"Men are all heart and Women are all body. I don't know who has the brains. God maybe."
John Updike (1932-2009)
The 2 time Pulitzer Prize winning author John Updike passed away today. The title of this blog happens to be a quote from his first prized book, Rabbit Is Rich, so please know I am not saying it to be cynical, I am just quoting him. He was from the hometown of my father, Reading, Pennsylvania. Yes, the Reading Railroad from monopoly was also located there. I don’t mean to be anal but it is really pronounced Redding, not reading like the verb.
He was most famous for his Rabbit series and The Witches of Eastwick which also became a movie. This truly brilliant fiction writer also received one of the most prestigious sci-fi awards, the PEN/Faulkner Award.
I have mentioned in previous posts that you aren’t anybody until The Simpsons make you a character on their show. Well, John also received that honor as well, playing a ghost writer for Krusty the clown.
My favorite quote of his is, "Time passes in America and Asia; in Europe, history occurs" On the contrary sir, you will forever be in the history books as one of America’s most prized writers, and you will be missed.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Friday, January 09, 2009
Can You Hear It?
"Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought."
Albert Szent-Gyorgyi (1893-1986)
Well well well…so there is something unique about mosquitoes after all. Growing up in Florida I could not sit on the front porch of my house without having my body bombarded by those little rascals. Hearing that high pitch buzzing noise created turmoil knowing I was going to be itching hours after I was simply trying to have an enjoyable moment in the nice weather Florida so often blesses. It turns out that the high pitch noise produced by their wings serves a purpose more than just some side effect of their maintaining flight.
According to a study by Cornell University Scientists have discovered mosquitoes produce pitches in order to mate. The study was published an article in the journal Science,
Science 9 January 2009:Vol. 323. no. 5911, p. 279DOI: 10.1126/science.323.5911.279b
To be honest, lots of animals and bugs sing or dance before mating but mosquitoes are different. They actually harmonize and sing perfect 5ths. The male sings a D and the female sings a G. When they sing together it will generate a harmonic pitch what is also known to us musicians as an overtone. Only when they hear the overtone created will they mate. If this does not occur…they won’t mate. So I feel bad for the tone deaf mosquitoes who don’t hear the pitch because they will never get to experience the joy of creating life. Like I said, many animals/bugs use sounds to mate but none are known to use pitch in the process.
Hear is what it sounds like. Enjoy.
Albert Szent-Gyorgyi (1893-1986)
Well well well…so there is something unique about mosquitoes after all. Growing up in Florida I could not sit on the front porch of my house without having my body bombarded by those little rascals. Hearing that high pitch buzzing noise created turmoil knowing I was going to be itching hours after I was simply trying to have an enjoyable moment in the nice weather Florida so often blesses. It turns out that the high pitch noise produced by their wings serves a purpose more than just some side effect of their maintaining flight.
According to a study by Cornell University Scientists have discovered mosquitoes produce pitches in order to mate. The study was published an article in the journal Science,
Science 9 January 2009:Vol. 323. no. 5911, p. 279DOI: 10.1126/science.323.5911.279b
To be honest, lots of animals and bugs sing or dance before mating but mosquitoes are different. They actually harmonize and sing perfect 5ths. The male sings a D and the female sings a G. When they sing together it will generate a harmonic pitch what is also known to us musicians as an overtone. Only when they hear the overtone created will they mate. If this does not occur…they won’t mate. So I feel bad for the tone deaf mosquitoes who don’t hear the pitch because they will never get to experience the joy of creating life. Like I said, many animals/bugs use sounds to mate but none are known to use pitch in the process.
Hear is what it sounds like. Enjoy.
Monday, January 05, 2009
5,000 But Who’s Counting
“The truth is, marijuana probably isn't going to make you kill people. Most likely isn't going to fund terrorists, but pot makes you feel fine with being bored and it's when you're bored that you should be learning a new skill or some new science or being creative. If you smoke pot you may grow up to find out that you're not good at anything.”
Trey Parker and Matt Stone
“A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic.”
Joseph Stalin (1879 - 1953)
It is so sad to see coward less acts of violence in one of the worst lawlessness places in modern times, and possibly in the world’s history. All due to drugs, lust and greed. In 2007 there were just shy of 2,500 murders in Juarez, Mexico. In 2008…it doubled to just over 5,000 in 2008. I have included 1 of a 3 day program called “Hearing Voices, Shooting Crime Scenes in Juarez, Mexico.” You can link to this on
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99010638
and I would strongly encourage you to educate yourself about the tragic happening by listening to the other 2 days on NPR.org.
I can’t believe the Mexican Government is taking no action on this matter and it is very frustrating. They send in the military to put up some fake front as if they give a damn. Nobody is ever punished or imprisoned. Now that nobody is investigating these lawful actions and punishing the criminal it has spilled over into mass raping and murder of women. Just because they know they will be able to get away with it. It is so sad. I don’t know what to say. I truly believe in the good consciousness of people but rarely get disgusted with what we humans can do to one another.
Trey Parker and Matt Stone
“A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic.”
Joseph Stalin (1879 - 1953)
It is so sad to see coward less acts of violence in one of the worst lawlessness places in modern times, and possibly in the world’s history. All due to drugs, lust and greed. In 2007 there were just shy of 2,500 murders in Juarez, Mexico. In 2008…it doubled to just over 5,000 in 2008. I have included 1 of a 3 day program called “Hearing Voices, Shooting Crime Scenes in Juarez, Mexico.” You can link to this on
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99010638
and I would strongly encourage you to educate yourself about the tragic happening by listening to the other 2 days on NPR.org.
I can’t believe the Mexican Government is taking no action on this matter and it is very frustrating. They send in the military to put up some fake front as if they give a damn. Nobody is ever punished or imprisoned. Now that nobody is investigating these lawful actions and punishing the criminal it has spilled over into mass raping and murder of women. Just because they know they will be able to get away with it. It is so sad. I don’t know what to say. I truly believe in the good consciousness of people but rarely get disgusted with what we humans can do to one another.
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