Spotted next to the laser printer this morning, this National Geographic Adventure article on the subject of mob mentality and "groupness."

Throughout the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s, A&P fell into decline and ceased to exist in many regions. The strangest thing about this is that A&P had the same information that other companies, notably Kroger, had. The world had changed. The old model wouldn’t work anymore. A&P had even opened an experimental store called the Golden Key that succeeded using the supermarket model we know today. The information clashed with what they believed to be true, so they closed the store and ignored the information, while Kroger went on to become one of the largest grocery chains in America.

What A&P did is not uncommon, whether in business, in science, or even in the wilderness. Behavior like that, seemingly contrary and nonsensical, stems at least in part from a phenomenon that psychologists call "groupness."

http://ngadventure.typepad.com/blog/deep-survival-mob-mentality.html

Yesterday I got to see quite a few of you, thanks to the terrific party thrown by talkingmute12 and zercool. Congratulations to you two! It was a beautiful day for a wedding at the chapel in Anabel Taylor Hall and at the North Point at Taughannock Falls State Park. I'd kind of intended to take the opportunity to walk over to the falls, but it was already getting dark before we were done with the party. Other than sunset arriving too early, it was a perfect day -- sunny and crisp, the chill offset by the warm fire in the pavilion's stone fireplace. I'm very pleased with some of the photos I got, of people and the lakeside scenery alike. Haven't had a chance yet to retrieve the video from the camcorder Brian asked me to bring to the ceremony, though I checked out a little on the built-in screen before packing it up. Looked good.

( All the wedding photos... )

After the wedding, beeeej and I popped up to Trumansburg to join in the festivities welcoming chesther home, where I got to see a few more of you. :-) psyllisa threw a fine fête as always.

Thanks to dduane for the link to this great post about Joe Six-Pack and how misunderstood "he" is.

http://copperwise.livejournal.com/680972.html

There's a pair of great seats (near mine, actually) available in a charity auction! The entire winning bid will benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Go bid!

http://elf.elynah.com/read.php?3,132774

I've seen lots of you do this, but eatingithaca finally got me to. If you want to play along, copy and paste the list, bold what you've eaten, italicize what you'd like to try, and strike through what you'd never consider eating. (There's not much I wouldn't try.)

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
( Read on... )

Every once in a while, the plastic shower curtain liner gets to the point where cleaning it is no longer rational, and I buy a new one. WIth a house full of guests this weekend, this week seemed like a good time! So, after finding the Rite-Aid doesn't have any, I got one at the P&C. The package says it's supposed to be 72 inches tall, but it can't be!

When I put it on the rings, it didn't even reach past the top of the tub. I've lowered the curtain rod for now, so the liner should at least stay inside the tub, but I think if I have a chance later, I'll go to another store and buy a different shower curtain liner. I wonder if the one I had before was longer than 72 inches. All the ones I'm finding online say they're 72 inches, though they start at twice the price of the $4 one I bought. I guess you get what you pay for.

In some states, the deadline to register to vote is October 4th. If you've moved, you may need to change your address with the Board of Elections (if you moved locally) or register from scratch (if you moved long-distance). In New York, the deadline is next Friday, October 10th.

Register to Vote. Or Sarah Silverman might put her bra back on.

My Flickr Pro subscription doesn't expire for several months, but I think I'm going to avail myself of the three-months-free offer they're currently running, when you buy a year by September 30th. (You get a free code you can use yourself or give to someone else.)

http://www.flickr.com/upgrade/

Heh. Given that my Pro account now expires in April 2010, maybe I should give the three free months to someone else who's been urgently wanting to try out the Pro capabilities. Anyone?

"A man can only be judged by his actions, and not by his good intentions or his beliefs."
1925-2008

My first week of daily self-portraits ends with my single most common photo subject -- food. :-) Apropos, along with what must be my least common photo subject, myself. (Ironically, this is the first one of the batch shot with the "good" camera.)

I've seen a bunch of people doing the "365" thing on Flickr or on LiveJournal, and it seemed like a good way of forcing myself to change the fact that there are hardly ever pictures of me. They'll probably vary quite a bit. I'm open to suggestions, and maybe even requests. Meantime, I'll keep winging it on my own whim and/or inspiration. I'm not going to post them here constantly, but you're welcome to keep looking for updates on Flickr.

( The whole set, including alternates... )