Monday, June 8, 2020
Prof. Jim Al-Khalili
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| * photo from the University of Surrey |
Despite my interest in theoretical physics and cosmology, I've always been too much of couch potato to complete the mathematical equations. Reading through the Feynman lectures in college was a completely exhausting task--I had no time for the rigors of the degree; I wanted the answers immediately. The extended quarantine has left me with plenty of time to watch the learning videos of Professor Jim Al-Khalili, and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed every one of them! He takes apart each concept and explains things in a very straightforward manner. Exactly what I've been looking for; kudos and more power!
Gypsy Witch
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| * photograph from amazon.com |
Gypsy Witch was the signature deck of Lola Gunday. She had a certain knack for divination and fortune-telling, much so that she correctly predicted the exact date of the Liberation of Manila and the facial features of the American soldier that would liberate the family from the Japanese soldiers at the Philippine General Hospital in 1945.
I don't know how the cards are played or how exactly the divination sequence works, but when I was a kid, I would see Lola entertain her friends with card readings, and some of her readings were said to be correct! The cards are not exactly Romani in origin, and I read somewhere that the system was actually devised by a French lady. It was introduced to wider audiences in the early 1900s and has become one of the most popular fortune-telling methods around.
I saw a deck being offered on the internet, and the more I read about the online offer, the more I realized that a there is renewed interest in cartomancy and tarot readings among the internet-savvy youth. Nice touch there!
Tuseno Blackwater
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| *photo from wristwatchreview.com |
Surfing through various watch review websites, I came across an innovative Swedish watch company called Tuseno. The article kept me piqued as it described a sturdy looking automatic model called the Blackwater. Take note, it's got a Sellita movement, a rotating bezel, sapphire crystal and is good for 300 meters underwater. Somehow, that rang a bell because I had just watched a rerun of Game Of Thrones (the show had a fictional Blackwater Bay, the location of the great sea battle for possession of King's Landing). Upon further checking with the company's website, I understand management donates a portion of their earnings to fund sea rescue operations, which is a very good way of showing corporate responsibility. More power to their team!
The Crab Nebula
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| * image from astronomy.com |
The Crab Nebula has been of particular importance to me. First, I was born in the sign of Cancer the Crab. Second, my parents gave me an astronomy book in the late sixties, and a photograph of the Crab Nebula was the first of many pictures that would leave me in awe, and would inculcate my interest in science and exploration. Lastly, I used to think that the gamma rays emitted from the Crab Nebula could turn me into the Incredible Hulk, just like what happened to Dr. Bruce Banner...and if you don't believe me, just take one good look at the GIF image below, and see what I mean! ;-)
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| * from wikipedia.org |
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