Clancy Tucker's Blog, page 65
November 2, 2020
17 December 2020 - WISE WORDS FROM WISE PEOPLE
WISE WORDS FROM WISE PEOPLE
G'day folks,
The 20th century was turbulent. The world knew life-altering advancements in science and technology, two devastating world wars, exploration of space, revolutionary social equality movements and we could go on. Naturally, some brilliant prominent figures stood at the forefront of all this. Though just a drop in the ocean, these are some memorable quotes by some of the greatest minds of the 20th century.
Clancy's comment: Interesting words. Interesting people.I'm ...
6 November 2020 - KEUKENHOF - THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GARDEN IN THE WORLD
KEUKENHOF - THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GARDEN IN THE WORLD -
G'day folks,
Sadly, the most stunning flower garden in the world has closed after 71 years, due to the Covid 19 virus. However, when you see these photographs, you will want to visit this place when it opens again.
Keukenhof is a park where more than 7 million flower bulbs are planted every year. Gardens and four pavilions show a fantastic collection of: tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, orchids, roses, carnations, irises, lilies and many other flowers. You will be overwhelmed by a spectacle of colors and perfumes.
At Keukenhof, you'd think you were adrift on a sea of flowers. Divided across various gardens and pavilions, the tulips and other flowers number in the millions.
Keukenhof has a different theme each year, meaning that it is never the same. Unique in the world, this park attracts over a million visitors every year. Note that the tulips bloom only from mid-March to mid-May, meaning that the park is only open during this period.
Now, check out what you will see when it re-opens ...
Clancy's comment: Sensational place, eh? Make sure you visit it when it opens again.
I'm ...
October 28, 2020
10 December 2020 - JAPANESE PENSIONERS BACK ON DUTY AFTER FUKUSHIMA DISASTER
JAPANESE PENSIONERS
BACK ON DUTY AFTER
FUKUSHIMA DISASTER
G'day folks,
Welcome to a series of people who stepped up during troubling times.
The nuclear disaster that occurred on March 11, 2011, on the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in Japan is the largest nuclear accident after Chernobyl. The nuclear accident led to radiation being released both in the atmosphere and the water, the long-term negative effects of which will continue to affect the population and the environment for decades to come. Part of the containment and damage control strategy was the creation of a 20-kilometer restricted zone around the nuclear power plant, and the brave volunteers who were among the first to tackle some of the most dangerous tasks on and around the power station were… pensioners. A group of more than 200 Japanese retired workers of the plant that called themselves The Skilled Veterans Corps, all past the age of 60, volunteered to deal with the nuclear disaster instead of younger people. The group claimed that what they signed up for was not brave, but rather logical, as the negative effects of radiation will likely start affecting them decades after exposure, and so they have a much lower chance of experiencing them. The humility of these heroes is truly astounding.
Clancy's comment: Well done. Certainly brave.
I'm ...
October 27, 2020
21 November 2020 - ANCIENT MANUSCRIPT CANNOT BE DECIPHERED
ANCIENT MANUSCRIPT
CANNOT BE DECIPHERED
G'day folks,
The Voynich manuscript is one of the biggest riddles in the entire world, and has remained unsolved for centuries. But what is truly amazing about this manuscript is its content. It is written in a script indecipherable by any living soul, despite basically using the Latin alphabet. It also features illustrations of what seem like fantastical plants (or are they?) on many of its pages. Experts have tried to unravel the mystery of this script for centuries without success. Thousands of cryptographers, including Allied code breakers during both world wars, tried and failed. It is believed that the number of characters used may be anywhere from 15 to 40.Faced with repeated failure, some have hypothesized that the manual just cannot be deciphered, and is actually a very complex hoax. However, many point out that the text obeys numerous laws of real language, including Zipf's Law, a statistical rule on the frequency of words used in a natural language, where the most common word appears twice as often as the next most common word, etc.
Now, let's look at this problematic manuscript.
Clancy's comment: Extraordinary, eh?
I'm ...
2 November 2020 - WONDERFUL EXAMPLES OF MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY
WONDERFUL EXAMPLES OF MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY
G'day folks,
At some stage in their career, photographers have dabbled in macro photography. Some are better than others, and many have become experts. Check out these examples.
Clancy's comment: Yes, some of the subjects are quite extraordinary. I love the frogs.
I'm ...
October 26, 2020
9 December 2020 - HARVARD LIBRARY HAS BOOKS COVERED IN SKIN
HARVARD LIBRARY HAS
BOOKS COVERED IN SKIN
G'day folks,
What makes the finding of three books in the Harvard Library so different? Could it be what was on the inside that made them unusual? It was exactly the opposite.
It was what was on the outside that made these three books so incredibly unique. Experts at Harvard said that they have confirmed that a 19th-century book housed in one of the university’s libraries is bound in human skin.
Recently, employees at Harvard Library came across three books that had an unusual feeling cover. They were slightly smooth and even a little shiny, unlike any leather-bound books they’ve seen before.
Scientists and conservators carried out a series of tests on Houghton Library’s copy of the French writer Arsene Houssaye’s “Des destinees de l’ame” and concluded with 99.9% confidence that the binding material came from a human. Yes, real human skin!
Because this seemed absolutely shocking, they decided to do a little bit of research, and found that books bound with skin were actually quite popular in the 17th century.
It’s called Anthropodermic Bibliopegy. It was often done on anatomical textbooks. This practice became popular as medical professionals would use the skin of cadavers after they dissected them for research. This was their way of ensuring nothing went to waste.
Clancy's comment: Interesting, but spooky.
I'm ...
October 23, 2020
8 December 2020 - SARCASTIC STREET SIGNS IN LONDON
SARCASTIC STREET
SIGNS IN LONDON
G'day folks,
We have all seen graffiti around our town, but I don’t think any of us have seen some quite like this before.
UK-based artist Mobstr has stenciled simple but intriguing messages around London. The public has no idea who he is, but after 12 years of being involved in street art, Mobstr is putting together his first exhibition titled “Sex, Drugs and Painting Walls”. Let’s check out his work ...
Clancy's comment: Very clever. I'm ...
October 17, 2020
7 December 2020 - CLANCY TUCKER PHOTOGRAPHY
CLANCY TUCKER
PHOTOGRAPHY
G'day folks,
As I sit here finishing my latest book, 'GOTCHA!', I often dream about hopping on a big bird, and flying out of the country to participate in one of my other creative hobbies. In the meantime, I occasionally review some of my previous shots, taken in various places. Here are some of them ...
Clancy's comment: There ya go. Oh, to be on the road again, snapping at odd things that pop into your lens.
I'm ...
October 16, 2020
6 December 2020 - DAVID OAKLEY - GUEST AUTHOR
DAVID OAKLEY
- GUEST AUTHOR -
G'day folks,
Today, I interview an amusing author from North Carolina. He's a man who has certainly not lost his sense-of-humour.
Welcome, David ...
1. TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR WRITING JOURNEY.
I’m David Oakley and I’m a creative director at BooneOakley, an advertising agency in Charlotte, NC. I’ve spent the last 30 years or so coming up with ideas for TV commercials and billboards. There were so many funny things that happened as we created these advertisements, that I decided that I should start writing them down. So that’s how my first book, Why Is Your Name Upside Down? came about. It’s a collection of essays about the crazy wacky business that we call advertising. The book was received well, and a bunch of people encouraged me to write another book. So, I did. But this time, I didn’t write about my work family. I wrote about my family, family. What it’s like to be a dad, a son, a husband. What it’s like to be me. And what’s it’s like for my family to put up with me.
2. WHEN AND HOW DID YOU BECOME A WRITER?
Storytelling is such a big deal in the South. I grew up listening to my grandma tell stories of growing up as a tobacco sharecropper during the Great Depression. I was fascinated at how much humor there was during such hard times. She always made me laugh and I really like laughing. So, I decided that that was what I wanted to do. The only difference is that I write my stories down. And her stories were better. LOL
3. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT BEING A WRITER?
Believe it or not, I enjoy the process of writing. Yes, it’s difficult staring at a blank page, but it’s also extremely rewarding when you come up with an idea or a story line that you like and start to create the narrative. And when it all comes together and you know that it’s going to be a funny story, it’s one of the greatest feelings in the world. Almost as good as sex. But not quite.
4. WHAT WAS IT LIKE MOVING FROM RURAL NORTH CAROLINA TO NEW YORK CITY?
I grew up in North Carolina, so I have a southern accent. When I moved to NYC after college, I wondered if my accent would be a detriment to my success. I thought that folks would make fun of me for sounding like I was from Mayberry. But much to my surprise, I found that was not the case. Yes, New Yorkers still made fun of me. But it was mostly for the boneheaded things that I did. Like dine and dashing from a restaurant wearing softball jersey with my company's name (Young & Rubicam) and my number on it. I would consider that a failure, especially since the owner of the restaurant turned out to be friends with my boss. But my accent... it helped me land Claire, the most beautiful woman in the world. We will be celebrating our 30th anniversary in October.
5. WHAT WERE YOU IN A PAST LIFE, BEFORE YOU BECAME A WRITER?
As I mentioned before, I work in advertising as a creative director. But before that, I grew up the son of two potters. So, I used to be a potter. Not a very good one, but I could throw a pot.
6. WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST WRITING ACHIEVEMENT?
My new book, Nobody Eats Parsley is 65,000 words long. But only 2% of the words would be considered profanity. Doesn't seem like much to me, but my mom is not happy that there are still over 1300 cuss words in my book.
7. WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT?
Right now, I’m working on answering this question. Shit, I’ve put more thought into this question than I put into some of my essays.
8. WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
Laughter inspires me. When something makes me really laugh or someone around me laugh, I really want to write about what made them laugh.
9. DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR NEW WRITERS?
The first thing for a new writer is to keep writing. Just keep writing. Then after you have written for about 10 years, suddenly you’re not a new writer anymore.
10. DO YOU SUFFER FROM WRITER’S BLOCK?
Yes, I do suffer from writer’s block occasionally. But I have the cure. Writer's block can be easily cured by a trip to the nearest Circle K or Seven-Eleven. All you need to do is buy a lottery scratch-off card. (I recommend the $30 scratch-off.) Bring it back home and place it beside your laptop. Stare at it for a few minutes and write down all the things you're going to buy and the places you will visit, when you win $10 million. Once this writing is done, it's time to scratch. More than likely, you won't win anything, so now you can write about how pissed off you are at yourself for wasting $30, and that you will never ever take advice again from David Oakley. Voila! Writer's block is gone.
11. DO YOU HAVE A PREFERRED WRITING SCHEDULE?
I find that I do my best writing very early in the morning just after waking up. My mind is free at that time having not been cluttered by the days noise yet. I also LOVE writing when I’m flying. I refuse to get “In-flight internet” on a plane. It’s really the only place where I’m totally unconnected and I love not being distracted. Sometimes when I fly from Charlotte to Las Vegas, I challenge myself to complete an essay on the 4-hour flight. I tell myself that if I do it, I can party like a rock star when I get to Las Vegas. I probably wrote 6 essays in Nobody Eats Parsley on different trips to way to Vegas. I really need to visit Vegas more often.
12. DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE WRITING PLACE?
My laptop computer. I have tried to just type onto a table or the kitchen counter, but it doesn’t save what you type, so when you wake up in the morning, you don’t have anything, and you have to start over. Definitely my computer is my favorite place to type. Because it magically remembers what I write.
13. WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST JOY IN WRITING?
Without a doubt, it’s someone reading what I wrote and getting a laugh out of it.
14. WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHOR AND WHY?
David Sedaris is by far my favorite author, first of all because he has a wonderful first name. Seriously, the first time that I read his work, I really wanted to write. He writes about mundane stuff that happens to him every day and he finds so much humor in it. I’d really like to meet him someday just so I could say something stupid and completely embarrass myself.
15. WHAT’S THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT YOU EVER RECEIVED FROM A READER?
Your book made me literally laugh out loud several times. That’s really why I write. To tell stories that make people laugh. Doing that makes me very happy.
16. WHAT WAS THE WORST COMMENT FROM A READER?
“You’re a good writer. But if you want to see great writing, you should read my son’s Facebook posts.” This is a real comment. It actually made me laugh, so I guess it’s not that bad.
17. WRITERS ARE SOMETIMES INFLUENCED BY THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THEIR OWN LIVES. ARE YOU?
Everything that I write about is something that happened in my life. So, the answer is yes.
18. OTHER THAN WRITING, WHAT ELSE DO YOU LOVE?
My wife, Claire. And weed.
19. DID YOU HAVE YOUR BOOK / BOOKS PROFESSIONALLY EDITED BEFORE PUBLICATION?
Yes, I did.
20. DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT DAY.
I don’t know. Sitting at my desk answering 43 questions about myself.
21. IF YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESSERT ISLAND WITH ONE PERSON, WHO WOULD IT BE? WHY?
First of all, I hate dessert, so being on an island that only had dessert to eat would be a total bummer. I guess I would give the pecan pie and chocolate cake to whoever I was with on the island. Which would probably be Claire, my wife and the coolest person in the world.
22. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO SPEAK TO WORLD LEADERS?
Buy my book. You could use a laugh.
23. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?
I’m a terrible planner. Besides, I think the future makes its own plans.
24. DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN ANY OF YOUR CHARACTERS?
I’m in every one of my stories. I play the dunce in each one.
25. DID YOU EVER THINK OF QUITTING?
Quitting what? Drinking? Smoking? Gambling? Yes, I think about quitting all the time, but what would I have to write about then? But I have never thought about quitting writing.
26. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE MANUSCRIPT TO WRITE? WHY?
I really enjoyed writing both of my books. But if I had to choose, I would say my most recent book, Nobody Eats Parsley. It’s all about family and growing up and raising kids in the American South.
27. HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE ‘SUCCESS’ AS A WRITER?
I truly believe that success as a writer has nothing to do with selling a million books. (Says the guy who has never sold anywhere near a million books.) I believe that success is actually doing the writing. Because a lot of people talk about writing a book, but not that many people actually do it.
28. WHAT SHOULD READERS WALK AWAY FROM YOUR BOOKS KNOWING? HOW SHOULD THEY FEEL?
I don’t know how they should feel, but more than likely, they walk away knowing that they’ll never get those 3 hours that they spent reading my book back.
29. HOW MUCH THOUGHT GOES INTO DESIGNING A BOOK COVER?
A ton of thought goes into designing a book cover. I’ve been a creative director at an advertising agency my whole career so I know how important the look and feel of a product is to how much it will sell. It’s true that you can’t judge a book by it’ cover, but if people don’t notice your cover, they’ll never read your book. Your cover must grab people’s attention. The cover is not more important than the contents of your book. But it’s close.
30. WRITING IS ONE THING. WHAT ABOUT MARKETING YOU, YOUR BOOKS AND YOUR BRAND? ANY THOUGHTS?
One of the hardest things for me about writing a book is actually promoting my book. I think that’s a common issue with most authors, but one might think that that wouldn’t be a problem for me.
After all, I’m an advertising guy. I’m always promoting stuff. But it’s different when you’re asked to promote your own writing. It’s not a Bojangles’ Cajun Filet Biscuit commercial. Or the latest Outer Banks TV campaign. It’s a much more personal thing. It’s saying, “Come look at me. Read my stories. Aren’t I funny? Spend your money on me.” Marketing a book is way harder than writing a book.
31. ARE YOUR BOOKS SELF-PUBLISHED?
Yes they are.
32. WHAT PISSES YOU OFF MOST?
Really outdated web design.
33. WHAT IS THE TITLE OF THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? GOOD ONE?
Me Talk Pretty Someday by David Sedaris. I have read it before, but I read it again last week.
34. ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO ADD?
Yes. 4 + 3 = 7. I love math.
Clancy's comment: Thanks for some great answers, David. If we spent some time together, I'm sure that we'd get into a fair bit of trouble. Oh, I hope this is not 'a really outdated website'. Stay safe.
I'm ...
October 15, 2020
5 December 2020 - INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ANCIENT EGYPT
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ANCIENT EGYPT G'day folks, Ancient Egypt is one of the most outstanding and extraordinary civilizations to have ever existed on Earth.
Thanks to the abundance of records and relics, many of which continue emerging to this day, we’re lucky to know so much about this ancient culture, their history, and even everyday life.
Here, we venture beyond the usual facts about the pyramids and Tutankhamen and share some equally fascinating facts and misconceptions about Ancient Egypt and its population. Did you know, for example, that ancient Egyptians didn’t ride camels and didn’t have money? Or that Cleopatra was likely not as beautiful as rumoured.
MUMMIES
Mummification was a common practice in many civilizations, but it was the ancient Egyptians that turned it into a whole science. Turning a body into a mummy was a long, arduous and very expensive process that only the privileged classes could afford. The majority of people, on the other hand, were simply buried in the desert. This is somewhat problematic, as the ancient Egyptians believed that a person will be able to live in the afterlife only if their body is preserved. But wouldn’t that mean that by reserving mummification only to the rich the simple folk would be denied a life after death? We will probably never know the answer to that question, but archaeologists do point out that, somewhat ironically, the hot desert sands were, in many cases, better at preserving the body than a sarcophagus placed in a cold and mouldy tomb.
WRITING
Hieroglyphics is a writing system that can be found in many Ancient Egyptian temples, tombs and, of course, the pyramids, but it turns out that it wasn’t the main way of recording things. This is because hieroglyphs are pictograms, meaning that they are a series of small pictures that form sentences when combined in various ways. You can imagine that inscribing each picture, not to mention a whole text, in this fashion is extremely time-consuming and not very practical. This is why this beautiful pictographic writing system was reserved for historical writing, religious and burial-related texts only, and more mundane matters like trade documents were written in a simplified form of hieroglyphics called hieratic. With time, they simplified the script even more into the so-called demotic writing. All three of these writing systems were used to record the same spoken language, although few people could actually read in Ancient Egypt (over 90% of the population was illiterate).
CLOTHING
Many ancient Egyptian customs and customary clothing, in particular, are explained in ancient Egyptian or other historical accounts, but we still don’t know why most pharaohs, even the women, wore false beards. The first pharaoh who wore this type of regalia was Pharaoh Djoser in 27 century B.C., and all subsequent rulers were portrayed in this fashion. Even Pharaoh Hatshepsut, one of the most prominent female rulers of ancient Egypt, often appears with a fake beard. To this day, we’re not sure why this is the case, but it is speculated that the pharaoh’s “uniform”, beard included, signified their connection to the Gods, and this was a big deal, as pharaohs were considered the embodiment of the god Horus and they typically tried to single themselves out of the crowd in any way they could.
Clancy's comment: What an amazing civilization.
I'm ...
