Archive for September 2009
1 picture, 1000 words, and all that…
Readers will recall David McCandless and his site, Information is Beautiful, on which he reminds us, day in day out, that good design is “beauty that works”– in his case more specifically, that gorgeous graphics can also be powerful communicators about issues that matter. Consider his recent depiction of relative personnel commitments in Afghanistan:
click here for accompanying graphics
As we cherish perspective, we might recall that it was on this date in 1791 that Mozart’s blissful Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute) premiered in Vienna.
Librettist Emanuel Schikaneder performing in the role of Papageno
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Update: Auto-Tuning Infomercials…
Further to the Auto-Tuned homage to Carl Sagan and Cosmos, from our buddies at Blogadilla, a peek at the late Billy Mays, T-Pain’ed:
Auto-Tuning the Cosmos…
Readers who recall earlier brushes with the “voice-enhancing” software Auto-Tune (e.g.,”All That Glitters…“) will be delighted to know that John Boswell (Colorpulse Music) has turned the technology to a more universal purpose.
A musical tribute to two great men of science. Carl Sagan and his cosmologist companion Stephen Hawking present: “A Glorious Dawn – Cosmos remixed.” Almost all samples and footage taken from Carl Sagan’s Cosmos and Stephen Hawking’s Universe series.
As we listen to the music of the spheres, we might thank our lucky stars for Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, author of Don Quixote, arguably the first– and arguably the finest– Western novel. He was born on this date in 1547 in Alcalá de Henares, near Madrid.
There are some places in the universe you don’t go alone…
Your correspondent is back, and bearing gifts… Our furiously funny friends at Blogadilla (“The Tijuana of the Internet”) have shared a Sweded version of Aliens, James Cameron’s sequel to Ridley Scott’s singular original. Created by Tim(botron), one of Blogadilla’s co-conspirators, it’s a complement to the “pre-makes” that (R)D considered just before the break– and a reminder that, in the right hands, $100 can go a long way…
In the time-honored tradition of re-gifting, here, Dear Readers, it is:
As we pass on the Gummi Bears, we might note that in Huichol, Mexico today is the Festival of Wawtsari (God of Deer Peyote)– that’s to say, the peyote mushroom festival. And in Egypt, it’s the Feast of Khepera, The Beetle God… in whose honor we might enjoy:
2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons skim milk
1/2 cup reduced calorie mayonnaise
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. dill weed
1 1/2 tsp. Beau Monde
1 cup dry-roasted rootworm beetles
Blend first 3 ingredients. Add remaining ingredients & chill (out?).
Courtesy, Iowa State University Department of Entomology’s “Insect Recipes”
Disclaimer: The Department of Entomology at Iowa State University is not responsible for gastric distress, allergic reactions, feelings of repulsion, or other problems resulting from the ingestion of foods represented on these pages.
Neither is your correspondent…
ISU master chefs Kathy Gee and Julie Stephens
(pictured above with Jay Leno) Photo: NBC
Where’s the Beef?…
Photographer Dominic Episcopo is a man of ecumenical enthusiasms– fashion, reportage and editorial, portraiture… and food. Not content with simple still life, “The United Steaks of America” makes his meat do double duty…
As we proclaim “well done,” we might recall that it was on this date in 1954 that the first test program in FORTRAN ran. FORTRAN (The IBM Mathematical Formula Translating System) was the first successful general purpose programming language, the first real alternative to assembly language. It reduced the number of programming statements necessary to operate a machine by a factor of 20, so quickly gained acceptance. It’s still in use, especially in high-performance computing.
Your correspondent is headed to parts distant, where connectivity is likely to be an issue. So these missives won’t resume, at least at anything like their normal rhythm, for a week or so…
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