One of the most famous fables,
variations of Snow White appear in more than 400 versions of
fairy tales around the world. The most well-known version is
actually called “ Snowdrop” and comes from Grimms’ Children’s
and Household Tales . It was later tweaked into a more familiar
format by the folklorist Andrew Lang and eventually adapted by
Walt Disney.
In this version, the queen wished for a child and a baby girl
was born; her hair was as dark as ebony and her skin was so fair
and pure that her mother named her Snow White. After the queen
died, her father married a woman who was vain and wicked, who
would stand in front of a magic mirror asking who was the
fairest woman in the land. The mirror always replied “My Queen,
you are the fairest one of all”, until one day an answer came
that threw her into a rage – Snow White was now the fairest
woman in all the land.
Snow White’s step-mother, furious at what the mirror had told
her, ordered a huntsman to take her into the forest and kill
her, taking the girl’s heart as a proof. The huntsman felt
sympathy for Snow White and let her free, bringing the Evil
Queen a deer’s heart instead. Snow White came upon a small
cottage and, feeling exhausted, collapsed into one of the beds
and fell into a deep sleep. When she awoke, seven dwarfs were
looking down upon her. They told Snow White she could stay with
them as long as she cleaned and cooked.
Snow White and the dwarfs lived in contentment, until one day
when the magic mirror told the Queen that Snow White was alive
and was still the fairest of them all. The Queen disguised
herself as an old woman and presented Snow White with a poisoned
apple. After taking a bite of the apple, Snow White fell
unconscious. The dwarfs, assuming she was dead, built a glass
coffin and placed her inside.
In the animated movie, the prince convinced the dwarfs to let
him give her one last kiss - that became the most popular
version. She awakened and the prince declared his love for her.
They were married, and as all fairy tales go, they lived happily
ever after.
Other versions include, "Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree” - “Maria,
the Wicked Stepmother, and the Seven Robbers” - ”Snow-White and
Rose-Red“ and "The Young Slave."
Incidentally, Disney announced a live-action feature
retelling Snow White’s tale from her sister’s perspective,
Rose Red.
Feb 24, 2017
Free Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York
City announced last week that 375,000 high resolution images of
artworks in its collection are now under the Creative Commons
Zero license. This means hundreds of thousands of artworks can
now be accessed, downloaded, and used, without needing to ask
for permission or being afraid of lawsuits.
Now you can download some real art, make it any size you like with your computer, go get a frame, and hang works from the masters on your wall for a fraction of the cost of an original. Some might like to use them for screen savers. You can search or peruse the collections here. LINK
Now you can download some real art, make it any size you like with your computer, go get a frame, and hang works from the masters on your wall for a fraction of the cost of an original. Some might like to use them for screen savers. You can search or peruse the collections here. LINK
Apple Museum
Speaking of art, there is an Apple Museum
in Prague, Czech Republic.
Not sure why this place was chosen, but seems like a full
fledged museum dedicated to rare Apple devices and Steve Jobs'
memorabilia, and rare Apple souvenirs from private collectors.
The memorabilia in the museum dates from 1976 to 2012. The artifacts on display include mostly every printer, joystick, mouse, and PC, as well as software representations. One exhibit includes two long tables which showcase how the iPod and iPhone have evolved over time. The collections tell the story of Jobs along with the hardware.
Also included are high school yearbooks with Jobs and Steve Wozniak, the co-founder. Going beyond Apple, it includes Pixar and NeXT items which are representative Jobs time with those companies. Next time you are in Prague, might be an interesting side trip.
The memorabilia in the museum dates from 1976 to 2012. The artifacts on display include mostly every printer, joystick, mouse, and PC, as well as software representations. One exhibit includes two long tables which showcase how the iPod and iPhone have evolved over time. The collections tell the story of Jobs along with the hardware.
Also included are high school yearbooks with Jobs and Steve Wozniak, the co-founder. Going beyond Apple, it includes Pixar and NeXT items which are representative Jobs time with those companies. Next time you are in Prague, might be an interesting side trip.
Zinc and Colds
It is one of the few ingredients linked
to shortening a cold. Unlike Vitamin C, which studies have found
likely does nothing to prevent or treat the common cold, zinc
may actually be worth it. The mineral seems to interfere with
the replication of rhinoviruses, the bugs that cause the common
cold.
In a 2011 review of studies of people who recently became ill, researchers looked at those who started taking zinc and compared them with those who just took a placebo. The ones on the zinc had shorter colds and less severe symptoms.
In a 2011 review of studies of people who recently became ill, researchers looked at those who started taking zinc and compared them with those who just took a placebo. The ones on the zinc had shorter colds and less severe symptoms.
Online Jury Duty
Many do not like jury duty, but did you
know you can perform jury duty from the comfort of your own home
and make money doing it?
Lawyers will post a case summary and verdict questions to the OnlineVerdict, with the option of having 25 or 50 jury-eligible people review the case facts and provide feedback on the case issues. Registered jurors in the venue the case was filed will receive an email invitation to review the case, and when completed, will receive payment for their time. Juror feedback is tabulated and presented to the lawyer or legal professional who posted the case.
Each case review may take anywhere from 20-60 minutes to complete depending on the length of the case summary and the number of attorney-provided questions. Juror payment amounts ($20-$60) reflect the amount of time estimated to review a case. The web site for more info is LINK
Lawyers will post a case summary and verdict questions to the OnlineVerdict, with the option of having 25 or 50 jury-eligible people review the case facts and provide feedback on the case issues. Registered jurors in the venue the case was filed will receive an email invitation to review the case, and when completed, will receive payment for their time. Juror feedback is tabulated and presented to the lawyer or legal professional who posted the case.
Each case review may take anywhere from 20-60 minutes to complete depending on the length of the case summary and the number of attorney-provided questions. Juror payment amounts ($20-$60) reflect the amount of time estimated to review a case. The web site for more info is LINK
Robo Marimba
Here is something you do not see every day. It
is a robot that plays music in relation to what human musicians
are playing.
Shimon, engineer Guy Hoffman’s robot musician, does not play programmed music, it improvises in ensembles with human players, communicating with a expressive head and favoring musical ideas that are unlikely to be chosen by humans, so as to lead the performance in genuinely novel directions.
The robot combines computational modeling of music perception, interaction, and improvisation, with the capacity to produce melodic acoustic responses in physical and visual manners. Shimon has performed with human musicians in dozens of concerts and festivals from DLD in Munich Germany, the US Science Festival in Washington DC, the Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle WA, and Google IO in San Francisco. Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology is Shimon’s patron.
Here is a three minute example of the pleasant outcome. LINK
Shimon, engineer Guy Hoffman’s robot musician, does not play programmed music, it improvises in ensembles with human players, communicating with a expressive head and favoring musical ideas that are unlikely to be chosen by humans, so as to lead the performance in genuinely novel directions.
The robot combines computational modeling of music perception, interaction, and improvisation, with the capacity to produce melodic acoustic responses in physical and visual manners. Shimon has performed with human musicians in dozens of concerts and festivals from DLD in Munich Germany, the US Science Festival in Washington DC, the Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle WA, and Google IO in San Francisco. Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology is Shimon’s patron.
Here is a three minute example of the pleasant outcome. LINK
Wordology, Roughshod
We see this word in the expression "to run/ride roughshod" over somebody or something, meaning to tyrannize or treat harshly.
It came about as a way to describe the 17th century version of snow tires. A "rough-shod" horse had its shoes attached with protruding nail heads in order to get a better grip on slippery roads. It was great for keeping the horse on its feet, but not so great for anyone the horse might step on.
It came about as a way to describe the 17th century version of snow tires. A "rough-shod" horse had its shoes attached with protruding nail heads in order to get a better grip on slippery roads. It was great for keeping the horse on its feet, but not so great for anyone the horse might step on.
Feb 19, 2017
Happy Friday
Smiles are like honey, sweet to the soul, and health to the
bones.
I always share sweet smiles, especially on a Happy Friday!
I always share sweet smiles, especially on a Happy Friday!
Gravity Myth
Many
believe there is no gravity in space. Astronauts appear weightless
in space, so there is an assumption that space is a place with
zero gravity. That assumption carries no weight.
There is less gravity in space, but the idea that there is none is factually incorrect. There is gravity on Earth, on the moon, and on the sun. It all around us. The reason why space allows humans to be weightless is because they are gravitating toward the Earth at the same rate as their ships.
There is less gravity in space, but the idea that there is none is factually incorrect. There is gravity on Earth, on the moon, and on the sun. It all around us. The reason why space allows humans to be weightless is because they are gravitating toward the Earth at the same rate as their ships.
Coffee Grounds Uses
Coffee grounds serve a dual purpose
when it comes to cleaning pots and pans. Grounds attract and
absorb grease and oil, making them an ideal candidate, with dish
soap for removing excess grease from a pan.
Coffee
attracts worms and their presence means a healthy garden. Also,
the acidity in the grounds keeps snails and slugs away. The
grounds alter the pH level of soil, which can result in new
colors for flowers.
Sprinkling grounds over wood before setting a fire can stop ashes from flying around.
After rinsing your hands, scrub them with used grounds, and then wash to remove the smell of garlic or fish from them. The grounds exfoliate your skin and remove dead tissue, which is where much of the smell resides.
Coffee grounds as a skin scrub can help revitalize your face and reduce cellulite.
Put a bowl of grounds in the back of the fridge, and another in the freezer. Some people argue that raw grounds work as the best deodorizer, while others claim used grounds are best. Try a half-and-half mixture.
Sprinkling grounds over wood before setting a fire can stop ashes from flying around.
After rinsing your hands, scrub them with used grounds, and then wash to remove the smell of garlic or fish from them. The grounds exfoliate your skin and remove dead tissue, which is where much of the smell resides.
Coffee grounds as a skin scrub can help revitalize your face and reduce cellulite.
Put a bowl of grounds in the back of the fridge, and another in the freezer. Some people argue that raw grounds work as the best deodorizer, while others claim used grounds are best. Try a half-and-half mixture.
Millennials overtake Baby Boomers
It finally happened,
Millennials are now America’s largest generation according to
population estimates from the US Census Bureau. Millennials,
those ages 18-34 in 2015, now number 75.4 million, surpassing
the 74.9 million Baby Boomers, ages 51-69. Generation X, ages
35-50 in 2015 is projected to pass the Boomers in population by
2028.
The Millennial generation continues to grow as young immigrants expand its ranks. Boomers, whose generation was defined by the boom in US births following World War II are older and their numbers shrinking as their number of deaths exceeds the number of older immigrants arriving in the country. With immigration adding more numbers to its group than any other, the Millennial population is projected to peak in 2036 at 81.1 million.
Pew Research Center established that the oldest Millennial was born in 1981 and the youngest Millennial was born in 1997.
The Millennial generation continues to grow as young immigrants expand its ranks. Boomers, whose generation was defined by the boom in US births following World War II are older and their numbers shrinking as their number of deaths exceeds the number of older immigrants arriving in the country. With immigration adding more numbers to its group than any other, the Millennial population is projected to peak in 2036 at 81.1 million.
Pew Research Center established that the oldest Millennial was born in 1981 and the youngest Millennial was born in 1997.
Unseen World
A friend of mine, John Mascitti passed
along this great Ted Talk. Fast and slow motion from the minute
to the enormous. Seven minutes of wonder. LINK
Amethyst
It is a
semiprecious stone and is the traditional birthstone for
February. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/amethyst
1250-1300; Latin amethystus, Greek améthystos not intoxicating, not intoxicated (so called from a belief that it prevented drunkenness)
The ancient Greeks wore amethyst and made drinking vessels decorated with it in the belief that it would prevent intoxication. It is one of several forms of quartz.
1250-1300; Latin amethystus, Greek améthystos not intoxicating, not intoxicated (so called from a belief that it prevented drunkenness)
The ancient Greeks wore amethyst and made drinking vessels decorated with it in the belief that it would prevent intoxication. It is one of several forms of quartz.
Wordology, Nasothek
A
collection of noses is a Nasothek.
Classical statues tend to lose their noses, and during the 19th century museums would commonly replace them with “restoration” noses, to preserve the appearance of the original sculpture.
During the 20th century some museums changed philosophies and “de-restored” their collections, thinking it better to present each piece in its authentic state. This created a excess of noses, and some museums collect these into displays of their own. I make no claims about which one might resemble mine.
Incidentally, Gutzon Borglum, who also sculpted Mount Rushmore, sculpted the Capitol bust of Abraham Lincoln - with just one ear. He believed that the dualities of Lincoln’s personality (hard as rock, soft as velvet) were reflected in the opposite sides of his face, with the right strong and masculine, the left soft and feminine. Borglum said of Lincoln’s face, “You see half-smile, half-sadness; half anger, half-forgiveness; half-determination, half-pause; a mixture of expression that drew accurately the middle course he would follow.” If you look at the left side, you do not see an ear. Borglum explained that he purposely omitted the ear because he wished attention to be drawn to the stronger right side of the face.
Classical statues tend to lose their noses, and during the 19th century museums would commonly replace them with “restoration” noses, to preserve the appearance of the original sculpture.
During the 20th century some museums changed philosophies and “de-restored” their collections, thinking it better to present each piece in its authentic state. This created a excess of noses, and some museums collect these into displays of their own. I make no claims about which one might resemble mine.
Incidentally, Gutzon Borglum, who also sculpted Mount Rushmore, sculpted the Capitol bust of Abraham Lincoln - with just one ear. He believed that the dualities of Lincoln’s personality (hard as rock, soft as velvet) were reflected in the opposite sides of his face, with the right strong and masculine, the left soft and feminine. Borglum said of Lincoln’s face, “You see half-smile, half-sadness; half anger, half-forgiveness; half-determination, half-pause; a mixture of expression that drew accurately the middle course he would follow.” If you look at the left side, you do not see an ear. Borglum explained that he purposely omitted the ear because he wished attention to be drawn to the stronger right side of the face.
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