What we
Hot Air Balloons, Cappadocia
Photograph by Kani Polat, My Shot
The success of a photograph almost always comes from planning, and luck definitely favors the prepared. In this shot of hot air balloons over ancient rock formations in Turkey, the photographer no doubt planned ahead to make sure he was in the right place at the right time. First, the cone-shaped rock formations complement the similarly shaped balloons. I especially love that one larger formation is included on the left. Not only is it a bold shape to have close to the camera, but it also has a curious, cave-like element and speaks to the geological history of the setting, giving the image that all-important sense of place. Second, the early-morning light raking in from the right is perfectly lovely, as are the soft clouds, which were a lucky element. Finally, the balloons are beautifully placed across the sky, but the red balloon in the upper left of the frame is the final, key element to the success of the image.
New Touchscreen Thermostat for Smarter Homes | Environmental Leader
Lighting control manufacturer Lutron Electronics has expanded its line of temperature controls with the addition of a co-branded Honeywell touchscreen thermostat called TouchPRO (pictured). The thermostat communicates with Lutron systems that also control lights, shades and stand-by power from small appliances. The TouchPRO thermostat can be ordered starting September 12, with a suggested list price of $450.
In our September issue, we introduced a new type of regular feature quite familiar, by genre, to any magazine junkie — the Culture Curve, an info-matrix approval graphic of social ephemera that are either “About to Explode,” near “Saturation Point,” or decidedly “Over the Hill.” Given the examples above from September and October (including a sneak preview of the November version), it should be pretty clear what we’re talking about. For our December-January issue, we thought it would be fun to open up the Curve to reader ideas as well as our own expert curation. Reblog this post, comment, or submit to bbarna@blackbookmag.com with your own submissions (be sure to let us know on which of the three sections of the Curve you think your idea should fall). If we like your idea enough to use it, you’ll get a free year’s subscription to BlackBook.
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The Big C Writers Blog: Darlene Hunt on “Crossing the Line” →
Finales are funny things. Well, in the case of a half-hour comedy, one hopes there’s something funny about them. But by virtue of this being a finale, I had the chance, if not the pressure, to be a little more emotional – and go out big!
We usually know a lot about the finale in the…
We've been seeing this Matt Taibbi piece on Occupy Wall Street all over the place today, and it's got some pretty solid points. But the last four sentences are the real kicker. →
People don’t want handouts. It’s not a class uprising and they don’t want civil war — they want just the opposite. They want everyone to live in the same country, and live by the same rules. It’s amazing that some people think that that’s asking a lot.
Read the whole thing. It’s a really well-argued piece, and one that’s pretty solid all around. Must hand it to Rolling Stone. Their political coverage is solid these days. (thanks brazenwussy, who wrote a bunch of thoughts on the piece over here)
Texas has recently ended its so-called last meals for death row inmates, spurred by furor over a meal requested by Lawrence Brewer, who was condemned to die for the 1998 murder of James Byrd, Jr.
Chef Brian Price has prepared last meals for some 200 inmates on death row in Texas prisons. He
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