The 60-year tradition at Edgar Allan Poe's grave has sadly ended!

Mystery visitor fails to appear at Edgar Allan Poe's grave for first time in 60 years: "A mysterious visitor who left roses and cognac at the grave of Edgar Allan Poe each year on the writer's birthday failed to show early Tuesday, breaking with a ritual that began more than 60 years ago.... (click on the link to keep reading this fascinating story...)"

Laura Izibor - SHINE

Crayola Evolution: 1903-2010

Crayola Evolution: 1903-2010: "

From a humble eight colors in 1903’s original Crayola box, an explosion of diversity has arisen in the Crayola ecosystem. Designer Stephen Von Worley has analyzed Wikipedia’s list of Crayola crayon colors and created an infographic (shown in miniature above) demonstrating the Crayola Explosion of the past 107 years. Von Worley even coined “Crayola’s Law,” stating: “The number of colors doubles every 28 years!”

There are currently 133 “standard” colors in the Crayola lexicon (although some have been fired), and a variety of bizarre “specialty” crayons with glitter, scents, stripes, and so on. With all this diversity, I’m not sure what my favorite color is. Oh, who am I kidding, it’s obviously Bittersweet Shimmer, one of many colors in the Metallic FX collection that sound like, let’s be frank, stage names for exotic dancers.

Further reading: 5 Times Crayola® Fired Their Crayons, Retro Video: How Crayons Are Made, and Wikipedia page on the term Crayon: “a stick of colored wax, charcoal, chalk, or other materials used for writing, coloring, and drawing.”

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8% of Human DNA Comes from a 40 Million Year-Old Virus

8% of Human DNA Comes from a 40 Million Year-Old Virus: "

A team of scientists led by Keizo Tomonaga of Osaka University determined that a virus dating from 40 million years ago is embedded in human DNA. This infection, known as the bornavirus, might be the cause of schizophrenia and passes from generation to generation inside human cellular nuclei, filling out 8% of human genetic code:

The assimilation of viral sequences into the host genome is a process referred to as endogenization. This occurs when viral DNA integrates into a chromosome of reproductive cells and is subsequently passed from parent to offspring. Until now, retroviruses were the only viruses known to generate such endogenous copies in vertebrates. But Feschotte said that scientists have found that non-retroviral viruses called bornaviruses have been endogenized repeatedly in mammals throughout evolution.

Bornavirus (BDV) owes its name to the town of Borna, Germany, where a virus epidemic in 1885 wiped out a regiment of cavalry horses. BDV infects a range of birds and mammals, including humans. It is unique because it infects only neurons, establishing a persistent infection in its host’s brain, and its entire life cycle takes place in the nucleus of the infected cells.

Link via io9 | Image: US Department of Energy

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS

BUY HANDMADE

Sophie Madeleine plays "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" on ukuele

Go to Sophie's website to download her mini-album for free!

Top Internet Lists of 2009

I laughed for an hour when I went through this list: The Top 20 Internet Lists of 2009

The best lists were Funniest Protest Signs of 2009, the lists with ruined photos, and the 11 Things That Look Like Joe Jackson. On one of the sites that featured the lists, I ran across a list about the top funniest Amazon review threads, which is hilarious!

Mad Men

I love Mad Men , which premiered Sunday night on AMC. I watched it yesterday, and I will have to say that I'm not suprised that Don Draper is up to his old ways, but I am disappointed that the pregnancy didn't bring him closer to his family. The flashback scene at the beginning about his birth, while he was boiling MILK (not too subtle...) made me think he was going to straighten up, but of course, it is a drama, and what would it be without the, well, drama.

I made a few Mad Men avatars, as you can see to the left! You can join in the fun by going here: Mad Men Yourself

I didn't see enough of Joan or Peggy in the episode. I wish there were side movies about all the other character's lives that AMC posted on their website.
Here I am hanging out with Joan and Peggy in the office. Peggy is looking a bit... thin... to say the least, AND apparently the AMC avatar people forgot her promotion when they were creating this little tool.

You can choose from numerous backgrounds, including one with many of the cast admiring your entrance to the office. There are also many clothing choices and extras!

I can't help myself

I love food. I celebrate food! I completely admit that it is not a healthy obsession, so please overlook that part of it.
I love farmer's markets, gardens, fruit orchards, creative restaurants, home cooking, deep fried goodness, dark chocolate - I LOVE it all (well, almost all of it). I am the person who visits cities just to eat at restaurants (recent example: Sweet Potatoes in Winston-Salem, NC). I will write about that visit soon, which brings me to my next point:
Fully expect restaurant reviews, and perhaps a few photos of delicious food!
I can't help myself. I like to imagine that I'm a professional food reviewer sometimes, preparing for a big article in the New York Times food section. Gregg just plays along. :)
I am taking a brief rest period, but I will be back very soon, with lots of inspiration to share with everyone!

Black and White Photos: Developed in the Darkroom

I took these pictures with an old camera I purchased on ebay about six years ago. I especially love the second one. I found the piano as I snuck a peek into an old saloon building in a ghost town on the backroads in Virginia. It was right inside the door, and this was the only image I managed to snap before being called back by the owner. I ache to play, but I never learned how...
The old camera is a heavy, clunky camera from the 1960s. Consequently, it only takes good black and white pictures, if you don't mind the dust spots.
I had a lovely time with Gregg in the darkroom of SCC, developing black and white pictures a few years back. This is one of the results from that time. We were taking a photography class, and we were bound and determined not to be dragged into the world of digital photography, and now, a few years later, I have two digital cameras. I still love my old 35mm, though. More pictures to follow....

Clearing out the dust...

This space will serve as an inspiration board of sorts - a mix of many elements that speak to me in some way. You may find photography, links to articles or other blogs, reviews of my latest music loves, descriptions of restaurants I visit, recipes, and other random insights from this little life of mine. I promise to update very soon!