G.D. Falksen's Blog, page 1291
July 20, 2012
montereybayaquarium:
Does the wisdom of the world reside with...
Does the wisdom of the world reside with mothers? You might think so, judging from this great photo of 13-year-old Joy, who has reared 16 sea otter pups during her time at the Aquarium!
Learn more about our sea otter exhibit and sea otter conservation at the Aquarium.
nypl:
The Pittsburg [sic] visible-writing machine...
nypl:
The Pittsburg [sic] visible-writing machine (1895-1917)
AKA a typewriter.
Part of the NYPL’s Turn-of-the-Century Posters collection.
firstbook:
If you work with kids in need (or you know someone...
If you work with kids in need (or you know someone who does) and you need free, brand-new books, please RE-BLOG. To register to get books, click here.
July 19, 2012
jawdust:
stunthusband:
goodstuffhappenedtoday:
Bikers Against...
Bikers Against Child Abuse make abuse victims feel safeThese tough bikers have a soft spot: aiding child-abuse victims. Anytime, anywhere, for as long as it takes the child to feel safe, these leather-clad guardians will stand tall and strong against the dark, and the fear, and those who seek to harm.
The 11-year-old girl hears the rumble of their motorcycles, rich and deep, long before she sees them. She chews her bottom lip, nervous.
They are coming for her.
The bikers roar into sight, a pack of them, long-haired and tattooed, with heavy boots and leather vests, and some riding double. They circle the usually quiet Gilbert cul-de-sac, and the noise pulls neighbors from behind slatted wood blinds and glossy front doors.
One biker stops at the mouth of the street, parks in the middle of the road and stands guard next to his motorcycle, arms crossed.
The rest back up to the curb in front of the girl’s house, almost in formation, parking side by side. There are 14 motorcycles in all, mostly black and shiny chrome. The bikers rev their engines again before shutting them down.
The sudden silence is deafening. The girl’s mother takes her hand.
The leader of this motorcycle club is a 55-year-old man who has a salt-and-pepper Fu Manchu and wears his hair down past his shoulders. He eases off his 2000 Harley Road King and approaches the little girl.
He is formidable, and intimidating, and he knows it. So he bends low in front of the little girl and puts out his hand, tanned and weathered from the sun and wind: “Hi, I’m Pipes.”
“Nice to meet you,” she says softly, her small hand disappearing in his.
The unruly-looking mob in her driveway is there to help her feel safe again. They are members of the Arizona chapter of Bikers Against Child Abuse International, and they wear their motto on their black leather vests and T-shirts: “No child deserves to live in fear.”
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/azliving/articles/2012/07/13/20120713bikers-against-child-abuse-make-abuse-victims-feel-safe.html?page=1#ixzz214xfChtS
The bikers aren’t looking for trouble. They are there so the kids don’t feel so alone, or so powerless. Pipes recalls going to court with an 8-year-old boy, and how tiny he looked on the witness stand, his feet dangling a foot off the floor.
“It’s scary enough for an adult to go to court,” he says. “We’re not going to let one of our little wounded kids go alone.”
In court that day, the judge asked the boy, “Are you afraid?” No, the boy said.
Pipes says the judge seemed surprised, and asked, “Why not?”
The boy glanced at Pipes and the other bikers sitting in the front row, two more standing on each side of the courtroom door, and told the judge, “Because my friends are scarier than he is.”
This is the most beautiful, awe-inspiring thing I’ve read in a long time. I wanna write a book about these guys, Jesus Christ. Where’s the blockbuster movie about these badasses?
somethingturkish:
16th century maps and depictions by Matrakçı...
Soltaniyeh (in modern Iran)
Tabriz (in modern Iran)
Esztergom (in modern Hungary)
Miyaneh (in modern Iran)
Hamedan (in modern Iran)
Istanbul (in modern Turkey)
'Green Dome'
16th century maps and depictions by Matrakçı Nasuh (most uploaded to Wikipedia by user Marmoulak).
“Nasuh bin Karagöz bin Abdullah el-Bosnavî (born in Visoko, Bosnia and Herzegovina), commonly known as Matrakçı Nasuh (Bosnian: Matrakčija Nasuh) for his competence in the game called Matrak (also known as Nasuh el-Silâhî - Nasuh the Swordsman - because of his talent with weapons) was a 16th century Ottoman mathematician, teacher, historian, geographer, cartographer, swordmaster, and miniaturist of Bosniak origin. He was brought to Istanbul after being recruited by the Ottoman scouts in Rumalia, educated, served several Ottoman Sultans and became a teacher at Enderun School.[1]”
Matrakçı Nasuh, was a gifted Janissary of Bosnia who went through both the Infantry and devşirme system, a gifted swordsman and sharp shooter well known for his intellect; he spoke 5 languages and was recruited into the Ottoman Navy.
After a long period of studies on mathematics and geometry he wrote his works “Cemâlü’l-Küttâb” and “Kemalü’l- Hisâb” and submitted them to the Ottoman Sultan Selim I. He wrote also the two books named “Mecmaü’t-Tevârih” and “Süleymannâme”. They deal about the history of the period 1520 - 1543. He also wrote a historical piece on the Iran campaign of Suleiman I titled “Fetihname-i Karabuğdan”.[2]
A recent study of his book, Umdet-ul Hisab revealed an unknown fact that Matraki had invented some genuine multiplication methods. One of the significant results displayed in this book was that thelattice method had been widely used in the Enderun nearly 50 years before John Napier introduced it to the Western world for the second time after al-Khwārizmī and Fibonacci[3]. Besides his works on mathematics and history he is very famous because of his miniatures. He created a naturalist style which focuses on panoramic views of landscapes and cities painted with the greatest detail (his most famous work, the Istanbul landscape picture, shows almost every street and building of the city). In Ottoman miniature art this was later known as “Matrakçı style”. The most important of his four historic volumes of miniatures is that dealing with Suleiman I’s first Iran-Iraq campaign in 1534-35. Besides illustrating the march of the Ottoman army from Istanbul to Baghdad and then Tabriz and its return viaHalab and Eskisehir, he also includes all the cities met by the army along the way. The Library of Istanbul University hosts the only copy of this unique work.
Nasuh was also a soldier and a master Bladesmith. He worked as a weapon teacher at Enderun School. He and his students demonstrated their skills in a show which was part of the circumcisioncelebrations of Suleiman I’s sons. Because of his success in this demonstration Nasuh received the honorary title of Ustad (Master) and Reis (Chief) from the Sultan. He also wrote a book about usage of various weapons and techniques of cavalry and infantry fight, called “Tuhfet-ül Guzât”.[4]
More information about him here.
