Sergio Cittolin’s Da Vinci-esque drawings of the Large Hadron Collider (CERN)

Vocabulary: Fruit of Forfeit & Declining Decrepitude Edition

dehiscence: the release of juices or fluids by the rupture of a tissue, in botany or biology
mouldwarp: archaic term for a mole, from the German mouldeworpon, “earth-thrower”
climacteric: in fruit, the ripening period; in humans, a period of declining sexual activity
deodand: an animal or object that has caused a death and is forfeit to crown purposes
spavined: decrepit or broken down, or in a horse, afflicted by a certain joint disease
linstock: a pole to which a match was attached, with which a cannon would be lit
birdlime: a sticky plant-based material smeared on branches to catch small birds
antimacassar: a cloth placed on the arms and backs of furniture to prevent wear
trituration: a finely powdered medicine, sometimes mixed with sugar of milk
eleusinian: related to the mythological “mysteries” celebrated in Eleusis
peculate: to steal or embezzle, especially public or entrusted property
ptisan: a drink with medicinal qualities originally made from barley
immiscible: incapable of being mixed together, e.g. oil and water
argot: a group’s jargon or slang – originally that of criminals
sistrum: an ancient Egyptian instrument like a metal rattle
bantling: a young child (from the German for “bastard”)
quean: a prostitute, or poorly-behaved girl or woman
invigilate: to watch over ones who are taking a test
rubicund: having a red or ruddy complexion
cicatrize: to heal by the formation of a scar
sedulous: diligent; persistent; assiduous
quondam: former or erstwhile

Message from National Geographic’s Director of Photography

Message from National Geographic’s Director of Photography

DODGING AND BURNING: Dodging (to brighten shadows) or burning (to darken highlights) is OK, but it should be minimal. Do not overdo it. Your goal in using digital darkroom techniques should be only to adjust the dynamic tonal range of an image so that it more closely resembles what you saw. And don’t oversaturate the color.

SOLARIZATION, MEZZOTINT, DUOTONE, ETC.: No. If you use one of the myriad alteration “filters” available in your digital photo software, please stop.

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Various – “The World Is Gone”
The World Is Gone

An unaccountable and varied album, touching on dub and noise as frequently as it does on folk melodies. It’s not always successful, but there’s a kind of grooving, dirty honesty pervading it that makes it impossible to truly dislike. This is the only instrumental track, but the vocals elsewhere range from Espers-esque harmony to jarring spoken word. It can be a bit hammy, but certainly worth a listen. (insound)

I really believe some people save their bright thoughts, as being too precious for conversation. What do you think an admiring friend said the other day to one that was talking good things, — good enough to print? “Why,” said he, “you are wasting merchantable literature, a cash article, at the rate, as nearly as I can tell, of fifty dollars an hour.” The talker took him to the window and asked him to look out and tell what he saw.
   "Nothing but a very dusty street,“ he said, "and a man driving a sprinkling-machine through it.”
   "Why don’t you tell the man he is wasting that water? What would be the state of the highways of life, if we did not drive our thought-sprinklers through them with the valves open, sometimes?

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Autocrat