Category - Currency

I guess that Saharan dust storm passed by unnoticed or didn't come at all. I thought the air seemed... sandy... on Monday night, but I might have just been imagining it. It was supposed to cause some great sunsets, but I didn't look.

I'm almost done with "Teach Yourself Esperanto," the book which I've been using to teach myself Esperanto since the end of May. It's a good thing, too: pages are falling out left and right. I'm going to have to tape them back in, because I'm sure I'll continue to use the book as a reference.

Answering Ask Jordon:

Stephen Mead: I have a 1996 courtesy $100.00. Crisp Gem and well centered signed by both Withrow and Rubin. Any ideas on value?

It can be hard to put a price on courtesy autographs, but just to throw a number into the air, I'd say roughly $200. A Withrow-Rubin autographed $1 can go for $100, so that's how I base my estimate.

For the first time in nearly two and a half years, the Space Shuttle is back in flight. Here are some tables to show you when the International Space Station and the Space Shuttle can be seen overhead in your city (or enter your own location to get exact times). And here's a real-time map tracking the two.

Today I received something unexpected in the mail. That's always fun, isn't it?

On December 27, 2004, I sent out requests for autographs of former Treasurers and Secretaries of the Treasury. The idea was that I would have them sign dollar bills that have their signatures already printed on them; these are called courtesy autographs by collectors.

After a month or two, there were a few I still hadn't gotten back, but I gave up. Around this time my interest in courtesy autographs, and currency collecting in general, waned. But today, as if it simply got lost for seven months, was another bill back.

This one was from Lawrence H. Summers, who is currently the President of Harvard University. (He made headlines about six months ago for making sexist comments.)

So, what took him so long? Here is the body of the accompanying letter, written by one of his henchmen and dated July 20, 2005:

I should save that letter. It's the last I'm ever going to get from Harvard.

The bill itself is stuck in another envelope for the time being. Inspired by the feeling of getting a courtesy autograph in the mail, I'm set to finish the job I started in December. This time I'm sending out bills (such as the one I got today) to other signers, in order to attain coveted double courtesy autographs. I'll also be sending out some $2 bills (of all 3 recent Series: 1976, 1995, and 2003) to the Treasurers whose signatures appear on them.

And hopefully it won't take seven months this time!

While we're on the subject, I'll answer this Ask Jordon question.

Alext: I have a misprinted 1dollar bill. The Fed Reserve stamp is printed on top of the pyramid the Dept of Treasury stamp is on top of the eagle. worth?

Your error -- third print on reverse -- is one of the most striking errors on paper money. You're lucky to have it. (For those not in the know, here's what such an error looks like.) Anyway, a bill is only worth as much as what someone will pay for it. I'd say an error like that on a bill in good condition would be worth hundreds of dollars. As always, I should note that dealers buy low to sell high; if you intend to sell the bill, you may do better with an interested collector.

Wikipedia has a list of people known as the father or mother of something. There's more than you think.

Tonight as I was preparing myself a dinner with uncharacteristic hope and enthusiasm, my sister said, "I hate how everybody's obsessed with dieting." I simply replied, "Read my next post."

This, of course, is my next post.

I happened to come across this web site: The No S Diet. The No S Diet, or the nosdiet, consists of three rules and one exception: No snacks, no sweets, and no seconds, except (sometimes) on days that start with "S" (i.e., Saturday, Sunday, and special days). And that's it. It's so short that it fits in the title bar when you go to the web page.

Why would this work better than fad diets? For the full details, check out the web site. But in short, it codifies basic rules for healthy eating into a handy mnemonic. "No snacks" because you inevitably end up eating more when you snack throughout the day. "No sweets," obviously, because they provide little nutrition. And "no seconds" because overeating leads to being overweight. It all makes sense. So I think I'm going to give it a try.

"But, oh, Jordon, you're not fat," you say. "But oh, reader, yes I am," I reply, mocking you. I am overweight. I'm not obese or anything, otherwise they'd have me checked out by now, maybe. Now, I'm not exactly sure of my height, but I do have a good idea of my present weight. At any reasonable estimate of my height, my BMI is firmly within the "Overweight" category. Not to mention that visibly, it shows. My face is kind of fat. When people see my profile they can hardly see my eyes. I can't, anyway. Ever wonder why I don't smile much? The fatness becomes more apparent.

I started the No S Diet today. Yes, today has been an S day, and all the longer until the next one (Saturday). But I tried not to indulge even though the diet technically kind of allows it. For dinner I had some rice and beans with onions on top. I also had a can of turkey soup, but instead of having the whole can as I usually do, I had one helping (i.e., half the can) and saved the rest for later. And look, ma, I'm full.

I know that dieting in itself won't make me any more cool. But diet and exercise will. So I'll try to exercise a bit also. The guy who brought you the No S Diet has a page about the benefits of walking.

After whenever I feel like it, I'll keep you updated on how I'm doing with these strange concepts of diet and exercise.

Let's do some Ask Jordoning.

don: how common is the name 'wong'

Sorry, Don, but I don't know. I could guess, but I'd probably be Wong.

Wong is a Chinese name, if I am correct, and I've heard that China has only about 600 last names among its billion or so people. That's about 1.6 million people per name. (It's actually closer to 1,666,667, with the last two-thirds of a person rounded up.) According to this list of surnames, Wong was the 459th most common last name in the U.S. in 1990. About 62,175 Americans were named Wong at that time. There's probably more updated information out there, say, from the 2000 census, but I trust you know how to Google it.

Andrea: I have a $5.00 bill signed by Roy Orbison. I have had it for years. I was wondering if you could tell me if it is worth anything. Thank you

I'm not an autograph dealer, so I wouldn't really know. But I'm sure that, if authentic, it could rake you in a lot, especially if the bill's in good shape. You might want to have it looked at by an autograph dealer, if possible. And if you're going to sell it, sell to a collector, not a dealer. Dealers buy low, while interested collectors will be willing to pay a higher price.

And now, everything you ever wanted to know about the Color Television Revolution. Seriously, a sick amount of information about the history of color TV. Strange, but cool nonetheless.

Well, my beach vacation is winding down; we're going to leave this afternoon, probably. I've seen more of the cities and the effect that last year's hurricanes have had on them. This area got two direct hits.

Here at the condo, our little private strip of seashore got a whoopin'. Part of the boardwalk leading to the beach was apparently mangled; the end has been rebuilt, but it's significantly shorter than it was. That's probably to reflect that the brush surrounding the boardwalk has receded as well. Fields of sea oats didn't survive the storms; in fact, where there once were many, I've hardly seen them at all. Signs remind us that it's against the law to pick them, so they must be endangered or something. What a shame. I took a few pictures of the extensive damage to trees in the area of our condo. I'll have to post them when I get home.

In Ft. Pierce, the city that this condo is technically in, signs of damage are everywhere. Awnings and signs are still missing. Some (abandoned) buildings are dilapidated and mangled. And gas stations are selling some sort of video/DVD about the hurricanes. Who would make such a cheap buck off the misfortune of others? Whoever it is, they're probably living in Vero Beach now. Vero Beach, not far to the north, looks considerably better. It seems to be more of an affluent area, so you can hardly tell it got clobbered by two hurricanes. I'm assuming they got stuff fixed more quickly; I doubt the hurricanes let up just for the rich people.

With two days until the official start of the 2005 hurricane season, can this area afford to be hit by another hurricane? I think so. For one thing, there isn't much left to be damaged, and people no longer have a false sense of security from these storms. I think if another hurricane comes this way, people will be ready and damage -- if last year's damage is cleaned up by then -- should be minimal. (I should add that the six-month hurricane season is an entirely arbitrary designation, and that most hurricanes occur during August, September, and October.)

How about a little Ask Jordon?

joe: how much is a 1995 misprinted bill

Can't tell you. I'd need to know the nature of the error (as in, whether it can really be considered a misprint or if it falls within the range of normal variation). And of course, the denomination would be important. A misprinted $100 bill will almost always be worth more than a $1, simply because of its face value.

I don't really get this: World Jump Day. I think somebody thinks that if 600,000,000 people jump at the same time, it'll change the Earth's rotation and stop global warming, make the day longer, and create a better climate. But even if it does do anything, who's to say that the effects will all be good? Anyway, World Jump Day is set for July 20, 2006, the jump being at exactly 11:39:13 UTC. Ah yes, that's what UTC was invented for...

It's been a very busy week; I've hardly had time to blog. (I have 10 minutes to write this post.) That's mostly because I've been at rehearsals for the aforementioned school variety show, in which I'm playing the guitar. The show is tomorrow night at 7:00, but I won't be leaving school beforehand, so I'll pretty much be at school from 6:45 A.M. to, say, 10:00 P.M. Yay. I've pretty much got the song down (it's "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton). It should be good, considering I'm not singing anything.

Let's fly through some Ask Jordons!

bobbijo: how much is a red sealed 5 dollar bill from 1953 series b

Off the top of my head I'd say about $6-$9, depending on condition. And cool name, by the way.

T O N i: hey whats up do you like chiken?1

liek yEaH!!!!1 lol

I'll have to try this: How to Extract DNA from Any Living Thing. My biology teacher would be proud.

As part of the never-ending saga of choosing next year's classes, the other day I made my course selections. Yesterday, it was. I mentioned before that the class-picking system is all computerized now. So what they did was they took us into one of the rooms with computers and had us log into the school district's web site and pick our classes. Yes, that was something I could have done at home. But did I know that? Not really.

So here I was. I had to make the decision of which AP class to take. I stuck to my guns (not literally) and went with AP Psychology, rather than AP European History, in spite of the chiding from my classmates and teacher. This, you see, is my ideal schedule: the one I want!

1. Chemistry Honors
2. Pre-Calculus Honors
3. Spanish III Honors
4. English III Honors
5. Business Computer Programming II
6. American History Honors
7. AP Psychology

I noticed when I had originally logged in that my geometry teacher from last semester had recommended me for AP Calculus AB (don't know what those extra letters stand for). Having had a teacher's official recommendation (via the computer system), I had no choice but to select this class. Also my history teacher recommended me for AP American History, which, with specific instructions to administration, would later be changed to AP European History because the computer system wouldn't accept the latter's course number. You and I and she know(s) that I don't want to take that class.

And due to the computer system being dumb, I had to pick eight classes, even though AP Psychology would count for two and thus would fill two slots. So I had to put some garbagey class in that extra space with hopes that it'd get crowded out. I chose Journalism I (newspaper, as opposed to yearbook).

So this was the horrendous schedule I had to submit. (Cue the blood-curling shriek.)

1. Chemistry Honors
2. AP Calculus AB
3. Spanish III Honors
4. English III Honors
5. Business Computer Programming II
6. AP American History
7. AP Psychology
8. Journalism I (Newspaper)

AAAAaAaaAAaaaaahhhhh!!!!! That's not what I want. So yesterday I went to my geometry teacher and asked her to change her course recommendation. She had said that it was automatic; that a computer determined what my next math class should be. I watched as she changed the recommendation to Pre-Cal Honors, and I was relieved.

Oh, but it gets better worse. Because when I logged in to the school board's site today, I got this message:

"YOUR COURSE REQUESTS HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY YOUR GUIDANCE COUNSELOR."

And then this, as if to pour salt on the wound:

"IF YOU NEED TO MAKE A CHANGE TO YOUR COURSE REQUESTS PLEASE SEE YOUR GUIDANCE COUNSELOR."

Yes I need to, computer bub! AP Calculus, it turns out, wasn't changed at all! And the thing is, the guidance counselors do anything but give you guidance. I have never had them help me once. If I took my case to them, they'd probably just say "Well, I think you can manage taking three AP classes if you put your mind to it. You're a very bright student. Why, T.J. Swannick* here is taking eleven." They wouldn't give me any sort of guidance at all. I know what I want: I want the schedule that I want, and that's that.

I guess I'll have to talk to them, though. I'm pretty sure I know who my guidance counselor is. She'll probably say, "Oh, sorry, you can't change your classes, but I think you can manage taking..." I'll try to get my point across, though. The sooner I do this, the better. I just don't know how to get in touch with my guidance counselor.

In any case, I'd better straighten out my severely screwed-up schedule or I'll probably end up doing something rash. Maybe some Ask Jordon will calm me down.

louise : i have a 16hh mare thoroughbred shes lovely nature, brilliant in every way all she needs is somone who will bring her on(schooling) are you interested

Are you kidding? You're talking about a horse, right? I'm no country-boy. I've only even ridden a horse once.

Nathaniel: Jordon what blog software can I use to auto post while I am on vacation like PLAPS?

Some of them allow you to edit the timestamp on the post so that it shows up later. I know WordPress does.

donald bezance: Was Ivy Baker Priest Ex United States Treasurer Born in Middlesbrough [England uk]

Apparently not. According to various sources, she was born in Kimberly, Utah (USA), on September 7, 1905.

Anyone who's used Netscape/Mozilla/Firefox knows about the famous "Book of Mozilla" egg hidden in these browsers. (If you don't, well, read about it). Here are some extracts from the Book of Mozilla, consisting mostly of unofficial passages in the fictitious Revelation-esque book. The three "official" verses (found in the aforementioned browsers) subtly snub Netscape/Mozilla's main competition, Microsoft Internet Explorer. Take this one, which can be found in Netscape 7.2 and above, Mozilla 1.5 and above, and all versions of Firefox:

Unofficial verses aren't as delicately crafted. Take this unnumbered verse:

By the way, if you have Netscape, Mozilla, or Mozilla Firefox, just enter "about:mozilla" (no quotes!) in the location bar to see the Book of Mozilla egg.

* A real person. Never heard of him, but he's supposed to be ranked #1 in the class.

Well, the school year is almost over, and you know what that means (or maybe you don't): it's time to pick next year's classes. I was particularly stressed last year over choosing an elective. But as I advance in school, there are more options for me, so now I get to be stressed out about everything! They've changed they way you choose your next classes, though. Last year they gave you the list of courses, you checked the ones you wanted (or had) to take, and you went around to your current and former teachers for each subject (we're on the semester system) for them to initial their approval of your next class in that subject.

This year, the teachers do the recommending online (through the school district's "Virtual Counselor" system), and they beat you to the punch (yesterday when I logged in, I was able to read my suggestions). I guess when we actually meet with our guidance counselors to officially pick our classes, we'll be allowed to pick a less advanced class than the teacher's recommendation. I hope so, anyway, because I'm being recommended for three Advanced Placement (AP) classes, and you can really only take one per year if you don't want your head to explode into thousands of little chunks.

My history teacher wants me in her AP European History class and has recommended me for it. NO!!!!!! I WILL NEVER, NEVER EVER HAVE A CLASS WITH HER AGAIN!!!!!!!! My geometry teacher from last semester has recommended me for AP Calculus. Methinks it would be a good idea to take pre-calculus first. My Algebra II teacher this semester has recommended me for an AP math class, but gave no specifics. And my psychology teacher from last semester wants me in his AP Psychology class, but gave no recommendation -- probably because there are only eight recommendation slots and two are filled by math classes and another two have history classes (AP American History because AP Euro is not currently taught, and the system's default suggestion of World History Honors -- a class I'm taking right now).

Anyway, the big question here -- besides my elective(s)... jeesh -- is what AP class I'm going to take. I'm going to have to take one, because if I don't, people will be ask why didn't I take an AP class and I'll have to say to them that well, I just didn't want to, and they'll say, man, you really should, because colleges like that sort of thing and ow, stop punching me in the face!

If I hear one more word about what colleges like and don't like, that's what'll happen to the nearest bystander. The colleges can't like students who take AP classes; they count for college credit, and so every AP class you take is a few thousand dollars less for them. I'm convinced that it doesn't matter whether or not you go to college. Unless your daddy's rich, your going to end up poor either way. Don't go to college and you won't get a good job. Go to college and you might get a good job, but at a fantastic expense that you'll be paying off for much of your adult life. If you seem to have more money because you went to college, it's an illusion.

I really, really, really, really, really need to decide what classes to take by next week (for that is the deadline). This is very important. My next year, the junior year, is the last one colleges will look at when -- ouch! Now, in your best British accent, say with me: "He needs to sor' ou' his priorities."

Ask Jordon all night long...

Ryan: The Simpsons or Family guy?

Well, I like both.

sweet pea: how much is 4 drachma

Nothing. The Greek drachma has been replaced by the euro and ceased to be legal tender in 2002. Drachma coins could still be exchanged for euros at a fixed rate until 2004.

Only in America: Teacher pulls chair from under student who refuses to stand for the national anthem. The teacher had had a history of such activity, so another student in anticipation secretly videotapes the whole thing. Result? The student operating the camera gets suspended for 10 days. And that's it.

The claim was that the teacher's constitutional rights were violated when he was filmed without his own permission. Why are your rights only violated when you get caught doing something incriminating? I have a good mind to file a breach of privacy lawsuit for being videotaped in every classroom, corridor, and cranny in my school.

A reader of that article pointed to a state law stating that students have to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. But no mention was made of the national anthem.

By the way, watch the video linked from the article and see the whole incident for yourself.

I was eager to check the mail today. Last Monday, if you'll recall, I sent letters and dollar bills to former Treasurers and Secretaries of the Treasury with hopes that I'd get the bills back autographed above each person's facsimile signature that appears on the note.

Anyway, today I got the first ones back. They were three crisp sequential Series 1974 $1 notes that I had sent to Francine I. Neff, who served as U.S. Treasurer from 1974 to 1977. The bills returned slightly bent but otherwise crisp. Ms. Neff honored my request for her to make out one of the autographs to me. She spelled my first name wrong (the usual Jordan instead of Jordon), but it's hard to notice. (I still find it amazing that no one can spell my first name, but my last name -- Kalilich -- seems to be no problem.)

The other letter for me was one I had sent to Mary Ellen Withrow (Treasurer, 1994-2001), but this one was in the original envelope. They wrote upon it, "Return to Sender, Address Unknown, No Such Number, No Such Zone..." Or, uh, something along that line. Even though it was a nixie, I'm not too disheartened because (a) at least the bills didn't get lost in the mail and (b) I've found a more recent address of hers, which hopefully will work. Withrow is a prolific signer and purportedly never turns down a request for an autograph.

And for more backstory, in October I registered to take Health class online, not only to avoid the teacher (who absolutely nobody likes) , but also to catch up in math. Apparently I was recently sent an e-mail saying that the class was about to start, but I never got it. Thank God my sister did, or I wouldn't have known.

Anyway, Mrs. Grabelsky, our future teacher, called yesterday to let us know what this was all about and everything. It doesn't seem too hard. We're expected to have at least five to seven hours a week to dedicate to taking the class, and that works out to 43 minutes to an hour each day. But the several assignments given each week are due each Monday, and since my school has all Fridays off (and I suddenly have more free time on that day of the week), it'll be a piece of cake. Wait, this is Health class. Piece of celery. Eww.

Well, one of my friends has done it and he says it's easy. And if it's torture on my oh-so-busy schedule, then at least I'll have my sister and some of my friends to cry with, because they're taking the same class online too.

"Making Canada a Warmer Place," it's Canadians for a Tropical Province! This is apparently a group of Canadians who think that annexing a tropical island will help Canada's tourism industry. I think it's a good idea, even though I'm not Canadian. It would just mean fewer Canadians running around down here in Florida (and trust me, there are a lot). CFATP hopes that the majority of Canadians will approve of the idea in a national referendum.