Here are a few stories, posts, and resources I’ve read and enjoyed over the past month.
Hope you enjoy them, too!
What I Found Interesting
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For folks in the US, did you know you can renew your US passport online? In June 2024, the US State Department launched a beta test of the passport renewal program.
A few things to know in order to renew online:
- You have to live in the US
- Your passport must have been issued between 2009 and 2015
- If you want to change your name or birthdate, you can’t renew online
- You’ll need to upload a digital photo
- Cost is $130, payment is by credit card only
Processing time is 6-8 weeks, so plan accordingly.
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Finding the route to a location you want to visit often means using Google Maps.
Which is problematic when it gives wrong information.
It was only a few months ago I avoided a huge backup on a Michigan I-75 freeway offramp during the solar eclipse when I ignored Google Maps directions routing unknowing drivers to a two-lane road I was very familiar with.
Google Maps showed the road had no congestion and was clear. It wasn’t.
You can reduce the monopoly Google Maps has and support a robust and competitive public map infrastructure.
In The Enshittification of Google Maps, Julia Angwin recommends using and supporting OpenStreetMap.
It’s built on local knowledge by a community of mappers and offers free web-based and mobile apps.
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Like many people around the world experiencing climate change, Michigan has seen an increase in storms, tornadoes, lightning, and thunder over the past few years.
I appreciate meteorologist Chris Vagasky sharing tips on how to stay safe during lightning season.
I didn’t realize July is the riskiest month for lightning in the US.
No place outside is safe during a thunderstorm, so when thunder roars – go indoors.
When you see the clouds building up, hear thunder or see a flash of lightning, it’s time to dash inside to a lightning-safe place.
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If you crochet, you might be interested in what appears to be the first books published on crochet. Thanks to Oombawka Design Crochet for posting links for free vintage crochet patterns from 1840-1850.
Personal note: I’ve been crocheting since I was in grade school. My first piece was a very poorly made doily.
Mom only had crochet thread at home. She was good at making doilies, I wasn’t.
I quickly moved on to crochet projects with yarn, making scarves and hats for me and my friends. And afghans for family members.
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What incredibly vibrant bird illustrations from a 19th century Scottish natural history journal. The illustrations are available for purchase as prints or stationery cards.
Stunning.
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Academic folks looking to publish their research findings have complained about it for years: academic journals are a lucrative scam.
Congrats to Arash Abizadeh, his co-editors, and the entire editorial board of Philosophy & Public Affairs who resigned en masse earlier this year to launch their own journal with open access to everyone.
Here’s the backstory: Over the past few decades, publishing houses bought up journals from university presses. Then proceeded to raise prices for subscriptions.
And charged authors to have their research work (paid for by academic institutions) published in the journal.
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Not unlike people. According to long-terms studies, deer, sheep and macaques change their social habits as they grow older.
…does think there is a cautionary tale in these studies of aging animals for medical scientists who conduct studies comparing the health of people of different ages rather than tracking many individuals to find out how they change over time.
