This may be a place to sit and think, or… just a place to sit. Take a look:
A place to sit, Aruba.
There are several spots like this in Aruba, places where you find the unexpected juxtaposed for your amusement or practical use. It all depends on what you’re looking for. Sometimes you find it, sometimes you don’t, and sometimes you find what you didn’t know you were looking for. So, keep your eyes open.
Savaneta, Aruba, DWI. About 0530 in the morning the sun starts peeking over the horizon. From the front patio of my little shack here the dawn puts on as brilliant a show as dusk. Here’s what it looked like this morning.
That bright speck in the upper center right is Venus. (click on the photo to enlarge it) When traveling to a place I know or don’t, I do my best to catch the nature phenomena. They’re typically better than any show and the price can’t be beat.
Bon dia.
Aruba’s Palm Beach is a beautiful stretch of sand. That may be the understatement of the blog. Recently, a few storms passed north of the island. The beach suffered some erosion but now is looking good again. Here’s a panorama taken this morning. (Don’t forget to click on the photo to enlarge it in a separate window.)
The lady is having a nice stroll like many people do during the early morning hours. You can see that fine sand, warm water, and the welcoming palapas. Bring your favorite books, beverages, and friends. Here’s another look, this one angled south toward the Holiday Inn.
There’s a few empty chairs waiting for you. There’s also some wind surfing gear and a couple of boats if you’re looking for a more active endeavor. The hotels did a great job of cleaning up the beaches. These sweeps continue on a daily basis to ensure a comfortable visit.
Bon dia.
The Bent Page 
Antikythera Mechanism of Legos
Legos were one of my favorite toys. Getting a new Lego set was like discovering a pirate treasure, dreams became reality, of a certain scale. I remember when the “expert builder” sets became available. Now there were gears, racks and pinions, even differential mechanisms. Never did I know how far these sets could go until I discovered this video. It shows a reconstruction of the Antikythera Mechanism. You’ll remember from watching the History Channel that the device was discovered by divers off an island in Greece. It was later determined to be a tool to predict celestial events. Now you can see how it works, courtesy of a brilliant engineer and his Legos.
Amazing, no? Absolutely. It is fascinating to watch, especially from a Lego aficionado like myself. Imagine what you can teach yourself using these “toys.”
- Commentary
on December 13, 2010 at 10:08 am Leave a CommentTags: ideas, Lego, science, thoughts, video