16T14:28:11.981-08:00So true<blockquote>A city that was designed for travel by foot and horses loses some of its charm with modern traffic congestion. A deep snowfall is the perfect antidote, as it adds beauty, muffles sounds and discourages automobiles. The broad streets and sidewalks reveal their grandeur when covered with snow instead of cars.</blockquote><br /><br />From a blog post by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore), <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/lawmaker-news/80733-skiing-through-snowpocalypse-rep-earl-blumenauer">here</a>. (thanks to Talking Points Memo for the link).Benjamin Smith, Intake Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14122842284274906985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053310690357790772.post-58371269048486480012010-01-30T13:34:00.000-08:002010-01-30T13:36:09.143-08:00One of my favorites...For a cold winter Sunday and a group of friends:<br /><br />"<a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/The-Best-Vegetarian-Chili-in-the-World/Detail.aspx">Best Vegetarian Chili</a>"<br /><br />[I omit the vegi-burger crumbles, and reduce the amount of jalapeno]Benjamin Smith, Intake Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14122842284274906985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053310690357790772.post-19803702765823841102010-01-28T09:30:00.001-08:002010-01-28T09:31:02.404-08:00Cool picture that Karen found: a "bat flower"<a href="http://www.bedsbatgroup.org.uk/chiroptrivia/bat-flower-2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://www.bedsbatgroup.org.uk/chiroptrivia/bat-flower-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Benjamin Smith, Intake Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14122842284274906985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053310690357790772.post-3717281448749005402009-11-16T18:38:00.001-08:002009-11-16T18:39:06.354-08:00Love this map<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.newscientist.com/data/images/ns/cms/mg20227041.500/mg20227041.500-1_1000.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 1000px; height: 493px;" src="http://www.newscientist.com/data/images/ns/cms/mg20227041.500/mg20227041.500-1_1000.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />(double click for full view)Benjamin Smith, Intake Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14122842284274906985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053310690357790772.post-37732379160701955912009-11-08T15:40:00.000-08:002009-11-08T16:09:27.457-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeXlvEG32mpO42rRsFvVmlEr3m5HOxAnCyKSo4kExn0VtSMbss3hIqV5Hj93WPZbnQfwDTYLS7gPIuDvYH7ncrukJsXIr-rLf84fOEdfm0ofCjAKuIBX43rW0loUlwEIw4a77fs0s7LQo/s1600-h/Cleanup+and+gardening,+Nov+4+and+Nov+8+2009+053.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeXlvEG32mpO42rRsFvVmlEr3m5HOxAnCyKSo4kExn0VtSMbss3hIqV5Hj93WPZbnQfwDTYLS7gPIuDvYH7ncrukJsXIr-rLf84fOEdfm0ofCjAKuIBX43rW0loUlwEIw4a77fs0s7LQo/s400/Cleanup+and+gardening,+Nov+4+and+Nov+8+2009+053.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401882598889991842" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The weather was beautiful today and I spent almost the whole day finishing off the end of fall clean-up in the garden. In front, I finished potting the two junipers I put in wooden barrels next to a big planter box stuffed with daffodils and hyacinths. I pulled out the sweet potato vines and put in tulips. In back I cut down the morning glory vine after collecting a bowl of seeds, and swept all the leaves and compost off the porch and stairs. <br /><br />That's when I took this picture: the woodland tobacco flower (nicotiana) is still huge, fragrant and glorious, and some other flowers and perennials are enjoying this last breath of warm weather...<br /><br />I finished working in the bed last weekend - I moved some of the perennial flowers - echinacea/coneflower, Japanese anemone, and toad lily - to sunnier spots, and put in a few more hostas.Benjamin Smith, Intake Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14122842284274906985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053310690357790772.post-14647514237157301132009-11-08T15:33:00.001-08:002009-11-08T15:38:52.403-08:00In a related development, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/31/world/europe/31bikes.html?pagewanted=2&sq=velib&st=cse&scp=1">reports</a> <a href="http://bike-sharing.blogspot.com/2009/06/parisians-still-find-velib-liberating.html">on</a> the City of Paris' ambitious Velib bike-sharing program are mixed. "80 percent of the initial 20,600 bicycles [have been] stolen or damaged," which are worth, "when the system’s startup and maintenance expenses are included, $3,500 each."Benjamin Smith, Intake Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14122842284274906985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053310690357790772.post-90723231757663758612009-11-08T15:03:00.000-08:002009-11-08T15:39:36.062-08:00I have to find a research study for a school assignment in which the investigators actively manipulated an independent variable. I was browsing for journal articles in the areas of crime and public safety, when I remembered this article from the Journal Science that I noticed with great interest around the time it was published: <a href="http://changingthecourt.blogspot.com/2008/11/testing-broken-windows-theory.html">Testing The Broken Windows Theory</a>Benjamin Smith, Intake Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14122842284274906985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053310690357790772.post-82392113810039727512009-10-01T17:15:00.000-07:002009-10-01T17:35:12.848-07:00I like this:"<a href="http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/30/the-assumption-of-inconvenience/#more-58331">The Assumption of Inconvenience</a>" from <a href="http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/30/the-assumption-of-inconvenience/#more-58331">Streetsblog</a>Benjamin Smith, Intake Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14122842284274906985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9053310690357790772.post-72688202493993868962009-10-01T16:50:00.000-07:002009-10-01T16:51:11.082-07:00public safety, meets transportation planning, meets livable streets: http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/Benjamin Smith, Intake Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14122842284274906985noreply@blogger.com0