“It takes a big painting to do justice to the phenomenal history and diversity of birds. It also takes an artistic process that is as much about the science as it is about the aesthetics. Get a behind-the-scenes view of how artist Jane Kim brought all 270 species to life on this ambitious natural history mural in this short film narrated by Cornell Lab of Ornithology Director John Fitzpatrick.”
I love it – a Rube Goldberg device made of watch parts – view all the way to the end for the out-takes.
“The Hostess CupCake was first sold on May 11, 1919. According to author Andrew F. Smith, it was the first commercially produced cupcake, originally produced by the Taggart Bakery as the Chocolate Cup Cake.
Originally, two cupcakes were sold for five cents. Different flavors were offered during the early years, including cupcakes topped with vanilla or malted milk flavored icing. During the 1940s, an orange flavored cupcake was developed, with orange cake and icing. [Orange is still one of the standard flavors. I cannot imagine why.] But until 1950, the Hostess CupCake did not have any filling or the white squiggly line across the top.” – Wikipedia
Occasionally Hostess CupCakes are offered in different flavors such as dark chocolate raspberry, chocolate covered strawberry (pink cake), and red velvet, which has become a standard flavor.
How well do you know Hostess CupCakes? Go here for a quiz about them on PopSugar.
I am at a loss to explain why the word “touchdown” was used to promote baseball cupcakes.
Rita Zolotukhina, a Ukrainian tattoo artist, creates realistic botanical tattoos. She takes the desired plant material, adds ink to it, and “prints” it on her client. She then removes the leaf and uses the impression left on the skin as a guide for her tattoo art. Oh, I hope that’s not poison ivy!
I’m not really taking these photographs – be sure to click on the links in the story.
“A biochemist by training, photographer Linden Gledhill is fascinated by the beauty of infinitesimally small aspects of nature and science, from capturing the flight of insects to exploring the beauty of magnetic ferrofluid. Among his most jaw-dropping images are macro photographs of butterfly wings that reveal complex patterns that look like perfectly organized flower petals. These tiny protrusions are actually scales, similar to what you would find on reptile, though extremely small and fragile. Gledhill’s photography recently inspired an episode of Smarter Every Day where Destin Sandlin learns how to shoot similar photos. ”
I thought these videos were fascinating. And I look just like that when I am doing tai chi – you know, the flow-y movements. Yeah.
Fearsome clouded leopard shrieks instilling feelings of sappiness in all who hear.
Firearms, fibers, any news or behaviors that make me say, "hmm, let me take another look at this."
I still miss my man, but my aim is getting better.
Gunsmoke and Knitting 