Friday 15 February 2013

10 items that are definitely NOT work-related (at least not to MY work)

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The Unknown Flapper: 1920
via Shorpy Historical Photo Archive – Vintage Fine Art Prints by Dave
The Unknown Flapper: 1920
New York circa 1920
One of six similar Bain News Service portraits labeled “Soot”
Who can put a first name to this memorable face?
View original post [and find out what the young lady's name was]

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Arts & Letters Daily – ideas, criticism, debate
One was an upstart clad in pink and purple, the other an acknowledged genius. Florence wasn’t big enough for both Michelangelo and Leonardo... more

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Geek Trivia: Uranus Was Almost Named What?
via How-To Geek by Jason Fitzpatrick
  1. George
  2. Andromeda
  3. Urmeatus
  4. Ukranius
Think you know the answer?
Check it out here

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Solar System Exploration – Who is Visiting Who?
via How-To Geek by Asian Angel

Are you curious about the spacecraft we have exploring other planets and moons in our solar system (excluding the Sun and Earth)?
Then this awesome chart will quickly bring you up to date!
You can view the full-size version of the chart at Solar System Exploration [Chart Geek]

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Arts & Letters Daily – ideas, criticism, debate
The English Everyman edition of Wodehouse now numbers 84 volumes. A half-dozen biographies are in print, too. Is there anything more to say? Well, yes... more

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Antarctica: Land of the Complicated Time Zones
via How-To Geek by Jason Fitzpatrick

If you thought the time zones in your country were a big enough hassle [which, of course, they are not in the UK as we only have one zone], you’ll find the hodgepodge of time zones observed in Antarctica an outright mess. Although logically Antarctic, situated at the Earth’s southern pole, should have a bit of each longitudinally defined time zone in it.
Instead, the scarcely populated continent is a patchwork quilt of time zones dependent upon which country claims territorial rights there and/or which research stations are active in each section.
Time in Antarctica [Wikipedia][via io9]
It may look odd in terms of time-zones but it does make for an interesting design!

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Dragons in Books
via AbeBooks’ Reading Copy by Beth Carswell

Is there a creature more fantastical than the dragon?
From fierce, fire-breathing serpents to wise telepathic companions, literature has told tales of these mythical beasts for generations.
Some of the best fantasy, science fiction and myth revolve around them.
Fierce or friendly, wise or goofy, winged and scaly, literature is full of remarkable dragons to explore.
This one was a lot of fun to research, since the dragons in books often differ widely from one another. Some are telepathic, some can breathe or swim underwater, some are fire-breathing, and some can even teleport. There don't seem to be too many hard and fast rules around dragons. I suppose they’re like vampires in that way (some sparkle in sunlight while others burst into flame, some can fly and some can’t, some drink blood like vicious fanged fiends and some skulk about in shadows, brooding and pouting) – if it’s a fictional, mythical creation, authors really embrace the freedom to apply their own rules, for better or worse.
Literary Dragons

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Arts & Letters Daily – ideas, criticism, debate
“Girl-woman earthiness”, “sassy kitten”, “a sexual prop used to sell movies and jeans”. Oh, the trouble that comes from men writing about women... more

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1911 : Chester E. McDuffee’s patented diving suit
via Retronaut by Chris Wild

I tried to find out a bit more about Mr McDuffee and his amazing suit and found The Rebreather site. Fascinating.

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Sloths simply can’t get away from scientists
via Education news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk by Marc Abrahams
A three-toed tree sloth hangs from the trunk of a tree in the jungle on the bank of the Panama Canal
A three-toed tree sloth hangs from the trunk of a tree in the jungle along the banks of the Panama Canal.
Photograph: Buddy Mays/Corbis
They have studied their locomotion, snoozing patterns, social lives, appetite and hair.
Yes, scientists are fascinated by sloths. The name of the sloth is synonymous with a certain style of sin. But scientists pursue them for other reasons, too. The animals move – something they do on occasion – in what can seem mysterious ways. They hang upside down from tree limbs, and sometimes amble that way there. On the ground, ambling right-side-up is their preferred way to get from here to slightly over there. They often snooze.
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