Technology, Books and Other Neat Stuff

More Chihuly glass works, again from his bridge at Tacoma's Museum Of Glass. This time, looking up...

Chihuly's glass ceilings often resemble fantastic seascapes, coral reefs of glass that spread out in inverted splendour. The bridge takes things further, the glass works laid on glass, allowing Chihuly to layer additional forms.

Here, like a mutant "Finding Nemo", pixarian shapes slide over and around glass shelves and jellies...

A wonderful view. One I could have looked at for hours.

Tacoma. November 2005

Get a hat!

A news piece from the Discovery Channel reveals how scientists deciphered the language of squirrels. They threw a hat at them.

Hare and his team coaxed squirrels to emit alarm calls by tossing a tan-colored brimmed hat in front of the animals. The hat mimics a bird or animal predator in color and can move low and fast.

[...]

"In effect then, whistles that incorporate chucks say 'there's a predator of moderate threat that's here,' whistles without chucks say 'there's a predator of seemingly moderate threat around here somewhere,' while chirps that in nature don't incorporate chucks say, "I'm ducking for cover here because there's an immediate danger,'" Hare told Discovery News.

So if a rain of acorns suddenly dislodges your fedora, you know who to blame. Because the squirrels will have finally organised and will be defending themselves against their natural felted predators...

I for one welcome our new furry little overlords.

"Whistle, chuck, chuck, whistle. Chirp!"

...while making the classic 1984 commercial.

Many of the professional fashion models and actresses had difficulty spinning in place and then accurately throwing the sledgehammer as called for in the script. In fact, one errant sledgehammer toss almost killed an old lady walking down a path in Hyde Park where the casting call was being held. As luck would have it, one model, Anya Major, was also an experienced discus thrower and was hired to play the female lead because she looked the part and didn't get dizzy when spinning around preparing to hurl the hammer.

Read the entire thrilling story, and see how a classic advert nearly didn't get shown...

And remember:

"My friends, each of you is a single cell in the great body of the State. And today, that great body has purged itself of parasites. We have triumphed over the unprincipled dissemination of facts. The thugs and wreckers have been cast out. And the poisonous weeds of disinformation have been consigned to the dustbin of history. Let each and every cell rejoice! For today we celebrate the first, glorious anniversary of the Information Purification Directive! We have created, for the first time in all history, a garden of pure ideology, where each worker may bloom secure from the pests of contradictory and confusing truths. Our Unification of Thought is a more powerful weapon than any fleet or army on Earth! We are one people. With one will. One resolve. One cause. Our enemies shall talk themselves to death. And we will bury them with their own confusion! We shall prevail!"

Just a little bit of politics. My name's Big Brother. Goodnight.

...as the good old Form E111 you needed to have if you were to get free medical treatment in Europe goes away.

If you travel to Europe you'll need to apply for a European Health Insurance Card instead.

It's easy enough to do - all you'll need is your NI number - and you can do it online.

...was a hiking pole that converted into a monopod...



mmm... REI goodness...

And yes, we did go to Frys!