Today, I have no time to comment on this new discovery, but shall link to it for your enjoyment. I enjoy Maria Popova’s BrainPickings blog and today’s article about Beatrix Potter is not only beautifully written and well annotated with other “deeper dive” links but certainly educated me about the surprising, formidable dimensions of beloved … Continue reading
Subject of a book, a popular movie, praised for her admirable fitness regimen and now dissenting yet again on a 5-4 vote pushing back workers’ rights, yes, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg–affectionately monikered RBG, doth dissent. Despite my respect for her brilliant legal mind and years of service, I now give her no credit … Continue reading
This footage, (seen at minute 3.2) from a location near the North Pole has been seen by only 45,000 people on YouTube. It’s already 4 years old. It’s as dramatic as one might find, showing rivers of water pouring out of ice shelves in Svalbard, the northernmost inhabited place in the world. Svalbard is an … Continue reading
Hark! A fruitful new study documents the evolution of the luscious tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) from the inside out. A collaboration among three leading-edge research institutions delivers imagery and a deeper dive into tomato genetics than your average tomato lover can genuinely absorb, but it sure is fascinating stuff. You will never have appreciated more the … Continue reading
Latest from the journal Nature: Neurons store and transmit information in the brain. Credit: CNRI/SPL Continue reading
Some hikers have witnessed dangerous flash floods that can occur in minutes–and lived to tell the tale. I’ve never seen one. The River Zin in the Negev desert in Israel just offered mother nature’s dramatic example of a river roaring back to life. Of course, it’s particularly remarkable in a desert. The drop off into … Continue reading
African art has captivated collectors for millennia. This video offers fascinating behind-the-scenes views of the production and expert weaving of Spider silk by craftsman in Madagascar. Observe the close-up ‘manufacturing” extrusion methods and hand weaving of historical design patterns into sophisticated, invaluable textiles, cherished by museums and private collectors. The differences between spider and worm … Continue reading
This review contributed to the momentum among Arts Club of Washington volunteer readers and referrals of excellence to the judges. Lesser’s book was awarded the 2018 Marfield Prize. Wendy Lesser has done a masterful job in “You Say to Brick: The Life of Louis Kahn, presenting Kahn– “the man” and “the architect”. Her portrayal is … Continue reading
A friend sent me Annie Proulx’s speech upon accepting the National Book Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Once mercifully beyond Anne Hathaway’s vacuous attempt at an introduction, Proulx’s speech starts after the 47 minute mark. If only her words could be genuinely cathartic and we could wake up to realize that we’ve been … Continue reading
Whether for welcome camouflage in tight quarters, tantalizing droplets of seduction or a simple flight of reverie, perfume enchants us all. Today’s marvelous NYT story tells that tale and more–the article merits a few moments of reading/travel log daydreaming and sparked this writer’s curiosity. The French like to say they invented the concept of perfume in … Continue reading
curated eclectica 