bookofjoe

Octopus camouflage — Moving rock trick

Carl Zimmer's superb February 19, 2008 New York Times Science section front page article headlined "Revealed: Secrets of the Camouflage Masters," featuring Dr. Roger Hanlon of the Wood's Hole Marine Biological Laboratory, provides the back story.

Mesi Jilly Shell Ring

Handmade in Italy by Mesi Jilly from a shell "plucked from the sea."

$285.

What is Khushwant Singh's email address?

Not a week goes by that at least one reader doesn't pose the question in the headline up top in the "Comments" section.

Up to about a year ago I replied individually to each inquiry about how to contact India's "living treasure" (below)

but I've since grown tired of it.

I mean, doesn't everyone who has the ability to put a comment up also have Google?

'Cause when I put "khushwant singh email address" in the Google search box, in about 0.18 seconds I get back the page up top.

Look at the second result in the graphic heading this post.

Read that second result's title.

Can it be any clearer?

If you can't be bothered but just want the address now, okay:

editordh@deccanherald.co.in

Tell him I sent you.

When Scanner Comes To Town (call it "Love")

Not to digress before I have something to digress from (is that even possible?) but the version of that song where B.B. King joins U2 (above; it's on "Rattle and Hum") is indescribably great.

Now where was I (going)?

Oh, yeah, scammers.

No, joe, that's not it.

Oh, yeah — my love affair with my new scanner.

It's the Canon CanoScan LiDE 600F (below).

I went to Apple's website to see which scanners were there, knowing they would play well with my Macs.

There were four listed: a Canon for $100, the one I bought ($150 at the Apple store), some HP number for $300 and a Fujitsu for around $500.

I picked window #2 but then saw where it would be a 1-2 week wait until it shipped.

No way!

I mean, I'd put off buying one — because of my TechnoDolt™ reluctance to once again demonstrate why I shouldn't be allowed access to anything requiring more intelligence than a chimpanzee could bring to the task, in the face of everyone I know who has any sense telling me it would make my life easier and better — for years.

No way am I gonna wait a week or two 'cause everyone knows that when you have to have it, it's gotta happen right now.

So I rambled on over to Amazon where I bought it for $135 with one-click and free 2-day delivery.

Not a bad second choice, what?

Anyhoo (yoiks, I'm channelling clifyt, this will not end well, methinks...), it arrived on schedule and I unpacked it and just stared at it for a day or two, trying to will it not to make me go mad with frustration once I tried to get it to work.

Long story short: without following the directions (except when, after nothing happened when I just plugged the thing in, I relented and put the installation CD into my computer), by what I can only term a miracle, I got it to function.

True, so much stuff suddenly appears on my computer screen when I'm scanning (see screenshots below)

I can't believe it, none of which I have a clue about nor do I intend to try and figure out, but the bottom line is, I can get an image out onto my screen that is as good or better than the original print version — and I can use it in bookofjoe.

So much better resolution, and far easier than my old practice of trying to take a photo and then put it up.

I'm sold.

Is it time to move to Leopard and bag my obsolete Panther?

Not quite yet.

I'm wild, but I'm not crazy.

Why Stephen Chao rules

The protean talent (above) was the subject of an article by Brooks Barnes which appeared in the January 30, 2008 New York Times.

The final two sentences of the third from last paragraph of the story: "The two executives had a hard time living down an incident when both were at Fox in which Mr. Diller hurled a videocassette at Mr. Chao with such intensity that it created a hole in the wall. Mr. Chao framed that section of the wall."

Moth Patches — 'Let thems as made the 'oles, mend the 'oles.'

"Cover up your moth holes with... er... moths!"

5 iron-on patches for £5.

bookofjoe.tumblr.com

I noticed all these visits from sites that ended in tumblr.com so I had my crack research team investigate last evening.

I mean, it's not as if they were busy or anything.

Anyhoo, as they say in Indiana, they set up an outpost there for me (above) without too much difficulty.

So now there's a satellite website.

The empire grows not by leaps and bounds, true — but grow it does.

Circuit Alert Screwdriver — No more 'shocking surprises'

I'm reminded of those news stories about apparently healthy people, usually young men, who suddenly, out of the blue, while they're at home doing nothing special, drop dead.

The next paragraph usually reads something like, "the first sign of an enlarged heart is often sudden death."

Like, how is that a "sign?"

Seems to me a sign indicates something to come, rather than being self-referential.

But I digress.

From the website:

Circuit Alert™ 4-in-1 Screwdriver

Voltage-sensing screwdriver means no more shocking surprises

Never get stung by a hot circuit again.

Oh sure, you turned off the circuit breaker before you started working.

But are you really sure it was the right one?

Now you can do a quick double check without taking the time to reach for another tool.

The Circuit Alert Screwdriver senses AC voltage for 50-600V before contact and warns you with a flashing light and beeping.

Features:

• Hardened bit holder holds 2 double-sided bits to give you #1 and #2 Phillips plus 3/16” and 1/4” slotted bits — also compatible with any other standard hex bits

• Durable ABS plastic resin handle with cushioned grip material

• Twist on/off switch on the end of the handle

• Insulated steel shaft for greater protection

• Powered by one AAA battery (included)

.....................

$21.50.