Matthew Reinhart's Blog, page 23
April 6, 2011
History Lesson: Olympic Games
On April 6, 1896, the Olympic Games were reinstated in Athens 1,500 years after being banned by Roman Emperor Theodosius I as part of his efforts to suppress paganism in the Roman Empire. At the opening of the 1896 Athens Games, King Georgios I of Greece and a crowd of 60,000 spectators welcomed athletes from 13 nations to the international competition.
The first recorded Olympic Games were held at Olympia in the Greek city-state of Elis in 776 B.C., but it is generally accepted that the Olympics were at least 500 years old at that time. The ancient Olympics, held every four years, occurred during a religious festival honoring the Greek god Zeus.
The 1896 Olympics featured the first marathon competition, which followed the 25-mile route run by a Greek soldier who brought news of a victory over the Persians from Marathon to Athens in 490 B.C. Appropriately, a Greek, Spyridon Louis, won the first marathon at the 1896 Athens Games.
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April 5, 2011
Weekly Beast: Swima bombiviridis
Swima is a genus of polychaete worm that lives in the deep ocean. These discarded gills somewhat resemble green "bombs" that remain illuminated for several seconds after they have been discarded. It is thought that this is a defensive mechanism rather than reproductive, as it is seen in both mature and juvenile individuals.
~Gio
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Word of the Day: Hubbub
Hubbub \huhb-uhb\ noun
1. Excited fuss or tumult from a crowd.
Etymology: It is probably related to ub ub ubub, a Scots Gaelic interjection expressing contempt, or to abu, an ancient Irish war cry. In any case, hubbub was first recorded (1555) in the phrase Irish hubbub and meant "the confused shouting of a crowd."
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~Gio
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Artist Watch: Yu Jordy Fu
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Yu Jordy Fu has been exhibiting her artwork since the age of six. This London based artist has a background in Spatial Design and Architecture but it's her 2008 series of 'Cloud Lamps' that caught my eye. Exhibiting great patience, she creates these intricate paper-cut landscapes inspired by her architectural design projects. The lamp shades are made from treated recycled paper and is "a simple and sustainable way to add intimacy and magic to domestic environments." The shades series has since expanded to chandeliers, installations and other custom commissions and you can learn more about Yu Jordy Fu by checking out her blog.
~Kyle
April 4, 2011
Word of the Day: Smalto
Smalto \zmahl-taw\ noun
1. colored glass or similar vitreous material used in mosaic.
Etymology: From Italian smalto 'enamel, glaze', related to smelt (to melt).
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~Gio
Whats Popped Up: Bowdoin Exhibit
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Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine has put together a nice exhibit of pop-ups that will be on view in the Hawthorne-Longfellow Library until June 4, 2011. The curators selected more than 150 movable items from the 1,800 titles donated to the college by alumni Harold M. Goralnick for the show, "Pop-ups! They are not JUST for kids".
Pop-ups! They're Not JUST for Kids from Bowdoin College on Vimeo.
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Here's what the folks at Bowdoin had to say about the show:
"Although we usually think of children's books when we see "pop-ups," these are definitely not all just for children—erotica, architecture, and political commentary join such predictable themes as fairy tales, rhymes and verse, the alphabet and counting, and animals, to name a few. Displayed works range from the late nineteenth century to the present and also include artists' books that employ pop-up features in their design."
Click here to view the press release for the exhibit.
~Kyle
April 1, 2011
Listen Up: Colleen
http://vimeo.com/156783
You can find out more about Colleen here:
http://www.colleenplays.org/
Word of the Day: Corniche
1. A coastal road, especially one cut into the side of a cliff.
Etymology: From French route en corniche, from Italian cornice 'frame, ledge', perhaps from Latin cornix 'crow' from its resemblance to the beak of a crow.
March 31, 2011
Vintage Movable Review: Mercedes-Benz Ad
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Today's selection is another mysterious pop-up advertisement. Back in the 1990's Mercedes-Benz wanted to hand you "your passport to 21st century motoring". Sadly, the faux passport that accompanied this pop-up mailer has gone missing, which would have shed some light on this campaign. Luckily, we can still enjoy the pop-up as is. This type of promotion would have been handed to potential clients or sent through the mail. Once taken out of the large envelope, the rubber band springs open a colorful car showroom, where a creepy looking magician/entertainer (who is a dead ringer for a chubby Dr. Doom) is unveiling the new Mercedes-Benz car model. If this is my passport to the future then it appears that I have nothing to declare.
~Kyle
Word of Day: Cloud-cuckoo-land
1. An idealized, unrealistic state; a place out of touch with reality; an imaginary place where silly or unrealistic people metaphorically reside.
Origin: From Greek Nephelokokkugia- nepele 'cloud' + kokkux 'cuckoo'. The word was coined in 'The Birds', a comedy by Athenian playwright Aristophanes. Nephelokokkugia was the name of a city in the sky, built by the birds in collaboration with some Athenians.
