Escher, Legos and Ingenuity

Daniel Shui and Andrew Lipson built the Lego creation above. Andrew is a self-described "nerd" and enjoys Escher, Legos, juggling and math (like most nerds). His website (www.andrewlipson.com) is worth checking out - it includes the original Escher drawings and woodcuts for a side-by-side comparison (big points for accuracy and detail), as well as “behind-the-scenes” photographs of construction and effect techniques. I've placed the two versions of Escher's "Relativity" below for comparison:


Here’s some other works that Andrew and Daniel have produced (some of these rely on photo/perspective effects):

M.C. Escher's "Ascending":

M.C. Escher's "Balcony":

M.C. Escher's "Belvedere":

M.C. Escher's "Waterfall":

Cute Dog Pictures

Here are some pictures of our miniature dachshunds. Cocoa is a black and tan, and Daisy is a chocolate and tan.




(Oh, like your blog is so great!)

MIT Cheer

While I was looking for the Pi stuff, I found this cool MIT cheer:

“Cosine, secant, tangent, sine
3.14159
Integral, radical, u dv,
Slipstick, slide rule, MIT!"

Man, MIT rocks hardcore. Party on guys, party on!

Mnemonic Devices for Remembering the Digits of Pi

I was just thinking about the infinite string of decimals you get when calculating Pi, and the farthest I could remember was 3.14159. So I went hunting for mnemonic devices that could help me remember a larger block of numbers. I found these, and I’m passing them on to you.

In the following examples, the length of the word determines the digit. The digit is N (where N represents the number of letters) if N is less than 10, 0 if N equals 10, and a combination of two digits if longer than 10 (e.g., a 12-letter word represents the digit '1' followed by '2').

Pi to 14 places:
How I need a drink, alcoholic of course, after dry, heavy lectures involving quantum mechanics!

Pi to 20 places:
Sir, I bear a rhyme excelling

In mystic verse and magic spelling

Celestial spirits elucidate

All my own striving can't relate

This poem by Joseph Shipley (1960) gives Pi to 31 places:
But a time I spent wandering in bloomy night;

Yon tower, tinkling chimewise, loftily opportune.

Out, up, and together came sudden to Sunday rite,

The one solemnly off to correct plenilune.

And now for the coup de resistance, a poem by Mike Keith (1995) that gives Pi to 740 places:

Poe, E.

Near a Raven

Midnights so dreary, tired and weary.

Silently pondering volumes extolling all by-now obsolete lore.

During my rather long nap - the weirdest tap!

An ominous vibrating sound disturbing my chamber's antedoor.

“This", I whispered quietly, "I ignore".

Perfectly, the intellect remembers: the ghostly fires, a glittering ember.

Inflamed by lightning's outbursts, windows cast penumbras upon this floor. Sorrowful, as one mistreated, unhappy thoughts I heeded:

That inimitable lesson in elegance - Lenore -

Is delighting, exciting...nevermore.

Ominously, curtains parted (my serenity outsmarted),

And fear overcame my being - the fear of "forevermore".

Fearful foreboding abided, selfish sentiment confided,

As I said, "Methinks mysterious traveler knocks afore.

A man is visiting, of age threescore."

Taking little time, briskly addressing something: "Sir," (robustly)

"Tell what source originates clamorous noise afore?

Disturbing sleep unkindly, is it you a-tapping, so slyly?

Why, devil incarnate!--" Here completely unveiled I my antedoor--

Just darkness, I ascertained - nothing more.

While surrounded by darkness then, I persevered to clearly comprehend.

I perceived the weirdest dream...of everlasting "nevermores".

Quite, quite, quick nocturnal doubts fled - such relief! - as my intellect said,

(Desiring, imagining still) that perchance the apparition was uttering a whispered "Lenore".

This only, as evermore.

Silently, I reinforced, remaining anxious, quite scared, afraid,

While intrusive tap did then come thrice - O, so stronger than sounded afore.

"Surely" (said silently) "it was the banging, clanging window lattice."

Glancing out, I quaked, upset by horrors hereinbefore,

Perceiving: a "nevermore".

Completely disturbed, I said, "Utter, please, what prevails ahead.

Repose, relief, cessation, or but more dreary 'nevermores'?"

The bird intruded thence - O, irritation ever since! -

Then sat on Pallas' pallid bust, watching me (I sat not, therefore),

And stated "nevermores".

Bemused by raven's dissonance, my soul exclaimed, "I seek intelligence;

Explain thy purpose, or soon cease intoning forlorn 'nevermores'!"

"Nevermores", winged corvus proclaimed - thusly was a raven named?

Actually maintain a surname, upon Pluvious seashore?

I heard an oppressive "nevermore".

My sentiments extremely pained, to perceive an utterance so plain,

Most interested, mystified, a meaning I hoped for.

"Surely," said the raven's watcher, "separate discourse is wiser.

Therefore, liberation I'll obtain, retreating heretofore -

Eliminating all the 'nevermores' ".

Still, the detestable raven just remained, unmoving, on sculptured bust.

Always saying "never" (by a red chamber's door).

A poor, tender heartache maven - a sorrowful bird - a raven!

O, I wished thoroughly, forthwith, that he'd fly heretofore.

Still sitting, he recited "nevermores".

The raven's dirge induced alarm - "nevermore" quite wearisome.

I meditated: "Might its utterances summarize of a calamity before?"

O, a sadness was manifest - a sorrowful cry of unrest;

"O," I thought sincerely, "it's a melancholy great - furthermore,

Removing doubt, this explains 'nevermores' ".

Seizing just that moment to sit - closely, carefully, advancing beside it,

Sinking down, intrigued, where velvet cushion lay afore.

A creature, midnight-black, watched there - it studied my soul, unawares.

Wherefore, explanations my insight entreated for.

Silently, I pondered the "nevermores".

"Disentangle, nefarious bird! Disengage - I am disturbed!"

Intently its eye burned, raising the cry within my core.

"That delectable Lenore - whose velvet pillow this was, heretofore,

Departed thence, unsettling my consciousness therefore.

She's returning - that maiden - aye, nevermore."

Since, to me, that thought was madness, I renounced continuing sadness.

Continuing on, I soundly, adamantly forswore:

"Wretch," (addressing blackbird only) "fly swiftly - emancipate me!"

"Respite, respite, detestable raven - and discharge me, I implore!"

A ghostly answer of: "nevermore".

" 'Tis a prophet? Wraith? Strange devil? Or the ultimate evil?"

"Answer, tempter-sent creature!", I inquired, like before.

"Forlorn, though firmly undaunted, with 'nevermores' quite indoctrinated,

Is everything depressing, generating great sorrow evermore?

I am subdued!", I then swore.

In answer, the raven turned - relentless distress it spurned.

"Comfort, surcease, quiet, silence!" - pleaded I for.

"Will my (abusive raven!) sorrows persist unabated?

Nevermore Lenore respondeth?", adamantly I encored.

The appeal was ignored.

"O, satanic inferno's denizen -- go!", I said boldly, standing then.

"Take henceforth loathsome "nevermores" - O, to an ugly Plutonian shore!

Let nary one expression, O bird, remain still here, replacing mirth.

Promptly leave and retreat!", I resolutely swore.

Blackbird's riposte: "nevermore".

So he sitteth, observing always, perching ominously on these doorways.

Squatting on the stony bust so untroubled, O therefore.

Suffering stark raven's conversings, so I am condemned, subserving,

To a nightmare cursed, containing miseries galore.

Thus henceforth, I'll rise (from a darkness, a grave) -- nevermore!

Original: E. Poe

Redone by measuring circles.

One Heck of a Trailer Hitch

Talk about heavy duty!

Looking Forward to Temporary Insanity III

Everyone always wants to know how fast a vehicle can accelerate from 0 - 60. The question that never gets asked, however, is how fast a vehicle can decelerate from 60 - 0.

Kinda makes you wonder what happened to the first "Temporary Insanity".

Ben Goes Hunting At A Friend's House

Saturday night, my wife and I were visiting at our friends’ house. They have an enormous weed / bush growing out from under their back porch so everybody went out back to look at it (not much to do in North Florida). I had already looked at the weed earlier that night, so I decided to use the bathroom while the others were outside.

The bathroom is at the back of the house, with a window that faces the backyard. I was smart enough to shut the miniblinds over the window before I “got down to business”. Well, everything was fine until I reached for the toilet paper. It wasn’t anywhere to be found. Not on the wall, not on the back of the toilet or beside it, not on a stand, not even on the washer or dryer that faced the toilet. I looked everywhere! I even looked for a new package that I could open to get some out – but nothing.

I decided I was making the search much too hard for myself, and the T.P. was probably in some obvious location that I was clearly overlooking. I started reasoning out the situation. “Let’s see…it’s nowhere visible, so it must be somewhere that isn’t visible.” But from my location, I couldn’t reach any cabinets or drawers. “OK, what if it had been all used up by the last person?” I looked in the trash can, but saw no evidence of an empty roll. Man! Where is it? I was starting to get desperate.

Then, it hit me. I had shut the blinds before sitting down. Maybe, just maybe, it was on the window sill. I figured, as crazy as it sounds, it’s the only place I hadn’t looked, or thought to look, because the window was behind me. I reached back, lifted up the blinds, and…there it was. Yes! Come to find out, the man of the house had botched the installation job, so the wife was insistent upon getting a stand. Unfortunately for me, the stand hadn’t been purchased yet.

At least now I know what to get them for Christmas.

Planet Bizzle: Latest Posts Dull, Infrequent

I have to apologize for not blogging over the last few months. I’ve been pretty lazy lately (and by lately I mean the last four months). And it’s not like interesting things haven’t been happening…my wife and I went to a Weird Al concert, we vacationed to DisneyWorld and St. Augustine, and we’ve had some funny stuff happen around the house. I just haven’t been putting in the effort.

I do want to continue with the amusing pictures and the short blurbs about random stuff, but I am committed to getting back to the heart and soul of this blog – personal narratives. So…see you in six months!

Now That's Great Advertising!

And the Newsroom Falls Silent...