Benjamin J.S. Cahill’s Contributions To The World

From the map inset:

“THE NEW STYLE WORLD MAP IS MADE BY CUTTING CROSSES AT 6 EQUIDISTANT POINTS ON THE COVERING OF A SPHERE WHICH IS THEN LAID OUT FLAT.

THE BUTTERFLY MAP

SHOWS THE WORLD JUST ABOUT AS ONE SEES IT ON A GLOBE WITHOUT EXAGGERATION OR DISTORTION OR ERRORS OF DISTANCE, AREA, OR DIRECTION. LONG DISTANCE FLIGHTS ALL OVER THE WORLD CAN BE ACCURATELY COMPARED ON THIS MAP AS ON NO OTHER.”


Bernard Joseph Stanislaus Cahill (1866–1944), cartographer and Architect, was the inventor of the octahedral “Butterfly Map” (published 1909; patented 1913).


At the start of his professional career in 1896, Cahill participated in the Phoebe Hearst competition for the design of the U. C. Berkeley campus. He was elected an Associate Member of the A.I.A. in 1899. He wrote articles for the “California Architect and Building News” and later for “The Architect and Engineer.” An early advocate of city planning, Cahill helped to define the concept of a “civic center” with his 1904 design of the San Francisco Civic Center, which he felt was the basis for the plan adopted by the city in 1912. He continued to be involved in the plan for the city, and wrote letters to the editor and articles expressing his ideas on the proper plan.

A specialist in mausoleum design and mortuary architecture, Cahill designed the catacombs and columbarium for the Cypress Lawn Cemetery, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (San Francisco), Evergreen Memorial Cemetery Memorial Building (Oakland), the St. Mary’s Cemetery mausoleum (Sacramento), and the Diamond Head Memorial Park in Honolulu [more here].


[Map found here.]

Hot Links and Airbags

Puke.

Asparagus FAQ.

Vindshield Viper.

There’s a lobster loose.

Arguing on Twitter is like

Norm MacDonald is Polish.

How to introduce yourself to a dog.

The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo.

From the Fun Facts to Know and Tell Department: The English words “banana” and “yummy” supposedly come from Wolof, a language spoken in Senegal.

Awesome. Honda airbags were recalled a few years ago and now the replacement airbags have been recalled also.

[Top image from here.]

Saturday Matinee – Birdie Num Num, Death Pop, Favela Brass, The Fabulous Thunderbirds and Jimmie Vaughan

A scene from The Party, a 1968 cult movie starring Peter Sellers.

I’m at a loss. Annoying death metal band lip-synchs to annoying pop band.

Favela means “slum” or “shantytown” in Portuguese. Awesome happens about 0:40 in. More here.

The Fabulous Thunderbirds were (and are) entirely awesome. Great lineup, including Jimmie Vaughan.

Yeah. Wait. That.

Have a great weekend, folks. Might have to go dark next week due to unfortunate family business, but don’t worry. We’ll be back soon enough.

 

The .Gif Friday Post No. 582 – Ice Ice Baby, Russian Generator & Pop’s House

[Found here, here and here.]

The Blue Angels

About midway through the Cleveland Air Races in 1946 an event placed somewhat inconspicuously on the program was dutifully announced over the public address system. The man said that a Navy Flight Exhibition team in four Grumman Bearcat fighters would demonstrate Navy precision flying in formation. On the team were a Lieutenant Commander, a Lieutenant and two Lieutenants Junior Grade. They were all Naval Aviators with combat records.

[…]

Such a four-plane formation employed so skillfully in the last war [WWII] gave cause for its leader, out-numbered fifteen to one, to exclaim without hesitation,

“Red Leader to Carrier, I have 60 Zeros surrounded and am proceeding to attack!” All of his four planes got back and were accredited 17 “kills.”


This week in 1946 Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Chester W. Nimitz ordered the creation of a flight demonstration team. In 1949, the team took the name Blue Angels.

This 1950 Proceedings article explains the Blue Angels’ early history.

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