Getting back on the court after a few years off can make you wonder if you’ve still got game.  When your show draws everyone’s attention, there’s a bit of pressure to make your return season your best.  Toss in invitations for the glitterati of growing to come and assess your work, and even hardened veterans might worry. 

 Cue the inspiring comeback music.  After a five-year hiatus, Colorado State University poinsettia trails are back – big, bold, and in your face with color.  With 80 cultivars packing the 3,200 square-foot greenhouse, the hallmark of the holidays are wall to wall with beauty that takes your breath away.   

 And the time has come to rate those plants in the CSU Poinsettia Trails, Monday, December 7, when the public is invited to check out the crop and rank their favorites. 

 “This year, 30 percent of the varieties here have never been seen by the public,” said Dr. Steven Newman, Professor of Floriculture and Greenhouse Crops Extension Specialist for CSU.  “But some of others are old, old, old.  We raise them together to give growers a chance to do baseline comparisons on how the new plants perform next to the tried and true.”

 A week before the public is invited to evaluate the poinsettias, growers, plant breeders, brokers, florists, and other industry members gather to assess the plants, often choosing those they’ll grow next season.  “They’re looking at which poinsettias grow well here in Colorado,” Newman said, “some that do well here don’t do well elsewhere because the light quality is different or they have a lot of cloudy days.”

 Poinsettias, the number one holiday plant sold in America, is a $9.2 million dollar wholesale industry in Colorado, Newman says.  Local growers provide retailers with thousands of the cheerful plants from Halloween through the end of the year.  

 Treating plants with the same care in unbiased trials lets growers see how different varieties thrive under standard industry practices.  “This isn’t a show where they’re going from booth to booth, seeing only those plants that are perfect,” he said.  Growers need to know how that poinsettia will grow for them, if it’s finicky to raise, and when it will be in its prime.

 Though the trial isn’t paid for by plant breeders, the big poinsettia companies, like Ecke, Dummen, or Syngenta, send two-inch rooted plant cuttings to CSU in July for entry into the trial.  Planted into 6-inch pots, the cuttings are cared for by Newman, Research Associate John Ray, and Floriculture graduate students. Costs are recouped from the sale of poinsettias during the public evaluation. 

 As days begin shortening September 19^th, the greenhouse crew covers windows at night to block out the glow of street lamps.  This darkness stimulates the poinsettias to color up.  The earliest plants are in full blush in five weeks; these jumpstart sales for the season.  Later varieties are in full color by black Friday, the biggest single day for poinsettia sales. 

!!!

 In the greenhouse, bench after bench blazes with the result of months of care.  “All of these colors are interesting to see, but I always like the novelties,” says Ray, who oversees the daily operation.  “The brokers and growers invariably pick the standards, but the students and public love the novelties too – they go ape over them.”

 In plum, buff or seashell pink, there’s a poinsettia for you.  For holiday haute décor, try speckles, crinkles, or rose-like doubles; even Broncos fans are in luck, with Orange Spice.  Head on out to the trials early; the plants sell out fast.

 If you go:

 What:  Poinsettia trials at Colorado State University

 When:  Monday, December 7, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Free admission.

 Where:  W.D. Holley Plant Environmental Research Center, 630 W. Lake St., Fort Collins.

Thomas Wood, 108th New York Volunteer Infantry

Thank you to everyone who came out today for the tour of the Pioneer Burying Ground.  Despite the constant rain, we had a nice turnout. 

Pittsford Town Historian Audrey Johnson started the tour at the Lusk family plot.  I described how Sarah Hincher Davis Lusk was a pioneer in her own right as she, her six sisters, one brother and parents settled in 1792 the area now known as Charlotte, New York .  After Sarah’s father, William Hincher, died in 1817, her mother Mehitable Moffet Hincher sold 3 1/3 acres of land to the United States Goverment for $400.  In 1822, that land became the site of the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse.  Sarah became a young widow when her first husband, Franklin Davis, died.  However, several years later she met and married widower Stephen Lusk and together they raised a family of 6 children.

Audrey Johnson then discussed the families of Doctor John Ray and Silas Nye.  From there, we headed to the northwest corner of the cemetery to investigate the lives of the Armstrong family.  Caleb Hopkins, the man who gave us the name Pittsford after his hometown of Pittsford VT, followed.  Then we passed by Josiel Farr and his wife Rebecca, whose was the first burial at the Pioneer Burying Ground in 1797.  Ultimately, we concluded with the sad tale of Sarah Wood Osgoodby’s children after discussing her brother, Thomas Wood, who served in the 108th New York Volunteer Infantry.

Unfortunately, the rain cut our tour short and we were unable to discuss the lives of Civil War soldiers Ezra A. Patterson of the 108th New York Volunteer Infantry and George Walters of the 1st Battalion of United States Sharp Shooters.  However, I intend to post Hero Highlights for each of them in Illuminated History within the next week.

Audrey and I are already hard at work planning a Spring tour at the Pittsford Cemetery.  Please check my Cemetery Tours & Speaking Engagements page for information about this and other upcoming events.

El que no sabe por qué camino llegará al mar, debe buscar el río por compañero.

John Ray

Un beso marinero.

Montserrat

• Pintura: Jillian David
  

“En aucune façon, l’homme n’a la constitution d’un carnivore. Chasse et voracité ne lui sont pas naturelles. L’homme n’a ni les dents acérées ni les griffes pour tuer et déchiqueter sa proie. Au contraire, ses mains sont faites pour cueillir des fruits, des baies et des légumes, et ses dents sont appropriées pour les mâcher. – “Tout ce dont nous avons besoin pour nous nourrir, nous restaurer et nous régaler est abondamment pourvu dans le magasin inépuisable de la Nature. Quelle vision agréable, plaisante et innocente qu’ une table frugalement servie, et quelle différence avec un repas composé de chair animale fumante et massacrée. En résumé, nos vergers offrent tous les délices imaginables, tandis que les abattoirs et les boucheries sont pleins de sang coagulé, et d’une abominable puanteur.

John Ray – 1628-1704Botaniste anglais, l’un des plus éminents naturalistes de son temps

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So, I got Deborah Harkness’ The Jewel House in the mail yesterday.  The book is about “the sciences” in London circa 1600, and won last year’s Pfizer Prize from the History of Science Society.  So far I like it a lot.  Essentially, it’s kind of up the same alley as Cook’s Matters of Exchange with some key stylistic differences that I want to discuss later.

What I’d like to discuss now is a sort of uncomfortable relationship writers on early modern natural history seem to have with the idea of the Scientific Revolution.  I keep getting this Rodney Dangerfield “I don’t get no respect!” vibe from the literature, which seems to be born out of this idea that the Sci Rev (as we in the biz call it) was this physics-driven shift in “the way people thought” and a rejection of Ancient authority concerning natural knowledge, or something like that.

Thus we seem to have this burgeoning literature of the “big science” of the 1500s and 1600s (again, a sort of “us too!”, this time against 20th-century large scientific collaborations) insisting that vibrant cultures of natural inquiry existed well prior to the Royal Society, and had little to do with the Copernicus-Galileo-Newton lineage.  Here’s Harkness on the last page of her book:

At present, [the term Scientific Revolution] is being used in the history of science as a context that must surround all efforts to understand natural knowledge during the period from 1400 to 1800 [!]—and this book succumbs to that broad frame.  Even if we believe that it doesn’t exist, or find that it has outlived its usefulness, most historians of science still find they need to explain developments in natural knowledge as “leading up to it” or “resulting from it”.

This makes some sense to me, because it explains Hal Cook telling us that the empiricism of botany and medicine establish a sort of prerequisite to the Sci Rev.  We also have Harkness insisting that it’s OK to use the term “science” to describe these activities, because her actors used the term, whatever we are told about it being a 19th-century invention (the confusion, I think, has to do with a longstanding use of “a science” as a field of inquiry, versus “science” as a method-bound mode of inquiry; see my post on the British Association).

I regard the question “did the Sci Rev exist?” as a nonsensical distraction.  What is more important is to be careful in describing what we mean by it.  I think a lot of the problem has to do with this sort of residual notion that the Sci Rev actually had much to do with “the way people thought”, wherein we have Copernicus dislodging the earth from the center of the universe thereby shattering the Scholastic worldview, and launching the world into a new age of reason (damn those Enlightenment propagandists).*

I would not include Copernicus in the Sci Rev, for instance.  His work, radical as it was, was a pretty wonky affair that stirred up some astronomers, but augured no general shift in thinking.  Nor would I include all this medical and botanical empiricism circa 1600.  It’s not that this stuff isn’t important—it is, and I’m extremely interested in it—but, as Harkness seems to be saying, it shouldn’t be stuck to this great lynchpin in history.  It should have the confidence to stand on its own two feet.

If I had to date the Scientific Revolution, I’d go with 1650-1700, because it represents a point where a lot of different things that are going on—the revolt against Peripatetic natural philosophy, the development of an experimental physics, the development of observational anatomy and experimental physiology, the burgeoning of natural history, the reform of astronomy, the development of fine instruments and mechanisms—all come together as part of a self-conscious enterprise of general inquiry.

The reason the Sci Rev is important is because it provides a sort of institutional rubric for the systematic development of knowledge of all kinds.  It links practice, commentary, knowledge, cosmology, and philosophy (to use the terms of historical inquiry I outlined earlier this week) together in a more continuous way than had previously been done.

Notably, the Sci Rev was not necessarily transformative of inquiry.  As books like Harkness’ and Cook’s ably demonstrate, the development of natural history from the Renaissance to Linnaeus was gradual and nonlinear.  That John Ray came along during the Sci Rev is, I think, more a temporal coincidence than any consequence of the creation of the Royal Society.  Ultimately, the Sci Rev is vitally important to establishing a movement of inquiry that never abates thereafter and that has diverse historical effects: quickening technological development, assaulting university philosophy, inspiring Enlightenment-era thought…  However, its presence should not affect our periodization of individual traditions of inquiry.

So, what can we say about natural historical and medical traditions of inquiry predating the Scientific Revolution?  Well, they’re extremely important, because they bring together two medieval traditions in a productive way: a written tradition of what I usually refer to as “lore” which indifferently blends Aristotle with “books of secrets” and “bestiaries” and what not, with a more practical tradition, in a way that improves the quality of lore—cataloging and debating the properties of objects, and developing a detailed global cosmology, with some fringe assaults on Scholastic philosophy (clearly articulated by Francis Bacon), particularly in the case of debates on fossils.

The alignment of written and practical traditions strikes me as generally in line with what we know about the concerns of Renaissance Europe.  I mean, I think it’s well-agreed that the Renaissance was an intellectually vibrant period, so I don’t see any need to defend a study of its broad cultures of inquiry, just because Aristotle was still in vogue, and the Scientific Revolution hadn’t officially occurred yet.  To me it seems preferable to extending the boundaries of the Sci Rev only for the sake of encompassing the epistemic changes in all the fields bound up into it.

*Now I have this image of Copernicus prying the earth loose with a crowbar (a la Archimedes), and it goes rolling down a flight of stairs, crashing through a glass door/celestial sphere, and rolling off to freedom in the hills, like Chief in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.  Great.

“A alegria compartilhada é uma alegria dobrada.” (John Ray)

“A virtude, o estudo e a alegria são três irmãos que não devem viver separados.” (Voltaire)

“Se exagerássemos em nossas alegrias como fazemos em nossas perdas, nossos problemas perderiam toda sua importância.” (Autor desconhecido)

“A alegria de ver e entender é o mais perfeito dom da natureza.” (Albert Einstein)

“Apague com um sorriso, toda a tristeza que lhe invade a alma. Assim não dará os que te odeiam a alegria de te ver chorando, mas dará aos que te amam a alegria de te ver sorrindo.” (Autor desconhecido)

“A alegria da alma constitui os belos dias da vida, seja qual for a época.” (Sócrates)

“A alegria abre, a tristeza fecha o coração.” (São Francisco de Sales)

“Adormeci e sonhei que a vida era alegria; despertei e vi que a vida era serviço; servi e vi que o serviço era alegria.” (Rabindranath Tagore)

“Há duas fontes perenes de alegria pura: o bem realizado e o dever cumprido.” (Eduardo Girão)

“O pecado é o motivo de tua tristeza. Deixa que a santidade seja o motivo de tua alegria.” (Santo Agostinho)

“A alegria e o amor são as duas grandes asas para os grandes feitos.” (Goethe)

“A vida revela-se ao mundo como uma alegria. Há alegria no jogo eternamente variado dos seus matizes, na música das suas vozes, na dança dos seus movimentos. A morte não pode ser verdade enquanto não desaparecer a alegria do coração do ser humano.” (Rabindranath Tagore)

“A alegria não está nas coisas: está em nós.” (Goethe)

“O desgosto e a alegria dependem mais do que somos do que daquilo que nos acontece.” (Multatuli)

“Uma alegria compartilhada transforma-se numa dupla alegria; uma tristeza compartilhada em meia tristeza.” (Autor desconhecido)

“O bom humor espalha mais felicidade que todas as riquezas do mundo. Vem do hábito de olhar para as coisas com esperança e de esperar o melhor e não o pior.” (Alfred Armand Montapert)

“A prova mais clara de sabedoria é uma alegria constante.”
(Michel de Montaigne)

“Escreves-me e eu copio “A minha alegria e a minha paz. Nunca poderei ter verdadeira alegria se não tiver paz. E o que é a paz? A paz é consequência da vitória. A paz exige de mim uma contínua luta. Sem luta, não poderei ter paz.” (Josemaría Escrivá)

“A busca de Deus é a busca da alegria. O encontro com Deus é a própria alegria.” (Santo Agostinho)

“A alegria adquire-se. É uma atitude de coragem. Ser alegre não é fácil, é um ato de vontade.” (Gaston Courtois)

“O segundo sintoma da morte de nossos sonhos são as nossas certezas. Porque não queremos olhar a vida como uma grande aventura a ser vivida, passamos a nos julgar sábios no pouco que pedimos da existência. E não percebemos a imensa Alegria que está no coração de quem está lutando.” (Autor desconhecido)

“Uma das alegrias da amizade é saber em quem confiar.” (Alessandro Manzoni)

“Não tenho decepções, pois a quem só espera sofrimentos, a mínima alegria o surpreende.” (Santa Teresa)

“Deveríamos patentear as nossas alegrias e ocultar os nossos pesares.” (Thomas Fuller)

“Todas as alegrias são fugitivas, menos a de sentir-se puro e bom.”
(José Maria Vigil)

“As alegrias não ficam; voam e fogem.” (Marcial)

“O homem hoje, para ser salvo, só tem necessidade de uma coisa: abrir o coração à alegria.” (Bertrand Russel)

“As alegrias revividas nunca morrem.” (James Montgomery)

“É preferível a tristeza de quem suporta a iniquidade do que a alegria de quem a comete.” (Santo Agostinho)

“A alegria que deves ter não é aquela a que poderíamos chamar fisiológica, de animal sadio, mas uma outra, sobrenatural, que procede de abandonar tudo e de te abandonares a ti mesmo nos braços carinhosos do nosso Deus-Pai.” (Josemaría Escrivá)

“A verdadeira alegria, crê-me, é coisa muito séria.” (Sêneca)

“A maior alegria que podemos dar a Maria Santíssima é a de levar Jesus Eucarístico no nosso peito.” (Santo Hilário)

“A alegria extremada anuncia uma ventura medíocre e passageira.” (Plutarco)

“Não há maior desventura que a falta de alegria. (Francisco de Quevedo)

“Quantas alegrias são pisadas e esmagadas porque as pessoas levantam os olhos para o céus e são indiferentes ao que está a seus pés.”
(Catharina Elisabeth Goethe)

Agora la luita per estar o més ejpañol d’o Reino se’n trescola t’o Conzello de Zaragoza (Retratos rojigualdas, Aragón Colonial, 04.11.08). O Gran Siñal Belloquiano contina fendo buena prensa sobre qué semos y enta do petenamos (difuera u aintro d’ambiesta constituzional). Una proposta de CHA ta cambear de puesto lo GSB estié refusata per os botos en cuentra de PPSOE y l’abstenzión de PAR e IU. O PSOE charra d’as baluras d’a Constituzión (¿?), o PP trestalla l’aragonesidá d’esbotar autos colonials (p.e. os d’o zaguer 5 d’otubre), o PAR niega os conflitos d’identidá (ergo no esistimos) e IU parla d’una estrania combibenzia. O millor ye o charrazo de Juan Martín (CHA), engarcholato en a suya dualidá, se siente aragonés, y en efeuto tamién español.

Pos ixo: “Ver es creer, pero sentir es estar seguro” (John Ray).

Sorry about the delay in completing my AMOA coverage – I just wasn’t at a proper computer to do so most of yesterday. But now getting back into it here is some information I got from GlobalVR at their booth. When you first approached it the most obvious thing on display was Need For Speed Carbon, thanks to the large banner and the bright color scheme (yellow). They had two deluxe and two standard cabinets there and later on they will have a motion cabinet for NFS Carbon as well. As you know, this was first released as a kit but surprisingly there were no converted NFS cabs to be seen. One thing I did not know prior to the show was what exactly came with a kit but they had fliers there to show you what you get, which also includes a plastic marquee shell that can make the top look like the standard dedicated version of the game along with a new backplate for the chairs and artwork for the sides (as you can see in the flier pictured to the right here, just click on the thumbnail to expand). Some other details I uncovered about the game include that the graphics card is from the nVidia 9600 series and you can use previous NFS cards on this one as it has a card reader device. I was able to play the game for a few minutes (before the fire started, which again probably had to do with the fact that they had to share the booth with TrioTech which has a number of big games which probably pull an awful lot of amps) and I was impressed with what I played – the graphics are slick and the sound is just downright amazing. I still haven’t played the console version of the game but I have a feeling that the arcade version once again is better. I did not get a chance to play the Drift track so I can’t say how that works but the idea of a NOS pedal is pretty cool. The presentation that the cabinet itself produces with lights is also eye-catching and there were people playing this game all the time.

I also was able to see the NASCAR update, which adds the Atlanta Motor Speedway, the Watkins Glen Road Course and of course the updated rosters and Car of Tomorrow.  In case you’re like me and have no idea what the whole Car of Tomorrow thing is about, click here to find out more. (Everytime I hear that term I think back to an old 60’s short ad film called Design For Dreaming where they use that term a lot, it’s a really bizarre film and the only way to watch it is with MST3k). I did get some video from the Atlanta Motor Speedway track, it looks really good although I didn’t get a chance to play it (I did record it though as you can see below). I’m not sure, but they might have updated the song list which is one of my favorite things about the game – right now I still have one of the songs stuck in my head.

In addition to that they also had a Blazing Angels, a GlobalVR Classics Collection and Paradise Lost inside a new cabinet that was designed for Aliens: Extermination. I also had some great conversations with some of the GVR staff, including the marketing director Caryn Mical and John Ray, who spent much of his career working for Atari (both Atari and Atari Games respectively). He worked on games such as KLAX, Pit Fighter, Guardians of the Hood and the entire Rush series. I know he played a major role in creating Rush 2049, one of my favorite racers of all time. We had a great conversation about the arcade industry, past and present as well as some technical details with the games as that is his specialty. I asked about Justice League too – it looks like they are waiting to reveal it still because (to paraphrase a little) “Warner is very happy with the game but we are not just yet – we want it to be perfect”. But I believe that we will find out more in the next few months – I did try to unearth some extra details about how the game actually works but we’ll have to wait. I did find out that the game is NOT based on any of the current titles on game consoles which are using the Justice League title and it’s completely original and exclusive to arcades.

And here are the videos:

NASCAR Racing

Need For Speed Carbon Arcade

[Discuss on the Forums]