A Century of Dropped Balls - December 31, 2007

You might think we're referring to the Philadelphia Phillies, but today we talk about a more festive subject: New Year's Eve in Times Square. Hardly an American alive today has not witnessed the ritual -- an evening of television entertainment (be it hosted by Guy Lombardo or Dick Clark), interrupted by frequent updates from somebody in the heart of New York's theatre district counting down the moments until the New Year. But how did it all start? Back in 1907, the city fathers of New York outlawed firecrackers, but still wanted to go all-out to ring in 1908. Their solution? Drop a "high-tech" wood-and-iron sphere (adorned with 100 25-watt bulbs!) from a flagpole in Times Square. Over the years, the ball has gotten more sophisticated (the current version boasts LED lights and Waterford Crystal), but the process remains the same. Each year, hundreds of thousands of people (in varying states of sobriety) huddle together in the cold, ignore the lack of bathroom facilities, and see in the New Year.  And the most important piece of continuity is the smallest -- the ball is still hand-lowered by a guy pulling on a rope. 21st Century technology, indeed! Suggested Sites... Times Square - the Crossroads of the World. New Year's Eve in Times Square - everything from how to get there to where to stand. Earthcam: Times Square Cam - if you can't be there or be near a TV, watch it live. Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve 2008 - a tradition almost as old as dropping the ball. Wikipedia: Guy Lombardo - the guy who once said, "When I die, I'm taking New Year's Eve with me."

Now Just Hold On a Second - December 31, 2008

What could you do with an extra second this year? Invent some new technology that will change the world? Wink at that guy across the room? We're about to find out tonight, for the countdown should sound something like, "5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 1 ... 0! Happy New Year!" This New Year's Eve, 2008 will end at 11:59:60 (23:59:60, for those inclined toward military time), instead of at 11:59:59. So be sure to save your New Year's smooch and slurp from the champagne toast an extra second and savor the moment while it lasts.

Due to the overall slowing of the Earth's rotation, every few years, an average of a full second has to be added to the certified Universal Coordinated Time, which is the basis for global time systems. This update occurs so that civil time is more attuned to astronomical time, which is based on the rate of the Earth's rotation. So while the Earth is slowing down, atomic clocks maintain a steady rate. Hence the concept of adding the leap second to atomic clocks ... and this time around to a Leap Year, no less. Who knew 2008 was such a year of leaps?

Here in the U.S., this adjustment means updating the country's atomic clocks, half of which are housed in a vault at the United States Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. These clocks serve as the official source of time for the U.S government, the Department of Defense, Global Positioning Systems, and the U.S. Standard of Time.

As a side note, if you're familiar with your governmental factoids, you know that the Naval Observatory is also home to the Vice President, at Number One Observatory Circle. You read that correctly. Dick Cheney has the potential power, based on his proximity and position, to control time. Think about that for a second.

Suggested Sites...

• Wikipedia: Leap Second - discover all the specific facts surrounding the one-second adjustment.
• 2008 Will Be Just a Second Longer - LiveScience article explaining the relationship of the Earth's rotation and atomic clocks.
• New Year's Eve 2009 - a guide to New Year parties, events, travel, and more.

The Spark's 2008 Holiday Letter - December 30, 2008

Dear Friends, Another year has drawn to a close, and it's time to look back at our accomplishments of the past twelve months. We're so proud of our family's achievements and want to share them with those who are dear to our hearts. Some of our fondest memories of 2008: * Michelle had her baby (no, not that one) and is taking full advantage of the Canadian government’s generous maternity leave policy. We expect her back sometime around 2013. * Mike completed a lifelong dream and became the world’s first head-banging ninja film critic. * Eugenia consumed 152,846 calories cooking for her Spark articles, and she will gladly eat another Sausage McMuffin for the sake of the Spark. * Jessica finally picked a winner. Sort of. * Robert’s World of Warcraft gold farming business has gone bust (his Chinese workers revolted, demanding time for sleep despite his generous offer of more Red Bull). Undaunted, he plans on making a killing selling fake tickets to the presidential inauguration. Got to love his entrepreneurial spirit. Wish him luck! * Richard finally joined Facebook this year and no one has seen or heard from him since. * Suzi is sick to death of the incessant pleas to upgrade your television with a digital conversion tuning box prior to the FCC's digital TV transition in February. She’s also trying to beat her addiction to the Discovery Channel's "Storm Chasers" (in HD, baby!) by replacing it with an obsession with "Antiques Roadshow." * Liz made progress on her screenplay about gigantic, possessed parade balloons that break free and take over a city. * Chris has developed an obsession with downloading his entire life onto the Internet and becoming "VirtualChris." * Helene fait un effort courageux pour comprendre ces Américains fous, mais je ne sais pas si cela en vaut la peine. * Dave followed his crapping out on Jeopardy! with an attempt to memorize every useless factoid of trivia in the world and writing a Spark about it. 182 down; who knows how many to go? Warm wishes to you and yours over the holidays and in the coming year. Love, The Spark Household Suggested Sites... How to Write Family Christmas Letters - ideas for lively and creative family letters. The Gloating Christmas Letter - how to decode the boasting and bragging of typical holiday letters. The Perfect Holiday Letter - dos and don'ts for your holiday missives. Everyday Etiquette: How to Write a Holiday Letter - how to get kids to take up the tradition. How to Write a Holiday Thank You Letter - show your gratitude, not your ego.

Ice Swimming: It'll Put Hair on Your Chest - December 30, 2009

 

It's winter, and the sun has shifted away from the Northern Hemisphere, making the days shorter and the weather colder. It's the perfect temperature for snuggling by a fire, bundling up warmly to venture out ice skating, or donning a bathing suit and jumping into a 45°F lake.

Wait, what?

That's right, January 1st, 2010, will mark Canada's 90th annual Polar Bear Swim, where lunatics (a.k.a. hardcore devotees to charity) jump into a freezing lake with nothing but of bit of spandex to protect them from them elements.

Polar Bear Clubs are an offshoot of the equally crazy sport of ice swimming, where a hole is cut into the ice so swimmers can jump into the freezing waters hiding just beneath. Ice swimmers tout the sport's health and spiritual benefits -- but a little vodka to warm the bones doesn't hurt either.

Of course, if you'd rather keep your clothes on while you enjoy the extreme cold, there's the North Pole Marathon where runners race 26.2 miles across Arctic ice floes in sub-zero temperatures. Or try the slightly less insane sport of ice biking, where cyclists refuse to acknowledge that the combination of a frozen road and a thirty pound bike frame is probably not a good mix. And if water sports are more your forte, snowkiting takes the sport of kiteboarding from the ocean to the snow. Snowkiters use skis or a snowboard to glide across the snow with the assistance of a foil or inflatable kite, but unlike kiteboarding, snowkiters have the added thrill of dodging trees and other inanimate objects as they sail across the snowy plains.

Sooner or later, some hearty soul is going to invent blizzard parasailing. When that happens, I'll wish them well... then bundle down under my down comforter with a cup of hot apple cider. They're nuts.

Suggested Sites...

• Polar Bear Swim 2010 - Vancouver - site for the 90th Polar Bear Swim in Vancouver
• Polar Bear Swim 2010 - Toronto - site for the 90th Polar Bear Swim in Toronto.
• Plungapalooza - the annual Polar Bear Plunge in Baltimore, Maryland.
• Snowkiting - pictures, videos, tips, and more.
• Icebike - pictures, stories, equipment recommendations, etc.

Death Calls (and Calls and Calls) for the Mad Monk - December 29, 2009

 

The Russian Imperial Court of the early 20th century was a swamp of intrigue. There were numerous factions -- royalists, democrats, reformers -- but one of the most powerful people in Russia was someone with no official position: Grigori Rasputin, an Orthodox priest sometimes known "the Mad Monk."

Rasputin came into contact with the Romanov Family in 1905. Tsarevich Aleksei had been suffering from internal bleeding (thanks to the hemophilia that ran through Europe’s royals, due to decades of inbreeding), which the medical technology of the time was unable to cure. Tsaritsa Alexandra, desperate for help, contacted Rasputin, who was reputed all of his life to have mystical powers, and succeeded where the doctors had failed (whether through prayer or hypnosis depends on which account one believes).

From that time, Rasputin had the ear of the Romanovs, advising them on matters spiritual and political. Many feared that Rasputin was a wild card who had too much power, and were troubled by his bribe-taking and sexual promiscuity (which included sessions of self-flagellation).

In 1914, a group attempted to assassinate him. Rasputin was stabbed to the point where his entrails were hanging out of his abdomen, but he survived, which only added to his mystical aura.

Finally in 1916, his enemies had had enough. On December 29, he was lured to the palace of Prince Feliks Yusupov. Yusupov had prepared a fatal last meal for Rasputin, comprised of cookies and wine laced with enough cyanide to kill five men. Rasputin ate the meal with no apparent ill effects, so Yusupov shot him in the back. Rasputin fell, but when the prince came to examine the body, Rasputin grabbed him, whispered "you bad boy," and attempted to strangle him. Yusupov's confederates came to his rescue, shooting Rasputin three more times. He fell again, only to attempt to rise. The conspirators then beat him with clubs, wrapped him in a sheet, and threw him into an icy river.

Three days later, the body was found on the river’s banks, its arms raised, as though Rasputin had attempted to break through the ice. The coroner’s official verdict was that, after every other murder attempt had failed, Rasputin had drowned. The grief-stricken Alexandra had the body buried at one of the Imperial Palaces.

That would seem to end the story, but after the February Revolution of 1917, workers unearthed the body and cremated it -- and in a final eerie stroke, as it burned, Rasputin’s corpse sat up.

Suggested Sites...

The Moika Basement - The Night of December 29. - Prince Yusupov's own account of the murder. Gregori Efimovich Rasputin - illustrated biography of the "Mad Monk." Rasputin's Murder - a discussion about who did -- and didn't -- murder Rasputin. The Assassination of Grigory Rasputin - information about the exhibit in the Yusupov Palace that recreates the night of December 29, 1916. Wikipedia: Grigori Rasputin - good overview of Rasputin's life, legend, and legacy.

Directory categories: Grigori Rasputin, Romanov Dynasty, Russian History, Mysticism, St. Petersburg, Russia