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| "Plums, Peaches and Apricots" by Rosemary Kautzky screen shot |
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| "Winter" by Andrzej Bochenski screen shot |
Fantastic, Phantasmagoric Flora in Photos
Before the Smoke Rises
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| The cardinals at the conclave in 2005, Sistine Chapel REUTERS/Osservatore Romano |
Baby, It's COLD Outside!
Alberto Behar, a researcher at NASA/JPL and one of the developers of the Micro-Submersible Lake Exploration Device that is helping scientists explore the subglacial depths of Antarctica's Lake Whillans, explains the expedition (video): http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/?id=1201
Stand By Them
SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted) is offering a SENGinar called "Bootcamp for Determined Advocates" at 11 a.m. (Eastern time) Saturday, March 16. It's $40 and is led by Wenda Sheard, PhD, JD, a mother of three grown gifted children: http://www.sengifted.org/new-senginar-march-2013?utm_source=2013MarchEducationTrainingUpdate&utm_campaign=E%26TUpdate-Mar2013&utm_medium=email
Dairy Sweet
The dairy industry (specifically, the International Dairy Foods Association and the National Milk Producers Federation) is petitioning the FDA to allow the addition of what it calls "any safe and suitable" sweetener, including non-nutritive sweeteners, into 17 products, from milk to yogurt to cream. "Further," according to the Federal Register, "the petitioners assert that consumers do not recognize
milk—including flavored milk—as necessarily containing sugar.
Accordingly, the petitioners state that milk flavored with non-nutritive
sweeteners should be labeled as milk without further claims so that
consumers can 'more easily identify its overall nutritional value.' " Gotta love that reasoning!: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/02/20/2013-03835/flavored-milk-petition-to-amend-the-standard-of-identity-for-milk-and-17-additional-dairy-products
P.S., Here's an interesting tidbit I learned while reading the article: Ice cream already can contain nutritive or non-nutritive sweeteners without their having to be on the label.
P.S., Here's an interesting tidbit I learned while reading the article: Ice cream already can contain nutritive or non-nutritive sweeteners without their having to be on the label.
The Cancer Project
Another opportunity to be a citizen scientist, and this time it's helping to isolate the DNA mutations that lead to cancer: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21619593
Compare & Contrast, L.A.
KPCC has put together an interactive online voter guide for the upcoming city election. It includes information about all (meaning, for every office) the candidates and their answers to the questions "What is the number 1 issue you hope to address in office and how would you do it?," "What prompted you to run for political office?," and "What experiences qualify you for this position?" Some of it is just so much political blah-blah-blah, but in some answers, you can begin to discern differences among them: http://myballot.kpcc.org/build.do
Who Wants To Go to Mars?
Onetime space tourist Dennis Tito is looking for someone to send up to Mars. But there are some requirements: This someone must be part of a couple, and the significant other must be willing to go, too. ("Married couples have occasionally flown in space before, on short flights, and it seemed to work well, so why not," says Lincoln University's Prof. Christopher Riley.) Both need to be middle-aged. ("The idea of sending older astronauts on longer duration missions, after
they have had children, has been around for a while. The reasoning is
that such a long duration mission, outside of the protective
magnetosphere of the Earth, could leave them infertile," Riley said.) And they must be available for a year and a half starting January 2018 ~ and that's just for the flight (story and videos): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21603490
The Spin on Black Holes
There's a black hole out there whose mass is two million times that of our sun, and we're going to measure how fast it's spinning. We've not been able to do that before because, we thought, of gases that distort what we're able to see, but two X-ray space observatories working together are penetrating the clouds. As it turns out (pun intentional), it's not gases at all that are obscuring our view (story and slideshow): http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2013-075&cid=release_2013-075
Lifeless Life, Sleepless Sleep
We all feel bad after a sleepless night, so we know it's not particularly good for us. We've all heard, especially in the last couple of years, about just how not-good-for-us it is. But a new study conducted at the University of Surrey in England shows it's even worse than that. Getting less than six hours of sleep a night (and, of course, there are some people who can get by with less) actually alters more than 700 of our genes: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/256912.php
Gold Fringes
Shirley Eaton played the unfortunate Jill Masterson in Goldfinger.
© 1964 Danjaq, LLC, and United Artists Corporation
All rights reserved.
Deadline Feb. 27
Ooops. Short notice, I know, but I only just saw this. Feb. 27 is the deadline to apply to be a tester for Google Glass. Of course, if you're picked, "Explorers will each need to pre-order a
Glass Explorer Edition for $1500 plus tax and attend a special pick-up experience,
in person, in New York, San Francisco or Los Angeles." ... Just in case you're still interested: asisi.de/
Ceci N'est Pas un Pop-Up
Berlin's Pret-a-Diner, apparently, is "a dining experience" not to be missed. It blends fine dining with fine art and live entertainment, currently in a huge abandoned props factory. Also not to be missed is the restaurant's website's intro; click on the "Pret-a-Diner" link in the text: http://www.bbc.com/travel/blog/20130222-berlins-innovative-dining-concept
InContinent
Possibly, maybe, scientists have found bits of a bit of the land mass that once connected continents between 2,000 and 85 million years ago: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21551149
Hey, Barry, Nice Breach, Man!
This should come as no surprise to anyone who knows anything about dolphins (one of the planet's coolest creatures, IMHO) ~ a recent study has found that they call each other by name. They are the only animals other than humans that we know of that do this: http://news.discovery.com/animals/whales-dolphins/dolphins-call-each-other-by-name-130219.htm
Rhapsody on a Bohemian Queen
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| Elizabeth in 1642, by Gerrit von Honthorst |
Well, as so often happens, one mention, accidentally noted, leads me in a new direction from that originally embarked upon. In this case, to Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia (1596-1662) ~ often called the Winter Queen for the season of her and her husband's short reign. As it turns out, this little-known woman, in addition to leading a remarkable (not always easy) life, was a remarkable individual. She spoke several languages fluently; she was a philosopher, corresponding with Descartes and, evidently, helped him hone his theories; after entering a convent, she eventually became the abbess, overseeing about 7,000 people and all their many holdings: http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/philosophers/Elisabeth.html and http://www.women-philosophers.com/Elizabeth-of-Bohemia.html
Tunnel Vision
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| a tunnel-boring machine in Switzerland's Gotthard Base Tunnel Getty Images |
Tomorrow Is Today
Now, here's an interesting little theory ~ and it does have its critics (doesn't everything?). It goes something like this: Speakers of languages that grammatically differentiate between the present and future are, among other things, less likely to save (and more likely to save less) for their retirement: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21518574
The Joy of Junk (Food)
Lunchables, Dr. Pepper, Yoplait, Cheetos ... It's that delightful, mesmerizing combination of sugar and salt with a little fat thrown in that keeps us coming back for more ~ and marketers and food processors looking for new ways of making us feel less guilty about loving and consuming their products. This is an educational and fascinating overview of the junk-food industry: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/magazine/the-extraordinary-science-of-junk-food.html?pagewanted=7&_r=0&hpw&adxnnlx=1361580217-GlJX8vEjgfxAaA/iGKoH4g
It Never Happened
Speaking of fictionalizing history (see "A Filmmaker's Responsibility," Feb. 22, 2013), Nero never fiddled, Marie Antoinette never suggested that anyone eat cake, George Washington Carver didn't invent peanut butter ~ and a few other well-known things that never happened: http://www.history.com/news/history-lists/7-historical-figures-famous-for-something-they-never-did?cmpid=INT_Outbrain_HITH_HIS&obref=obnetwork
Setting the Stage
Derek McLane, who designed the stage for this year's Oscars, has done most of his work in the theater, including for the recent Anything Goes. "[Oscar producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron] referenced some of the more adventurous theatre designs that I had
done and said they would love it if I riffed on some of those design
ideas," he said: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21460736
A full list of the nominees: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-20973004
A full list of the nominees: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-20973004
A Filmmaker's Responsibility
Several of this year's Oscar contenders claim to be based on true stories, and they do say "based on." But, somehow, that phrase is usually ignored or forgotten, and a film's ~ or a book's ~ version of history ends up being the version people remember and cite as fact. Does a filmmaker bear any responsibility for that? As one can imagine, there are competing answers to that question (video): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21040913
Bears on Ice
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| © kevinschafer.com |
Isn't It Good, Norwegian Wood?
What gets Norwegians all riled up? Well, wood-stacking ~ duh! (with thanks to Lauryn): http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/20/world/europe/in-norway-tv-program-on-firewood-elicits-passions.html?_r=0
'Just a Normal Person'
(CAUTION: Emotionally wrenching.) Imagine for a moment that following your conscience required you to do something you knew would lead to your arrest and execution. Would you do it? At the height of World War II, in Munich, the young members of the White Rose did and most were executed ~ but not before they managed to distribute leaflets and paint graffiti on buildings urging "Down With Hitler": http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21521060
Whom Will They Thank?
Well, according to the statistics compiled from previous years' speeches, the chances are greatest that an Academy Award winner will thank his/her fellow nominees and, after that, the cast and crew. Three winners over the show's history have thanked "everybody I've ever met in my entire life," 24 mentioned their children (one dedicated the statuette to her unborn child), and 125, their moms: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2013/feb/19/oscars-2013-academy-acceptance-speech
Hidden Agenda
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| "Hiding in the City No. 51" Liu Bolin |
Reversiverse
OK, first of all, this won't be happening anytime soon (the ubiquitous "they" tell us), but (and I can say this only because I choose to believe "them" about that) how awesomely cool is this??!? Ever since detecting a Higgs boson-like particle in their collider, scientists have been theorizing about what it might mean in the bigger sense. One of these theories is that of the cyclical universe, and it goes like this, according to Dr. Joseph Lykken, a theoretician at the Fermi National Accelerator Lab: "What happens is you get just a quantum fluctuation that makes a tiny
bubble of the vacuum the Universe really wants to be in. And because
it's a lower-energy state, this bubble will then expand, basically at
the speed of light, and sweep everything before it": http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21499765
Let the Party Begin (With You)!
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| sugar cookies! from Bakerella |
Hosting or going to an Oscar-watching bash this year? Party experts share their ideas for how to make the evening just that much more special: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/7343936/list?utm_source=Houzz&utm_campaign=u232&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gallery10
Sexiness of the City
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| downtown L.A. my photo |
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| L.A. ~ building at right has been turned into lofts my photo |
In today's selection -- American downtowns, especially in those pedestrian friendly cities built before the advent of the automobile, are experiencing a renaissance. In the twentieth century, most notably after World War II, there was a decades-long escape of the affluent from the cities to the suburbs, leaving behind increasingly blighted inner cities. There is now instead a growing trend of the affluent moving back to the cities, and the resulting rise in prices is pushing the poor to the perimeters of these cities. Even immigrant populations are now more likely to establish suburban enclaves than urban ones:
"A little more than thirty years ago, the mayor of Chicago was unseated by a snowstorm. A blizzard in January 1979 dumped more than twenty inches of snow on the ground, leading, among other problems, to a curtailment of transit service. The few available trains coming downtown from the Northwest Side filled up with middle-class white riders near the far end of the line, leaving no room for poorer people trying to board on inner-city platforms. Blacks and Hispanics blamed this on Mayor Michael Bilandic, and he lost the Democratic primary to Jane Byrne a few weeks later.
Book It
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| DIY by Brenna, from designsponge.com |
Unintended Poetry
Many of the resulting lines are definitely intriguing, but is it poetry if it's mechanically compiled? Artist Ranjit Bhatnagar's Pentametron sifts through Twitters, finds those that happen to be in iambic pentameter, and couples them with others that rhyme (text and audio versions): http://www.npr.org/2013/02/16/172031066/pentametron-reveals-unintended-poetry-of-twitter-users
The Artful Debater
Burden of proof, circular logic, red herring, hasty generalization, begging the question, appeal to popular belief or to wishful thinking, and on and on. A clear and concise graphic delineating and categorizing all the misleading tactics that can (but shouldn't) be used in a debate. Who knew there were so many?: http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/rhetological-fallacies/
'It's a Magical World, Hobbes, Ol' Buddy'
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© 2013 Imgur, LLC.
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Don't know about you, but this is just one of the many, many reasons I love Calvin so much:
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| © Universal Press Syndicate |
Extreme Tag
Via one of my favorite radio shows, NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me (to give credit where it's due), this story about a group of friends ~ including the chief marketing officer of Nordstrom, a high school teacher, a priest, and a lawyer (who drew up the official agreement) ~ who have been playing an ongoing game of tag every February since high school, which in this case, means for 23 years: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323375204578269991660836834.html
But here's an update. The story ... wait for it ... is being turned into ... surprise! ... a movie. Well, it does have distinct possibilities, when you really think about it: http://www.slashfilm.com/real-life-23-year-long-game-of-tag-to-be-turned-into-a-movie/
But here's an update. The story ... wait for it ... is being turned into ... surprise! ... a movie. Well, it does have distinct possibilities, when you really think about it: http://www.slashfilm.com/real-life-23-year-long-game-of-tag-to-be-turned-into-a-movie/
When I'm Sixty-Four
Nothing self-centered about my interest in this article about the need for more-senior-friendly (and more senior-friendly) communities and housing ~ no, not at all! But the really exciting part is noting how the concept of sustainability plays into the plans: http://www.archdaily.com/332026/developing-adaptable-housing-for-the-elderly-and-a-path-to-sustainability/
Community leaders, including former HUD secretary and current executive chairman of CityView Henry Cisneros and executive VP of the AARP's state and national group Nancy LeaMond, discuss the realities of an aging population and ideas for how to make it more possible for seniors to "age in place," as we know most people would prefer to do: http://urbanland.uli.org/Articles/2012/May/MooneyPrepare
Community leaders, including former HUD secretary and current executive chairman of CityView Henry Cisneros and executive VP of the AARP's state and national group Nancy LeaMond, discuss the realities of an aging population and ideas for how to make it more possible for seniors to "age in place," as we know most people would prefer to do: http://urbanland.uli.org/Articles/2012/May/MooneyPrepare
Blast From the Past
With full props to my son for finding this ~ a wonderful collection of photographs of old L.A. (as in 1900-1925), along with full descriptions and explanations where possible: http://waterandpower.org/museum/Early_City_Views%20%281900%20-%201925%29.html
Top photo, Spring Street looking north from Eighth Street. The man is driving a Waverley Electromobile ~ obviously well ahead of his time.
Bottom photo, the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena in 1902, the year of the first Rose Bowl game.
Nerds in Paradise
I must be a wanna-be DIYer, because every time I spot a story about people fixing or making things themselves, I feel like I have to share it (see "With a Little Help From New Friends," Jan. 9, 2013). This one's about electronica and how you don't have to know everything about computers/TVs/circuit boards/etc. to be able to build one, or so contends Dominic Morrow co-founder of NottingHack, a friendly DIY workshop in England. "Don't put obstacles in your way," says he. Good advice for life in general, don't you think?: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0154nlx
P.S., Morrow is full of worthwhile advice. His T-shirt reads "Rule Zero: Do Not Be on Fire." We could all learn from this man.
P.S., Morrow is full of worthwhile advice. His T-shirt reads "Rule Zero: Do Not Be on Fire." We could all learn from this man.
Body Count
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| via tvtropes.org |
The Politics of Risk
The side of the brain people use when making risky decisions predicts to which political party they belong ~ with 82.9% accuracy. Specifically, "Democrats showed significantly greater activity in the left insula, a
region associated with social and self-awareness. Meanwhile Republicans
showed significantly greater activity in the right amygdala, a region
involved in the body's fight-or-flight system": http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130213173131.htm
Driving Miss Chastely
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| Chandni Gautam is one of Delhi's new cab drivers. Bhamati Sivapalan |
Drone in the Wind
Well, I honestly don't know what to say about this. Just felt it was important enough to be passed along: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/02/heres-the-drone-the-county-sheriff-wants-to-fly-over-your-backyard/
Update: The FAA, apparently, has estimated that there could be 10,000 drones in our skies by the year 2020. "If the LAPD bought drones, [LAPD deputy chief for counter-terrorism and special operations Michael] Downing said, it initially would use them at major public events such as the Oscars or large protests. In time, drones could be flown to track fleeing suspects and assist in investigations. Tiny drones could even be used to fly inside buildings to shoot video if a suspect has barricaded himself within." ... Need I draw the inevitable, chilling comparisons to Oceania?: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-domestic-drones-20130216,0,3374671.story
Update: The FAA, apparently, has estimated that there could be 10,000 drones in our skies by the year 2020. "If the LAPD bought drones, [LAPD deputy chief for counter-terrorism and special operations Michael] Downing said, it initially would use them at major public events such as the Oscars or large protests. In time, drones could be flown to track fleeing suspects and assist in investigations. Tiny drones could even be used to fly inside buildings to shoot video if a suspect has barricaded himself within." ... Need I draw the inevitable, chilling comparisons to Oceania?: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-domestic-drones-20130216,0,3374671.story
Great Backyard Bird Count: Feb. 15-18
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| Brown-headed Nuthatch in Georgia Marlene Koslowsky |
The ♥ Next Time
Dang! Just found these Valentine's Day cards ~ for your favorite activist! ~ that would have nicely rounded out the list of cards for scientists, lawyers, etc., I found earlier (see "Professionally Yours, ♡," Feb. 13, 2013). Well, there's always next year: http://www.care2.com/causes/valentines-day-cards-for-activists.html
Come Together
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| At the Sangham, where the Ganges, Yamuna, and mythic Saraswati converge Sanjay Kanojia/AFP/Getty Images |
Ancient Modern Art
The curator of the British Museum's new exhibit "Ice Age Art: Arrival of the Modern Mind" shows the similarities between ancient and modern art and, by extension, how our way of looking at the world and ourselves hasn't changed all that much: (video): http://www.economist.com/blogs/prospero/2013/02/art-ice-age
Death and Dying in America
Based on statistics from NASA and the National Safety Council, among others, a graphic showing the odds of dying in different ways in the United States compared with the odds of being hit by the asteroid that is set to fly by Earth on Feb. 15: http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2013/02/daily-chart-7
Said asteroid will be pretty fast and can't be see with the naked eye, but here's the path it will be traveling: http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21571387-it-came-outer-space
Said asteroid will be pretty fast and can't be see with the naked eye, but here's the path it will be traveling: http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21571387-it-came-outer-space
We ♥ Nature
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| Heart-shaped lichen Richard Hum |
Timeline of Lewwwve
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| In the 1940s, there was The Marriage Bureau. Getty Images |
P.S., My honey and I met on the only blind date I'd ever been on ~ a group outing to a disco called Big Daddy's ~ yes, I admit it! (The couple that introduced us divorced about two years later.)
Pure-Food App
We all know that mass consumer feedback is one of the best ways to get a business to change its m.o., and that includes becoming more sustainable. There's a free app (which must be fairly new, because it's still lacking a lot of information ~ the site says it's "rooted in the San Francisco Bay Area and sprouting up nationwide with your support") that will help you find restaurants that are sustainable/organic/vegan/etc. It has good reviews, though some suggest that it may be just more greenwashing. I don't know; you'll have to decide for yourself (company website with video): http://www.gopure.com/
Bugs in the Kitchen
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| screen shot from company video |
Golden Years, Gold
(whop whop wha) ... Don't let me hear you say life's taking you nowhere, angel.
Nominations are being accepted for the 2013 Encore Prize, awarded to people over age 60 who are choosing to use their time and accumulated wisdom to do good in the world: http://www.encore.org/prize
And, to get you going, a truly fine performance by David Bowie of his "Golden Years" (video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8XrsvbV90c
Nominations are being accepted for the 2013 Encore Prize, awarded to people over age 60 who are choosing to use their time and accumulated wisdom to do good in the world: http://www.encore.org/prize
And, to get you going, a truly fine performance by David Bowie of his "Golden Years" (video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8XrsvbV90c
Shiny and Bright
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| my photo |
Professionally Yours, ♡
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| A callous (but honest!) card ca. 1870s Collectors Weekly |
Build some love with an architect: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/7346252/list?utm_source=Houzz&utm_campaign=u230&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gallery6
Herewith, several and sundry cards for journalists and other word-, social media-, and computer-related types: http://inthecapital.com/2012/02/13/adorable-valentines-day-cards-for-journalists-pictures/
Enter into or augment a contract with a lawyer: http://www.docracy.com/0_xjjroo7ox/romantic-valentines-day-memorandum-of-understanding-valentine and http://www.docracy.com/275/be-my-valentine-legally-binding-valentine
And, finally, some surprisingly savage cards of yore: http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_vault/2013/02/13/vinegar_valentines_an_old_tradition_of_sending_mean_cards_anonymously.html
Earth Hour 2013
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| The world's first Earth Hour forest, in Uganda! |
One of the most interesting parts of this site is the "I Will If You Will" page. You can accept one of the many challenges offered by people from all over the world or post one yourself.
Whoooo Are You?
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| me. |
Ipsa Scientia Potestas Est
Speaking of dead languages (see "Dead No More," Feb. 12, 2013), the story of the reporter who broke the news of the pope's resignation is but one example of the benefits of having paid attention in Latin class (video): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21423877
Dead No More
A new software can recreate languages that have not been spoken in millennia by working backwards from their current versions. Of course, linguists won't be out of a job, as the software can't explain why changes took place (story and audio): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21427896
Mardi Graaaaaaaas!
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| Waiting for the Krewe of Bacchus parade Sean Gardner / Reuters |
But, seriously now, what does it really mean?: http://www.history.com/topics/mardi-gras
Carnavaaaaaaaaaal!
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| Performers from the Mangueira samba school AP Photo/Hassan Ammar |
But, seriously now, what does it really mean?: http://ipanema.com/carnival/history.htm
and http://www.brazilcultureandtravel.com/brazilian-carnival-history.html
Lightning Strikes
A new study finds that lightning can trigger headaches and migraines, but the exact way in which it does so is not yet known: http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/02/11/newsflash-lightning-may-cause-headaches/
Snakes on a Reign
Happy Lunar New Year! For this Chinese Year of the Snake, a few myths and facts about the reptile in question: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/13/1302010-chinese-lunar-new-year-culture-snake-science-animals/
Building Up, Building Down
A Japanese company has devised a way of demolishing high-rises that doesn't involve deafening noise, clouds of dust, or piles of wreckage (video): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21406927
Eat That Stamp!
Belgium has released a postage stamp that tastes and smells like one of the country's most popular exports ~ chocolate. Please, someone in Belgium, email me some! (story and video): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21388234
Eloquent Entropy in a Bell Jar
She seemed to be rambling, and I thought it was because she was growing sleepy.
Then her tone changed, and she talked emotionally and energetically about [poet] Ted [Hughes] and Assia Wevill, the woman he had left her for.
Writer Jillian Becker recalls February 1963, when poet Sylvia Plath and her children came to live with her and her family for a time, just days before Plath ended her life: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21336933
A few well-chosen quotes (slideshow): http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/02/11/sylvia-plath-death-quotes_n_2660734.html?ir=Books&ref=topbar#slide=1689621
Watching a poet grow through her works: http://www.npr.org/2013/02/11/171186656/on-the-50th-anniversary-of-sylvia-plaths-death-a-look-at-her-beginning
A Dog Is Their Copilot
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| Pancho, one lucky dog from Follow the Frontier |
Nov. 23, 2012 ~ Agua Prieta, Sonora: Pancho is faring better than all of us, especially me. After two weeks on the road he has a glistening coat like something out of a Winalot advert, while I have ruined soles, smarting shins and three cacti thorns in my left buttock. He is still prancing along like a Springbok in love while my gait is more Quasimodo on Red Bull.
The rest of Tom's journal: http://followthefrontier.fcfn.org/index.php/component/content/article/2-uncategorised/12-where-are-tom-and-pancho?fb_action_ids=10151108526620940&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=246965925417366
Their journey over, Tom returned to England while Pancho remained in Mexico. One can only guess how painful that parting must have been. But fear not: Pancho has already embarked on his next chapter, this one with Richard Kiy, president of International Community Foundation, and his family. He will be working with Kiy to raise awareness of and donations for border charities: http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/jan/27/mexican-street-dog-assumes-new-role-as-border-good/
The Pope Resigns
Just who is this man who became the first pope to resign in 600 years? (video): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21408033
(slideshow): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-20960383
(slideshow): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-20960383
But What Does It All Mean?
Academics think they may be on the verge of finally understanding the world's oldest known undeciphered writing system, proto-Elamite ~ and it's mostly thanks to the Reflectance Transformation Imaging System: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19964786
Just Because: 'Watt'
While rearranging some books (books? what are those?!?) this morning, I came across my copy of Watt, by Samuel Beckett. I had apparently read it for a college class, and on the first page, I had written "language is too limited to express thoughts or infinite possibilities." Whether this pronouncement was my own or the professor's is now lost to time. The book, fortunately, is not.
Mr Hackett turned the corner and saw, in the failing light, at some little distance, his seat. It seemed to be occupied. This seat, the property very likely of the municipality, or of the public, was of course not his, but he thought of it as his. This was Mr Hackett's attitude towards things that pleased him. He knew they were not his, but he thought of them as his. He knew they were not his, because they pleased him.
Halting, he looked at the seat with greater care. Yes, it was not vacant. Hr Hackett saw things a little more clearly when he was still. His walk was a very agitated walk.
Watt
Mr Hackett turned the corner and saw, in the failing light, at some little distance, his seat. It seemed to be occupied. This seat, the property very likely of the municipality, or of the public, was of course not his, but he thought of it as his. This was Mr Hackett's attitude towards things that pleased him. He knew they were not his, but he thought of them as his. He knew they were not his, because they pleased him.
Halting, he looked at the seat with greater care. Yes, it was not vacant. Hr Hackett saw things a little more clearly when he was still. His walk was a very agitated walk.
All the News That's Fit for Kids?
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| Screen shot from the ad |
Malala Update
Remember Malala Yousafzai, the little girl who was shot four months ago by a Taliban hitman (see "We Are All Malala," Oct. 15, 2012; "The Girl Who Lived," Nov. 12, 2012; "Malala, the Militants, & the Media," Dec. 28, 2012) for espousing a girl's right to an education? She is recovering and continues to speak out. Which of us would have so much courage? (video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGLKqd89BaA&feature=player_embedded
Home Alone in China
This is footage taken surreptitiously by Chinese activists who were able to get in to visit Liu Xia. She has been under house arrest for more than two years. Liu is the wife of Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo, who is in jail for having written a manifesto calling for peaceful reform and respect for human rights (video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQGSHaX1_-k&feature=youtu.be&msource=W1302EAIAR1
The Skin I'm In
CAUTION: THIS STORY IS DISTURBING. There's a reason I'm starting this post with a warning. Usually, I'll put a little caution note in parentheses at the end of a post, but you deserve to be warned right off. In fact, I hesitated quite a bit before deciding to share this one, and the reason I'm doing so is that, unpleasant and weird as it is, it's also kind of notable for its audacity and many disquieting associations and implications (story and video): http://www.ecouterre.com/sruli-recht-makes-a-creepy-ring-with-a-strip-of-his-own-flesh/?utm_source=Ecouterre&utm_campaign=a03a978124-Ecouterre_Weekly_February_6_2013&utm_medium=email
Bang Bang, Shoot Shoot
All sorts of information and statistics ~ impartially presented, I think ~ about guns in the United States (and the rest of the world): http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/02/gun-violence-in-america-the-13-key-questions-with-13-concise-answers/272727/
Painfully Delicious
Last night, I followed a really good recipe I found in the L.A. Times (http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-calcook-rec1-20130202,0,3638941.story). It's for lentils with kale and butternut squash. Like many of my favorite recipes, this one calls for diced onion. ... Herewith, some promising ideas for how to avoid those onion fumes that sting and make us cry ~ and even though this is one of them, the rest are much easier than the questionable cutting-it-underwater trick (slideshow): http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/04/chopping-onions-tear-free_n_1181225.html#s585761&title=Wear_Your_Goggles
Sweet Spirits
Apparently, mixed drinks that are more sugary have the extra benefit (besides tasting pretty darn good) of cutting the impact of the alcohol on your system: http://www.wric.com/story/20973471/study-diet-sodas-make-alcoholic-drinks-more-potent
Forward on Climate
A rally to "encourage" the president and Congress to take some meaningful action in the fight against climate change: http://act.350.org/signup/presidentsday
Whether you believe that climate change is real, whether you believe that it's mostly human-caused, you must (I think) realize that the steps being suggested are beneficial to us as a species anyway, as they concern issues such as air and water pollution, hunger, disease, and more.
Whether you believe that climate change is real, whether you believe that it's mostly human-caused, you must (I think) realize that the steps being suggested are beneficial to us as a species anyway, as they concern issues such as air and water pollution, hunger, disease, and more.
Ping Pong ... POWWW!
How to launch a ping pong ball at supersonic speed ~ only don't! Just watch (video): http://www.technewsdaily.com/16749-asteroid-named-wikipedia.html
It's a Wiki, Wiki Universe
Well, I suppose it's better ~ and certainly more memorable ~ than being called 274301. The main-belt asteroid that previously went by that numerary name has been officially renamed "Wikipedia": http://www.technewsdaily.com/16749-asteroid-named-wikipedia.html
We Have a Nation. Now What?
South Sudan became an independent state on July 9, 2011 (see "Birth of a Nation," April 10, 2011). Filmmakers Florence Martin-Kessler and Anne Poiret have been following its progress, as it goes through the steps of becoming a full-fledged country (video): http://www.nytimes.com/video/2013/02/04/opinion/100000002043729/how-to-build-a-country-from-scratch.html?src=vidm
You can also watch it on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQfluxpYVds
What's going on, Facebook?
In the "ummm, yeah, and?" department, a recent Pew study found that Facebook is becoming increasingly irrelevant for many. Of those who responded and said they had taken breaks from the site, 21 percent said it was because they were too busy or didn't have time for it, 10 percent said they weren't interested or didn't like it, and another 10 percent said it was a waste of time or irrelevant to them: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57567745-93/study-facebook-fatigue-its-real/
Face Off
"A clever marketing game is played in every skincare and cosmetics aisle in drug, department and health stores," says Nadine Artemis, "aromacologist," author, and creator of Living Libations. "Phrases like 'Active Ingredients,' 'Key Ingredients' and 'Natural' are
emblazoned across labels in bold print to distract us from investigating
the small print of what is really in the product."
Here, an interview with Artemis on the ingredients commonly found in skin-care products that it's best to avoid ~ and why: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-ingredients-your-skin-can-live-without.html
Here, an interview with Artemis on the ingredients commonly found in skin-care products that it's best to avoid ~ and why: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-ingredients-your-skin-can-live-without.html
The Head That Wore the Crown
After confirming that the remains found under a parking lot in Leicester (see "A Lot Over the King's Head," Jan. 2) are indeed those of King Richard III (aka Dick the Bad), experts have reconstructed his face. "It doesn't look like the face
of a tyrant," said Richard III Society member Philippa Langley. "I'm sorry, but it doesn't": http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-21328380
Kingdom of Kush
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| Fish in the City Vladimir Kush |
Over the weekend, I met a friend in Laguna Beach. After lunch and a walk on the beach, we walked around the town, and one of the shops we entered was the art gallery of one Vladimir Kush. (When you see his art, you'll find that his last name is rather appropriate!): http://vladimirkush.com/Originals-Available/
California, Here I Come
Photographs chronicling the construction of San Francisco's beautiful Golden Gate Bridge, 1933-1937: http://www.laboiteverte.fr/la-construction-du-golden-gate-bridge/
Secret Messages
Can we look to quantum mechanics to maybe one day give us back our email privacy?: http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2012/02/quantum-cryptography
FBI Ooops.
from delancyplace.com:
In today's selection -- though television shows such as CSI seem to promise an age of advanced, scientific law enforcement, in reality, law enforcement organizations are often slow to embrace these techniques and resistant to change:
"In 2010, and for the previous nine years running, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation ranked among the most popular shows on television in the United States. ... Watching these programs, the viewer knows that policing has changed. For every member of the CSI team using a gun, more wield test tubes, DNA sampling equipment, and all manner of futuristic gizmos designed to track down witnesses and catch the bad guys. The show signals a break with the past, because it revolves around the way police use modern science to find the guilty and bring them to justice. ... But this all-too-common view of modern police work using science to move into a gleaming, high-tech future turns out to be a myth. ...
"Brandon Mayfield's case makes a striking example. In March of 2004, terrorists bombed four commuter trains in Madrid, killing 191 people and wounding approximately eighteen hundred. Spanish police soon found a partial fingerprint on a plastic bag in a car containing materials from the attack. Using a digital copy of the fingerprint sent by the Spanish police, a senior FBI fingerprint examiner made 'a 100% identification' of Brandon Mayfield, an Oregon attorney, whose prints appeared in government databases
In today's selection -- though television shows such as CSI seem to promise an age of advanced, scientific law enforcement, in reality, law enforcement organizations are often slow to embrace these techniques and resistant to change:
"In 2010, and for the previous nine years running, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation ranked among the most popular shows on television in the United States. ... Watching these programs, the viewer knows that policing has changed. For every member of the CSI team using a gun, more wield test tubes, DNA sampling equipment, and all manner of futuristic gizmos designed to track down witnesses and catch the bad guys. The show signals a break with the past, because it revolves around the way police use modern science to find the guilty and bring them to justice. ... But this all-too-common view of modern police work using science to move into a gleaming, high-tech future turns out to be a myth. ...
"Brandon Mayfield's case makes a striking example. In March of 2004, terrorists bombed four commuter trains in Madrid, killing 191 people and wounding approximately eighteen hundred. Spanish police soon found a partial fingerprint on a plastic bag in a car containing materials from the attack. Using a digital copy of the fingerprint sent by the Spanish police, a senior FBI fingerprint examiner made 'a 100% identification' of Brandon Mayfield, an Oregon attorney, whose prints appeared in government databases
Shake It Up
The obituary of André Cassagnes, inventor of the Etch-a-Sketch: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/business/andre-cassagnes-etch-a-sketch-inventor-is-dead-at-86.html?hp&_r=0
Ice Capped
Drilling through 800 meters (about 2,600 feet) of ice, a research team has found the first signs of life in a subglacial lake. The oxygen-using microbes have been isolated under the Antarctic ice for at least 100,000 years: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/348007/description/Life_found_deep_below_Antarctic_ice
Welcome to the Jungle
A review of Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan's autobiography, which, like so many rock sagas, tells of poverty, success and excess, and the seemingly inevitable painful downfall. And while each of those phases was spectacular in its own way, so, too, was McKagan's resurrection ~ the man owns a money management company whose clients are mostly musicians (text and audio versions): http://www.npr.org/2013/02/03/170772250/appetite-for-destruction-a-deadly-delicious-rock-memoir
Car Bowl
Interesting facts with which to impress your mates about all those Super Bowl car ads (slideshow): http://www.bbc.com/autos/story/20130201-auto-ads-of-the-super-bowl
Hendrix Lived Here
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| Hendrix and his band in 1967 |
Don't Dance and Drive
A recent study resulted in a list of the 10 most dangerous and the 10 safest songs to listen to while driving. Oddly, classical music did not always make for a safer driver. No mention was made of books on CD ... : http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2260218/Want-safer-driver-Listen-Coldplay-Elton-John-Norah-Jones--avoid-Black-Eyed-Peas.html#axzz2JnZEUZ2X
Warming Up a Cold Case
Steve Hodel, who suspects that his father was the murderer in the famous, unsolved Black Dahlia case, returns to the scene with a search dog (CAUTION: This could be disturbing for more sensitive souls.) (story and video): http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Search-Dog-Finds-Potential-Evidence-in-Black-Dahlia-Murder-189481711.html
Safety in the Workplace
The Smoking Gun (in this particular case, a more than apt moniker) has shared a five-page memorandum from the Social Security Administration reprimanding an employee for "conduct unbecoming a federal employee." What could cause such a stink? You might well ask: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/file/gas-attack-work?page=0
Memories of War
One of the most decisive battles of World War II took place seventy years ago. It was the Battle of Stalingrad (now Volgograd), in which the Russians, aided by their bitter winter weather, defeated the Nazi invaders after months and months of fighting (slideshow): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21293597
Hide 'n Chic
He thought of the telescreen with its never-sleeping ear.
They could spy upon you night and day, but if you kept your head you
could still outwit them. With all their cleverness they had never
mastered the secret of finding out what another human being was
thinking. Perhaps that was less true when you were actually in their
hands.
CCTVs, drones, hacking. 2013 seems not too much different from 1984. But, as in the novel, people are fighting back. One Adam Harvey has developed a "countersurveillance" line of clothing: http://ahprojects.com/projects/stealth-wear
~ 1984, by George Orwell (published 1949)
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| Harvey's "anti-drone" scarf |
Verily, Verily I Say Unto You
Yesss! This may cut into Jon Stewart's routine a bit, but I think even he will agree that it's totally worth it. The Washington Post's Truth Teller, now in the prototype stage, will use speech-to-text and fact-checking technology to inform viewers of the truth behind politicians' more questionable statements ~ get this ~ in. real. time! (story and video): http://www.knightfoundation.org/blogs/knightblog/2013/1/29/debuting-truth-teller-washington-post-real-time-lie-detection-service-your-service-not-quite-yet/#comment-24621
Perchance To Dream
I once had a heated conversation with an elderly physician who was trying to tell me there's nothing wrong with medical students and interns being on duty for hours on end or getting only a few hours of sleep between long shifts. It was like a badge of honor for him. He said their bodies get used to it. Yeah, right: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/7-surprising-signs-you-need-to-sleep-more.html?page=1
The Eyes Have It
My only question about this factoid from wisegeek.com is, I wonder whether, in the first, oh, about 150 years of this country's life, when most of our immigrants came from Europe, there were more blue eyes in the general population. Still, an interesting statistic:
Eye color might be a factor in the success of a US presidential candidate. Less than 17% of people in the United States have blue eyes, but all but six of the first 44 presidents are believed to have had blue or gray eyes. Only five — Richard Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson, Chester A. Arthur, Andrew Johnson and John Quincy Adams — had brown eyes. Nobody is quite sure as to why this is, although some people have suggested that blue eyes might be considered more attractive than brown, black or hazel eyes. It is important to note that there is a wide range of eye colors, and when it comes to presidents who served before color photography, their exact eye colors are not easy to determine.
More on eye color:
Eye color might be a factor in the success of a US presidential candidate. Less than 17% of people in the United States have blue eyes, but all but six of the first 44 presidents are believed to have had blue or gray eyes. Only five — Richard Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson, Chester A. Arthur, Andrew Johnson and John Quincy Adams — had brown eyes. Nobody is quite sure as to why this is, although some people have suggested that blue eyes might be considered more attractive than brown, black or hazel eyes. It is important to note that there is a wide range of eye colors, and when it comes to presidents who served before color photography, their exact eye colors are not easy to determine.
More on eye color:
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