Once upon a time, in Charleston

 

Click any image in post to view full size

From the St.Michael's website: St. Michael’s Church is the oldest church edifice in the City of Charleston, standing on the site of the first Anglican Church built south of Virginia. In the 1680’s a small wooden church, the first in the new town of Charles Town, was built on this spot for the families of the Church of England, and named St. Philip’s. By 1727, the town had grown too large for the small church and a more spacious one was built of brick on Church Street, later destroyed by fire in 1835.

 

By 1751, St. Philip’s had again proved too small for the increasing population, and another church as authorized by the General Assembly of the Province, to be built on the old site and to be known as St. Michael’s. The cornerstone was laid in 1752 and in 1761 the church was opened for services. Except for the addition of the sacristy in 1883 on the southeast corner, the structure of the building has been little changed.

IN MEMORY of

ROBERT STEDMAN

who died on y 9th of

Sept AD 1766 in y

45d Year of his Age.

He was much refpected

and therefore is

regretted by all who

knew him

Here Rest The Remains Of

JAMES REID PRINGLE

Ninth Son of

William Bull and Mary M. Pringle

Born in this City 8th October 1842

In the recent war

He served as a Captain

In the First Regiment of

South Carolina Artillery

IN MEMORY

OF

JAMES RICHARDSON

a native of Westmoreland

ENGLAND

for many years a resident

Merchant in Havana.

Whilst on a visit to this City

for the benefit of his health.

he departed this life

on the 13th of March 1831

aged 41 years

Pringle family head stones

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All photos by TheRaven

Charleston, SC

December, 2005

Because she could

This post borrows material found on Shorpy.

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What did teenage girls learn in 1927?

In Washington DC's Central High School, for some, the curriculum included auto repair.

Click image to view full size

February 9, 1927. Central High School, Washington, D.C. 
"High school girls learn the art of automobile mechanics. 
Grace Hurd, Evelyn Harrison and Corinna DiJiulian, 

with Grace Wagner under the car."

Does this picture make you wonder what educators were thinking, way back in 1927? What possible use could automotive knowledge have for a teenage girl living 83 years ago? 

The girl in the middle, Evelyn Harrison, answered this question by becoming the "...first girl ever to enroll for a degree in engineering at the University of Maryland", according to a Washington Post article dated November 10, 1928.

The Post reported on June 12, 1932 that Evelyn was "popular in class". The piece viewed her as a sign of good things to come in America's future: "Ye who look with incredulity on the future of American youth, hearken to the tale of Evelyn Harrison, the first woman to be graduated in civil engineering from the University of Maryland."

According to a post on Shorpy, she "...went on to a career working for the federal government. In 1955 she was named a Deputy Director of the Civil Service Commission. President Kennedy personally presented her with the Federal Woman's Award in 1962. By 1967, she rose to become the highest ranking woman at the Civil Service Commission. She retired in 1971."

Auto repair was a salient part of the education of a girl who became a feminist trailblazer. Food for thought as we ponder educational priorities in the 21st century. Has your school system slashed or killed auto shop? Are school administrators planning to do so? Developing hands-on skill instills self-confidence and inspires big goals. Auto shop enabled Evelyn to make history over 80 years ago.

I'm sure you're wondering about the 5th name in the photo (the car), in fact, you must be dying to know what is was. Great! (glad you asked)

One of the joys of Shorpy is its deeply knowledgeable user base. The car is none other than a Stephens Salient Six, which was produced by the Moline Plow Company of Freeport, Illinois from 1916 to 1924.

Click image to view full size

You may now return to 21st century concerns about the future of American youth and why it's so difficult to find a decent auto mechanic.

 

Sure reward of piety and virtue

SACRED
To the never(?) ___ Memory
of
SARAH W. READ.
The Youngest Daughter
of
DR. WILLIAM
and
SARAH READ
Who died on the 31st of May 1833.
In the Meridian of her life,
Constant and steadfast in all
Religious and moral duties.
She was the support and comfort
of her aged Parent.
The delight of her relatives
connexions and friends
Her death leaves a melancholy
void in the domestic and
social circle and grief is
assuaged by the well founded
hope of her Eternal bliss
the sure reward of piety
and virtue.

J. White

 

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Photo by TheRaven

Charleston, SC

Dec, 2005

But for many years a respectable Citizen of the United States

In
Memory of
Capt. James Maud Elford
A native of Bristol England,
But for many years a respectable
Citizen of the United States.
Who died in Charleston 25th Jan Y1826
Aged Fifty-Four Years.
When this experienced and successful
Sea Captain Retired From Navigation
It was only to Study and reveal its theory
And lend the lights of his genius to
His brethren of the Ocean.
He was the author of several scientific
Nautical inventions.
Particularly of an admirable system
Of Marine Telegraphic Signals.
Which afford the Sea the same
Facilities of language
As the Land.
He was prosperous and happy
In domestic life.
And his Widow and twelve Children
Mourn his decease.

***********************************

Photo by TheRaven

Charleston, SC

Dec, 2005

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UPDATE: How long does it take the web's most enlightened community to solve riddles of history? A visit to this post on Ta-Nehisi Coates blog on theAtlantic.com says not long at all. The grave stone mentions "Marine Telegraphic Signals", which turns out to be a reference to Elford's Universal Signals, originally published in this book. Further history on Elford is provided by this page in a history of Charleston newspapers, found on GoogleBooks.

'tis the Season

Recent news on Donovan McNabb reminded TheRaven that there are few things more distasteful than rooting for the Redskins. Acknowledging the existence of the won-only-two-championships-in-the-modern-era Steelers tops the list. The possibly criminal petulance of Ben Roethlisberger is welcome news for haters of a team that donates its Terrible Towel profits to charity. Roethlisberger as Pittsburgh's incarnation of Kobe Bryant certainly shows that the steel halo isn't stainless.

Even if he committed no criminal offenses, walking out on bar tabs and poor tipping by any multi-millionaire is heinous. It's revealing that we haven't seen any press on Big-Ego revisiting all those bars and restaurants and making good - to the last dime - on every bill and tip. You'd think The Ego's agent and PR flack would - by this point - have thought to make amends out of their own pockets, if necessary, just to preserve their cash cow. Expectations for player deportment have degraded to the point where Thomas Jones' old-school values and rock-hard work ethic are considered exceptional. Chad Ochocinco has a flare for marketing, but really, can't he just shut up and play?

But I digress. Teams acquire character from owners as well as from players. One can hate the Patriots but few doubt that Robert Kraft is a class act. Hell, he let Vladimir Putin walk off with a Superbowl ring in the interests of harmonious international relations. The Rooney football dynasty runs a tight ship. Dan Rooney is credited with authorship of the NFL's policy regarding recruitment diversity for head coach and general manager positions. It's called the "Rooney Rule". The Steelers walked it and talked it straight to a championship by hiring Mike Tomlin. For the record, to keep this little diatribe full-disclosure, Tomlin is damn good and, yes, I hate to admit it, but I love his style.

One could argue that the Eagles lack the sort of character imbued by deeply involved, knowledgeable ownership. The Marra's stamp is unmistakable and the 49ers of old carried a similar imprint. I know very little about Jeff Lurie. His 1994 purchase of the Eagles has seen a 500% return, based on current estimated value. After 16 years it seems odd that he remains a non-entity, at least in the sense that he lacks the national standing and recognition of other team owners. One could also argue that there's something wrong with Philadelphia itself. Perhaps not as obvious as with Cleveland, or as insidious as in Cincinnati, but such argument would get little push-back from folks in New Jersey, New York or Baltimore.

Different as NFL owners might be, you can put them in two groups: (1) Daniel Snyder; (2) everyone else. Snyder is a lucky little punk, possessed with the arrogant fallacy that a measure of success (er, luck) in one endeavor magically, and automatically, carries over into any other. Snyder's hapless Redskins are the product of 100 pounds of ego stuffed into a 10 pound bag. He has Jerry Jones' arrogance without the associated knowledge and skill. Snyder has unwittingly created a team that's exactly what Washington deserves. The President must cringe when contemplating the unofficial duties of the the First Fan. At least the odds of a Redskins/Bears playoff contest are remote.

The sad truth is that McNabb is simply a victim of advancing age, or perceptions thereof. He reminds me of Jim Kelly, albeit with faster feet and a quicker arm, in that he lacks the last ounce of imagination needed to improvise when a season stands or falls on a handful of plays. Without the inspiration that lifted Joe Montana's otherwise ordinary skills to championship caliber, even slight physical decline can be a major detriment. Perhaps Andy Reid sees something in Kolb that is so subtle, it's undetectable in the stands, or by TV cameras. McNabb played well, with reasonable consistency, for a long time, against division rivals in larger markets and/or with superior ownership.

Meanwhile, up the MARC line, an unknown owner, a lesser known coach and a team of largely unheralded talent is once again motivated by the perennial slight accorded to all things Baltimore. No one anywhere else pays any attention.

'tis the season.

Graduation

Baltimore, Md.
May, 2005

Dreaming upwards

Higher education is central to upward mobility, which is in turn the core of the American Dream. There's been a fair amount of press coverage lately on threats to our collective dream. Many students, particularly minorities, do not complete their degrees. Student indebtedness is rising. The Ivy League doesn't merit serious consideration by 99+% of America's youth.

The debate often goes astray, even in the web's most enlightened community, where recent discussion of "white privilege" needed a reminder that the real issue is bigger, broader and deeper. This post repeats a comment added to that discussion, which you can read here.

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The problem with a concept like white privilege is the word white. The question or issue is framed in context of a single, supposedly monolithic group. All white people are not created equal. Their ancestry differs as much as does the history of Europe. Their American experience is strongly influenced by varying degrees of temporal dislocation from immigrant forebears. The tough question is simply ...is there privilege in America? Easy answer, the tough part is then what?

A look at Ivy League student demographics would show steady progress towards ethnic diversification. What about economic diversification? If race and ethnicity are tossed aside and "privilege" is defined along economic lines, the pattern of inherited advantage is clear. I'd argue the economic elites have sought cover under America's public obsession with race. From their perspective, dealing with a black girl from the south side of Chicago who had the temerity to instruct her French instructor (as a sophomore) is easier than combing West Virginia, Arkansas, Alabama or Mississippi to find a rare, white scholar.

Black affirmative action provided an unintentional diversion from a legacy of prejudice towards disadvantaged whites, not limited to obvious social and economic disadvantage found in the 12 States of Stupid. Higher education financing has been a rigged game from jump. Solidly middle-class families in New York and New Jersey with kids who are merely intelligent have also been locked out of the Ivy League.The issue really is about fairness, meritocracy and wealth redistribution.

"Not for profit" is a convenient misnomer. It means profits are not subject to income tax, as opposed to legislation that specifies an organization shouldn't make a profit. Rich, private universities not only turn a profit on education services, they also reap income from endowments provided by generations of rich alumni. The system is aided and abetted by our tax code to further concentrate wealth and power according to inherited privilege. Scholarships are simply the cost of good public relations. Do you know many impoverished or struggling Ivy League graduates over the age of 35?

Here's a blindingly simple fix that rebalances American higher education towards its greatest strengths. State colleges and universities are the true engines of upward mobility. State university systems are under tremendous, long-term financial strain. Instead of cutting back on the only education opportunity available to the American majority, why don't we boost funding to public higher education by killing off the not-for-tax status of private universities? This will work if such change also mandates payment of increased tax revenues into a trust fund that is disbursed solely to public colleges and universities.

The elites can continue to drop $200,000 for a Columbia undergraduate degree, Columbia will pay taxes on its income (including investment income from its endowments) to New York and the Federal government and Federal receipts will be apportioned back to state institutions based on relative full-time-equivalent enrollment (or some such). This solution would create a color-blind, elective wealth transfer that balances education, opportunity and heredity without need of commissions, investigations or recriminations.

Who votes for democracy in higher education?

Once upon a time, in America

America's sad immigration situation seems to make headlines every other day. Unfortunately, as mainstream media struggles to survive the early 21st century, it eschews thoughtful analysis for sensationalist headlines. This gives amoral idiots like Tom Tancredo too much ink.

This post repeats a comment  TheRaven added to an immigration discussion held by the web's most enlightened community. Click here to access.

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Immigration is a central narrative in my life and it is a primary narrative in the American Experience. I am, therefore, enraged to the point of speechlessness when 19th century anti-Irish invective is recycled against Central & South Americans. Anti-immigrant rhetoric has been nothing more than simple pride in ignorance over the 85,489 days since America was born.

I'll try to put the legal status of undocumented residents in an appropriate macro context with a moral fable.

Once upon a time, in America...

...there were two towns named Whiteville and Brownville. The residents of Whiteville needed a new community center, however, they were hard-pressed to fund the project. Their tax rates were onerous and because Whiteville residents were obsessed with appearances, much of their disposable income went to essentials such as RVs, SUVs, John Deere lawnmowers, swimming pools, $50,000 bathrooms and $100,000 kitchens. Many Whiteville folks were heavily in debt, but they sure looked prosperous. A campaign to fund construction reached only 50% of its goal. Whiteville was shocked and appalled. In desperation, city fathers met to find a solution.

Prosperous Whiteville had a 5% unemployment rate. Brownville unemployment was the same - with an appended zero. Whiteville residents were largely educated and employed in white-collar professions. Brownville was full of carpenters, dry wall installers, roofers, landscapers and masons, with a sprinkling of electricians and plumbers. Brownville folks had provided construction labor to Whiteville for a long time. Whenever a Whiteville person would disparage the limited formal education found in Brownville, they'd usually end with "...but they sure do work hard! Brownville people were devoutly Christian (and largely Catholic), a fact which seemed oddly lost on Whiteville, which was devoutly Christian (but largely Protestant).

With families to feed, the Brownville tradesmen banded together and pitched Whiteville an offer that couldn't be refused. They'd build the community center at rock-bottom wages. Their skill, efficiency and willingness to work for a fraction of what Whiteville trades people were typically paid meant that the community center could be built for only 50% of budget. The offer was accepted. A project manager from Brownville was appointed because Whiteville people communicated only in business cliches, which trades people didn't quite grasp. The community center's architect was, of course, from Whiteville.

The project manager proved quite competent, with thorough knowledge of construction techniques and regulatory compliance. Permits were obtained for every phase of the work. Whiteville building inspectors were amazed at the quality of construction and found little wrong. All problems noted were immediately corrected, without argument. The Community center was completed ahead of schedule and slightly under budget. A grand unveiling was scheduled.

And then, there was a problem.

Whiteville's official motto was Progress through Conformity. City fathers had enacted thousands of small regulations over preceding decades aimed at furthering such goal. Each rule was well-intended but in a macro sense, largely frivolous. Bowing to the community's strongly expressed desire to maintain proper appearances, they expanded construction codes to include cosmetic items, with special attention given to window treatments.

The project manager was not aware of permit and inspection requirements for window treatments. While the community center's foundation was solid, its framing was sound and its mechanical systems perfect, its window dressing was completely non-compliant. An uproar ensued. Editorials were written excoriating the project manager's lack of knowledge regarding crucial regulations. Because few people in Whiteville had ever worked in the skilled trades, the essential qualities of the community center were never discussed, but its safety was repeatedly impugned.

The city council met in a special session to resolve the crisis. They debated the functional worth of the community center versus the importance of window dressing. Was it more important that Whiteville youth had a safe recreational environment or that Whiteville's code book be followed to the last letter?

The mayor stepped in after the council became hopelessly deadlocked. He was, by trade, a trial lawyer, well-versed in clever arguments that appealed to core values found in the average Whiteville jury. There was only one possible solution and his eloquence could easily sell it.

"Window dressing is the core of Whiteville's community identity" he intoned. "Window dressing is enshrined in our rule of law. It is, in fact, who we are!" The only solution, he explained, was that the community center would have to be torn down and rebuilt, with the new project funded by a bond issue; funded in turn by higher taxes. He viewed such wanton destruction as a fair price for preservation of window dressing.

By unanimous vote, the council agreed.

Only the British

Among the myths and superstitions associated with the Third Reich, none gets one's attention like purported genetic experiments. Not the blue-eyed, blond haired variety. Truth is, Hitler's crew learned early on that was a lost cause. No, the Nazis looked into developing a super weapon with another species. They cross-pollinated the Fuhrer's signature whiskers, applied super-sizing, but underestimated the native intelligence and alarmist nature of their selected species. They sought  a fearless weapon but were ultimately forced to settle for a pessimistic military adviser.

Is this post simply ridiculous? Absolutely! But not as much as a website devoted to cats that look like Hitler.

And what nationality could possibly conflate cats & Hitler into 4,870 images of "kitlers"?

Right.

Truth speaks

Isabella was a slave girl in New York who grew to be a preacher named Sojourner Truth. An interesting comparison between her travails and the mythology behind super-heroes is found here. She overcame illiteracy to become a bible scholar and in so doing asked questions that, nearly 150 years later, many  adherents still fear. Her brief address to a Woman's convention held in Akron speaks for itself.

****************************************
December 1851
Ain't I A Woman?

Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter. I think that 'twixt the negroes of the South and the women at the North, all talking about rights, the white men will be in a fix pretty soon. But what's all this here talking about? That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place!

And ain't I a woman?

Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman?

Then they talk about this thing in the head; what's this they call it? [member of audience whispers, "intellect"] That's it, honey. What's that got to do with women's rights or negroes' rights? If my cup won't hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn't you be mean not to let me have my little half measure full? Then that little man in black there, he says women can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Christ wasn't a woman!

Where did your Christ come from? 
 
Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him.  

If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.

Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner ain't got nothing more to say.

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Click here for source.

Heritage of the Old Servant

Of all the cheap labels, linguistic shortcuts and tired slogans that pervade American culture, none are more execrable than Heritage Not Hate. This three-word defense of the Confederate flag recodes a Jim Crow taunt. Southern heritage is defined first and foremost by slavery. The south went to war to defend slavery and lost. The Confederate flag is nothing more than our enduring symbol of oppression, enslavement, racism and ignorance.

And, as with so many other modern observations, it's been said before, more elequently, by those who knew best.

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Dayton, Ohio, August 7, 1865
To My Old Master, Colonel P. H. Anderson,
Big Spring, Tennessee

Sir: I got your letter and was glad to find you had not forgotten Jourdan, and that you wanted me to come back and live with you again, promising to do better for me than anybody else can. I have often felt uneasy about you. I thought the Yankees would have hung you long before this for harboring Rebs they found at your house. I suppose they never heard about your going to Col. Martin's to kill the Union soldier that was left by his company in their stable. Although you shot at me twice before I left you, I did not want to hear of your being hurt, and am glad you are still living. It would do me good to go back to the dear old home again and see Miss Mary and Miss Martha and Allen, Esther, Green, and Lee. Give my love to them all, and tell them I hope we will meet in the better world, if not in this. I would have gone back to see you all when I was working in the Nashville hospital, but one of the neighbors told me Henry intended to shoot me if he ever got a chance.

I want to know particularly what the good chance is you propose to give me. I am doing tolerably well here; I get $25 a month, with victuals and clothing; have a comfortable home for Mandy (the folks here call her Mrs. Anderson), and the children, Milly, Jane and Grundy, go to school and are learning well; the teacher says Grundy has a head for a preacher. They go to Sunday-School, and Mandy and me attend church regularly. We are kindly treated; sometimes we overhear others saying, "Them colored people were slaves" down in Tennessee. The children feel
hurt when they hear such remarks, but I tell them it was no disgrace in Tennessee to belong to Col. Anderson. Many darkies would have been proud, as I used to was, to call you master. Now,if you will write and say what wages you will give me, I will be better able to decide whether it would be to my advantage to move back again.

As to my freedom, which you say I can have, there is nothing to be gained on that score, as I got my free-papers in 1864 from the Provost-Marshal-General of the Department at Nashville. Mandy says she would be afraid to go back without some proof that you are sincerely disposed to treat us justly and kindly and we have concluded to test your sincerity by asking you to send us our wages for the time we served you. This will make us forget and forgive old scores, and rely on your justice and friendship in the future. I served you faithfully for thirty-two years and Mandy twenty years. At $25 a month for me, and $2 a week for Mandy, our earnings would amount to $11,680. Add to this the interest for the time our wages has been kept back and deduct what you paid for our clothing and three doctor's visits to me, and pulling a tooth for Mandy, and the balance will show what we are in justice entitled to. Please send the money by Adams Express, in care of V. Winters, esq, Dayton, Ohio. If you fail to pay us for faithful labors in the past we can have little faith in your promises in the future. We trust the good Maker has opened your eyes to the wrongs which you and your fathers have done to me and my fathers, in making us toil for you for generations without recompense. Here I draw my wages every Saturday night, but in Tennessee there was never any pay day for the negroes any more than for the horses and cows. Surely there will be a day of reckoning for those who defraud the laborer of his hire.

In answering this letter please state if there would be any safety for my Milly and Jane, who are now grown up and both good-looking girls. You know how it was with poor Matilda and Catherine. I would rather stay here and starve and die if it comes to that than have my girls brought to shame by the violence and wickedness of their young masters. You will also please state if there has been any schools opened for the colored children in your neighborhood, the great desire of my life now is to give my children an education, and have them form virtuous habits.

P.S. Say howdy to George Carter, and thank him for taking the pistol from you when you were shooting at me.

From your old servant,
Jourdan Anderson

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"Letter from Jourdan Anderson to His Former Master," was originally published in The Freedmen's Book (L. Maria Child, Ticknor & Fields, 1866), which can be viewed in entirety at Google books. It was also published in Been in the Storm So Long: The Aftermath of Slavery (Leon F. Litwack, Knopf, 1979).

Internet access demographics

The prior post looked at Internet access by state. This post provides national Internet access demographics for 2007 and 2009, using the same data source, survey results published by the U.S. Census Bureau.

We begin with 2007:

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And conclude with 2009:

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 Observations:

• Meaningful decline in dial-up
• Significant growth in broadband access for all levels of education attainment

Internet access

Internet access has been in the news lately. The Federal government has a website dedicated to broadband programs. Actually, there's likely a ton of government sites. The FCC addresses broadband here and here while California state government covered it's broadband initiatives here and Seattle's site is here. Finland has made Internet access a legal right while France deems it a human right.

You can test the speed of your Internet connection with free tools like Speedtest (it works) or the FCC's free tool, located here. The FCC's tool works, too.

The Pew Research Center has a site devoted to Internet studies. Recent press coverage has excoriated America's low level of national access and slow transmission rates vs. Internet powerhouses like Korea. The idea that America isn't monolithic was lost in the hullabaloo. Census Bureau surveys documenting home Internet access by state were overlooked.

The Census Bureau conducted home Internet access surveys in 2001, 2003, 2007 and 2009. Published data is simple but difficult to use in tabular form. TheRaven converted data from the four surveys into a set of charts that report how Internet access improved between 2001 and 2009. These charts also enable comparison between the states.

First, the states in alphabetic order:

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Next, the same results are sorted from highest-to-lowest level of 2009 access:

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Internet access in the highest states compares decently with international ratios. This is not an excuse, but comparison to Korea, Finland, et al should bear in mind our 50-state system of resource allocation, which accrues from a document called the Constitution. Not to fear. Even Mississippi will catch up, some day.

5-year trend update

Click image to see full size

This post updates a chart initially presented here with a few months more data. The same Muana Loa data set published by NOAA used for related posts on atmospheric CO2 is the basis for this chart. Muana Loa data is converted to different forms of visual information to provide alternative illustrations of the global CO2 trend.

In this case, 606 months of data have been compressed into average annual growth calculated over 5-year periods. This approach smooths out variation found in any particular year and creates a simple view of a 50-year trend. Each bar represents a 5-year average, except for the bar on the right, which reports the 6-months ending in June 2010. This bar is updated as new data is obtained.

The chart reports something so basic it might be missed: CO2 doesn't decline, it only increases. The last monthly decline was recorded in September 1974. There hasn't been a single annual reduction in CO2 since the Muana Loa data series was initiated in 1958. Two projections of future CO2 levels are presented here.

In another example of journalism practiced as the art of ignoring the obvious, the New York Times finally published an article which suggests that carbon consumption stimulated by explosive growth in the global consumer class will outrun implementation of clean energy policies and technologies. Since it's the Times, the article presents a narrow view, limited to China. While China's projected future carbon output is frightening, the issue is much broader. The global middle class is experiencing unprecedented, unstoppable growth across the developing world.

Stay tuned for future updates.

Slow computer? Two free tools can help

This post was updated 7.24.10

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Is your computer getting a bit long in the tooth? Does it seem especially slow with visual applications like games and Photoshop? Perhaps it's also choking on Office2007 or Office 2010 graphics. The problem may lie with your graphics processing unit (GPU), otherwise known as a video card.

TheRaven found a free and easy tool you can download to benchmark GPU performance. This tool works equally well on desktops and laptops, although generally restrictive laptop designs greatly limit GPU upgrade options. Conversely, you have so many upgrade options in the desktop world it may be difficult to choose one. A slow desktop computer can be remedied for as little as $50 with the right GPU upgrade.

The first free tool is called FurMark and it's available here. Downloading and running FurMark takes no more than 5 minutes. It benchmarks your GPU's performance and provides a link to the most recent 400 benchmarks posted by other FurMark users. FurMark uses a (graphic representation of a) furry donut to test your GPU, which explains the FurMark logo:

The beauty of FurMark is that it boils down all factors affecting GPU performance to a single number.  FurMark data provides a basis for comparison of GPU upgrade options if you aggregate scores by GPU and compare results. Ozone3d.net provides a great tool but unfortunately you're on your own with analysis of FurMark data. That is, if you don't use a free data analysis tool developed by TheRaven.

This tool must be used with Excel2007 or Excel2010 and it can be downloaded (free) from Docstoc, here. It stores up to 5,000 benchmark scores and compares any three GPU's you select. Comparison selection is easy. The tool is currently loaded with 2,569 benchmark scores (obtained during July 2010) that correspond with 193 GPUs. The tool automatically generates a report of all GPUs, two sets of performance charts, Top-20 assessment and a comparative look at any three, user-selected GPUs. Here's an example of the latter:

 Click image to see full size

The analysis tool also contains instructions, explanations and user controls not shown in output. It's designed for use by people with minimal Excel skills. If you can copy data from ozone3d.net, follow a few simple instructions and operate a mouse, the analysis tool will help you identify a GPU solution. It automatically updates charts & report when new data is copied in. Do not attempt use with Excel 2003, because your computer will explode and your house will burn down (OK, not really, but the tool won't work with Excel2003).

Here's a short case study in how the data analysis tool can help. Have a look at this Top-20 list:

Click image to see full size

The ATI Radeon HD 5870 (4th from top) has an average FurMark score of 6,269. This average is based on 157 user submissions. The analysis tool applied data filters to remove outliers from extreme ends of reported GPU performance. Therefore, the average benchmark is a fair representation of Radeon HD 5870 performance, which is at the high-end of all reported GPUs.

Same for the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250, which appears in the last line. It's average benchmark, which is one-half of the Radeon HD 5870, is based on 121 submissions. The Radeon HD 5870 is the primary component of video cards priced above $400 while the GeForce GTS 250 is found in cards priced between $100-$150, with many priced around $100.

This means that the ATI Radeon HD 5870 offers twice the performance of the GeForce GTS 250 but costs roughly 4-times more. Depending on budget and need, either choice, or one of many others, might be appropriate. The analysis tool helps cut through clutter in a crowded marketplace by converting data into information.You are equipped with fair, simple comparisons to use in evaluating product performance and value.


There are two things you must know before ordering a new GPU:

1. The type of motherboard slot the GPU must plug into and how many available slots, of each type, are in your computer.

2. Output (in watts) from your computer's power supply.

New, high-end GPU's typically impose a 350 or 400 watt power requirement but many desktop computers purchased 2+ years ago only have 300 watt power supplies. You'll need to do some research to find GPUs that work with 300 watt power supply and provide an adequate processing improvement. First, visit the website of your computer manufacturer to obtain its specs. Second, don't order any GPU until you've visited the manufacturer's web site and confirmed power requirements. Video card retailers are generally consistent in disclosing interface requirements but they do a poor job with power requirements.

It costs roughly $50-$100 to upgrade a computer power supply, assuming you'll provide the labor.

CO2 trend map

This post provides an alternative presentation of Muana Loa CO2 data used to prepare analysis of April, May and June. In fact, the chart shown below was produced in the same Excel file used to generate monthly trend charts presented in earlier posts.

Year-over-year change in CO2 occurring each month, from January 1960 through June 2010, is presented below. That's 606 data points in one chart. The chart used color to parse data points between three levels of change in CO2, with the highest level (monthly increases greater than 2ppm) shown in red. This is a different view of the CO2 trend over the past 50 years, which was previously discussed here.

Click image to view full-size

No record in June

Mega ice melt enthusiasts were disappointed with June's Muana Loa CO2 reading. Atmospheric CO2 increased 2.61ppm over June 2009, representing 0.67% growth in the month. The June CO2 reading stood at 392.04ppm, almost 1 point lower than last month. Atmospheric CO2 typically peaks in May and bottoms in September or October, with an unbroken series of annual C02 increases dating back to initiation of Muana Loa data, in 1958. Muana Loa data is reported by NOAA.

The year-over-year increase recorded in June was another data point towards the inevitability of climate change, however, the pick-up in global economic growth hasn't yet translated to new monthly records for CO2 growth, except for April.

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Photo by TheRaven

Chicago, Il., Botanic Gardens - July 2007

Low country

Photo by TheRaven

South Carolina - Aug. 2007

Plaza

Photo by TheRaven

Barcelona, Spain - Dec. 2006