After a long, dry spell, here’s the latest batch of new-to-us CDs. We have dipped into our treasure trove of gifts and extracted a pile of what we like to call the good ol’ M1505’s. For you browsers, M1505 is excerpts from operas. To get the whole deal, go to M1500. This batch even has a few selections from musicals.
Category: Resources
Numbers and Charts and Columns, Oh My
You know how things work. In order to prove anything to some people, you have to have data. And that means numbers. One of our favorite sources of data is the Statistical Abstract of the United States. We just received the 2008 edition, which, in reality, gives you stats for 2005 or 2006 and sometimes several years earlier.
There’s an electronic version on the U.S. Census Bureau’s web site that goes all the way back beyond 1878. Compare and contrast the number of post offices (1878: 39,258 – 2006: 36,826) or coal production (1878: 49,130,584 tons – 2005: 1,133,000,000 tons.) Astonish your friends with your storehouse of scintillating factoids.
Le Plus Se Change…
On May 14, 1881 Harper’s Weekly featured a cartoon about the high cost of gas. If this family had waited just over a year and moved to Appleton, they could have had the benefit of lighting their home with hydroelectric power.
Read all about the world’s first hydroelectric power station.
RSS Day!
Hey kids! May 1st is RSS Awareness Day!
What’s RSS, you ask? Check out this Lawrence University page about it and subscribe to Lawrence University RSS feeds. You’ll especially want to subscribe to the feed for this blog, of course…
What’s In a Name?
Everyone knows and loves Click & Clack, who are, thankfully, alive and well. But one of those who may have been an inspiration for their names is no longer with us. It was announced today that Werner Groebli, “Frick” of the comedy ice-skating team, Frick & Frack passed away on April 14 at the age of 92. The original Frack died in 1979, so the current Frack made the announcement.
The Mudd can help you repair your pre-1974 engine or learn how to figure skate, 1939-style.
New CDs!
After a long, dry spell, here is an interesting batch of CDs. Today’s CD pile is heavy on the Stockhausen and light on the C.P.E. Bach. Ballet by Stockhausen? Songs by C.P.E.? You guessed it.
Go Out For a Long, Cold One
If it hadn’t been for the guy born 110 years ago today, the town 25 miles to our northeast would be a port, a paper making hub and a gateway to Door County. But because Curly Lambeau and his friend George Calhoun casually struck up a conversation about football one day, Green Bay is a lot more. Thank him, thank the Indian Packing Company, and thank the citizens of Green Bay (the team owners) for sticking with the team through the tough years. Here’s to a new era.
We’ve got all kinds of books about the Packers in the Mudd.
Back the Tanker Up To the Burger King® – No One Will Notice
Today’s quiz: How many ways can you think of to legally transport edible grease? You can get take-out from KFC®. You can fail to wipe your hands before leaving a rib place. You can load yourself up with popcorn at a movie. But illegally transporting inedible grease takes some doing.
NPR reported this morning that a man in California was apprehended after being caught siphoning used cooking grease from in back of a Burger King®. He was charged with illegal transport of inedible grease, in violation of California Food and Agricultural Code, Section 19310-19317.
It’s a Gas
The CGA (Compressed Gas Association) Hydrogen Seminar is being held today at the Sacramento (CA) Convention Center. Try not to blurt out the obvious completion of this presentation topic as stated in the form of a question: “Hydrogen in your pocket.”
You won’t be surprised to learn Philip Glass composed a work with hydrogen in the title.
Crawl, Fly, Gallop Along – Nothing To See Here
We always knew those wacky British were animal-crazy, but we had no idea that passion extended to traffic control. On April 2, 1962, the “panda crossing,” a new style of pedestrian crossing was introduced in London, replacing the “zebra crossing.” It was quite simple, really:
“The panda crossing is activated when the pedestrian presses a button that lights up a “wait” sign. This results in a flashing amber light warning drivers to stop. After five seconds a pulsating red light tells the driver to stop and a ‘cross’ sign is illuminated indicating to the pedestrian that it is safe to cross the road. Eight seconds later the red light is replaced by a flashing amber light. At the same time the ‘cross’ sign begins to flash, at first slowly and then faster to warn the pedestrian that his time to cross the road is running out. After 17 seconds both lights are extinguished and the driver is free to drive on.”
The pandas were abandoned in 1969 in favor of the pelican crossing. But finally the high-tech puffin crossing was settled on. Stayed tuned. It is unlikely they will run out of black and white animals any time soon.
You know the Mudd has a book about crossing the street.