Things wot I saw and thought of Chip

An appreciation of Chip Ahoy!

Chips Stromboli prep!

Many of you have noticed that Chip has not posted in a few days. Rabel noted that Chip had explained that he had a bad case of the flu in the latest post on his own blog "Things wot I Made Then Ate."

Chip describes the ordeal of just going across the street to get a sandwich when you are sick which we can all relate to in one way or another. I know you join me in hoping he gets well soon.

I do want to take a moment to thank him for all of the great posts he puts up here at Lems. Along with my other fellow contributors who bring so much to this joint effort. I will say that I have a special appreciation for Chip's posts about food. I am a long time follower and admirer the food posts on his own blog and everyone he posts here is a must read.

So stop by his blog and wish him well. Or drop a comment here to put out some good vibes.  We all need to here that once in a while and I think it is especially important when we are under the weather.

Thanks.

From St. Nick To Eartha Kitt In One Fell Swoop Across 18 Centuries

Something goes off inside my head every year at this time and this year is no different.

Two years ago, I wondered about the disconnection between St. Nicholas gift-giving and Christmas. Chip Ahoy provided some answers in the comments to that post. This year, reading about the Saint, I learned what may be the origin of the chimney and stockings tradition. I quote Wiki at length:

In his most famous exploit, Nicholas aided a poor man who had three daughters, but could not afford a proper dowry for them. This meant that they would remain unmarried and probably, in absence of any other possible employment, would have to become prostitutes. Even if they did not, unmarried maidens in those days would have been assumed as being a prostitute. Hearing of the girls' plight, Nicholas decided to help them, but being too modest to help the family in public (or to save them the humiliation of accepting charity), he went to the house under the cover of night and threw three purses (one for each daughter) filled with gold coins through the window opening into the house. 

One version has him throwing one purse for three consecutive nights. Another has him throwing the purses over a period of three years, each time the night before one of the daughters comes of age. Invariably, the third time the father lies in wait, trying to discover the identity of their benefactor. In one version the father confronts the saint, only to have Nicholas say it is not him he should thank, but God alone. In another version, Nicholas learns of the poor man's plan and drops the third bag down the chimney instead; a variant holds that the daughter had washed her stockings that evening and hung them over the embers to dry, and that the bag of gold fell into the stocking. link

What does this have to do with Eartha Kitt?  Ask ricpic:

ricpic said...

Santa baby, just slip a sable under the tree for me,
Been an awful good girl,
Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight

Santa baby, a '54 convertible too, light blue,
I'll wait up for you dear,
Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight

Santa baby, I want a yacht and really that's not a lot,
Been an angel all year,
Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight.

The immortal Eartha Kitt!

December 6, 2014 at 9:40 AM

"Rovers Disguised as Baby Penguins Can Quietly Infiltrate Penguin Colonies"

"Penguins, like many animals, are freaked out by people. Even if those people are well-intending researchers, the birds' heartbeats race when humans approach. So a team of scientists from the University of Strasbourg decided to design a monitoring method that wouldn't completely terrorize their research subjects, Wired reports."

 

A robot, the researchers figured, might be less threatening than a living, breathing, potentially predatory human. They equipped 24 king penguins in Antarctica with external heart rate monitors. The next day, they sent a remote-controlled rover into the penguin colony. They observed the birds from more than 650 feet away, Wired describes, and noted that their heart rates were significantly less fluttery and stabilized more quickly than when humans approached the animals. The penguins also allowed the rover to get closer to them before moving away from their nest than they would a human.

The researchers realized they were on to something—but a key ingredient was missing. What if they dressed the robot up to look like a baby penguin? Pursuing this hunch, they outfitted the rover with a big ball of fluff and a little penguin head and arms. The results were even better. The penguin chicks allowed the rover to join them in a creche (basically a big gathering of adorable baby animals that allows adults to keep an eye on them). They even tried to communicate with the rover.

"They were very disappointed when there was no answer," the researchers told the Associated Press. "Next time we will have a rover playing songs."

Is it easier when you don't have to lipread?

The post title is referencing ChipA post "lipreading".

King Juan Carlos: 'I don't want my son to grow old waiting like Prince Charles'... http://t.co/TYdPqQRGbS
— DRUDGE REPORT (@DRUDGE_REPORT) June 8, 2014

"Cherry Trees That Flew To Space Bloom Six Years Early"

"Japanese astronauts took hundreds of cherry tree seeds with them to the International Space Station in 2008-2009, after which they were planted in several locations throughout Japan. About 265 seeds were taken from a celebrated old tree outside a Buddhist temple in Gifu, in central Japan, that is thought to be 1,250 years old. One of the space seeds was sprouted near the temple, but oddly, shot up more quickly then other cherry trees of its variety (that weren't taken to space). And now the tree is blooming, at four years of age -- about six years ahead of schedule. "We are amazed to see how fast it has grown," Masahiro Kajita, chief priest at the Ganjoji temple, told AFP. The seeds were planted at a total of 14 locations, and blooms have already developed in four locations."

"The precocious pips have baffled the Buddhist monks and scientists alike. The project was not primarily a scientific one, rather "an educational and cultural project to let children gather the stones and learn how they grow into trees and live on after returning from space," said Miho Tomioka, a spokeswoman for the project's organizer, Japan Manned Space Systems (JAMSS). For that reason no "control" seeds were planted to contrast with the space-flown ones--although this cherry variety usually doesn't bloom until the age of 10." (read more)

Popular Science

I thought of Chip Ahoy when I saw this

Open Thread

Volver - Penélope Cruz

Hey Zeus

Amazing Grace, it took a day, I once was blind, but today I see.

The story of a man and a stand-up kayak and a dog named Zeus... and the way you say "Hey, Zeus" and it sounds like a Spanish "Jesus" and the light breaks through the clouds and we are all blessed.

Althouse has a little fun with my poor writing. la la la.  

I tried to insert the video but I could not, even though I'm a follower, I was blocked once again.

 

As a substitute let me cut and paste one of our very own Chip Ahoy video.