Monthly Archives: April 2010

The best azulejos in Portugal

Posted on 29 April 2010 by Fletcher DeLancey

Ever have one of those moments where you finally go see something you’ve meant to see for years, and then wonder what the heck took you so long? Today we visited the Igreja de São Lourenço (Church of Saint Lawrence), … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, Portugal | 22 Comments

Dubai’s answer to the Bellagio Fountain

Posted on 28 April 2010 by Fletcher DeLancey

Dubai does everything bigger. (Best viewed in full screen HD.) A note about the music: “Baba Yetu” was composed by Christopher Tin and sung by the Stanford Talisman, an a cappella group from Stanford University. This is what you get … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, video | 6 Comments

iStat Menus 3.0 = candy for geeks

Posted on 27 April 2010 by Fletcher DeLancey

I’ve been using iStat Menus for a couple of years now, all the while marveling that it was donationware. It was such a handy and well-developed bit of software that I couldn’t figure out why the developers weren’t charging for … Continue reading →

Posted in Apple | 8 Comments

Wallpaper Monday

Posted on 26 April 2010 by Fletcher DeLancey

Last week’s wallpaper was of a place made beautiful after cataclysmic violence. Today’s feature is of a place made beautiful by a very different sort of destruction: the slow grinding of a glacier. I never associated sun-drenched Portugal with glaciers, … Continue reading →

Posted in wallpaper | 2 Comments

ISS = claustrophobia

Posted on 24 April 2010 by Fletcher DeLancey

Much as I would love the view on the International Space Station, I’m not sure I’d last long without tranquilizers. Take a tour with Captain Barry Wilmore, pilot of the space shuttle Atlantis, as he escorts viewers from one end … Continue reading →

Posted in science | 4 Comments

Volcanic fallout (or, let’s talk about a REAL eruption)

Posted on 23 April 2010 by Fletcher DeLancey

(Click the image above for a comic that convincingly explains how Eyjafjallajökull got its name.) Planes are flying again, though not everywhere, and now the blame game has begun. I’ve been watching this with a bit of amazement. Have we … Continue reading →

Posted in life, science | 15 Comments

Mãe Soberana II

Posted on 21 April 2010 by Fletcher DeLancey

Two weeks ago I posted a short photo essay on the light display around the old São Francisco church during the Mãe Soberana festival. The culmination of that festival was last Sunday, the Festa Grande of Mãe Soberana. This is … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, Portugal | 9 Comments

More on Iceland’s unpronounceable volcano

Posted on 20 April 2010 by Fletcher DeLancey

I’m still working on a photo essay post, which is now being pushed back until tomorrow. In the meantime I’ll offer up a couple of very cool items regarding the Eyjafjallajökull eruption. First, Marco Fulle’s gorgeous shot of lightning in … Continue reading →

Posted in life, science | 3 Comments

Wallpaper Monday

Posted on 19 April 2010 by Fletcher DeLancey

Definitely click on that image to see (and download) the full version, because shrinking it to blog size did it no favors. The link takes you to a thumbnail; click on that for the real thing. This is Crater Lake, … Continue reading →

Posted in wallpaper | 5 Comments

There is such a thing as too pure a mind

Posted on 17 April 2010 by Fletcher DeLancey

This is a religious icon. I kid you not. It’s produced by Atlantis, a Portuguese factory that makes crystal figurines. This one, which is 24 centimeters high (9.5 inches), is called “Nossa Senhora,” or Our Lady. Clearly, not a single … Continue reading →

Posted in humor | 11 Comments