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Wednesday, July 31, 2002
It's summer. And that means that all around the Bering Sea, male walruses are hauling out on rocky beaches, sunning themselves, sleeping scratching, and "making all kinds of strange noises." Chad Cohen, a National Geographic reporter records his impressions and speculates on the evolutionary reasons for this enormous pinniped bachelor party. Intelligent mobsWhen I was in graduate school, a widely-quoted factoid stated that any group had an intelligence inversely proportional to the number of people in it. Thus a crowd of a more than a hundred was about as smart as an earthworm. This perfectly explained mob behavior.But that was before the ubiquity of cell phones. Now, leaderless groups can organize themselves by calling and texting each other. Joel Garreau of the Washington Post reports on this new urban swarming behavior and analogous phenomena such as "drunk dialing" and "life skittering". 31 flavors hardly touches itQuestion: What popular food product comes in flavors such as octopus, ox tongue, sweet potato, corn, wasabi, shrimp and chicken wings?If you are in Japan, the answer may well be ice cream. This amazing photo gallery of product labels comes from the redundantly-named Mainichi Daily News. (Thanks to Mouse for the link.) Tuesday, July 30, 2002
Good news for newspaper fansThe New York Times has joined ProQuest's Historical Newspapers Project, which will digitize the entire run of the paper, from 1851 to 1999. The older issues are being digitized from microfilm copies of the paper, but digital enhancements will make the text much clearer.Nicholson Baker, author of the controversial book Doublefold, which described the American newspaper preservation crisis, may be cautiously relieved. 
Motorcat, famous throughout the DC Metro area for riding a motorcycle with her human, J. Catman, died last week at the age of 17. The cause of death was cancer. Donations are being accepted for a headstone, with surplus money to be donated to the ASPCA. Better living through vegetablesBack when I lived on Capitol Hill, in a basement flat made briefly famous when Barney Frank's roommate turned it into a brothel, I would roll out of bed on Saturday morning, pull on enough clothes to be decent, and amble the short block to Eastern Market. An hour later I would be back, arms straining under the weight of fruit and vegetables, dense unsliced bread and three kinds of exotic sausages. I live across town now, but Eastern Market is still there, offering magnificent produce on the weekends I find the ambition to Metro over. This morning the AP published a fine little article about it. A new fact for me: Adolph Cluss, the architect who designed Eastern Market in 1873, was also responsible for the Smithsonian's Art and Industries Building. Washington can be a very small town.As the article pointed out, the future of Eastern Market is being debated by two groups, who can be roughly classified as the preservationists and the upgraders. I'm firmly in the former camp myself; DC needs a good farmers' market more than it needs a Ghirardelli Square.
Monday, July 29, 2002
It's nice to know that Mouse and I are not the only nominal adults who are charmed by Tottoko Hamutaro (simplified to Hamtaro in this country.) The show has hit the venerable pages of the New York Times, which marvels at the wide appeal of this gentle cartoon about a community of hamsters. The predicted demographic was young girls; to everyone's amazement, young boys are watching too. So are their parents, and adults without the excuse of a resident child. Serious US product tie-ins will begin this fall. But the show has already invaded the popular imagination, and hamster tchochkes direct from Japan are multiplying on eBay. Links aplentyThe director of the Janus Museum forwarded the fine list of archival resources at the stylishly-named floating wreckage:jettisoned caro (FWJC). Besides the weblog, there is a remarkably complete resource list in the site index. Thursday, July 25, 2002
The theft of moon rocks from the Johnson Space Center
[previous post]
may have been minor news for most of the media, but here at NASM it has become an obsession. A colleague at JSC sent us the names of the interns involved and the URL of Thad Roberts' personal home page. Of course this knowledge rapidly diffused around the building.
"I can't imagine why anyone would be interested in this…egotistical child," a curator responded. I understand the comment, but I personally find Thad Roberts fascinating. He is a perfect example of an evil that we in the museum community see too often--a member of the inner circle who goes spectacularly bad. One reason the NASM staff is reacting so strongly is that we had our own Thad Roberts. A member of the curatorial staff--not a curator, though he described himself as one--was stealing the artifacts in his care and selling them at auction. The first we knew of it was when FBI agents showed up at the Registrar's office. The offender spent six months in prison, but to our amazement he continued to work in the aerospace museum community. Through sheer force of personality he convinced prospective employers, not to mention his wife, that the charges against him were fabricated--the result of a personal vendetta by the Smithsonian administration spawned, apparently, by jealousy. Like Thad Roberts, our traitor was a golden boy. He was young, handsome and privileged, with expensive hobbies and a "willful personality" (a phrase used to describe Mr. Roberts in a press release included on his website). His life seemed dedicated to proving to the world at large "the wonderfulness of ME!" And the world was mostly convinced, though not as fast or as fully as our would-be curator had hoped. In the end, his raids on the collection seem to have been as much about revenge as the need for money. Tellingly, he defended his thefts by saying that the items were not being properly cared for. This is an interesting justification, considering that the parts of the collection raided were his responsibility. Was Thad Roberts' fall similarly motivated? I have not doubt of it. The "egotistical child" was obviously not stupid. He also obviously had high ambitions in the geology and aerospace communities. He was, in every sense of the word, a golden boy. But at JSC he was a very young fish in a large and privileged pond. His superiors were older and duller. No doubt many of them seemed like lazy government bureaucrats. They did not appreciate the wonderfulness of HIM. And so he took his revenge. Nobody was paying attention to that safe. It would serve them right if their precious moon rocks vanished under their noses, prey to the superior man, the golden boy with the willful personality. It was stupidity. But it was also the arrogance of Lucifer, a pride both sinful and deeply human. We who toil in the mines of "the increase and diffusion of knowledge" watch the fall of the meteor and shiver, because we buy into the golden boys' myths and share their rage against bureaucracy. The enterprise of knowledge is noble and sacred; those who administer it are often dull-witted plodders. It is easy to become disillusioned. But disillusionment is ultimately egotism. Disillusionment is the world not living up to your expectations. It is the conviction that the world is not worthy of your labor, your love and integrity--that it is not worthy of the wonderfulness of YOU. Tuesday, July 23, 2002
Umi no HiJuly 20 is Marine Day, Japan's newest national holiday. To mark the occasion, Japan Times Online has published a series of articles on marine recreation topics:
Hot rocksFederal agents have arrested four people for stealing a safe full of moon rocks from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and trying to sell them. The thieves advertised the moon rocks in the newsletter of a Belgian mineralogy club newsletter. Three of those arrested were summer student employees.Here's the web page of Thad Roberts, one of the thieves. astronaut_thad indeed. (Thanks to Brian for this link.) Poor Kaydee. Wednesday, July 17, 2002
The future of museums?Philip Kennicott, writing for the Washington Post, notes that Washington's new International Spy Museum, which opens this Friday, is more amusement park than museum. It's heavy on interactives, and the admission fee is $11 for adults and $8 for children. Questions about museumish things such as artifact catalogs and provenance are met with blank stares. Any unlabeled object is a "prop", and the actual permanent collection is very small.On the other hand, this for-profit museum is executed in a thoroughly professional manner, which will inevitably invite comparison with the Smithsonian branches across the street and a few blocks away on the Mall. Like it or not, this may be the direction we all are headed as the bottom line looms in importance. Meanwhile, the NYT article on the new Spy Museum points out that the museum was designed, at least in part, by Antonio and Jonna Mendez, formerly of the CIA's Office of Technical Affairs. Antonio Mendez is the author of The Master of Disguise: My Secret Life in the CIA, a thoroughly entertaining and informative book. Tuesday, July 16, 2002
"A national system for concerned workers to report suspicious activity"Despite the theories of my colleagues, Operation TIPS does not stand for "Turn In your Pals", but for "Terrorism Information and Prevention System". TIPS is the government's program to recruit ordinary citizens to report any suspicious activity they see in the course of their daily jobs. One million informants in ten US cities are planned for the first stage. As investigative journalist Ritt Goldstein notes in the Sydney Morning Herald, if the plan is for the ten largest cities, this comes to one in every 24 inhabitants.I'll take Parsley for $400, AlexToday's Guardian Unlimited includes an eclectic list of facts on parsley: the disputed island off North Africa, the popular herb (which grows on the disputed island), and parsley root, also known as Hamburg parsley. It may not be particularly deep, but it's a good set of trivia to dine out on.Tofu KozoTofu Kozo -- "tofu boy" -- was a monster who first appeared in kibyoshi (yellow cover) illustrated story books during the Anei Era (1772-81) of the Edo Period. A cowardly and clumsy figure in a bamboo hat, he tries to terrify people by showing them... a tray of tofu!!Tofu Boy has recently reappeared in popular literature, plays and pop music. "Tofu Kozo is my ideal,'' said pop musician Koichi Hirabayashi. "He taught me the importance of being able to enjoy nonsense.'' However, for a supposedly popular character, Tofu Boy is nearly invisible on the web. The article linked above was the only reference found on Google. KaroshiSome countries have national illnesses. Japan's is karoshi, broadly defined as "death by overwork". As described in the press and the popular imagination, karoshi includes not only heart attacks and strokes, but work-related suicides.
Monday, July 15, 2002
"I'm a fossil,", explains Sir Timothy Clifford, the British curator who discovered the Michelangelo drawing in the Smithsonian's collection. Sir Timothy, acting director of the Manchester City Art Galleries and the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh, was trained by an older generation of art scholars who knew how to look carefully at an object. Until now, he has been best known for his campaigns to prevent American museums' purchasing important works in British collections. Of the Smithsonian's drawing, Sir Timothy explains: "You recognize a Michelangelo as you recognize a friend." [more] [previous post] Friday, July 12, 2002
Not available in this country, unfortunately...Japan produces a large variety of specialty tofus. One, known as "mountain sea urchin tofu" because of its texture, is pickled in unrefined sake for half a year. There is also pink plum-flavored tofu and smoked tofu seasoned with cherry and apple essence.(Can you tell it's getting close to dinner-time?)
Alarmed at low test scores, the Japanese government has instituted a national strategy to improve students' English-language skills. Applicants for English-teaching jobs will need to pass stricter requirements.
Clueless in ManaguaThis is a legal postal address:From where the Chinese restaurant used to be, two blocks down, half a block toward the lake, next door to the house where the yellow car is parked, Managua, NicaraguaAfter the earthquake of December 23, 1972, destroyed Managua's street grid, a new system of addressing evolved. It involves references to buildings (some of which are no longer there), trees, the lake (which is, apparently, always "north" whether it is or not), and potentially mobile entities such as the yellow car. The ever-informative World Press Review reports.
Life just got harder for the touristsSecurity concerns have led the National Capital Planning Commission to propose eliminating hundreds of parking spots next to federal buildings, including the Smithsonian.Elsewhere, Jersey barriers are being phased out and replaced with ornamental stone walls and planters. The ones beside NMNH are being populated with delicate shade-loving plants, which are already withering in our steam-bath summer. Bad planning on someone's part, or perhaps a wry editorial comment. Thursday, July 11, 2002
When is an American citizen not an American citizen?Apparently, when she's been kidnapped by a Saudi citizen. Wall Street Journal columnist William McGurn tells the sad story of Monica Stowers and her children, who have been written off by the US government as the price of friendly relations with Saudi Arabia. When they sought refuge in the American embassy in Riyadh, the embassy staff had the Marines eject them.This case and others are currently being reviewed by the House Government Reform Committee. But the Saudis (not to mention US officials) are counting on Americans having short memories. It would be nice if, this time, they were wrong. [more] It's fun, but is it art?Sitting in the back room of the Barbican Gallery in London, Henry Jenkins declared: "I think gaming is going to be the most significant art form in the 21st century." His opinion matters, because he is the director of the graduate progam in comparative media studies at MIT. He was at the Barbican for the opening of Game On , an exhibit on the history and evolution of videogames.So, will videogames mature beyond the ten-year-old boy demographic and become something closer to interactive fiction? Some of the RPG's are approaching this. As consoles improve and AI gets more sophisticated, I think we will have the potential for a game an educated adult could play for stimulation, rather than mindless escape. The real question is: is there a market for intelligent products? Wednesday, July 10, 2002
More on the House Appropriations Committee amendmentThe Washington Post reports further on Representative Norman Dicks' non-binding amendment to the bill containing the Smithsonian's 2003 funding. [previous post] Specific controversies include the renaming of NASM's Langley Theater for the Lockheed-Martin Corporation, and NMAH's General Motors Hall of Transportation.United States of America vs. One Lucite Ball Containing Lunar MaterialWhy is the government suing a moon rock? It's a legal convention. The case is supposed to establish ownership of the lucite-encased pebble, which was given by president Nixon to the dictator of Honduras, Osvaldo López Arellano. The government has changed, and the rock was sold to Alan Rosen, an American businessman, who wants to resell it at a profit. The government disagrees, and maintains that the rock is the property of the Honduran people. Rosen proposes that he sell the rock and use the profits to establish a non-profit bank in Honduras to benefit small businessmen.
Tuesday, July 09, 2002
It's non-binding, but it shows they're watchingAmong other business, the House Appropriations Committee has passed a non-binding resolution authored by Representative Norm Dicks (D-Wash) urging the Smithsonian Institution to curtail naming facilities for corporate sponsors and to review the high salaries of some of its officials.
Speaking of airplanes, Japanese illustrator Shigeo Koike has created some of the most elegant images of classic aircraft any of us have seen. His treatment of skies and landscape is particularly poetic. This gallery is part of the Cyber Museum of Classical Aeroplanes, created by Japanese aircraft enthusiast Tsukasa Take.
Planespotting is a popular worldwide hobby, but airport security guards are not always amused. DC metro-area spotters say that BWI and National are more spotter-friendly than Dulles. Perhaps this will change when NASM moves next door in 2003?
Monday, July 08, 2002
Another American title falls to the JapaneseTakeru Kobayashi of Japan successfully defended his world hot-dog eating title at Coney Island on July 4. He ate a record 50 franks in 12 minutes -- one every 14.25 seconds. Kobayashi weighed 113 pounds before the contest, and 129 pounds afterwards.
General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., founder of the Tuskegee Airmen, and the first Black general in the US Air Force, died on Thursday, July 4, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, at the age of 89. [more] [more] [Images used with permission. Thanks, Kate!] Wednesday, July 03, 2002
Welcome to the 21st century, more or less.Victoria, Australia, is planning to decriminalize witchcraft by repealing the witchcraft section of the state Vagrancy Act 1966. Some local religious leaders are protesting.
Security procedures vary widely at Washington, DC agencies and public attractions. The level is largely up to the individual agency. At the moment, NASM is the only Smithsonian museum to have full airport-style X-ray machines ("the full airport experience"), but that may change if the machines are judged to be a success.
Some months ago, our Japanese-language teacher remarked that it's easier to get into the NASA Goddard facility, where she teaches day classes, than into the USDA building where the night classes are held. We speculated that the government was trying to foil evil-doers out to sabotage the nation's vital broccoli supply. You'd think they would at least get the name right.By now, U.S. millionaire Steve Fossett should have completed his solo round-the-world flight in a balloon, when he lands on Australia's vast Nullarbor Plain. [more] A mission control spokesman cheerfully stated:"The actual balloon does not normally survive the landing. The capsule will survive and is to be taken to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. to be hung next to Charles Lindbergh's 'Spirit of Saint Louis', which he flew across the Atlantic,"I still say that anyone who can't remember it's the Smithsonian Institution shouldn't be allowed to donate artifacts. Monday, July 01, 2002
We won't need those athlete-storage units after all.Local promoters of a 2012 DC Olympics have decided not to have the torch-lighting ceremony on the National Mall. Among the statements made:He considered storing the athletes in the Smithsonian or even having them march down the steps of the U.S. Capitol, but the area is so big and unstructured that all the scenarios became unwieldy.Hey, we coulda hung 'em up among the airplanes. |
