Michael Bates: February 2017 Archives
The Bond villain libertarians of Guatemala | Washington Examiner
"Francisco Marroquin -- named after the first Bishop of Guatemala, who translated several of the indigenous languages -- is one of the best universities in Latin America. Its fees are at the upper end of the range, and it sets stiff entrance criteria, including a required fluency in English. All its undergraduates, whether they are studying law, medicine or architecture, are given a basic grounding in the principles of personal liberty and limited government.
"Does that sound like indoctrination? Perhaps it is. But only in the sense that all universities indoctrinate their students. We expect our places of learning to uphold certain standards: Respect for truth, decency towards others, self-restraint.
"What makes Francisco Marroquin unusual is not that it seeks to inculcate values. Rather, it's that those values are not the leftist ones prevalent in almost every other institution of higher education. Instead of promoting anti-racism as the supreme political value, Francisco Marroquin promotes freedom. Safe spaces, micro-aggressions and trigger warnings have no place in these handsome buildings. Students are constantly exhorted to think for themselves.
"To leftists, the place must seem like a Bond villain's lair. Although it's surrounded by Guatemala City, you wouldn't think so when you're there. The campus is in a ravine, overshadowed by the viridian spray of its arboretum -- the university governors take pride in the fact that, unlike some ecologists, they are engaging in practical conservation work rather than demanding that politicians do it for them. A socialist who stumbled upon the place would surely conclude that he had uncovered some "Boys From Brazil" type plot.
"The free-market liberalism taught here has a samizdat feel. Most undergraduates are as opposed to the big-government paternalism that passes for conservatism in Latin America as they are to the Left."
Nolli map as a tool for small developers | CNU
"A Nolli Map is a two-dimensional plan drawing used to understand and document the accessibility and flow of space within a city. The first Nolli ever was drawn by the Italian architect from where the map derives its name from, Giovanni Battista Nolli. For purposes of dividing the city into wards and planning future public works, in 1736 Pope Benedict XIV commissioned Nolli to create the most accurate plan drawing of Rome ever made. Giovanni documented every building within the city and consequently every space. Unique to the Nolli Drawing is the representation of public space inside buildings, as part of the urban realm. There is no distinction between inside and out; only space and mass. The Nolli Map of Rome presented the Eternal City in a way that deepened the comprehension of its neighborhood fabric....
"As I enter into the realm of small scale incremental development myself, I can't help but recall the time I spent documenting Seaside. The level of comprehension I gained about this place, from walking and drawing every inch of it, was almost intimate. A key factor distinguishing small developers from the large developer is a deep and authentic understanding of a neighborhood. This is where the Nolli Map has its advantages and offers tremendous value to small scale developer."
The January 30, 2017, edition of Studio Tulsa was an interview with Dr. Rachel Carlton Abrams, author of BodyWise: Discovering Your Body's Intelligence for Lifelong Health and Healing. Dr. Abrams discussed chronic pain and fatigue and the challenges of tracing those systemic and diffuse conditions back to a cause, which can sometimes involve food sensitivity (e.g. gluten) and hypothyroidism. Dr. Abrams emphasized the importance of journaling to keep a careful daily account of nutrition, hydration, sleep, and stress so as to correlate them accurately with their effect on pain and energy levels.
NHTSA: Technical Service Bulletins Help -- Office of Defect Investigations
A lot of useful information that was once only available to dealers and factory-authorized repair centers is now available to the general public. Use this page to find technical service bulletins that may help you maintain and repair your car -- or help you figure out what's wrong, so you can have someone else do the repair you need.
BBBind.com: Free TSB and Wiring Diagram search
BBB Industries, manufacturers of starters, alternators, power steering pumps, and other automotive equipment, allows you not only to search for TSBs and wiring diagrams for your car, but you can actually view and download them! Free registration required.
19 Australian Snacks Every American Needs To Try Immediately
I tried vegemite on buttered bread, lamington, and meat pies, all of which I enjoyed, but missed out on the rest. Thinking I should have tried TimTams and cheesymite rolls.
10 British Things About Tulsa, OK | Anglophenia | BBC America
Things U.K., the White Lion pub, Scotfest, and cricket and rugby clubs are on the list.
Small-town Oklahoma has some good coffee houses, too.
