Reader Tips

Reader Tips 42 Comments

In a 1762 letter thanking Italian physicist Giambatista Beccaria for supporting and defending his recently published theories on electricity, Benjamin Franklin gave Beccaria permission to freely use, and instructions on how to build, one of Franklin’s new inventions:

Perhaps…it may be agreeable to you, as you live in a musical country, to have an account of the new instrument lately added here to the great number that charming science was before possessed of: — As it is an instrument that seems peculiarly adapted to Italian music, especially that of the soft and plaintive kind, I will endeavour to give you such a description of it, and of the manner of constructing it, that you, or any of your friends, may be enabled to imitate it, if you incline so to do, without being at the expence and trouble of the many experiments I have made in endeavouring to bring it to its present perfection.

The invention Franklin was describing was the glass armonica, a musical instrument that sounds like wine glasses being resonated with a wet finger, and works on exactly the same principle. The purpose-built glasses (bowls) in a glass armonica are mounted close together, though, so multiple perfectly-tuned notes are accessible within a hands-width, and since the bowls are rotated on a spindle one need only lightly touch them, as opposed to using a circular hand motion to resonate them. Tonight’s amusement en route to the Tips is almost certainly the most well-known piece of music to feature the unique and ethereal sound of the glass armonica: From Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker, here’s William Zeitler playing Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.
You are invited, as always, to provide your Reader Tips in the comments.

42 Replies to “Reader Tips”

  1. Know what I’m sayin’?
    “Russell Simmons, founder of the hip-hop label Def Jam…claimed during an interview on Wednesday’s Larry King Live on CNN that perpetrators behind the first World Trade Center attack in 1993 were Christians…”

  2. That’s exactly what I expect from people who have anything whatsoever to do with hip-hop, and who are invited to be on the Larry King Live show or anything else on CNN. If Larry King had any class, he would suggest that he have proof of such accusations, before making them.

  3. Miss him yet?
    From “W.’s redemption: As Barack Obama falls, George Bush rises” by Andrea Tantaros in the NY Daily News:
    “According to Reid Wilson of Hotline, a survey conducted by a Democratic pollster shows that ‘George W. Bush is 6 points more popular than President Obama in ‘Frontline’ districts – seats held by Democrats that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sees as most vulnerable to Republican takeover. That Bush is more popular than Obama in Democratic-held seats is cause for outright fear.’
    “This is precisely why bashing Bush, a presidential pastime of Obama’s and the current Democratic majority, will not work. Besides the fact that Bush isn’t on the ballot, vilifying him demonstrates only that the left is devoid of answers and incapable of leading…”

  4. Nova Scotia on Economic Suicide Watch
    Currently, Nova Scotia Power generates nearly 85 per cent of its electricity from cheap but dirty fossil fuels – primarily imported coal. In fact, Nova Scotia is the most coal-dependent province in Canada, Bassil notes.
    The problem? Government targets require the utility to quickly move away from coal and increase its use of renewable energy. For example, the province passed legislation earlier this year that requires 25 per cent of electricity to flow from renewable sources by 2015.
    And Premier Darrell Dexter has announced an even more ambitious target: 40 per cent of Nova Scotia’s electricity should come from renewable sources by 2020.
    Currently, renewable power sources, like wind and hydro, account for just over 10 per cent of Nova Scotia’s electricity supply – up from nine per cent in 2001.
    Simply put, coal-dependent Nova Scotia Power could be “significantly challenged” in meeting such targets, says Bassil.
    http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/search/article/1191211

  6. Progressives Against Progress
    The rise of environmentalism poisoned liberals’ historical optimism.
    [ As such proposals indicate, American liberalism has remarkably come to resemble nineteenth-century British Tory Radicalism, an aristocratic sensibility that combined strong support for centralized monarchical power with a paternalistic concern for the poor. Its enemies were the middle classes and the aesthetic ugliness it associated with an industrial economy powered by bourgeois energies.]
    […]
    [ True to its late-1960s origins, political environmentalism in America gravitates toward both bureaucrats and hippies: toward a global, big-brother government that will keep the middle classes in line and toward a back-to-the-earth, peasantlike localism, imposed on others but presenting no threat to the elites’ comfortable lives. ] Fred Siegel
    “but presenting no threat to the elites’ comfortable lives.” !!!
    Think Gore. Think Suzuki. Think Prince Charles.

  9. This is a bit complex but follow along and you will hear an interview of Terri Fatah (likely misspelled) of the Muslim Canadian Congress.
    http://www.cknw.com/other/audiovault.html select Friday Aug. 27 time 11:00 and select Listen. You must have Media Player to play. Next move the play meter button (at the bottom of the media player screen)by holding down the left mouse button while the arrow is on the meter button and move it right to the 21 minute mark. The interview is very interesting and ominous.

  10. EBD – I have a nice CD of music for the Glass Harmonica – 1986 – Bruno Hoffman. It makes me feel sophisticated to have it – but I’ve barely listened to it!
    Russell Simmons sounds like a piece of work. And Larry King – don’t get me started – did he even challenge him? Or just announce the next commercial break.
    Our modern talk show hosts are bereft of insight.

  11. I enjoyed the glass armonica.
    ron in kelowna, Shawn Hannity had an whole hour on the background of the AGW fraud this evening. He did not mention Suzuki, but did mention M. Strong as one of the perpetrators as well as the connection to the left.

  12. Dear EBD,
    I need to buy some fresh sockeye salmon and want to support the First Nations. I an willing to pay $8 a fish (if I can get them in the lower mainland). If they have cheap smokes I will buy them also.
    Can you suggest a tribe that I can help?
    Humanitarian

  13. Do any of you ever read the website Hillbuzz? Started (I think) by a couple of gay guys who supported Clinton in 2008 – but who have done a 180 and have become way more right leaning. They are way more mad for Palin than I am, but I like their writing.
    Here’s a good post
    http://tiny.cc/7icym

  14. EBD: re Bush bashing – when the liberals take out their BB gun (Bush Bashing) and yet they claim to be against firearms – no need for them when you tolerate everyone and everything.

  16. [quote]Shawn Hannity had an whole hour on the background of the AGW fraud this evening. He did not mention Suzuki, but did mention M. Strong as one of the perpetrators as well as the connection to the left.[/quote]Ken
    Actually he connected them to Marxism…loved how the producer fit Pelosi & Boxer & Obama background visuals every time Marxism was mentioned…UN looking bad
    More to Come…How much are Shares worth in Marxist Corporations?

  17. New Theory on Michael Enright’s Attack of the NYC Muslim Cabbie
    Catching up on John Batchelor podcasts this evening I heard something startling from Thursday night. Guest James Taranto, of the Wall Street Journal, suggested that Enright’s attack may very well have been a “false flag” operation of his own making. In other words, the Depraved Leftist may have intended to slash the driver’s throat, then escape, leaving the impression that a Conservative / Tea Party Member / Republican had done the dirty deed. He was caught though and so this has changed everything. You can listen to the entire segment here and decide for yourself.

  18. Letter sent to the Gap this morning.
    It’s come to our family’s attention that your company has recently boycotted Alberta Oil.
    This oil is cleaner by orders of magnitude over the coal used by the US for much of it’s energy needs.
    Misguided political actions by your company is your very sacred right.
    Choosing to not deal with your company is also our family’s right.
    Good luck with that.

  19. Good for you doowleb, now if all Canadians will do the same.
    Stephen Taylor has a post on this.
    You can also add Levi Strauss, Timberland and the Drugstore chain Walgreens to the list.
    One of the drugstore chains in the US was bought by a Quebecer, not sure if it’s Eckerds or Walgreens.
    Is this what we can look forward to from Obama’s USA? First a mosque at ground zero and now directing business to the lands that breed terrorists?

  22. ‘Really enjoyed the glass armonica piece, EBD. It reminded me somewhat of the theremin vox … though, technically speaking, I have no idea if they’re similar.
    Canadian Peter Pringle is an expert on the theremin. Gabriel’s Oboe on the Samuel Hoffman 1929 RCA theremin:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62lT9XsZVio

  23. doowleb,
    Your letter to the GAP was too nice. My e-mails to Levi Straus and Walgreens both ended with the statement that their business could “go to Hell” if that is their attitude.
    All of these firms involved, have forever lost me and my family as customers.

  25. Confirmed!! – Badminton players are Alpha Males
    —————
    They attached cotton armpit pads to badminton players during an important tournament and did the same to a group of men running non-competitively.
    Women volunteers said the smell of both sweat samples was ‘mildly unpleasant’.
    However sophisticated tests on the womens’ skin found they were more aroused by the badminton players’ sweat, with anxious women the most sensitive.
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1306571/Macho-men-heavenly-scent-own.html?ITO=1490

  26. Hay bestman, didn’t Nova Scotia get the wind energy memo?
    from http://www.slate.com
    ‘Blown in the wind – the US should stop wasting billions to susdize unreliable wind energy projects.’ by Robert Bryce aug 16 2010
    ‘Its time for those customers to ask for a refund (from the $4/month tax to fund wind energy). The reason – when it gets hot in Texas….the state rate payers can’t count on wind energy. On aug 04 2010, at about 5 pm electricity demand in Texas hit a record 63,594 megawatts. But according to the state’s grid operator ……the state’s wind turbines provided only about 500 megawatts of power when demand was peaking and the value of electricity was at its highest.
    Put another way, only about 5% of the state’s installed wind capacity was available when Texas needed it most……’
    BTW, Texas has almost as much installed wind power generation as all of India, according to the same article.

  27. Globe online poll: Globe Essay
    Do you think the Tamil boat people are legitimate refugees?
    As of 10:06 a.m. this morning,
    Yes 22%
    No 78%
    Confidence issue?

  28. “Confidence issue”? You betcha, big time.
    It’s serious enough to recall the House early as well before these phonies without ID’s get ensconced in the Tamil “community” in Toronto.
    BTW, have any of them been set free from “detention”?

  30. Ad$Cam Liberal Manley whines.
    As usual, with left-liberals Manley has his grievances.
    Liberal Manley spills his beans before an audience of the egghead Elite: “The remarks were made at the first annual Palmer Conference on Public Sector Leadership.”
    Liberal Manley with the same-old-same-old left-liberal whining.
    MSM does not mention the word: Liberal.
    …-
    “Manley calls for new approach to politics”
    http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/News/Local/2010-08-27/article-1703103/Manley-calls-for-new-approach-to-politics/1

  31. [quote]It’s come to our family’s attention that your company has recently boycotted Alberta Oil[/quote]
    The Boycott boomerang via the Silent Majority is about to be felt by those who think it is an effective “Collective” practice…
    Think of the 70% of Americans that support the AZ law…The Hispanic Boycott will result in 70% of Americans “NOT” seeing legitimate hardworking Hispanic Business ( sat on thier butts) in the Yellow Pages.. The damage will last for several Generations..
    A Business that doesn’t see the down-Side has a limited Market…

  32. From the comments at the South America cold snap story.
    http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100827/full/news.2010.437.html
    “Climate Change Dictionary
    PEER REVIEW: The act of banding together a group of like-minded academics with a funding conflict of interest, for the purpose of squeezing out any research voices that threaten the multi-million dollar government grant gravy train.
    SETTLED SCIENCE: Betrayal of the scientific method for politics or money or both.
    DENIER: Anyone who suspects the truth.
    CLIMATE CHANGE: What has been happening for billions of years, but should now be flogged to produce ‘panic for profit.’
    NOBEL PEACE PRIZE: Leftist Nutcase Prize, unrelated to “Peace” in any meaningful way.
    DATA, EVIDENCE: Unnecessary details. If anyone asks for this, see “DENIER,” above.
    CLIMATE SCIENTIST: A person skilled in spouting obscure, scientific-sounding jargon that has the effect of deflecting requests for “DATA” by “DENIERS.” Also skilled at affecting an aura of “Smartest Person in the Room” to buffalo gullible legislators and journalists.
    JUNK SCIENCE: The use of invalid scientific evidence resulting in findings of causation which simply cannot be justified or understood from the standpoint of the current state of credible scientific or medical knowledge.”

  34. “Manley calls for new approach to politics”. Isn’t that precious.
    What does he have in mind, a complete overhaul of his LPC? That’s what it will take, their old methods are not working, folks have awakened to their games.
    I could give Manley some advice, choose a leader democratically. Wouldn’t hurt to choose a leader who has a clue about politics and has the ability to lead either.

  35. Henglis as she is writ by Canadian MSM.
    …-
    “Court overturns 10 students’ access to English education
    CTV.ca”
    “Montreal families win English education battle CBC.ca”
    (googlez-vous?)

  36. Here is a fantastic discussion between Roy Green and prominent Tea Party leader, Ron Miller.
    This is part of a comment I just left on his blog:
    Ron, greetings from Vancouver, BC, Canada. I just heard you on Roy Green’s podcast. Though I’m a Canadian and thus not directly connected with what’s going on politically in your country, you have no idea how many positive chords you hit with me in that discussion. I am absolutely fed up with those on the Left denigrating anyone who “dares” disagree with them as Bigots / Racists / Homophobes / Islamaphobes / Uncle Toms / Unintelligent / Insane etc. Such tactics have been used here in Canada by the Left for decades. The behavior is despicable and solely works to do one thing: End Debate.
    Please keep on doing what you do and know that you have a growing number of fans north of the border too!!!

  37. You are not alone: Sarah Palin.
    Yoohoo, Liberal Manley/Ziffy/MSM, et al.
    We are here. What are you going to do about it?
    We are cool.
    Say No! to left-liberalism.
    “For others, existence rallies are acts of affirmation and defiance. For example, Sarah Palin at the “honor” event in Washington said ‘did you think you were alone? Hardly. Look around you and you will see that you are not alone’. That was one of the most effective moments of her speech.”
    …-
    ” 36. wretchard
    Both the apostate rallies and the “honor” event in Washington DC create, in their own ways and in their own scales, an “existence” problem for the ruling elites. Yoo-hoo. We’re here. We exist. What are you going to do about it?
    For others, existence rallies are acts of affirmation and defiance. For example, Sarah Palin at the “honor” event in Washington said ‘did you think you were alone? Hardly. Look around you and you will see that you are not alone’. That was one of the most effective moments of her speech.
    The reason why the regular press will be at pains to minimize or edit these events into oblivion is precisely because each day something that’s not supposed to exist continues to survive amounts to an indictment of the ruling narrative. It’s the old “power of No” again in another guise.
    It is a necessary but not a sufficient condition to challenging the prevailing narrative. At some point it actually has to challenge the conventional wisdom and establish a new one. But in the meantime simply getting to groups to rise to a kinda sorta defiance is a powerful enough. It’s a mini declaration of independence.
    Though no one will admit it, these events demoralize the hacks whose will increasingly find they must rely on astroturf methods to raise support that is even a fraction of what the rebels can mobilize. Another way to think about it is they are starting to fear losing the battle for ‘cool’. Conservatives and apostates are still a long way but perilously nearing the boundary of “cool”. That makes for interesting metrics. Once you start hearing hit songs, or seeing celebrities at open variance from the standard narrative that is powerful evidence that the tide is turning.
    But that’s not there yet. As Ms. Palin put it in her speech in her second-coolest line, ‘you just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other’ and whether you are trying to evade the Taliban, or attempting to fight having lost both hands and the use your leg, or being in the Hanoi Hilton for years, one way or the other, you will overcome.”
    http://pajamasmedia.com/richardfernandez/2010/08/28/the-age-of-apostasy/#comments

  38. This story is stunning!
    Here’s a sampling:
    The widow of a July 7 suicide bomber yesterday launched a High Court bid to be represented at the victims’ inquest – saying she had also suffered the loss of a loved one in the atrocity.
    Hasina Patel, whose husband was terrorist mastermind Mohammad Sidique Khan, is seeking legal aid to challenge the coroner’s decision to exclude Khan’s death from the hearing for the 52 victims of the 2005 London bombings.

  39. The Lost City
    A discovery in the desert could rewrite the history of ancient Egypt.
    September/October 2010
    For much of the twentieth century, Egyptologists shied away from explorations in the vast sand sea known as the Western Desert. An expanse of desolation the size of Texas, the desert seemed too harsh, too implacable, too unforgiving a place for an ancient civilization nurtured on the abundance of the Nile.
    http://yalealumnimagazine.com/issues/2010_09/egypt3841.html

  40. Grate momentz in Jernalizm:
    “U of Colorado reviews future of journalism program”
    CU said Wednesday that on Sept. 1 a committee will start the process of “program discontinuance” for the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
    …
    Jeffrey Cox, associate vice chancellor for faculty affairs, said a key question is whether the j-school can keep serving students or if CU would be better off realigning faculty and financial resources.
    ********
    http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=111&sid=2036183

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