Russian Sledges

За здоровье? / To your health?

Thermapens are rarely returned so we almost never have enough units to hold an "Open Box Sale." We have finally collected a small number here (and from the factory in England) that, for various reasons, we will not sell as new units. Some have slightly damaged packaging, there are a few sales demos, a tiny number are returns and an even smaller number might be "refurbished" to like-new condition after very short term use. All units in this sale will include instructions and the Thermapen User's Guidebook. All units are like-new and include the full warranty. All include a calibration certificate. In most cases, you won't be able to differentiate these from new stock. Only a limited number, in limited colors, are available. When they are gone, the offer expires. Limit of 3 per customer. Don't wait!  Orders must be placed through this private sale page. The offer is not accessible through our public website. The offer is only being announced to subscribers of our email lists. You may forward the link to friends and family.

I love this description of Amazon by Matthew Yglesias:

That's because Amazon, as best I can tell, is a charitable organization being run by elements of the investment community for the benefit of consumers. The shareholders put up the equity, and instead of owning a claim on a steady stream of fat profits, they get a claim on a mighty engine of consumer surplus. Amazon sells things to people at prices that seem impossible because it actually is impossible to make money that way. And the competitive pressure of needing to square off against Amazon cuts profit margins at other companies, thus benefiting people who don't even buy anything from Amazon.

That's the beauty of low margins. (via @tcarmody)

Tags: Amazon   business   Matthew Yglesias

Who said you had to have a garden or room for planters to have some greenery? The new Living Table by Habitat Horticulture solves the problem of adding greenery to your home without the need for a garden, balcony, or even wall space!

Each Living Table is handmade in their San Francisco-area headquarters using 3/8 inch-thick tempered glass that can handle a 180 lb load per square foot and your choice of color, wood finish and even which plants you’d like added.

Custom shapes are available on request.

The Living Table is virtually maintenance free – just set a reminder about once a month for watering and it will stay green year-round. Pretty cool idea!

Share This: Twitter | Facebook | Discover more great design by following Design Milk on Twitter and Facebook. © 2013 Design Milk | Posted by Jaime Derringer in Home Furnishings | Permalink | 6 comments

Legs and eggs.

A nude man has been visiting a Cambridge drive-thru in the wee hours of the morning, reports Wicked Local Cambridge, though they decline to name the restaurant. The drive-thru is located on Concord Ave., and savvy commenters note that the only drive-thru open at that hour on that street is Dunkin' Donuts. The guy is wanted for "open and gross" lewdness. Does he have cup holders? [Wicked Local]

Read more posts by Kara Baskin

Filed Under: lewdness, cambridge, crime, drive-thrus, dunkin donuts

David Byrne and St. Vincent, fresh off an Australian tour for Love This Giant, made an appearance on the "Late Show with David Letterman" last night. They performed "I Should Watch TV". (In a newsletter, Byrne wrote, "The meaning and significance of doing that song on TV is making my head go funny.")

The Internet.

After a few drinks, you too might sound like Tom Waits.

In an era where most cocktails are named after sex acts or annoying celebrities, here's a welcome change: Catalyst's new cocktail list is inspired by Tom Waits and dead Greek guys. Coffee and Cigarettes, a mix of Balcones Brimstone, Overholt Rye, Meletti, Fernet, Bitters, and Harpoon Triunfo Porter, was inspired by the Tom Waits movie (it's also a favorite breakfast treat of sommelier Jason Kilgore.) The Torch of Heraclitus, meanwhile, is named for an ancient Greek philosopher who loved fire. See the new, full cocktail list ahead!

Aged Negroni
Ransom Old Tom Gin, Barrel-aged Campari, Carpano

Beachcomber
Gosling's Black, Falernum, Pimento Dram, Lime, Bitters

Bee's Knees
Beefeater, Bergamot, Honey

Coffee and Cigarettes
Balcones Brimstone, Overholt Rye, Meletti, Fernet, Bitters, Harpoon Triunfo Porter

Dr. J
Ketel O, Meletti, Benedictine, Pineapple, Lemon

The Final Word
Overholt Rye, Chartreuse, Maraschino, Lemon

Martinez
Aged Genever, Vermouth, Maraschino, Orange Bitters

Milk Punch
A little something sweet...please inquire

The Old Man and the Sea
Agua Libre Rum, Grapefruit, Lime, Maraschino, Bitters

Pho
Square One Cucumber, Lime, Basil, Cilantro, Siracha

Tobago Sour
House Bitters, Falernum, Lemon, Talisker

Tom Bollock's Champagne Cup
Brandy, Yellow Chartreuse, Curacao, Prosecco

The Torch of Heraclitus
Balcones Brimstone, Pimm's No.1, Suze, Lillet Rose, Bergamot, Ginger

Toronto
Overholt Rye, Fernet, House Bitters

The Undecided
Bartender’s Choice - Trust Us

Your Last Night Alone
Hendricks, Cucumber, St. Germain, Rose

Read more posts by Kara Baskin

Filed Under: cocktails, catalyst

You’re invited

Acoustic mirrors.

I really do believe what John F. Kennedy said: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Concrete ships are ships built of steel and ferrocement (reinforced concrete) instead of more traditional materials, such as steel or wood. The advantage of ferrocement construction is that materials are cheap and readily available, while the disadvantages are that construction labor costs are high, as are operating costs. (Ferrocement ships require thick hulls, which means extra mass to push and less space for cargo.) During the late 19th century, there were concrete river barges in Europe, and during both World War I and World War II, steel shortages led the US military to order the construction of small fleets of ocean-going concrete ships, the largest of which was the SS Selma.[1] Few concrete ships were completed in time to see wartime service during World War I, but during 1944 and 1945, concrete ships and barges were used to support U.S. and British invasions in Europe and the Pacific. Since the late 1930s, there have also been ferrocement pleasure boats.

What is it? A sign by the edge of the road says that it is the remains of the S.S. Atlantus, one of twelve experimental ships built of concrete during the First World War, but "proven impractical because of weight." What did the Atlantus look like? Who would build a ship out of concrete? What happened to the other eleven ships? With the help of some books, websites and emails, I was able to find the answers to these questions. I learned of the S.S. Palo Alto, the famous "Cement Boat" of Aptos, California; the S.S. Selma, the honorary "Flagship of Texas"; the S.S. San Pasqual, which ran aground off Cuba, later turned into a hotel; and the S.S. Peralta, still afloat to this day, protecting a Canadian logging mill from the fury of the north Pacific Ocean. I also learned that the concrete ship experiment was not quite the failure that the sign implied - another fleet was built during World War II. I decided it was time someone gathered all this information in one website, so that others fascinated by these experiments in shipbuilding would be able to learn more about them.

Boston Public Library posted a photo:

File name: 06_10_011176
Title: Concrete ship Atlantus, Cape May Point, N. J.
Date issued: 1930 - 1945 (approximate)
Physical description: 1 print (postcard) : linen texture, color ; 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 in.
Genre: Postcards
Subject: Ships; Beaches
Notes: Title from item.
Collection: The Tichnor Brothers Collection
Location: Boston Public Library, Print Department
Rights: No known restrictions

\As part of Paris Fashion Week, 3D printing giants Stratasys and Materialise collaborated with noted 3D fashion artist Iris van Herpen on her "VOLTAGE" haute couture show. van Herpen has previously produced fascinating 3D printed fashions and this show continued with some startling and revealing designs.    Two of the eleven pieces made by van Herpen were 3D printed, pictured here. One of these two pieces was designed with Professor Neri Oxman of MIT and printed by Stratasys. The other was designed with architect Julia Koerner.   van Herpen says:   

I feel it's important that fashion can be about much more than consumerism, but also about new beginnings and self-expression, so my work very much comes from abstract ideas and using new techniques, not the re-invention of old ideas. I find the process of 3D printing fascinating because I believe it will only be a matter of time before we see the clothing we wear today produced with this technology, and it's because it's such a different way of manufacturing, adding layer-by-layer, it will be a great source of inspiration for new ideas.

  The technology of 3D printing allows artists (and anyone) to create objects and fashion that are not possible using other techniques. Combined with the creativity of today's artists, the power unleashed is formidable.    Via Stratasys and Materialise

ARLINGTON, TX—Calling the transformation both delightful and stunning, friends and family members confirmed Tuesday that 17-year-old Ashley Parker was blossoming into an absolutely gorgeous object. According to Parker’s relatives, in the span ...

NextBus, the provider of real-time transit information, was acquired by Cubic Transportation Systems.

The companies said the deal was worth $20.6 million, subject to terms of the purchase agreement.

Emeryville, Calif.-based NextBus, which was previously a subsidiary of Webtech Wireless of Canada, provides satellite tracking for more than 100 transit systems, including Los Angeles, Toronto, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Boston. In my experience in San Francisco, it’s a useful service, but also a subject of frustration.

San Diego-based Cubic, which makes realistic combat-training systems as well as payment and information systems for transport operators, said it planned to accelerate NextBus growth. The deal was announced on Jan. 24.

Mobile apps for transit have gotten extra attention ever since Apple left transit directions out of its new in-house iOS Maps app. Emerging alternatives include the crowdsourced Moovit, which AllThingsD recently covered.

From a September 12, 2012, post by The Mittani, a member of the Goonswarm alliance in the role-playing game Eve Online, on a website that provides news about the fictional world of the game. Vile Rat was the alias used in the game by Sean Smith, a State Department official killed in the September 11 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

Google Inc. on Tuesday revised its Google Maps application to add information for North Korea, which has been blank since it started providing maps online and for mobile devices eight years ago, and included outlines of some of the country’s notorious, city-sized prison camps.

The information for the North Korea map was added by people who are interested in the country under a Google development program called Map Maker, a collaborative effort that has become known as crowdsourcing.

Read the rest of this post on the original site »

I would.  I'm not, but I would if I were 30 years younger. Old guys my age look pretty silly in stuff like this -- but if I were 25? I like to remember when I was 25 -- Hell, I'd  be a fool not to.  Order here.

Earlier this month, two pedestrians were severely injured trying to cross Route 355 and Shady Grove Road in Rockville, Maryland. So Ben Ross at Greater Greater Washington went out to investigate.

It took Greater Greater Washington writer Ben Ross more than eight minutes to cross Route 355 and Shady Grove Road in Rockville, Maryland. Image: Greater Greater Washington

It ended up being quite the adventure. Ross documented his attempt to cross this monstrosity on foot, and it took him a remarkable eight-and-a-half minutes:

There is no crosswalk across the south side of the intersection (because there’s a traffic light here, there’s no unmarked crosswalk). Therefore, I had to wait for the walk signal to cross the 9 lanes of Shady Grove Road. The wait was substantial, because this is a slow light; the signal cycle is 2½ minutes.

When I reached the next traffic island at D, I found a “beg button“—a button that you press to get a walk signal. Cars made left turns for a little while, the through lanes began to move, and I got my signal to proceed across the 8 lanes of Route 355. The walk and flashing don’t-walk phases, together, lasted 23 seconds.

I walk briskly, so I was able to finish the 104-foot crossing before the signal became a solid don’t-walk. But a slower, and strictly law-abiding, pedestrian would have had to stop in the median. There is no beg button in the median, so they would have had to wait—who knows how long—until another pedestrian came along who follows traffic rules so punctiliously that they bother to push beg buttons.

Having finally reached point E, I had to wait again for a walk signal. This time I had 10 lanes to cross, but here there is a long green that gives you plenty of time. Finally, I walked along the sidewalk from F to G, and after 8½ minutes I arrived at the southbound bus stop.

What do you think? Got any other contenders for America’s worst intersection? Send them our way.

Elsewhere on the Network today: Copenhagenize relays how the city’s conscientious snow removal efforts make winter bike commuting a low-stress affair. Streets.mn offers three ways to improve pedestrian safety without changing street design. And Urban Cincy reports that Cincinnati’s transit system has seen a 4.2 percent jump in ridership in part because of successful partnerships with local universities.

Ice Cream Trucks, as photographed by Luke Stephenson.

Two Steps in the Bunny Face-Washing Procedure

Thanks, Courtney!

Robert R Gigliotti

David Schalliol

David Schalliol

David Schalliol

David Schalliol

David Schalliol

Robert R Gigliotti

Robert R Gigliotti

Darek Szupina

Darek Szupina

It seems like just a few days ago Chicago had huge ice news, and now this. For the past few weeks things have been pretty darned frigid here in the windy city with temperatures dropping down to the single digits, and just when we couldn’t take it anymore things started to warm up, in a massive-abandoned-warehouse-bursting-into-flames sort of way. Nearly 200 firefighters were on the scene in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood to battle the blaze and incredibly nobody was injured. Temperatures were so low during the fire that water sprayed on the building froze almost instantly leaving behind a spectacularly beautiful ice-encrusted wonderland. Photographers Robert R. Gigliotti, David Schalliol, and Darek Szupina stopped by yesterday and snapped these extraordinary photos. You can see much more over on the Chicago Tribune.

A Japanese woodcut by Kamekichi Tsunajima titled “Ryūkō eigo zukushi”, or “A Fashionable Melange of English Words”. The print shows images of animals, activities and objects each with their Japanese and English names. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) some spelling mistakes have given rise to some interesting new activities such as “Refreshiug” and “Cuting Rice”, and the “Gaot”, “Hoise” and “Tea Po”. The introduction of activities (including the very Zen-like “Looking Moon”) give an interesting take on the often more object-orientated Western equivalents. Also worth noting the interesting additions of “Cross Child” rather than simply “Child” , and “Blank Book” rather than “Book”. (This image has been “restored” by Wikimedia user trialanderrors and is housed at Wikimedia Commons. The original can be found at the Library of Congress). SIGN UP TO THE NEWSLETTER Sign up to get our free fortnightly newsletter which shall deliver direct to your inbox the latest brand new article and a digest of the most recent collection items. Simply add your details to the form below and click the link you receive via email to confirm your subscription! Name: E-mail:

Passing English of the Victorian era, a dictionary of heterodox English, slang and phrase, by J. Redding Ware; 1909; Routledge, London. Passing English of the Victorian era, a dictionary of heterodox English, slang and phrase is complied and written by James Redding Ware, the pseudonym of Andrew Forrester the British writer who created one of the first female detectives in literary history in his book The Female Detective (1863). In this posthumously published volume Forrester turns his attention to the world of Victorian slang, in particular that found in the city of London. From the Preface: HERE is a numerically weak collection of instances of ‘Passing English’. It may be hoped that there are errors on every page, and also that no entry is ‘quite too dull’. Thousands of words and phrases in existence in 1870 have drifted away, or changed their forms, or been absorbed, while as many have been added or are being added. ‘Passing English’ ripples from countless sources, forming a river of new language which has its tide and its ebb, while its current brings down new ideas and carries away those that have dribbled out of fashion. Not only is ‘Passing English’ general ; it [...]

Excerpts from a story at the BBC:

For generations they have signified femininity and glamour - but a pair of high heels was once an essential accessory for men... 
"The high heel was worn for centuries throughout the near east as a form of riding footwear," says Elizabeth Semmelhack of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto.  Good horsemanship was essential to the fighting styles of Persia - the historical name for modern-day Iran. "When the soldier stood up in his stirrups, the heel helped him to secure his stance so that he could shoot his bow and arrow more effectively," says Semmelhack...   A wave of interest in all things Persian passed through Western Europe. Persian style shoes were enthusiastically adopted by aristocrats... As the wearing of heels filtered into the lower ranks of society, the aristocracy responded by dramatically increasing the height of their shoes - and the high heel was born...
Although Europeans were first attracted to heels because the Persian connection gave them a macho air, a craze in women's fashion for adopting elements of men's dress meant their use soon spread to women and children.  "In the 1630s you had women cutting their hair, adding epaulettes to their outfits," says Semmelhack.  "They would smoke pipes, they would wear hats that were very masculine. And this is why women adopted the heel - it was in an effort to masculinise their outfits."..

Men's fashion shifted towards more practical clothing. In England, aristocrats began to wear simplified clothes that were linked to their work managing country estates. It was the beginning of what has been called the Great Male Renunciation, which would see men abandon the wearing of jewellery, bright colours and ostentatious fabrics in favour of a dark, more sober, and homogeneous look...

The 1960s saw a return of low heeled cowboy boots for men and some dandies strutted their stuff in platform shoes in the 1970s.

Photo from the archives of the Bata Shoe Museum.

Born Freddie Ross, Freedia is one of the biggest stars of New Orleans' hard-dancing, bass-pounding and sometimes gender-bending bounce music scene.

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