We have a beautiful view from the deck at the rear of our home. Front and center is/was a cedar tree (the one with the bird house) that that started looking pretty gnarly so we called the tree guys to cut it down, along with a few other cedar trees that just weren’t adding to the view.
These guys did some work for us back in January. They’re not cheap but they are really good.
From New York Times story: “The new truck, which began arriving at military bases in the spring, is faster, smarter and safer. It is powerful enough to bound through rough terrain, despite carrying armor so thick that the truck has to automatically level itself when parked, so that troops can swing open its 400-pound steel doors.”
“And unlike the stripped-down Humvee, the JLTV — which is far costlier than the latest Lamborghini Huracan — comes with a few conveniences, including a backup camera, phone-charging plugs, and not just one cup holder, but two.[…] It has seats designed to fit the bulky body armor and backpacks that soldiers now wear, and unlike the underpowered Humvee, it has air conditioning that actually worked.”
“The truck also comes packed with technology, including electronics that can communicate with fighter jets, drones and other military assets around the globe. In place of a sun visor mounted above the thick blast-resistant windshield, the JLTV has a fold-down night-vision driving system.[…] The JLTV also has a combat override switch that the driver can use to take all control away from the computer.”
Via Henry Domke
Following my semi-annual dental check-up yesterday my dentist showed me some amazing technology. Not so long ago getting a crown meant taking an impression; a temporary crown; and a long wait for a lab to make the permanent crown. No longer. Meet the Sirona Cerec MC XL Dental Milling Machine. Sort of a 3D printer in reverse.
The scanner creates a 3D image which is then recreated by the milling machine. CAD/CAM technology has revolutionized dentistry. My dentist has two milling machines, the original will do single crowns, veneers, etc. The XL machine uses a bigger block so can do 3-4 unit bridges. The zirconium cube from which the crown is milled has a bar code that is read and stored so if the crown needs to be recreated they don’t have to start from scratch.
In my youth, going to the dentist was a little trip to hell. It has gotten so much better.
“According to scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, there is only one word in existence that’s the same in every language, and that word is ‘huh’. By recording segments of informal language from across five continents, the scientists have revealed that the world ‘huh’ is the same in 31 different languages, making it the most universally understood term in the world.”
“The researchers have suggested that the reason ‘huh’ is the only word to have spontaneously adopted the same meaning in almost every language is because there is no other word that is capable of filling its place. According to the study, ‘huh’ is the only word capable of stating that there is a problem, signaling that it has to do with a lack of knowledge and asking for a response without being aware of what that response may be.”
And, according to Simon Tisdall, they’re angry…
There are more young people than ever before. About 41% of the global population of 7.7 billion is aged 24 or under. In Africa, 41% is under 15. In Asia and Latin America (where 65% of the world’s people live), it’s 25%. In developed countries, imbalances tilt the other way. While 16% of Europeans are under 15, about 18%, double the world average, are over 65.
Most of these young people have reached, or will reach, adulthood in a world scarred by the 2008 financial crash. Recession, stagnant or falling living standards, and austerity programmes delivered from on high have shaped their experience. As a result, many current protests are rooted in shared grievances about economic inequality and jobs.
Question is… are they angry enough?
“designed to be used as little as possible” This line from their website best sums up the Light Phone for me. I ordered one in February and it finally arrived.
One or both of the dogs sleep on the bed with Barb…unless she’s out of town. Then it’s the couch.
The nice man driving this beauty told me his 17-year-old son and the young man’s grandfather restored this 1955 Jeep. I’ve never seen a restored vehicle this… flawless. It was almost too perfect. 
Another great photo/find from Matthew Hampshire.
It’s been raining all day in Jefferson City, MO. I’m going to have to take the rubber floor mats out of the Land Rover because they’re stopping the water from draining. Not airtight… not watertight.
Barb and a friend are in Destin this week where it is sunny and warm.
