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Planespotting in St. Maarten
Above, a real, unphotoshopped picture taken by Justin Cederholm of an Air France Boeing 747 coming in for a landing at Philipsburg/St. Maarten–Princess Juliana Airport in the Netherland Antilles on October 28, 2001.
Below, the same plane as photographed by Chris Weldy, the man in the white shirt just under the plane's nose in the top photo.
Weldy noted, "This is lower than it looks in wide angle... when it was over my head, I quite nearly wet myself."
I can see how that might be the case.
[via Daniel Rutter and dansdata.com]
July 16, 2006 at 04:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack
iPod Nano SpeakerDock
Mini MP3 Speaker Dock for iPod® Nano
Mini MP3 speaker dock is compatible with your iPod Nano.
Enjoy portable, rich sound — no headphones required.
Just insert your iPod nano.
Perfect for travel or listening anywhere.
Includes storage case for protection.
Uses 3 AA batteries (not included).
I find it almost inconceivable that it's not also offered in black.
$50 (iPod Nano not included).
Shovel Museum
Known formally as the Stonehill Industrial History Center, it's located on the campus of Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts.
The collection boasts 755 different models of shovels manufactured by the Ames companies.
From the FAQ:
By the 1870s Ames was the largest shovel manufacturer in the world, making three-fifths of the world's shovels, although even as early as the 1830s and 1840s they struggled to meet the demand for their highly prized products. Ames shovels were the tool of choice in both the California and Australian gold rushes as well as in most major American building projects including the Erie and Panama Canals and most American railroad construction. Ames shovels literally built America.
Ames created a display of 19 silver-plated shovels for the 1876 U. S. Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia.
Part of the Shovel Museum, they are still in their original display case (top).
[via maisonbisson.com]
Gulliver's Lighter
It's nearly seven inches tall, weighs almost two pounds and it works.
Giant Deco Lighter
Be the life of the party with our Giant Lighter.
It's guaranteed to be the ultimate conversation piece or add to the décor of your office desk.
Imagine the looks on your friends' faces as you casually pull out your Giant Lighter to light their cigarette.
I have one sitting on the coffee table and it never fails to elicit a response.
People simply have to know where they can get one.
Made of chrome steel, it looks and works just like a regular lighter — except for its size.
At almost seven inches tall it's guaranteed to be the ultimate conversation piece.
Simply fill it with lighter fluid as you would any normal-sized lighter and flick the flint.
Good for a thousand laughs over a lifetime.
We couldn't help but include this one-of-a-kind Giant Lighter in our gadget collection.
Also makes a great gag gift.
• Brushed Aluminum finish
• Measures 6.75"H x 4.5"W x 1.5"D
"Where can I get one?" you ask.
Right here: $29.95.
BehindTheMedspeak: Acne revisited — Does it matter what you eat?
Yes, according to the latest scientific studies.
But the culprits are not those commonly held to be prime inciters of zits.
Anahad O'Connor summarized recent findings in his "Really?" feature in the July 11 New York Times; his piece follows.
The Claim: Your Diet Can Bring on an Acne Outbreak
THE FACTS: Despite what parents everywhere have long insisted, most people know by now that chocolate and greasy foods will not cause acne. But can other foods?
According to dermatologists, what largely determines whether a person develops acne are genetics and hormonal fluctuations, hence the tendency for it to occur during puberty, pregnancy and menopause.
But recent studies have pointed to one or two exceptions, most notably dairy products. One of the largest studies to demonstrate this was published last year in The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology by a team at Harvard.
The researchers analyzed the habits and diets of nearly 50,000 people, looking especially at what they ate while in high school.
Those who drank three or more cups of milk a day, the researchers found, were 22 percent more likely to experience severe acne compared with those who drank one serving a week or less.
Skim milk had the greatest effect. Cream cheese and cottage cheese were also associated with outbreaks, while chocolate and greasy foods were not. The researchers attributed the effect to hormones in milk; other studies have had similar findings.
Dr. Diane S. Berson, an assistant professor of dermatology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, said foods that contain iodides, like shellfish and soy sauce, might also exacerbate acne. Iodides are thought to play a role in inflammation.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Certain foods, in particular dairy products, have been shown to exacerbate acne.
Peekaboo Chair
Designed by Stefan Borselius of Stockholm.
It's a molded felt-covered lounge chair with an an optional hood with a transparent plastic front that can be attached for privacy.
The chair is $2,715 and the hood $855.
At ICF Group in New York City (920 Broadway at 22nd Street; tel: 212-388-1000; icfgroup.com).
[via Marianne Rohrlich and the New York Times]
July 16, 2006 at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Expert's Experts: Tahir Shah's top travel books
The Washington Post Book World section of July 9 asked Shah, author of a series of superb books chronicling his own travels, to recommend the books which best inspire wanderlust.
His picks, with the year originally published in ():
"Arabian Sands" — Wilfred Thesiger (1959)
"Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific by Raft" — Thor Heyerdahl (1950)
"The Songlines" — Bruce Chatwin (1987)
"Seven Years in Tibet" — Heinrich Harrer (1953)
"Danger My Ally" — F.A. Mitchell-Hedges (1955)
"Touch the Top of the World: A Blind Man's Journey to Climb Farther Than the Eye Can See" — Erik Weihenmayer (2001)
If you like, read the article in its entirety and find out why Shah
chose these particular books.
Sparking Ring
Wind this Sparking Ring up with the provided key, slip the ring around a middle finger and hide the gadget in your palm.
When you touch anything electrical, press the button on the side of the gadget with your thumb and watch the sparks fly.
Unsuspecting onlookers gasp with alarm.
About 2" long.
I must have this.