"That's "Hedy," not "Hedley!" Tuesday: As mysterious as Dorothy Kilgallen's death on November 8, 1965, is the 1965 blackout that overtook much of the Northeast United States and Ontario, Canada on this day. While the official cause was a series of mistakes and blown relays, there were also reports of UFOs near some of the power stations. We don't necessarily believe the reports; we're just saying ... Not all of the Northeast was affected, however, and a full moon that night kept things surprisingly safe, with New York City reporting only five instances of looting. When one speaks of New York, it's difficult to not think of Stanford White (whose 157th birthday falls on this day). White's distinctive architectural fingerprints can still be found all over Manhattan more than a century after his death. Such structures as the Municipal Building, the Washington Square Arch, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art – not to mention many of the millionaires' mansions on Fifth Avenue - were his designs. While White's firm designed things to be built, it's a demolished object that we take special notice of today, as it's the 21st anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The wall itself was the literal dividing line between East and West Berlin, constructed to keep East Germans from escaping the Communist regime. When that government fell, so did the wall. Something that irriatated those killjoy East German officials was rock music, and on this day in 1967, the first issue of "Rolling Stone" was published. While "Rolling Stone" was originally dedicated to rock, pop, and blues music and musicians – and those are still its primary focus – it's expanded in the decades since to become one of America's most respected magazines, known for its reporting on politics and entertainment. Speaking of respect, we throw a little of it to the creative community today as it's Inventor's Day, celebrated today because it's the birthday of actress Hedy Lamarr. Lamarr was not only one of the most glamorous and beautiful actresses of the 1930s and '40s, but was also something of a scientific genius. In 1942, she was granted a patent for a communication system that would "hop" frequencies in order to make radio-guided torpedoes harder to detect. While the technology went basically unused until the '60s, today it forms the basis for wi-fi networks and cell phones. Suggested Sites... November 9th, 1965 Blackout - sometimes Occam's Razor is a UFO. New York Architecture Images: McKim, Mead, and White - a century later, still some of Manhattan's most beautiful buildings. The Fall of the Berlin Wall: A Personal Account - the wall came a-tumblin' down. Hedy Lamarr Foundation - devoted to cultivating both brains and beauty. 5 Surprising Inventions From Famous People - Isaac Newton invented the cat door?

Directory categories: Electricity, Berlin, Rock and Pop Musicians, Magazines, Classic Hollywood Actors

Archived under: 1940s, 1960s, 1980s, 19th Century, Actors, American History, Anniversaries, Architects, Architecture, Arts, Beauty, Berlin, Birthdays, Buildings, Canada, Celebrations, Celebrities, Cell Phones, Communism, Communists, Electronics, Entertainment, Europe, European History, Events, Germany, History, Holidays, Ice, In Character, Invention, Inventors, Journalism, Magazines, Men, Museums, Music, Music History, New York, Rock and Roll, Science, Scientists, Tourist Attractions, UFOs, United States, Urban Legends, Weird Stuff, Women

Post a comment (0) | Email this posting

What happens at the North Pole apparently stays at the North Pole (Photo by Mark Kelly) April 6, 2010 marks the 101st anniversary of the discovery of the North Pole. Well, maybe -- it all depends on who you ask. On April 6, 1909, Robert Peary claimed to have reached the pole after a grueling 413-mile dogsled trek across the dangerous Arctic ice with his right-hand man, Matthew Henson, and four Inuit guides. His announcement was somewhat diminished, though, by Dr. Frederick Cook, who'd announced just days earlier that he'd reached the pole -- nearly a year sooner, in April, 1908. Over the years, both men's claims have been embraced, investigated, renounced, and embraced again. Cook, many argue, was a proven liar: his claim to be the first man to climb Mt. McKinley had already been discredited, and his photograph of that mountain's "peak" was fabricated. Peary, others note, reached the pole suspiciously quickly: he may weel have been dozens -- or even hundreds -- of miles off. While Peary was vindicated by Congress in 1911 (his foes claim he had friends in government), Cook was vilified there in 1915. Later, Cook was imprisoned on fraud charges (no doubt Peary was behind it somehow), but was eventually pardoned. More recently, some authors and polar experts have sided with Cook, while others -- including the Navigation Foundation and National Geographic Society -- concluded that Peary was as close to the pole as could be determined by the equipment of the day. Today, many reference materials give the credit to Peary, often with a hint of skepticism, though the occasional pro-Cook angle persists. Even over a century later, both camps still have loud and loyal followings stoking the bitter 100-year-old rivalry between these polar opposites. Suggested Sites... Peary & Henson Foundation - a comprehensive, unabashedly pro-Peary collection of documents, images, and opinions. The Frederick A. Cook Society - the story from the Cook perspective. The Explorers Club - Cook, Peary, and Henson were all members. They side with Peary and Henson, but with a hint of skepticism. Peary-Henson Centennial North Pole Ski Expedition - follow in the snowshoe prints of the great explorers yourself. Submersible Dive to the Real North Pole - or you can visit the North Pole -- 14,000 feet beneath the ice, on the sea floor -- for the low, low price of $95,000.

Directory categories: Arctic Exploration, Arctic Travel, Robert Peary, Matthew Henson, Frederick Cook

Archived under: 1900s, American History, Anniversaries, Conspiracies, Cover Ups, Exploration, Explorers, Fanatics, Ice, Mysteries, North Pole, Snow, Transportation, Travel

Post a comment (1) | Email this posting

In Vienna, curling may be for the terminally hip, but everywhere else, it's for everyone (Photo by Chad K) Way back in 2002, I was up late one night during the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. In a mood to watch the competition, I happened upon a curling match. "Curling?!," I scoffed, "Surely there's something better than that." I stayed tuned, though. There was something about the sport that was gripping, what with its arcane rules, fast-yet-slow action, and alien aspects. I was hooked, and I’ve stayed that way ever since. In 2006, I wrote the piece below, in anticipation of the Turin Olympic Games. In those years since, popular culture has caught up with The Spark. It might be human to feel superior to these Johnny-come-latelys -- I mean, when "The Simpsons" has built an episode around a cultural phenomenon, surely its time has passed -- but in the spirit of curlers around the world, I can't help but feel fellowship with anyone who gets -- and loves -- a bonspiel of any kind, anywhere. One winter's day in the dim past, someone saw that a lake or a river that had frozen over and said to his fellows, "Hey, let's find some heavy rocks, go out on the ice and slide them at a target." From those humble beginnings grew curling, the world's most exciting slow-motion sport. It’s a pastime available to curlers of all ages -- from eight to eighty -- who love nothing better than to find a rink and get a bonspiel going. They lace up their sliders, step up to the hack, and slide a series of 41-pound chunks of polished granite (the "stones") down the ice at a target called "the house." There's more to curling than just sliding rocks, though -- team members (the not-so-cleverly named "lead," "second," "third," and "skip") also get to scrub the ice with brooms! Since the ice the game is played on is deliberately made uneven and stippled by pouring hot water on it -- unlike the glassy surfaces speed skaters, hockey players, and figure skaters perform on -- curlers have to use their brooms to make sure that the stone speeds up, slows down, and goes (or "curls") where they want it -- until the skip shouts "off!" The team that ends the game with the most stones after ten ends (not unlike baseball innings) close to the target -- the "button" at the center of the house (think of it as a bulls-eye in darts) -- wins. If a team somehow manages to get all of its own rocks -- and none of their opponents' -- in the house, though, they score that rarest of feats, an 8-ender -- comparable to a 300 game in bowling. For those with a taste for freezing, wearing funny clothes, and trying not to fall, it's heaven on ice. Suggested Sites... World Curling Federation - source for bonspiels around the globe. Vancouver Olympics: Curling - schedules, news, and highlights. NBC Olympics: Curling - schedules, video highlights, and expert commentary. CBC: Olympic Curling - standings, features, rules, and history. Curling Science - it's more than just shuffleboard on ice.

Directory categories: Curling, Curling at the 2010 Olympic Games , 2010 Olympic Games, Winter Sports, Curling Gear and Equipment

Archived under: Canada, Curling, Games, Ice, Olympics, Sports, Winter, Winter Olympics, Winter Sports, Women's Sports

Post a comment (0) | Email this posting

The Olympic Flame -- rendered in snow (Photo by Tim Gillin) It's time to break out the axes and chisels: snow sculpture season has officially begun! I'm one of those people who considers it a major accomplishment if I'm able to somehow stack three balls of snow so that they vaguely resemble a snowman, so I'm in complete awe of what goes on at the world's various snow-carving events. Teams of snow sculptors flock from around the globe to snow-sculpting competitions and create some amazing and complex pieces -- with tragically short life spans. The most well-known of these events are Zehnders of Frankenmuth in Michigan and the Budweiser International Snow Sculpture Championships in Breckenridge, Colorado. But there are also smaller, local festivals, including the GCI Snow Sculpture Competition in Alaska, the Idaho Snow Sculpting Festival in McCall, Snow Days in Chicago, and the Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition in Rockford. While Zehnders features ice carving as well, most of these local competitions seem to focus solely on snow sculpture. The size and artistry of these sculptures makes the competitions great family attractions and media events. And, as a bonus, there's generally an opportunity to see how these works of art are made, since they are, of necessity, built on-site. Of course, this shouldn't take all the fun out of making your own lowly snowman or other amateur snow art, nor should ambitious ice swans prevent anyone from having fun building with ice. So go out and play! Suggested Sites... The Ice Hotel - hotel in Lapland for people who reeeeally like ice. The Ten Thumbs Guide to Snow Sculpting - a snow sculptor explains his work. St. Paul Winter Carnival - one of the oldest winter carnivals in the world. Michigan Tech Winter Carnival - carrying on the snow statue tradition since 1922. National Ice Carving Association - note to amateur ice carvers: consult these folks before you pick up the chainsaw.

Directory categories: Ice and Snow Sculpture, Ice and Snow Sculpting Events, Ice Sculpting Supplies and Services, Winter Festivals, Winter

Archived under: Arts, Contests, Crafts, Design, Festivals, Ice, Outdoors, Recreation and Travel, Snow, Tourist Attractions, Winter

Post a comment (0) | Email this posting

Getting her tongue stuck to a pole is the least of her concerns. (Photo by Patrick) It's winter, and the sun has shifted away from the Northern Hemisphere, making the days shorter and the weather colder. It's the perfect temperature for snuggling by a fire, bundling up warmly to venture out ice skating, or donning a bathing suit and jumping into a 45°F lake. Wait, what? That's right, January 1st, 2010 will mark Canada's 90th annual Polar Bear Swim, where lunatics (a.k.a. hardcore devotees to charity) jump into a freezing lake with nothing but of bit of spandex to protect them from them elements. Polar Bear Clubs are an offshoot of the equally crazy sport of ice swimming, where a hole is cut into the ice so swimmers can jump into the freezing waters hiding just beneath. Ice swimmers tout the sport's health and spiritual benefits -- but a little vodka to warm the bones doesn't hurt either. Of course, if you'd rather keep your clothes on while you enjoy the extreme cold, there's the North Pole Marathon where runners race 26.2 miles across Arctic ice floes in sub-zero temperatures. Or try the slightly less insane sport of ice biking, where cyclists refuse to acknowledge that the combination of a frozen road and a thirty pound bike frame is probably not a good mix. And if water sports are more your forte, snowkiting takes the sport of kiteboarding from the ocean to the snow. Snowkiters use skis or a snowboard to glide across the snow with the assistance of a foil or inflatable kite, but unlike kiteboarding, snowkiters have the added thrill of dodging trees and other inanimate objects as they sail across the snowy plains. Sooner or later, some hearty soul is going to invent blizzard parasailing. When that happens, I'll wish them well... then bundle down under my down comforter with a cup of hot apple cider. They're nuts. Suggested Sites... Polar Bear Swim 2010 - Vancouver - site for the 90th Polar Bear Swim in Vancouver Polar Bear Swim 2010 - Toronto - site for the 90th Polar Bear Swim in Toronto. Plungapalooza - the annual Polar Bear Plunge in Baltimore, Maryland. Snowkiting - pictures, videos, tips, and more. Icebike - pictures, stories, equipment recommendations, etc.

Directory categories: Polar Bear Clubs, Winter Swimming, Winter Cycling, Winter Sports, Extreme Sports

Archived under: Adventure, Athletes, Biking, Canada, Events, Extreme Sports, Fanatics, Ice, Marathons, Running, Skiing, Snow, Sports, Swimming, Weather, Winter, Winter Sports

Post a comment (1) | Email this posting