Lawrence R. Spencer's Blog, page 151
July 19, 2021
IMAGINE A PUDDLE
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EX LIBRIS
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Books are valuable possessions. Books require thousands of hours, or even a lifetime to write, edit, and print. Before the advent of the printing press in the 14th century books were written by hand — one at a time — and only aristocrats and priests could read them. Historically, wealthy and educated persons collected books in private libraries. Each book had a label, or “book plate” placed on the inside front cover of the book to identify the owner. A bookplate, also known as ex-librīs [Latin, “from the books of…”], is usually a small print or decorative label pasted into a book, often on the inside front cover, to indicate its owner. Simple typographical bookplates are termed “booklabels”. Bookplates typically bear a name, motto, device, coat-of-arms, crest, badge, or any motif that relates to the owner of the book, or is requested by him from the artist or designer. The name of the owner usually follows an inscription such as “from the books of . . . ” or “from the library of . . . “, or in Latin, ex libris …. Bookplates are important evidence for the provenance of books.Here are a few examples of Book Plates for Greta Garbo, Douglas Fairbanks, Sigmund Freud, and others:
SEE MORE FANTASITC EXLIBRIS PAGE PLATES HERE: http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/ayu117/folder/1067532.html
HERE IS ANOTHER LINK:
http://cdm.lib.udel.edu/cdm4/browse.php?CISOROOT=/wab&CISOSTART=1,21
July 18, 2021
CERES “LIGHTS” CRATER IN COLOR
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The most recent composite image released by NASA’s is a color-coded topographic map of Occator crater on Ceres. The photo is extremely low-resolution, of course, so no details of the “city” or “base” can be clearly seen. However, the image does provide a sense of depth and proportion of the “lights” compared to the size and topography of the crater. The blue is the lowest elevation, and brown is the highest. The crater is approximately 56 miles (90 kilometers wide). Proportionately, the “lights” could extend roughly 20 miles (32 kilometers) in length.
July 17, 2021
SYNOPSIS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES: MY LIFE
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Sherlock Holmes: My Life, is a memoir in which Sherlock Holmes discloses a conspiracy between Dr. Watson, who is proven to be a fraud, and his associate, Dr. Arthur Doyle, to publish his real life adventures as works of fiction. Sherlock solicits the very able assistance of his brother Mycroft Holmes, who is aided by the British Secret Information Services, to help him resolve the most infamous literary fraud in history!
Their investigation of the two Scottish doctors, together with several authors, publishers and politicians who collaborated with them, exposes the scam as well as the farcical claim to knighthood of “Sir” Arthur Doyle and his life as an opportunistic hoaxer. The insidious plan of Watson and Doyle to erase the real person of Sherlock Holmes inadvertently unveils the true identity of Professor Moriarty.
The actual reasons for the disappearance of Mr. Holmes from public life, after his alleged “death” at the hands of Professor Moriarty in Switzerland, are disclosed for the first time. While staying as a guest at The Diogenes Club, under the cover of a false identity, Mr. Holmes served for several years in the employment of the Office of The Chancellor of The Exchequer, of which Mycroft was the pre-eminent administrator. During this singular period in his career Mr. Holmes encountered his most challenging cases.
Remarking retrospectively upon his diverse career during retirement, Mr. Holmes describes the most enigmatic, yet previously unrecorded, adventures of his life: encounters that influenced the literary creations of Charles Dodgson (author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland), J.M. Barrie (author of Peter Pan), the American writer Mark Twain, as well as Bram Stoker (author of Dracula) and Robert Louis Stevenson (author of Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde).
Finally, Mr. Holmes confides intimate personal details of his concoction and use of alchemical potions, his family, and sexual preference. Philosophical reflections upon his past and future are expressed in several poignant personal letters, including one received from his friend the 13th Dalai Lama, and in a reply to an inquiry from the American science fiction writer H.P. Lovecraft.
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— An excerpt from the book: SHERLOCK HOLMES: MY LIFE —
“As it pertains to the case before us, as viewed through the perfect lens of hindsight, it is plain to me now that Watson has always treated me, as regards his writing, in a circumspect and covert manner. Moreover, his constant supplications to me for permission to publish ‘just one more case’, have often bordered upon beggary!”, I cried.
“I am quite certain that your intuition in the matter is accurate, though highly disturbing to me”, said Mycroft. “Have you never examined any of the published volumes of the stories written about your cases by Dr. Watson?”, he asked.
“No, I must admit that I have never bothered to acquire a single copy, nor has Dr. Watson ever brought a single volume of a published work home with him to Baker Street, now that you mention it?”, I replied, realizing to my own astonishment, the singular improbability of it, especially after so many volumes had been published, and over such a protracted number of years, is remarkable!
“I believe that an examination of the published works of Dr. Watson will add more clarity to our discovery of the facts”, Mycroft said pointedly with his fork. “Let me be specific, my dear fellow. Did you, by any chance, read the manuscript of the last of his stories about your investigations? It is the case regarding the lost letter upon which your assistance was solicited by no less than the Prime Minister. Watson fictionalized his name as ‘Lord Bellinger’, and that of the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, under the name of Trelawney Hope”.
These were not their actual names of course, as you are keenly aware. Rather, the gentlemen in question were none other than Robert Gascoyne-Cecil who thrice served as Prime Minister, and twice as the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. He was accompanied by the then reigning Prime Minister at the date of the incident, Arthur Balfour”.
I could not deny that the solution of this case was of singular gravity and import to the well-being of Britain. Of course, Mycroft and his staff had been intimately associated, covertly, with attempts to recover the missing letter in that case. However, I admitted that I had not seen that book, or any other for that matter, in published form.”
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The book may be ordered in printed form, or downloaded as a PDF, from the website of the publisher: http://stores.lulu.com/pan
BUILD A BEE HOTEL
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Many species of bees are solitary – the do not live in hives but instead construct their own nest. The main reason for this is because in these species every female is fertile and this would not make for comfortable communal living in a hive.
Bee hotels are necessary for a number of different reasons. To begin with bee populations have been on a decline in recent years. Part of the problem is that their natural habitats have been cleared to make way for intensive agriculture. Pesticides have also been instrumental in their decline.
It is often difficult to encourage solitary bees in urban areas because there are so few suitable nesting places for them. So, many people chose to give nature a helping hand by building their own bee hotel, sometimes known as a bug or insect hotel.
We may not know these solitary bees as well as their hive dwelling counterparts but they make up more than 90 percent of the bee population.There are many species which can take advantage of human made hotels. They do not care whether their hotel is fastidiously organized or rather more haphazardly put together.
Image Credit Flickr User SwamibuThe above, for example, was specifically made for Red Mason bees. They are a staggering fifty times more effective at pollination than the better known honey bees. This hotel has 300 individual apartments to encourage this little known superhero of pollination. No need to worry about stings either, Red Mason are extremely docile and very rarely sting.
As you can see from the photograph they can come in many shapes and sizes but there are a number of things which remain constant. The materials used are mostly natural and include wood, tiles or simply old stone walls. Holes are drilled in to these materials which are large and long enough to encourage the solitary bees as well other insects to enter and oviposit their single egg or to gestate.
As you can see from the photograph they can come in many shapes and sizes but there are a number of things which remain constant. The materials used are mostly natural and include wood, tiles or simply old stone walls. Holes are drilled in to these materials which are large and long enough to encourage the solitary bees as well other insects to enter and oviposit their single egg or to gestate.
If this has encouraged you to find out how to make your own bee hotel then Friends of the Earth have come up with a really neat plan which is ideal for a small suburban garden. It comes with step by step instructions and can be made cheaply and easily.
July 16, 2021
THAT AWKWARD MOMENT
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Definition of awkward1. lacking dexterity, proficiency, or skill; clumsy; inept: the new recruits were awkward in their exercises.2. ungainly or inelegant in movements or posture: despite a great deal of practice she remained an awkward dancer.3. unwieldy; difficult to use: an awkward implement.4. embarrassing: an awkward moment.5. embarrassed: he felt awkward about leaving.6. difficult to deal with; requiring tact: an awkward situation; an awkward customer.7. deliberately uncooperative or unhelpful: he could help but he is being awkward.8. dangerous or difficult: an awkward ascent of the ridge.9. perverse (antiquated)
BE FREE
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July 15, 2021
TURN WITHIN
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30 CHARTS: Here’s What The Wall Street Protesters Are So Angry About…
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ARE YOU SICK OF THE BULLSHIT YET?!
CHARTS: Heres What The Wall Street Protesters Are So Angry About….
