Sunday, March 1, 2009
Voilà. Le mouton
sorry this post is so late—just getting back to blogging after vacation. thanks to Holly for fulfilling my Little Prince Dreams (Mes Reves du Petit Prince)!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Recently illuminated lyrics
I realized two instances of misheard lyrics this weekend. Both involve "ué":
Song: Cars, "Let's Go"
What I heard: "and a risky mouth"
Actual lyric: "and a risqué mouth"
Song: "Lush Life" (recorded by Nat King Cole, among others)
What I heard: "gray faces with distant gay traces"
Actual lyric: "gray faces with distingué traces"
Song: Cars, "Let's Go"
What I heard: "and a risky mouth"
Actual lyric: "and a risqué mouth"
Song: "Lush Life" (recorded by Nat King Cole, among others)
What I heard: "gray faces with distant gay traces"
Actual lyric: "gray faces with distingué traces"
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Photographic image of the day
This gorgeous, painting-like image is the Astronomy Picture of the Day. See description below.
Suspension Bridge Solargraph
Credit & Copyright: Justin Quinnell
The six-month long exposure compresses the time from December 17, 2007, to June 21, 2008, into a single point of view. Dubbed a solargraph, the image was recorded with a simple pinhole camera made from a drink can lined with a piece of photographic paper. The Clifton Suspension Bridge over the Avon River Gorge in Bristol, UK, emerges from the foreground, but rising and setting each day the Sun arcs overhead, tracing a glowing path through the sky. Cloud cover causes dark gaps in the daily Sun trails. In December, the Sun trails begin lower down and are short, corresponding to a time near the northern hemisphere's winter solstice date. They grow longer and climb higher in the sky as the June 21st summer solstice approaches.
Suspension Bridge Solargraph
Credit & Copyright: Justin Quinnell
The six-month long exposure compresses the time from December 17, 2007, to June 21, 2008, into a single point of view. Dubbed a solargraph, the image was recorded with a simple pinhole camera made from a drink can lined with a piece of photographic paper. The Clifton Suspension Bridge over the Avon River Gorge in Bristol, UK, emerges from the foreground, but rising and setting each day the Sun arcs overhead, tracing a glowing path through the sky. Cloud cover causes dark gaps in the daily Sun trails. In December, the Sun trails begin lower down and are short, corresponding to a time near the northern hemisphere's winter solstice date. They grow longer and climb higher in the sky as the June 21st summer solstice approaches.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Losing at Scrabble
Words that Laurie has played against me in Scrabble (so far):
nevus
quinoa
skirl
equator (played alongside another word with all tiles; score 78)
nevus
quinoa
skirl
equator (played alongside another word with all tiles; score 78)
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Cartoon/Poem Duo of the day
Fire and Ice
Some say the world will end in fire;
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To know that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
Some say the world will end in fire;
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To know that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
—Robert Frost
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Blog of the day (week, month, year)
There is a New Yorker cartoon blog. Go immediately to
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/cartoonlounge/?xrail
and click on everything.
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/cartoonlounge/?xrail
and click on everything.
Poem of the day
Alba
Climbing in the mist I came to a terrace wall
and saw above it a small field of broad beans in flower
their white fragrance was flowing through the first light
of morning there a little way up the mountain
where I had made my way through the olive groves
and under the blossoming boughs of the almonds
above the old hut of the charcoal burner
where suddenly the scent of the bean flowers found me
and as I took the next step I heard
the creak of the harness and the mule’s shod hooves
striking stones in the furrow and then the low voice
of the man talking softly praising the mule
as he walked behind through the cloud in his white shirt
along the row and between his own words
he was singing under his breath a few phrases
at a time of the same song singing it
to his mule it seemed as I listened
watching their breaths and not understanding a word
Climbing in the mist I came to a terrace wall
and saw above it a small field of broad beans in flower
their white fragrance was flowing through the first light
of morning there a little way up the mountain
where I had made my way through the olive groves
and under the blossoming boughs of the almonds
above the old hut of the charcoal burner
where suddenly the scent of the bean flowers found me
and as I took the next step I heard
the creak of the harness and the mule’s shod hooves
striking stones in the furrow and then the low voice
of the man talking softly praising the mule
as he walked behind through the cloud in his white shirt
along the row and between his own words
he was singing under his breath a few phrases
at a time of the same song singing it
to his mule it seemed as I listened
watching their breaths and not understanding a word
—W.S. Merwin
Idea for a game show
A room (or several bookcases, or whatever) is filled with "junk" items—the sort you find in a secondhand/antique store.
Just one of the items is worth a lot. Contestants try and distinguish it. They keep what they find (garbage or gem).
Kind of "Antiques Roadshow" meets "The Price Is Right"
Just one of the items is worth a lot. Contestants try and distinguish it. They keep what they find (garbage or gem).
Kind of "Antiques Roadshow" meets "The Price Is Right"
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Seahorse of the day
Pygmy seahorse, Tulamben, Bali, around 32 meters deep near the wreck ship, U.S.S. Liberty
Monday, December 22, 2008
Poem of the day
A Man may make a Remark—
In itself—a quiet thing
That may furnish the Fuse unto a Spark
In dormant nature—lain—
Let us deport—with skill—
Let us discourse—with care—
Powder exists in Charcoal—
Before it exists in Fire.
In itself—a quiet thing
That may furnish the Fuse unto a Spark
In dormant nature—lain—
Let us deport—with skill—
Let us discourse—with care—
Powder exists in Charcoal—
Before it exists in Fire.
—Emily Dickinson
Seahorse of the day
Giant Pacific seahorse (Hippocampus ingens) - this species of seahorse lives in tropical and subtropical waters along the Pacific Ocean. Displayed at the National Aquarium in Baltimore.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
Quote of the day
The most radical revolutionary will become a conservative the day after the revolution.
--Hannah Arendt
--Hannah Arendt
Thursday, December 18, 2008
New puzzle obsession
I can't stop playing Shinro. It combines sudoku and minesweeper. Why do the Japanese seem to come up with such good puzzle ideas?
Seahorse of the day
Short-snouted seahorses have set up residence in the recovering River Thames.
The fish—pictured above in the London Zoo aquarium—were found in recent surveys that assessed the health of the once heavily polluted river.
Craft tip of the day
If you get some yarn that is in a hank (a twisted length, as opposed to a rolled skein), do not try to work with it until you roll it into a skein.
I found this out the hard way, and spent half an hour untangling the unholy mess I made.
I found this out the hard way, and spent half an hour untangling the unholy mess I made.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Craft of the day
I just got some new yarn, a linen\rayon blend, ribbon texture. I can't wait to start working with it.
Cartoon of the day
http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/politicalcartoons/ig/Political-Cartoons/Bush-Shoe-Flashbacks.htm
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