Sorry about the long wait, but work comes first.  Anyway, I am getting back in the swing of things for a little while.

Science News in Brief

The Large Haldron Collider has resumed operation and set a new world record for energy.  Its particle beams were accelerated at over one trillion volts.  This was just a precursor to the Collider’s primary scientific tests set for the year 2010.

Still No Black Hole: Just to give you a sense of the energy involved here: a lightning strike hits with about 1 billion volts.

A cross-disciplinary team of researchers from universities across America have released a study which indicates that climate change could increase the likelihood of civil war in sub-Saharan African countries by as much as 50% in the by 2050.  These wars would be fueled by decreased water supplies, fewer food sources, and increased poverty rates.

Talking World War III Blues: Already, 5.4 million people have died from civil war the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, making it the deadliest conflict since World War II.

Scientists seem to have discovered the reason for the hammerhead shark’s strange head shape.  The shape allows sharks to see almost in 360 degrees in binocular vision.

Weird Animal Fact: The mantis shrimp has the best eyesight in the animal world.  It is the only animal to to have hyperspectral colour vision.  That is, it can see across the electromagnetic spectrum.  We can only see visible light.

Cool Creature

I already covered the kakapo, but I have been dying to post this video.

Feature Story: Remember Me

Are some animal species more important than others?  A recent study which examined 222 carnivore species around the world points to the fact that certain carnivores should be more protected than others due to their ecological importance and individuality.

Even though carnivores are probably the most studied animal group, their taxonomic connections are not well understood.  Thanks to genetic testing, scientists are now able to construct much more accurate taxonomic maps.

The study supports the theory that describes the split of carnivores into two main evolutionary groups: dog-like carnivores (Caniforms) and cat-like carnivores (Heliforms).  The same study also revealed some so-called Confused carnivores which do not fit neatly into the aforementioned classification.

Researchers performing the study also isolated a number of carnivores which are unique in the ecological services they perform and the way they evolved.  They suggest that these species, including monk seals, red pandas, and walruses, should be more protected than others because they are so unique.  Because they are evolutionarily distinct, they have genes and evolutionary history not found in any other species.  This makes it important with regards to biodiversity: by increasing genetic variability.

The Cosmic Perspective

All people value equality: the right to be treated with equal respect and dignity as any other human being.  Those who value the environment tend to extend that to the animal world.  We do not like to show preferential treatment to certain animals just because they are cute and cuddly.  So, this study which claims that certain animals are more important from an evolutionary perspective comes as a bit of a shock.  Why should a walrus be more important than a snow leopard?

I look at this from two points of view: that of a scientist and that of an environmentalist, because I consider myself to be both.  As a scientist, I definitely see the merit of protecting certain species.  Different animals perform different tasks in an ecosystem.  Certain animals’ roles are more critical to the functioning of the system as a whole than others.  It is a principle of network systems thinking that  nodes (animals) in a system (ecosystem) can be ranked based on the number of nodes which connect to them and the importance of those nodes.  So, the more important connections an animal has, the more important it is in an ecosystem.  However, even a few important links can prove to elevate a species to a higher status than one with many relatively commonplace connections.

That being said, all animals play an important role in biodiversity.  Biodiversity provides for the astounding variety of different organisms, genes, ecosystems in which they exist, and biological services these organisms provide for life to adapt to changing environmental conditions throughout history.  It would be foolish not to save as much as we can of the already dwindling amount of biological diversity we have on this planet.  We often do not know how important something is before it is gone altogether.

Интернет-магазин электроинструментов TOOLSMASTER  рад предложить Вам большой выбор измерительной техники, электроинструмента, бензоинструмента, аккумуляторной техники. Среди нашего ассортимента Вы найдете дисковые и другие пилы, и другой электроинструмент, а также аккумуляторный инструмент от ведущих мировых производителей – Makita, Metabo, Bosch, Kress и Hitachi.
преобретая у нас, Вы не только получаете возможность сэкономить средства на приобретении необходимого Вам электроинструмента, но и очень уменьшить время на выбор и покупку необходимого Вам электроинструмента. На страницах нашего интернет-магазина Вы ознакомитесь с подробным описанием и характеристиками представленных моделей, сможете сравнить различные параметры и выбрать тот электроинструмент, который подойдет именно Вам. Наши менеджеры будут рады дать полные ответы на все Ваши вопросы и помочь Вам сделать правильный выбор. Для этого необходимо всего лишь позвонить нам.

Интернет-магазин электроинструментов TOOLSMASTER  рад предложить Вам большой выбор аккумуляторной техники, измерительной техники, бензоинструмента. Между нашего ассортимента Вы найдете шуруповерты, и другой электроинструмент, а также аккумуляторный инструмент от ведущих мировых производителей – Bosch, Hitachi, Kress, Metabo.
Заказывая у нас, Вы не только получаете возможность сэкономить средства на приобретении нужного Вам электроинструмента, но и очень уменьшить время на выбор и покупку необходимого Вам товара. На страничках нашего интернет-магазина Вы ознакомитесь с детальным описанием и характеристиками имеющихся моделей, сможете сравнить различные характеристики и выбрать тот электроинструмент, который подойдет для Вас. Наши менеджеры будут рады дать детальные ответы на все Ваши вопросы и помочь Вам сделать правильный выбор. Для этого необходимо всего лишь связаться с нами.

Интернет-магазин электроинструментов TOOLSMASTER  рад предложить Вам большой выбор бензоинструмента, аккумуляторной техники. Между нашего ассортимента Вы найдете рубанки, и другой электроинструмент, а также аккумуляторный инструмент от основных мировых производителей – Hitachi, Makita, Kress, Bosch и Metabo.
Заказывая у нас, Вы не только получаете возможность сэкономить деньги на приобретении необходимого Вам аккумуляторного инструмента, но и очень сократить время на выбор и покупку необходимого Вам товара. На страницах нашего интернет-магазина Вы ознакомитесь с детальным описанием и характеристиками имеющихся моделей, сможете сравнить различные параметры и подобрать тот электроинструмент, который подходит именно Вам. Наши менеджеры с радостью дадут исчерпывающие ответы на все Ваши вопросы и помочь Вам сделать правильный выбор. Для этого нужно всего навсего позвонить нам.

Интернет-магазин электроинструментов TOOLSMASTER  рад предложить Вам широкий выбор аккумуляторной техники, бензоинструмента, измерительной техники и электроинструмента. Среди нашего ассортимента Вы найдете дисковые и другие пилы, и другой электроинструмент, а также аккумуляторный инструмент от основных мировых производителей – Bosch, Makita и Hitachi.
покупая у нас, Вы не только получаете возможность сэкономить деньги на приобретении нужного Вам электроинструмента, но и значительно уменьшить время на выбор и покупку необходимого Вам электроинструмента. На страничках нашего интернет-магазина Вы ознакомитесь с детальным описанием и характеристиками представленных моделей, сможете сравнить различные характеристики и подобрать тот электроинструмент, который подходит для Вас. Наши менеджеры с радостью дадут полные ответы на все Ваши вопросы и помочь Вам сделать правильный выбор. Для этого нужно всего навсего связаться с нами.

Интернет-магазин электроинструментов TOOLSMASTER  рад предложить Вам широкий выбор аккумуляторной техники, измерительной техники и электроинструмента. Между нашего ассортимента Вы найдете шуруповерты, и другой электроинструмент, а также аккумуляторный инструмент от ведущих мировых производителей – Kress, Makita, Metabo, Hitachi.
преобретая у нас, Вы не только получаете возможность сэкономить средства на приобретении необходимого Вам электроинструмента, но и значительно сократить время на выбор и покупку необходимого Вам электроинструмента. На страницах нашего интернет-магазина Вы ознакомитесь с детальным описанием и характеристиками представленных моделей, сможете сравнить различные параметры и подобрать тот электроинструмент, который подойдет именно Вам. Наши менеджеры с радостью дадут детальные ответы на все Ваши вопросы и помочь Вам сделать правильный выбор. Для этого нужно всего лишь позвонить нам.

Le Portement de croix -

Stand opposite a canvas and try to imagine the sounds of the scene. You’ll soon find out that the permanent collection of Prado Museum has the sound of lutes, harps and wheel fiddles. Music has been one of the main topics in painting since the 15th century.

Hearing

With a painting, Rubens means to make us feel the music.  With this allegory of hearing he evokes the music of violins, harpsichords, horns, birds and even the ticking clocks. We can almost hear it with our eyes, but it’s actually just a painting.

Angels and Demons

During the Middle Ages, the celestial courts were thought to have been formed by musician angels, like the ones in this painting by Van Eyck, who celebrate the mystery of the Eucharist with a concerp of harps, zithers and mandolins.

But music was also related to the pleasures of the flesh. In The Garden of Delights, Bosch turns an organistrum into a rack to torture the lustful.

Travelling musicians

When there was no radio nor television and most people couldn’t read, travelling musicians used to entertain villagers with the sound of their flutes. Jacob Jordaens painted three travelling musicians with incomparable freshness.

And Georges La Tour portrayed a blind man playing the same instrument that Bosch had used two centuries before as a torture rack.

Pleasure and Devotion

Music has always been the source of indescribable pleasures. For example, a usual character in Titian’s erotic paintings is the organist, who plays the piano while contemplating the goddess Venus.

With a very different purpose, for Saint Cecilia, always pictured with an organ like in this painting by Poussin, music is a way to get closer to God.

Va prezentam un alt site al SC SF STORE EXIM SRL, Saibe . ro (www.saibe.ro).
Nu uitati ca la Store gasiti o gama larga de organe de asamblare (piulite, saibe, suruburi etc) si intotdeauna veti avea de unde alege!
Va asteptam pe http://www.storeinc.ro – siteul principal.

Va prezentam un alt site al SC SF STORE EXIM SRL, Piulita . ro (www.piulita.ro).
Nu uitati ca la Store gasiti o gama larga de organe de asamblare (piulite, saibe, suruburi etc) si intotdeauna veti avea de unde alege!
Va asteptam pe http://www.storeinc.ro – siteul principal.

Thinking about tools, collections of tools and garden tools.  In making some recent images it struck me how like garden implements some of the instruments are:

Ear rakes for example…

I wondered around garden imagery and The Garden of Earthly Delights came to mind.  A triptych painted by Hieronymus Bosch in the 16thC depicting scenes on a grand scale and probably intended to illustrate the history of mankind according to mediaeval Christian doctrine.

Such triptychs are intended to be read from left to right and often portray Eden through to the last Judgement.  The subtext was contained in the centre piece.

(Francis Bacon)

It strikes me that it would be interesting to consider making such a triptych loosely related to some of the themes contained in the early ones.  One could indulge in symbolism, the notions of fear and dread, the body and its parts, invasion of body, pain suffering, metaphoric objects and the hope of healing..

Interestingly the outer panels of ‘The Garden..’ lack colour, the imagery is striking as it shows a round world possibly reflecting a time before the ‘colour’ of creation.  The technique is called Grisaille and the word means grey.  It strikes me that opening the doors of this amazing painting is a little like opening up a body; the pale and grey outer body opens to reveal the colour and complexity of the inner workings!

painting inspired by open heart sugery at  www.dycusart.com 

This venue has recently been added on Expopedia, the tradefair service finder. Visit our website for more information.

Brabanthallen Den Bosch
Diezekade 2
5222 AK ’s-Hertogenbosch (Netherlands)
More information about Brabanthallen Den Bosch …

An overview of the available activities for Brabanthallen Den Bosch …

• Stand construction: custom build
• Webdesign
• Standdesign / Designstudio
• Rental: audio visual, ICT
• Rental: furniture
• Events / exhibition organisation
• Communication / Magazines / Online
• Visitors’ registration / Database
• Catering / Food & beverages
• Translators / Interpreters
• Displays (design/fabrication)
• Rental: flowers and plants / Floral decoration
• Floorcovering / Carpet
• Rental: displays / showcases
• Hostesses
• Consultancy
• Photography
• Training / Coaching / Education
• Rental: temporary constructions
• Rental: lighting installations
• Rental: electric material
• Stand construction: shell scheme
• Signage
• Sanitary / Water, bar & compressed air
• Promotional material
• Presscommunication
• Storage / Depot rental
• Subcontractor installation/dismantling
• Standmaterial / Modular systems / Walls / Woodwork
• Marketing
• Graphics
• Transport
• Scene construction / Curtains / Decoration material
• Banners
• Badges / Entrance tickets
• Artists agency / Animation
• Cleaning
• DIY articles & Office supplies

PDM10 is set to provide even greater business opportunities for exhibitors, particularly those looking to secure contracts with OEMs.  Plastics manufacturers are now citing poor quality, long shipping times and the cost of tool modification as reasons for dropping overseas contracts in favour of UK tooling suppliers.

GTMA chief executive Julia Moore confirmed the resurgent demand from UK suppliers, “OEMs find UK sourcing more flexible, timely and cost effective solution. The GTMA will use PDM10 to highlight the quality of our own supply organisations and demonstrate to OEMs why sourcing tools from the UK market remains the best option.”

Having recently established a Manufacturing Resource Centre to provide OEMs with an easier and faster route to suppliers, the GTMA is currently working on a number of initiatives for PDM10, which will maximise networking opportunities for both visitors and its members alike.

“The sterling exchange rate is a further factor in favour of UK sourcing,” said Steve Crowhurst, event director. “Injection moulders at PDM09 reported a growing interest by OEMs and I can only see this growing at PDM 10. Now is an excellent time for UK companies to benefit from this resurgent demand.”

In 2009 PDM  played host to such prominent OEM visitor names as Aston Martin Lagonda, BMW UK Manufacturing, Bosch, Braitrim, Dyson, Epson, Gillette UK, Honda, Hozelock, JCB, Linpac Allibert, P&G, Pfizer, Philips Avent, Reckitt Benckiser, Tyco Electronics and Unilever.

To register or find out how you can exhibit at PDM 10 visit www.pdmevent.com

About the Project:

The art works on auto rickshaws have been most popular form of art works that are encountered in day-to-day city travel. This comprises of Gods/Goddesses, landscapes, film actors, short funny poetries in Kannada. The current project is based on the popularity of this space that this public travel medium offers. The project will be carried out in three phases. First Phase will involve research and documentation of the art works painted on auto rickshaws which will be later uploaded on blog/website.
The second phase will involve documentation of artists who have painted these popular pictures. The photographs will be printed and displayed as an extension of the process.
The third phase will involve the use of these auto rickshaws as a medium to display an awareness of a concern for the growing city. This will involve collaboration with auto rickshaw drivers and decorating about 20 autos with stickers carrying messages about environment, health and public awareness. When autos move across the city, these decorated vehicles will catch attention of people and thus also act as messengers of these awareness messages. The message will be in two-languages – Kannada and English.

This Project is funded by Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions, Bangalore.

This evening I baked some cookies out of the Mission-based Tartine cookbook, a gift from a close college friend who stayed with us a few months back.  This is the third time I’ve made this recipe, and I’ve learned a few tricks that make them turn out just perfect, at least in my oven (of the Bosch Evolution variety – a great residential range for people who actually cook).  The basic recipe (by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson) is available here.  These are a great, thin cookie with an excellent combination of oaty-ness and chocolatey-ness.

Here are my tweaks:

• I only use 280 grams (about 1.25 cups) of sugar, rather than the 350 g (1.75 cups) called for in the original recipe.  I find that most dessert recipes call for way too much sugar, and this one is no exception.
• Although the recipe says to press out each scoop of dough into a flat 3-inch circle, I press mine into roughly 1.5″ to 2″ circles to get the cookies to a decent not-too-large size.  (Done this way, I end up with about 45 cookies, rather than the 24 listed in the original recipe.) When I made this recipe the first time and followed the directions for 3-inch circles, I ended up with these monstrously large (5″ to 6″) cookies that intimidated everyone at the baby shower I had brought them to.
• This last one isn’t exactly a tweak, but just a bit of emphasis – the recipe says to bake until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned but the centers are still pale.  This takes a lot of will power to do, as the cookies will look sort of disturbingly pale in the center and your instincts (if they’re like mine) may tell you to keep baking them.  But you really do need to take the cookies out when the centers are still pale – otherwise you’ll end up with cookies that are a bit too hard (I learned this the hard way, although my co-workers politely pretended that they were not concerned about destroying their dental work as they crunched (loudly) through the 2nd batch I made several months ago).  Even so, although the recipe says 10 to 12 minutes, I find that in my oven the right timing is more like 14 to 15 minutes, sometimes more.

I’ve never actually braved the line at Tartine the bakery, probably due to sheer laziness.  (Notwithstanding the similarly obscene lines, I’ve somehow managed to make my way to Mitchell’s and Bi-Rite, so perhaps I just need to suck it up and show up at Tartine one day as well.)  So I have nothing to compare my homemade version to, but Mr. Spoke, a true chowhound, just ate three in a row, so I’m going to count that as an enthusiastic thumbs up.

This evening I baked some cookies out of the Mission-based Tartine cookbook, a gift from a close college friend who stayed with us a few months back.  This is the third time I’ve made this recipe, and I’ve learned a few tricks that make them turn out just perfect, at least in my oven (of the Bosch Evolution variety – a great residential range for people who actually cook).  The basic recipe (by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson) is available here.  These are a great, thin cookie with an excellent combination of oaty-ness and chocolatey-ness.

Here are my tweaks:

• I only use 280 grams (about 1.25 cups) of sugar, rather than the 350 g (1.75 cups) called for in the original recipe.  I find that most dessert recipes call for way too much sugar, and this one is no exception.
• Although the recipe says to press out each scoop of dough into a flat 3-inch circle, I press mine into roughly 1.5″ to 2″ circles to get the cookies to a decent not-too-large size.  (Done this way, I end up with about 45 cookies, rather than the 24 listed in the original recipe.) When I made this recipe the first time and followed the directions for 3-inch circles, I ended up with these monstrously large (5″ to 6″) cookies that intimidated everyone at the baby shower I had brought them to.
• This last one isn’t exactly a tweak, but just a bit of emphasis – the recipe says to bake until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned but the centers are still pale.  This takes a lot of will power to do, as the cookies will look sort of disturbingly pale in the center and your instincts (if they’re like mine) may tell you to keep baking them.  But you really do need to take the cookies out when the centers are still pale – otherwise you’ll end up with cookies that are a bit too hard (I learned this the hard way, although my co-workers politely pretended that they were not concerned about destroying their dental work as they crunched (loudly) through the 2nd batch I made several months ago).  Even so, although the recipe says 10 to 12 minutes, I find that in my oven the right timing is more like 14 to 15 minutes, sometimes more.

I’ve never actually braved the line at Tartine the bakery, probably due to sheer laziness.  (Notwithstanding the similarly obscene lines, I’ve somehow managed to make my way to Mitchell’s and Bi-Rite, so perhaps I just need to suck it up and show up at Tartine one day as well.)  So I have nothing to compare my homemade version to, but Mr. Pigtales, a true chowhound, just ate three in a row, so I’m going to count that as an enthusiastic thumbs up.

Los responsables de la página web www.elmarginado.com buscan sustitutos para los anteriores dibujantes Claudio Cerdán y Miguel Ángel Carretero, que murieron de inanición encadenados a la mesa de dibujo. Gana una estupenda tableta gráfica, conviértete en el próximo dibujante regular de la serie y publica tu trabajo en la página web de referencia friki visitada por miles de internautas.

¡Sé un marginado más!

Las bases del concurso son las siguientes:

1): Podrá participa cualquier persona que sepa coger un lápiz y hacer garabatos, independientemente de su edad, sexo, religión, nacionalidad o tendencias políticas.

2): El premio lo obtendrá aquella persona que consiga una mejor versión de los personajes que aparecen en El Marginado: Bosch, Ros, Cerdán, Javi, Raúl, Aarón, las guarrillas, los bakalas…

3): Los participantes tendrán que inventarse sus propias historietas, tiras, sketchs de una sola viñeta, sagas, bocetos a lápiz, a tinta, por odenador… Cualquier método que cuente con versiones de los personajes (cuanta más calidad tenga mejor, por supuesto).

4): Los participantes podrán enviar tantos dibujos como quieran sobre la serie y si les da la gana, muestras alternativas de su portfolio particular con distintos estilos, protagonizadas por otros personajes, etc. Pero para el concurso será imprescindible que realicen alguna historieta de los personajes de El Marginado.

5): Se aceptan cualquier tipo de estilo de dibujo, pero los responsables del concuros advierten que El Marginado es un cómic de humor, y por lo tanto serán más apreciadas las muestras realizadas en estilo tira cómica, cartoon, caricaturesca o similar.

6): El material recibido podrá ser publicado en la página de El Marginado o en cualquier otro medio de promoción del concurso, siempre respetando la propiedad de autor y linkando, si así se quiere (y sea posible), a la página del mismo.  Las muestras personales de su portafolio, en caso de que algún autor no desee que sean expuestas, deberá expresarlo cuando mande dicho material.

7): Los dibujos tendrán que ser escaneados a 150ppp (pixels por pulgada) y enviados a la siguiente dirección: info@elmarginado.com

8): El premio consiste en una tableta gráfica marca Trust, modelo TB-6300 de 8×6 pulgadas y 2000 líneas por pulgada, valorada en 66€.

9): Los participantes también optarán a ser los próximos dibujantes de El Marginado de forma regular, independientemente de si ganan el concurso o no.

10): El plazo de participación queda abierto desde el 23 de Noviembre de 2009 hasta el 28 de febrero de 2010

11): El jurado, compuesto por los responsables de la página web www.elmarginado.com pueden declarar desierto el concurso de no cumplirse los requisitos mínimos de calidad y contenido expuestos en estas bases.

12): La participación en el concurso implica la aceptación de las bases anteriormente nombradas.

Coged vuestros aparejos, mucha suerte y ánimo y…

¡Convertiros en los próximos marginados!

This is based on an earlier post but with additional favorites:

I am a huge art fanatic, dedicating as much time to it as writing and music. These aren’t new artists. They are the masters from the past who I’ve admired for years and years. My all-time favorites.

…

Name: Henri Matisse

Country: France

Style: Fauvism, Modernism

…

Name: Salvador Dali

Country: Spain

Style: Dadaism, Surrealism

…

Name: Hieronymus Bosch

Country: Netherlands

Style: Renaissance

…

Name: Rene Magritte

Country: Belgium

Style: Surrealism

…

Name: Giorgio De Chirico

Country: Greek, Italy

Style: Surrealism

…

Name: Diego Rivera

Country: Mexico

Style: Mexican Muralist, Social Realism

…

Name: Paul Klee

Country: Germany, Swiss

Style: Expressionism, Surrealism

…

Name: Edvard Munch

Country: Norway

Style: Expressionism

…

Name: Pablo Picasso

Country: Spain

Style: Cubism

…

Name: Rufino Tamayo

Country: Mexico

Style: Muralist, Mixografia

…

Name: Wasily Kandinsky

Country: Russia

Style: Expressionism, Bauhaus

…

Name: Franz Marc

Country: Germany

Style: Expressionism

…

Name: Eugene Delacroix

Country: France

Style: Romanticism

…

Name: David Alfaro Siqueiros

Country: Mexico

Style: Mexican Muralist, Social Realism

…

Name: Marcel Duchamp

Country: France, U.S.

Style: Dadaism, Surrealism

…

Name: Francisco Goya

Country: Mexico

Style: Romanticism

…

Name: Juan Gris

Country: Spanish

Style: Cubism

…

Name: Willem de Kooning

Country: Netherlands

Style: Abstract Expressionism

…

Name: George Grosz

Country: Germany

Style: Dadaism, New Objectivity

…

Name: Joan Miro

Country: Spain

Style: Dadaism, Surrealism

…

Name: Paul Signac

Country: France

Style: Pointilism, Neo-Impressionism

…

Name: Georges Rouault

Country: France

Style: Fauvism, Expressionism

…

Name: Wilfredo Lam

Country: Cuba

Style: Modernism, Cubism, Surrealism

…

Name: Vincent Van Gogh

Country: Netherlands

Style: Post-Impressionism

just got an idea for a good job.

im going to film all the surgeries for the hospital. note to self.

got mistaken for them thangs.

naw dawg.

no i will not join your lezbian cult.

how do you get the website to look how you want it?

loves it.

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