Cotton Clock

It's that time again. 2 years. Clock from Diamantini & Domeniconi.

Russian Architecture

Fabulous wooden buildings. Link…

Podcasts

My daily commute adds up to about ten hours a week. A good portion of it is in tunnels, so listening to the radio is not possible. I used to read a lot but podcasts have just about pushed this activity out. I always have a printout of an article handy in case I do feel like reading something. I'm currently making my way through this excellent set of recommendations at Ask MetaFilter. As I said though, listening to podcasts is what I do mostly. This is where I get my ten hours:
First, a range of ABC Radio National programmes – All In The Mind • Counterpoint • Late Night Live • Life Matters • National Interest • The Philosopher's Zone • The Science Show. MeFiPodcast duh! Open Source with Christopher Lydon, invariably has interesting and informative interviews. As their catchphrase says "An American conversation with global attitude". The often funny, always entertaining, with great science content - The Skeptics Guide to the Universe. Always funny and hugely entertaining with obscure facts, flying tangents and stories - Widely Ranging Interests.

Flowering Plants and Ferns of New South Wales

Plates from the University of Sydney. Link…

Deafness In Disguise

Concealed hearing devices from the Becker Medical Library, Washington University School of Medicine. If you're wondering how the first three pictures relate to listening devices, search for 'audiophone' and 'dentaphone'. Link…

Medical Botany

Illustrations credited to J. H. Colen but some of them were drawn and coloured by Carson. Link…

The Sexual Life of Japan

I've posted from this source before (Insect-Musicians) and this tome is an absolute pearler - 'Being An Exhaustive Study of the Nightless City' or the "History of the Yosiwara Yukwaku" by Joseph De Becker. It's a 418 page report from the late 1800s covering the history of brothels and prostitutes. It includes government regulations, classifications, dress, coiffure, tips and etiquette, fees, advertisements, contracts, medical matters, entertainment skills, biographies of famous courtesans, statistics, newspaper reports and much more. Link…

Early New Zealand Books

Significant books published about New Zealand in the nineteenth century. There are some fascinating and detailed accounts of early contact with the Maori people to be found here. Link…

The Gems of the East

PREFACE
By a curious coincidence the journey from England, described in this work, occupied exactly 365 days, I having sailed from Liverpool on November 12, 1902, at 3.30 P.M., and arrived in that city again at 3.30 P.M. on November 12, 1903.

Sixteen thousand miles of research travel among wild and tame tribes of enchanting islands - Arnold Henry Savage Landor (1904). Link…