How It Would Have Ended In Real Life: Atlas Shrugged

From the New York Times and Michael Clevenger, Courier-Journal via Associated Press

Chemical Train de-rails

On his Blog, Adam Lee paints a grim face on the misdeeds and consequences of reckless billionaires and business moguls by adjusting Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged to end with a starkly real and grotesque image of profit-run-amok.  In the end, Dagny Taggert was wrong (written by Lawfair on DeviantArt).

A Look at Uptown 40 Years Ago, Bob Rehak Revisits

View from West Montrose in Uptown, Looking South

Bob Rehak, and former resident of Chicago's Uptown neighborhood shared his story last Thursday at the Uptown Public Library on Buena.  He notes that the Uptown of his past was not the Uptown of today.  In Bob's own words he says that "[he] was shocked by how much Uptown today has improved compared to what it was in the mid-1970s."  His book Uptown: Portrait of a Chicago Neighborhood In the mid-1970's is available on Amazon for those interested in learning more.

The Importance of STEM

What is STEM, and why is it so important?

STEM is the acronym for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  It's roots mark the ability to chart out a successful career for new graduates.  It can open doors that may otherwise be closed to outsiders, doors that lead to the development of successful adults.

Now, we could stop there.  However, the successes of STEM graduates cannot underscore the severe threat to the "outsider" students of its incapable, unsuccessful, living-with-parents-working-at-McDonald's-to-pay-off-college-debt cousin, liberal arts/social sciences.

As successful and gainfully employed as STEM graduates are, their liberal arts cousins are loaded with unmanageable debt and zero career options.  The important truth in all of this is that if you have someone that you know and care about, remind yourself that friends do not let friends waste their money, time, and career choices to the liberal arts.

So, why the name?  Velox Pedes is Latin for swift feet, the root of the term velocipede.  Dating back to the 18th century, velocipedes are the intellectual grandfather of the modern bicycle.  In essence, this is a blog dedicated to the bicycle, its history, and those that love to ride them.  Coincidentally, I may also rant and rave about random Latin, German, and IT related issues.

For more information on the history of the bicycle, check out bicycle by herlihy, a vitual compendium of the bicycle and its predecessors.  Well-written and informative, I would strongly recommend a read.