Theoretical Ken

After getting a fabulous write up over at Pawesome.net by Jolene Robichaud, The Squirrel in our Window has had more than 25,000 people visit the website over the past 4 days!

After Pawesome posted their story, it was quickly picked up by Jezebel.com, The Gothamist, Neatorama.com, and Metafilter.com. Images of the squirrel and her family were even featured on the website of Italian newspaper, La Repubblica!

But the best part has been all of the wonderful emails that visitors have sent to Mama Squirrel from the website’s squirrel contact form.

I’ve posted most of the messages to the squirrel over on the The Squirrel in our Window blog. You should go take a look!

Look for an article about the squirrels from the pets website of a popular magazine in the next few days! (Can’t say which yet…)

Tags: General, Nature by T_Ken
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New York City based Aerial Theatre troupe Suspended Cirque announces their return to Brooklyn’s Galapagos Art Space with their newest show, URBANOPOLIS.

My wife Michelle Dortignac and her four über-talented collaborators (Joshua Dean, Ben Franklin, Angela Jones, and Kristin Olness) have done it again!

Actually, I should say that they WILL be doing it again for three upcoming shows at the Galapagos Art Space on August 14, 15, and 16.

Their all-new performance entitled URBANOPOLIS, is inspired by the dramatic and unique qualities of the Galapagos Art Space — the audience sits on several large steel islands, surrounded by water on almost all sides.

The performance takes place above, around, below, among the audience — no part of the performance space is left unexplored, and the audience is an integral part of the entertainment. The show’s format of short performance sections divided by mini-intermissions allows the audience to mingle and explore the unique water-filled theater space.

Visit the Suspended Cirque Website for more information, bios, images, and news.

Suspended Cirque is:
Joshua Dean, Ben Franklin, Michelle Dortignac, Kristin Olness, and Angela Jones.

Special guest Leenya Rideout; and as always, DJ Uri Attia

An online press release can be seen here:
URBANOPOLIS: Aerialists Spark an Evolution of Cirque in New Show at Galapagos Art Space

Tags: General by T_Ken
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Photo: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

No, it’s not a new Eddie Izzard sketch, Manhattanhenge is semi-annual occurrence where sun sets exactly parallel to Manhattan’s east-west streets. The term was coined in 2002 by Neil deGrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist at the American Museum of Natural History.

Manhattanhenge sunsets usually occur on May 28 and July 12. Manhattanhenge sunrise falls approximately on December 5 and January 8. The reason there are two dates for each, is that the east-west streets of Manhattan’s grid layout are offset 28.9 degrees from true east-west; as such, the sun passes this point as it approaches and recedes from the true equinox points. The reason for the 28.9 degree tilt of the streets is that while the streets are perpendicular to the spine of Manhattan, the tall and narrow shape of Manhattan is tilted to the east by 28.9 degrees.

More here, here and here.

Tags: General by T_Ken
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[youtube width=”425″ height=”335″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIo98M4tKLc[/youtube]

Albert Hofmann has recently passed away, but there’s a new type of trip ready for the taking–it’s a flavor trip!

As reported in today’s NY Times, there’s a new way to taste life a bit differently than you’ve ever done before. A cranberry-sized West African berry called the miracle fruit, numbs your sour and bitter taste buds for a few hours after eating it; the result is that everything that used to taste sour now tastes sweet!

A group called Flavor Tripping arranges small parties in NYC and San Francisco, where the miracle fruit is served, followed by an array of sour and bitter foods. According to their website: after eating one [miracle fruit bean], stout beers taste like chocolate milkshakes, grapefruits taste like pixie sticks, cheeses taste like frosting, it will make even the crappiest tequila taste like lemonade (and strangely enough, it will make all wine taste like Manischewitz).

Visit their website if you’d like to sign-up for the miracle fruit parties.

Tags: General by T_Ken
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My Neighborhood!

I happen to love maps. So of course, I love my new Google Maps Plugin for WordPress.

You like maps too?

Awesome US, World & State Wall Maps:
Raven Maps & Images

And you like on-line weather maps too?

Giant National Radar Composite (it’s huge!):
National Mosaic Enhanced Radar Image

Do you know of any other great map resources? Do tell; leave a comment!

Tags: Data, General, Science, Tech by T_Ken
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