h/t Tom Gauld
I recently received an email from TPTP reader Martin from Spain who had some unpleasant experiences with the airport security procedures during a trip in the United States. Martin explained that on three different occasions he had been pulled aside for a “swab test.” Being “chosen” is supposed to be random and it’s basically harmless enough – they swab your hands (and/or your electronic devices, shoes, bags, etc.) with a cotton cloth and check for explosive residue in an Explosives Trace Detector (ETD). If you read negative, you’re free to go. But if you’re positive, you have to go to the next step of security.
Unfortunately, Martin felt that he was not randomly selected for swabbing, but was chosen because of his Hispanic name and/or physical appearance. And to make it worse, every time that his swab was read by the ETD machine it came back positive and he then had to go through extensive searches, pat downs, and “rude” questioning.
My response to Martin was that yes he probably was ethnically profiled because of his Latinx name and appearance. It’s not surprising for people of color, South Asians, Muslims, and other minorities to be targeted for heavier surveillance by the TSA. This is how we live now. However, I also pointed out to him that some folks do get false positive tests which must be explored. It’s happened to me at least once. But here’s why there are so many false positive readings: the test is looking for the materials bombs are made of and the two chemical compounds that are often used are nitrates and glycerin. Hundreds of everyday items contain those chemicals. For example:
What can you do to avoid false positives? Before you get to airport security thoroughly wash your hands. Make sure there is no residual soap or lotion on them. If you recently used a cleansing cloth or baby wipe, again, make sure your hands have been washed afterwards. Same thing goes for your shoes, and if your baggage or electronic devices, or anything else may have somehow come in contact with any of those chemicals, clean them off as well.
If you get flagged with a positive reading ,be calm, don’t act out– most likely you’re going to get patted down by a TSA worker of the same gender as you and your belongings will be searched. Be sure to politely inform the TSA agent if you have been on a farm or a golf course recently, or if you’ve been playing with fireworks. Such is life, if you want to fly in these United States.
A remarkable exhibition of contemporary sculpture by British artist Antony Gormley is on display from now through October 2019 at the extraordinary archaeological site of the Greek island of Delos. The non-profit organization NEON is presenting the collection of anthropomorphic sculptures scattered across the Aegen island. Gormley populates the sacred island with 29 iron “bodyforms.”
I was fortunate to get to visit Delos about 25 years ago when I was staying on the nearby Cycladic island of Naxos. The small island is now uninhabited, but maintains ruined temples, homes, and theaters going back more than 5,000 years. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, it is now entirely an open-air archaeological museum. It’s a unique place not to be missed if you are in the region.
Gormley’s exhibition, titled “SIGHT “, reinterprets the function and purpose of sculpture, re-imagining the traditional statues of the ancient world that once adorned public spaces, temples and private buildings into sites of empathy and imaginative projection.
This short animated film was created as part of the Sketchtravel project, an international charity project in which a red sketchbook was distributed to 71 artists from around the world for 4 ½ years. The original Sketchbook was sold for 70,000 euros for the construction of libraries in third world countries to support children’s literacy.
One More Page is an awardwinning short film that pays tribute to the powers of reading and imagination.
In the animated short Stamped a gnome-like librarian struggles with a magical book that just doesn’t want to get stamped.
Beijing-based firm LUO Studio has created an adorable mobile mini-library crafted out of recycled industrial parts. Made from an abandoned bicycle, discarded iron car sheets and reclaimed wood, the Shared Lady Beetle is a tiny contraption in the shape of a beetle that roams on four wheels, bringing books to local children.
You don’t have to be a huge Game of Thrones or Song of Ice and Fire fan to appreciate the genius of James Shadrach Schoenke’s brilliantly imagined modern-day Westeros maps. The St.Louis-based artist and designer modeled his cartography on contemporary European road maps. You can check out more of his projects on his website.
Daniel Defoe’s Adventures of Robinson Crusoe was first published on April 25, 1719, and before the end of the year had run through four editions. An abridged children’s version was published in 1784 in Boston, printed and sold by N. Coverly, price three pence.
Two years later Isaiah Thomas (1661-1731) printed and sold the novel from his bookshop in Worcester, Massachusetts, as “Travels of Robinson Crusoe.” The book was as big a success for Thomas in the United States as it had been in England. Here are some plates from the 1786 and 1795 editions.
h/t Thomas Paine
I have been lucky enough to have been in the Netherlands many times during the spring flower season. It’s quite a sight to see millions of tulips and other flowers in bloom. Sadly,the well-loved fields in the Netherlands have been suffering serious damage due to many stupid Instagrammers’ selfish behavior. Thoughtless tourists who try for the perfect selfie with the flowers have been trampling fields and causing growers to suffer thousands of Euros in losses.
The Netherlands’ tourism board has launched a campaign reminding people to take “tulip-friendly selfies” with the help of the hashtag ‘#watchyourfeet’. The probably useless campaign is currently being showcased on Visit Holland’s Instagram account, @visit_holland.
Some farmers and communities have decided this approach might not be enough to dissuade social media fans from further destroying their blooms. They have built fences around the tulip fields, with signs in both English and Chinese that read, “Enjoy the Flowers, Respect Our Pride.” While some towns have hired tourist guides to try and dissuade the mindless selfie brigade from trampling the flowers.
Maybe some peer pressure would help ? Would you be willing to call out other travelers who were trespassing and damaging private property ? It’s not an easy thing to do, especially if there are language issues. I know that on my last trip to Iceland I tried to “nicely” point out to other visitors that they were trampling vulnerable terrain, but it usually fell on deaf ears or I was just ignored.
New York City’s High Line, the formerly abandoned elevated train tracks on the lower west side of Manhattan, is opening the last remaining section of the wildly popular attraction on June 5, 2019. The Spur section includes the Plinth, which is a dedicated site for changing displays of monumental artworks. Although you can’t access the Spur yet, it’s possible to view the first piece on display from 10th Avenue and 30th Street. The impressive sculpture is titled Brick House. The 16 foot-tall statue was created by Simone Leigh.
Simone Leigh, Brick House, 2019. A High Line Plinth commission. On view June 2019 – September 2020. Photo by Timothy Schenck. Courtesy the High Line
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