Two or three weeks ago I saw this documentary and I found it quite interesting, not just for the technology angle (which admittedly is tenous) but also as an example of a geek's obsessive behaviour. So I would like to share it with SoylentNews:
Tim Jenison (famous for the amiga video toaster) spent years trying to re-create "The Music Lesson", a Vermeer painting. In the process he learned dutch, built a replica of Vermeer studio, learned how to make his own lens and paint, sought (and got) permission from the Queen of England to examine the original, and a lot of other crazy things to achive his goal.
While the result is underwhelming at best, it's quite a remarkable achievement for a non-painter, you can watch a review of the documentary here
(Score: 4, Informative) by Jaruzel on Friday July 25 2014, @09:51AM
As a Brit, this always irks me when non-brits do this. She is NOT called the Queen of England. To cite Wikipedia [1]:
Her correct title is: Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms.
-Jar
(Mod this off-topic if you want, but it's a point worth making - I very much doubt US-soylentils would be happy seeing their President being called 'The President of Washington DC'.)
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_II [wikipedia.org]
This is my opinion, there are many others, but this one is mine.
(Score: 1, Troll) by lx on Friday July 25 2014, @11:19AM
Just call him Dronemaster Barry.
(Score: 1) by Arik on Friday July 25 2014, @12:43PM
"As a Brit, this always irks me when non-brits do this."
Implying it's ok when other brits do it? Strange logic but not quite as strange as it seems at first glance - non-brits would normally do this in innocence, whereas a brit (depending on which variety of brit) would be revealing something of their politics.
And I certainly have heard brits do it, as well as other commonwealth folks.
You may be correct in presuming that the submitter called her that out of ignorance rather than deliberately, but you are just guessing. And probably just guessing about the nationality of the submitter as well.
There is no denotative difference between 'the Queen of England' and 'the Queen of the United Kindom.' The United Kingdom was formed by merger of the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland. The Kingdom of Great Britain in turn had been formed by the merger of the kingdoms of England and of Scotland. England had acquired Wales (a principality, not a kingdom) even earlier. And the crown of England and Ireland had been in personal union long before the formal merger.
The kingdom of Ireland has been vacant since 1921 at least, with only a rump duchy left inside the United Kingdom styled the 'province' of Northern Ireland. If you say 'the Queen of Ireland' I would certainly not be able to immediately identify who you were referring to.
But the Queen of the United Kingdom clearly has claim still to the ancient titles Queen of England and Queen of Scotland, and it's not like there is any confusion as to who is meant when either are used.
It has been common usage in English around the world to refer to the united monarch as the King or Queen of England since long before her current preferred title was devised, and English itself is notorious for ignoring official pronouncements and going with our traditional usage anyway (Florence/Firenze for a single example.)
What's really fascinating to me is how the usage can reveal deep insights into the politics of the person speaking if its a brit, but nothing whatsoever about the person speaking if he's a typical Merikani.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 1) by ramloss on Friday July 25 2014, @05:04PM
I am the submitter and indeed used that title out of ignorance, since I am not from the United Kingdom or the Commonwealth for that matter. As a non-Brit I'm ok with whatever tittle she's called by Brits or anyone else as long as it's clear whom they are refering to. But I agree with Arik that if I wanted to be pedantic (I don't, I apologize for the mistake) the tittle Queen of England is correct since I was not implying (nor stating) that is the only one she holds.
By the way, it's nice how this story has veered off-topic so quickly ;-)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 25 2014, @05:11PM
- veered off-topic
they don't call him Veermeer for nothin'.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Buck Feta on Friday July 25 2014, @12:51PM
> Elizabeth II Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms
But her friends call her Liz, or "Duce".
- fractious political commentary goes here -
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 25 2014, @01:45PM
So is she not also the Queen of England? I think enough people call her the Queen of England to make it so ;).
As for the US President. I'm sure many call him worse names ;)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 25 2014, @04:56PM
How about if we just call her "anachronism"?
The American political system is garbage, but at least I'm a citizen and not a subject.
Supreme executive power determined by watery tarts distributing swords, etc.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 25 2014, @05:02PM
> I very much doubt US-soylentils would be happy seeing their President being called 'The President of Washington DC'
Hey, we fought and won a war so that we could call her whatever we damn well please!
Next thing you know some German is going to pop up and castigate us for saying "Germany" instead of "Deutschland."
(Score: 4, Informative) by bootsy on Friday July 25 2014, @10:04AM
Yes it is a Vanity Fair link but it was the first I could fine
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2013/11/vermeer-secret-tool-mirrors-lenses [vanityfair.com]
scroll down and you will see Tim's version below the original.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday July 25 2014, @05:15PM
Let's see. Geeks avoid half measures and will venture into new territory as needed. Brains comes handy when there's no previous documentation to learn from.