A world in a book

Literally:

A manuscript dated back to 1293 from Italy was sent to the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro e la Conservazione del Patrimonio Archivistico e Librario (ICPAL) in Rome for restoration [7]. The volume is composed of 222 sheets divided into six gatherings with a binding made of parchment. It was written on Arabic paper made of linen and was characterized by a singular and never described deterioration phenomenon that gave the paper a dramatically felted aspect, especially in the margins.

The article goes on to describe how the beasts in the paper were identified.

I will add that there is something very Discworld/Hitchhiker's Guide about an ecosystem colonizing an ancient manuscript. Do they have wars? Elections? Football matches? A national anthem?

A world in a book

Literally:

A manuscript dated back to 1293 from Italy was sent to the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro e la Conservazione del Patrimonio Archivistico e Librario (ICPAL) in Rome for restoration [7]. The volume is composed of 222 sheets divided into six gatherings with a binding made of parchment. It was written on Arabic paper made of linen and was characterized by a singular and never described deterioration phenomenon that gave the paper a dramatically felted aspect, especially in the margins.

The article goes on to describe how the beasts in the paper were identified.

I will add that there is something very Discworld/Hitchhiker's Guide about an ecosystem colonizing an ancient manuscript. Do they have wars? Elections? Football matches? A national anthem?

PSA--Pet CPR

No, I didn't have to use it on King.

::knocks wood::

Just want to post a link to a Making Light post by Jim MacDonald, which also contains a useful You Tube video.

PSA--Pet CPR

No, I didn't have to use it on King.

::knocks wood::

Just want to post a link to a Making Light post by Jim MacDonald, which also contains a useful You Tube video.

Peak Oil

Just read the whole thing.


Wikileaks: Not Enough Saudi Oil...to keep Gas Prices down and Why the Republicans are OK with that.

The US fears that Saudi Arabia, the world's largest crude oil exporter, may not have enough reserves to prevent oil prices escalating, confidential cables from its embassy in Riyadh show. The cables, released by WikiLeaks, urge Washington to take seriously a warning from a senior Saudi government oil executive that the kingdom's crude oil reserves may have been overstated by as much as 300bn barrels – nearly 40%. [...]
Sadad al-Husseini, a geologist and former head of exploration at the Saudi oil monopoly Aramco, met the US consul general in Riyadh in November 2007 and told the US diplomat that Aramco's 12.5m barrel-a-day capacity needed to keep a lid on prices could not be reached.

According to the cables, which date between 2007-09, Husseini said Saudi Arabia might reach an output of 12m barrels a day in 10 years but before then – possibly as early as 2012 – global oil production would have hit its highest point. This crunch point is known as "peak oil".

Husseini said that at that point Aramco would not be able to stop the rise of global oil prices because the Saudi energy industry had overstated its recoverable reserves to spur foreign investment. He argued that Aramco had badly underestimated the time needed to bring new oil on tap.

Peak Oil

Just read the whole thing.


Wikileaks: Not Enough Saudi Oil...to keep Gas Prices down and Why the Republicans are OK with that.

The US fears that Saudi Arabia, the world's largest crude oil exporter, may not have enough reserves to prevent oil prices escalating, confidential cables from its embassy in Riyadh show. The cables, released by WikiLeaks, urge Washington to take seriously a warning from a senior Saudi government oil executive that the kingdom's crude oil reserves may have been overstated by as much as 300bn barrels – nearly 40%. [...]
Sadad al-Husseini, a geologist and former head of exploration at the Saudi oil monopoly Aramco, met the US consul general in Riyadh in November 2007 and told the US diplomat that Aramco's 12.5m barrel-a-day capacity needed to keep a lid on prices could not be reached.

According to the cables, which date between 2007-09, Husseini said Saudi Arabia might reach an output of 12m barrels a day in 10 years but before then – possibly as early as 2012 – global oil production would have hit its highest point. This crunch point is known as "peak oil".

Husseini said that at that point Aramco would not be able to stop the rise of global oil prices because the Saudi energy industry had overstated its recoverable reserves to spur foreign investment. He argued that Aramco had badly underestimated the time needed to bring new oil on tap.

A Wednesday

This afternoon, a coworker stopped by my cube to ask me whether peanuts grew on trees, or bushes, or what. I gave him an answer--bushy/shrubby things, peanuts underground--and he said something like, "I figured you would know that."

Years ago, another coworker and I were having lunch, and he was telling me about his brother who worked in a restaurant. And I asked what brother did, and coworker said, well, he worked in the kitchen for the chef, and I said, "Oh, he's a sous chef. What's his specialty?" And coworker stared at me for a moment, then said, "I should have known you would know that."

Writer of books=font of arcana. Must be it.

A Wednesday

This afternoon, a coworker stopped by my cube to ask me whether peanuts grew on trees, or bushes, or what. I gave him an answer--bushy/shrubby things, peanuts underground--and he said something like, "I figured you would know that."

Years ago, another coworker and I were having lunch, and he was telling me about his brother who worked in a restaurant. And I asked what brother did, and coworker said, well, he worked in the kitchen for the chef, and I said, "Oh, he's a sous chef. What's his specialty?" And coworker stared at me for a moment, then said, "I should have known you would know that."

Writer of books=font of arcana. Must be it.