Monthly Archives: January 2014

He’s Cured

He's Cured

Chainmail Chess Set

Chainmail Chess Set

One Dining Room to Rule Them All

One Ring Dining Room

Happy Birthday, Gilligan

Bob Denver

Robert Osbourne “Bob” Denver (January 9, 1935 – September 2, 2005)

Robert Denver was an American comedic actor best known for his role as Willy “Gilligan” Gilligan on the television series Gilligan’s Island.

In later life it was rumored that he hated being known as “Gilligan,” but he’ll always be Gilligan to most of us.

In tribute to a wonderful set of memories, my picture is subtle, “Gilligan”-esce, but with style.

I hope he wouldn’t mind.

It’s a Wonderful Life

It’s a Wonderful Life is a 1946 Frank Capra film, produced by his own Liberty Films and released originally by RKO Radio Pictures. Dubbed by the American Film Institute one of the best films ever made, it placed #1 on AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Cheers, a list of the most inspirational American movies of all time. It ranks 11th on AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Movies, a list of the greatest American films. The film has also been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
The movie is the story of the life of everyman George Bailey, as told to his guardian angel Clarence Oddbody, who has been recruited to save him in his moment of need.

It's a Wonderful Life

The film premiered on December 20, 1946 in the New Globe Theater on Governors Island.

The film was released in theaters January 7, 1947.

 

Dear George:
— Remember no man is a failure who has friends.
Thanks for the wings!
Love
Clarence.  

More mantis!

Konikafa Mantis

Konikafa Mantis

White Mantis

White Mantis

Blue Mantis

Blue Mantis

Spiny Flower Mantis

Spiny Flower Mantis

Knit Mantis

Knit Mantis (Yes, it’s fake!)

A corsage that bites

Orchid Mantis

FAKING IT A female orchid mantis does a near-perfect floral imitation, fanning out her petallike legs as she clings to a twig.

Orchid mantises have evolved into a fake flower that out-flowers the real thing. The insects don’t seem to be mimicking any real flower found so far, but have invented something even fancier.

Read the rest of the article here

Happy Birthday, J.R.R. Tolkien

In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit.

JRR Tolkien is best known as the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. He was a professor of Anglo-Saxon language at Oxford from 1925 to 1945, and of English language and literature, also at Oxford, from 1945 to 1959.

JRR Tolkien

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien CBE (January 3, 1892 – September 2, 1973)

Happy Birthday, Isaac Asimov

All hail the birthday of Dr. Isaac Asimov, born this day in 1920.
Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov (c. January 2, 1920 – April 6, 1992)

 Wikipedia Link

Dr. Isaac Asimov was a Russian-born American Jewish author and biochemist, a highly successful and exceptionally prolific writer best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov’s most famous work is the Foundation Series, which was part of one of his two major series, the Galactic Empire Series, later merged with his other famous story arc, the Robot series. He also wrote mysteries and fantasy, as well as a great amount of non-fiction. Asimov wrote or edited more than 500 volumes and an estimated 90,000 letters or postcards, and he has works in every major category of the Dewey Decimal System except Philosophy. Asimov was by consensus a master of the science-fiction genre and, along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke, was considered to be one of the “Big Three” science-fiction writers during his lifetime.

Most of Asimov’s popularized science books explain scientific concepts in a historical way, going back as far as possible to a time when the science in question was at its simplest stage. He often gives nationalities, birth dates and death dates for the scientists he mentions, as well as etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms.

The Three Laws of Robotics (often shortened to The Three Laws or Three Laws) are a set of rules devised by the science fiction author Isaac Asimov and later added to. The rules were introduced in his 1942 short story “Runaround”, although they were foreshadowed in a few earlier stories. The Three Laws are:

  1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
  2. A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
  3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.

Happy Birthday, Roger Miller

Roger Miller

Roger Dean Miller (January 2, 1936 – October 25, 1992)

Roger Miller was an American singer, songwriter, and musician.
 Wikipedia Link

Happy New Year

Happy New Year, Charlie Brown