Something new about Impressionism

This is the first time I have strayed from my calendar of topics, but I visited the National Art Gallery today and became inspired. I knew a little about French Impressionism, everyone does I think, but I wanted to be surprised. Therefore, I read on...

The artist who served as the bridge between realism and impressionism was Edouard Manet, who was controversial as a realist but not quite an impressionist. He incorporated Asian elements into his paintings. This is one of his most popular pieces: 

It is in Olympia that we see Japanese influences. Notice the flatness of the portrait as compared to above. Placed side-by-side, it is easy to see the influence of the Japanese wood-block art.

   

I didn't know about Manet, but I find his rebelliousness appealing. During this period, there was a nearly hundred year norm of the French Academy jury basically determining what was art and, as a result, what was not. Manet was rejected many times by the French Academy, but it was his leadership that open the doors for Monet, Renior, and Pissarro (below, respectively) to hold their own exhibitions. 

Well, all I have to say is Thanks, Manet.

What do trans fats do to your body?

This subject makes me crazy because it is so contentious. The American Heart Association swears trans fats clog up your arteries, but other sources say that's based on bad science. I just don't know, but I am exploring this source to find out more.

The Progressive Trails of W. R. Brown (Day Seventeen)

Today's featured article on Wikipedia highlights of the life of William Robinson "W. R." Brown.

William Robinson "W. R." Brown (January 17, 1875 – August 4, 1955) "was an American corporate officer of the Brown Company of Berlin, New Hampshire. He was also an influential Arabian horse breeder, the founder and owner of the Maynesboro Stud, and an authority on Arabian horses."

After graduating from Williams College, Brown joined the family corporation, then known as the Berlin Mills Company, and became manager of the Woods Products Division, overseeing the company's woodlands and logging operations. He became an early advocate for sustainable forest management practices, was a member of the New Hampshire Forestry Commission from 1909 until 1952, and served on the boards of several forestry organizations. As chair of the Forestry Commission, Brown helped send sawmills to Europe during World War I to assist the war effort.

As a Republican of his time, Brown "was influenced by the Progressive movement, instituting employee benefits such as company-sponsored care for injured workers that predated modern workers' compensation laws."

Although Brown family members sold personal assets to keep the Brown Company afloat during the Great Depression, including Brown's dispersal of his herd of Arabian horses in 1933, the business went into receivership in 1934. Brown remained in charge of the Woods Division through the company's second bankruptcy filing in 1941. He retired from the company in 1943 and died of cancer in 1955. His final book, Our Forest Heritage, was published posthumously, and his innovations in forest management became industry standards.

The Emergence of Mahan-class Destroyers (Day Sixteen)

Not even a month into this project and I am already doubling up. Yesterday's featured article on Wikipedia was on Mahan-class destroyers.

The Mahan-class destroyers "of the United States Navy were a series of 18 destroyers of which the first 16 were laid down in 1934. The last two of the 18, Dunlap and Fanning (this pair laid down in 1935), are sometimes considered as a separate ship class. All 18 were commissioned in 1936 and 1937. Mahan was the lead ship, named for Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan, an influential historian and theorist on sea power."

The Mahan-class destroyers emerged as improved versions of the Farraguts, which were themselves considered second only to the Japanese Fubuki-class destroyers. The Navy's General Board had been wrestling with proposed design changes, first considering 12 torpedo tubes with one fewer 5"/38 caliber gun, and then proposing to retain all five guns with the 12 torpedo tubes, but configuring those guns only for surface targets, not air targets. The Chief of Naval Operations objected, recommending against 'subordinating the gun to the torpedo,' and a compromise was struck that included a new engineering plant and a new battery arrangement for the Mahan class and others. In the final design, No. 3 gun was moved to the aft deckhouse (just ahead of No. 4) to make room for the third quadruple torpedo tube; the two middle torpedo tubes were moved to the sides, releasing the centerline space for extension of the aft deckhouse.... The traditional destroyer machinery was replaced with a new generation of land-based machinery. This change ushered in a new steam propulsion system that combined increases in pressure and temperature with a new type of lightweight steam turbine, which proved simpler and more efficient to operate. These changes led to a ten percent increase in displacement over the Farraguts.

As well, "[t]heir peacetime complement was 158 officers and enlisted men. The wartime complement increased to approximately 250 officers and enlisted men."

Who invented the bobby pin?

Bobby pin = bobbed hair. Neat.

Here's the answer: 

Luis Marcus was a San Francisco cosmetics manufacturer when he designed the bobby pin to hold in place the bobbed hair of the flapper era after World War I, selling the original handmade ones for two for 35 cents. "There was talk of naming it the Marcus pin," a daughter, Elaine Marcus of Santa Barbara, said. "But he named it for bobbed hair." Marcus, a native of Winnipeg, Mannitoba, died at the University Convalescent Hospital in Menlo Park on Jan. 26.

Source found here. 

And, just in case you ever have a few extra laying around: 

When Underground, do it like Tony Hawk (Day Fifteen)

Since I have been on the road most of the day, today's post on today's feature article is going to be short.

Tony Hawk's Underground "is a skateboarding-adventure video game published by Activision between 2003 and 2004 as part of the Tony Hawk's series. Neversoft developed the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox versions, while the Game Boy Advance adaptation was developed by Vicarious Visions and the mobile phone version by Jamdat."

More so,

Underground is built upon the skateboarding formula of previous Tony Hawk's games: the player explores levels and completes goals while performing tricks. The game features a new focus on customization; the player, instead of selecting a professional skater, creates a custom character. Underground adds the ability for players to dismount their boards and explore on foot. The plot follows the player character and his or her friend Eric Sparrow as the two become well-known professionals and grow apart.

The game was developed with a theme of individuality, which was manifested in the extensive customization options, the presence of a narrative, and the product's characterization as an adventure game. Real-world professional skateboarders contributed their experiences to the plot. Reviewers praised its wide appeal, soundtrack, customization, multiplayer, and plot. The graphics and the controls for driving vehicles and walking were less well received. Underground '​s PlayStation 2 version had sold 2.11 million copies in the United States by December 2007. A sequel, Tony Hawk's Underground 2, was released in 2004.

What was the response? 

Tony Hawk's Underground was released to critical acclaim: its scores ranged from 85.27% for the Xbox to 90.58% for the PlayStation 2 on GameRankings and from 85% to 90% on Metacritic. GameZone's Michael Knutson stated that Underground is "one of the best skating games around" and that players of every skill level would enjoy it. Eurogamer's Tom Bramwell concurred: "as a 'pick-up-and-play' sort of game, THUG is endlessly rewarding once you get your head round the basics, and it's the best entry point for the series to date."

Holkham National Nature Reserve: A History (Day Fourteen)

Today is going to be a light day. According to the featured article on Wikipedia, Holkham National Nature Reserve is "England's largest national nature reserve (NNR)."

History:

Norfolk has a long history of human occupation. Both modern and Neanderthal people were present in the area between 100,000 and 10,000 years ago, before the last glaciation, and humans returned as the ice retreated northwards. The archaeological record is poor until about 20,000 years ago, partly because of the then prevailing very cold conditions, but also because the coastline was much further north than at present. As the ice retreated during the Mesolithic (10,000–5,000 BCE), the sea level rose, filling what is now the North Sea. This brought the Norfolk coastline much closer to its present line, so that many ancient sites are now under the sea in an area now known asDoggerland.

The coast at Holkham originally consisted of salt marshes protected from the sea by ridges of shingle and sand. A large Iron Age fort at the end of a sandy spit in the marshes could only be approached along the spit; it enclosed 2.5 hectares (6.2 acres) and remained in use until the defeat of the Iceni in 47 AD. The Vikings navigated the tidal creeks to establish Holkham, the name deriving from the Danish for "ship town".

The Holkham estate has been owned by the Coke family since 1609, and Holkham Hall, built by Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicesterbetween 1734 and 1764, is opposite the NNR entrance. Until the 17th century, ships could navigate the tidal creeks to reach the staithe (harbour) at Holkham village, but local landowners began to reclaim the marshes from 1639, and the final embankment at Wells was constructed by the 2nd Earl in 1859, completing the conversion of about 800 hectares (2,000 acres) to farmland. The 3rd Earl planted Corsican, maritime and Scots pines on the dunes in the late 19th century to shelter the agricultural land from wind-blown sand, which is carried inland when the wind speed exceeds three metres (10 ft) per second and blows from directions between northwest to northeast.

The Holkham National Nature Reserve was created in 1967 from 1,700 hectares (4,200 acres) of the Holkham Estate and 2,200 hectares (5,400 acres) of intertidal sand and mud flats belonging to the Crown Estate. In 1986 the NNR was subsumed into the newly created 7,700 hectares (19,000 acres) North Norfolk Coast SSSI. The larger area is now additionally protected through Natura 2000, Special Protection Area (SPA) and Ramsar listings, and is part of the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty The coast from Holkham NNR to Salthouse, together with Scolt Head Island, is a Biosphere Reserve.