News from the Mudd

Here at the Mudd we're all about pirates. Today's New York Times has an article of great interest to all Mudd swabbies: an online pirate role-playing game. Pirates of the Burning Sea takes you back to those thrilling days of yesteryear, namely 1720 in the Caribbean. It's just like being there, except without the slavery and disease. The website promises "blistering naval combat" and "savage swashbuckling." You can choose your own "hair, faces, footwear, hands, coats, hats, belts, jewelry...eyepatches, hook hands, and peg legs..." You can be English, French or Spanish. This game was six years in development and, according to the Times, it's just right. If you've a hankering to pillage and plunder, but aren't crazy about the real-life consequences, figuratively weigh anchor for the virtual briny deep.

Among today's new CDs we have the largest multi-disc CD set in existence: Jacqueline Du Pré and everything she ever recorded on EMI. And, to cleanse your palate after all that cello music, an opera that's really not and a little live jazz.

This just in: In a cruel ironic twist, today is the day for a world-wide webcast on global warming solutions. At 8 p.m. Eastern time, Focus the Nation will stream this discussion on Earth Day TV. And tomorrow is "Focus the Nation" day here at LU and elsewhere. Thaw yourselves out and attend your local event.
Our new Wisconsin state motto: "We've Got Your Solution to Global Warming Right Here."

Sure, it's -15 with 30 mph winds, but it could be worse. Visit the U. S. Geological Survey's web site, Today in Earthquake History and see if your area experienced an earthquake on this date.
The USGS also has information on Wisconsin earthquake history. It's a one-pager.

Dateline, Appleton, Wis., January 28, 1908.

A "daily news special" reported out of Milwaukee stated that "at the close of the present semester this week" Lawrence University students "will have to sign an agreement not to frequent billiard or pool rooms or they will not be allowed to re-enter."

President Plantz got the names of a number of boys "who for some time have visited local billiard rooms." These boys received letters "advising them to desist from the practice or take expulsion from the college as a penalty." He then went on to say any student who refused to abide by this rule and wished to attend a college with less stringent rules would receive a letter of recommendation from him. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

You can find out a lot more about LU and Samuel Plantz in the University Archives.

Silver discs, silver discs. It's CD time in the city. Today we have recorder chamber music, some Dylan, some Flying Pizzarellis, more jazz, music for strings, plus a lot more.

Today is National Pie Day, not to be confused with National Pi Day which is celebrated in March. Or January 25 which is the day "National Velvet" was released in 1945.
The American Pie Council counsels us to use pies only for the most wholesome purposes today. Give your sweetie or your co-workers a pie. Make a pie with your kids. Buy a pie and give it to the person behind you in the grocery check-out line. Hand out slices to strangers and encourage them to do the same, sort of "pie it forward."

While we're at it, don't even think of using any other pie crust recipe than this one:

1 1/3 c. sifted all purpose flour (sift before measuring)
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 t. salt

Put all ingredients into a metal bowl. Put the bowl and your pastry blender into the freezer for about 10 minutes.

Cut shortening into flour until the mixture is uniformly crumbly looking. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of very cold water (unflavored, unsweetened sparkling water works best) over the dough and lightly toss with a fork. Add another tablespoon, toss. Add one more tablespoon and toss. If the dough still looks very dry, add small amounts of water and toss until the dough slightly clumps together as you toss it.

Use you hands to very gently form the dough into a loose ball. Pat it so it just holds together. Place on a floured surface and roll out to the desired size and thickness. Makes a single pie crust.

Here are more fine pastry-related activities: number 1, number 2, and number 3.

They're the ships of the desert. They make lovely suit coats. They entice children to smoke. They're camels! And today and tomorrow they have their own festival in Bikaner, India. The Bikaner Camel Festival is a tribute paid to these animals upon whom the people of Bikaner depend for their existence. This region even formed an "elite camel corps," active during the first and second World Wars.

The Mudd has a book about, you guessed it, camels in the U.S. army.

Got some travel funds left over? How about suggesting a little trip for your boss/supervisor/overlord? The World Congress on Neck Pain is going on today and tomorrow in Los Angeles. For light entertainment read some of the program topics and substitute "a pain in the neck" for "neck pain." Example: "The Burden and Determinants of Neck Pain in the General Population."
We are stunned to report that we have books on neck pain in the Mudd.

On January 18, 1944 the "All American Jazz Band" played the first jazz concert ever presented at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. The players were chosen as a result of a poll conducted by Esquire Magazine. This jam session was held in conjunction with the awarding of $10,000 in war bonds to these poll winners:

trumpet: Louis Armstrong (first), Cootie William (second)
clarinet: Benny Goodman, Barney Bigard
trombone: Jack Teagarden, Lawrence Brown
saxophone: Coleman Hawkins, Johnny Hodges
bass: Oscar Pettiford, Milton Hinton and Al Morgan (tied for second)
guitar: Al Casey, Oscar Moore
drums: Sidney Catlett, Cozy Cole
piano: Art Tatum, Earl Hines
odd instruments: Red Norvo and Lionel Hampton, tied
Armed Forces favorites: Artie Shaw, Willie Smith and Dave Tough (tied for second)
female vocalists: Billie Holiday, Mildred Bailey
male vocalists: Louis Armstrong, Leo Watson

The Mudd has Esquire Magazine's Jazz Book from 1944, 1945 and 1946 containing information on the All-American Jazz Band plus articles on jazz, jazz players and jazz records.

This item appeared in the New York Times on January 14, 1908.

Because turnabout is fair play, we give you "Bei mir bist du schön" with a Latin beat.

It was only a matter of time before someone thought of this: Carmen Miranda's saucy tropical hit, "Mama Yo Quiero" sung in Yiddish and Portuguese.
If you are itching for some more, the Mudd does have one Carmen Miranda recording.

On January 9, 1793, the first manned flight in America took place in Philadelphia, with President George Washington in attendance. Here is a first-person account written the day after, as recorded in The Principles, History & Use of Air-Balloons, which the Mudd has access to.

Mr. Blanchard, the bold aeronaut, agreeably to his advertisement, at five minutes past ten o'clock yesterday morning, rose with a balloon from the Prison Court in this city, in presence of an immense concourse of spectators there assembled on the occasion. The process of inflating the balloon commenced about nine o'clock. Several cannon were fired from the dawn of day until the moment of elevation. A band of music played during the time of inflating; and, when it began to rise, the majestical sight was truly awful and interesting. The slow movement of the band added solemnity to the scene. Indeed the attention of the multitude was so absorbed, that it was a considerable time ere silence was broke by the acclamations which succeeded.
          As soon as the clock had struck ten, every thing being practically ready, Mr. Blanchard took a respectful leave of all the spectators, and received from the hands of the President a paper; at the same time the President spoke a few words to this bold adventurer, who was immediately leaped into his boat, which was painted blue and spangled. The balloon was of a yellowish colored silk, highly varnished, over which there was a strong net-work. Mr. Blanchard was dressed in a plain blue suit, a cocked hat, and white feathers. As soon as he was in the boat, he threw out some ballast, and the balloon began to ascend slowly and perpendicularly. After a few minutes, the wind blowing from the northward and westward, the balloon rose to an immense height, and then shaped its course towards the southward and eastward. Several gentlemen galloped down the point road, but soon left sight of it, for it moved at the rate of 20 miles an hour.
          Great numbers, who had neglected to purchase tickets, were afflicted with considerable regret at not having been immediately present in the Prison Court to see the preparations, and to witness the undaunted countenance of the man who thus sublimely dared to soar through the regions of the air. Anxiety for the safety of the aeronaut was painted on every face from the time citizens lost sight of him, and various were the conjectures as to the place where he would descend.
          About half after six o'clock last evening we were happy to meet Mr. Blanchard again in this city, going to pay his respects to the President of the United States. He informed us that his aerial voyage lasted 46 minutes, in which time he ran over a space of more than 15 miles. And the descended a little to the eastward of Woodbury in the states of New Jersey, where he took a carriage and returned to Cooper's Ferry, and was at the President's at half past six o'clock last evening.

We get gifts. Most of the time they're a welcome addition to the collection. Today's CDs come from the library of a fine gentleman who passed away recently. As you can see, he enjoyed music - all kinds of music. And spooky Halloween sounds.

Oi, it seemed like the winter break would never end. Now back to business.
Today begins the IARP/EURON Workshop on Robotics for Risky Interventions and Environmental Surveillance. On this site you will find terms like "suitable modularised mechanised structure" (possibly the right size robot?,) "suspected or real disaster" and "swarm of robots." This site was last modified "on 06/01/2008" so there's some time travel involved, too.
The Mudd has much on robotics. Robots. Is there anything can't they do?