Harry Houdini

 Harry Houdini

The man who could unlock any lock, the legendary Houdini was famously sceptical of spiritualists.  He believed that they were con artists preying on the emotions of families who have lost a loved one. However, just to make sure, Houdini left his wife a secret code that would be used by him, to contact her, after his death, should he have been wrong about spiritualists. For ten years after his death, his wife held a séance once a year. Harry Houdini never made contact.

 Siegfried & Roy

This pair were old school magicians who glamorized their stage acts with white tigers & other big cats. However, it was Siegfried whose interest in magic started at an early age. Roy was more interested in animals, often visiting Bremen Zoo, Germany, where he befriended a cheetah named Chico. It was only when they happened to both take jobs on the ocean liner TS Bremen did Siegfried and Roy meet and become a double-act, along with Chico the cheetah. Disastrously, their love for animals came back to bite them as Roy was bitten by one of his tigers in 2003 after stumbling on stage during performance.

David Copperfield

He was so good that he taught the magic at the New York University when he was just 16 years old. Probably the most successful & famous illusionist around, Copperfield is also the richest. According to the Forbes Magazine, his per year income of $57 million in 2003 put him in the list of the top 10 highest paid celebrities in the world. In addition, he has also walked through the Great Wall of China & made the Statue of Liberty disappear in front of a live audience.

David Blaine 

David Blaine

Recently spoofed by Jim Carrey to hilarious results, Blaine remains a revolutionary magician. He made street magic mainstream, filming on the streets of New York, stopping passers-by in the street and performing magic tricks in front of them. Blaine was sharp enough to realise that the show’s success was not in the magic tricks or his straight face, but in the spectator’s reactions. At the peak of his popularity, Blaine bizarrely decided to become an endurance artist, burying himself under a glass coffin, balancing on top of a 90 feet high pillar & encasing himself in a cube of ice for 62 hours.

The magicians you probably don’t know about

Coulew of Lorraine

The phrase “died on stage” was taken to the extreme by Coulew of Lorraine in 1613 when he was clubbed to death by an angry audience member using one of his own props!

 The Maskelynes

Magicians are good inventors. English stage magician John Nevil Maskelyne invented the pay toilet and his grandfather, Jasper Maskelyne invented the typewriter keyboard.

Matthew Buchinger

A popular 18th century magician who was born without arms or legs and was just 29 inches tall, Buchinger was a magician, calligrapher and musician who played the flute, trumpet, and more. He even managed to find the time to father eleven children.

Eldon Wigton

The fastest magician alive is Eldon Wigton who performed 225 tricks in 2 minutes for a World Record attempt in 1991. He says that one day he plans to break his own record.

Prince Charles

The most famous member of the Magic Circle is Prince Charles. He joined the club in 1975 after performing the famous Cups & Balls trick for members.

Source: http://www.illusionist.co.uk/magician-blog/2010/05/10-facts-about-magicians/

http://techblogbiz.blogspot.sg/2006/09/ten-famous-magicians-of-world.html

http://magicofmagicians.com/acatalog/siegfried_and_roy.html

Seriously, scientists have done studies to find factors that make something or someone (like babies) cute.

Generally, if someone exhibits extreme youth, vulnerability, harmlessness and need, well, they are considered ‘cute’ – human beings, in the Darwinian sense, are wired to attend to these needs to ensure the survival of our species (think of how helpless our babies are).

I’m cute! Now, take care of me!

Visual cues are equally important. Scientists have found that bright forward facing eyes set low on a big round face, a pair of big round ears, floppy limbs and a side-to-side, teeter-totter gait, among many others give the impression of cuteness to others.

When we look at the anatomy of a baby, babies have unusually large heads as humans have unnaturally large brains. This head continues to grow throughout the first months of their lives. To accommodate the development of the head, the skull and bone structure of the head remain flexible. If you observe the eyes and ears, they are located far down the face and skull as they only move upwards once the development of the cheeks and jaws begin.

Another salient feature are their eyes. They are forward-facing. Now, if you look at many Disney characters, characters such as ducks and mice have forward-facing eyes when in actual fact, their eyes are on the sides of their heads.

Baby movements are also clumsy and jerky (read ‘cute’) as they are still learning to coordinate their body.

Contributed by Zulkifli Amin

Source:

Angier, N. (2006, Jan 03). The cute factor. New York Times. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/433272047?accountid=12691

Lookit me! I’m cute and fluffy!

This adorably fluffy creature is the Quokka (Setonix brachyurus), a small, cat-sized marsupial from the macropod family.

Quokkas are herbivorous and nocturnal, and are closely related to kangaroos and wallabies. They are surprisingly agile, and can climb trees. Described as resembling “a small, dumpy kangaroo”, the quokka’s primary claim to fame is its popular reputation as the world’s happiest animal – largely because of its friendly nature and pleasant, cheerful facial expression. They also possess the unusual ability to survive in environments almost devoid of freshwater.

Quokkas were once plentiful on the Australian mainland , but populations. dwindled after the introduction of foxes and dingoes in the late 1800s. The species is currently still listed as ‘vulnerable’, but numbers are recovering thanks to conservation and feral-proofing efforts.

For more information on the fluffy quokka, you may refer to the following webpages:

Perth Zoo: http://www.perthzoo.wa.gov.au/animals-plants/australia/australian-bushwalk/quokka/

Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/07/quokka-happiest-animal-in-world_n_2426133.html

You may have seen one of these cute creatures (though some may consider them less than pretty) in local pet stores. These wrinkly skinny pigs, commonly known as the hairless guinea pig, have a distinct hairless appearance as compared to usual guinea pigs.

Skinny pigs do not belong to the pig family, neither are all of them skinny. Despite their hairless appearance, Skinnies can be much more expensive than a normal guinea pig from local pet stores.

Skinny pigs are a genetic mutation of guinea pigs bred by the Institute Armand Frappier in 1978, and Charles River Laboratories has reproduced this breed for research purposes since 1982.

Skinnies have hairs on their face, feet, and legs, and some of them have a thin covering of hairs on their backs while others are hairless all over. Due to the lack of hair however, Skinnies are rather sensitive to the heat and to cold temperatures and must be protected from direct sunlight and drafts. On the other hand, their hairless quality has made them a popular pet choice for pet owners with allergies. Even though skinny pigs have the same diet as usual guinea pigs, they eat more due to their higher metabolism rate which maintains their body heat. Their average life span is about 5 years, with some living to 7 years.

While some people find the skinny pigs’ appearance unappealing, others find them quite unique. Some have also named them the “mini hippo” due to their hairless body and tubby features. What do you think?

Image sources:

1. “Hairless Guinea Pig – The Skinny Pig” accessed from PetCircle web site: http://www.petcircle.com.sg/hairless-guinea-pig-the-skinny-pig/#!prettyPhoto

2. “Mini Hippo” accessed from Cute Overload web site: http://cuteoverload.com/2011/06/18/guinea-peeg-looks-like-an-adorabuhl-mini-hippo/

References: 

1. “Charles River History” accessed from Charles River web site: http://www.criver.com/en-US/AboutUs/History/Pages/home.aspx

2. “The Special Needs of Skinnies” accessed from Guinea Lynx Records web site: http://www.guinealynx.info/records/viewtopic.php?t=43

Post contributed by Ho Jing Ru, Associate Librarian

Have a look at some of these celebrations of the fairer sex. 

1) International Women’s Day (IWD)

 IWD is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. In 1975, the United Nations began celebrating IWD on March 8.

In early 1900s, IWD first emerged from the activities of labour movements, when women protested against undesirable working conditions. Over the years, the purpose shifted. During World War 1, it became a mechanism to protest against war.

Today, IWD is the time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.

2) Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day originated in US. The first observance was in 1908, driven by Ann Jarvis for her own mother. In 1914, US President Woodrow Wilson officially set aside the second Sunday in May for the holiday. Not all countries celebrate Mother’s Day on the same day as US. For example, the Arabs celebrate it on March 21; in Panama, on December 8; in Thailand, on August 12.

As Mother’s Day gained popularity, it also became increasing commercialized, focusing on buying and giving flowers, candies and greeting cards. Jarvis, who was the driver behind Mother’s Day, ended up fighting against it. She even attacked the First Lady at that time, Eleanor Roosevelt, for using Mother’s Day to raise funds for charities.

Jarvis dedicated her life and inheritance to restoring Mother’s Day to its original intent: to celebrate the best mother you’ve ever known—your mother—as a son or a daughter, to spend time with your mother and thank her for all that she did.

3) National Girls & Women in Sports Day (NGWSD)

NGWSD falls on February 6. It is a day to acknowledge and recognize sports achievements in the past as well as the present, the positive influence of sports participation, and the continuing struggle for equality and access for women in sports.

4) International Day of the Girl Child

The first International Day of the Girl Child was on 11 October 2012. The United Nations designated 11 October as the day to recognize girls’ rights and highlight the unique challenges girls face worldwide.

5) National Cleavage Day

This is one of the more controversial observances. It began in 2002, held at the end of March or early April. It is sponsored by Wonderbra, to encourage women to feel that their cleavage is unique and something to be proud of. The day draws much criticism as well as support.

6) International Widows Day

International Widows Day is on June 23. The first observance was in 2011. It provides the opportunity to highlight the plight of widows and their children in order to restore their human rights and alleviate poverty through empowerment.

7) Women’s Equality Day

In 1971, the US Congress designated August 26 as Women’s Equality Day, to commemorate the passage of 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote and to emphasize the women’s continuing efforts toward full equality.

Sources:

NGWSD History. Retrieved 17 March 2013 from http://www.aahperd.org/nagws/programs/ngwsd/History.cfm.

History of International Women’s Day. Retrieved 17 March 2013 from http://www.un.org/womenwatch/feature/iwd/history.html

Handwerk, B. (2012). Mother’s Day’s Dark History. Retrieved 17 March 2013 from
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/05/110511-mothers-day-dark-history-jarvis-nation-gifts-facts/

On world’s first International Day of the Girl Child, UN calls for end to child marriage. Retrieved 17 March 2013 from http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=43259

International Widows’ Day. Retrieved 17 March 2013 from http://www.un.org/en/events/widowsday/

Tucker, E. (2012). Now trending: National Cleavage Day. Retrieved 17 March 2013 from http://www.globalnews.ca/national+cleavage+day/6442611390/story.html

What is Women’s Equality Day? Retrieved 17 March 2013 from http://www.nwhp.org/resourcecenter/equalityday.php

Source of image:

http://www.internationalwomensday.com/resources.asp#.UUkNkxdTDTo

Adventurous travellers on the lookout to sample the exotic local cuisine need look no further than N.B. Dennys’ hefty 438-paged Descriptive Dictionary of British Malaya.  His recommendations include Armadillo

“…the tinggiling of the Malays, found throughout the Penisula, and “cooked in the shell” is an attractive dish.”

 Dr Dennys has clearly been Singaporeanized – what good is wildlife if it can’t be eaten?  As further proof of his assimilation, Dr Dennys also devoted a full page to waxing lyrical about the durian, with a description so vivid and lyrical it would tempt even the most conservative of eaters:

“Its consistence and flavour are indescribable. A rich butter-like custard highly flavoured with almonds gives the best general idea of it, but intermingled with it come wafts of flavour that call to mind cream-cheese, onion-sauce, brown sherry, and other incongruities. Then there is the rich glutinous smoothness in the pulp which nothing else possesses, which adds to its delicacy. It is neither acid, nor sweet, nor juicy, yet one feels the want of none of these qualities, for it is perfect as it is. It produces no nausea or other bad effect, and the more you eat of it, the less you feel inclined to stop. In fact to eat durians is a new sensation, worth a voyage to the east to experience.”

Well said, Dr Dennys!

As for shopping, one can turn to the brochure from The Far Eastern Tourist Agency. The 1911 edition is purportedly a traveller’s guide, but the good stuff is in the advertisements on every other page. Who can resist the Nut Hide Leather Suit Case, “fitted with 2 ebonized hair brushes, silver top soap box” and much more, at just $75.00 at Robinson’s?  And how can one possibly leave without the “Oriental Hair Wash”, which promises “highly curative properties, increasing the growth of the hair” at a mere one dollar a bottle?

Image source: Far Eastern Tourist Agency (1911). Information for Travellers Landing at Singapore.)

To read these travel guides online, head to BookSG, a website by the National Library of Singapore.

Reference

D’Aranjo, B.E. (1890). The Stranger’s Guide to Singapore with Maps. Singapore Press. Available online via: http://sgebooks.nl.sg/detail/d70f531e-aa4b-4129-95ac-7bbacc8f43e2.aspx

Reith, G.M. (1892). Handbook to Singapore: with map and a plan of the Botanical Gardens. Singapore and Straits Print Office. Available online via: http://sgebooks.nl.sg/detail/2cf2ccde-1931-4e93-b265-a46254084820.aspx

Dennys, N.B. (1894). Descriptive Dictionary of British Malaya. London and China Telegraph. Available online via: http://sgebooks.nl.sg/detail/aea703a6-d3b0-4a4e-956b-82390c582891.aspx

Far Eastern Tourist Agency (1911). Information for Travellers Landing at Singapore. Available online via: http://sgebooks.nl.sg/detail/aea703a6-d3b0-4a4e-956b-82390c582891.aspx

Post contributed by Tan Wen Sze, Librarian

A big Marimo in a glass vessel (left) decorated with small shells. [Image source: Etsy.com]

Mostly found in Lake Akan (Japan) and Lake Mývatn (Iceland), the number of Marimos has been decreasing rapidly. As such, they are declared protected species in Japan and Iceland. Japan has also declared Marimo its national treasure in 1921, and thereafter “special national treasure” in 1952.

Find out more about this ultra-cute ball of moss! 

Marimo grows at a slow rate of about 5mm per year. However, in Lake Akan, the Marimos are said to be able to grow up to 20-30 cm in diameter!

Marimo Aquarium in Japan. [Image source: shrineodreams.files.wordpress.com]

Marimo Festival in Japan

In attempt to preserve the rapidly declining number of Marimos in Lake Akan (due to deforestation, tourism etc), a movement was started to encourage the people in Japan to return the Marimos they have purchased or taken from Lake Akan.

The Marimo Festival started out as a form of appreciation towards those who have returned the Marimos, as well as to extend the efforts of preservation. The first festival was held on 7^th Oct 1950. Thereafter, each year in early October, the 3-day festival is held in Hokkaido by the indigenous Ainu people.

On the first day of the festival, lectures on the growth of Marimos and field trips to their habitats are held. On the second day, a dance parade, “Ceremony for Receiving Marimo” and “Ceremony to Conserve Marimo” are held. These ceremonies are performed in accordance to the traditional Ainu practices. The festival closes with the ceremony of an Ainu chief returning the Marimos to the lake. There will also be fireworks displays and other game attractions during the 3-day period.

If you have the chance to go to Hokkaido during this period, do drop by and join in the festival!

“Bottle-in-Bottle” [Image source: Giveaplant.com]

• Keep your domestic Marimo in a jar or tank of water under indoor lighting and in water temperature of between 20 – 28°C. Do not put it under direct sunlight or heat.
• Change water every 2 weeks. You can use tap-water but leave the container of tap water uncovered overnight for the chlorine to dissipate before use.
• Gently clean the Marimo when you change the water by rolling it around in your hand and gently squeezing it to get the dirty water out. Rolling the Marimo also helps to keep it in a spherical shape. In the natural environment, the water current in the lake keeps the Marimos clean and helps maintain their spherical shapes.

Consider decorating your office table or room with a Marimo or two. It is fuss-free and easy to manage. But beware of fake Marimos sold on the internet. These fake Marimos are usually Styrofoam balls wrapped with green moss.

Sources:

1. Japan National Tourism Organization (Last accessed on 6^th Feb 2013) http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/spot/festival/Marimo.html
2. Marimo Exhibition and Observation Center (Last accessed on 6^th Feb 2013) http://Marimo-web.org/en/d-observation_center/d-observation_center.html
3. Greenculturesg.com (Last accessed on 6^th Feb 2013) http://www.greenculturesg.com/articles/jun07/jun07_Marimos.pdf
4. HuffingtonPost “Plant of the week: Marimo” (Last accessed on 6^th Feb 2013) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tara-heibel/plant-of-the-week-Marimo_b_984796.html

Image sources:

1. Etsy.com (Last accessed on 13th Feb 2013)
   http://www.etsy.com/listing/113676818/sale-zen-double-terrarium-with-giant
2.  Shrineodreams.files.wordpress.com (Last accessed on 6^th Feb 2013)
   http://shrineodreams.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/Marimo_aquarium.jpg
3.  Official Facebook site of Giveaplant.com (Last accessed 13rd Feb 2013) https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150594584234385&set=pb.108770674384.-2207520000.1360747495&type=3&src=https%3A%2F%2Ffbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net%2Fhphotos-ak-ash4%2F431577_10150594584234385_807258016_n.jpg&size=960%2C640

Post contributed by Tan Yun Xian, Associate Librarian

What about you? Are you reading more and more e-books as well?

The National Library Board offers access to eBooks from our eResources site – from current popular titles to classics and a lot more.

Certainly, there are many other sites that offer e-books for free, where you can legally download them. Here’re some suggested sources:

1) ManyBooks
The greatest thing about Manybooks is the flexibility it offers in terms of varying eBook formats. For example, you can download Les Misérables in over 20 formats, including in audiobook form, with just one click.

2) Feedbooks
The unique selling point of Feedbooks is its sheer diversity. With clean web page design, it houses e-titles in five different languages, ranging from classics like The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes to The Secretary, an original book that aspires to be the next Fifty Shades.

3) Project Gutenberg
Claiming to be the first and largest producer of free electronic books, Project Gutenberg lives up to its claim by housing a huge collection of contemporary titles, classics, as well as more obscure titles. You can even find The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci under its Art collection.

4) Smashwords and epub Books
Sites like Smashwords and epub Books offer both paid and free books. Titles housed in these sites are much newer and may be by new authors or indie publishers. The sites provide filtering functions to help you sieve through the fast-growing collection and discover hidden gems.

Do you have other eBook sites to recommend? Share it by adding a comment now!

Post contributed by Vinn Wong and Dilip Kumar, Associate Librarians

Image from Microsoft Office Clip art

However, researchers have found that at the supermarket, the frozen fruits and vegetables that you buy may actually be more nutritious than the fresh ones.

Why is this so?

This is because what we understand as fresh at the supermarket is actually not quite as fresh as we believe them to be. Often, fresh produce are picked before they are ripe to accommodate the time it takes to transfer them from the farm to the wholesalers and then to the retailers. Picking the produce before they are ripe means they have less than their optimal amount of nutrients. Additionally, some of the fresh fruit and vegetables may have been kept in storage for days in warehouses.

Frozen fruits and vegetables on the other hand are picked at the peak of their ripeness. While they may lose water-soluble vitamins such as B and C during the processing, most other nutrients are preserved.

Of course, if you have the chance to eat freshly picked ripe fruits and vegetable, choose them over the frozen ones. But if you are in the supermarket, sometimes the frozen option is just as good, if not better.

 Sources:

Layton, J. (n.d.). 10 quirky facts about mass-produced food. Retrieved 24 January 2013 from http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/curiosity/topics/10-quirky-facts-about-mass-produced-food.htm

Poulter, S. (2009, Sept 11). Frozen vegetables ‘more nutritious than fresh produce’ . Retrieved 24 January 2013 from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1212570/Frozen-vegetables-nutritious-fresh-produce.html

Fitday. (n.d.). Myth or fact: Fresh produce is more nutritious than frozen produce. Retrieved 21 January 2013 from http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/myth-or-fact-fresh-produce-is-more-nutritious-than-frozen-produce.html

Book Recommendations:

1) What to eat

By Marion Nestle.

New York: North Point Press/Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007 c2006.

Call number: English 613.2 NES -[HEA]

2) Real food fermentation: preserving whole fresh food with live cultures in your home kitchen

By Alex Lewin.

Beverly, Mass.: Quarry Books, 2012.

Call number: English 664.024 LEW

3) Cooking light fresh food superfast

By Cooking Light Magazine.

New York, NY: Oxmoor House. c2011.

Call number: English 641.555 COO -[COO]

Post contributed by Felicia Chin, Librarian

However, taking photographs of the dead was a common practice in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

Unlike current times, photographic technologies were at its infancy in the 19th century and having one’s photograph taken while alive was considered a luxury because it was a very costly procedure.

Nevertheless, as these photographs were usually the only images ever made of the person, it was a popular way to remember beloved family members, particularly infants and small children, who passed away. It was a time of high infant mortality rates caused by epidemics like smallpox, typhoid and cholera, poor sanitation and living conditions.

In the earliest type of post-mortem photographs, the usual practice was to arrange the dead bodies in as natural a pose as possible such as a mother cradling her dead child in her arms.

It was also not unusual to take photos of a dead person seated or standing upright (supported by special frames) and surrounded by loving family members. In some cases, the dead person’s eyes were held open with small appliances to make the photograph look as natural as possible. There was also an urgency to get the photographs taken as quickly as possible, because in most cases the deceased were not even embalmed as the first embalming techniques only began during the American Civil War.

In the mid-20^th century, as photographic technology advanced, the practice of post-mortem photography slowly went out of fashion because taking photographs of loved ones became part and parcel of day to day living.

Sources:

1)      O’Reilly, E. (September 2012). “Postmortem Photography at the Turn of the 20^th Century”. Retrieved 18 January 2013, from http://blog.nyhistory.org/postmortem-photography-at-the-turn-of-the-20th-century/

2)      Meinwald, D. “Momento Mori: Death and Photography in Nineteenth Century America”. Retrieved 18 January 2013, from http://vv.arts.ucla.edu/terminals/meinwald/meinwald3.html

3)     Cruson, D. (July 2010).  “Library Exhibit Illustrates Post Mortem Photography in Victorian Age”.  Retrieved 12 January 2013 from http://newtown.patch.com/articles/library-exhibit-illustrates-post-mortem-photography-in-victorian-age

Image source:

http://newtown.patch.com/articles/library-exhibit-illustrates-post-mortem-photography-in-victorian-age#photo-806932. Retrieved 20 January 2013

Post contributed by Ms Raneetha Rajaratnam, Senior Manager