Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law –- for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.It seems to me that public acknowledgement of the gay community's rights and needs - from the most significant pulpit in the nation and during the most important speaking occasion we have every four years - is vital. That the president said this in his inaugural address would have been unthinkable in my youth.
Bravo, Mr. President.
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You can now buy remote controlled lawnmowers online.
Builds Remote Control Lawn Mower Device
Attaching two electric – motors, an old paint can, a wooden mixing bowl from a kitchen, sundry gears, wires and drive belts to a regulation lawn mower, Alvin Lodge, an unemployed mechanical engineer of Millersville, Pa., constructed a device that enables him to mow his lawn by remote control. As rigged up for its trial run, the mower successfully operated along a cable guide for a distance of 100 feet from the stationary control box shown being manipulated by the inventor.
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THESE FOREIGN FILMS…
ASKED TO GUESS the name of the movie which has enjoyed the longest run on Broadway in modern times, it’s probable that most Americans would come up with a Betty Grable flicker, or one of the Bing Crosby-Bolt Hope Road films, or perhaps an Abbott and Costello comedy.
Actually, the record for a first-run Broadway house is held by the British film, Red Shoes. It has played 102 weeks—that’s two years!—and is still going strong. Second on the list is an Italian film, Open City, which ran for over 90 weeks. Among the first ten most popular films, you’ll find Volpone, Paisan and several other products from the studios of France, England, Italy ami the Scandinavian countries.
HOW COME? What have foreign films got that our native products lack? Why are so many Italian and French flickers winning prizes at international movie contests while American entries flop? And why is Hollywood suffering from a had case of B.O.S. (Box Office Slump) while foreign language shows continue to pile up big returns?
America’s movie-makers will be glad to cry on your shoulder and tell you that the answer to these questions can be found in one word—censorship. Our producers subscribe to a voluntary code—the so-called “Johnson Office”—for which they pay all expenses. The code has set up edicts to which all American movie-makers listen with an anxious ear.
The Johnson Office governs such things as nudity, plot themes, dialogue and ‘questionable’ scencs. It was set up to help forestall criticism of Hollywood movies by civic and church groups. Practically all U.S. producers obey it implicitly. No foreign producers do. In that difference rests the appeal of imported films, claim our moviemen.
No one denies that foreign films are more daring than any American movie could hope to be—in theme, dialogue and suggestive scenes. Open City included shots of girls disrobing that would he strictly taboo under our code. Paisan has a scene in which a young soldier is shown lying on a prostitute’s bed. Bitter Rice shows love scenes that would never get by American censors if they were made here.
THAT IS NOT to say that the films mentioned above are lewd or immoral. They handled themes that are a part of our everyday existence, hut are rarely given a screen treatment. Most of the foreign movies shown in this country are made for a mature audience. Few of them are “escape” films, of the type in which Hollywood specializes. Rarely are French or Italian flickers set in the familiar never-never land of American movies, where glamorous women loll in the salons of luxury liners and exchange chit-chat with vacant-faced young men faultlessly dressed in evening clothes.
While it may be true that foreign films are drawing part of their audience by reason of their greater freedom in treating love and raw passion, it is also true that many intelligent American movie-goers are patronizing the imports because they are made for thinking, feeling adults. Moreover, they offer a rewarding dramatic experience for Americans too long drugged by a steady diet of Hollywood musical comedies, cops-and-robbers chase films, and insipid Westerns.
IN ADDITION to sensitive treatment of basic human desires and passions, im- ported films enjoy their high reputation by reason of the selective distribution system they employ. Rarely are poor or second-rate foreign movies shown in this country. Only the cream of the crop of England’s, France’s and Italy’s best films are allowed to be exported, and as a result, foreign films have come to represent “good movies” in the minds of average theatre-goers. They have always had a certain “snob appeal” to those foolish few to. whom everything foreign is to be admired and everything American decried.
Add to these reasons for the popularity of foreign movies a third characteristic—fine acting. We don’t mean to imply that England or any European country has a monopoly 011 good actors, hut the scripts they are given allow them to play to greater advantage than U.S. stars.
In addition, players in imported movies seem chosen strictly on the basis of their acting ability. Too often American stars achieve their reputations by their looks or, in the case of women, by their bust measurement. Those who attend foreign films for the first time are usually surprised to learn that the best-loved stars of other countries are frequently quite plain, if not downright ugly.
But those who have seen rugged-featured Fernandel or Louis Jouvet or the late Harry Bauer realize that personal handsomeness has little to do with theatrical savvy. The blunt-nosed, sear-faced, lantern-jawed actors of Italy and Germany make our “glamour boys” look like ridiculous amateurs.
HAVING given you a few reasons why foreign flickers enjoy a well-deserved popularity, it is only fair to point out that technically they are far inferior to made-in-America products. We still have the best cameramen, the best set-designers, the best light-men and the best film technicians in the business. No one has dared compete with our cartoons, and in the purely physical reproduction of light and sound, Hollywood has no equal.
We can produce worthy films for an adult audience if our producers free themselves from the foolish fears that keep them turning out stories of life in penthouse apartments or on Caribbean cruises. Once they realize that movies need not he purely escapist to be attended and enjoyed, there is little reason why Hollywood cannot produce films better in every way than the imported productions.
Life can he tragic and hitter and wild and emotional, and it is these aspects which are the most genuine, the most moving, and which make the best pictures. There is an audience for such pictures, and if Hollywood will not produce them, through fear, ignorance or lack of imagination, then mature movie fans will seek out foreign films, finding in them the stirring spiritual experience Hollywood cannot or will not supply.
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“Unconventional” recording formats make recovering data from old disks a bit tricky. A problem the Archive Team has been dealing with as they endeavor to preserve roughly everything that has ever been stored. Ever.
Dense disc
The MD-4 computer mini-disc unit from IMSAI (14860 Wicks Blvd., San Leandro, Calif. 94577) uses conventional Micropolis drives, but unconventional 1024-byte-per-sector recording format. Result: an 18-percent—780K bytes-increase in storage capability. It’s $1995 with MDOS and controller.
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ENGINEERING PROGRESS
NEW MOTOR FOR AERIAL NAVIGATION.
A RECENT development in gasoline engines promises to overcome in a measure two drawbacks to aerial navigation—the weight of the engine and the instability of the machine as a whole. In the new engine the cylinders revolve and act as a comparatively heavy flywheel, whose gyroscopic action tends to keep the machine in equilibrium. It has been brought out by an automobile company of Dubuque, Iowa, and while it is built on the same general lines as their automobile motor, by refinement it becomes an interesting example of light weight. The two motors shown were built for a prominent Eastern inventor to be used for aeronautic experiments.
Complete in operative condition with timer, carburetor, oil pump and oil tank, it weighs only 97-1/4 pounds. This motor is rated at 36 horse-power. One illustration shows two of these 36-horse-power motors held in the hands of two men while one of the motors is running at full speed. The absence of vibration is shown by the clearness of the photograph.
Its weight per horse-power developed is believed to be the lightest of any motor not sacrificing strength and durability to weight. In comparing weights it is well to take into consideration the fact that the weight of the water, radiator, piping and fan used in water cooled motors is not often given with the weight of the motor. The light weight of this motor, which is air cooled, is brought about more by the simplicity of its construction and the high grade of the material ‘ used than by reduction of strength. The makers say they have every reason to believe that these motors will stand as hard and continuous use as any regular automobile motor.
While no weight is added for flywheel, the revolving element that is utilized for balance wheel is over 80 per cent of the entire weight of the motor. This heavy fly-wheel revolving rapidly around a vertical axis exerts an enormous gyroscopic force to keep the motor and that to which it is attached in a true plane. The motor spins like a top, and like a top it has a tendency to resist being tipped over while spinning. It also has a tendency quickly to right itself if forcibly thrown out of its proper running plane. This force can be utilized to maintain equilibrium in a flying machine.
The feature of cooling is one of the most important for aeronautic use. Without one ounce of cooling device the makers claim the best cooled of all gasoline motors. Centrifugal force removes the air in contact with the cylinders and atmospheric pressure supplies fresh air.
CANADA HAS LARGEST ALTERNATORS.
AT Niagara Falls on the Canadian side there is now in operation the largest alternating current dynamos in the world. At present there are four machines installed, although the number of machines will be ultimately increased to twelve, when the plant in which these huge machines have been placed, is completed. Each generator has a normal capacity of 13,500 horse-power. The current is generated at 12,000 volts, 3 phase, 25 cycles. The field is of the revolving type and consists of twelve poles direct-connected to the water wheel shaft, which has a speed of 250 revolutions a minute. The stationary armature surrounds the revolving field.
The power-house is of classical design, and although but one wing and the central portion are completed, it is well worthy of a visit. From this power plant current at a pressure of 60,000 volts is transmitted to Toronto, Canada, where it is used for various industrial and manufacturing purposes.
TRACTION ENGINE MOVES HOUSE SEVEN MILES.
THE accompanying illustration shows a traction engine and the house which it moved seven miles in a single day. This was near Spencer, Iowa. The feat may be regarded as remarkable when the size of the house is considered.
The tractor, with the exception of the wheels, has very much the appearance of a steam railway locomotive. The rear wheels are 65 inches high and have a face of 20 inches; the front wheels measure 49 inches high, with a face of 10 inches. There is a special steam steering device provided, geared to the steering worm shaft. By a clever valve gear and a bell crank connecting with a collar and sleeve on a shaft running to the steering wheel in the cab, the engineer is enabled to do the steering by turning the wheel in the usual way.
The steam steering device does all the work of steering the engine, the engineer turning the idle wheel either to the right or to the left, depending on which direction he wishes the engine to go. When he quits turning the wheel the steering engine shuts itself off and the steering apparatus remains in that position until a change is desired. Or, if so wished, the steam steering device may be allowed to remain at rest and the engine guided by hand in the usual way. This device is a new and advanced steering attachment designed especially for heavy hauling and steam plowing purposes, and is greatly appreciated by the engineers in charge of the tractor. .
FRENCH BALLOON HOLDS RECORD FOR SPEED.
FRANCE’S new dirigible balloon, the Clement-Bayard, made a successful flight recently from Sartrouville to above the Bourse, Paris, returning to and landing safely at Sartrouville.
Henry Kapferer, who formerly steered the Ville de Paris, was at the wheel of the Clement-Bayard. Its speed was greater than that attained by any dirigible balloon hitherto.
The new airship is 197 feet in length and 50 feet in diameter. It has a volume of 123,600 cubic feet and a surface of 16,100 square feet, carries 118 gallons of fuel and a motor of 120 horse-power.
A “TURNOVER” FILTER.
A NEW filter, a spherical apparatus.
termed the “Turnover” Filter, is a recent invention in Scotland, where it has been adopted by many of the large linen mills and used with great success in the purification of water.
The discoveries of bacteriology have long emphasized the hygienic importance of uncontaminated water for purposes of domestic consumption, and with the increase in population and the growth of manufacturing open water beds have become so liable to pollution from effluents, waste products, emulsified oils, and other collective impurities, that softening processes and mechanical filtration have now become necessary for the various requirements of industrial activity. Bleachers and dyers, textile factories, paper makers, and manufacturers generally, who rely upon feed water for boiler supply, evince an increasing interest in the subject of mechanical filtration.
This new invention is spherical in construction and is cleansed by a rotating process, during which the filtering bed of fine indestructible quartz is completely reversed with each revolution- of the filter. The scouring action, accompanying the shifting of the filtering bed, is claimed to be a distinct merit, as it effectively removes all adhering matter from the inside of the filtering receptacle, at the same time throwing to the surface a new portion of the filtering body. Other concomitant advantages of the turnover system are: the expense of erecting elevated reservoir tanks to supply cleansing water under pressure is avoided; low-priced centrifugal pumps operating at low heads can be substituted in conjunction with the turnover filter for more expensive machines; the filtering chamber can be examined at will without removing the filtering material, by a simple revolution of the sphere; large types of filters, with a capacity up to thirty thousand gallons an hour, clean as easily as the smaller types. CURIOUS FERRY AT GLASGOW HARBOR.
FOR carrying loaded wagons across the harbor at Glasgow, Scotland, a somewhat unusual type of ferry-boat has been put in operation. A platform, which may be raised and lowered, carries the vehicles. This platform is built up of H girders, connected at the ends to massive built steel girders on each side of the vessel. The supporting screws are fitted with worm-wheels of special material, gearing at the lower ends with forged steel worms, working in oil baths. A separate triple-expansion three-crank engine is fitted for the purpose of raising or lowering the main platform. This engine is of the inverted type and connects to the worms by machine-cut bevel and spur-gearing of cast steel; automatic gear is fitted on this engine to prevent the platform being raised or lowered beyond its intended travel. A brass indexed tell-tale is also fitted in a prominent position in the engine-room to show in feet and inches the position of the platform.
There are no rudders, the vessel being manoeuvred entirely by the propelling machinery. In the controlling-house the two reversing-handles” are situated one on each side of the steerman’s position. Two Chadburn’s direction tell-tales and tachometers are also provided and fixed in this house, giving the number of revolutions and direction of the propelling-engines. Chadburn’s telegraphs to main and elevating engines are also fitted; the former are only intended for use in case of emergency. The vessel throughout is of massive design, all parts having been carefully constructed for their respective purposes. The platform is intended to carry sixteen loaded wagons, but with a mixed cargo as many as twenty vehicles can be accommodated on board.
STRANGE WAY TO SAVE LIGHTS.
ON a sunken reef 350 feet distant from Stornoway Lighthouse is a remarkable beacon which warns mariners with the help of a light which is only apparent. The beacon is a cone of cast-iron plates, surmounted with a lantern containing a glass prism. The prism derives its light from refracting the rays emitted from the lighthouse, and the optical delusion is marvelous. Mariners naturally suppose that there is a lighted lamp on the beacon itself, and many of them will not believe otherwise. But the object of the beacon is attained when the navigator sees the reflected light, which indicates the perilous rock below. This beacon has been in use more than half a century, and since it was fixed in position others have been placed in other neighborhoods to make clear points of danger.
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( MickeyCollapse )
( The Idiot's LanternCollapse )
( The Impossible Planet/The Satan PitCollapse )
( Love & MonstersCollapse )
( Fear HerCollapse )
( Army of Ghosts/DoomsdayCollapse )
( JackieCollapse )
( RoseCollapse )
( the TardisodesCollapse )
Overall this is a decent run. The closing two-parter isn't actually as good as the two previous two-parters, but it's still good enough. The Idiot's Lantern Is weak, but much of Old Who was worse. Most importantly, the show demonstrates that it can one again triumphantly survive a change of lead actor, and Rose gets the best departure arc of any Who companions before Rory and Amy. And she deserves it.
OK, on to Torchwood...
< The Curse of Fatal Death | The Webcasts | Rose - Dalek | The Long Game -The Parting of the Ways | Comic Relief 2006 - The Girl in the Fireplace | RIse of the Cybermen - Doomsday
In case anyone cares, the reactions of the cats to my return home last night were:
Ophelia was wildly happy to see me and had to be allowed to sit on my lap meowing loudly for some time.
Nameless looked outraged that I was back.
Groucho gave every indication of having never seen me before in his life but suddenly remembered he liked me when I brought out the bag of cat treats.
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Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 14
Which one should I read first?
5 (38.5%)- Current Location:Mountain View, California
- Current Mood:
relieved
NEW YORK (The Borowitz Report)—Fox News Channel announced today that it would shut down for what it called “routine maintenance” Monday morning at 11:30 E.T.
Fox News president Roger Ailes explained the timing of the shutdown, which will be the first in the history of the network: “We wanted to pick a time when we were positive nothing would be happening that our viewers would want to see.”
Also posted at Dreamwidth, where there arecomment(s); comment here or there.
papersky and I sensibly stayed inside and watched the first nine episodes of Borgia, not to be confused with HBO's Borgias series; an odd admixture of mostly historical accuracy, the occasional contemporary slander or bit of folklore, and the occasional grinding anachronism, which is mostly very good indeed after a slightly clunky start (particularly episodes 3 and 4, covering the conclave that elected Rodrigo Borgia Pope) though unflinching in the graphic depiction of medieval nastiness; particular kudos to John Doman's Rodrigo and Mark Ryder's Cesare.This morning it was down around -20 with eight or ten degrees of windchill atop that. Exciting failure modes for wearing my fleece trousers include having lost so much weight since last I wore them for my change purse to slowly pull them down over one hip, and leaving my keys in my jeans such that I had to ask the building manager to let me into my office this morning. Also, it being bloodycold means lots of static, my legs itch and I generate unexpected and unpleasant non-metaphorical sparks while kissing people.
As regular readers might remember, Pete and I attend the three monthly or so gatherings with Freaks in the Peaks. Last weekend’s took place in Hathersage, and given the weather forecast, and Pete’s bad back, I was quite reluctant to attend, to be honest. But he really wanted to go, and so we left Hull at about 2.15 on Friday afternoon, with a friend in the back seat.
The journey down was fine – snow started falling as we got to the M62, but the roads were clear enough, and although it was much heavier by the time we got to Sheffield, again everything under the wheels had been gritted and/or salted, so I wasn’t worried. Then we took the turning that IOS Maps (yes, I know, I know) told us to head for Hathersage, about ten miles on.
Dear lord … The road rapidly got more and more snowy, no cars at all in sight, it went up and up, and occasionally it went round hair pin bends, and I was really quite unhappy with it. The blizzards and the drifting snow made it almost impossible to see the road, and Pete was using Google maps on his phone to tell me where the next bend was. By the time we realised that we had clearly taken the wrong road, it would have been as difficult to turn back as it was to go on, so go on we did. Thankfully we saw very few cars – thankfully, because it was quite hard to keep straight. At one point, with a kind of Sods’ Law inevitability, another vehicle was approaching me *at the same time* as there were two pedestrians on the side of the road. By now, I’d given up with the automatic, and was using first and second gears on the Saab, so I just eased my foot slowly off the accelerator and held my breath. No pedestrians were damaged, nor anyone/anything else. Coming down this horrible peak was even worse than going up it, but at least I knew we were nearly there. I was getting P to count down the remaining distance, and once we got to 2 miles out, I stopped really panicking, because I knew we could walk it from that point.
But sadly, it spoiled the weekend for me – it kept snowing and snowing, and I was really worried about the journey home, so felt quite anti-social and non dancey. My fault and nobody else’s. The journey home was completely uneventful too …
Mirrored from kestrel.org.
As regular readers might remember, Pete and I attend the three monthly or so gatherings with Freaks in the Peaks. Last weekend’s took place in Hathersage, and given the weather forecast, and Pete’s bad back, I was quite reluctant to attend, to be honest. But he really wanted to go, and so we left Hull at about 2.15 on Friday afternoon, with a friend in the back seat.
The journey down was fine – snow started falling as we got to the M62, but the roads were clear enough, and although it was much heavier by the time we got to Sheffield, again everything under the wheels had been gritted and/or salted, so I wasn’t worried. Then we took the turning that IOS Maps (yes, I know, I know) told us to head for Hathersage, about ten miles on.
Dear lord … The road rapidly got more and more snowy, no cars at all in sight, it went up and up, and occasionally it went round hair pin bends, and I was really quite unhappy with it. The blizzards and the drifting snow made it almost impossible to see the road, and Pete was using Google maps on his phone to tell me where the next bend was. By the time we realised that we had clearly taken the wrong road, it would have been as difficult to turn back as it was to go on, so go on we did. Thankfully we saw very few cars – thankfully, because it was quite hard to keep straight. At one point, with a kind of Sods’ Law inevitability, another vehicle was approaching me *at the same time* as there were two pedestrians on the side of the road. By now, I’d given up with the automatic, and was using first and second gears on the Saab, so I just eased my foot slowly off the accelerator and held my breath. No pedestrians were damaged, nor anyone/anything else. Coming down this horrible peak was even worse than going up it, but at least I knew we were nearly there. I was getting P to count down the remaining distance, and once we got to 2 miles out, I stopped really panicking, because I knew we could walk it from that point.
But sadly, it spoiled the weekend for me – it kept snowing and snowing, and I was really worried about the journey home, so felt quite anti-social and non dancey. My fault and nobody else’s. The journey home was completely uneventful too …
Mirrored from kestrel.org.
With a very detailed explanation of how the maps were created, including the cartographic decisions the author took. These maps are much more well-thought-out than they look, which is part of their beauty.
Also posted at http://green-knight.dreamwidth.org/1009
- Current Mood:
amused
Toronto residents still have five days to speak out on the controversial prospect of casino development in their city, but Mayor Rob Ford says he already knows what most people think.
“I have a pretty good feeling of what they want out there,” Ford said during his weekly two-hour radio program on Sunday. “How can people say no to this?”
An outspoken proponent of casinos, the mayor devoted much of his radio show to extolling the benefits — in jobs and revenue — that he says would flow from the construction of a major casino somewhere downtown, along with an expansion of the gambling attractions already available at Woodbine Racetrack.
His brother Doug — radio co-host and city councilor for Ward 2, which contains Woodbine — is also an enthusiastic advocate for casino development and joined the mayor on air in promoting the expansion of gambling facilities in Toronto.
“This is all about creating jobs, folks,” he said.
[. . .]
During their radio program Sunday, the Ford brothers said the two gambling proposals, taken together, would create 10,000 jobs and raise as much as $200-million in additional revenues annually.
They denied the project would attract crime to the city.
Page Summary
- andrewducker : Yet another reason to be happy that Internet Explorer usage is decreasing [+1]
- debgeisler : Our journey is not complete... [+0]
modernmechanix : Builds Remote Control Lawn Mower Device (Oct, 1938) [+0] - modernmechanix : THESE FOREIGN FILMS… (Feb, 1951) [+0]
- modernmechanix : Dense disc (Jun, 1979) [+0]
- modernmechanix : ENGINEERING PROGRESS (Feb, 1909) [+0]
egl :: violetlunchell : Violet's wardrobe [+4] - egl :: roozumari : Monday FFA. [+22]
- nwhyte : Doctor Who Season 2 (2006), Second Half [+0]
- icanhaschzbrgr : I am intrigued... [+0]
- icanhaschzbrgr : This Outside is Too Cold [+0]
- james_nicoll : So apparently Groucho does not want to add the main floor to his territory [+4]
- james_nicoll : A poll [+2]
- kevin_standlee : Book 'Em [+0]
- james_nicoll : Fox News to Shut Down for Routine Maintenance Monday Morning at 11:30 [+9]
- rysmiel : so cold the night [+0]
- ramtops : Freaking out on the Peaks [+0]
- ramtops : Freaking out on the Peaks [+0]
- green_knight : One for cartography nerds [+0]
- rfmcdpei : [URBAN NOTE] "Mayor Rob Ford says he knows what Toronto wants: a casino" [+2]
