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| A gaggle of cackles, 1910 Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images |
The Costume Custom
When Nature Gets Wild ...
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| Saved from the surf in New Jersey NBC New York |
How To Help
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| Powering up in Tribeca Richard Drew, AP |
Beware of scams: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/30/hurricane-sandy-scams-officials-warn-residents-to-be-wary-of-crooked-contractors-charities_n_2045046.html
Youtoo Can Be on TV
A new software allows you to record a short video, submit it, and have it played alongside a TV show, like, for example, The Bad Girls Club or a Batman rerun. Interesting factoid: The CEO of this company is the son-in-law of the Rev. Robert A. Schuller, whose televangelist dad founded the famous Crystal Cathedral: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-fi-ct-youtoo-20121030,0,6198470.story
Rich Man, Poor Man
The 2012 Legatum Prosperity Index shows the world's countries ranked by wealth and well being (per the Legatum ["legatum" being Latin for "legacy" or "bequest"] Institute: "Our econometric analysis has identified 89 variables, which are spread across eight sub-indices.") (interactive map): http://www.prosperity.com/default.aspx
A Head for Halloween
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| Screen shot |
The Political Storm
When I heard about the huge storm hitting the East Coast, I, of course, checked in with friends living there and with friends whose families live there. My next thought was that those most affected would probably be in the poorer neighborhoods, and that if the devastation can't be cleaned up by Nov. 6, it would probably be the president who would risk losing votes, rather than Romney. Here are some other ways in which the storm could impact the election (video): http://www.reuters.com/video/2012/10/30/factbox-is-sandy-a-democrat-or-a-republi?videoId=238762007&videoChannel=1&refresh=true
Oh, the Horror! The Horrorgami!
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| The Addams Family house © Marc Hagan-Guirey |
The Paper Dandy website, with photos and a video interview: http://www.paperdandy.co.uk/
Where She Lived
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| Original book cover, 1960 |
"We find amazing stuff every time we go to the Channel Islands, and this may be the most amazing find of all." This according to archaeologist Jon M. Erlandson of the University of Oregon, who should know, as he's been exploring the area for more than 30 years. He's speaking of a cave recently discovered by Navy archaeologist Steve Schwartz ~ a cave Schwartz is "90 percent sure" was home to the Lone Woman of San Nicolas. If this all sounds vaguely familiar, it's because the Lone Woman, who really existed, is the central character in the popular children's book Island of the Blue Dolphins: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lone-woman-cave-20121027,0,1564818.story
The Island Time Forgets
On the Greek island of Ikaria, a shared culture of simple diet, exercise, socialization, and a purpose in life work together to lengthen lifespans and, in some cases, even counteract disease: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/magazine/the-island-where-people-forget-to-die.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0
Ikaria resident Grigoris Tsahas, age 99
Andrea Frazzetta/LUZphoto for the New York Times
Her Goal Is No Accident
Meet Susan P. Baker, whose decades worth of research on accidents has saved countless lives ~ maybe even yours: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/magazine/safety-lessons-from-the-morgue.html?pagewanted=1&hpw
You Can't Be Too Thin ...
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| Andreas Meichsner for the NYT |
... even, apparently, if you're a house. A Polish architect bridges two time periods and two styles with a house built in a narrow space between an apartment building and a co-op ~ and invites an Israeli short-short-story writer to make it his own: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/25/greathomesanddestinations/in-warsaw-a-creative-home-fills-a-void.html?hpw&_r=0
How Many 'You's in a 'Y'all'?
How Americans and our friends across the pond refer to more than one you: https://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/148729
Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor ...
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| Bergmann with Princess Popcorn Park Zoo |
Out of Thin Air
Engineers in Britain say they have developed a technology that could power a car using the air that's all around us. Critics note that the energy required for it to work would still be coming from traditional sources. It's a start, however, and maybe one day, the wind will power an airy gas alternative (story and interactive graphic): http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/fuel/9619269/British-engineers-produce-amazing-petrol-from-air-technology.html
Fall Back
As happens every year around this time, we wonder once again why we have Daylight Saving Time: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/12/120309-daylight-savings-time-2012-what-time-is-it-spring-forward-nation/
Bayyybee Beloooga
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| NOC, the "talking" whale NMMF |
Sing your little song, sing for all your friends.
We like to hear you.
So sang Raffi. How surprised would he be to know that there's been at least one beluga that can imitate a human voice? (story and audio): http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/10/121022-whales-voices-science-animals-humans-marine-mammals/
Modern Family at the Polls
How much can one tell about the United States ~ and maybe about how we will vote ~ from watching our sitcoms?: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20067565
Partition, Heal Thyself
Sometimes, reality truly is stranger than science fiction. Take the work of Nancy Sottos, for example. She's an engineer at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and she is well on her way to making a plastic that can repair a split, cut, tear, or rupture in itself ~ by itself: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20121024-bleeding-plastic-repairs-itself
Tactical Mastery Tour
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| Ready to go |
The basic format is that when you sign up, you're given a starting point ~ and this is all web-based, btw. When you get there, you hit "start" and get your first hint. For each answer you get right, you earn 15 points. For each wrong one, you lose 5. There are also bonus challenges. At each stopping point, you can read interesting facts about that place.
We took our time on our tour, stopping in shops and having lunch along the way, and it took us a little over four hours, but without stops, it probably would have taken about three. I think we walked about two miles ~ and we got to ride the subway part of the way (always a plus, as far as I'm concerned ~ I love the sub). It costs $49 no matter how big your group, and I have to say it was probably one of the most fun organized things I've done in a long time. So now you know!: http://www.urbanadventurequest.com/
Tangible Support
NASA's exoskeleton has the potential to help astronauts keep their muscle mass and to help paraplegics walk (story and video): http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/home/feature_exoskeleton.html
Why Buy When You Can Make?
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| All it takes is the right kind of thread! |
Call of the Wild
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| Sheeba arrives, scared and confused. |
The Preservation of the World
 |
| Owen Hearn took this picture of a hare in the snow at his grandparents' farm. |
Line(s) in the Sand
Gerrymandering: It's a funny word for a not-so-funny maneuver (which is another funny word, btw ~ have you seen Eddie Izzard's schtick on the Heimlich Maneuver? ~ but I digress) in which politicians rejigger voting-district lines so that they will benefit their party. It's actually a much older practice than you might think. And where did that name come from, anyhow? (slideshow): http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/09/the-twisted-history-of-gerrymandering-in-american-politics/262369/#slide1
P.S., In case your interest has been piqued by that little parenthetical comment (and, come on, you know it has!): http://www.veoh.com/watch/v15368687KPjptnjM?h1=The+Heimlich+Maneuver
P.S., In case your interest has been piqued by that little parenthetical comment (and, come on, you know it has!): http://www.veoh.com/watch/v15368687KPjptnjM?h1=The+Heimlich+Maneuver
Il Y A un App Pour Ça
A Japanese company has come out with an almost-simultaneous language translator for your phone. You and your friend from, say, Thailand will be able to converse in your native language, and the app will provide a text and voice translation to each of you of what the other is saying: http://www.cnngo.com/explorations/life/tech-trend-speech-translation-apps-smartphone-conversations-085231
Tokyo Style
Breaking the Code
Imagine there's a clay tablet in front of you. It's 5,000 years old and covered with grooves and notches that look rather like something between hieroglyphics and cuneiform. You turn the tablet this way and that, studying the shapes. Suddenly, you get an inspiration. That symbol there! It might mean "property," and the symbols that come after it might be part of a list! You relay your theory to the rest of the group.
Now imagine that you don't have to imagine that scene. In one of the greatest uses of modern technology, the oldest undeciphered piece of writing has been photographed from every possible angle by a machine called the Reflectance Transformation Imaging System, and the resulting images will be posted online so that whosoever cares to can be part of the code-breaking team!: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19964786
Now imagine that you don't have to imagine that scene. In one of the greatest uses of modern technology, the oldest undeciphered piece of writing has been photographed from every possible angle by a machine called the Reflectance Transformation Imaging System, and the resulting images will be posted online so that whosoever cares to can be part of the code-breaking team!: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19964786
Who'll Win the White House?
Obama is 74 electoral votes away from a win; Romney, 79. The BBC's interactive map lets you predict who will win each undecided state ~ and therefore, the election. Brief summaries of the issues and voting history help with the decisions: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19794259
Angkor ... How?
The Rains Down in Africa
Once it was a shining example of how a country can benefit from turning away from its racist policies. More recently, however, while the rest of the continent is growing, according to this article in the Economist, South Africa is experiencing darker days. What happened?: http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21564846-south-africa-sliding-downhill-while-much-rest-continent-clawing-its-way-up?spc=scode&spv=xm&ah=9d7f7ab945510a56fa6d37c30b6f1709
US and the World
Which topics will be covered in the third and last presidential debate on Monday, Oct. 22?: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/21/mondays-debate-puts-focus-on-foreign-policy-clashes/?hp
Big Apple Castle
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| New Yorkers of all ages are learning the game. Screen shot from the BBC video |
Thoroughly Modern Nora
Many moons ago, I was having lunch with a friend whose three children at the time ranged in age from 8 years to 8 months. She worked full-time as a lawyer in a firm that was, with L.A. traffic, a 45-minute drive from her home on a good day. A few years before that, she had wanted to either quit her outside job or cut back her hours substantially so that she could spend more time with her children, but her husband had his eye on a big house with a pool, and to be able to afford it, she would have to stay with the firm.
It was as she was telling me about staying up half the night to sew on her older boy's Cub Scout patches and her younger boy's costume for the school play that I finally asked her how she manages to do it all. She looked at me, and in her eyes I saw acceptance, determination, and maybe a little anger (though that last could have been projection on my part). She sighed and said, "The thing is, I don't do any of it well."
Many more moons ago than that ~ 1879, to be exact ~ playwright Henrik Ibsen wrote A Doll's House, a play that many see as a comment on women's sacrificial role in marriage and society but that can just as easily be a comment on all of society as well. This nine-minute film envisions a modern-day Doll House (video): http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/video/2012/oct/18/nora-ibsen-dolls-house-video
It was as she was telling me about staying up half the night to sew on her older boy's Cub Scout patches and her younger boy's costume for the school play that I finally asked her how she manages to do it all. She looked at me, and in her eyes I saw acceptance, determination, and maybe a little anger (though that last could have been projection on my part). She sighed and said, "The thing is, I don't do any of it well."
Many more moons ago than that ~ 1879, to be exact ~ playwright Henrik Ibsen wrote A Doll's House, a play that many see as a comment on women's sacrificial role in marriage and society but that can just as easily be a comment on all of society as well. This nine-minute film envisions a modern-day Doll House (video): http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/video/2012/oct/18/nora-ibsen-dolls-house-video
Experiment: Earth
Climate change? A dearth of food/water for our growing population? No problem. Enter the geoengineer (thank you, Kristofer, for finding this story): http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/oct/19/climate-fix-geoengineering?fb=optOut
Just Because: "To Autumn"
John Keats (1795-1821; he died of tuberculosis at the age of 25) was a Romantic poet and is considered to be one of the greatest English poets. After a Sunday walk in September 1819, he wrote this paean to the season:
close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
conspiring with him how to load and bless
with fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;
to bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
and fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
to swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
with a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
and still more, later flowers for the bees,
until they think warm days will never cease,
for Summer has o'erbrimm'd their clammy cells.
Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,
To Autumn
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
conspiring with him how to load and bless
with fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;
to bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
and fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
to swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
with a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
and still more, later flowers for the bees,
until they think warm days will never cease,
for Summer has o'erbrimm'd their clammy cells.
Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,
A Million Little Shades of Gray
And Does Anyone Care?
There are a couple of good points made in this BBC piece on the recent growth of the fact-checking industry (story and video: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19954722 ).One is the possibility that the fact-checkers themselves can be biased. "If you've got two fact-checking groups that come to different conclusions, you've got a problem," says Dr. Robert Lichter, Media Center president at George Mason University. While this is a good point, it's also worth keeping in mind when you hear Dr. Lichter imply that Politifact skews left that he was once a paid contributor to the Fox News Channel and is the co-author of a book called The Media Elite, both of which achievements suggest he may have a bias of his own. So who's checking those who check the fact-checkers?
The other, perhaps overriding point, is the big picture, presented by Amy Gardner, political reporter for the Washington Post: "One of the difficult questions that this election presents to us all," she comments, "is whether the people even care about what's being said that's true or less true." A frightening thought when one considers where such public insouciance ~ or perhaps it's cynicism? ~ can take us.
I happened to be teaching a creative writing class to a group of high school sophomores and juniors the year that The Smoking Gun published an article on James Frey's popular book A Million Little Pieces. In it, Frey was accused of making up most of the incidents he recounted in what was billed as the true memoir of a young alcoholic and drug abuser's road to rehabilitation. It came as a complete surprise to me, when I brought this up to my students, that, to a one, they saw no harm in his fabrications. Perhaps most disconcerting of all was the assertion, echoed by many, that we are constantly being lied to ~ by politicians, by corporations, by textbooks ~ so what difference does Frey's lying make? At least his book helped some people. At least some took courage from his message and his journey and were able to change their lives around. That's more than can be said, they argued, for the fabrications to which we're all exposed on a daily basis.
Ms. Gardner continues: " ... all of the fact-checking organizations out there are constantly pointing out ways in which both campaigns are saying things that aren't quite true, and yet it doesn't stop them from doing it, and that tells you that they do it for a reason, which is that it's beneficial ... "
When we get to the point where no one believes anything any longer, have we gone too far to turn back?
A War in Hindsight
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| Serbian generals inspect the cannons. Getty Images |
Baby in Orbit
So, the other morning, a friend and I were sitting outside a cute cafe, enjoying a little breakfast-cum-people-watching when a new dad comes sauntering up the sidewalk pushing this ... this intriguing, really expensive-looking stroller. It is beyond me how to describe it, but that's what the video's for. Suffice it to say that the dad quoted his dad as saying that it cost more than his first car. And, OK, so they've been around for a while and Halle Berry, Nicole Richie, and Heidi Klum have all used them, so excuuuuuse me! I'd just never seen one in person (video): http://www.orbitbaby.com/en/video/
So Corny
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| The Corn Palance in Mitchell, SD from colbertnation.com |
Choo-Choos in the Night
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| Ghost Town. Virginia, 1957 © Conway Link; courtesy of the O. Winston Link Museum |
Bedouin and Board
There has been a rise in tourist kidnappings by the Bedouin of Egypt. From February to early July, for example, they took and held hostage six Americans, three South Koreans, two Brazilians, and one Singaporean. You should be so lucky: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/10/tea-and-kidnapping/309078/
Chess, Creativity, and Life
Interesting interview with Elizabeth Spiegel, who teaches chess at a junior high school in Brooklyn that's won more championships than any other in the country and is the subject of a new documentary, Brooklyn Castle: http://www.creativitypost.com/education/the_creativity_of_chess_a_conversation_with_elizabeth_spiegel
Bloody Good Fun, Innit?
Parties of Their Own
Libertarian, Green, Constitution, Justice, Socialism and Liberation, Peace and Freedom, and Reform: a rundown of the other presidential candidates ~ who they are and what they stand for: http://www.care2.com/causes/presidential-candidates-youve-never-heard-of.html
A Crisis Then, a Memory Now
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| The original caption says, "Show of force: Cuban Army prepares defences for US attack" Reuters |
Nature's Song Dynasty
Mice can sing! Seriously. Not only that, a recent study found, but they are capable of learning songs. And they're not the only creatures out there that can carry a tune: http://www.care2.com/causes/5-animals-you-didnt-know-can-sing.html
What Made Alexander So Great?
 |
| Bust of Alexander the Great, British Museum Marco Prins |
Presse for Time
Oooohhh, coffee lovers ~ it's here (almost)! A portable, allegedly better-than-café-presse cup of coffee! (story and video): http://www.bonappetit.com/blogsandforums/blogs/badaily/2012/10/impress-coffee-brewer-cup.html
Of course, you can always back the project and get one of the first ones: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/inventiveculture/impress-coffee-brewer?ref=live
Of course, you can always back the project and get one of the first ones: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/inventiveculture/impress-coffee-brewer?ref=live
'Real, Home-Grown Spaghetti'
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| 1957 was a particularly good year. Panorama/BBC |
California's Excellent Venture?
California will be the first state to use the "cap and trade" system in an effort to check air pollution. If it works, it will be a model for the rest of the country. If it doesn't, it could be a cautionary tale. And, btw, Verifiers Wanted: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/14/science/earth/in-california-a-grand-experiment-to-rein-in-climate-change.html?hpw
Your Great-Grandparents' LOL
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| Don't ask me! ... |
Qin and Mao: Dual Legacies
Before Mao Zedong, there was Qin Shi Huang, the emperor whose terra cotta warriors live on in his name. Both men were ruthless killers, feared and loathed in their time, but both instituted changes that made China the united power it is today: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19922863
Just how widespread is China's influence ~ and, through it, Qin's and Mao's ~ today?: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19797989
Just how widespread is China's influence ~ and, through it, Qin's and Mao's ~ today?: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19797989
We Are All Malala.
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| Supporters in Karachi, Pakistan pray for Malala's recovery. CNN |
The "I Am Malala" petition website: http://educationenvoy.org/
Giant Shoulders
Five who came before Felix Baumgartner and whose adventurous spirit also advanced our understanding of the limits of human endurance: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19945627
1 Jump, 3 World Records
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| Red Bull Stratos |
He Who Controls the Present ...
How school textbooks teach what adults want children to believe, true or not, the world over: http://www.economist.com/node/21564554
Smoke on the Water
 |
| At dawn on the last day of the festival, the boat is set on fire. Robert Kelly |
All Hams on Deck!
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| Food court on the Queen Mary 2's Deck 7 |
Eye-ai-eye! (UPDATED)
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| Carli Segelson/Fla. FWCC |
UPDATE: The eye most probably belonged to a swordfish or marlin. How it ended up on a beach in Florida is still up for debate (story and video): http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2012/1015/Giant-eyeball-mystery-solved-Experts-say-it-belonged-to-swordfish-video
Evolution 101
Scientists monitoring bacteria for almost 25 years soon found that they were learning a lesson in evolution as the bacteria, over many, many generations, began to do something they hadn't done since the Miocene epoch: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/345247/title/E._coli_caught_in_the_act_of_evolving
Death of a Spy
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| A 1906 postcard features Mata Hari |
Will we ever get closer to the truth? Yes, on Oct. 17, 2017, 100 years after her death, when the French army releases its sealed documents about her: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mata-hari-is-executed
Living On in a Song
Phil Lynott, lead singer of the band Thin Lizzie, died of drug abuse in the '80s at the age of 36. His mother recalls his difficult childhood and her own hard life. "I also visit his resting-place every day because it’s only round the
corner from my house," she says. "I go around and I pour water on his stone—I call
it washing his face—and then when I’m leaving I give him a kick, for
breaking my heart" (story and audio): http://www.pri.org/stories/arts-entertainment/music/mother-of-deceased-lead-singer-from-thin-lizzy-discusses-musician-s-early-life-11722.html
aka Rebel Streets
A planned National Museum of Suburbia to be built in Kansas City seems it'll focus mainly on the 1950s ~ drive-in movie theaters, picket fences, Tupperware, and lunch boxes. The question is, If they build it, will we come?: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443493304578038920747409686.html?mod=WSJ_hp_EditorsPicks
The Art of Science
 |
| My Favorite Artist Series: Charles Darwin Zachary Copfer |
Mirroring Nature
What would you do if you wanted to expand your city apartment but not at the cost of your special, rare garden space?: http://www.archdaily.com/279735/garden-studio-in-amsterdam-watergraafsmeer-cc-studio/
© John Lewis Marshall
Glowing Crazy
 |
| The squat lobster is an inch long. NOAA-OER |
In Hot Water
 |
| The Hot Tug |
For Whom the Bell Tolls
 |
| Pablo Picasso's Guernica illustrates the horrors of the civil war in Spain. |
Hanging Gardens
 |
| Fall on the High Line Barry Munger |
Exhibit A
Stepford Students
Whether this will be a trend is not yet known, but the fact that some parents are giving their non-ADHD children ADHD drugs to control their behavior is ... what's the right word here? "distressing"? "frightening"? "alarming"? No? Too judgmental? Either way, unfortunately, it's not too surprising. As one pediatrician put it, "We’ve decided as a society that it’s too expensive to modify the kid’s environment. So we have to modify the kid": http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/09/health/attention-disorder-or-not-children-prescribed-pills-to-help-in-school.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0&hpw
Attack Aborted
 |
| Oregon State University |
Malala vs. the Taliban
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| Malala being taken to a helicopter AP photo |
Around the World in 100,000 Shots
Back in May, I put up a post about aday.org, which was collecting the photographs people took on the 15th of that month. Now you can see them, either the 45 chosen for the global digital exhibition, here: http://www.aday.org/#exhibition, a hundred of them, here: http://www.aday.org/explore-selections#intro, or all of them, here: http://www.aday.org/#exhibition
The captions people wrote are just as great as the pictures.
'Nowhere To Hide'
They're out in front, often the most visible part of an orchestra, but what do conductors actually do? Are they nothing more than glorified human metronomes? Something for the audience to watch while they're listening to the music? Alexander Shelley, one of the youngest conductors in the world, explains his role (video): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-radio-and-tv-18085153
Dum Ditty Dummm Dum-Dum
It's that James Bond theme song we all know and love. When you hear it, you know which spy it belongs to, but did you know it was originally written as part of a stage musical?: http://www.pri.org/stories/arts-entertainment/movies/composer-discusses-surprising-origin-of-james-bond-theme-song-11708.html
Fighting His Way Out of a Paper Bag
Civics 101
Tuh-duh! I passed the U.S. citizenship test with a 92%! Before you try it, a caveat: It takes a while because there are 96 questions and two pages for each (one is the question and multiple-choice answers, the other is the correct answer) that take a second or two to load, but it's worth it. I feel like I learned a lot (including ~ and you'd think I'd have learned this by now ~ to trust my instincts!): http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/0104/Could-you-pass-a-US-citizenship-test/Who-signs-bills?cmpid=sectionpromo
Where They Stem From
Who are the researchers who just won the Nobel Prize for their revelatory work with stem cells? One was told he didn't have what it takes to be a scientist, and the other studied to be a surgeon but found he was no good at it: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/09/health/research/cloning-and-stem-cell-discoveries-earn-nobel-prize-in-medicine.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0
All the World Was Her Stage
Beautiful homage to an inspirational woman with an amazing life, made on the occasion of her 90th birthday three years ago, shared on the occasion of her recent passing (video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctAg18HSJ5g&feature=player_embedded
All the Right Notes
Mandolinist Chris Thile was among this year's winners of the MacArthur Genius Grants. The complete list is here, along with a video of a totally superb jam session featuring Thile, Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, and Stuart Duncan (story, audio, video): http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/10/02/162117158/mandolinist-chris-thile-novelist-junot-diaz-among-2012-macarthur-geniuses
Another Brick in the Wall
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| England, Seaham, Reception and Year 1, Structured Play Julian Germain |
Humans Ex Machina
The Circle Game
You know how you can get a thought stuck in your head and you really don't want it there but it won't go away and the more you try to get rid of it, the more it sticks around? Here are eight things to try: http://www.spring.org.uk/2012/10/setting-free-the-bears.php
Fantastic Voyage
Journey into the very bowels of the iPhone 5 (story and video): http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2012/10/video-ifixit-teardown-apple-iphone-5
Another Giant Leap
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| The SpaceX Falcon 9 takes off from Cape Canaveral John Raoux/AP |
Bill v. Jon
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| O'Reilly, left, and Stewart mid-rumble Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for the Rumble 2012 |
New York Names
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| Is there land under those buildings? eight double |
And here's the story of one Eric W. Sanderson and his quest to recreate, via computer and guidebook, the island as it looked before all the buildings came to be: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/16/nyregion/urban-tactics-i-ll-take-mannahatta.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
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