Meet the U.S. Navy's New $13 Billion Carrier

Supercarrier...

The Navy's new USS Gerald Ford will dominate the seas.

The USS Gerald Ford is the Navy's next generation of warships, the Ford class, according to cnet.com.

For a fascinating slide show about the Navy's new supercarrier, the most technologically advanced ship ever built: http://www.cnet.com/pictures/meet-the-navys-new-13-billion-aircraft-carrier/ 

Bow shot of the USS Ford.

The USS Ford at sea.

Photos; Pinterest.

The World's Oldest Computer is Slowly Revealing its Secrets

Ancient Greek wonder...

A replica of the world's first mechanical computer.

Item 15087 wasn't much to look at, particularly compared to other wonders uncovered from the shipwreck at Antikythera, Greece, in 1901, Sarah Kaplan reports on washingtonpost.com.

The underwater excavation revealed gorgeous bronze sculptures, ropes of decadent jewelry and a treasure trove of antique coins.

Amid all that splendor, who could have guessed that a shoebox-size mangled bronze machine, its inscriptions barely legible, its gears calcified and corroded, would be the discovery that could captivate scientists for more than a century, Kaplan wrote.

"In this very small volume of messed-up corroded metal you have packed in there enough knowledge to fill several books telling us about ancient technology, ancient science and the way these interacted with the broader culture of the time," said Alexander Jones, a historian of ancient science at New York University's Institute for the Study of the Ancient World.

"It would be hard to dispute that this is the single most information-rich object that has been uncovered by archaeologists from ancient times."

For more on the work to unravel the ancient computer's mysteries, including two fascinating videos on the more than 2,000 year old device: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2016/06/14/the-worlds-oldest-computer-is-still-revealing-its-secrets/?tid=sm_fb

Photo: Google.com.

Monarchs by the Millions in Mexico

Butterfly forest...

Majestic monarchs.

The world's largest insect migration ends each year in Michocan, Mexico, greatbigstory.com reports.

Millions of monarch butterflies travel from the United States and Canada to pass the cold months in the towering trees of the beautiful forest there.

On their incredible journey, the butterflies travel around 2,800 miles, the website reported.

For a fascinating video about the monarchs: http://www.greatbigstory.com/stories/welcome-to-the-butterfly-forest/?xrs=CNNAPP

Photo: Pinterest.  

Timelapse Shows Five-Year World Trade Center Hub Build

Amazing...

World Trade Center Transportation Hub under construction.

A timelapse video has been released showing the five year construction for the world's most expensive station -- the World Trade Center Transportation Hub.

The hub is close to the site of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan.

For an amazing timelapse that compresses five years of construction into less than two minutes: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36611180

Photo: Pinterest.

World Turtle Day Pin-Ups

Cuties...

Hang on.  I'm coming.

In honor of World Turtle Day last month, the National Geographic put together a wonderful slide show of some reptile cuties.

For some fun:  http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/05/160523-pictures-world-turtle-day-photo-ark/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=link_tw20160625travel-turtlepics&utm_campaign=Content&sf29433252=1

Photo: Pinterest.  

Musical Moments: Haydn, Trumpet Concerto in E Flat Major

Beautiful...

Wynton Marsalis.

Musical Moments features music and artists I've enjoyed over the years.

This week's selection is Haydn's Trumpet Concerto in E Flat Major, featuring a beautiful performance by Wynton Marsalis:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-aPZPvn6Mo

Photo: Pinterest.  

Price Changes Lead Latest Darien Real Estate Results

Weekly update...

St. Luke's in early summer.

Thirteen price changes led Darien residential real estate results in the week ending today.

Other results, according to the Darien MLS, were:

-- Eight new listings of property for sale;

-- Four accepted offers;

-- No properties going under contract and,

-- Seven closings.

For more:

Comic Artists Drawn to Connecticut

Funny papers...

Pogo.

Southern Connecticut has drawn a number of famous comic artists over the years, John Breunig reports on stamfordadvocate.com.

Among them: Walt Kelly, creator of Pogo, who lived in Darien.  Hal Foster, the artist behind Prince Valiant, who resided in Redding.  Gary Trudeau, Doonesbury's  creator, who had a house in the Thimble Islands off Branford.

And in Stamford: Ernie Bushmiller, creator of Nancy; Matt Groening, who is famous for Homer Simpson and Alex Raymond, who drew Flash Gordon.

For more:  http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/article/Comic-artists-drawn-to-Stamford-7468356.php

Some favorites: 

Good old Nancy.

Beetle and friends.

The first Doonesbury cartoon, October 1970.

Prince Valiant celebrating the start of his comic strip in 1937.

Photos: Pinterest.

The Most Popular Exterior Paint Colors

Face-lift...

Considerations in choosing paint colors.

Changing the color scheme of your home's exterior is one of the quickest ways to give your house a face-lift, huffingtonpost.com reports.

You might be surprised at the number of outside elements at play that you should consider before you choose a color scheme -- like the hue of your brick chimney, the color of your neighbors' house, and the area of the country can all influence a color scheme, huffingtonpost added.

Plus, you'll probably have to coordinate at least three colors -- for the siding, trim and accents. 

For some advice on things to keep in mind: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/trulia/the-most-popular-exterior_b_10278598.html

Photo: huffingtonpost.com.  

New Driverless Shuttle Powered by IBM Watson Debuts

Very cool...

A passenger boarding Olli, a driverless

 vehicle powered by IBM Watson.

Take a ride on a new driverless vehicle outside Washington, D.C. that's connected to the Cloud and IBM Watson to help make your day better.

For an intriguing news video about the introduction of Olli, which will soon be operating in a few other cities: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/video/local-motors-unveils-driving-shuttle-bus-39909458#disqus_thread

Photo: Pinterest.

IBM Marks Its 105th Anniversary

Onward...

IBM marks its 105th anniversary this month, and it's still reinventing itself.

For some highlights from IBM's past and a look at the company today:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Twm-hxU-nko

For a Fortune magazine update as IBM heads into its 106th year: http://fortune.com/ibm-105-anniversary/

Photo: Pinterest.

Singapore Zoo Welcomes Adorable Baby Elephant

Birthday splash...

A baby elephant and friend.

Singapore's Night Safari zoo welcomed its first baby elephant in six years on May 12, and everyone is still celebrating the good news, Alicia Tan reports on mashable.com.

Weighing in at 192kg (423 pounds), the still-unnamed calf celebrated its first-month birthday on Sunday by splashing around happily in the zoo's ponds with its mum, Sri Nandong, and aunts, Tan added.

For a video of the youngster's fun:  http://mashable.com/2016/06/15/singapore-night-safari-baby-elephant/?utm_cid=mash-com-Tw-main-link#JRtVGXLnCPqG

Photo: Pinterest.  

Musical Moments: Borodin, Prinz Igor - Polovtsian Dances

Superb...

Title page for Borodin's score for Prinz Igor.

Musical Moments features music and artists I've enjoyed over the years.

This week's selection is Borodin's superb Prinz Igor-Polovtsian Dances:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsTVF0Fu5_c

Photo: wikipedia.org. 

Darien Ends Quieter Real Estate Week

Weekly update...

Magnificent Mount Laurel.

Darien saw a quieter residential real estate market in the week ending today.

Results, according to the Darien MLS, were:

-- Nine new listings of property for sale;

-- 11 price changes;

-- Four accepted offers;

-- No properties going under contract, and

-- Five closings.

For more:

Nanit Introduces Tiny New Camera to Watch Your Baby

Smartcamera...

Nanit's advanced new baby monitor.

A company called Nanit introduced an advanced new baby monitor this week, Katherine Boehret reports on the verge.com.

The tiny new device combines the promise of using computer vision and machine learning algorithms to watch, study and learn from your sleeping baby, Boehret wrote.

For more, including a fascinating video: http://www.theverge.com/2016/6/15/11936714/nanit-camera-smart-baby-monitor-sleep-machine-learning

Photo: Google.com.

Q-tips: Keep Them Out of Your Ears

No, no...

Never inside the ear.

Years ago, my mother complained about a terrible earache, Robero Ferdman reports on washingtonpost.com.

The pain was unbearable. And it wouldn't go away — for a week, she walked around with a debilitating ringing in her head, he added.

Eventually, she recalled to me the other day, the discomfort led her to a doctor, who carefully pushed an otoscope into her ear. Within seconds, he pulled it out and looked her in the face.

"Have you been putting Q-tips in your ears?" he asked with a disapproving tone.

For more on why you shouldn't use Q-tips inside the ear:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/01/20/we-have-a-q-tips-problem/?tid=sm_fb

Photo: Pinterest.

Pinterest's Dream Home of 2016

Classic and striking...

Fashionable design.

Considering the number of Pinterest boards dedicated to visualizing the "dream home," it's no surprise that the popular social media site is widely regarded as an authority on the subject, Kelsey Clark writes on mydomaine.com/Pinterest.

Pinterest recently shared its most viral home décor pins with Tech Insider, whose resulting compilation unfolds like an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition reveal. In tapping into users' décor tastes, Pinterest was able to fashion its very own digital dream home for 2016, one that is both classically American as well as effortlessly striking, Clark added.

For some intriguing results:  http://www.mydomaine.com/pinterest-dream-home/slide13

Photo: Pinterest.  

How Even a Top Techie Can Get Hacked

Be careful...

iPhone 6 Plus.

Lorrie Cranor wasn’t too worried when her phone died a few weeks ago, Brian Barrett reports on wired.com.

Dropped calls are as common as delayed trains and cracked screens. The next morning, it was still dead. Her husband’s was too.

 And that’s how the chief technologist of the Federal Trade Commission discovered that someone hijacked her mobile account, Barrett wrote.

Cranor is not just tech-savvy. She’s a digital security guru, a Carnegie Mellon University professor who specializes in passwords and authentication. And she is a reminder that identity theft can happen to anyone.

For more on potential hacking problems: http://www.wired.com/2016/06/even-ftcs-lead-technologist-can-get-hacked/

Photo: Pinterest.  

What's Behind Nine Famous Logos

Huge influence...

IBM's famous logo by Paul Rand.

The strength of a brand relies on the quality of what it offers, Zlata Rodionova reports on independent.co.uk.

Clever branding in a company's logo, visual system or tagline can have a huge influence on the brand and its value, Rodionova wrote.

Veb Anand, executive director of strategy design consultancy agency Brand Union gave us examples of nine global brands, Rodionova added.

For Anand's thoughts: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/the-hidden-meanings-behind-9-of-the-most-famous-logos-a7072626.html

Photo: Pinterest.

Musical Moments: Liszt, Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2

Unforgettable...

Budapest at dusk.

Musical Moments features music and artists I've enjoyed over the years.

Today's special is Liszt's unforgettable Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdH1hSWGFGU

Photo: Pinterest. 

Darien Ends Steady Real Estate Week

Weekly update...

Mountain laurel season.

Darien's residential real estate market maintained a steady pace in the week ending today.

Results, according to the Darien MLS, were:

-- 12 new listings of property for sale;

-- 18 price changes;

-- Nine accepted offers;

-- No properties going under contract, and

-- Six closings.

For more: 

World's First Passenger Drone Cleared for Test in Nevada

Proving airworthiness...

Flying into the future?

The world’s first passenger drone capable of autonomously carrying a person in the air for 23 minutes has been given clearance for testing in Nevada, Samuel Gibbs reports on guardian.com.

The Chinese firm Ehang unveiled the electric Ehang 184 passenger drone at CES in Las Vegas in January, Gibbs wrote.

The company envisages a system where by a passenger simply inputs the destination and the drone takes care of the rest, taking off vertically, flying at altitudes up to 3.5km (11,500 feet) at up to 100kmph (63mph) for up to 23 minutes using eight propellers on four arms, Gibbs added.

For more, including a video from about the 184 from the CES show: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jun/08/worlds-first-passenger-drone-testing-ehang-nevada?CMP=share_btn_link

Photo: Pinterest.

A Simple Recipe for the 50-Year Investor

Compounding magic...

Turn your nest egg golden.

The recipe?

Begin with a chunk of change, add a dash of historical returns, then let it bake for decades, bloomberg.com advises.

The magic elixir is actually just simple compounding.  Think about this: With a 50-year investment period, the average American's retirement can be funded with just $16,500. Really, Nir Kaissar reports on bloomberg.

For more:  http://www.bloomberg.com/gadfly/articles/2016-06-07/investing-for-retirement-if-you-have-50-years

Photo: Pinterest.

Why Connecticut is Heaven on Earth

25 reasons...

The whaling ship Charles Morgan, Mystic, CT.

Whether it’s fall, winter, spring, or summer, Connecticut is always picturesque, Minou Clark reports on huffingpost.com.

From its idyllic waterfront parks, to the quaint farms in the countryside, to the bustling urban city centers, this state has something for everyone, she added.

Clark says there are  25 reasons that make Connecticut a special place: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/reasons-connecticut-heaven-earth_us_5730c88de4b016f3789678ec

Photo: Pinterest.

What Sets Leaders Apart?

Ten signs...

We often feel that to be a leader you need to be born a leader, or be drawn to leadership, or have a leader-ly position, Lolly Daskal writes on stumbleupon.com.

Many, many leaders walk among us--in all kinds of people, places and positions.

Here are 10 signs that you may be one of them: http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/5vhJq8/:RbFM_b.Y:LbMtEx-9/www.inc.com/lolly-daskal/10-signs-you-really-are-a-leader-and-might-not-know-it.html

Photo: Pinterest.

Smile: Enjoy Your New Week

Fun and dreams...

Another fine mess.

Start off your new week ahead with a smile or two: 

-- Allstate: Mayhem, Water Heater;  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTBiSRh4skc

-- Buick: Imagine Yourself...: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxfXn_vjOe0

-- Buick: Shattering Expectations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI_btq8cLZI

And a dream or two: 

-- BMW: All-New 7 Series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6bg6t7UP8M

-- Mercedes: The Best or Nothing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NTozjZG59Y

Photo: Pinterest. 

Darien Finishes Busy Real Estate Week

Weekly update...

Rhododendron season.

Darien finished a busy residential real estate week today.

Results, according to the Darien MLS, were:

-- 16 new listings of property for sale;

-- 11 price changes;

-- Six accepted offers;

-- No properties going under contract, and

-- Eight closings.

For more: 

Tips and Myths About Smartphone Battery Life

Power play...

Solar iPhone charger.

In a search to help solve the on-going problem of fading power on smartphones, the New York Times found some helpful practices to get more use out of batteries Brian Chen reports on nytimes.com.

For some tips and myths: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/25/technology/personaltech/tips-and-myths-about-extending-smartphone-battery-life.html?smid=nytcore-iphone-share&smprod=nytcore-iphone

Photo: Pinterest.

Lifesavers For Those Who Can't Cook

Looking good...

Magic shell dessert.

Can't cook? Well, have no fear, Kyli Singh reports on huffingtonpost.com.

Rather than resort to takeout, why not save money and put your kitchen to use by whipping up an epic home-cooked meal?

From quick dinners to potluck dishes to mouth-watering desserts, we’ve got you covered. See this ridiculously long list of easy-peasy recipes for yourself, Singh writes: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/easy-recipes-if-you-cant-cook_us_5730f317e4b0bc9cb047b87b

Photo: Pinterest.