HoodedHawk

A giant, donut-wielding Homer Simpson has been painted (in water-based, biodegradable paint) next to a 17th-century pagan chalk drawing. The 180-ft pagan drawing in Dorset, England is known as the “Cerne Abbas giant”, and is a pagan symbol of fertility (he “stands out”). Local pagans are not amused. The Homer painting will wash away when it rains; it’s one of many stunts pulled to advertise the new Simpsons movie coming out.

Fun: Want to go from Baltimore MD to London, England? Google Maps gives driving directions. I especially like the bit where you are directed to “Swim across the Atlantic Ocean”. But first you have to drive up to Massachusetts.

The Elephant Poo Poo Paper Company makes writing journals and other paper products out of elephant poo. No, it doesn’t smell. Really:

“We can make about 25 large sheets of paper from a single piece (or turd) of elephant poo poo!!! That translates into about 10 standard sized journals including the front and back covers! Neat, huh!?”

A paper in a recent issue of the journal Nature (see the Nature News Report) reports an x-ray imaging study of the ~2100 year-old bronze Antikythera Mechanism used as an astronomical calendar.

What is remarkable is not only the fact that this is the oldest/most complex geared mechanism known (over 30 intricate bronze gears) – but that nothing as complex is known to exist for at least another 1000 years.

Also, it is quite interesting that such a sophisticated technology should just vanish. Why didn’t a civilization advanced enough to create such a device continue on, advancing in technology? Why did it just stagnate for 1000 years, and we don’t see another example of such tech until the Middle Ages in Europe?

It was found in a shipwreck off the coast of Greece, and is in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. It had been underwater for over 2000 years, so its condition is remarkable. The artifact is basically priceless, so it wasn’t allowed to leave the museum. So, over 12 tons of x-ray equipment were transported to Athens from the UK to image the device.

Read the Nature News report for a great background story. Also see the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project page for more info.

For sale on Ebay (ends Wed. Nov 1, 2006 at 10:30pm):

Border Trilogy. All the Pretty Horses, The Crossing, and Cities of the Plain.

• First editions, first printings
• Near Fine in Near Fine Dust Jackets
• Very nice set of the Border Trilogy