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| the Santos skyline Paulo Amaral/Flickr |
The Leaning Towers of Santos
Ancient Illness
Examination of mummies from Egypt, Peru, Alaska, and the U.S. Southwest seems to show that we humans have always been plagued by arterial plaque, and therefore heart disease. In addition, while cancer wasn't nearly as prevalent as it is now, scientists have found evidence of tumors in some ancient mummies. So the question is, Why? Those people didn't have fast food, dairy, processed sugar, the stress of modern life. What they did have, however, was a lifestyle that increased their chances of inflammation: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/350014/description/What_ancient_mummies_have_to_tell_us_about_the_perils_of_modern_life
Books for Hope
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| Susi Eckelmann (left), me, and Jennifer Friendly La Shawn Hye |
Three years ago, I had gone there with my own little school as a community service. Our children read to the younger kids, and then we all walked to the lovely park across the parking lot and played games and ran relay races. As it was the day before St. Patrick's Day, there were lots of sparkly green options for prizes, and everyone had a great time.
So, that in mind, I called and spoke with Project Hope Alliance Administrative Assistant Susi Eckelmann. Yes, they were very interested! They are starting a new project, a library on wheels, and they need books. Perfect timing.
The place has changed a lot. The Alliance office, next door to the school, has grown and now looks quite professional ~ cubicles! ~ but the people in it are still open, friendly, and cheerful. The new executive director, Jennifer Friend, has an amazing life story of her own, in which she has returned to her roots, so to speak, in order to help the children whose issues she understands so well: http://www.coastmagazine.com/articles/jenniferfriend-2521--.html?referrer=facebook
A History-Changing Moment
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| the computer on which the first website was published CERN |
CERN's head of communications, James Gillies, was a researcher there at the time. He looks back on the importance of the legal document that made the web publicly available. "Without it," he says, "you would have had web-like things, but they would have belonged to Microsoft or Apple or Vodafone or whoever else. You would not have a single open standard for everyone."
As for the first website, Gillies says, "You might have thought that the first browser would be very primitive but it was not. It had graphical capabilities. You could edit into it straightaway. It was an amazing thing. It was a very sophisticated thing": http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22249490
Web Celebs
the creators project, Dujour.com, Hello Again: Beck 360°, Tumblr, The New Yorker, mental_floss, Hunger Games: Capitol Tour, The Roper, TED, Hashtag Killer, The Onion, Dropbox ... These are a few of this year's winners of either the Webby Award or the Webby People's Voice Award. Here's the full list, plus the top nominees in each category: http://winners.webbyawards.com/2013
The British Are Different From You and Me
Sure, they talk funny and drive on the wrong side of the street, but did you know they also use a two-handed form of sign language? It's called Fingerspelling, and recently, deaf Brits took part in a contest called Hot Fingers to see who could spell the alphabet quickest (story and video): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22294204
The Curious Ledger of F. Scott Fitzgerald
No doubt set to coincide with the upcoming release of the new Great Gatsby movie, the University of South Carolina has put the book's author's ledger online for all to see. In it, the inimitable F. Scott Fitzgerald notes not only his income and expenses and those of his wife, Zelda (see "Just Because: 'Zelda: A Biography,' " Nov. 2012, and "Beautiful and Damned," March 2013), but his thoughts, diary-style: http://www.teleread.com/digitize/f-scott-fitzgeralds-personal-ledger-online/
Just Say No
Knowing how many calories are in a cup of ice cream is one thing, but finding out how much exercise you'd have to do to work off the calories consumed is quite another. It also, according to one study, can help people eat less and make healthier choices about what they do eat: http://www.care2.com/causes/how-to-build-a-better-food-label-hold-the-calories.html
Are There Down Pillows?
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| one view of the accommodations Bill Bezuk |
Looking for a place to board your chicken when you go on vacation? I thought so, and if you live anywhere near Eugene, Oregon, you're in (c)luck: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/no-plucking-joke-luxury-chicken-hotel-even-offers-turndown-service-1C9290628
RIP, Herschel
Herschel, we barely knew thee ~ but we did enjoy all the beautiful pictures you sent us back from space (story, slideshow): http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2013-150&cid=release_2013-150
Check Out Those Guns
The Christian Science Monitor has an excellent interactive graphic comparing gun ownership, homicide, and other related rates around the world. Many Americans will be proud to know that we are, by a long shot, Number 1 in ownership, with 88,800 guns per 100,000 people. The good/better news is that, with all that weaponry around, we're only Number 9 in gun deaths per 100,000 people ~ behind (in this order) Jamaica, Honduras, Guatemala, Swaziland, Colombia, Brazil, Panama, and Mexico. What a bragging point: http://gun-ownership.csmonitor.com/?nav=87-frontpage-spotlight
Too Rich? Too Thin? Try Too Handsome!
Apparently, in Saudi Arabia at least, it is possible to be too good-looking. According to recent reports, the kingdom recently ejected three UAE men on that very charge. One seems to be a self-described photographer/actor/poet (and, I would add, after seeing a few pictures, possible major egoist) named Omar Borkan Al Gala, but you can judge for yourself (story and videos): http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/26/omar-borkan-al-gala-deported-photos_n_3163282.html
Dim Sum and Then Some
There is a man in Los Angeles, a lawyer and accountant by trade, whose avocation is trying out Chinese restaurants. As of the writing of the linked article, that would be 6,297 ~ and they're all documented on an Excel spreadsheet, as one would expect from a man in his vocation: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-chinese-eater-20130422-dto,0,6902048.htmlstory#readmore
A King at Last
On April 30, after more than a century as a matriarchy (since 1890), the Netherlands will welcome a king to the throne, as Queen Beatrix abdicates in favor of her son, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-dutch-king-20130427,0,645088.story
A profile of the man: http://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2013042812252/dutch-inauguration-timeline/
A profile of the man: http://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2013042812252/dutch-inauguration-timeline/
Bikelandia
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| And they're off! info on the P2P website screen shot |
The P2P website, where you can track their progress. The ride began April 25 and is scheduled to end July 13: http://www.portlandtoportland.org/index.html
Der Führer's Food
For two and a half years, Margot Woelk, now 95, was a food taster for Adolf Hitler, one of 15 young women who ate a bit of his meals an hour before he did to ensure that he was not poisoned. It was a part of her life she tried to forget and managed, for a long time, to keep secret. "The food was delicious," she remembers, "only the best vegetables—asparagus, bell
peppers, everything you can imagine. And always with a side of rice or
pasta. But this constant fear—we knew of all those
poisoning rumors and could never enjoy the food. Every day we feared it
was going to be our last meal" (story and video): http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/26/margot-woelk-hitlers-food-taster_n_3163447.html?ir=World
Bailiff!
The following excerpts from the book Disorder in the Court: Great Fractured Moments in Courtroom History, by Charles M. Sevilla, have been floating around on the Internet for a while now. They are things that were actually said in court, as transcribed by court reporters. A friend just posted them on Facebook again, and even though I've read them before, I still find them highly amusing, so, for those who haven't seen them and those who have but can still appreciate:
Attorney: What gear were you in at the moment of impact?
Witness: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.
Attorney: Now, Doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
Witness: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
Attorney: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
Witness: Yes.
Attorney: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
Witness: I forget.
Attorney: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?
Attorney: What gear were you in at the moment of impact?
Witness: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.
Attorney: Now, Doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
Witness: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
Attorney: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
Witness: Yes.
Attorney: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
Witness: I forget.
Attorney: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?
Comedian-in-Chief
No matter what your political persuasion, unless you're totally blinded by an opposing ideology, you have to admit that our president has a most impressive, totally genuine sense of humor. It was on full display at the White House correspondents' dinner on April 27. And here, for your edification, is his full speech, with links to those of others, too (video): http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obamas-full-speech-at-the-2013-white-house-correspondents-dinner/2013/04/27/16ac0b70-af79-11e2-a986-eec837b1888b_video.html
The Hair They Wear
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| a happy competitor screen shot |
Of course, this is by far not the only facial-hair contest in the world, or even the best-known. Here in the States, for example, get ready for the 4th Annual Southeastern Beard & Moustache Championships (note the different spellings of the word for hair that sprouts mainly from the upper lip). Here, the categories include "sideburns, goatee, donegal (amish), partial beard freestyle, moustache (natural & styled), college beard, junior full beard, full beard freestyle, ladies artificial (beard & stache), gray beard (salty dog) & full beard (over a foot/under a foot)": http://www.active.com/miscellaneous/charleston-sc/4th-annual-southeastern-beard-and-moustache-championships-2013
And, be proud: We in the United States are actually represented by a Beard Team (how official it is, is up for grabs): http://beardteamusa.org/
Zoo York (and Boston, Too)
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| The caption that came with this picture: "She asked me if I knew about real estate. When I said, 'A little,' she grabbed her crotch and said: 'Is this a lot?' " |
One of the best sites on the web: impromptu shots taken on the street ~ but the best part is the quotes beneath them (don't know what's up with all the commas, though) (photos, photos, photos): http://www.humansofnewyork.com/
Pirating Science
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| from economist.com |
Hotter Than You Thought
The recent finding that the Earth's core is much hotter than previously thought goes a long way toward explaining the how and why of our planet's magnetic field. How the researchers figured this out is interesting as well (story and slideshow): http://news.discovery.com/earth/earth-core-hotter.htm
A Close-Up of Long Ago and Far Away
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| "Life of an East End Parson," 1940 Bret Hardy/Getty Images |
Feel the Phone
Kriyate, a startup based in India, is coming out with a Braille-enabled smartphone next year (story and video): http://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/2013/04/24/breakthrough-braille-smartphones-for-the-blind/
Abandoned Beauty
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| Holland Island, Chesapeake Bay baldeaglebluff |
Blondieconstructed
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| "I think that really was the beginning of deconstruction." Debbie Harry's photo |
This seems like as good a time as any to watch an old Blondie video, no? "Heart of Glass" (and check out what she's wearing ~ droolicious): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGU_4-5RaxU
And, for comparison's sake, a more recent version, live: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_DWo_6AAbo
Pinnnk Moooon, You Saw Me Standing Alone
April 25 will see a pink moon and partial lunar eclipse. Well, April 25 will see it, and those who live in Europe, Africa, and most of Asia will see it, but those of us in North America won't really notice anything different, except online (story and videos): http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2013/0422/Pink-full-moon-Thursday-Who-gets-to-see-it
It's the Sun's Turn
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| screen shot |
Old School
Well, it's happened again. I walked into a furniture and home accessories store looking for a sofa and chairs (we have none in the living room just now) and walked out with two of the old books I found decorating a display. One is First Year Science, by William H. Snyder, Sc.D., principal of The Hollywood High School, Los Angeles, copyright 1914. I'd like to share the first few paragraphs from the preface and some excerpts from later pages that I found particularly interesting:
First Year Science deals with the earth and the sun in their relations to man. This treatment has three advantages: it gives the book unity; it gives practical interest; and it offers all the earth science needed to meet such requirements as those of the College Entrance Examination Board.
This book is meant for immature students. For this reason the language is simple, not
PREFACE
First Year Science deals with the earth and the sun in their relations to man. This treatment has three advantages: it gives the book unity; it gives practical interest; and it offers all the earth science needed to meet such requirements as those of the College Entrance Examination Board.
This book is meant for immature students. For this reason the language is simple, not
Come Fly With V
NASA is sharing cosmic ray data from Voyagers I and II via a gauge, so we can watch as/when the spacecraft enter interstellar space. Voyager I is close, having already entered the so-called magnetic highway, the farthest layer of the heliosphere (see "The Final Frontier," Dec. 2012): http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2013-146&cid=release_2013-146
Take Two Aspirin ...
In the 1980s, an Australian study found that people taking aspirin regularly were less likely to get colorectal cancer. The common painkiller has also been shown to protect from some other kinds of cancer. Now, researchers at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri, and the University of Kansas Medical Center have released the results of a study that seems to show that aspirin can slow the development of certain kinds of breast cancer as well: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130421151610.htm
Cold Cells
from wisegeek.com:
Though most vertebrates do have red blood cells, there is one known exception: the antarctic icefish. It's the only known vertebrate that lacks both red blood cells and hemoglobin, the protein that allows iron to attach to red blood cells. Though this should make circulation easier for them since their blood is so thin, they also have abnormally large blood vessels and more blood vessels than other fish, so they have to use about 22% of their energy just for pumping blood.
More about icefish and blood in vertebrates:
Though most vertebrates do have red blood cells, there is one known exception: the antarctic icefish. It's the only known vertebrate that lacks both red blood cells and hemoglobin, the protein that allows iron to attach to red blood cells. Though this should make circulation easier for them since their blood is so thin, they also have abnormally large blood vessels and more blood vessels than other fish, so they have to use about 22% of their energy just for pumping blood.
More about icefish and blood in vertebrates:
- Fish that live in cold water generally have fewer red blood cells and less hemoglobin than those who live in warm water, and some fish that live in
We Are Star Dust
The ubiquitous Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson on where the elements came from and how they got into our bodies (video): http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/23/neil-degrasse-tyson-origins-atomic-elements-bodies_n_3117063.html
The Man Who Would Be Shakespeare
On the day that might be William Shakespeare's birthday (and, equally, might not be), there are still those who doubt 449 years later. The authors of a new book hope to silence them once and for all: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-22206151
Looking Back
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| Algerian woman in French "regroupment village" Marc Garanger |
The Inspector's Tale
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| the Cargill beef-processing plant, Nebraska © Ted Conover |
Accompanying the feature article is an introduction of sorts by Conover that explains how and why he decided to become a meat inspector: http://harpers.org/blog/2013/04/on-meeting-our-meat/
Universal Happy Birthday
April 27 is a rather important date, at least it is according to Johannes Kepler (yes, he for whom the telescope is named). For it was on this date in 4977 BCE, he decided, that the universe began: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/universe-is-created-according-to-kepler
The Way We Were/Are
The events examined in this report are unprecedented in U.S. history. In the course of the nation's many previous conflicts, there is little doubt that some U.S. personnel committed brutal attacks against captives, as have armies and governments throughout history.
But there is no evidence there ever before had been the kind of considered and detailed discussions that occurred after September 11, directly involving a president and his top advisers on the wisdom, propriety and legality of inflicting pain and torment on some detainees in our custody.
Buried beneath coverage of the manhunt for the Boston bomber and, to a lesser extent, news of the deadly explosion at a Texas fertilizer factory (that, apparently, had so many safety violations ~ and had last been inspected in 1985 ~ that the only surprise is that this tragedy hadn't happened sooner) was the release of a 577-page report by the nonpartisan Constitution Project on our post-9/11 treatment of detainees. The result of two years of independent investigation, it "is the examination of the treatment of suspected terrorists that official Washington has been reluctant to conduct," according to the introduction (story and video): http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/16/torture-report_n_3092775.html
A timeline of the Iraq War: http://thinkprogress.org/report/iraq-timeline/?mobile=nc
But there is no evidence there ever before had been the kind of considered and detailed discussions that occurred after September 11, directly involving a president and his top advisers on the wisdom, propriety and legality of inflicting pain and torment on some detainees in our custody.
~ The Report of the Constitution Project's Task Force on Detainee Treatment: http://detaineetaskforce.org/
A timeline of the Iraq War: http://thinkprogress.org/report/iraq-timeline/?mobile=nc
We Eat What We Can ...
... and what we can't, we can. (Think about it!) The history of the ubiquitous tin can ~ it's much more interesting than you might think, starting with the controversy over whether it is a French or a British invention: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21689069
Clouds Over St. Pancras
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| flying above a Los Angeles Metro station photo by me |
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| London's Cloud: Meteoros from Londonista.com |
We in Los Angeles look up to see people floating high above us in one of our Metro stations. Now, in London's St. Pancras train station, there's a new, temporary installation high above travelers' heads. In it, people cavort and stare down at passers-by from two large clouds: http://londonist.com/2013/04/giant-clouds-floating-in-st-pancras-station.php?showpage=1#gallery-1
Tattoo U
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| thumb-image.com |
Peaceful Pachyderms
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| screen shot |
A Little Light Reading
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| Joshua Bright for the New York Times |
A lawyer in a previous life, where, one assumes, he got used to fine print, Neale Albert is a collector of miniature books (including one that just may be the smallest book in the world) and has served twice as president of the Miniature Book Society, founded in 1983. He owns more than 4,000 such tomes, and some are worth several thousand dollars. Of being a collector of small things (because diminutive books aren't his only passion), he says matter-of-factly, “You either are or you aren’t”: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/22/redefining-a-little-library/?hp
2,000 Years of Climate
More than 80 scientists from 24 countries analyzed data from tree rings, ice cores, historical documents, and other sources to create a chronological picture of Earth's climate over the last 2,000 years. Among other things, they concluded that our planet has not seen the likes of the current warming trend for 1,400 years and that the Medieval warming period was probably not a global phenomenon: http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/6387/20130422/new-evidence-climate-change-earths-current-warming-seen-1400-years.htm
Bathroom Noises
Well, I do believe I've heard it all (pun intended). But here's a free app that will help you keep others from hearing it all while you're doing your business in the bathroom. It's the Akatu Fake Shower, and it simulates the sound of either shower or running faucet at the noise level of your choice ~ and tells you how much water you're saving by using it versus the actual thing: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/akatu-fake-shower/id514433351?mt=8
eARTh
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| the sands of Erg Chech, Algeria NASA/USGS/Flickr |
Through Orwell's Eyes
"In the Lenin Barracks in Barcelona, the day before I joined the militia, I saw an Italian militiaman standing in front of the officers' table." So begins George Orwell's Homage to Catalonia, a personal account of the Spanish Civil War. On the 75th anniversary of its publication, journalist Nigel Richardson follows the author's footsteps through Barcelona: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/spain/barcelona/10005749/George-Orwells-Barcelona.html
You can read Homage to Catalonia online, for free, at http://www.george-orwell.org/Homage_to_Catalonia
You can read Homage to Catalonia online, for free, at http://www.george-orwell.org/Homage_to_Catalonia
Cutting Across History
There is a 350-year-old company in China. It saw the Ming Dynasty's demise, the Chinese Revolution, the seizure of private property by the government, decades of state control, and now, the re-privatization of companies. Through it all, it has turned out its humble but very practical product ~ scissors ~ and tried to live by the motto of its founder, Zhang Jiasi: "Good steel and excellent workmanship" (story and videos): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22160739
The Indian Raja
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| drawing room, Bashir Bagh Palace, 1888 Raja Deendayal |
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| Water Palace, Deeg, 1884 Raja Deendayal |
Zoya Nails Earth Day
Earth Day 2013
'City of Darkness'
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| the City in the late 20th century © Greg Girard and Ian Lambot |
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| a City alley Wikipedia |
The Kowloon Walled City, in Hong Kong, was demolished 20 years ago this month. It had begun as a garrison during the Sung Dynasty of 960-1297, and its story since then is both unbelievable and fascinating. It grew in size and population until, for most of the 1900s, it was the most densely populated area in the world: http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1191748/kowloon-walled-city-life-city-darkness
A Bookish Reception
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| the cupcakes! photos by me |
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| the real books, ready and waiting |
A couple of nights ago, I went by the library to pick up the books I'll be giving out to deserving (non- or light-reading) souls on World Book Night, April 23 (see "Share the Love (of Reading)," Dec. 2012). Robert Graves, the Public Services and Programming Librarian, had set up a really wonderful ~ and delicious ~ reception for us book givers, complete with cupcakes decorated with miniature books on top. What could be a better introduction to the event, except maybe meeting and exchanging ideas with other volunteer giver-outers, which also happened: http://www.us.worldbooknight.org/
Nature in Time
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| screen shot |
Streakers!
More meteor showers are on the horizon! Specifically, the Lyrids, which we in the Northern Hemisphere will be able to see best just before dawn on Monday, April 22. They will continue through April 25: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/04/130420-lyrids-2013-meteor-shower-space-science-how-to-see/
Hold Me
In what just about every parent would call the "Duhhh Department," Kumi Kuroda of Japan’s Riken Brain Science Institute has found that infants like to be carried. And this goes not just for human infants, but for mice ~ and probably others ~ as well. By measuring physiological signs, Kuroda discovered that being carried, and the bouncing motion that goes along with it, lulls babies into a kind of trance (story and video): http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/349758/description/Infants_whether_mice_or_human_love_to_be_carried
The Road to Boston
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| Russian soldiers in Grozny, Chechnya, February 2000 Dmitry Beliakov |
Beautiful in their raw portrayal of a world turned upside down by war and occupation, these photographs are of several neighboring countries, including Chechnya (slideshow): http://everyday-i-show.livejournal.com/149000.html
The Tell-Tale Heart
Adrian Raine, a criminologist at the University of Pennsylvania, studies the criminal brain and other factors that can push some in the direction of violence and/or criminal acts. In his book The Anatomy of Violence, he points to the physical anomalies, such as a very low resting heart rate (the Unabomber's is 54, lower than the usual 60 to 100 beats per minute) or small prefrontal cortex, that his years of research have shown him are indicators of the potential for violence. The implications of his findings are huge: "Treating the physical causes will work more quickly and effectively," Raine argues,
"than repairing the complicated social factors that also contribute to
criminal behaviour": http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/culturelab/2013/04/anatomy-violence-raine.html
Good for Us
We have helpful evaluations of our food products that, if they are to be believed, impartially assess whether our apples are indeed organic or our coffee fair trade. There is a nonprofit called B Lab that, if it is to be believed (what a cynical child of 21st-century America I have become!), grades companies on the basis of how much good they're doing for the world. The companies that meet the standards become members of what the Lab calls the Certified B Corps: http://bestfortheworld.bcorporation.net/#overalllist
The Pause That Refreshes
Now, this is why I love mental floss ~ a story about something that I only ever noticed subconsciously but that, now that they brought it up, I realize is actually ... ummm ... interesting: http://mentalfloss.com/article/50173/when-and-why-did-people-start-saying-um-when-they-talk
All Airstream All the Time
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| the Bambi, circa 1960 Museum of Modern Art/New York Times |
Anna Nordberg, a senior editor at Sunset, and her husband, Man Skills, chose an Airstream for their first camper trip, 300 miles up California's central coast ~ and shares tips she learned along the way: http://www.sunset.com/travel/california/airstream-california-road-trip-00418000068066/
The May issue of Sunset magazine has a list of examples of one of the newest kind of hotel fads, "Airstream hotels." It's not available on their website yet (at least, I couldn't find it), but they include the Santa Barbara Auto Camp, in Santa Barbara, California (where else!); The Shady Dell, in Bisbee, Arizona; the Metro Hotel, in Petaluma, California; the Shooting Star Drive-In Resort, in Escalante, Utah; Hicksville Trailer Palace, in Joshua Tree, California; and Living Airstream, in Denver, Colorado.
To see how Airstreams are made, check out this video: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts/4164-assembly-line-airstream-trailers-video.htm
Baby Animal First Aid
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| Putney Design |
Follow the Money
Redrawing state boundaries in line with how our dollar bills travel (story, slideshow): http://www.fastcoexist.com/1681677/a-new-map-of-the-us-created-by-how-our-dollar-bills-move#1
I think the most interesting thing I learned here is not so much how our money travels (though that is interesting ~ I mean, it was the first thing that caught my attention), but that the guy who has logged the most dollar bills on wheresgeorge.com, which tracks U.S. and Canadian money, has a company that does something called metallic cartridge reloading. I did not know (nor, not being a guns-n-ammo person, did I think) that bullet cartridges can be refilled and reused. Gee, how sustainable and environment-friendly, though I'm sure that's not why people do it.
I think the most interesting thing I learned here is not so much how our money travels (though that is interesting ~ I mean, it was the first thing that caught my attention), but that the guy who has logged the most dollar bills on wheresgeorge.com, which tracks U.S. and Canadian money, has a company that does something called metallic cartridge reloading. I did not know (nor, not being a guns-n-ammo person, did I think) that bullet cartridges can be refilled and reused. Gee, how sustainable and environment-friendly, though I'm sure that's not why people do it.
Springtime in Europe's Last Virginal Forest
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| checking the map before venturing into the forest photo by me |
Get Out of Town!
With the help of NASA's Kepler space telescope, scientists have found two planets they believe could be habitable by humans: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2013/04/201341823330425887.html
Just Because: 'Perfume: The Story of a Murderer'
So, you see the title above, and here are the first few paragraphs, followed by a link to a New York Times review (btw, "grenouille," in French, means "frog') (this is, as I said, both creepy and very evocative ~ consider yourself warned):
Part One
1
In eighteenth-century France there lived a man who was one of the most gifted and abominable personages in an era that knew no lack of gifted and abominable personages. His story will be told here. His name was Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, and if his name—in contrast to the names of other gifted abominations, de Sade's, for instance, of Saint-Just's, Fouché's, Bonaparte's, etc.—has been forgotten today, it is certainly not because Grenouille fell short of those more famous blackguards when it came to arrogance, misanthropy, immorality, or, more succinctly, to wickedness, but because his gifts and his sole ambition were restricted to a domain that leaves no traces in history: to the fleeting realm of scent.
In the period of which we speak, there reigned in the cities a stench barely conceivable to us modern men and women. The streets stank of manure, the courtyards
A Novel Scent
from the wise geeks at wisegeek.com:
There are many unusual perfume scents, including lobster, Stilton cheese, Play-Doh®, fireplace, pink lemonade, and even old books. The last one is created by mixing scent compounds found in trees, the resins used to bind books, and ink. Most oddly scented perfumes can be created because of the fragrance synthesis — a development achieved in the mid-20th Century, which allows perfumers to create a wide range of scents very cheaply.
More about perfumes:
There are many unusual perfume scents, including lobster, Stilton cheese, Play-Doh®, fireplace, pink lemonade, and even old books. The last one is created by mixing scent compounds found in trees, the resins used to bind books, and ink. Most oddly scented perfumes can be created because of the fragrance synthesis — a development achieved in the mid-20th Century, which allows perfumers to create a wide range of scents very cheaply.
More about perfumes:
- Classically, perfumes were made with fragrances from seven families: single floral, floral bouquet, amber, woody, leather, chypre, and fougere. After fragrance synthesis developed, an additional six families were added: bright
Pet Adoption L.A. May 3-5
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| Neville and Edward: ever hopeful in the kitchen KW |
All this is to point out that NKLA (No-Kill L.A.) is holding its Pet Super Adoption Weekend at the La Brea Tar Pits soon: http://act.bestfriends.org/page/-/html/041615_NKLA_superadopt_online.html?utm_source=BSD&utm_medium=email&utm_content=CTA&utm_campaign=NKLA+Super+Adoption
Birds Do it, Bees Do it
Researchers at the University of Michigan have found that animals not previously thought to do so, like butterflies and ants, use plants for medication ~ and not just for themselves, but to protect their offspring. A certain kind of ant, for example, uses resin to prevent the growth of microbes in its colony: http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/1378/20130415/animals-self-medicate-protect-future-generations-study.htm
Vitamin Music
The Vitamin String Quartet. I mean, if you haven't heard them, do yourself a favor. Here's their cover of Coldplay's "Yellow": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkilJbXdpqE
Here they are on Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKbMWXrECO0
... and on Guns 'n Roses' "Sweet Child o' Mine": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnwxXNfdsxU
... and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJKwItdBUCo
OK, I'll stop now!
Actually, no ~ Adele's "Rolling in the Deep": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1JCqbfgrFw
Here they are on Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKbMWXrECO0
... and on Guns 'n Roses' "Sweet Child o' Mine": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnwxXNfdsxU
... and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJKwItdBUCo
OK, I'll stop now!
Actually, no ~ Adele's "Rolling in the Deep": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1JCqbfgrFw
Good Garden Guide
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| Afristar Foundation |
Green Is for Girls
India has had some bad press recently, and most probably deservedly so, regarding its attitude toward women and the very real repercussions thereof. But, like the clouds with silver linings, India has its shining moments as well. Take, for example, the village of Piplantri. Every time a female child is born, the villagers plant 111 trees and help the parents raise a certain amount of money that is deposited into an interest-bearing account for her. Nor do they stop there: http://www.thehindu.com/news/other-states/a-village-that-plants-111-trees-for-every-girl-born-in-rajasthan/article4606735.ece
Here's something interesting I learned from this story, aside from the above ~ Did you know that aloe vera kills and repels termites? This is from ehow.com:
"In addition to planting beneficial plants, you can use parts of various plants as
Here's something interesting I learned from this story, aside from the above ~ Did you know that aloe vera kills and repels termites? This is from ehow.com:
"In addition to planting beneficial plants, you can use parts of various plants as
For Boston
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| The Illuminator/Lucky Tran |
And a story about a 78-year-old runner who was knocked down by the blast ~ and got up and finished the race (story, video, slideshow): http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/15/bill-iffrig-runner-boston-marathon-explosion_n_3088891.html
The Smell of Wetsuit in the Morning
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| the "Ride of the Valkyries" scene |
My parents were the victims of war ~ World War II ~ and I inherited my mother's deep dislike of war movies. For some reason, though, I did see Apocalypse Now. It is, IMHO, one of the best movies ever made. One of the most ingenious things about it is how it is based on Joseph Conrad's amazing novel Heart of Darkness (one of the best books ever written) but set in a different time and different place that makes equal sense. For more and a link to where you can read the novel gratis, see http://somanyinterestingthings.blogspot.com/2012/12/heart-of-darkness.html.
Gracebook
The website myActions was started by a group of high school students as a place where people can share news of the steps they have taken to help others and the planet. These are posted, à la Facebook, for others to see. Donors, including nonprofits, issue challenges and donate to various causes when those challenges are met. As National Park Week is April 20-28 (http://www.nps.gov/npweek/), the current challenge benefits our great park system: http://www.myactions.org/npca
Love's Labor Lost
Here's a look at a bit of history from a different angle. A poem written, it seems (though the identity of the poet is, rather ironically, lost), by one of the workers who built the Titanic, is here accompanied by historical photos. What must these men have felt when it went down? (video): http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/0/22115736
'An Amazing Thing To Do'
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| "Most of the bikes we donate go to a place called Rajasthan and Bihar." screen shot |
Beautiful Details in Kansas
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| the author, child in tow Nathan Ward |
Swift in the Subway
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| Price and Knowles screen shot |
Hep Cats and Cool Kittens
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| fashion of the forties Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images |
Just Because: 'John Adams'
When this book first came out, I started to read it aloud to my son and husband at dinner (the only time I could get us all in one room!) so we could enjoy it together. As it is well over 600 pages long, this was rather ambitious, and we never came close to finishing. Still, I have not forgotten how well-written it is, and I look forward to one day reading it cover-to-cover. Here are the first few paragraphs of John Adams, by David McCullough:
In the cold, nearly colorless light of a New England winter, two men on horseback traveled the coast road below Boston, heading north. A foot or more of snow covered the landscape, the remnants of a Christmas storm that had blanketed Massachusetts from one end of the province to the other. Beneath the snow, after weeks of severe cold, the ground was frozen solid to a depth of two feet. Packed ice in the road, ruts as
Chapter One
THE ROAD TO PHILADELPHIA
You cannot be, I know, nor do I wish to see you, an inactive spectator. ... We have too many high sounding words, and too few actions that correspond with them.
~ Abigail Adams
I
In the cold, nearly colorless light of a New England winter, two men on horseback traveled the coast road below Boston, heading north. A foot or more of snow covered the landscape, the remnants of a Christmas storm that had blanketed Massachusetts from one end of the province to the other. Beneath the snow, after weeks of severe cold, the ground was frozen solid to a depth of two feet. Packed ice in the road, ruts as
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