Scott Burns: A Giving Lesson from Charlie Mahoney (AssetBuilder)
Charlie Mahoney was not a handsome man. At 60, he was short, bald, stooped and grizzled. The stoop came from back injuries as a jockey. A U-shaped scar on his scalp was further evidence of that career. His appearance wasn't improved by another career as a flyweight boxer. His ears wiggled from smashed cartilage. The crushed bridge of his nose made his nostrils unnaturally wide.
Tim Parks: How I Read (NY Review of Books)
If there is one thing I dislike, and this perhaps tells you more about me than the books I read, it is the suspicion that the whole construct was put together merely out of opportunism, to write a literary book, to win a literary prize. But how one might hazard some assessment of a novel's authenticity is a question I shall leave to another blog.
Lauren Davis: 10 Story Decisions Scifi And Fantasy Writers Ended Up Regretting (io9)
There are writers who disown entire books after they've written them, but sometimes writers like their stories on the whole, but feel a twinge of regret over one a small (or not-so-small) detail. Here are a few decisions that the writers, in hindsight, wished they had thought through a little better.
Shellac is a resin secreted by the female lac bug, on trees in the forests of India and Thailand. It is processed and sold as dry flakes (pictured at right) and dissolved in ethanol to make liquid shellac, which is used as a brush-on colorant, food glaze and wood finish. Shellac functions as a tough natural primer, sanding sealant, tannin-blocker, odor-blocker, stain, and high-gloss varnish. Shellac was once used in electrical applications as it possesses good insulation qualities and it seals out moisture.
Until the advent of vinyl around the 1940s, most gramophone records were pressed from shellac compounds. From 1921 to 1928, 18,000 tons of shellac were used to create 260 million records for Europe. In the 1930s, it was estimated that half of all shellac was used for gramophone records. Use of shellac for records was common until the 1950s and continued into the 1970s in some non-Western countries.
Source
Alan J was first, and correct, with:
Shellac
Charlie said:
Shellac compounds.
Randall wrote:
This one sent me on a chase, since I didn't know the answer.
I learned stuff, though...
Edison wasn't the only one trying to figure out how to "record" sound...
There was a guy named "Tainter" (tee hee) and another named "Cros" and probably others lost to history (at least as far as I'M willing to research it) but the main rival to Edison's wax recording cylinders
.
... seems to have been a German fellow named Emile Berliner. (Ich bin ein Berliner!)
Berliner used a zinc disc coated with wax upon which to record sound.
Once the sound had been etched into the wax by the needle, the disc was dipped into acid which etched the squiggles into the zinc. (accordion to www.recording-history.org)
Then the zinc was electroplated, turning into a "stamper" which was used to press the image onto a ball of hard, hot, vulcanized rubber, smashing it into a flat disc.
The "stamper" was used to create many vulcanized rubber discs which Berliner called "gramophones".
In the U.K., 1897, the Gramophone Company was formed to capitalize on Berliner's invention.
In 1898, Berliner, along with his brother, formed the Deutsche Grammofon company.
The Victor Talking Machine company was formed in 1901 commercializing the gramophone based on Berliner's patents.
So my guess is "Vulcanite" - a hard vulcanized rubber material.
Marian replied:
Merry Christmas to All. Sally please share your good news with us. Hard rubber is today's answer.
Deborah said:
Shellac. Didn't know the answer & couldn't let it go, so thanks, Wikipedia.
Marry Christmas, Marty & BCE fans!
MAM wrote:
Shellac compounds (although some were made from bakelite)" "Recording cylinders produced by the Edison
Electric Company (now General Electric) and 78-rpm phonograph records were originally made of Bakelite. "
As you all know the untimely passing of Terry was unexpected, even by
him. We all knew he had cancer but we all thought he had some years
left. So some of us who have worked closely with him over the years are
scrambling around trying to figure out what to do. My job, among other
things, is to establish communications with the Bartcop community and
provide email lists and groups for those who might put something
together. Those who want to play an active roll in something coming from
this, or if you are one of Bart's pillars, should send an email to
active@bartcop.com.
Bart's final wish was to pay off the house mortgage for Mrs. Bart who is
overwhelmed and so very grateful for the support she has received.
Anyone wanting to make a donation can click on this the yellow donate
button on bartcop.com
But - I need you all to help keep this going. This note
isn't going to directly reach all of Bart's fans. So if you can repost
it on blogs and discussion boards so people can sign up then when we
figure out what's next we can let more people know. This list is just
over 600 but like to get it up to at least 10,000 pretty quick. So
here's the signup link for this email list.
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CBS begins the night with the FRESH'Now That's Funny! On Set With TV's Hottest Comedies', followed by a RERUN'Mom', then a RERUN'Blue Bloods'.
On a RERUNDave (from 12/8/14) are Joaquin Phoenix, Cristela Alonzo, and Al Green.
On a RERUNCraig (from 10/24/14) are Jack Black, Kyle Gass, and Tenacious D.
NBC starts the night with a FRESH'Caught On Camera With Nick Cannon', followed by 'Dateline'.
On a RERUNJimmy Fallon (from 11/7/14) are Jay Leno, Lucy Liu, Kevin Delaney, and Dave Davies.
On a RERUNSeth Meyers (from 11/26/14) are Allison Williams, Dan Patrick, and Josh Beckerman.
On a RERUNCarson 'The Scab' Daly (from 11/13/14) are Haley Joel Osment, Bleached, and "Banksy Does New York".
ABC opens the night with a RERUN'Last Man Standing', followed by a RERUN'Cristela', then a RERUN'Shark Tank', followed by '20/20'.
On a RERUNJimmy Kimmel (from 12/18/14) are Mel Brooks, Christine Baranski, and Jenny Lewis.
The CW offers a RERUN'Whose Line Is It Anyway?', followed by another RERUN'Whose Line Is It Anyway?', then a RERUN'Penn & Teller: Fool Us'.
Faux has an infomercial posing as holiday programming with 'Ice Age: A Mammoth Christms', followed by a RERUN'Bob's Burgers', then a RERUN'Glee'.
MY recycles an old 'Bones', followed by another old 'Bones'.
AMC offers the movie 'High Plains Drifter', followed by the movie 'Tombstone'.
BBC -
[6:00AM] BBC World News
[6:30AM] BBC World News
[7:00AM] BBC World News
[7:30AM] BBC World News
[8:00AM] Doctor Who - Season 2 - Ep 11 - Fear Her
[9:00AM] Doctor Who - Season 2 - Ep 12 - Army of Ghosts
[10:00AM] Doctor Who - Season 2 - Ep 13 - Doomsday
[11:00AM] Doctor Who - Season 3 - Ep 1 - Smith and Jones
[12:00PM] Doctor Who - Season 3 - Ep 2 - The Shakespeare Code
[1:00PM] Doctor Who - Season 3 - Ep 3 - Gridlock
[2:00PM] Doctor Who - Season 3 - Ep 4 - Daleks In Manhattan
[3:00PM] Doctor Who - Season 3 - Ep 5 - Evolution Of The Daleks
[4:00PM] Doctor Who - Season 3 - Ep 6 - The Lazarus Experiment
[5:00PM] Doctor Who - Season 3 - Ep 7 - 42
[6:00PM] Doctor Who - Season 3 - Ep 8 - Human Nature
[7:00PM] Doctor Who - Season 3 - Ep 9 - The Family Of Blood
[8:00PM] Doctor Who - Season 3 - Ep 10 - Blink
[9:00PM] Doctor Who - Season 4 - Ep 8 - Silence in the Library
[10:00PM] Doctor Who - Season 4 - Ep 9 - Forest of the Dead
[11:00PM] Doctor Who - Season 4 - Ep 10 - Midnight
[12:00AM] Doctor Who - Season 4 - Ep 11 - Turn Left
[1:00AM] Doctor Who - Season 4 - Ep 12 - The Stolen Earth
[2:00AM] Doctor Who - Season 4 - Ep 13 - Journey's End
[3:00AM] Doctor Who: The Next Doctor
[4:00AM] Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead
[5:00AM] Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars (ALL TIMES EST)
Bravo has the movie 'White Chicks', followed by the movie 'Baby Mama', then the movie 'Baby Mama', again.
Comedy Central has 'South Park', followed by the movie 'Pineapple Express', then the movie 'Pineapple Express', again.
FX has the movie 'Avatar', followed by the movie 'Prometheus'.
IFC -
[6:00AM] MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE-GOODBYE KITTY
[6:30AM] MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE-THANKSGIVING
[7:00AM] MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE-MALCOLM FILMS REESE
[7:30AM] MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE-MALCOLM'S JOB
[8:00AM] MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE-CHRISTMAS TREES
[8:30AM] MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE-BLOCK PARTY
[9:00AM] MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE-DIRTY MAGAZINE
[9:30AM] MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE-HOT TUB
[10:00AM] MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE-IDA'S BOYFRIEND
[10:30AM] MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE-SOFTBALL
[11:00AM] MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE-LOIS' SISTER
[11:30AM] MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE-MALCOLM DATES A FAMILY
[12:00PM] MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE-REESE'S APARTMENT
[12:30PM] MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE-MALCOLM VISITS COLLEGE
[1:00PM] MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE-POLLY IN THE MIDDLE
[1:30PM] MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE-EXPERIMENT
[2:00PM] MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE-DEWEY'S SPECIAL CLASS
[2:30PM] MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE-VICTOR'S OTHER FAMILY
[3:00PM] MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE-REESE JOINS THE ARMY
[3:30PM] MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE-REESE JOINS THE ARMY
[4:00PM] MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE-REESE COMES HOME
[4:30PM] MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE-BUSEYS RUN AWAY
[5:00PM] HEAT
[9:00PM] THE MATRIX
[12:00AM] THE TRANSPORTER
[2:00AM] HEAT (ALL TIMES EST)
Sundance -
[6:00AM] Dragonslayer
[8:30AM] Friends With Money
[10:15AM] The War of the Roses
[12:45PM] Groundhog Day
[3:00PM] Law & Order-Out of Control
[4:00PM] Law & Order-Shield
[5:00PM] Law & Order-Juvenile
[6:00PM] Law & Order-Tabula Rasa
[7:00PM] Law & Order-Empire
[8:00PM] Law & Order-Ambitious
[9:00PM] Law & Order-Admissions
[10:00PM] Law & Order-Refuge
[11:00PM] Law & Order-Refuge
[12:00AM] The Babysitter
[2:00AM] The Babysitter
[4:00AM] Serial Mom (ALL TIMES EST)
SyFy has the movie 'Chupacabra Vs. The Alamo', followed by a FRESH'WWE Steroid SmackDown', and 'Face Off'.
Continuing a Christmas Eve tradition, Gov. Jerry Brown issued pardons to 105 people Wednesday, before retracting one to a man hours later after learning he had not disclosed recent discipline by financial regulators, a spokesman said.
Brown retracted the pardon issued to Glen William Carnes, which the governor's spokesman Evan Westrup said was based on a court-issued certificate of rehabilitation. The pardon for a drug-related conviction committed by Carnes as a teenager in 1998 had not yet been signed by the Secretary of State and was withdrawn after an inquiry by the Los Angeles Times.
The governor's office said all those granted pardons had completed their sentences and had been released from custody for more than a decade without committing additional crimes. The Democratic governor said he issues pardons to those who earn them by demonstrating "exemplary behavior" and living productive lives.
A gubernatorial pardon does not erase a conviction but rather restores certain rights, such as allowing the person to serve on a jury. It also gives them the ability to own a gun, unless they had been convicted of a crime involving a dangerous weapon, and allows them to work as a county probation officer or state parole agent.
Two Saudi women detained for nearly a month in defiance of a ban on females driving were referred on Thursday to a court established to try terrorism cases, several people close to the defendants said.
The cases of the two, Loujain al-Hathloul and Maysa al-Amoudi, were sent to the anti-terrorism court in connection to opinions they expressed in tweets and in social media, four people close to the two women told The Associated Press.
The Specialized Criminal Court, to which their cases were referred, was established in the capital Riyadh to try terrorism cases but has also tried and handed long prison sentences to a number of human rights workers, peaceful dissidents, activists and critics of the government. For example, this year it sentenced a revered Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a vocal critic of the government, to death for sedition and sentenced a prominent human rights lawyer, Waleed Abul-Khair, to 15 years in prison on charges of inciting public opinion.
The detention of al-Hathloul, 25, and Maysa al-Amoudi, 33 - both arrested on Dec. 1 - has been the longest yet for any women who defied the driving ban. They were vocal supporters of a grassroots campaign launched last year to oppose the ban, and have a significant online following with a total 355,000 followers on Twitter for the two of them at the time of their arrest.
Though no formal law bans women from driving in Saudi Arabia, ultraconservative Saudi clerics have issued religious edicts forbidding women from taking the wheel, and authorities do not issue them driver's licenses. No such ban exists anywhere else in the world, even in other conservative Gulf countries.
On a sprawling, lush cocoa plantation in Mukono outside the Ugandan capital Kampala, farmers have been sampling chocolate for the first time ever.
"When we gave our farm manager the first product to taste his face was so amazing, he was saying 'really this is coming out from what we are doing?'" said Felix Okuye, 28, the executive director and co-founder of startup Pink Food Industries.
The chocolate on the shelves of Kampala's major supermarkets is usually from Switzerland, Belgium, Brazil, Malaysia and Turkey. A 100g bar normally sells for about 20,000 shillings ($7.25, 5.90 euros), according to the entrepreneur.
However since May this year, the pair have been selling their own "Uganda" brand of chocolate, mainly through social media, to Kampala restaurants and hotels who use it for deserts, pastries and in ice-cream.
Regardless of IQ, people who work at complex jobs have a slightly higher chance of being better thinkers as they age, a recent study suggests.
"When we look at the association between complexity of work with people or data, we see that those in more complex jobs generally do better on a range of cognitive ability measures," said Alan Gow, one of the study authors.
The researchers knew from earlier work that complex jobs might help protect cognitive ability later in life. So they added the childhood IQs of 1,066 people in Scotland from a 1936 study to their analysis.
They also grouped the people from that study according to profession - for example, architect, engineer and lawyer (higher thinking jobs) or typist and salesperson (requiring less complicated thinking).
Procrastinating holiday shoppers can now grab one of Miami's most iconic two-seaters: the all-white 1986 Ferrari Testarossa driven by TV cops "Sonny" Crockett and Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs in the hit 1980s series "Miami Vice."
The car is available on eBay through Jan. 7 and is being offered for $1.75 million (1.13 million pounds) by a south Florida pawn and auto loan company. It acquired the car in 2012 from the person who purchased it from the series producer, a department of Universal Studios, in 1991, according to Auto Pawn Plus owner Peter Lima.
Throughout the series, which aired on NBC for five seasons from 1984 to 1989, producers used a number of cars, including a replica Ferrari for flashy shots cruising down Miami's sun-soaked, palm tree-lined streets. However when Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari discovered the show was using a replica he demanded Universal use authentic cars, according to Lima.
Producers acquired two black 12-cylinder Testarossas that were later repainted white, according to work receipts.
Security forces in Honduras have seized 2,852 wooden sticks stuffed with cocaine paste in the Caribbean port of Puerto Cortes, police said on Tuesday.
The paste, which serves as the basis for making cocaine, was found inside the sticks shipped in four of eight containers that came from Cartagena, Colombia, authorities said.
"We have counted 339 kg (747 lb) of cocaine (paste) and tomorrow we will continue looking for more drugs in another three containers," he added.
The pieces of wood measured roughly 1 meter (3.3 feet) by 7.6 cm (3 inches).
A Washington state company is making a $70 million investment in a tuna cannery in the U.S. territory of American Samoa.
The canned tuna products from American Samoa will carry the "Made In USA" label, said officials with Tri Marine International. Based in Bellevue, Washington, Tri Marine took over the lease of a government property three years ago after another cannery closed.
Tri Marine's cannery plant is expected to employ some 1,500 workers when fully operational and is operated by the company's Samoa Tuna Process Inc., located on seaside village of Atu'u. American Samoa's economy is dependent on the tuna cannery industry.
The new cannery will focus on the U.S. market, where tuna products from American Samoa are duty-free, said Curto, adding that this helps offset the higher cost of processing in the territory as compared with industrialized centers in low-labor-cost countries like Thailand, Philippines and China.
Owners of Harley-Davidson motorcycles wearing Santa Claus costumes ride along a street to give presents to elders at a nursing home during a promotional event celebrating Christmas in Guangzhou, Guangdong province December 24, 2014. Christmas is not a traditional festival in officially atheist China but is growing in popularity, especially in more metropolitan areas where young people go out to celebrate, give gifts and decorate their homes. Picture taken December 24, 2014. REUTERS/Stringer
Police in northern Italy have cracked down on a circus that was trying to pass off painted chow-chow dogs as panda bears.
According to the police, circus officials were charging children to have their pictures taken with two pandas. When they checked on the pandas, they found two dogs that had been dyed black and white.
The dogs appeared to be in good health, although they suffered from unusually watery eyes, likely from exposure to constant flashbulbs.
When challenged on the veracity of the pandas, the owner of the circus in Brescia, about 100 kilometres east of Milan, allegedly said that they were rare panda/dog hybrids.
Andean bear twins Tupa und Sonco open their Christmas gift box with fruit and vegetables in their enclosure in the zoo in Frankfurt, Germany Thursday Dec. 25, 2014.
Photo by Arne Dedert
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took the day off.
returned to semi-retired status.
Police in northern Italy have cracked down on a circus that was trying to pass off painted chow-chow dogs as panda bears.
