Russian Sledges

Protestors have destroyed a trial plot of genetically modified rice in the Philippines just weeks before a safety evaluation.

"As an institution, the Met deplores the suppression of equal rights here or abroad. But since our mission is artistic, it is not appropriate for our performances to be used by us for political purposes, no matter how noble or right the cause." Los Angeles Times 08/09/13

“Let me say that again: Hedy Lamarr, arguably the most glamorous star of the pre-war period, also helped invent your cell phone and WiFi connection.”

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The browser wars enter a new era with a whimper

COMPUTING in the 1990s was dominated by a fight between Netscape and Microsoft over who would control people's online experience via the web browser on their computers. Yet the battle that got Microsoft into so much antitrust trouble didn't end but faded away: its browser market share has plummeted, first because of competition from Mozilla Firefox, and over the past five years from Google Chrome. The dramatic change is apparent when mapped over time with the most popular browser by country, presented in the interactive infographic above. Chrome has even pulled away users from Firefox, as the chart below shows. Yet like all empires in technology, Google's too shall pass. (See article.)

Historical Map: Integrated Transit Map of Milan, 1982

Submitted by Kyril Negoda at Mapping Twin Cities.

——

Milan boasts an comprehensive transportation system, consisting of a Metro, trams and buses. This map shows the ATM system in 1982, when the Metro was only 18 years old and consisted of just two lines. Not shown are the suburban rail services, which are operated by a separate company, although stations with transfers to it and mainline trains are indicated.

The first thing that really jumps out are the rings of tram and bus routes that go around the ancient core of the city, rather than through it — narrow, winding medieval streets preclude much transit from entering that part of the city. It certainly creates a strong visual look for the map, cleverly underpinned by also showing the main parks of the city, giving a strong sense of scale and geography to this otherwise very stylised map.

Have we been there? Yes, but I mainly walked the compact historical core without need for transportation.

What we like: Visually pleasing and oh-so-Italian in its design sensibilities. Takes a lot of information and displays it effectively and with some considerable style. 

What we don’t like: Differentiating stop/station ticks from the actual routes themselves can be tricky in some of the denser areas of the system. The black lines for intermodal stations can similarly be a little difficult to decipher, especially when they cross many route lines or are close together.

Our rating: A fine example of early 1980s transit map design. It still blows my mind that complex network maps like this were designed and executed without the aid of computers. Three-and-a-half stars.

(Source: Stagniweb - Italian Railways site — view map large here!)

See also: other Transit Maps posts about Milan.

Art & Vintage posted a photo:

largesizepaintings.blogspot.com/ via underpaintings.blogspot.fr/

reichsmarschall:

Douglas MacArthur

Somebody sent me this link saying this was the picture of MacArthur I should have used and I think they are right because um wow.

Submission - Aerial Photo Transit Map of Portland, Oregon

Submitted to the Transit Maps Facebook page by Taylor Gibson. While nowhere near as complex as the New York system featured previously, it’s still an interesting look at a successful rail transit system.

For those unfamiliar with Portland, the thicker lines (Yellow, Green, Blue and Red – shown here as pink for visual clarity, I think) are the MAX light rail, while the thinner aqua and lime green lines are the Portland Streetcar, which has recently expanded to the eastern side of the Willamette River (the top half of this photo).

Eventually, the aqua “Loop” streetcar line will cross back over to the western side of the Willamette at the extreme right of this photo via the new transit-only bridge that is currently being constructed. The bridge will also carry buses, pedestrians, cyclists and the new Orange MAX line.

(Photo Source: DubbaG/Wikipedia – Creative Commons License)  

While most property and homeowners might be lucky to erect a small fence, add a new wall, or plant a few trees without applying for a permit or checking local zoning laws, things in Bejing are apparently quite different. For the last six years an eccentric doctor built a sprawling mountain villa on the roof above his top-floor flat in this 26-story residential building, all without asking permission of residents or local authorities. The enormous addition covers the entire 1000-square-metre roof and was built using artificial rocks but with real trees and grass.

It only took six years of complaints from neighbors who suffered from the noise and vibrations of heavy construction machinery, water leaks, and other disturbances to finally get the attention of authorities who recently gave the man 15 days to remove the mountain or else it will face forcible removal. Read more over on the South China Morning Post. (via dezeen)

Georgia and Patterson Inman, 15-year-old twins, are the only living heirs to the $1 billion Duke tobacco fortune. They are also emotional wrecks, tortured by a hellacious childhood in which they were raised by drug addicts and left to fend for themselves in mansions across the country.

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this site is insane

Boston Public Library posted a photo:

File name: 10_03_002143a
Binder label: Perfume/Hair Products
Title: Saved by Buckingham's Dye for the Whiskers. [front]
Date issued: 1870 - 1900 (approximate)
Physical description: 1 print : chromolithograph ; 12 x 8 cm.
Genre: Advertising cards
Subject: Adults; Hair preparations
Notes: Title from item. Retailer: Q. A. Pratt, Pawlet, Vt.
Statement of responsibility: R. P. Hall & Co.
Collection: 19th Century American Trade Cards
Location: Boston Public Library, Print Department
Rights: No known restrictions.

Boston Public Library posted a photo:

File name: 10_03_002144a
Binder label: Perfume/Hair Products
Title: Buckingham's Dye for the Whiskers is the best to color the beard, mustache and eyebrows a natural brown or black. The gentleman's verdict. [front]
Created/Published: N. Y. : Gray Litho. Co.
Date issued: 1870 - 1900 (approximate)
Physical description: 1 print : chromolithograph ; 9 x 8 cm.
Genre: Advertising cards
Subject: Men; Hair preparations
Notes: Title from item.
Statement of responsibility: R. P. Hall & Co.
Collection: 19th Century American Trade Cards
Location: Boston Public Library, Print Department
Rights: No known restrictions.

Boston Public Library posted a photo:

File name: 10_03_002145a
Binder label: Perfume/Hair Products
Title: Buckingham's Dye for the Whiskers. Before using any dye my beard was gray. After using several inferior dyes behold the result. Finally I tried Buckingham's and now use no other. [front]
Created/Published: N. Y. : Knapp Lith.
Date issued: 1870 - 1900 (approximate)
Physical description: 1 print : chromolithograph ; 9 x 8 cm.
Genre: Advertising cards
Subject: Men; Hair preparations
Notes: Title from item.
Statement of responsibility: R. P. Hall & Co.
Collection: 19th Century American Trade Cards
Location: Boston Public Library, Print Department
Rights: No known restrictions.

This fun piece was painted by illustrator and muralist Mona Caron on Duboce Avenue at Church Street in San Francisco. Titled Manifest Station, the small mural was painted on a standard utility box and has to be viewed from a specific spot so that the horizon lines of the artwork match those of the actual intersection. As an added bonus, a mural in the background which was repainted in part on the utility box is actually an older piece by the same artist. Caron is currently working on a surprisngly great series of weeds and just painted a giant wildflower in Union City. (via CJWHO)

Back in February we first explored an ongoing project called Head Like an Orange (previously) by a Netherlands-based artist named Marinus who isolates key segments of nature films, often just a split second in length, and uses the footage to create beatiful, whimsical, and strangely poetic gifs. These are a few of my favorites from the last several months but you can see much more right here.

Submission - Unofficial Map: Portland, Oregon Rail Network by Taylor Gibson

When Taylor sent through his aerial photo map of Portland the other day, he also submitted this very interesting isometric map of the city’s rail network (MAX, WES and streetcar). Tyler is a self-proclaimed “total newbie at making transit maps”, but this is definitely a pretty solid effort.

Highly reminiscent of this isometric map of Stuttgart (Oct 2011, 5 stars), the 30-degree-angled route lines allow station labels to be set horizontally without clashing with each other, even in the congested downtown area. The only real problem area is the almost unavoidable mess created by the four separate “Pioneer Square” stations right in the middle of the map. I’ve noticed that these have been consolidated into one “mega-station” on TriMet’s new in-car maps, and that’s definitely a cleaner, more sensible approach to the problem in my eyes.

I also see a little influence from my own map of Portland’s rail system: both in the layout of the legend, and the fact that Taylor has decided to show the new MAX line to Milwaulkie as an extension of the Yellow Line, rather than the commonly expected “Orange Line”.

I do have a few minor criticisms: text in general is a little small and hard to read, although I can see how larger text would cause layout problems (perhaps a condensed typeface could solve this), and there are a couple of confusing label clashes: the parking symbol for Gateway TC is right on top of the station marker for Parkrose/Sumner TC, for example. It’s also a little sad to see the streetcar relegated to thin unlabelled lines, but the space limitations of the map almost demand this treatment.

Still, for a “newbie”, this is pretty darn awesome. Great work, Taylor!

Norway's PM Jens Stoltenberg spent a day working undercover as a taxi driver in Oslo, he reveals, saying he wanted to hear voters' real views.

Swap rare beer via the mail. But read this first!

So you’re obsessed with craft beer. Join the club. To feed (quench?) this obsession, you’ve found yourself combing the Internet in search of a bar that serves a rare brew you've been pining over. Maybe you’ve even driven some miles to a brewery to pick up a bottle of a special release. Perhaps you’ve purchased more than a few and found yourself with a closet or cellar full of imperial stout in the middle of the summer. While you can’t go back in time and exchange these bottles for something more summer-friendly, it might be the perfect opportunity to venture into the growing world of beer trading.

But before you run out for a bag of packing peanuts, you must know that shipping alcohol across state lines is tricky — and the postage is usually higher than the beer itself. We suggest that you think of a few beers you really want. Brews you’ve been dying to try that you simply can’t get where you live. For me, those beers were from Jester King: Karbach, St. Arnolds and No Label, all unavailable in my homestate of New York. Through a message board, I found a fellow beer trader in Texas who had access. In exchange, I sent him some local Northeast favorites like Ithaca Flower Power and Tröegs’ Nugget Nectar. Though none of these are particularly rare, they're desirable because of their relative unavailability.

Beer trading is a hobby with a booming and dedicated following, and yes, time and effort is involved. Thousands of beer enthusiasts swap bottles every year, but the unspoken disclaimer is "trade at your own risk." Yes, that’s right; it’s illegal to ship alcohol via USPS, while UPS and Fed Ex require a special a permit which, unless you’re a liquor store, it’s unlikely you have. Despite the frequency of trading, there’s no definitive guide; however, like any collection, the more local or hard-to-find beer you acquire, the more exotic trades you can make, especially older vintages. Here are a few of my own tips to pull it off:  

1. Search for a trade partner with a proven record
   Finding a trade partner can be easy, but finding a reliable one is another story. Beer Advocate even posts a Bad Traders list so you can steer clear of scammers and lazy packers. You should trust members with a record of positive trades.
2. Don’t buy beer on eBay. Don't EVER buy beer on eBay.
   It’s basically like scalping, which is totally counterproductive to the breweries traders are looking to support. It’s also illegal to sell alcohol on eBay, so sellers list bottles as “empty.” If you actually get an empty bottle, good luck trying to get eBay involved — you’re pretty much out of luck. 
3. Get used to the lingo
   ISO stands for "in search of," which means that’s what people are looking for. FT means "for trade," which is what you can get from them. Many traders have whole list of “gots” and “wants” so even if you don't have exactly what they're looking for in the trade, you still might be able to work something out.
4. Don’t skimp on packing materials
   This can’t be overstated enough. Newspaper alone will not cut it, though it can be used to fill gaps.  
   
   

   Here is what you will need:

   • 1 pack of gallon freezer bags
   • 1 pack of quart freezer bags
   • 1 large roll of bubble wrap
   • 1 large role of tape
   • 1 newspaper to fill in the gaps between bottles
   • 1 flat-rate shipping box
   We realize supplies aren’t cheap, but it’s absolutely critical to wrap each bottle individually in bubble wrap. The neck of the bottle is more fragile than the bottom, so make sure to wrap that carefully. Then put each bottle in a gallon freezer bag. If the bottle happens to break, this will save you a massive headache of getting a wet box returned to you, or even worse, getting your box confiscated completely.
5. Shipping is expensive, but so worth it
   Expect to pay between $15-30 per box, so make it count. Ideally the trade is "valued" at double the shipping. It’s about the same as if you ordered from an online retailer — though these are potentially brews that can’t be purchased from retailers online or within a car ride. If you come away with several great beers it will be worth a premium.

More beer knowledge on Food Republic:

• Great Design: This Is The Most Straightforward Beer Labeling We've Ever Seen
• Beer Is The New Rock: Stillwater Artisanal Ale's Small Black Beer
• Just Call Sam Calagione Craft Beer's First Remix Artist

In the pantheon of great 1980s montages, The Karate Kid’s iconic tournament scene, set to “You’re The Best” by Joe Esposito, sits snugly between Scarface’s “Push it to the Limit” and Rocky IV’s “Heart’s On Fire.”

It’s an artistic achievement that somehow manages to stand out amid an era that may have been way too into substituting synthesized pop jams for meaningful exposition. The Coolidge Corner Theatre’s @fter Midnite series restores this classic for a

night of crane kicking, fence painting, and fly catching.

[Fri 8.16.13 - Sat 8.17.13. 290 Harvard St., Brookline. midnight/all ages/$9.25. @thecoolidge. coolidge.org]

Mapo tofu is a spicy, salty, intensely flavorful Szechuan dish. I think that it is the best tofu dish I’ve ever made, and furthermore, that it offers one of the best deliciousness-per-dollar ratios out there. And no, we’re not talking crunchy-granola tofu here — mapo tofu also brings ground pork and chicken broth to the party. The tofu, nonetheless, is a key component — it acts a beautiful, silky vehicle for the unctiousness of pork, the numbing spiciness of Szechuan peppercorns, and the intense flavor of fermented black beans mixed with chili paste.

Most of the ingredients are easy to find, but there are two that are a bit trickier to find in your local grocery store. Those are Szechuan peppercorns and fermented black beans. You can generally find chili bean paste around, but in case you can’t, Amazon comes through on that too.

The amounts of seasonings given will make a potent batch, but once you get a feel for how the affect the final taste, you’ll discover that you can pretty much go nuts with them and get an even more intense, delicious dish.

The ingredients below will feed about 6 people — and excepting the seasonings, you’ll note they are all truly inexpensive.

Ingredients to fry:

• 2 blocks of silken tofu, cut into ~1″ cubes
• 1 lb ground pork
• 4 tablespoons minced ginger
• 6 cloves garlic
• 4 scallions, divided into minced white parts and sliced green parts
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons fermented black beans, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns, freshly ground
• 1 tablespoon chili bean paste

Ingredients for sauce:

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons corn starch

Let’s Do It!

Combine the sauce ingredients and set them aside.

Heat up a wok or large sauté pan and add the sesame oil. Sauté the garlic, ginger, scallions, and peppercorns until they’ve softened a bit, about 2 minutes. Add in the fermented black beans and cook for about two more minutes.

Now, add in the ground pork, split it apart with the spatula into tiny chunks, and cook until it’s mostly done. At this point, add in the chili bean paste and stir to combine. Add the tofu in, and toss instead of stir so you don’t break it up too much.

Add the sauce and simmer while gently tossing ingredients until thickened, about 2-3 minutes.

Serve with chopped scallions for garnish on top of or aside white rice.

Editorial cartoons | Ahmad Akkari, one of the leaders of the protests in 2006 against the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad published by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, now says he regrets his activities and has even apologized in person to one of the cartoonists, Kurt Westergaard. “I want to be clear today about the trip: [...]

Google have contributed to the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary celebrations by allowing site users to explore just exactly what is behind the door of that perfectly innocent looking police telephone box located outside Earl's Court Underground station in London.

To uncover the secrets inside, hover your cursor over the map and click on the double chevrons when they appear outside the box



View Larger Map



Users of the new Google Maps Beta please note that they need to be logged out in order for the correct Street View image to load (Thanks www.doctorwhonews.net)

An Oak Aged, Wild Fermented Sour Red AleBrewed in May of 2011, and aging in oak barrels since June of that year, CBC’s Ship of Fools is a testament to patience and the effects of time on wild beer production.  Inspired by the classic red/brown ales of Flanders in Belgium, this has been a greatly rewarding project for our brewers.  Starting with a grist of Pilsner, Munich, Caramunich and caramel malts combined with 3 year old Saaz hops, this beer was fermented initially in stainless steel with our house Belgian yeast strain.  The primary yeast was then removed, and the beer was pumped into French oak barrels from Merryvale Winery, formerly containing Carbernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  After warming to cellar temp, the beer was inoculated with a blend of wild yeasts and bacteria, including both Lactobacillus and Brettanomyces.  A slow secondary fermentation occurred, transforming a somewhat simple beer into to a complex, fruit and tannin laced beauty. Ship of Fools presents a deep red brown color with ruby orange highlights and a white head that quickly settles to a thin ring around the glass.  The nose is rich with cherries, oak and notes of caramel.  Presenting a complex blend of flavors including dark ripe fruit, fig, cherry, caramel and hints of cracker and chocolate, Ship of Fools is balanced with a complex acid profile, firm oak tannins and an exceptionally dry finish.  Well balanced, earthy, lightly spicy and refreshing, this beer is made for pairing with cheeses and tart desserts. Special thanks to all the brewers who have come before us, who have demonstrated the patience needed to develop such interesting complexity in their beers. Enjoy! Flute $6.00

The burglars felt so bad about stealing from the nonprofit that they even included a note of apology, explaining [sic]: “We had no idea what we were takeing. Here your stuff back we hope that you guys can continue to make a difference in peoples live. God bless.”

SHOCKER

This is a content summary only. Click on the story to read the whole thing at InvisibleOranges.com

carrionlaughing:

wintermoth:

bookishandi:

madmanswords:

thewibblywobblytardis:

batsymcchicken:

torchwood1701:

where’s my photoshop of Six in Nine’s jacket already?

Ask and you shall receive:

// dude this is the best fucking thing ever holy shit

Now, give us Nine in Six’s outfit.

OH MY GOD

This is one of those times I want to snuggle with tumblr.

Nine’s FACE.