random bits of pie. and more.: August 2012

Alfred Stevens

Alfred Emile Leopold Stevens was a Belgian painter.

Till Eulenspiegel

Till Eulenspiegel was an impudent trickster figure originating in Middle Low German folklore.

The Seagull

The Seagull is the first of what are generally considered to be the four major plays by the Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov.

Heaven's Open

Heaven's Open is a single by musician Mike Oldfield, released in 1991.

London Prize Ring Rules

The London Prize Ring Rules was a list of boxing rules promulgated in 1838 and revised in 1853.

Henry Collen

Henry Collen was a miniature portrait painter to Queen Victoria and the Duchess of Kent.

Trial of the Sixteen

The Trial of the Sixteen was a staged trial of 16 leaders of the Polish Underground State held by the Soviet Union in Moscow in 1945.

The Best of The Moody Blues

The Best of the Moody Blues is a compilation album by the progressive rock band The Moody Blues, released on 28 January 1997.

And a great guitar cover.

BT-7

The BT-7 was the last of the BT series of Soviet cavalry tanks that were produced in large numbers between 1935 and 1940.

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The Ersatz Monarch Class Battleship

The Ersatz Monarch-class battleship was a projected new class of four battleships which were to be constructed for the Austro-Hungarian Navy in 1914–1919.

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List of Longest Mountain Chains in the World

The list of longest mountain chains in the world. If you are so inclined.

Iparxei Zoi

I liked Despina Vandi's ... ahem... voice so much, I decided to do an encore.

Nicholas Straussler

Nicholas Straussler was the creator of the flotation system used by Allied amphibious DD tanks during World War II.

A command missile is a missile that can control the operation of nuclear missiles, in case of an enemy nuclear strike that takes out the usual chain of command. (I'm not sure what she's doing up there, but I'm not complaining).

One kreuzer black

The One kreuzer black, or Schwarzer Einser, was the first postage stamp issued in Germany.

Singles

Singles is a compilation album by the popular Greek singer Despina Vandi.

The Battle of Jaffa

The Battle of Jaffa was an engagement fought during the First World War during the Sinai and Palestine campaign, between the forces of the British Empire on one side and the Ottoman and German Empire's on the other.

Niobium

Niobium is a chemical element with the symbol Nb and atomic number 41, used in steel alloys for the space industry.

The Knox Class Frigate

Knox class frigates were United States Navy warships, originally laid down as ocean escorts.

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Mah Na Mah Na

Mah Na Mah Na is a popular song written by Piero Umiliani.

And yet another version.

How to Twit for Success

I've been on Twitter for one week, and this is what I've learned so far. But first, you may want to check out this article and this article. I do not agree with every bit of advice in there, but there are some really good ones.

1. The picture. Choose a picture that really stands out. You want people to really notice your tweets, and that's not gonna happen if you select the wrong image. Use primary colors. Do not use landscapes. Do not make cute faces, unless you are a really (and I mean really) cute female. If you are particularly unattractive (I know, there is no such person) you might consider some other image to represent you.

2. The name. Try to use a person's name, not a business name. You are not a Japanese restaurant, you are the guy running the Japanese restaurant. You are not a bag of chips, you are the guy making the chips. In short: be a person, not a product.

3. The twits. Do not twit too much. Make them interesting, funny, informative or all in one. Do not talk trash and unless you are a really big star avoid talking about yourself. And again, unless you are a really big star, do not ask a lot of questions.

When you're sharing a picture or a video, take a few minutes to write a great, catchy and interesting description. Don't just say "I liked this video on youtube" or "I posted a photo on Facebook" or Instagram. That's 99% sure to get you booted off a few of your follower's lists. Do not share pictures of children.

4. The topics. Choose an art, a science and a sport. Stick with them. Try to practice them and be good at them. Find things that are funny, interesting or both, not necessarily new and unheard of. Try to share what you know, not what you think about what you know. You don't have to be original. If you see something worth re-twitting, do it. But again, don't overdo it.

5. The followers. Follow as many people as possible. Go to some really popular person and start following his or her followers. (Be careful not to break the rules, though). Some of them will follow back. Do not talk about them or with them. Remember they are people, not numbers. Talk to them by name, if you have to. If you say "I've made 100 followers this week and lost 16" ... the next message you receive will probably just say: "17".

6. The conclusion. There are a lot of people on twitter trying to sell something. Don't do that. Your goal is to bring value from outside the system in. If you do that people will notice. Value generates value.

Oh, and one more thing: Speak English. Not everybody understands Russian, Spanish or Greek, and you may get the boot just for that reason. Besides, why limit yourself to one tiny audience, when you can have the world?

Yngvi and Alf

Yngvi and Alf were two legendary Swedish kings of the House of Yngling.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Alfred Tennyson was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom during much of Queen Victoria's reign and remains one of the most popular poets in the English language.

The Rus–Byzantine War of 860

The Rus'–Byzantine War of 860 was the only major military expedition of the Rus' Khaganate recorded in Byzantine and Western European sources.

Knocking at Your Back Door

Knocking at Your Back Door: The Best of Deep Purple in the 80's is a compilation album by Deep Purple.

Maghella

Maghella is an Italian comic book erotic character.

Highway of Death

The Highway of Death refers to a six-lane highway between Kuwait and Iraq, officially known as Highway 80.

Six-String Samurai

Six-String Samurai is a 1998 post-apocalyptic action/comedy film directed by Lance Mungia.

The Red Elvises

The Red Elvises are a Russian-American band that performs rock & roll, surf, rockabilly, reggae, lounge and traditional Russian styles of music.

Democracy

Democracy is a form of government in which all eligible citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives.

King Nga'ara

King Nga‘ara was the last great ‘ariki of Easter Island, and the last master of rongorongo, the Easter Island script.

Kyudo

Kyudo is a modern Japanese martial art based on kyūjutsu, which originated with the samurai class of feudal Japan.

To the Bottom of the Sea

To the Bottom of the Sea is the sixth studio album by Cuban American dark cabaret/Dark Wave singer Voltaire.

F-111 Aardvark

The General Dynamics F-111 "Aardvark" was a medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft that also filled the roles of strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare in its various versions.

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Henry Chapman Ford

Henry Chapman Ford was an American illustrator born in Livonia, New York.

Joaquín Crespo

Joaquín Sinforiano de Jesús Crespo Torres was the President of Venezuela from 1884 to 1886 and again from 1892 to 1898.

Amazing

Amazing is an electro-house song by Romanian recording artist Inna, from her debut album Hot. The lyrics are really dumb but... who cares?!

And a great cover:

The Caesar Cut

The Caesar cut is a men's hairstyle with a short, horizontally straight cut fringe.

The Viking Age

The Viking Age was a period in European history spanning the late 8th to 11th centuries.

Paul R. Schumann

Paul Richard Schumann was a Texas impressionist painter called the interpreter of the chameleon Texas Gulf Coast.

Lifeline

Lifeline is the third single from British acid jazz group Jamiroquai's studio album, Rock Dust Light Star.

Life on Twitter

I've been on twitter for only one day, yet I've seen more idiots than in a lifetime before.

FM-2030

FM-2030 was an author, teacher, transhumanist philosopher, futurist and consultant.

Shetani

Shetani are spirits of East African mythology and popular belief.

100 Famous Japanese Mountains

100 Famous Japanese Mountains is a book composed in 1964 by mountaineer and author Kyūya Fukada.

Dreamland

Dreamland is the debut album by Robert Miles.

The Sack of Rome

The Sack of Rome on 6 May 1527 was a military event carried out by the mutinous troops of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in Rome.

Antonio da Correggio

Antonio Allegri da Correggio was the foremost painter of the Parma school of the Italian Renaissance.

Tupolev TB-3

The Tupolev TB-3 was a heavy bomber aircraft developed by U.S.S.R. in the 1930s.

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She Bangs the Drums

She Bangs the Drums was the second single from The Stone Roses' debut album.

Allosaurus

Allosaurus is a dinosaur that lived 155 to 150 million years ago during the late Jurassic period.

Remarkable for: The Allosaurus was a bipedal predator at the top of the food chain. It had a massive head on a short neck, a long tail and short forearms. It prayed on large herbivores, like the Stegosaurus, or even on other predators. It is a well known species, due to the abundance of fossils discovered.

In popular culture: The Allosaurus is often portrayed in movies and novels, one famous example being Conan Doyle's "The Lost World".

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