text:
Astronomical Pseudo-Science: A Skeptic's Resource List
by Andrew Fraknoi
(Foothill College & Astronomical Society of the Pacific)
Version 5.0; October 2009
© copyright 2009 Andrew Fraknoi. The right to reproduce for any educational non-commercial purpose is hereby granted, as long as the author's name and institution are not deleted. For any other use, contact the author at e-mail: fraknoiandrew {at} fhda.edu
This is a selected list of resources for those who want to examine with a skeptical eye some of the claims at the fringes of science that seem connected to astronomy. The last section includes some general books that deal with a broader range of pseudo-scientific topics. Educators can sometimes use the enormous media and student interest in some of these topics as a way of generating discussion about what constitutes science and what does not. It's an opportunity to explain how the scientific method allows us to test controversial hypotheses and determine whether nature really works in the way they claim. The claims listed here generally evaporate under the scrutiny of careful observation and experiment.
Table of Contents:
1. Astrology
2. UFOs as Alien Spaceships
3. Crop Circles
4. The "Face" on Mars
5. The Full Moon and Lunacy
6. The Dogon Tribe and Sirius B
7. Immanuel Velikovsky and Worlds in Collision
8. Ancient Astronauts and Erich Von Daniken
9. Astronomical Aspects of Creationism and Intelligent Design
10. The "Great Moon Hoax": Did Astronauts Land on the Moon?
11. Doomsday 2012 and the Planet Nibiru
12. Miscellaneous Topics in Astronomical Pseudo-science
13. General Books and Sites that Include Sections on These Topics
1. Astrology
Perhaps the best known field of astronomical pseudo-science is the ancient idea that the position of the Sun, Moon, and planets at the moment we are born somehow affects our subsequent personality, career, or love-life. Astrology got a big media boost in 1988 when it was revealed that for a large part of his term, President's Reagan's schedule had been controlled by the predictions of a San Francisco astrologer (who had been on Nancy Reagan's payroll.) However, astrology is also the field in which the largest number of scientific tests have been performed and the evidence clearly demonstrates that astrological connections are no more than wishful thinking.
Culver, Roger & Ianna, Philip Astrology: True or False. 1988, Prometheus Books. The best skeptical book about astrology, full of useful information.
Fraknoi, A. "Your Astrology Defense Kit" in Sky & Telescope, Aug. 1989, p. 146. An introductory article with some basic skeptical questions about astrology. (Available on the web at:
Astrology and Science Web Site: Ivan Kelly and others keep some of the best articles and research studies on this crowded site.
The Astrotest: Dutch skeptic Rob Nanninga describes an experimental test of astrology done with the help of astrologers.
The Real Romance in the Stars: Biologist Richard Dawkins wrote an angry column to a British newspaper flirting with astrology and you can see it here with a few later notes.
Carlson, S. "Astrology" in Experientia, vol. 44, p. 290 (1988). A clear review.
Carlson, S. "A Double Blind Test of Astrology" in Nature, vol. 318, p. 419 (5 Dec. 1985). A technical paper describing a good experiment examining whether astrology works.
Dean, G. "Does Astrology Need to be True?" in Skeptical Inquirer, Winter 86-87, p. 116; Spring 1987, p. 257. An important examination of tests about astrology.
Dean, G. & Kelly, I. "Does Astrology Work: Astrology and Skepticism 1975-2000" in Kurtz, Paul, ed. Skeptical Odysseys. 2001, Prometheus Books.
Kelly, I. "Modern Astrology: A Critique" in Psychological Reports, vol. 81, p. 1035 (1997). An excellent review. (An expanded version can be found on the first web site recommended below.)
Kelly, I." Why Astrology Doesn't Work" in Psychological Reports, vol. 82, p. 527 (1998).
Kurtz, P. & Fraknoi, A. "Scientific Tests of Astrology Do Not Support Its Claims" in Skeptical Inquirer, Spring 1985, p. 210.
Kurtz, P., et al. "Astrology and the Presidency" in Skeptical Inquirer, Fall 1988, p. 3. A good summary of the controversy concerning astrology in the Reagan White House.
Lovi, G. "Zodiacal Signs Versus Constellations" in Sky & Telescope, Nov. 1987, p.507.
2. UFOs as Alien Spaceships
For decades the media have given enormous attention to sensational claims that vague lights in the sky are actually extra-terrestrial spacecraft. In recent years, the claims have grown to include crashes of such alien spacecraft and even kidnappings of unsuspecting Earth inhabitants by aliens. A sober examination of these claims reveals that there is a lot LESS to them than first meets the eye: when there is enough evidence, UFO claims can be explained by perfectly natural terrestrial or celestial phenomena (and, all too frequently, as deliberate hoaxes), while alien abductions seem to take place in the mind of the victim or the therapist, rather than in the real world. This section begins with readings on UFO claims in general, and then moves to information about specific famous UFO cases (including the almost legendary Roswell incident, which turns out to have been the crash of a top-secret balloon-flown package designed to search for atmospheric evidence of Russian nuclear tests.)
Clancy, Susan Abducted: How People Come to Believe They Were Kidnapped by Aliens. 2005, Harvard U. Press. Revealing psychological analysis of people who believe they were abducted.
Frazier, Kenneth, et al., eds. The UFO Invasion. 1997, Prometheus Books. A fine collection of articles on some of the key UFO cases and ideas.
Klass, Philip UFO's Explained. 1974, Vintage paperback. UFO's: The Public Deceived. 1983, Prometheus Books. UFO Abductions: A Dangerous Game. 1988, Prometheus Books. Klass was the leading UFO investigator in the world, and his books are a model of UFO detective work.
Peebles, Curtis Watch the Skies: A Chronicle of the Flying Saucer Myth. 1994, Smithsonian Institution Press. A historical study of the UFO movement.
Shaeffer, Robert The UFO Sightings: The Evidence. 1998, Prometheus Books. Thorough, responsible review by a noted UFO skeptic.
Gleick, J. "The Doctor's Plot" in The New Republic, 24 May 1994. A New York Times reporter examines the work of John Mack on UFO abductions and critiques the whole phenomenon and the media's exploitation of it: http://www.around.com/abduct.html
Jaroff, L. "Did Aliens Really Land" in Time, June 23, 1997, p. 68. A skeptical analysis of the Roswell incident. (Many good Roswell articles can also be found on the CSI web site; see section 13.)
Klass, P. "A Field Guide to UFO's" in Astronomy, Sept. 1997, p. 39. Natural explanations for UFO's.
Sagan, Carl The Demon-Haunted World. 1995, Random House. Chapters 4-11 are a marvelous debunking of many well-known UFO cases and an examination of the psychology behind them.
Special issue of Skeptical Inquirer on UFO's, Jan/Feb. 2009:
Ian Ridpath UFO Skeptic Page: British science writer investigates and explains UFO reports, and discusses astronomical causes of UFO sightings.
James Oberg's Space Age Myths: Veteran space journalist Oberg explains a number of UFO cases, including those involving astronauts and cosmonauts.
Alien Autopsy Hoax: About a purported film showing an autopsy of an alien body recovered at Roswell, New Mexico.
3. Crop Circles
Despite sensational claims of alien visitors making patterns in British wheat fields (a claim reinforced by the horror movie Signs), the evidence indicates that they are the work of Earthly hoaxters. Both the number and complexity of the crop circles seems to increase with media coverage, and several teams of hoaxter in Europe and America have now confessed.
Nickell, J. "Circular Reasoning" in Skeptical Inquirer, Sep/Oct. 2002, p. 17. Review by skeptical investigator. See:
Schnabel, Jim Round in Circles. 2003, Prometheus Books. A science writer gives the history and explores the fascination different kinds of people have for crop circles.
Nickell, J. & Fischer, J. "The Crop-Circle Phenomenon: An Investigative Report" in Skeptical Inquirer, Winter 1992, p. 136. A detailed investigation, with many cases and much evidence.
Nickell, J. "Crop Circle Mania Wanes" in Skeptical Inquirer, May/June 1995, p. 41. Brief follow-up to the above.
Crop Circle Report (CSI Archive):
4. The "Face" on Mars
A popular "government conspiracy" theory held that NASA has actually discovered a human face (as well as pyramids and other structures) on Mars, but was withholding crucial information from the public about the profound implications of this discovery. The real story is a lot less exciting and involves a perfectly natural geologic formation on the red planet. In spring 1998, the Mars Observer spacecraft took a much more detailed close-up image of the region in question, and found no evidence of anything that looked unnatural or like a face.
Morrison, D. "MGS Photographs 'Face on Mars'" in Skeptical Inquirer, Jul/Aug. 1998, p. 23.
Morrison, D. "UFO's and Aliens in Space" in Skeptical Inquirer, Jan/Feb. 2009, p. 30. An update on the "face" on Mars, and a bit about supposed astronaut encounters with aliens. (See: http://www.csicop.org/si/show/ufos_and_aliens_in_space/ )
Sagan, Carl "The Man in the Moon and the Face on Mars," Chapter 3 of his book, The Demon-Haunted World. 1995, Random House.
Posner, G. "The Face Behind the Face on Mars: A Skeptical Look at Richard Hoagland" in Skeptical Inquirer, Nov/Dec. 2000, p. 20. The full story of the writer who has spread the myth.
Posner, G. "Putting a Better Face on the 'Face' on Mars" in Skeptical Inquirer, May/June 2001, p. 65. Update.
NASA Educational Discussion of "Face":
Just for fun, here are a few more "faces" on Mars, as found in old images:
5. The Full Moon and Lunacy
The idea that more crazy behavior takes place during a full moon is well ingrained in folk wisdom. Statistical tests, however, show that there is no such effect, except perhaps in the mind of witnesses and with legends that associate the Sun with good and the Moon with evil. Since the full moon is bright and up all night long, it is more likely to reveal events that also happen during other phases, but are more likely to go undetected.
Moonstruck: (An overview of the many studies.)
Branham, R. "Did the Moon Sink the Titanic?" in Skeptical Inquirer, Jul/Aug. 1995, vol. 19, no. 4, p. 30.
Byrnes, G. & Kelly, I. "Crisis Calls and Lunar Cycles: A 20-Year Review" in Psychological Reports, vol. 71, p. 779 (1992).
Culver, R., et al. "Moon Mechanisms and Myths: A Critical Appraisal of Explanations of Purported Lunar Effects on Human Behavior" in Psychological Reports, vol. 62, p. 683 (1988).
Kelly, I., et al. "The Moon Was Full and Nothing Happened" in Skeptical Inquirer, Winter 1985-86, vol. 10, p. 129.
Kelly, I., et al. "World-wide Disasters and Moon Phases" in Skeptical Inquirer, Spring 1990, vol. 14, no. 3, p. 298.
Rotton, J. "Moonshine" in Skeptical Inquirer, May/June 1997, p. 44. A detailed review of a book by the most famous author who has claimed connections. (On-line at: http://www.csicop.org/si/show/moonshine/)
Rotton, J. & Kelly, I. "The Lunacy of It All: Lunar Phases and Human Behavior" in Mercury, May/June 1986, p. 1988.
Full Moon and Lunar Effects: (Part of the Skeptical Dictionary site.)
6. The Dogon Tribe and Sirius B
Several popular authors have touted the story of an African tribe that somehow acquired knowledge of the dim white-dwarf star around Sirius (which is visible only with the aid of larger telescopes.) Some see this as evidence of extraterrestrial visitors, but the real explanation probably involves the European visitors who were gathering information about the tribe and had read about the discovery of Sirius B before they left and discussed it with the tribe.
Brecher, K. "Sirius Enigmas" in Brecher, Kenneth & Feirtag, M., eds. Astronomy of the Ancients. 1979, MIT Press.
Krupp, E. "Observatories of the Gods and Other Astronomical Fantasies" in Krupp, E.C., ed. In Search of Ancient Astronomies. 1977, Doubleday. Debunks von Daniken and Velikovsky's ideas, as well as the Sirius myth.
Ortiz de Montellano, B. "The Dogon People Revisited" in Skeptical Inquirer, Nov/Dec. 1996, p. 39. Excellent up-to-date review.
Ridpath, I. "Investigating the Sirius Mystery" in Skeptical Inquirer, Fall 1978, p. 56.
Sagan, Carl "White Dwarfs and Little Green Men" in Broca's Brain. 1979, Random House.
Sirius Matters: The Chandra Observatory site has a short, skeptical introduction to this issue.
Sirius Mystery: Space journalist James Oberg takes a skeptical look in an excerpt from a 1982 book.
The Skeptical Dictionary Entry on the Dogon:
7. Immanuel Velikovsky and Worlds in Collision
An Austrian psychiatrist and amateur scholar, Velikovsky touted the thesis that ancient religious writings record evidence of recent catastrophes in the solar system, including the bizarre idea that Venus was a comet disgorged by Jupiter in historic times. His writing were once very popular, but now only a small underground of true believers keeps his work alive.
Goldsmith, Donald, ed. Scientists Confront Velikovsky. 1977, Norton. Proceedings of a symposium at the 1974 meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Gould, S. "Velikovsky in Collision" in Natural History, Mar. 1975. (On the web at: http://www.stephenjaygould.org/ctrl/gould_velikovsky.html )
Krupp, E. "Observatories of the Gods and Other Astronomical Fantasies" in Krupp, E.C., ed. In Search of Ancient Astronomies. 1977, Doubleday. Debunks von Daniken and Velikovsky's ideas, as well as the Sirius myth.
Morrison, David & Chapman, Clark "Catastrophism Gone Wild" in Cosmic Catastrophes. 1989, Plenum. Two noted astronomers examine our modern view of how impacts and other catastrophes have shaped the Earth, and, in the process, debunk Velikovsky's ideas.
Oberg, J., et al. "The Velikovsky Affair" in Skeptical Inquirer, Fall 1980. An update and review following Velikovsky's death.
Sagan, Carl "Venus and Dr. Velikovsky" in Broca's Brain. 1979, Random House. A superb refutation of Velikovsky's ideas.
Stiebing, William Ancient Astronauts, Cosmic Collisions. 1984, Prometheus. Examines Velikovsky's claims.
Transcript of the 1974 AAAS Symposium: (A Velikovsky partisan offers a verbatim record of the session debating Velikovsky's views that forms the basis of the Goldsmith book, above. Note that Sagan's contribution was much expanded by the time it reached print.)
The Velikovsky Affair: Science fiction writer Pournelle offers commentary, background, and a nice essay by astronomer David Morrison entitled "Velikovsky at 50", which updates some of Sagan's 1974 arguments.
Antidote to Velikovskian Delusions: Former Velikovsky disciple turned critic Leroy Ellenberger marshals the arguments against the worlds in collision proposals.
Ten 10 Reasons Velikovsky is Wrong: (Good summary of Ellenberger's arguments.)
Skeptical Dictionary:
8. Ancient Astronauts and Erich Von Daniken
A convicted Swiss embezzler (who wrote part of his best-selling Chariots of the Gods while in jail), Von Daniken claimed that there is a large amount of archaeological evidence that alien visitors helped us build many of the impressive artifacts that ancient civilizations left behind. (The insulting subtext here is that we needed the aliens' help because we humans were too stupid to build the Nazca lines or the pyramids by ourselves.) In fact, Von Daniken's books involve massive misinterpretations of archaeological data and a great deal of fabrication; the past, as the title of one the best debunking books vividly asserts, is human. Although his books are no longer as popular as they once were, his ideas have been incorporated into many new pseudo-science tracts and irresponsible television "pseudo-documentaries."
Stiebing, William Ancient Astronauts, Cosmic Collisions. 1984, Prometheus. A good skeptical introduction.
Story, Ronald The Space Gods Revealed. 1976, Harper & Row. Debunks Von Daniken's ideas.
Thiering, Barry & Castel, Edgar, eds. Some Trust in Chariots. 1975, Popular Library. Sixteen skeptical articles.
White, Peter The Past is Human. 1974, Taplinger. An archaeological perspective on Von Daniken's inventions.
Feder, Kenneth Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology. 2002, McGraw-Hill.
Lingemann, R. "Erich Von Daniken's Genesis" in the New York Times Book Review, March 30, 1974.
Nickell, J. "The Nazca Drawings Revisited" in Skeptical Inquirer, Spring 1983. (on the web at: http://www.csicop.org/si/show/nazca_drawings_revisited/)
Science or Charlatanism: Robert Sheaffer's short article challenges a number of Von Daniken's claims.
Von Daniken's 'Maya Astronaut': Examines the silly claim that a Maya sarcophagus lid shows an astronaut.
The Real Erich Von Daniken: A brief biography. http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/R/real_lives/daniken.html
Skeptic's Dictionary:
9. Astronomical Aspects of Creationism and Intelligent Design
Fundamentalist religious thinkers (from a number of religions) have sought to deny the evidence from geology, astronomy, and evolutionary biology about the age and gradual development of the universe, the Earth, and its life-forms. (Recent creationist tactics have involved attacking the Big Bang theory and radioactive dating, for example.) Some groups have worked hard to get their own brand of "creation science" or "intelligent design" into the public schools and to undermine the teaching of evolution, one of the most fundamental and best-established ideas in modern science. The literature examining this controversy is enormous; the list below is merely a representative sampling, of particular interest to astronomy educators.
An Ancient Universe: How Astronomers Know the Vast Scale of Cosmic Time: (from the Education Board of the American Astronomical Society)
National Center for Science Education: Best web site for keeping up with issues in this area, with many articles, resources, and links.
Scott, Eugenie Evolution Versus Creationism, 2nd ed. 2009, University of California Press. Excellent introduction to the key issues — scientific and political.
Bobrowsky, M. "Teaching Evolutionary Processes to Skeptical Students" in Physics Teacher, Dec. 2000, p. 565. Includes a list of creationist arguments and science teacher responses.
Bobrowsky, M. "Dealing with Disbelieving Students on Issues of Evolutionary Processes & Long Time Scales" Astronomy Education Review, vol. 4, #1, pp. 95:
Morrison, D. "Only a Theory: Framing the Evolution/Creation Issue" in Skeptical Inquirer, Nov/Dec. 2005, p. 37. An astronomer comments on how scientists are ceding the field by not noting the use of language. (On the web at: http://www.csicop.org/si/show/only_a_theory_framing_the_evolution_creation_issue/)
Hameed, S. "Bracing for Islamic Creationism" in Science, vol. 322, p. 1637 (12 Dec 2008). An astronomer warns of the rise of creationist ideas in Muslim countries and the need for education.
Talk.Origins Archive: (full of resources, discussions, links)
Supernovae, Supernova Remnants, and Young Earth Creationism by Dave Moore: (How creationists misuse arguments about exploding stars.)
Lawson, Kristan Darwin and Evolution for Kids. 2005, Chicago Review Press. An introduction to Darwins life and key evolutionary idea, with a discussion of why creationist ideas are wrong.
Pigliucci, Massimo Denying Evolution: Creationism, Scientism, and the Nature of Science. 2002, Sinauer Associates. A biologist gives the history of, explains, and refutes the various "brands" of creationism.
Strahler, Arthur Science and Earth History: The Evolution / Creation Controversy. 1987, Prometheus Books. A discussion from the geologist's point of view, with lots of information about dating the Earth's rocks.
Brush, S. "Finding the Age of the Earth by Physics or by Faith?" in Journal of Geological Education, 1982, vol. 30, pp. 34-58.
Coyne, J. "The Faith That Dare Not Speak its Name: The Case Against Intelligent Design" in The New Republic, Aug. 22/29, 2005 issue (vol. 233, issue 4727/8, p. 21.) Superb laypersons introduction to the history/politics of intelligent design and a refutation of its arguments (by a biologist.)
Dutch, S. "A Critique of Creationist Cosmology" in Journal of Geological Education, 1982, vol. 30, p. 27.
Wilson, M. "Geology Confronts Creationism: An Undergraduate Science Curriculum" in Skeptical Inquirer, Jan/Feb. 2002, p. 52. A course for geology majors.
The Age of the Earth: This useful page from the Talk.Origins site describes how we measure the age of our planet and then dissects some of the common creationist arguments for a younger Earth.
Changing Speed of Light Analysis: Addresses the creationist idea that the age of the universe could be a lot less than astronomers think if the speed of light has been getting a lot slower with time, so that light from distant objects wouldnt have had to leave them so long ago.
A more technical site is:
10. The "Great Moon Hoax": Did Astronauts Land on the Moon?
A small group of "true believers" who claim that NASA never landed on the Moon got a big boost in 2001, when Fox network broadcast a long paranoid show about their ideas. The web sites below provide a skeptical examination of this claim and the so-called evidence for it. From the many moon rocks brought back by the astronauts to the instruments they left on the Moon, there was always ample evidence that the moon landings actually happened. But in 2009, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter took direct images showing the Apollo artifacts on the Moon, settling the issue for all except the most fervent "believers."
Phil Plaits response to "Moon Hoax":
Hoax Comments by astronomer Jim Scotti:
Science at NASA discussion of hoax:
Moon Base Clavius Site (a group effort at debunking) [note that you need to click on the small arrows at the bottom to get to the next pages]:
Keel, W. "The Earth and Stars in the Lunar Sky" in Skeptical Inquirer, Jul/Aug. 2007, p. 47. The ultraviolet camera on Apollo 16 did record stars in the lunar sky and you can even identify them.
Plait, Phil "Apalled at Apollo" Chapter 17 of Bad Astronomy. 2002, Wiley. Good ammunition for debunking the notion that NASA never went to the Moon point by point.
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Images:
11. On Nibiru and Doomsday 2012
The latest internet myth to gain traction is the notion that the world will experience a catastrophe on the winter solstice of 2012, either from collision with a (mythical) planet called Nibiru or from some other astronomical cause. A large number of books and websites have touted this notion for a while, as have documentaries on the History Channel, but in the summer of 2009, the producers of a major movie thriller, called "2012" began to spend quite a bit of money on "viral marketing" — even setting up fake website purporting to show the science behind the idea. Lots of people are worried and asking astronomers about this. NASA's David Morrison has coined the term "cosmophobia" for the fear of astronomical disasters, and it appears that cosmophobia is significantly on the rise, despite the absence of any evidence.
David Morrison's introduction to and debunking of 2012:
The Top 20 Questions about the Doomsday 2012 Myth (answered by David Morrison):
Morrison, David "The Myth of [the planet] Nibiru and the End of the World in 2012":
Krupp, E. C. "The Great 2012 Scare" in Sky & Telescope, Nov. 2009, p. 22. Good introduction to the history of such doomsday predictions.
2012 Hoax site (a well-executed, exhaustive examination of claims and counter-arguments by a group of professional and amateur astronomers):
The Mayan Calendar Connection:
Planet X/Nibiru Cult Discussion by Phil Plait:
Fraser Cain's detailed critiques on the Universe Today website (and the further columns listed therein):
12. Miscellaneous Topics in Astronomical Pseudo-science
Phil Plait on Naming Stars for Money: http://www.csicop.org/si/show/name_dropping_want_to_be_a_star/
Hale, A. "Hale-Bopp Comet Madness" in Skeptical Inquirer, Mar/Apr. 1997, p. 25. On a cult that saw a spaceship behind the comet:
Frazier, K. "Was the 'Rare Earth' Hypothesis Influenced by a Creationist?" in Skeptical Inquirer, Nov/Dec. 2001, p. 7. University of Washington astronomer who was secretly a creationist.
Meeus, J. "Planetary Groupings and the Millennium: Why Panic?" in Sky & Telescope, Aug. 1997, p. 60. Analyzes 40 so-called "alignments of the planets".
Garwood, Christine Flat Earth: The History of an Infamous Idea. 2007, St. Martin's Press. A nice history that includes 20th century groups that believed the Earth was flat.
Branham, R. "Did the Moon Sink the Titanic: Astrology, Lunar Phases, and Maritime Disasters" in Skeptical Inquirer, Jul/Aug. 1995, p. 30. Examination of over 1400 ship disasters to see if there was any astronomical connection.
Burnham, Robert Great Comets. 2000, Cambridge U. Press. Chapter 6 discusses the "Heaven's Gate" affair (where cult members committed suicide) connected with Comet Hale-Bopp.
Krupp, E. "Lost Worlds" in Sky &Telescope, Apr. 2000, p. 93. Debunks notion that earlier civilizations knew about Uranus, Neptune, or Pluto, long before they were discovered.
Krupp, E. "The Sphinx Blinks" in Sky & Telescope, Mar. 2001, p. 86. Examines some astronomical connections suggested for the Sphinx and the Pyramids and finds them wanting. (See also, Sky & Telescope, Feb. 1997, p. 64.)
Kusche, Lawrence The Bermuda Triangle Mystery Solved, 2nd ed. 1995, Prometheus. A librarian researches the extravagant claims about disasters in a small area of the Earth and finds little to support them.
Oberg, J. The Tungusca Event: (Analysis by science writer James Oberg from 1982, debunking the notion that the impact event in Siberia in 1908 was an alien spaceship.)
Olson, D. & Lytle, T. "Tidal Forces on May 5, 2000" in Sky &Telescope, May 2000, p. 109. Examines the effects of planetary alignments on the Sun in 2000 and through history.
Stenger, Victor The Unconscious Quantum. 1995, Prometheus. A physicist examines "new age" claims that quantum mechanical ideas underlie psychic powers or paranormal experiences.
Voss, D. "New Physics Finds a Haven at the Patent Office" in Science, 21 May 1999; (vol. 284, p. 1252.) Discusses how weird, new age physics is sneaking its way into U.S. patents.
13. General Books and Sites that Include Sections on These Topics
Frazier, Kenneth, ed. Paranormal Borderlands of Science. 1981, Prome¬theus Books. Science Confronts the Paranormal. 1986, Prometheus Books. The One Hundredth Monkey and Other Paradigms of the Paranormal. 1991, Prometheus Books. Anthologies of articles from The Skeptical Inquirer magazine.
Harrold, F. & Eve, R., eds. Cult Archaeology and Creationism: Understanding Pseudo-scientific Beliefs About the Past. 1995, U. of Iowa Press. Essays about bizarre ideas in academia and in the media.
Hines, Terence Pseudoscience and the Paranormal, 2nd ed. 2003, Prometheus Books. An overview of many topics, including astrology, UFO's, ancient astronauts, and mass hysteria.
Kurtz, Paul, ed. Skeptical Odysseys. 2001, Prometheus Books. Essays by leading skeptics.
Sagan, Carl The Demon-Haunted World. 1995, Random House. Eloquent, impassioned, informed analysis.
Shermer, M. Why People Believe Weird Things. 1997, W. H. Freeman. Heartfelt ode to skeptical thinking.
Stein, Gordon, ed. The Encyclopedia of the Paranormal. 1996, Prometheus Books. Mammoth reference.
Fraknoi, A. "Dealing with Astrology, UFOs, and Faces on Other Worlds: Guide to Astronomical Pseudo-science in Classroom," Astronomy Education Review, (2004): http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2003022
Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI): Best site — many articles from Skeptical Inquirer, links, activities for young people, and much more.
The Skeptic's Dictionary: An excellent source of brief reviews, references, and links on dozens of areas of pseudo-science. Especially good for beginners or students.
The Bad Astronomy Site: Astronomer Phil Plait criticizes movies and TV shows with bad science, and has several responses to pseudoscience.
Robert Shaeffer's Debunker Pages: Has lots of good information on UFO's and other pseudo-science. Some of the pages deal with political issues, however.


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Option #2 (Hanging Wire) - With this option, your acrylic print is attached to a 1/4" thick black board which has a wooden frame and hanging wire attached to the back. There are no metal mounting posts at the corners. Simply put a nail in your wall, hang your print from the hanging wire, and you're done. Due to the thickness of the black board and mounting frame, your print is separated from the wall by 1.50" Click here for mounting details.
Average Rating (4.94 Stars):
Thomas Cook
June 21st, 2019
Linda Blake
June 10th, 2019
CAROLE SPANDAU is a CANADIAN FINE ARTIST,specializing in MONTREAL STREET SCENE PAINTINGS, QUEBEC LANDSCAPES, URBAN CITY SCENES, HOCKEY ART, AND CONTEMPORARY PORTRAITS. GRADUATE of ECOLE DES BEAUX ARTS BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS DEGREE; MCGILL UNIVERSITY BACHELOR OF ART EDUCATION; CONCORDIA GRADUATE STUDIES ART HISTORY. Represented in Montreal by GALERIE ATELIER TOILE ETOILE, contact G.Venditti Artist rep at 514-486-0731 Carole Spandau was recently honored by CTV NEWS NET featuring her delightful paintings of Montreal street scenes. The interview aired repeatedly, coast to coast across Canada, resulting in a flood of new-client requests for her beautiful paintings of Montreal's magnificent winding staircases, nostalgic scenes of...
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subset: commoncrawl


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Radio Visualized
Technology is all around us. We now have the Internet, MP3 players, mobile phones and many new digital platforms emerging around the world. Radio must keep step with the available technologies. RCS RadioShow keeps your station in front of the listener, no matter where they are or what they are doing - and no matter which digital platform they are using.Enhance your station's programming on the air, in the car, on the Web or on a hand-held device - with RCS RadioShow. Use today's latest technology to reach more listeners in more ways. RCS RadioShow creates a reason for listeners to come to your station's site with their Web browser, cell phone or other digital platform - to see valuable information like song titles and artist names of the music playing on the air. RCS RadioShow shows what's on the air in real-time, synchronized to your terrestrial station's audio. Dazzle your audience with animated graphics and information from artist notes to RSS feeds. Now with RCS RadioShow, you can add visuals synchronized to your audio stream. From CD covers and artist graphics to station photos and sponsor logos, the branding matches your station look. Now your advertisers can be seen as well as heard. RadioShow gives you the opportunity of selling visual advertisements synchronized to your existing audio inventory. RadioShow allows a multitude of e-commerce opportunities. Your listeners can buy the song they are hearing, order concert tickets, or they can click-thru to more information about the advertisements they are hearing.
World Class SupportOur Support department is legendary. All the people who help you solve your day to day problems are radio people, too. RCS Support never sleeps and is always open 24/7/365 for RCS RadioShow users worldwide. Respond to the call of your customers/listeners for new modes of new media distribution. Give them the whole picture... with RCS RadioShow.
- Title/Artist of song now playing on your station's Web site
- Animated graphics with a plethora of content on artist bio or background, tour dates, additional artist factoids - synchronized with current song play
- Animated sponsor images accompany aired commercials with links to sponsor
- Can incorporate RSS feeds into visual schedule
- Interfaces with RCS and third-party playout systems
- Web-based User Interface - no complex software installed on site other than an Automation Watcher
- No separate audio schedule required - Automation Watcher listens to your existing automation output
- Large 480 by 640 display for the Internet if required
- Same content generated for the web can be automatically repurposed for the cell phone (or vice versa)
- Leverages your existing Selector Song and Artist Notes to provide visual content
Technical Requirements
- Operating System: Windows 7 Professional or Windows 2003 Server for Automation Watcher
- Hard disk space: at least 2 GB
- Memory: at least 256 MB of RAM
- Clock speed: at least 1 GHz
These are minimum requirements, so feel free to exceed them. Get as much power and free space as you can. The RCS RADIOSHOW CUSTOM version may require further memory or disk space, depending on the average quantity and type of graphics being served. For Internet connectivity and servers, RCS supports a Microsoft® network using TCP/IP using a brand name, server grade computer. Please contact RCS for site specific hardware configurations if you have further questions.
- What is RCS RadioShow?
- RadioShow is the world's most advanced system for allowing a radio station (or audio streaming company) to present fully synchronized, intelligently scheduled, relevant graphics alongside the audio on almost any digital platform that you can imagine.
- Which digital platforms are supported?
- The most obvious platforms that are common globally are the Internet and the mobile phone/cell phone. Around the world there are many emerging digital platforms including: HD Radio in the United States, DAB, DAB Plus, DRM and DVB in Europe and Asia Pacific. If you have a particular platform you need to support, with sufficient notice, we will accommodate your needs.
- So what exactly does RadioShow do graphically?
- RadioShow provides real-time 'now playing' information from the radio station's automation system. This data includes the song or commercial currently on-air plus the next few items that are in "cue", ready to be played. The "just-in-time" Visual Content Scheduler reacts on the fly to changes in the broadcast and assembles a sequence of visual content that reflects the style and presentation goals designed by the radio station. This keeps the stream of content fresh so that the consumer does not see the same sequence of content each time a song plays.
- Can I incorporate RSS feeds?
- A portion of the radio station's visual content can come from RSS feeds available on the internet. Weather forecasts, showbiz news, horoscopes, news headlines and so on are updated automatically with no work required on the part of the radio station. Some feeds may be designated as "premium," which means they are not available to a radio station unless the station specifically signs up for that feed.
- I am a Selector/Linker customer and I have lots of Song Notes and Artist Notes already in the system. Can I use these or do I have to start again?
- If you have been diligent in keeping a database of Artist Notes and Song Notes, you already have a rich source of data than can be automatically overlaid against graphical templates. When a relevant song or artist is being played, RCS RadioShow will automatically import the Artist Notes and Song Notes that are stored in the radio station's database and overlay them against eye-catching station images, logos or wallpapers. This is a simple way to create content elements from data that many radio stations already have.
- What if I need to urgently broadcast a graphic or text that is not in the schedule?
- Quick Send allows users to add a new content element or select an existing one from the database and send it to the audience right away.
- Is the system interactive?
- Polls, surveys, rate-this-song and contests are types of interactive content that lets the audience participate in the radio station's broadcast. These are all possible.
- Is visual content prioritized?
- Visual content is separated into various content categories such as Artist Images, Song Notes, News Headlines, Showbiz News, etc. Station Priorities gives radio stations control over how often content elements from the categories will appear on their Visual Radio presentation.
- Isn't this sort of product still a distraction for most radio stations?
- Far from it. It is vitally important to understand that most radio groups are now seeing higher year-on-year revenue growth from their online services than they are getting out of their core businesses. As competition from other forms of entertainment increases, radio is recognizing the need to do everything within their power to keep people within their branded environment.
- Can I make new money using RCS RadioShow?
- Absolutely. Radio stations can schedule visual commercials that are shown at the same time the related audio commercial is broadcast on the radio station. Visual commercials can include phone, SMS and web links so customers can immediately see or get additional information. Once you have sold your regular audio inventory, now you can sell your advertisers incremental opportunities by letting their customers see what they hear.
- Apart from having graphics synchronized with my regular audio inventory, are there other ways I can make money using RCS RadioShow?
- Many! For example, now you can have "visual-only" advertisements during songs, as a way of extending the impact of a recently aired regular audio/visual break. You can now include extra revenue-earning graphical impact on sponsorships. Unlike traditional banner advertising, RCS RadioShow advertising is scheduled intelligently.
- Could I sell sponsorship within the player skin?
- Absolutely. We don't dictate what your player looks like - this is up to you. We are happy to provide generic player templates, but we understand that most radio stations will want to design their own - and these may include provision for sponsorship.
- Can advertisers or sponsors provide additional or "deeper" data to interested listeners using RadioShow?
- Yes. One of the main benefits of RadioShow is that a listener can immediately respond to something they hear and immediately get more information than what they hear on the air, via a music purchase option or an advertiser's Web site. For example, hyperlinks can be added so a single click connects the listener to the advertiser's Web site or to a special offer page, each in a separate window.
- Can I make money by selling the music my listeners are hearing?
- Yes. The graphics associated with a particular song or artist can contain buttons or links that will take your listener directly to a fulfillment agency for possible percentage commission deals.
- How difficult is the on-site installation?
- Apart from Automation Watcher, there isn't an on-site installation. The client has a web-based UI. There is no on-site hardware or complex technical integration required.
- I may want to add platforms later, but to start, I would like to use RadioShow for my Website and Visual Radio for Nokia cell phones. Do I have to do twice the work to repurpose content between one platform and the other?
- No. The default screen size is 480x480 pixels - which is a good size for the Internet and gives you great flexibility for your display image size. Coincidentally, this is also the size that we provide to Visual Radio customer cellphones - whatever the phone's screen size, the 480x480 image is automatically repurposed "back-stage" to fit the phone screen.
- But what if I wish to have different content on the cell phone and on the Internet - does the system prevent me from doing this?
- If you want to customize different looks and capabilities for each of your platforms, you may do that if you wish. Whichever workflow you choose, you can be sure that our system is so powerful that this will be far less labor-intensive than competing products - with far more functionality. Selector customers who have been diligent with their Artist and Song Notes, for example, already have a rich source of meta-data than can be automatically overlaid against graphical templates.
- Does the radio station have to buy new computers to run the 'Automation Watcher?'
- The Automation Watchers do not require dedicated machines. They can run on Windows 7 or Windows 2003 Server machines.
- I am not streaming audio on the Web, but could I still use the graphical output of RadioShow with my terrestrial signal?
- If you are only interested in broadcasting to a local audience, then they could listen to the audio on a conventional radio while watching the graphics on their computer-based player while working on other applications.
- Is there a long delay in what is shown in RadioShow from what is actually being heard?
- No, all versions of RCS RadioShow are synchronized to match your station's on air signal.
- How much is RadioShow (and Visual Radio) going to cost me?
Payment arrangements may include:
- Simple lease fees - just like Selector
- Straight barter (in selected markets only)
- A mix of lease and barter
- A mix of lease and reserved visual advertising spots for third-party sale
- Visual advertising revenue-share


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- Public officials and citizens alike understand the critical importance of farms and farmlands to the state's economy, environment, public health, community character and livability.
- Communities support and promote agriculture.
- More, not less, farmland is under cultivation, meeting increased demand for Rhode Island-grown farm products.
- Rhode Islanders at every income level have improved access to locally grown foods.
- A sustainable and well-coordinated farm and food system encourages profitable farm businesses.
A new plan, produced by the Rhode Island Agricultural Partnership and facilitated by our New England office, seeks to make this vision a reality.
Presented to Governor Lincoln Chafee and state lawmakers on May 12 at Agriculture Day, A Vision for Rhode Island Agriculture:Five Year Strategic Plan culminates a year of outreach to Rhode Island's diverse agricultural community. More than 400 people participated in the planning process to identify opportunities and challenges for the state's agricultural sector and to develop and prioritize goals and strategies.
We were happy to partner and help facilitate this planning process. A strong advocate of planning proactively for agriculture, we are engaged in planning at all levels of government. We have provided communities with tools and techniques to sustain local farms and farmland, as we've done with our guide Planning for Agriculture: A Guide for Connecticut Municipalities, and will be doing with an upcoming "Farm Tools" publication in Maine in collaboration with Maine Farmland Trust and the Mainewatch Institute. We have also helped the six New England state Chief Agricultural Officers identify ways to increase production and consumption of New England-grown farm and food products through a regional Farm and Food Security Initiative.
Thanks to the leadership of the Rhode Island Agricultural Partnership and the van Beuren Charitable Foundation, Rhode Islanders now have a plan that lays out how consumers, communities, lawmakers and state agencies can build a stronger and more resilient food system and agricultural economy. We are pleased to have been part of this process, and look forward to working with our Rhode Island partners and members in the months and years ahead on implementing its strategies, helping to make their vision a reality.
Among the findings in the Rhode Island plan are:
- Small farms—those with less than $5,000 in annual sales—constitute the majority of Rhode Island farms, but generate less than one percent of the state's agricultural sales.
- Rhode Island leads the nation in its percent of direct-to-consumer sales. Marketing food and farm products directly to consumers is helping to improve farm profits.
- In the last 25 years, Rhode Island lost 22 percent of its agricultural land to development. Of the state's remaining 40,000 acres of cropland and pasture, only 10,000 acres are permanently protected.
- Public and private institutions are buying more Rhode Island-grown products. Every school district in Rhode Island now serves some Rhode Island-grown foods. The volume of Rhode Island- raised food consumed in schools increased 10-fold between 2006 and 2010.
- Lack of processing, marketing and distribution equipment and infrastructure is limiting the ability of Rhode Island's farms to meet the demand for their products.
- Farms contribute at least $100 million annually to the state's economy—and this is a conservative estimate. Every dollar in farm product sales generates an additional dollar in economic activity statewide.
- Rhode Islanders spend less than one percent of their food dollars on Rhode Island-grown food.
These findings point to many challenges, but also to numerous opportunities to help sustain local farms and farmland and to a healthy future for Rhode Island just as we've all imagined.
About the Author: Cris Coffin is the New England Director for American Farmland Trust, where she leads efforts to promote farmland protection, farm viability and conservation practices in New England through research, outreach, advocacy and policy development at the local, state and national level.


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SE Michigan Welcomes Pres. and Mrs. Hessby Tom Runge • December 12, 2013 Share:
December 11, 2013. The Southeast Michigan Association of Wabash Men welcomed Gregory and Lora Hess to the area with a reception at the beautiful Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, MI. Oakland Hills has been the site of many US Open Championships.
Trustee Jim Davlin '85 and his wife Jane hosted the event. Davlin introduced President Hess who updated the attendees on the latest at Wabash and answered several questions. The President outlined the ongoing process of developing and implementing the campus master plan, with a focus on independent living spaces and a Campus Center. Questions ranged from the always-asked co-ed question (we're not) to opportunities available to our young men through the Schroeder Center for Career Development (there are several.)
Also attending the reception was Major Gift Officer Lu Hamilton '76.
Many thanks to Jane and Jim Davlin '85 as well as Debbie and Terry Hamilton '89 for putting together a wonderful evening.
Top - President Hess talks with Pat Pettengill '96 and Joe Trumpey '88
Middle - Jim Davlin '85 introduces President Hess for comments
For more photos, click here.


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Ah, glue movies. The perfect way to spend a gloomy rainy afternoon, and the perfect way to ruin a bright sunny afternoon.
In case you're unawares, a glue movie is a movie that when you are flipping the channels and see it on television, you have to watch it, right then and there. Not a DVD that you can pop in whenever, or a movie that makes you say, "Oh, I like that move, I think I'll PVR it."
No, it has to be a movie that you'll forego everything else you have planned to watch it. Maybe it starts off as, "hey, I'll just watch five minutes," or "I'll just wait until it gets to this scene," but you know deep down that you're hooked and you'll be watching every second of it.
And it has to be on TV. A lot of movies have been ruined by watching it on television (Grease and American Pie are two great examples. So are any movies that have sexual innuendo and/or violence). So a movie that can make you keep watching over and over usually had something going for it.
Everyone has a favourite glue movie. Some have more than others. I must have about 20.
But I figured I should narrow the list down a little.
So that being said, here are my top five all-time favourite glue movies.
5. Legally Blonde. I have no idea what the appeal of this movie is for me. It's not hilariously funny. It's not really romantic. You don't really care for many of the characters (it actually confuses me when I wonder if I'm supposed to hate Selma Blair's character or not). But there's just something about the movie that gets me hooked every single time.
4. Die Hard 3. It's not even my favourite Die Hard movie (that would be the second one). But there's something about the third movie that is so much more fun than the others. Whether it be Samuel L. Jackson's role, the crazy plot holes that make no sense (really? You're going to leave not one single cop at the scene of a subway bombing in New York City), or the fact that there's plenty of action, if I see this movie, I'm hooked.
3. The Replacements. I think almost everyone would have a Keanu Reeves movie on their list somewhere. This is one of my favourites of his. He is basically a quarterback that couldn't hack it on the big stage, but is signed by a professional football team during a players' strike. Big bonus for the singing and dancing in the jail cell scene. I end up with the song, I Will Survive, stuck in my head for days after watching this movie.
2. A Few Good Men. So many good scenes. So many great quotes. Tom Cruise was great. Jack Nicholson was great. Kevin Bacon was great. Demi Moore was… er… in the movie. Overall, a simply superb movie. Everything seems to work. The baseball scene. The courtroom scenes. The final verdict. I could probably watch this film three times in one day, and not get bored of it.
1. Tremors. Back-to-back Bacon films. My buddy Keith first encouraged me to watch it way back in high school (almost 20 years now… wow). For those not familiar with the movie, it's about underground monsters that can sense vibrations and will eat anything that moves. A small town (population of about 15) is stuck battling these monsters. Also stars Michael Gross and Reba McEntire. Great fun flick to watch. Has everything you could want in a movie to waste away an afternoon.
What about you? What are some your favourite glue movies?


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Be Well,
Stacey Grant
Expert tips on weight loss, fitness and nutrition
Two people and their culinary creations.
Funny Pictures, Photos, Memes & Videos – theCHIVE.com
A little look into daily life ..
A Woman's Pursuit of Heart-Shaped Sweat Marks
Celebrating Black Culture & Life with J.A.M. Aiwuyor
Your favorite blogging afro as seen on Dr Oz! Nutrition & Fitness Coach. Founder of Gotham City Elites, NY's premiere members only club for FitPros
"Young or old, good or bad, I don't think anything dies as slow and as hard as a writer."
Indulge- Travel, Adventure, & New Experiences
Finding a balance between food, fitness and fun
A collection of seasonal recipes and stories


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Nielsen conducted an analysis of 3,439 newly introduced consumer products to determine 14 winning products that demonstrated breakthrough results in innovation. The conclusions and insights from this study, along with case studies for the winners, are found in the newly released Breakthrough Innovation Report.
The 2013 Nielsen Breakthrough Innovation Winners:
To be a Breakthrough Innovation Winner, a product needed to satisfy three requirements:
Relevance: Winners must be relevant and generate year one U.S. sales of $50 million or greater in Nielsen-measured channels (food, drug, convenience, dollar store and mass merchandise).
Endurance: Winners needed to achieve at least 90 percent of year one sales in year two. This measure confirms a sustained level of consumer demand yet allows for some drop in revenue during the transition from trial to adoption.
Distinctiveness: Winners must deliver a new value proposition to the market. We excluded brand restages, ingredient reformulations, re-packaging, size changes and other minor refinements to existing brands.


text: Sijun Forums :: View topic - Mediterranean city by the sea, Crit please Log in to check your private messages Sijun Forums Forum Index >> Archive : Sep99 - Dec00 View previous topic :: View next topic Author Topic : "Mediterranean city by the sea, Crit please" Capt.FlushGardenmemberMember #Joined: 12 Sep 2000Posts: 737Location: Seattle, WA Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2000 2:17 pm Hello everyone! I'm working on this picture right now, dammit, so many windows to do! Well, just thought you guys could crit some before I continue with it... Thanx! Back to top AlloymemberMember #Joined: 28 Dec 2000Posts: 71Location: Dallas, TX, USA Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2000 2:25 pm Great pic so far. I once had a dream that I was in a city like that - but it was much more run down. I really wouldn't know where to critique it - I'm a newbie to all this. I just wanted to give you praise and encourage you to keep up the great work! ------------------ Alloy(Jim Rose) Back to top Giant HamstermemberMember #Joined: 22 Oct 1999Posts: 1782 Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2000 2:25 pm umm. looks good but on the right side, where the rocks come up from the water, it looks like its wrapping around the city...like the city is sitting on a boat or something. maybe more of a distinction between the rocks in the front and the rocks on the side... ------------------ -JameZ the Giant Hamster- The Hamster Alliance AIM: Gianthmstr Multimedia Producer/designer/all of the above.,overall guru :)...and music music music! weee!! Back to top MozemanmemberMember #Joined: 07 May 2000Posts: 217 Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2000 2:31 pm It's very nice. Looks like an animation background, so I guess I'm a sucker for it ------------------ Mozeman Moser Brothers Animation Forum Back to top RagnarokmemberMember #Joined: 12 Nov 2000Posts: 1085Location: Navarra, Spain Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2000 2:43 pm I really like the image, but there are some concept flaws if you are trying to make this one realistic: -There are too many "artistic" buildings, I mean, there is a church in the foreground, but there is also a building with two towers in the background and something that looks like a roman building. The kind of seaside village you want to show here usually only haves one church, the rest is houses and some squares (don't knwo if this is the right word). -On the church in the foreground the second tower is too small, even with the perspective size change it wouldn't look so small -Mediterranean Sea is quite deep, I mean, the water haves a dark blue color, the one you have here is too bright IMO. Anyways, the mood of the picture is very good Back to top Capt.FlushGardenmemberMember #Joined: 12 Sep 2000Posts: 737Location: Seattle, WA Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2000 2:56 pm Ah, you´re absolutely right Ragnarok! My dad lives at a place just like this, in Sicily...and they only have one artistic building! but witch church shall I get rid of?... Back to top GeckomemberMember #Joined: 07 Mar 2000Posts: 876Location: Finland Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2000 3:05 pm Hey, it's a good start, and I was just gonna say that I don't like the half-cropped tree on the left, hurts composition. I'd move it to the opposite side of the pic, but more to center, at least showing the whole trunk but preferably even more. That's because the church is the main building raising in the city and shouldn't be blocked . Another thing I noticed, the horizon is dead center on the pic, which afaik is a no-no. Here's a suggestion for changing some of the stuff (hope you don't mind): Cropped so the horizon is now about 3/4 to the top, brought up the church more so it's not just a bunch of buildings, threw the tree over (love the water btw.). edit: Oh and I broke some of the foreground because it was creating a sort of border in there, left the important part for the tree to grow from somewhere . Uh, melting the overlay layer f*cked the bright light, well, you get the idea. It's a lovely pic. and btw. I don't know what giand hamster is talking about ------------------ Gecko firstname.lastname@example.com GeckoArt.Net [This message has been edited by Gecko (edited December 28, 2000).] Back to top Capt.FlushGardenmemberMember #Joined: 12 Sep 2000Posts: 737Location: Seattle, WA Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2000 3:10 pm Amazing! Thank you very much Gecko, I really need to learn more about composition and stuff, that's great, now I got rid of one church too because the tree is blocking the first one hahaaa!! BTW, look! Paina Läppää sissen ja aava!? hehhe [This message has been edited by Capt.FlushGarden (edited December 28, 2000).] Back to top mr.wontonjunior memberMember #Joined: 22 Jun 2000Posts: 36Location: sf,ca Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2000 3:25 pm I agree with Gekko, I just wanted to ask, is this supposed tobe realistic or more catoon like? If it's supposed tobe cartoony htensome more value and compositional work would be in order, If it's supposed to be realistic then definately some more perspective work.....Great start though... Back to top WICKEDmemberMember #Joined: 19 Oct 2000Posts: 275Location: FL Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2000 3:56 pm i dont know i kind of like the tree over on the left side. It makes your eye look at the ocean hitting against the wave block wall. Sure if the tree goes to the right your eyes will focus on the city, but i like the idea of my eyes looking out far wondering whats after that sea. very well drawn, WICKED about the chruch you could make the other tower building broken down like it was the old church before the disaster hehe. [This message has been edited by WICKED (edited December 28, 2000).] Back to top Painted MelodymemberMember #Joined: 25 Dec 2000Posts: 138Location: NJ, USA Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2000 6:04 pm I enjoy both versions.. they actually seem to be painted at slight different times of the day -- nice. My only qualm would be the second version with the position of the tree, the tree slices the picture, stopping the eye from a smooth transition from left to right. JJ ------------------ Back to top anticzmemberMember #Joined: 08 May 2000Posts: 285Location: San Diego, CA, USA Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2000 6:16 pm This might sound crazy but, this very much reminds me of some of MC Esher's early lithographs. ------------------ ======================= Mike B. - Supervising Janitor anticz.com ======================= Back to top IsricmemberMember #Joined: 23 Jul 2000Posts: 1200Location: Calgary AB Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2000 7:16 pm this picture is beautiful. Thank you. Back to top DrorakmemberMember #Joined: 20 Apr 2000Posts: 169 Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2000 7:35 pm It's really nice, I like the bright colors you used. What Gecko did is nice, but I like it better the way you had it. It feels like I'm sitting on hilltop overlooking my little town while looking out to sea. Back to top EviLToYLeTmemberMember #Joined: 09 Aug 2000Posts: 1216Location: CA, USA Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2000 7:36 pm Looks great as it is. But yah, the sea looks a little shallow and the water hitting the rocks should leave more of a spray in the air. Anyway, if you have time, i'd suggest that you detail up the area in which you consider the "center" or the focus of your painting. It'll be cool ... (wait doh jus tlooked over the picture again) One thing about the original that kinda strikes me as odd is that ...... as the buildings are closer, the less detail they have..but as you go further down they get more detailed! Must be farsighted... hehe Back to top jcterminalmemberMember #Joined: 13 Nov 2000Posts: 316Location: Vault 13 Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2000 10:02 pm very nice work. the both of you. it reminds me very much of escher's studies of, yep, the very same area. ------------------ j.c.terminal mind body soul Back to top BradfordGuestMember # Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2000 1:18 am Awesome picture, I dig the detail and perspective. ------------------ firstname.lastname@example.com icq#:3704871 Back to top spooge demonmemberMember #Joined: 15 Nov 1999Posts: 1475Location: Haiku, HI, USA Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2000 1:39 am hey looks good! Check your verticals, though. They are all leaning to the right, or maybe there is a cat on my shoulder. The whitewashed walls in sun could almost go white in a few places. Right now the read on the material is grayed somewhat to me. The heavy black you are using for windows does not do the rest of your careful work justice. In the back they are punching holes in space. There are two windows on the left right by the curve of the tree that you have backed off a little value wise, I think that looks better. Umm I will be quiet now. Back to top tayetememberMember #Joined: 03 Dec 2000Posts: 656Location: Madrid, Spain Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2000 1:39 am EvilToYlet: the Mediterranean is a "quiet" sea...it doesn't even have tides. No waves, no splashing...a boring sea. But what I miss in the pictures is the "atmosphere" of the Mediterranean. If you are in Spain, in Italy, in the North of Africa, in Greece, the light is much brighter in a clear day than appears in the picture. And I think the windows seem too "defined". From the point of view of the picture, they wouldn't be so dark, but a bit "vanished". I make this observations because I've spent many times in Mediterranean villages, but anyway, the picture looks nice. Back to top RagnarokmemberMember #Joined: 12 Nov 2000Posts: 1085Location: Navarra, Spain Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2000 8:25 am Yeah, tayete, the light should be a bit brighter. Maybe you could make the sky brighter and the sea darker. Also, most of the houses are white and reflect very much the light. The first composition is right to me, but maybe would look better with more space over the right and a tiny boat in the horizont, so it can be a focus. About the churches I would remove the left one. I've just made some overpainting to show you, I hope you don't mind: -Ragnarok [edit]I've also changed the contrast value[/edit] [This message has been edited by Ragnarok (edited December 29, 2000).] Back to top Capt.FlushGardenmemberMember #Joined: 12 Sep 2000Posts: 737Location: Seattle, WA Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2000 10:09 am Mother of all gods! You guys know how to help a lost artist, hehehe...thnk you! I'm working on it, but I've started on some other stuff too, check it out, I'm posting it right now... The left side of the pic is less ready than the right, that's why some of you might think you are farsighted hehehe... Ah, and it's suupposed to be more cartoonish, but yet kinda photorealistic.. I did this version before I read all the crit's, but roger, ten four! I will darken the sea, lighten the houses, make the windows more discreet...and all that stuff...hehehe [This message has been edited by Capt.FlushGarden (edited December 29, 2000).] Back to top RagnarokmemberMember #Joined: 12 Nov 2000Posts: 1085Location: Navarra, Spain Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2000 2:15 pm Ejem, cactus are more mexican than meditarranean. BTW the pic looks good, I hope you will post a finished version Back to top Capt.FlushGardenmemberMember #Joined: 12 Sep 2000Posts: 737Location: Seattle, WA Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2000 3:01 pm DOH! but, but, i remember, in sicily, cactus, with fruit and stuff, mmmmmmmm...I will post the finished one, but this post will be long gone before then hehe [This message has been edited by Capt.FlushGarden (edited December 29, 2000).] Back to top Chronic Beautyjunior memberMember #Joined: 26 Nov 2000Posts: 33Location: Glasgow Scotland. Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2000 4:14 pm i like the picture but does anyone have an uneasy feeling when looking at it? For some reason i cant help feel the town is going to fall into the sea, it looks off balance a little. Back to top RagnarokmemberMember #Joined: 12 Nov 2000Posts: 1085Location: Navarra, Spain Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2000 4:18 pm Chronic, usually that's the feeling mediterranean villages have =) Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Sijun Forums Forum Index -> Archive : Sep99 - Dec00 All times are GMT - 8 Hours Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Digital Art----------------Digital Art DiscussionWork in ProgressGallery/Finished Work Miscellaneous----------------Random MusingsArchive : Sep99 - Dec00 You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum Powered by phpBB © 2005 phpBB Group


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Retractable Blusher Brush
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This week's writer is Lawrence Miller, Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development secretary. Jim Merriam, director of Efficiency Vermont, contributed.
Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy. In Vermont, this holds especially true. Vermont has more than 75,000 small employers, comprising a staggering 96 percent of the companies in the state. With more than 157,000 workers, the small business sector accounts for nearly 60 percent of our state's total workforce.


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By Jocelyn VerVelde, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - This season on The Watson Brown Show, a new segment has been added. "Where have they landed?" focuses on 15 former student-athletes and where their lives have led them following their Tech careers.
Each Watson Brown Show features a two-minute segment where a former student-athlete recalls their time at Tech, tells stories from their lives, and tells where they are now in life.
This segment highlights Jim Bishop, a Tech tight end from 1968-71. Bishop was a team captain and all-conference selection on the football team, and also played one season on the Tech baseball team, before the NFL draft sent him toward a brief pro football career with the San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Oilers. When he finished his Golden Eagle playing career, Bishop held two school receiving records -- most career receptions (76) and most career touchdown catches (11). He also ranked second all-time at Tech in career receiving yards with 1,162, missing 20-year old record by a mere 33 yards.
An extended version (below) of the interview from the Watson Brown Show will be available on YouTube after the shorter segment airs each week.


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TW Hydrae Disk – Hubble
TW Hydrae
176 light-years (54 parsecs)
The image was created from Hubble data from proposal 10167: A. Weinberger (Carnegie Institution of Washington), G. Schneider (U. Arizona/Steward Observatory), M. Silverstone (U. of Alabama), C. Dumas (ESO), A. Roberge (GSFC), and J. Debes (STScI).
F171M, F180M, F204M, and F222M
This image was originally black and white and measured brightness, multiplied by the distance to the stellar position squared. These brightness values were translated into a range of reddish hues. Such color "maps" can be useful in helping to distinguish subtly varying brightness in an image. The central dark spot in the release data is due to the NICMOS coronagraph, not due to a central clearing in the disk.
NASA, ESA, J. Debes (STScI), H. Jang-Condell (University of Wyoming), A. Weinberger (Carnegie Institution of Washington), A. Roberge (Goddard Space Flight Center), and G. Schneider (University of Arizona/Steward Observatory)


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Maker and Hacker spaces are incredibly important for every community to provide a place for kids and adults to learn, explore, create and build with their own free will. It is so good to be seeing these places popping up in towns all across America, the world even! Vocademy is one such place coming to Southern California and we here at OC Mini Maker Faire have been thrilled to watch it's growth and progress over the past year. Here's Gene Sherman telling about this journey in his own words:
A journey begins with an idea and can take you to unimagined and unexplored places. My journey began with an observation that I started to see over and over. Every student over the last 15 years or so has been told that their only option was to attend college in order to be a success.
Schools have been slowly getting rid of their hands-on skills' classes. Metal shop, wood shop, ceramics, sewing, auto shop…look at your local schools and you will see that they rarely exist anymore. Having gone through high school in the 80s, I did have those resources available to me, and I took advantage of every one I could. It is probably what kept me going to school during my junior and senior years. Even those who do choose higher education are missing out on the joys and creativity necessary in making things with their hands.
I look around today and think to myself, where can the average person go if he/she wants to create something, invent, tinker, explore and/or learn to use tools or machinery? Maybe to a friend's shop or garage, but how many people have access to that?
It got me thinking about how I could be part of a solution to this dilemma that faces young and old, male or female, student or not. Where could someone go to get the hands-on skills to create or learn to make what they wanted? You see, I have always been a maker and have been curious about how things worked. I built models and played with RC cars and helicopters. If something broke, I figured out how to fix it. These are priceless experiences that put you in control of your possesions. I had parents who encouraged and taught me how to explore, how to use hands-on tools, and my father was a master machinist who taught me the nuances of the profession.
As I mentioned earlier, I was becoming disheartened by the lack of skills being taught and how people did not have a place to use these skills. I knew I was not alone in this thought. And so years ago I discovered that there was a movement growing, a maker movement. People started getting together in tiny garages and homes. They would share their limited resources and expertise and just make things. But these groups were very small and not well known. I wanted a place where anyone can go, any time of day. And that is how the idea for Vocademy came to fully develop.
Another integral part of the Vocademy process was when I worked at a local university as the lab and shop manager for a mechanical engineering department. I worked there for five years, and I saw a distressing trend. These future engineers didn't know basic tools, or how to read blueprints, or what kinds of metals to use, or even how to competently use machinery. In a school of over 21,000 students, only 50 had access to the shop. I knew there were many others interested in learning this stuff! So, I started teaching my own version of Machine Shop 101 class to the students in order to help fill in their learning gap and quickly found out that many in community also wanted in. Word spread and people started asking for more! They wanted woodshop, sewing, 3D printing and every other kind of "industrial art" possible. I also wanted to make these classes available on a larger scale. To also let people use the entire facility to practice what they learned and make whatever they desire!
Now, here we are in 2013, and we just completed an incredibly successful crowdfunding campaign. Last week, I signed a lease to our new 15,000 sq. ft. building in Riverside. We hope to be moving in in September! Meanwhile, I am working on finding/meeting with equity investors, gathering more equipment and hiring staff. There is a lot to do and I am expecting our grand opening to be October 6th.
The journey will continue, and there will be unexpected turns and hills and valleys. Today Vocademy is now coming to reality and once again, people will be able to express themselves with their hands.
To learn more about Vocademy just click on the name to visit their website or come see them in person at the OC Mini Maker Faire on August 17th at UCI!


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There's nothing better
Borderlands 2 is by far the best co-op shooter game I've ever come across. The graphics are unique and the gameplay is fun. Offers tons of gameplay hours to beat and lots of additional content through DLC. The humor in this game is surprisingly funny. Would recommend for sure.