Today we celebrate the mathematical constant, “π” (Pi).
Or its more formal iteration,
But I think we can convert that to a tastier … uhmmm … “Mode” (whether it’s “à la” or not) …
So no matter how you “slice it”, I hope you enjoy your “π” … errr … Pi Day!
While I was getting ready for my breakfast …
I checked my watch …
And realized this is a very special day for someone – so Happy Birthday!
But don’t bother checking your mail today for cards … it’s SUNDAY!
But you can sit back, relax and enjoy a nice cup of coffee …
And know that the Puddy Tats of the world join in wishing you a “Happy B-Day!”
Donald Trump supporter Birgitt Peterson, center, of Yorkville, argues with protesters March 11, 2016, outside the UIC Pavilion after the rally for the Republican presidential candidate was canceled.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/chi-ct-trump-protest-photo3-20160311-photo.html
You can't even mock Donald Trump supporters anymore.
They’ve embraced Godwin in “Full Monty” mode!
Just read our morning paper, and for the $100,000 Grand Prize I’m planning on saving TONS of daylight. But my good friend, Earl E, Byrd, told me not to jump the gun and be sure to wait until Sunday, or like our mutual friend, Ruddy Daye, warned, “You’ll live to regret it.” But I checked, and my lawyer, Kermit A. Kryme (of the law firm, Dewey, Cheatum & Howe) assured me I’m not violating any rules … yet. So here’s the article that got me buzzed:
[Editor’s Note: Sorry, but I can’t make it any larger, so you may have to increase your screen size to make it legible. Thanks.]
I’m in it to win it! And I think I actually have a chance, unlike the paper’s annual St. Patrick’s Day “Irish Pub Singing Contest” – which is ALWAYS won by Kerry O’Kee.
So “Happy Springing Forward!”
Sorry to inform you, but you’ll have to wait until next February if you hope to view the “lava” flow over Horsetail Falls in Yosemite National Park.
It’s not that you can’t get tickets as if it were a Sold-Out event – it’s because the spectacular natural Horsetail Falls Firefall show that Mother Nature puts on occurs only once a year in late February. And the opportunity to view it lasts for only about 10 days … and only for 10 minutes each day right at sunset. But boy, when the illusion of “lava” flowing down Horsetail Falls’ 1,570 feet (480 meters) face happens – it’s breathtakingly gorgeous!
And there’s no guarantee that there’ll even be a Firefall next year. The conditions must converge perfectly, and that hasn’t happened for at least the past 5 years because of the drought plaguing California.
Obviously the first criterion is enough water to have the Horsetail Falls’ “lava” flow. And this year they’ve had enough snow in the Sierra Mountains to ensure that the falls could be fed. Then the temperatures must warm enough to melt the snowpack in order to produce enough water for the “lava”. And then the sun must be aligned perfectly at just the right angle to produce the red, orange and gold reflections to create the illusion. And for that to happen there can be no cloud cover, which is pretty rare in February. And then you have to be in the perfect spot in Yosemite Valley to view Horsetail Fall, which is on the east face of El Capitan, to capture it all.
We should note that while the angle of the sun is also properly aligned in October, there’s no water flowing at that time of year to produce the Firefall. But this year the Firefall of Horsetail Falls was phenomenal.
The natural Horsetail Firefall should not be confused with Yosemite Firefall that began in the summer of 1872 and continued for almost a century. The owners of the Glacier Point Hotel had hot embers from dying fires raked over the edge of Glacier Point to Yosemite Valley 3,000 feet below. From a distance it appeared as a glowing waterfall.
Undoubtedly the Awahneechee Indians, who called Yosemite Valley home for hundreds of years, had observed the natural Horsetail Firefall – but if so, they never shared that information with white settlers who discovered the Valley in 1851.
Galen Rowell is the person who took the first-known photograph of the natural Horsetail Firefall, and that was only in 1973. Now hundreds of photographers from around the world flock to Yosemite in late February hoping they’ll be one of the lucky few to actually view it – an experience they describe as so deeply moving that it brings tears to their eyes along with actual applause!
The most convenient and crowded viewing area for the “lava” show is at the El Capitan picnic area, just shy of 2 miles past Yosemite Lodge at the Falls on Northside Drive. It’s only a small pullout area marked only by a small sign – but in late February, if you keep your eyes peeled for a horde of tripods, you’ll have found it. ENJOY!
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When thinking of Vincent van Gogh or Monet or Rembrandt, it’s easy for us to conjure up images of these artists sitting at their easels with paintbrush and palette in hand. But for Stephen Lund, his canvases are the streets of Victoria, British Columbia, his brush is his bike and his “paint” is his Strava GPS app.
And his results are nothing short of spectacular art!
Lund refers to his masterpieces simply as “GPS Doodles” so as to inspire people that anyone can be creative. He has his own detailed website called “GPS Doodles” explaining how he goes about creating each one.
A more lyrical term might be “Strava Art” as Strava is the GPS program Lund straps on that lets riders and runners track their workouts. Strava the route as data that generates a thin red line on a map that traces every move an athlete makes. (Apparently he also uses a Garmin GPS device, but I don’t know the difference.) And you can follow Lund on his Strava Homepage.
So how does Lund do it? Sometimes he envisions what he wants to create and then puts together a layered Google map and sets out penciling in his route to create his “Doodle” – like Darth Vader below. But that’s difficult because he has to find a route that runs in a continuous line. He then writes down the turn-by-turn directions for his GPS device to capture the route that he then uploads to the Strava map.
Here’s a detailed description of “Logistical Process”
Other times he begins with the Google map and then highlights major streets to see if anything jumps out at him – like seeing faces and objects in the clouds. That’s how he created his Giraffe Doodle.
Here’s a detailed description of what I’ll call the “Inspirational Process”
To be honest, for complex designs, he will sometimes turn his GPS off at one point and on again at another point to create a straight line via a “Connect-the-Dots” feature because it’s through an area his bike cannot go. Like with the Hummingbird below. But he uses this technique at a minimum, and a great many of his drawings are done with uninterrupted pedaling line.
Here’s a detailed description of the “Connect-the-Dots Process” that he used to create the WordPress Logo
Each Doodle requires about 70 km (44 mi) of pedaling, but the largest one —a mermaid he named “The Siren of the Salish Sea”— required 220 km of pedaling that took more than 11 hours of cycling over two days’ time.
[NOTE: The Salish Sea is a network of coastal waterways of southwestern portion of British Columbia and the northwestern portion of Washington]
He’s been featured on countless news sites as well as having given a TED Talk
Lund began this quest on January 1, 2015, and last year he cycled over 22,300 kilometers (13,857 miles) – a quarter of which were used in creating his 70+ ”GPS Doodles”. So let’s enjoy some of them …
Raccoon
T. Rex
Grasshopper
David
Queen Victoria
"Christ the Redeemer" – Rio de Janeiro
And a Link to a List of Favorites, (some of which I’ve used above)
A Crying Mother Nature Iceberg
Yesterday, Judi’s “Terse Tuesday Tidbits” inclusion of “Incredible Glacier Art Pays Homage to Our Disappearing Ice” reminded me of an incredible photo of a “Crying Mother Nature Iceberg” that you would SWEAR had to be Photoshopped.
But it’s NOT!
The forlorn-looking 'Mother Nature' figure appeared to locals during a thaw, with the melting ice and snow falling towards the sea below.
The striking image … would seem certain to be heavily used by environmentalists protesting against climate change. Rising sea levels caused by melting ice caps are one of the most worrying effects of global warming and experts warn swathes of low-lying countries will be left under water.
The picture was captured by marine photographer and environmental lecturer Michael Nolan while on an annual voyage to observe the glacier and its surrounding wildlife.
The photo and story are from the “Daily Mail”
SCOTUS Nominee Obstruction – A Few Facts
For the record, and in case you want to arm yourself against the mendacious claims of Rethuglicans that they are well within “precedent” for their obstructing the President from carrying out his Constitutional duties of appointing a Supreme Court Justice (with their advice and consent), just share with them these quotes from St. Ronny Reagan and Mitch “McTurtle” McConnell:
REAGAN:
“The Federal judiciary is too important to be made a political football. I would hope, and the American people should expect … for the Senate to get to work and act.”
REAGAN:
Every day that passes with the Supreme Court below full strength impairs the people’s business in that crucially important body.
Mitch McConnell wrote in a 1970-71 law journal article that politics should play no role in Senate confirmations of Supreme Court appointments and that the Senate should defer to the president.
“The president is presumably elected by the people to carry out a program and altering the ideological directions of the court would seem to be a perfectly legitimate part of a presidential platform,” wrote McConnell.
Let’s Boogie!
And to end on a lighter note, how about the utter and absolute unbridled joy of 106-year-old Virginia McLaurin fulfilling her lifelong dream of visiting the White House and meeting (not to mention dancing with) President and Michelle Obama in celebration of Black History Month!
I’m sure we’ve all seen it, but it’s worth another look-see.
And a GIF so you can copy it for your own smile-inducement whenever you want:
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The author of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel “To Kill a Mockingbird”, Harper Lee, has passed at the age of 89. As though it were yesterday, I can remember seeing her novel on the coffee table of a good friend back in 1960 or 1961 when I was in junior high. His mother was reading it and I was intrigued by its title, and decided I would also read it. The love for that book, and Ms. Lee, was only deepened when the movie version starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch came out in 1962. While there are many memorable and powerful moments in the book, the movie version cemented mine at the end of the Verdict Scene when those in the Gallery rise to show their deep respect for Atticus. I would only make a small revision today:
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