Monthly Archives: March 2012
Picture of the Day
The Venus and Jupiter conjunction as seen from France this week. The Venus – Jupiter conjunction will peak today in the Northern Hemisphere; just look to the west in the evening skies. Photograph by Laurent Laveder, National Geographic
Filed under News
Real Housewives of South Boston
If you get tired of the GOP squabbles and crave something with a tad bit more class, check this out:
Filed under News
Quote of the Day
“There is no end in sight. For Republicans who thought that maybe Mitt Romney could come South and make this race look like it was coming to an end, this race is going on and on and on.”
– Ari Fleischer, former White House press secretary
Filed under News
March 14, 2012 – 281 days Until Baktun 12
Survivalist Tip: If you plan to stay at home during the apocalypse, you definitely will need a water purification system. As with telephone and electricity services, water utility companies aren’t equipped for a major upheaval – despite all those fees they slap onto your monthly bill. I’m not talking about the quaint little designer filters you attach to your faucets at home or work. Even the most basic of water purification systems will remove undesirable chemicals and toxins and will set you back less than $200. But, it’s a worthwhile investment, considering that water will be worth as much as gold in the post-apocalyptic ‘New Universe.’ Mayans in México’s Yucatán peninsula had a ready source of clean drinking water; a massive fresh-water river snakes beneath the region and bubbles up into sinkholes they called a “dzonot,” which the Spaniards translated into cenote. The Mayans considered these sacred and magical portals to the underworld, which – unlike Judaism, Christianity and Islam – is not a place of evil or despair. It is a source of life. I know this may seem like a bit much in discussions about water filters, but you need to understand the significance of clean water. It is the source of all life, and you can’t do without it. In the new world, the Mayan gods will be honored to see your concern for this most basic sustenance. Besides, you need clean water to make chocolate and down your Xanax!
Filed under Mayan Calendar Countdown
Norwegian Photocroms, 1890 – 1900
A photocrom is a colorized image produced from a black and white negative. The image is transferred onto lithographic printing plates and subsequently colorized; it’s essentially a photographic variant of chromolithography, which in turn, was a popular means for the mass printing of color lithographs from the 1870’s to the 1930’s. Hans Jakob Schmid of Switzerland developed the photocrom process in the 1880’s while working for a printing firm. It was all part of what was then the growing art of color photography. Photos courtesy of the Library of Congress.
Encyclopedia Britannica to Stop Printing Books
After 244 years, Encyclopedia Britannica will cease production of its iconic multi-volume book sets. Britannica usually prints a new set every 2 years, but 2010’s 32-volume group will be its last. The culprit is the usual suspect – the Internet. Like some newspapers and magazines, Britannica is converting to a completely digital format. President Jorge Cauz said the move is necessary. “Everyone will want to call this the end of an era, and I understand that,” he noted. “But, there’s no sad moment for us. I think outsiders are more nostalgic about the books than I am.”
Those “outsiders,” of course, are people who remain locked in the printed paper age. I guess I could count myself as one of them, since I still love the feel of a good book in my hands. But, even I know this transition is necessary for Britannica to survive. The oldest English-language encyclopedia in the world, it’s still a preeminent source of information and research. It came long before Google and Wikipedia and is a much more reliable bastion of knowledge than either of those two put together.
Britannica entered the digital age in 1994, when the first online version of its encyclopedia appeared. The encyclopedia still represents only 15% of its total revenue; the other 85% comes from online learning tools, academic products and more. The print set formed less than 1% of the company’s total sales; therefore, it’s time to let it go.
With a strong online presence and its impeccable reputation for accuracy and ethics, Britannica can easily regain its status as the premier source of information. Other search engines seem susceptible to innuendo and rumor; that is, subject to the whims of a few self-appointed “experts.”
Britannica is taking on Wikipedia and others by re-launching its own site in 3 weeks with more social connections and other interactive features. Britannica threw itself a party today with a cake in the shape of a print set. “Is that morbid?” Cauz asked jokingly.
I don’t believe so. It’s just practical.
Filed under News
Today’s Birthdays
Singer Phil Phillips (Sea of Love) is 81.
Actor Michael Caine (Sleuth, Hannah and Her Sisters) is 79.
Composer – record producer Quincy Jones is 79.
Astronaut Eugene Cernan (Gemini 9, Apollo 17; last man to walk on the moon) is 78.
Actress Rita Tushingham (Dr. Zhivago, A Taste of Honey) is 70.
Musician Walter Parazaider (Chicago) is 67.
Comedian – actor Billy Crystal (City Slickers, Throw Mama from the Train) is 64.
Michael Ford (oldest son of former U.S. President Gerald R. Ford and First Lady Betty Ford) is 62.
Actress Megan Follows (Anne of Green Gables, Hockey Night) is 44.
Filed under Birthdays
On March 14…
1794 – Eli Whitney patented his cotton gin, making it possible to clean 50 pounds of cotton a day, compared to a pound a day before Whitney’s invention.
1879 – Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany.
1812 – The United States government authorized War Bonds for the first time, presumably in support of the War of 1812.
1923 – President Warren G. Harding became the first Chief Executive to pay taxes and account for his income. His tax bill amounted to nearly $18,000.
1936 – The U.S. government began publishing The Federal Register.
1950 – The FBI debuted its “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list.
1958 – The Recording Industry Association of America awards its first “Gold Record” to Perry Como for “Catch a Falling Star.”
1964 – Jack Ruby was sentenced to death for killing Lee Harvey Oswald.
1967 – President John F. Kennedy’s body is moved to a permanent grave site at Arlington National Cemetery.
1969 – Less than one month after winning her first horse race, Barbara Jo Rubin became the first female jockey to win at Aqueduct Race Course in New York.
1990 – Mikhail Gorbachev was elected president of the Soviet Union.
Filed under History
Chief Writing Wolf 