Interesting Links for 18-9-2011

[andrewducker]

• 2D ink droplet simulation. Very pretty.
  (tags: physics html5 demo webgl)
• 2000 new tax inspectors being recruited to look at high-earners
  (tags: uk tax)
• Cystic fibrosis cure under threat from £6m cash crisis (There's a donate button in the second comment)
  (tags: CysticFibrosis research health money)
• Children with autism and gastrointestinal symptoms have altered digestive genes
  (tags: genetics diet autism)
• The genius who lives downstairs - I think I'd like to read the whole book.
  (tags: mathematics books genius maths)
• Catholics decide to wind back time in an attempt to push people away faster
  (tags: religion catholicism wtf)
• Inside Google Zurich's relaxation suite.
  (tags: google)
• Miss Universe 2011 National Costumes. Cosplay for people who are apparently "normal"
  (tags: beauty fashion)
• Valve teams with White House in digital learning program. Now they're learning with Portals!
  (tags: portal valve computer_games education usa)

Comments

[strawberryfrog.livejournal.com]

Hm - South African "national costume" is a fantasy garment - but at least it is based on traditional shweshwe fabric and bead-work. Thankfully no leopard skin.

[andrewducker]

I think they're all fantasy garments. Except for Miss Tanzania, who is wearing something that's useful in Tanzania. In the 33rd century.

[strawberryfrog.livejournal.com]

Several of them look quite practical, should we ever evolve the power of flight.

[skington.livejournal.com]

It does unfortunately look like she's only partially emerged from her cocoon.

[tysolna]

I find Miss Chile's costume strangely inappropriate.

[andrewducker]

I assume that they're very proud of their mining heritage.

[strawberryfrog.livejournal.com]

as is Miss Botswana

[fub.livejournal.com]

I studied at a Catholic University, and on Fridays, the menu was always fish.

[octopoid-horror.livejournal.com]

This is true in various work canteens in companies that I've worked for in Scotland.

[octopoid-horror.livejournal.com]

Also, asking people to abstain from meat (even for a day) is a good thing and as such should be encouraged.

[andrewducker]

I'm not sure that replacing meat with fish is great, considering the state of the fisheries.

[octopoid-horror.livejournal.com]

I've never been religious, so am unsure how this works - do people eat fish on Friday because that's what you're meant to do, or do they eat fish because they're not eating meat and vegetarian meals are not a thing that were traditionally popular?

[andrewducker]

Good question. I thinking most of them just go "It's Friday, I have to eat fish. Or a beaver."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver#In_dietary_law

[octopoid-horror.livejournal.com]

There's not really one can say "I would like to try eating beaver" without a chorus of Sid James laughs ensuing

[skington.livejournal.com]

It's difficult, and changes regularly, but I would think that e.g. locally-farmed trout was fairly safe. And of course oysters are arguably vegan, so mussels should be fairly safe also.

[andrewducker]

Thank you, I had no idea about the oysters!

[andrewducker]

There is always fish as an option in our work canteen on a Friday.

[anton-p-nym.livejournal.com]

My university had a sizable minority of Catholics attending, and pretty much every cafeteria on campus offered some sort of fish on Fridays as an option for those wishing to observe. As a heathen, I just took advantage of that every now and then to lard up on fish 'n chips with fresh-made tartar sauce.

-- Steve was just as likely to get a cheeseburger, though.

[skington.livejournal.com]

I went to school in France, and same thing. You get fish on fridays. (Then again, I went to school in the late 1980s / early 1990s, so vegetarian menus were inconceivable.)

Given that French supermarkets don't open on Sundays, buying fish or shellfish on a Saturday is therefore a mistake: anything available that day is clearly second-best. (Or at least that's how it appeared to us on the one day that we bought fish on a Saturday.)

[octopoid-horror.livejournal.com]

Miss Tanzania is absolutely the best.

[crm.livejournal.com]

that miss world dress up looks like a euro-vision song contest for fashion.

that said there were some nice joocy nuggets of analysis to be had: notice how most of the developed countries seemed to go with abstract and gaudy while the developing countries stuck to more elegent works based on recognisable cultural cues.

also, there were a lot of cultural cues in there which i couldent place and would inspire me to research further (what is that frame drum miss Korea is holding, and how is it used)

Also notice the amount of weaponry on display, not counting Guam's ceremonial shield, but Miss Ireland... Scimitars.... really?

also... America... why do you keep hitting yourself.

[spacelem.livejournal.com]

What about the countries which are neither developed, nor developing? (I assume there must be a third option, since not all developed countries are developing, some are positively dismantling).

[undeadbydawn.livejournal.com]

Miss Mexico has a skull.
that wins.

Tanzania is just fucking scary. a 3-foot forehead mounted sword. really?

[undeadbydawn.livejournal.com]

given my daughter's [and indeed, my own] widely varying tummy issues, that article is fascinating

[skington.livejournal.com]

Epic fail for whoever provided the Miss Universe photos: watermarks should not make it more difficult to work out what a costume actually looks like.

[0olong.livejournal.com]

Yup. And in some cases it took me a minute to work out that the models were not, in fact, hideously deformed.