Oy Cretumbro!

I got some of the new George Washington dollars today. It's a nice coin. I don't especially care for the portrait of Washington. It's not necessarily a bad one, but it just doesn't look right to me. I think the sculptor was trying for wise and solemn, but he looks more pissed-off than anything. The reverse is lovely - it's that French statue, seen in perspective from beneath. I like that they have lettering on the edge as well, like a pound coin, although the dollar is much thinner, and the letters consequently so small that they're hard to read.

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I'm inclined to wonder if there's some security issue with US money, or if they're just after seigneurage value from collectors. Either prospect isn't particularly reassuring. There wasn't any major redesign since the 1930s, and now these past few years we're changing it constantly.

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Apparently it's seigneurage. Wikipedia claims that the Mint made $5 billion from the State Quarters.

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I note that they seem to have quietly dropped that stupid 'golden dollar' advertising campaign. I honestly think a lot of the opposition to the Sacajawea dollar was due to that phrase. It's a bronze dollar. Calling it 'golden' makes it feel like you've fallen for a scam.

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The US apparently did issue gold dollars in the 19th century, but they were so small that people kept losing them, and they were consequently unpopular.

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I thought the old 'cartwheel' dollars were cool, but they really were too large to be practical in an age where a dollar is a small amount of money.

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Georgia is going to designate the month of April to celebrate the Confederacy. That's long overdue, and I hope more states will follow. I'll have to decorate the Confederate Cemetery here.

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The Caves of Mars.

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Massa's gearbox seems to have come apart in qualifying. That's troubling, as they swapped it out Thursday for the same issue. One wonders about the reliability of the Ferrari gearboxes in general. Raikkonen is on the pole, at least. He's apparently the first man to take pole for Ferrari in his initial outing since Fangio did it in 1955.

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I got through some sort of conceptual barrier on the Skiltaire's legs, and started that again. They're going very well this time - cute jack legs :)

Pet Food Recall

Toxic Dog and Cat food recalled in the US and Canada

From http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=6240487

WASHINGTON A major manufacturer of dog and cat food sold under Wal-Mart, Safeway, Kroger and other store brands recalled 60 (m)million containers today after reports of kidney failure and deaths.

Menu Foods says about ten pets died after eating the affected food. The company says testing has not revealed an explanation.

[...]

The recall covers the company's "cuts and gravy" style food, sold in cans and small foil pouches between December Third and March Six throughout North America.

The company is also a contract manufacturer for the top branded pet food companies, including Cincinnati-based Procter and Gamble.

(Menu Foods did not immediately provide a full list of brand names and lot numbers covered by the recall, saying they would be posted on its Web site

http://www.menufoods.com/recall

early Saturday. Consumers with questions can call (866) 463-6738.