“The science behind what makes these sculptures move is called a homopolar motor: a direct current electric motor that produces constant circular motion. They’re remarkably easy to build. Yukawa’s sculptures, on the other hand, are not. To build the homopolar motar, all you need is a small magnet on one end of a battery. Then place a free-standing conducting wire on top, thus completing the circuit.”
[Found here.]
[Found in here.]
Spinning Wilson’s Phalaropes [via].
When The Levee Breaks [original version].
Life under socialism in 2019. THIS IS A MUST READ.
Haka for Mr. Dawson Tamatea’s Funeral Service 2015.
From the This-Will-Creep-You-Out Dept.: Chinese man complained of hearing scratching sounds.
Norwegian salmon pan-fried with lemon pepper and sumac, on a salad of kale, green leaf lettuce, bean sprouts, and pickled roasted red peppers, with maple balsamic dressing.
I’ll pass. Gimme a bag o’ sliders instead.
[Top image found here.]
The Password [via].
Seen that scene many times, but it wasn’t until recently that I connected it to something I read years ago.
The Code Breakers” by David Kahn is a classic book on the history of cryptology. In Chapter 2 he described the simple alphabet letter-shift that every schoolboy knows, but then he double-encrypts the shift with a password. Kahn used SWORDFISH as an example.
Using a simple alphabet shift from A to B:
TACKYRACCOONS reads SZBIXQZBBNNMR. Lot of repeated letters, but if you add a key like SWORDFISH to the shift, you get LWQBVGIUJGKJ, and it’s tougher to crack. That’s kind of how the WWII German Enigma machine worked.
Leadbelly cover found here.
Grace Slick’s vocals (sans backup music) on White Rabbit creeps me right out [via]. “Remember what the door mouse said.” Oh shut up. Go feed your cats or something.
I need an aural palate cleanser after that one, so let’s roll with this:
Yeah, Ernie Andrews, one of the greatest big band soul singers of all time, and “Do I Worry” is one of my all-time favorites.
Have a great weekend or two, folks. We’ll keep the porch light on.
[Image found here.]
[Found here, and there’s more at the link.]
[Top graphic found here. Booker T. Jones‘ image found here.]
I read an opinion recently in a nation-wide Sunday publication [Parade Magazine] suggesting that organ donation should be mandatory by default, unless a person acts and chooses to “opt out.” Think that one through, and it should scare the hell out of you.
Tacky Raccoons 