Today I did something I have never done before!
I went to a real live, grown-up tailor's shop - and the tailor really had a cloth tape measure draped around his neck! So, Saturday I will pick up my fancy, tailored Liz Claiborne woman's tuxedo to wear at the big shindig in Chicago this weekend!
In other news, I saw today that Liz Taylor (74) went on CNN's Larry King to refute rumors published by the National Enquirer that she has Alzheimer's disease and is on her deathbed.
Taylor told King a lifetime of back pain from scoliosis and osteoporosis has forced her to use a wheelchair, and then asking Do I look like I'm dying? Do I look like or sound like I have Alzheimer's? If they want to hear that I'm dead, sorry, folks, I'm not. And I don't plan on it.
Taylor will always remain one of my favorite actresses - her performance in Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? simply has to be the best acting ever filmed. Burton, her soul mate, was pretty good, too.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Not Enough DaVinci For You?
The question has long been, what is going on behind that smile?
Well, we still don't know, but thanks to researchers at Japan Acoustic Laboratory in
Tokyo, we can hear the probable voice of Mona Lisa ( Lisa Gherardini) for the first time in 500 years.
The whole process started with the length of her finger. The length of her finger allowed her height to be estimated at about 5 feet 6 inches. Then the researchers worked out the structure of her skull, the size of her bones and the volume of her nose and throat.
Knowing her bone frame I can make her voice said Dr. Matsumi Suzuki. In Mona Lisa's case, the lower part of her face is quite wide and her chin is pointed. The extra volume means a relatively low voice, while the pointed chin adds mid-pitch tones.
They were going to have her speak in Japanese, but decided against that, bringing in an Italian woman to add the necessary intonation to the voice. So what does she have to say after all this time?
I am the Mona Lisa. My true identity is shrouded in mystery.
They also recreated Leonardo DaVinci's voice, but they are not as confident in their work, as his self-portraits have him sporting a beard, which makes it more difficult to discern his structural anatomy.
Keep in mind that Dr. Suzuki has also previously created Bow-Lingual, a device which translates dog barks into words. The device was said to be 90 per cent accurate.
Well, we still don't know, but thanks to researchers at Japan Acoustic Laboratory in
Tokyo, we can hear the probable voice of Mona Lisa ( Lisa Gherardini) for the first time in 500 years.
The whole process started with the length of her finger. The length of her finger allowed her height to be estimated at about 5 feet 6 inches. Then the researchers worked out the structure of her skull, the size of her bones and the volume of her nose and throat.
Knowing her bone frame I can make her voice said Dr. Matsumi Suzuki. In Mona Lisa's case, the lower part of her face is quite wide and her chin is pointed. The extra volume means a relatively low voice, while the pointed chin adds mid-pitch tones.
They were going to have her speak in Japanese, but decided against that, bringing in an Italian woman to add the necessary intonation to the voice. So what does she have to say after all this time?
I am the Mona Lisa. My true identity is shrouded in mystery.
They also recreated Leonardo DaVinci's voice, but they are not as confident in their work, as his self-portraits have him sporting a beard, which makes it more difficult to discern his structural anatomy.
Keep in mind that Dr. Suzuki has also previously created Bow-Lingual, a device which translates dog barks into words. The device was said to be 90 per cent accurate.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
I TOLD You It Just Wasn't Funny Enough
So, the FBI called off the Milford search for Jimmy Hoffa.
Hidden Dreams Farm seems to have had nothing to hide.
But how did I ever miss delightful nugget?
You know Jimmy Hoffa's full name?
James Riddle Hoffa
Sometimes, I love the world.
Hidden Dreams Farm seems to have had nothing to hide.
But how did I ever miss delightful nugget?
You know Jimmy Hoffa's full name?
James Riddle Hoffa
Sometimes, I love the world.
The Two Seasons
Nope. Certainly no global warming going on.
Today it was 90 degrees in Ohio.
We just go from freezing winter to blazing summer now. No lovely spring jacket weather...just retina burning, skin melting heat.
So I had to vacate the house for most of the day in search or air conditioning, and for that I am ever so grateful to have the new super computer laptop, which enables me to spend long hours ensconced in coffee houses across the city, goofing around and staying cool. It was a good day to go to the library and do a few hours of research as well. I love when the students are gone...it is so peaceful.
Today it was 90 degrees in Ohio.
We just go from freezing winter to blazing summer now. No lovely spring jacket weather...just retina burning, skin melting heat.
So I had to vacate the house for most of the day in search or air conditioning, and for that I am ever so grateful to have the new super computer laptop, which enables me to spend long hours ensconced in coffee houses across the city, goofing around and staying cool. It was a good day to go to the library and do a few hours of research as well. I love when the students are gone...it is so peaceful.
Monday, May 29, 2006
A Memorial Day Tribute
To commemorate this Memorial Day, I decided to actually do something I have been thinking about for a long time, and that was to contact the the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and to purchase a memorial brick in their Walk of Valor. I hope to visit the museum one day, and find my great-great-great grandfather's brick.
Second Lieutenant John Hawthorne Anderson, who served in the 100th Pennsylvania "Roundheads" Company B, was killed by a glancing bullet from a sniper at the Battle of Petersburg, Virginia on July 9, 1864. He was 41 years old.
I would also like to make a trip to New Castle, Pennsylvania, where, apparently, his name is engraved on the east side of the Civil War Memorial in the town square. I think it would be cool to have a photo of that...
Second Lieutenant John Hawthorne Anderson, who served in the 100th Pennsylvania "Roundheads" Company B, was killed by a glancing bullet from a sniper at the Battle of Petersburg, Virginia on July 9, 1864. He was 41 years old.
I would also like to make a trip to New Castle, Pennsylvania, where, apparently, his name is engraved on the east side of the Civil War Memorial in the town square. I think it would be cool to have a photo of that...
Saturday, May 27, 2006
From 80% to 115%
So, I got to work today feeling much better, being able to function at about 80% of my full capacity.
And the strangest thing was, as the day wore on, I got to feeling REALLY good - like even better than 100%!
My cynical side thinks that means I will have a tremendous relapse tonight...
And the strangest thing was, as the day wore on, I got to feeling REALLY good - like even better than 100%!
My cynical side thinks that means I will have a tremendous relapse tonight...
They’re Getting Closer
The publicity battle continues. To gain more press, the sneaky snakes are leaving the currently alligator-happy state of Florida and are heading to Kentucky.
Ok, it's just a two foot ball python, but still... it was inside a guy's rental car!
And what do you do when you see a two foot snake draped across your car's console?
The renter thought it was a rubber snake someone put there as a joke (Who? Carrottop?) .
He then "gave the snake a pat and put the car into drive." But as he drove toward the exit, the snake lifted its head, causing quite the commotion.
You can't act tough when you are sitting a foot and a half away from a snake said his colleague.
Unless you are Austin Stevens. Or Steve Irwin. Or some guy from India.
(You know, it is officially summer, and that means it will be time for more shark news, which will be a pleasant change from snakes and alligators. I am sure you will all be happy about that...)
Ok, it's just a two foot ball python, but still... it was inside a guy's rental car!
And what do you do when you see a two foot snake draped across your car's console?
The renter thought it was a rubber snake someone put there as a joke (Who? Carrottop?) .
He then "gave the snake a pat and put the car into drive." But as he drove toward the exit, the snake lifted its head, causing quite the commotion.
You can't act tough when you are sitting a foot and a half away from a snake said his colleague.
Unless you are Austin Stevens. Or Steve Irwin. Or some guy from India.
(You know, it is officially summer, and that means it will be time for more shark news, which will be a pleasant change from snakes and alligators. I am sure you will all be happy about that...)
The Ethics Of Conquest
You've saved up for awhile to travel to a distant land, in the hopes of standing on the top of the world. And you are not going to let anything stand in your way.
Especially something as inconvenient as the body of a solo climber, one David Sharp, 34, who was left to die on Mount Everest as some 40 (that's FORTY) other climbers passed him on their own attempts to reach the 29,035-foot peak.
This has revived a debate over the ethics of high altitude climbing, particularly in what is called the death zone, where conditions, temperatures and the lack of oxygen combine to mean that rescuers may forfeit their own lives in trying to save a sick or incapacitated climber.
Mark Inglis, who earlier this month became the first double amputee to reach the summit, was one of the climbers who passed the dying Sharp. Mr. Inglis said he radioed for help but a fellow mountaineer told him
Look, mate, you can't do anything. You know, he's been there X number of hours, been there without oxygen, you know, he's effectively dead.
This attitude provoked a response from none other than Sir Edmund Hillary, who, with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, made the first conquest of Everest in 1953.
Sir Edmund said:
People have completely lost sight of what is important. In our expedition, there was never any likelihood whatsoever if one member of the party was incapacitated that we would just leave him to die.
I think the whole attitude towards climbing Mount Everest has become rather horrifying. The people just want to get to the top; it was wrong if there was a man suffering altitude problems and was huddled under a rock, just to lift your hat, say good morning and pass on by.
He also told the New Zealand Herald that he was horrified by the callous attitude of today's climbers.
They don't give a damn for anybody else who may be in distress and it doesn't impress me at all that they leave someone lying under a rock to die.
By the way, I read about this tragedy in the New York Times, under the headline:
'Dead' Climber's Survival Impugns Mount Everest Ethics
So, Faithful Readers, you have your vocabulary word for the month: impugn - I am not sure if I have ever seen that word used before ...
Especially something as inconvenient as the body of a solo climber, one David Sharp, 34, who was left to die on Mount Everest as some 40 (that's FORTY) other climbers passed him on their own attempts to reach the 29,035-foot peak.
This has revived a debate over the ethics of high altitude climbing, particularly in what is called the death zone, where conditions, temperatures and the lack of oxygen combine to mean that rescuers may forfeit their own lives in trying to save a sick or incapacitated climber.
Mark Inglis, who earlier this month became the first double amputee to reach the summit, was one of the climbers who passed the dying Sharp. Mr. Inglis said he radioed for help but a fellow mountaineer told him
Look, mate, you can't do anything. You know, he's been there X number of hours, been there without oxygen, you know, he's effectively dead.
This attitude provoked a response from none other than Sir Edmund Hillary, who, with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, made the first conquest of Everest in 1953.
Sir Edmund said:
People have completely lost sight of what is important. In our expedition, there was never any likelihood whatsoever if one member of the party was incapacitated that we would just leave him to die.
I think the whole attitude towards climbing Mount Everest has become rather horrifying. The people just want to get to the top; it was wrong if there was a man suffering altitude problems and was huddled under a rock, just to lift your hat, say good morning and pass on by.
He also told the New Zealand Herald that he was horrified by the callous attitude of today's climbers.
They don't give a damn for anybody else who may be in distress and it doesn't impress me at all that they leave someone lying under a rock to die.
By the way, I read about this tragedy in the New York Times, under the headline:
'Dead' Climber's Survival Impugns Mount Everest Ethics
So, Faithful Readers, you have your vocabulary word for the month: impugn - I am not sure if I have ever seen that word used before ...
Friday, May 26, 2006
The Plague That Wouldn't Die
I was supposed to work from 2 pm to midnight today, but AGAIN, I had to leave early (about 9 pm), thanks to a completely new and different complaint.
And, to MyFriendJason...you have totally taken the hits for me this week. I owe you several. And I have NO doubt you will collect. Thanks for being so great! You rock. Whatever.
And, to MyFriendJason...you have totally taken the hits for me this week. I owe you several. And I have NO doubt you will collect. Thanks for being so great! You rock. Whatever.
Wasn't That van HELSING?
More than 60 years after it was seized by communists, the Romanian government is returning ownership of the country's most popular tourist site, the Dracula Castle, to New York architect Dominic van Hapsburg.
The castle, worth an estimated $25 million, was owned by the late Queen Marie and bequeathed to her daughter Princess Ileana in 1938. It was confiscated by communists in 1948 and fell into disrepair. It will be transferred this afternoon to Mr. Hapsburg, who inherited the castle from Princess Ileana decades after the communists seized it.
While known and marketed as Dracula's Castle, (the proper name is Castle Bran) it never belonged to Prince Vlad the Impaler, but he MAY have visited the medieval fortress once or twice, which has been since been featured in numerous Dracula movies.
The hand-over ceremony will take place today at noon in the 14th century castle's museum deep within the fortress in Transylvania.
Under the agreement, Mr. van Hapsburg will not be allowed to make any changes to the castle for the next three years.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Dead - Wrapped in ....well, Bedsheets
It is my Day Off.
I am still sick. While that in itself is stupid and wrong, it also means that I cannot go to see Christo and Jean-Claude lecture at Severance Hall about their new project.
I have been looking forward to tonight for months.
I am pretty sure I have never seen a real, live, famous artist before.
And, I was hoping he would do an audience participation thing - wrapping some objects from the audience (purses, Blackberries, umbrellas), kinda like making balloon animals. I mean, it's Christo! How cool would that have been?
If any of you went, let me know if I missed out on getting my cellphone wrapped in saffron silk by Christo!
I am still sick. While that in itself is stupid and wrong, it also means that I cannot go to see Christo and Jean-Claude lecture at Severance Hall about their new project.
I have been looking forward to tonight for months.
I am pretty sure I have never seen a real, live, famous artist before.
And, I was hoping he would do an audience participation thing - wrapping some objects from the audience (purses, Blackberries, umbrellas), kinda like making balloon animals. I mean, it's Christo! How cool would that have been?
If any of you went, let me know if I missed out on getting my cellphone wrapped in saffron silk by Christo!
Huh - I Wonder Why...
The 2006 alligator hunting season has been extended by six weeks (August 15 thru November 1) according to the The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The hunt provides a thrilling, hands-on hunting adventure unlike any other hunting experience imaginable. Especially when you come across that 700 pound critter...
4,300 permits are available to both residents and non-residents and allow for two alligator kills per permit.
Last year, the commission sold just 2,770 of the 4,300 available permits.
Sales begin at 10 a.m. on June 15 -mark your calendars! The cost is $272 for Florida residents and a whopping $1,022 for non-residents.
Applicants may apply at any county tax collector's office, retail outlets that sell hunting and fishing licenses, online or by calling the commission at (888) 486-8356.
4,300 permits are available to both residents and non-residents and allow for two alligator kills per permit.
Last year, the commission sold just 2,770 of the 4,300 available permits.
Sales begin at 10 a.m. on June 15 -mark your calendars! The cost is $272 for Florida residents and a whopping $1,022 for non-residents.
Applicants may apply at any county tax collector's office, retail outlets that sell hunting and fishing licenses, online or by calling the commission at (888) 486-8356.
Terence Malick's New World
I tried to watch a movie today, thinking a change of atmosphere from my bedroom to the living room might be fun. And, from what I knew, this movie was supposed to be cinematically gorgeous.
I could look at pretty scenery for three hours. I am particularly interested in that period of history.
I could do this. I was up for it.
I thought.
I hated this movie. I hated it so much that I can't even talk about it.
In lieu of my own ranting, here are some choice comments from others:
Terence Malick’s The New World is a sloppy, messy film that is dragged down by its own sense of profundity. It’s a film about Pocahontas where that name is never uttered. It’s a film that seeks to undermine every bit of plot advancement with meandering and pointless shots of nothing in particular.
and
It's by no means the longest movie ever made, but it's one of the longest movies ever made in which next to nothing ever happens and barely a word is spoken.
then there is -
This is a movie that at any given moment could end in five seconds or five hours and make as much sense as it's ever going to.
and finally -
There's a problem when the movie about the European conquest of America seems longer than the actual conquest itself.
I could look at pretty scenery for three hours. I am particularly interested in that period of history.
I could do this. I was up for it.
I thought.
I hated this movie. I hated it so much that I can't even talk about it.
In lieu of my own ranting, here are some choice comments from others:
Terence Malick’s The New World is a sloppy, messy film that is dragged down by its own sense of profundity. It’s a film about Pocahontas where that name is never uttered. It’s a film that seeks to undermine every bit of plot advancement with meandering and pointless shots of nothing in particular.
and
It's by no means the longest movie ever made, but it's one of the longest movies ever made in which next to nothing ever happens and barely a word is spoken.
then there is -
This is a movie that at any given moment could end in five seconds or five hours and make as much sense as it's ever going to.
and finally -
There's a problem when the movie about the European conquest of America seems longer than the actual conquest itself.
Monday, May 22, 2006
That Was Fun - Let's Do It Again
I went to bed at, oh 11 am yesterday and awoke - markedly UNrefreshed at 2 in the morning, because I had to go to work again.
This time, however, I threw in the towel at 8:30.
But you should know this about me - I am really into the classics. I like things like plague, scurvy, swooning.
No fads for me. Keep your trendy bird flu.
Although Ebola might squeak by...
This time, however, I threw in the towel at 8:30.
But you should know this about me - I am really into the classics. I like things like plague, scurvy, swooning.
No fads for me. Keep your trendy bird flu.
Although Ebola might squeak by...
Sunday, May 21, 2006
That Didn't Last Long
I got to work at the oh so pleasant hour of 4 am, and I managed to keep it all together until 9 am, when the fever, and other plague symptoms got the best of me.
There are times when vertical is just plain wrong.
I made it home, stopped at the local Boston Market for a chicken dinner (who knew they had cooked chickens, mashed potatoes and cornbread ready to go at 10 am?), ate and now I am taking to my bed.
There are times when vertical is just plain wrong.
I made it home, stopped at the local Boston Market for a chicken dinner (who knew they had cooked chickens, mashed potatoes and cornbread ready to go at 10 am?), ate and now I am taking to my bed.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
A Broken Promise
So there we were, Beauregard van Horne and me, sitting in our usual restaurant as I was getting my quarterly wage review (or in layman’s terms : a raise).
It was hard to really pay attention, because as Faithful Readers may recall, I love horse racing season, and we were sitting there just in time as the restaurant was showing the running of the Preakness, which Barbaro, who I am very smitten with, was destined to win as he was going to become the next hallowed Triple Crown winner.
And then, the tragedy.
Barbaro fractured his hind leg coming out of the gate.
What a blow. I hope for his full recovery.
Damn.
It was hard to really pay attention, because as Faithful Readers may recall, I love horse racing season, and we were sitting there just in time as the restaurant was showing the running of the Preakness, which Barbaro, who I am very smitten with, was destined to win as he was going to become the next hallowed Triple Crown winner.
And then, the tragedy.
Barbaro fractured his hind leg coming out of the gate.
What a blow. I hope for his full recovery.
Damn.
Friday, May 19, 2006
Harbinger
I was on my way to work this afternooon, and I was sticken with swollen glands, sinusy complaints, headaches and a brewing fever. It came at me out of the blue. I was fine. Then I was sick.
I left work after a measly two hours, which was long enough to fulfill my commitment to MyAdoringPublic. That was all I had in me.
That hour drive home sucks.
I left work after a measly two hours, which was long enough to fulfill my commitment to MyAdoringPublic. That was all I had in me.
That hour drive home sucks.
Happy Anniversary to Patent # 4666425
Patent # 4666425 - Issued:May 19, 1987 - Device for Perfusing an Animal Head
Huh? Let's read the abstract, shall we?
This invention involves a device, referred to herein as a "cabinet," which provides physical and biochemical support for an animal's head which has been "discorporated" (i.e., severed from its body). This device can be used to supply a discorped head with oxygenated blood and nutrients by means of tubes connected to arteries which pass through the neck. After circulating through the head, the deoxygenated blood returns to the cabinet by means of cannulae which are connected to veins that emerge from the neck. A series of processing components removes carbon dioxide and add oxygen to the blood. If desired, waste products and other metabolites may be removed from the blood, and nutrients, therapeutic or experimental drugs, anti-coagulants, and other substances may be added to the blood. The replenished blood is returned to the discorped head via cannulae attached to arteries. The cabinet provides physical support for the head, by means of a collar around the neck, pins attached to one or more vertebrae, or similar mechanical means.
When one wishes to keep severed heads alive, it should be noted that:
If desired, the surgical cuts may be made in such a manner that the larynx (which contains the vocal cords) remains attached to the head. The severed end of the trachea (wind pipe) may be sutured to a tube carrying slightly compressed, humidified air, so that the primate or human head may use its vocal cords if it is conscious.
And finally - Coincidence? Patent # 4666425 ?
Huh? Let's read the abstract, shall we?
This invention involves a device, referred to herein as a "cabinet," which provides physical and biochemical support for an animal's head which has been "discorporated" (i.e., severed from its body). This device can be used to supply a discorped head with oxygenated blood and nutrients by means of tubes connected to arteries which pass through the neck. After circulating through the head, the deoxygenated blood returns to the cabinet by means of cannulae which are connected to veins that emerge from the neck. A series of processing components removes carbon dioxide and add oxygen to the blood. If desired, waste products and other metabolites may be removed from the blood, and nutrients, therapeutic or experimental drugs, anti-coagulants, and other substances may be added to the blood. The replenished blood is returned to the discorped head via cannulae attached to arteries. The cabinet provides physical support for the head, by means of a collar around the neck, pins attached to one or more vertebrae, or similar mechanical means.
When one wishes to keep severed heads alive, it should be noted that:
If desired, the surgical cuts may be made in such a manner that the larynx (which contains the vocal cords) remains attached to the head. The severed end of the trachea (wind pipe) may be sutured to a tube carrying slightly compressed, humidified air, so that the primate or human head may use its vocal cords if it is conscious.
And finally - Coincidence? Patent # 4666425 ?
Reminiscent? How About "Do-Over"?
Iran's parliament passed a new law this week that would force Jews, Christians and other religious minorities to wear color-coded ID badges.
The 25,000 Jews living in the Islamic Republic would have to attach a yellow strip of cloth to their clothing. Christians would wear red badges and Zoroastrians would wear blue ones.
This is reminiscent of the Holocaust, said Rabbi Marvin Hier, head of the Simon Weisenthal Center in Los Angeles. Iran is moving closer and closer to the ideology of the Nazis.
The 25,000 Jews living in the Islamic Republic would have to attach a yellow strip of cloth to their clothing. Christians would wear red badges and Zoroastrians would wear blue ones.
This is reminiscent of the Holocaust, said Rabbi Marvin Hier, head of the Simon Weisenthal Center in Los Angeles. Iran is moving closer and closer to the ideology of the Nazis.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
700 Pounds But It Tastes Like Chicken
God - it just keeps getting better.
Today they got the biggest alligator ever caught in Miami-Dade County: a twelve foot long, 700 pounder from a canal in Doral, Florida.
Are we surprised?
If you check out the photos, you will see that the duct tape people are missing out on a world of advertising opportunities.
Duct tape. What CAN'T it do???
Today they got the biggest alligator ever caught in Miami-Dade County: a twelve foot long, 700 pounder from a canal in Doral, Florida.
Are we surprised?
If you check out the photos, you will see that the duct tape people are missing out on a world of advertising opportunities.
Duct tape. What CAN'T it do???
We Need A Better Punchline
So the FBI has descended upon the town of Milford, Michigan in the hopes of turning up Jimmy Hoffa.
They are out there digging up fields of the perfectly named Hidden Dreams Farm and its driveways and horse barns all based on a tip by an octogenarian drug dealer currently residing in the slammer.
The best thing I've seen on this story are the Milford cupcakes, which feature chocolate icing, chocolate "dirt" sprinkles and a green plastic hand rising from the grave. Love that anyway!
But really, it would suck if they actually found him. A farm in Michigan? Where's the romance, people?
Let's consider the other, much more inventive, and may I dare say, more popular theories:
+ Buried under the end zone in Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey
+ Dumped near the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York City
+ Buried in a gravel pit in Highland, Michigan
+ Encased in the foundation of a garage in Cadillac, Michigan
+ Cremated in an incinerator or maybe crushed in a compactor in Hamtramck, Michigan
+ Sealed in a drum in a New Jersey junkyard, set on fire, then placed in the trunk of a car sold for scrap metal
+ Still alive after running off to Brazil with a go-go dancer
+ Buried in Grant's Tomb
Cast your votes now! Time is limited - the FBI has a lot of shovels!
They are out there digging up fields of the perfectly named Hidden Dreams Farm and its driveways and horse barns all based on a tip by an octogenarian drug dealer currently residing in the slammer.
The best thing I've seen on this story are the Milford cupcakes, which feature chocolate icing, chocolate "dirt" sprinkles and a green plastic hand rising from the grave. Love that anyway!
But really, it would suck if they actually found him. A farm in Michigan? Where's the romance, people?
Let's consider the other, much more inventive, and may I dare say, more popular theories:
+ Buried under the end zone in Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey
+ Dumped near the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York City
+ Buried in a gravel pit in Highland, Michigan
+ Encased in the foundation of a garage in Cadillac, Michigan
+ Cremated in an incinerator or maybe crushed in a compactor in Hamtramck, Michigan
+ Sealed in a drum in a New Jersey junkyard, set on fire, then placed in the trunk of a car sold for scrap metal
+ Still alive after running off to Brazil with a go-go dancer
+ Buried in Grant's Tomb
Cast your votes now! Time is limited - the FBI has a lot of shovels!
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Fiddle-dee-dee
It is now noon and all I have accomplished is to have had my Starbucks and filled my gas tank and read the NYT.
I am feeling a wee bit congested and, I think, a bit under the weather - odd since it is definitely "Seattle-esque" outside - gray, gloomy and sprinkly, which should actually make me feel at home and happy!
I am feeling a wee bit congested and, I think, a bit under the weather - odd since it is definitely "Seattle-esque" outside - gray, gloomy and sprinkly, which should actually make me feel at home and happy!
For The Love Of Chrissy
Two caregivers have been accused of taking the debit card of a double amputee and going on a $70,000 spending spree.
Captain George Bonnett, a spokesman for the St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana sheriff had this to say about the duo:
They even bought a DVD of the first season of Three’s Company. That suggests they were just grabbing things indiscriminately from the shelves.
Indiscriminately?
Oh, how wrong, Captain George. They didn’t take the SECOND season, did they?
Anyone knows , especially with an intricately plotted show like Three’s Company, YOU MUST WATCH IT FROM THE BEGINNING!
Captain George Bonnett, a spokesman for the St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana sheriff had this to say about the duo:
They even bought a DVD of the first season of Three’s Company. That suggests they were just grabbing things indiscriminately from the shelves.
Indiscriminately?
Oh, how wrong, Captain George. They didn’t take the SECOND season, did they?
Anyone knows , especially with an intricately plotted show like Three’s Company, YOU MUST WATCH IT FROM THE BEGINNING!
Gator vs. Golden Retriever vs. Smith & Wesson
I know - I need to change the description of the blog this year to "Musings on art, film, literature, music, PYTHONS and GATORS..." I can't explain it...Florida just amuses me...this just in...
Recapping - a Burmese python can take alligator and a cat, and even a dog even when a golf club is involved.
Not to be outdone, an enterprising gator (a featherweight at only three feet in length!) entered a Bradenton, Florida home and went for the family dog, a golden retriever.
We'll never know the outcome because the homeowner got a gun and shot the yard-long gator four times - which apparently was enough to make it change its mind about its meal, but certainly wasn't enough to kill it. Wildlife officers returned the juvenile delinquent to a nearby lake.
And the pistol-happy homeowner received a warning citation for hunting without a license.
Classic!
Recapping - a Burmese python can take alligator and a cat, and even a dog even when a golf club is involved.
Not to be outdone, an enterprising gator (a featherweight at only three feet in length!) entered a Bradenton, Florida home and went for the family dog, a golden retriever.
We'll never know the outcome because the homeowner got a gun and shot the yard-long gator four times - which apparently was enough to make it change its mind about its meal, but certainly wasn't enough to kill it. Wildlife officers returned the juvenile delinquent to a nearby lake.
And the pistol-happy homeowner received a warning citation for hunting without a license.
Classic!
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Making Up For Lost Time?
Well, it seems it is all about the alligators now. They have risen to the occasion and wiped the Burmese python off the charts...
Do you know how many fatal alligator attacks have been recorded in Florida? No? I'll tell you.
There have been seventeen fatal attacks reported since 1948 — oh, plus the three women killed by alligators THIS PAST WEEK.
1. On Sunday afternoon, friends found their companion inside the mouth of an alligator during a snorkeling trip near Ocala National Forest.
2. Also on Sunday, a body was found in a canal in Pinellas County, about 120 miles southwest of Ocala. The upper body had bite marks consistent with those made by an alligator.
3. A woman jogging near a canal in the South Florida city of Sunrise, died when an alligator dragged her into the canal, severed both of her arms and bit her on the legs and back according to the medical examiner who performed the autopsy.
Three! In one week! All Women! Gators Gone Mad! What Does It Mean?
If you are vacationing in Florida, please remember the words of the spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, a gentleman aptly named Mr. Puz :
Any freshwater body in Florida can be home to alligators.
Do you know how many fatal alligator attacks have been recorded in Florida? No? I'll tell you.
There have been seventeen fatal attacks reported since 1948 — oh, plus the three women killed by alligators THIS PAST WEEK.
1. On Sunday afternoon, friends found their companion inside the mouth of an alligator during a snorkeling trip near Ocala National Forest.
2. Also on Sunday, a body was found in a canal in Pinellas County, about 120 miles southwest of Ocala. The upper body had bite marks consistent with those made by an alligator.
3. A woman jogging near a canal in the South Florida city of Sunrise, died when an alligator dragged her into the canal, severed both of her arms and bit her on the legs and back according to the medical examiner who performed the autopsy.
Three! In one week! All Women! Gators Gone Mad! What Does It Mean?
If you are vacationing in Florida, please remember the words of the spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, a gentleman aptly named Mr. Puz :
Any freshwater body in Florida can be home to alligators.
But if you are relocating to Florida, heed the inspirational words of Frank Mazzotti, a wildlife ecologist at the University of Florida:
If someone doesn't want to face the risk of an alligator attack, they should live in a state with no alligators.
The Mayan Xena
The mummy of woman who died 1,600 years ago, well before the rise of the Incas, was discovered today.
Her tomb suggests someone of high status. The body is covered with red pigment and bears tattoos of patterns and mythological figures.
Archaeologists in Peru said that the surprising element of the tomb is not the offerings of gold and semiprecious stones or the elaborate wrapping of the body in fine textiles, not the fact that they believe that the tomb had been undisturbed since approximately 450 AD...but it is the other grave items...
She was surrounded by weaving materials and needles, befitting a woman, AND...two ceremonial war clubs and 28 spear throwers (sticks that propel spears with far greater force ). These items have never been found before in the burial of a woman of the Moche.
Was she a warrior princess?
Lying near her was the skeleton of another young woman who was apparently sacrificed by strangulation with a hemp rope, which was still around her neck. (read- Gabrielle)
It will remain a mystery until they discover the Moche chakram.
Her tomb suggests someone of high status. The body is covered with red pigment and bears tattoos of patterns and mythological figures.
Archaeologists in Peru said that the surprising element of the tomb is not the offerings of gold and semiprecious stones or the elaborate wrapping of the body in fine textiles, not the fact that they believe that the tomb had been undisturbed since approximately 450 AD...but it is the other grave items...
She was surrounded by weaving materials and needles, befitting a woman, AND...two ceremonial war clubs and 28 spear throwers (sticks that propel spears with far greater force ). These items have never been found before in the burial of a woman of the Moche.
Was she a warrior princess?
Lying near her was the skeleton of another young woman who was apparently sacrificed by strangulation with a hemp rope, which was still around her neck. (read- Gabrielle)
It will remain a mystery until they discover the Moche chakram.
Monday, May 15, 2006
My Hero
I came home and watched a magnificent documentary today the 2002 Academy Award Nominated Best Documentary Feature - War Photographer.
The film follows one of the world's greatest war photographers, (winner of the Robert Capa Gold Medal five times, the World Press Photo Award twice, Magazine Photographer of the Year seven times, the International Center of Photography Infinity Award three times, the Leica Award twice, and the Bayeux Award for War Correspondents twice to name a few) the incredible James Nachtway, as he works.
To do this, the filmmaker, Christian Frei, has mounted a special micro-camera atop James' 35mm camera, which enables the viewer to almost BE Mr. Nachtway....it is an amazing sensation to really see what he sees, to experience these moments - how close he is to bottomless grief and pain and danger. To see him move, respectfully, silently, but so present amongst people in their deepest throes of mourning. A film crew follows James, which allows you to see him calmly, like a monk, walk about composing his frames as bullets, grenades and bombs are in the air all around him.
Besides this immersing technical innovation, the film really captures the personal beauty of Mr. Nachtway. Although he takes amazing photographs, at no point is a viewer ever likely to comment "Look at his composition, look at the lovely contrast of the deep blacks in the shadows contrasted with the silvery highlights...". No, Mr. Nachtway does not see himself as an artist. He is documenting and giving voice to people who are suffering. In some amazing way, he channels all of his own grief, anger, and horror through his lens, and that is what you see.
His work captures atrocities, certainly, but it captures emotion more beautifully than any other photographer I am familiar with. Allow me to reprint here some of Mr. Nachtway's philosophy:
Is it possible to put an end to a form of human behavior (war) which has existed throughout history by means of photography? The proportions of that notion seem ridiculously out of balance. Yet, that very idea has motivated me.
For me, the strength of photography lies in its ability to evoke a sense of humanity. If war is an attempt to negate humanity, then photography can be perceived as the opposite of war and if it is used well it can be a powerful ingredient in the antidote to war. In a way, if an individual assumes the risk of placing himself in the middle of a war in order to communicate to the rest of the world what is happening, he is trying to negotiate for peace. Perhaps that is the reason why those in charge of perpetuating a war do not like to have photographers around.
It has occurred to me that if everyone could be there just once to see for themselves what white phosphorous does to the face of a child or what unspeakable pain is caused by the impact of a single bullet or how a jagged piece of shrapnel can rip someone's leg off - if everyone could be there to see for themselves the fear and the grief, just one time, then they would understand that nothing is worth letting things get to the point where that happens to even one person, let alone thousands.
But everyone cannot be there, and that is why photographers go there - to show them, to reach out and grab them and make them stop what they are doing and pay attention to what is going on - to create pictures powerful enough to overcome the diluting effects of the mass media and shake people out of their indifference - to protest and by the strength of that protest to make others protest.
The worst thing is to feel that as a photographer I am benefiting from someone else's tragedy. This idea haunts me. It is something I have to reckon with every day because I know that if I ever allow genuine compassion to be overtaken by personal ambition I will have sold my soul. The stakes are simply too high for me to believe otherwise.
Mr. Nachtway is an extraordinary man. A man of honor, soul and dedication.
The film follows one of the world's greatest war photographers, (winner of the Robert Capa Gold Medal five times, the World Press Photo Award twice, Magazine Photographer of the Year seven times, the International Center of Photography Infinity Award three times, the Leica Award twice, and the Bayeux Award for War Correspondents twice to name a few) the incredible James Nachtway, as he works.
To do this, the filmmaker, Christian Frei, has mounted a special micro-camera atop James' 35mm camera, which enables the viewer to almost BE Mr. Nachtway....it is an amazing sensation to really see what he sees, to experience these moments - how close he is to bottomless grief and pain and danger. To see him move, respectfully, silently, but so present amongst people in their deepest throes of mourning. A film crew follows James, which allows you to see him calmly, like a monk, walk about composing his frames as bullets, grenades and bombs are in the air all around him.
Besides this immersing technical innovation, the film really captures the personal beauty of Mr. Nachtway. Although he takes amazing photographs, at no point is a viewer ever likely to comment "Look at his composition, look at the lovely contrast of the deep blacks in the shadows contrasted with the silvery highlights...". No, Mr. Nachtway does not see himself as an artist. He is documenting and giving voice to people who are suffering. In some amazing way, he channels all of his own grief, anger, and horror through his lens, and that is what you see.
His work captures atrocities, certainly, but it captures emotion more beautifully than any other photographer I am familiar with. Allow me to reprint here some of Mr. Nachtway's philosophy:
Is it possible to put an end to a form of human behavior (war) which has existed throughout history by means of photography? The proportions of that notion seem ridiculously out of balance. Yet, that very idea has motivated me.
For me, the strength of photography lies in its ability to evoke a sense of humanity. If war is an attempt to negate humanity, then photography can be perceived as the opposite of war and if it is used well it can be a powerful ingredient in the antidote to war. In a way, if an individual assumes the risk of placing himself in the middle of a war in order to communicate to the rest of the world what is happening, he is trying to negotiate for peace. Perhaps that is the reason why those in charge of perpetuating a war do not like to have photographers around.
It has occurred to me that if everyone could be there just once to see for themselves what white phosphorous does to the face of a child or what unspeakable pain is caused by the impact of a single bullet or how a jagged piece of shrapnel can rip someone's leg off - if everyone could be there to see for themselves the fear and the grief, just one time, then they would understand that nothing is worth letting things get to the point where that happens to even one person, let alone thousands.
But everyone cannot be there, and that is why photographers go there - to show them, to reach out and grab them and make them stop what they are doing and pay attention to what is going on - to create pictures powerful enough to overcome the diluting effects of the mass media and shake people out of their indifference - to protest and by the strength of that protest to make others protest.
The worst thing is to feel that as a photographer I am benefiting from someone else's tragedy. This idea haunts me. It is something I have to reckon with every day because I know that if I ever allow genuine compassion to be overtaken by personal ambition I will have sold my soul. The stakes are simply too high for me to believe otherwise.
Mr. Nachtway is an extraordinary man. A man of honor, soul and dedication.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
The Last Witness
Lillian Gertrud Asplund,the last survivor of the Titanic who remembered its sinking has passed on at the grand age of 99. At least two other survivors are living, but they were too young to remember what happened. Barbara Joyce West Dainton of Truro, England, was 10 months old and Elizabeth Gladys Millvina Dean of Southampton, England, was 2 months old.
Lillian was just 5 years old when she and her family boarded the Titanic in Southampton, England. She lost her father and three brothers — including a fraternal twin.
Asplund's mother described the sinking in an interview with a Worcester newspaper shortly after the accident.
I could see the icebergs for a great distance around ... It was cold and the little ones were cuddling close to one another and trying to keep from under the feet of the many excited people ... My little girl, Lillie, accompanied me, and my husband said 'Go ahead, we will get into one of the other boats.' He smiled as he said it.
But Lillian Asplund refused to sit for most interviews even when offered money for doing so, saying, Why do I want money from the Titanic? Look what I lost. A father and three brothers.
Coincidentally, there was no winning bid in a recent auction for a worn beech wood recliner taken from the Titanic as a souvenir by Mr. Thomas Barker, a senior photographer on The Cork Examiner newspaper before the ship left. Bonhams & Butterfields says the deck chair is one of only six left in world.
The estimated value was set at between $75,000 and $100,000 - yet the bidding topped out at $62,000.
Lillian was just 5 years old when she and her family boarded the Titanic in Southampton, England. She lost her father and three brothers — including a fraternal twin.
Asplund's mother described the sinking in an interview with a Worcester newspaper shortly after the accident.
I could see the icebergs for a great distance around ... It was cold and the little ones were cuddling close to one another and trying to keep from under the feet of the many excited people ... My little girl, Lillie, accompanied me, and my husband said 'Go ahead, we will get into one of the other boats.' He smiled as he said it.
But Lillian Asplund refused to sit for most interviews even when offered money for doing so, saying, Why do I want money from the Titanic? Look what I lost. A father and three brothers.
Coincidentally, there was no winning bid in a recent auction for a worn beech wood recliner taken from the Titanic as a souvenir by Mr. Thomas Barker, a senior photographer on The Cork Examiner newspaper before the ship left. Bonhams & Butterfields says the deck chair is one of only six left in world.
The estimated value was set at between $75,000 and $100,000 - yet the bidding topped out at $62,000.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Skull and Bones - Of Geronimo
I read an intriguing story this morning about Yale 's ultra-secret Skull and Bones society - it seems that they stole the skull of American Indian leader Geronimo:
The skull of the worthy Geronimo the Terrible, exhumed from its tomb at Fort Sill by your club... is now safe inside the (Tomb) together with his well worn femurs, bit & saddle horn according to the letter, written by Winter Mead.
In 1986, Ned Anderson, chair of the San Carlos Apache Tribe in Arizona, was campaigning to have Geronimo's remains moved from Fort Sill where he died a prisoner of war in 1909 to Apache land in Arizona. Anderson received an anonymous letter from someone who claimed to be a member of Skull and Bones, alleging that the society had Geronimo's skull. The writer included a photograph of a skull in a display case and a copy of a centennial history of Skull and Bones, written by the literary critic F. O. Matthiessen, a Skull and Bones member. In Matthiessen's account, which quotes a Skull and Bones log book from 1919, the skull had been unearthed by six Bonesmen identified by their Bones nicknames, and mentions the real names of three of the robbers, all of whom were at Fort Sill in early 1918: Ellery James, Henry Neil Mallon, and Prescott Bush, the father and grandfather of the U.S. presidents.
Harlyn Geronimo, the great grandson of Geronimo, said he has been looking for a lawyer to sue the U.S. Army and that the discovery of the letter could help.
The skull of the worthy Geronimo the Terrible, exhumed from its tomb at Fort Sill by your club... is now safe inside the (Tomb) together with his well worn femurs, bit & saddle horn according to the letter, written by Winter Mead.
In 1986, Ned Anderson, chair of the San Carlos Apache Tribe in Arizona, was campaigning to have Geronimo's remains moved from Fort Sill where he died a prisoner of war in 1909 to Apache land in Arizona. Anderson received an anonymous letter from someone who claimed to be a member of Skull and Bones, alleging that the society had Geronimo's skull. The writer included a photograph of a skull in a display case and a copy of a centennial history of Skull and Bones, written by the literary critic F. O. Matthiessen, a Skull and Bones member. In Matthiessen's account, which quotes a Skull and Bones log book from 1919, the skull had been unearthed by six Bonesmen identified by their Bones nicknames, and mentions the real names of three of the robbers, all of whom were at Fort Sill in early 1918: Ellery James, Henry Neil Mallon, and Prescott Bush, the father and grandfather of the U.S. presidents.
Harlyn Geronimo, the great grandson of Geronimo, said he has been looking for a lawyer to sue the U.S. Army and that the discovery of the letter could help.
Friday, May 12, 2006
29%
The BushLimbo (How Low Can He Go?) has stopped being amusing.
The real question is, how long are we going to let him hang around?
The good news is that we no longer need to take polls - All we need to do is call up our friends, and W can find out everything he needs to know.
And, I am glad to have been a customer of Qwest. If I am ever in the happy position to live on the West Coast again, I will be sure to do business with them.
The real question is, how long are we going to let him hang around?
The good news is that we no longer need to take polls - All we need to do is call up our friends, and W can find out everything he needs to know.
And, I am glad to have been a customer of Qwest. If I am ever in the happy position to live on the West Coast again, I will be sure to do business with them.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Another Reason To Arrive Late To The Theatre
Theatregoers in Dublin will be "treated" to the world's first live commercial, performed onstage by Pauline McLynn, who starred as the housekeeper, Mrs. Doyle, in the BBC comedy series Father Ted.
She and five other people will use dialogue to reproduce the sights and sounds of London, including its theaters and restaurants.
The commercial will be performed later in Hamburg, Germany, and in New York and Pittsburgh - the well-known epicenters of theatrical performance.
I don't know why nobody has thought of it before, to have a live ad on stage for theater said McLynn.
I'll tell you why - it is a completely terrible idea. What's next? Previews? Actors from upcoming productions dropping by to do a monologue as preshow entertainment?
She and five other people will use dialogue to reproduce the sights and sounds of London, including its theaters and restaurants.
The commercial will be performed later in Hamburg, Germany, and in New York and Pittsburgh - the well-known epicenters of theatrical performance.
I don't know why nobody has thought of it before, to have a live ad on stage for theater said McLynn.
I'll tell you why - it is a completely terrible idea. What's next? Previews? Actors from upcoming productions dropping by to do a monologue as preshow entertainment?
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Giggles
One of my mom's favorite things to do was to wake me up and then to ask me what I would like for breakfast. Like, "Would you like eggs or pancakes this morning?" And I would contemplate that, and say "Eggs," or whatever. She would then smile and say, "That's nice. We're having French toast." I fell for for it every time.
I would ask her why she even bothered posing the question, and her reply was "Just curious."
That's my mom. But this is the quintessential story:
Growing up I had a fixation with being strong and mighty. (Some might say I still do...) To that end, my mom would serve me spinach so I would be "strong, just like Popeye." (Permit another diversion - I also liked to go to the pharmacy behind my grandmother's house to purchase these bright pink mints that we referred to as "Superman pills", as they were guaranteed to make you run and jump even faster than a pair of new sneaks...it was the 60's people, c'mon!)
So, many years pass and I end up going off to college. Whereupon I get invited to the Penpal's parent's house for dinner. Penpal's mom asks me what vegetables I like. I confidently reply, "Spinach!"
Fast forward to dinner. There is a pile of dark green stuff sitting on my plate. I stage whisper to the PenPal "What IS this?" She, rightfully, is bewildered. "It's spinach (you jackass - not verbalized but I still heard it.)"
So after a long and painful conversation, we deduced that in fact, FRENCH STYLE GREEN BEANS are not SPINACH.
Which also brings up the visit to the Penpal's Grandparent's house where I was forced to eat broccoli for the first time - but that is another tale...
Here's to you, Giggles. I miss you.
I would ask her why she even bothered posing the question, and her reply was "Just curious."
That's my mom. But this is the quintessential story:
Growing up I had a fixation with being strong and mighty. (Some might say I still do...) To that end, my mom would serve me spinach so I would be "strong, just like Popeye." (Permit another diversion - I also liked to go to the pharmacy behind my grandmother's house to purchase these bright pink mints that we referred to as "Superman pills", as they were guaranteed to make you run and jump even faster than a pair of new sneaks...it was the 60's people, c'mon!)
So, many years pass and I end up going off to college. Whereupon I get invited to the Penpal's parent's house for dinner. Penpal's mom asks me what vegetables I like. I confidently reply, "Spinach!"
Fast forward to dinner. There is a pile of dark green stuff sitting on my plate. I stage whisper to the PenPal "What IS this?" She, rightfully, is bewildered. "It's spinach (you jackass - not verbalized but I still heard it.)"
So after a long and painful conversation, we deduced that in fact, FRENCH STYLE GREEN BEANS are not SPINACH.
Which also brings up the visit to the Penpal's Grandparent's house where I was forced to eat broccoli for the first time - but that is another tale...
Here's to you, Giggles. I miss you.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
The Alliterative Case of The Pet Python and The Pampered Pooch
Ah, I can always count on Florida to cheer me up.
Today's headline is the case of an 11 foot Burmese Python, Diamond, vs. a rat terrier (Max). No contest, friends.
However, there were two decidely odd things about the story...
1. The dog owner unleashed the terrier outside, where the dog was grabbed by the snake. The owner went to his car and got a golf club and beat the snake. The snake released the dog. The dog died the next day.
Everyone is all mad at the snake...well, what about beating a snake with a golf club? What's with that? And what about keeping your dog leashed until it's inside? And was an autopsy done to establish the true cause of death anyway? I mean, maybe it was just Max's time...
2. Here's a quote from the story...
I keep a picture of him (the dog) in my wallet. We don't have kids. That was our child. We celebrated birthdays and holidays.
The owners also said that they would set a place for Max at the Thanksgiving dinner table, and the dog was to be the ring bearer at the owner's wedding next year.
So it is up to you to decide ... violent attack, or public service?
Today's headline is the case of an 11 foot Burmese Python, Diamond, vs. a rat terrier (Max). No contest, friends.
However, there were two decidely odd things about the story...
1. The dog owner unleashed the terrier outside, where the dog was grabbed by the snake. The owner went to his car and got a golf club and beat the snake. The snake released the dog. The dog died the next day.
Everyone is all mad at the snake...well, what about beating a snake with a golf club? What's with that? And what about keeping your dog leashed until it's inside? And was an autopsy done to establish the true cause of death anyway? I mean, maybe it was just Max's time...
2. Here's a quote from the story...
I keep a picture of him (the dog) in my wallet. We don't have kids. That was our child. We celebrated birthdays and holidays.
The owners also said that they would set a place for Max at the Thanksgiving dinner table, and the dog was to be the ring bearer at the owner's wedding next year.
So it is up to you to decide ... violent attack, or public service?
Monday, May 08, 2006
Take A Deep Breath
I made it home in time to catch the live broadcast of David Blaine's Drowned Alive. The media is making a big deal over the fact that he failed to break the world record for holding your breath underwater. The technical name for this feat is static apnea, (don't say I failed to be educational, Faithful Readers...) The record was set by Tom Sietas in 2004, who held his breath for eight minutes and 58 seconds.
It seems to me that David kinda SET a world record for staying underwater for 177 hours, longer than any human ever, then holding his breath a VERY respectable SEVEN MINUTES AND EIGHT SECONDS - WHILE ESCAPING FROM 150 POUNDS OF CHAINS.
Granted, perhaps he went a wee bit over the top by adding a few too many obstacles, but I truly do not think that the object of his performance was merely to break a record.
Blaine's recent work is an awe-inspiring look at what a human is able to endure.
He IS a magic man.
It seems to me that David kinda SET a world record for staying underwater for 177 hours, longer than any human ever, then holding his breath a VERY respectable SEVEN MINUTES AND EIGHT SECONDS - WHILE ESCAPING FROM 150 POUNDS OF CHAINS.
Granted, perhaps he went a wee bit over the top by adding a few too many obstacles, but I truly do not think that the object of his performance was merely to break a record.
Blaine's recent work is an awe-inspiring look at what a human is able to endure.
He IS a magic man.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Up In The Sky ! It's A...It's A...
One of the benefits of working a job where you get out of work at 2 in the morning is that it gives you an easy opportunity to take advantage of stargazing events. In theory.
So today I left for work with my cherished Celestron Regal 10x42 roof prism binoculars, all prepared to catch a glimpse of the dying Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann.
ScubaSteve and YoAdrian joined me outside scanning the heavens and we saw...something odd and colorful. Satellite? Space Station? Comet? Weird planetoid? We had no idea. And we were actually out too early, because the spotlight-bright moon was ruining everything. Seems the right time was closer to 5 am. Figures.
But, in case you wanna see what we all missed, here is an incredible photo of the brave little comet, making a diagonal line with the spiral galaxy IC 1296 (a brisk 200 MILLION light years away) and the Ring Nebula. The picture was taken with a 36 inch telescope.
In astronomy, size DOES matter.
So today I left for work with my cherished Celestron Regal 10x42 roof prism binoculars, all prepared to catch a glimpse of the dying Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann.
ScubaSteve and YoAdrian joined me outside scanning the heavens and we saw...something odd and colorful. Satellite? Space Station? Comet? Weird planetoid? We had no idea. And we were actually out too early, because the spotlight-bright moon was ruining everything. Seems the right time was closer to 5 am. Figures.
But, in case you wanna see what we all missed, here is an incredible photo of the brave little comet, making a diagonal line with the spiral galaxy IC 1296 (a brisk 200 MILLION light years away) and the Ring Nebula. The picture was taken with a 36 inch telescope.
In astronomy, size DOES matter.
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Over Achievement Takes On A Whole New Meaning
I started a new book today, and I felt compelled to share this startling paragraph with you:
In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated merchants or wealthy planters, had been founded by one of its illiterate slaves, who, by sheer force of personality, charisma, and determination, liberated America from foreign rule, united the people, created an alphabet, wrote the constitution, established universal religious freedom, invented a new system of warfare, marched an army from Canada to Brazil, and opened roads of commerce in a free-trade zone that stretched across the continents. On every level and from any perspective, the scale and scope of Genghis Khan's accomplishments challenge the limits of imagination and tax the resources of scholarly explanation.
Reading that sure made me feel good spending the afternoon laying on the couch, reading and waiting for the pizza delivery guy.
In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated merchants or wealthy planters, had been founded by one of its illiterate slaves, who, by sheer force of personality, charisma, and determination, liberated America from foreign rule, united the people, created an alphabet, wrote the constitution, established universal religious freedom, invented a new system of warfare, marched an army from Canada to Brazil, and opened roads of commerce in a free-trade zone that stretched across the continents. On every level and from any perspective, the scale and scope of Genghis Khan's accomplishments challenge the limits of imagination and tax the resources of scholarly explanation.
Reading that sure made me feel good spending the afternoon laying on the couch, reading and waiting for the pizza delivery guy.
Friday, May 05, 2006
Two Definitions of Patience
The Month of May.
Taurus.
One of the well known Taurean traits is patience.
I present two definitions: The John Cage composition entitled As Slow as Possible is being performed
in the St. Burchardi church in Halberstadt, Germany.
The actual performance commenced on September 5, 2001 beginning with a pause that lasted until February 5, 2003 (that's 20 months of silence, folks). The first chord was played from then until July 5, 2005.
Currently the organ is playing a three-note chord, (A below middle C above middle C (A3-C4-Fis4) and F-sharp), which began on January 5, 2006 and concluded today, May 5! That's right! Today is chord change day! Huzzah!
There are eight movements to the piece, and Cage specified that at least one be repeated. Each movement lasts roughly 71 years, just four years shy of the life expectancy of the average German male.
The performance is planned to continue until September 4, 2640. The only limitations on the length of the performance are the durability of the organ and the will of future generations.
Heinz-Klaus Metzger, a musicologist whose chance comments at an organ conference nine years ago sparked the project said : In these times, acceleration spoils everything. To begin a performance with the perspective of more than a half-millennium — it's just a kind of negation of the lifestyle of today.
That got me thinking about last month's 16 hour non-stop performance of Richard Wagner's Ring aired by Britain's Radio3 . Sixteen hours is a LONG time to sit through a performance...something along the lines of a David Blaine stunt.
And, since it took the man 26 years (1848-1874) to write it, it seems wrong to cram it all into one day.
I am reminded of PrettyAlice's tale of being in Les Misérables, and some performers would get to the theatre, put on their make-up and costume, do their scenes, THEN shower and change and go out for a full-course meal, to return to the theatre and get made up AGAIN, with time to spare for their next entrance.
Patience. Virtue or crazy publicity device?
Taurus.
One of the well known Taurean traits is patience.
I present two definitions: The John Cage composition entitled As Slow as Possible is being performed
in the St. Burchardi church in Halberstadt, Germany.
The actual performance commenced on September 5, 2001 beginning with a pause that lasted until February 5, 2003 (that's 20 months of silence, folks). The first chord was played from then until July 5, 2005.
Currently the organ is playing a three-note chord, (A below middle C above middle C (A3-C4-Fis4) and F-sharp), which began on January 5, 2006 and concluded today, May 5! That's right! Today is chord change day! Huzzah!
There are eight movements to the piece, and Cage specified that at least one be repeated. Each movement lasts roughly 71 years, just four years shy of the life expectancy of the average German male.
The performance is planned to continue until September 4, 2640. The only limitations on the length of the performance are the durability of the organ and the will of future generations.
Heinz-Klaus Metzger, a musicologist whose chance comments at an organ conference nine years ago sparked the project said : In these times, acceleration spoils everything. To begin a performance with the perspective of more than a half-millennium — it's just a kind of negation of the lifestyle of today.
That got me thinking about last month's 16 hour non-stop performance of Richard Wagner's Ring aired by Britain's Radio3 . Sixteen hours is a LONG time to sit through a performance...something along the lines of a David Blaine stunt.
And, since it took the man 26 years (1848-1874) to write it, it seems wrong to cram it all into one day.
I am reminded of PrettyAlice's tale of being in Les Misérables, and some performers would get to the theatre, put on their make-up and costume, do their scenes, THEN shower and change and go out for a full-course meal, to return to the theatre and get made up AGAIN, with time to spare for their next entrance.
Patience. Virtue or crazy publicity device?
Thursday, May 04, 2006
All Thanks To MyAdoringPublic
So - I tried to be a reasonable member of society yesterday, and attempted to renew my car registration. But no. They informed me I had to go get an E-Check. Well, that was just not in my schedule of events.
MyAdoringPublic was gracious enough to switch shifts with me, which I meant I had until 4 in the afternoon to get my tedious errands accomplished. Which I did, all by 9:30 am, including two stops at two different Starbuck's. (Everyday, once a day, give yourself a present - Agent Dale Cooper.)
The gal at the E-Check was very impressed that the geriatric Toyota passed with flying colors, and she suggested that the Toyota company would WANT MY CAR and would replace it with a new one. Yeah. Right.
Then I came home, bought my tickets for my upcoming trip to Chicago - including tickets to see Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs exhibit at the Field museum - yippee!
And I read a book, The Highest Tide, about a 13 year old precocious boy named Miles that discovers (amongst other things) a giant squid on the flats of Puget Sound. Who loves giant squid and Seattle more than the Captain? No one. I really loved this story. It would make a great film. If only there was a Burmese python in it...
After that kind of day, one really shouldn't have to then go into work, should they?
Talk amongst yourselves.
MyAdoringPublic was gracious enough to switch shifts with me, which I meant I had until 4 in the afternoon to get my tedious errands accomplished. Which I did, all by 9:30 am, including two stops at two different Starbuck's. (Everyday, once a day, give yourself a present - Agent Dale Cooper.)
The gal at the E-Check was very impressed that the geriatric Toyota passed with flying colors, and she suggested that the Toyota company would WANT MY CAR and would replace it with a new one. Yeah. Right.
Then I came home, bought my tickets for my upcoming trip to Chicago - including tickets to see Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs exhibit at the Field museum - yippee!
And I read a book, The Highest Tide, about a 13 year old precocious boy named Miles that discovers (amongst other things) a giant squid on the flats of Puget Sound. Who loves giant squid and Seattle more than the Captain? No one. I really loved this story. It would make a great film. If only there was a Burmese python in it...
After that kind of day, one really shouldn't have to then go into work, should they?
Talk amongst yourselves.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Thanks Y'All
Thanks to my 677 Peeps and ZekeNewBuffalo who took the time to make a big deal of the day today.
The Penpal checked in just under the wire, but she is a good woman for playing Taxi Driver.
The biggest surprise of all was to hear the voice of the Femmebot, perhaps conjured up by yesterday's Munch news...anyway, thank you for keeping me in your heart and thoughts.
I love you guys.
The Penpal checked in just under the wire, but she is a good woman for playing Taxi Driver.
The biggest surprise of all was to hear the voice of the Femmebot, perhaps conjured up by yesterday's Munch news...anyway, thank you for keeping me in your heart and thoughts.
I love you guys.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Don't Mess With The Norwegian Mob
Three men are going to do some time for being involved in one way or another with the theft of the two great Munch paintings last year.
Two of the convicted men were also ordered to repay the city of Oslo $121 million, the combined insured value of the paintings, which remain missing. I am hoping the city isn't counting on seeing that money anytime soon...
Saddened as I am by the still missing works I still LOVE this quote from the report..
Meticulous police work included forensic scrutiny of the Audi, which the fleeing men abandoned about a mile from the robbery, as well as tapping 60,000 telephone calls and live surveillance of Norwegian underworld figures for several months.
Ok. #1 - Meticulous?
On September 24, 2004, the paintings were transfered in a garbage bag from a parked bus to the trunk of a car, which promptly sped off. One of the convicted men testified that he had been hired to make the switch but that he did not know by whom and was never paid. Undercover investigators tailing the man witnessed the transfer, a few miles west of Oslo, but did not intervene in time to rescue the paintings.
and...#2 -
Norwegian underworld figures ?
Two of the convicted men were also ordered to repay the city of Oslo $121 million, the combined insured value of the paintings, which remain missing. I am hoping the city isn't counting on seeing that money anytime soon...
Saddened as I am by the still missing works I still LOVE this quote from the report..
Meticulous police work included forensic scrutiny of the Audi, which the fleeing men abandoned about a mile from the robbery, as well as tapping 60,000 telephone calls and live surveillance of Norwegian underworld figures for several months.
Ok. #1 - Meticulous?
On September 24, 2004, the paintings were transfered in a garbage bag from a parked bus to the trunk of a car, which promptly sped off. One of the convicted men testified that he had been hired to make the switch but that he did not know by whom and was never paid. Undercover investigators tailing the man witnessed the transfer, a few miles west of Oslo, but did not intervene in time to rescue the paintings.
and...#2 -
Norwegian underworld figures ?
Monday, May 01, 2006
Three Dollars For Gas Is One Thing…
…but when I am asked to pay $400 for a square of toilet paper, things are really out of control…
According to the New York Times, a roll of toilet paper in Zimbabwe costs $145,750.
At that price, it makes more sense to re-purpose the Zimbabwean $500 bill, if you know what I mean.
According to the New York Times, a roll of toilet paper in Zimbabwe costs $145,750.
At that price, it makes more sense to re-purpose the Zimbabwean $500 bill, if you know what I mean.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
