Scribbled Musings

The Crowdsourced Musical Collaboration

Michael Plishka — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:52:51 +0000

A fun way of making music. Try playing with the various videos. It might be even cooler if there was a way to save each production.

http://www.openculture.com/2009/11/the_crowdsourced_musical_collaboration.html

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Picking Hops (Pictures and a Reflection)

Michael Plishka — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:55:50 +0000

I’ve always been amazed by hops.

First, even though they’re a climbing plant, technically they’re not vines, but bines as they have a squarish, prickly stem.

Second, their claim to fame comes not from some gorgeous blossom, but from an elegant, paper leafed cone, or rather, from what that cone conceals. For when you break open a hop cone, deep within, packed along the center stem are miniscule, golden glowing orbs.

Lupulin.

This is the oil whose fragrance and taste you recognize in hoppy beers, or hop pillows, or aromatherapy mixtures.

While picking, some of it comes out of the cone and give my fingers a ’cheetos’ look and a wonderful, relaxing yet exhilarating, almost pine-like fragrance.

I’m sure the uninformed observer looks on wrinkling her brow as this man, dressed in fleece and baseball cap stands against Fall’s winds, raises his hand to his face and seemingly smell his fingers!(?)

I inhale deeply and smile with wonder…

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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