Kansas Musuem Association Conference

... Manhattan Kansas - debuts the Post Rock Scenic Byway Digital Documentary, through the Kansas Humanities Council.

We haven't seen it either. Off early with fellow Lucasites, promoting the area!

Small Town USA Movie

... stopped by this morning to talk about Lucas, Grassroots Art identity, the plight of rural America, and where it all ties together. I don't think they realized just how much Lucas had to offer in this field, with our amazing array of doers that work to make this a thriving rural community in the middle of an out-migration area, so they'll just have to come back and talk some more!

Small Town USA Movie

Email Submission to Good Ink

Reason # 128 to look at online newsletters - sometimes, there's a marketing giveaway! Here's the entry we just sent to Good Ink, pleading our case for a marketing package focused on potential corporate and foundation sponsors for the development of the new World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things Traveling Roadside Attraction and Museum:

WLT Inc. is a federally recognized 501(c)3 non-profit corporation, established to research, collect, and disseminate information relating to the history, preservation, production, and promotion of Roadside Vernacular Architecture known as World's Largest Things.

We collect stories of rural communities who have chosen to erect a World's Largest Thing, which often serves as a key to understanding community identity. We collect these stories through photo-documentation of the sites and primary and secondary research, and share the stories and images with the rest of the world through articles, lectures, community programs, home website and associated online blog and image archives. These community icons and their stories are used in an effort to promote economic development in the represented communities through tourism, community-building, aid in marketing or branding of their community, and renewed interest in rural life.

One of our major educational outreach tools is a Mobile Museum which houses photographs and stories of these rural communities as illustrated through their World's Largest Thing. The museum also holds the World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things, which features miniature replicas of World's Largest Things, used as a catalyst for sharing these unique community profiles. The interactive nature of the museum speaks to all ages, and creates an atmosphere conducive to learning in a unique, approachable way. We liken the WLCoWSVoWLT Mobile Museum to a cross between the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile and a Bookmobile.

We recently retired the old Mobile Museum, and are embarking on the development of a new, expanded mobile educational unit. As the collection has grown, we outgrew the original grassroots version. We need help in developing a fundraising campaign package, for use in presentations to potential corporate and foundation sponsors.

The nuts-and-bolts operations of World's Largest Things has been supported mainly by volunteer hours (we have no paid staff), with memberships covering costs for membership letters, website maintenance, and grants funding specific projects. We simply do not have the capacity to develop a professional campaign with our current volunteer personnel, and cannot expand our capacity without sponsorship of the current project.

We are looking for an information packet that will explain the concept of the museum, showcase the plans for new Mobile Museum development, and make the case for sponsorship of the project. The 'hook' is there with the World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things, while the importance of the project to sustaining rural culture through the sharing of the stories is harder to convey. We need help in presenting this fun concept in a serious way to people who have the resources to fund the development.

We feel that our project examines an important port of our national identity, which is rapidly disappearing. The preservation of these icons doesn't quite fit into the established preservation programs, even though the communities that create and care for them know the importance of their World's Largest Things. Through the increased awareness of these unique monuments and the stories behind them, we act as a catalyst for economic development and rural renewal, as well as documenting a marginalized section of roadside culture.

Thank you for your consideration, and please, don't hesitate to contact us for more information.

-Erika Nelson, Director
World's Largest Things, Inc., home of the World's Largest Colleciton of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things.

Premeiring Tonight on PBS: A Ride Along the Lincoln Highway!

Great show, with some great World's Largest!  Check 'em out on your local PBS station, 7 or 8 ish - check you local listings.

World's Largest Hoe on Corner Gas

Kansas Sampler Foundation 8 Wonders of Kansas Art

It's official!  Lucas Kansas is one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas Art, as determined by public vote.  See the Kansas Sampler Foundation's description of Lucas at their website:

 

http://www.kansassampler.org/8wonders/artresults.php?id=84

 

and a description of the 8 Wonders of Art project:

 

http://www.kansassampler.org/8wonders/artresults.php

 

Kudos, Lucas! There's an additional story in the Hays Daily News

New WLT Tee Off to NY Member

It's in the mail to Member #2! One of the exclusive, new, dripping with sarcasm tees that Only Members got first dibs on... All you others on the mailing list will find out in Vol. 2 # 2 of the Big Idea newsletter, scheduled for mid-November.

Arts Infrastructure Work

... started looking at the QuickBooks Simple Start, and ordered the NonProfit premeir version. Sometimes, it pays to leave things 'till the last minute, as we happened upon a $100 off sale, and got to use an additional $30 coupon donated by a WLT Board Member... Yay!

Great Mail Day Item #3: PBS Lincoln Highway Sneak Preview

That's the advantage of having historians and authors on your Board of Directors - Advisory Board Member Brian Butko, author and co-author of many books, sent along a sneak preview of the upcoming documentary about the Lincoln Highway.  Premiers on PBS October 29th - check your local listings!

 

Our book recommendations, with one of Brian's on the top right column:

http://wltrecommendations.blogspot.com/

 

www.WorldsLargestThings.com/501c3info.htm

 

 

Great Mail Day Item #2 - Canada Big Things Book

From a contact from the September SCA Conference - a book about Canada's Roadside Attractions!

 

www.SCA-Roadside.org

 

Thanks, New Canadian Friend!

Great Mail Day Item #1 - mini member cards!

It was a great snail mail today for WLTs - Item #1, a new batch of World's Smallest membership Cards from Moo!  Here are the new designs that will go out this year to new and renewing members of WLT, Inc.

 

www.WorldsLargestThings.com/becomeamember.htm

 

OK - backtracking to Friday...

... It WAS a busy day! Wrote a script for a Digital Documentary for the Post Rock Scenic Byway - only slightly related to WLT, but is because a WLT project is prominantly featured on the PRSB Info Kiosk... W.L. Souvenir Travel Plate is a centerpiece in the Lucas section...

Sent images to be included in a PowerPoint for the Kansas Tourism Conference, pput on by TIAK (which stands for ???) with the Kansas Travel and Tourism Division of the Department of Commerce, next Tuesday, illustrating WLT Projects in Lucas and the area...

Packing up for a KHC WLT talk about Roadside Attractions and the like, happening in Small Towns Thinking Big, in Partridge KS on Saturday

AND, backyard visitors in the morning. I think we're good to go!

TBTB

... too busy to blog - will update later....

WLT Drive-By Spotting: Camel, Cairo NE

Also on the way to the wedding ...

 

Note:  the townspeople pronounce the town name "Kay Ro", kinda' like the syrup.

WLT Drive-By Spotting

Ice Cream, Wood River NE - spotted on the way to an outdoor wedding...

From the Email Inbox: Roanoke VA Star

Postcard for sale on Ebay!

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Roanoke-VA-Electric-Star-Largest-in-World-1940s_W0QQitemZ140273451868QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item140273451868&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Re: Robert Wadlow

According to the Guinness record listing (GWR, 2002) Robert Wadlow weighed 491 on his 21st birthday, but dropped to 438 when he died in 1940. (B. 1918)

 

Thanks for asking!

-Erika

----- Original Message -----

From: Matthew Beardsworth

To: info@worldslargestthings.com

Sent: Sunday, October 12, 2008 4:05 PM

Subject: Robert Wadlow

                 Hi,
 
 
 
 
Do you know if Robert Wadlow at 490 pounds was the correct weight for his height?
 
 
 
Matt.

---

Win £3000 to spend on whatever you want at Uni! Click here to WIN!

---

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 270.8.0/1720 - Release Date: 10/11/2008 3:59 PM

The Meteor Farmer - WIRED Jan. 2007

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.01/meteor.html

 

Finding more World's Largest Pallasite Meteorites!

From the Email Inbox: Wade City FL Muffler Man

From member brother Dave Kilby...

 

And, check out the Member website - creatives love WLTs!  www.kilbycreative.com

From the Snail Mail Inbox: W.L. Cuckoo Clock, Wiesbaden Germany

From the back:

 

WORLD FAMOUS * UNIQUE

 

Overall height to tip of antlers 5.25m - Height of flanking figures 2.6m - Diameter of dial, show face 2m

 

Cuckoo call, music and dnace every half hour

Members Only Updates

... out in today's mail also...

Featuring the NEWEST WLT Tee Design! Only four have gone out so far, as we wanted Members to have the first crack at 'em... You'll see in the mail, Dear Members!

Member Packet off to Minnesota!

Member number 109 is a Minneapolis MN fan, and is the latest to step up to the World's Largest Plate of Bigness. If we hadn't mentioned it, Member #108 went out to Florida, showing the broad geographical reach of Roadside Americana.

Thank you again for your support!

North Dakota map of Big Things

 

This is how to do it!  North Dakota has a great site of their tourism icons, with a map showing exactly where the Big Things are - kudos!

 

http://www.realnd.com/giantsofnd.htm

The Largest Nugget in the World - prop. Skagway Streetcar

 

From the Email Inbox: World's Largest Laddarback Chair, Pequot Lakes MN

Just under the Pequot Lakes Fishing Bobber Water Tower...Built by Nature's Concepts for tourist photo opportunities, billed as Paul Bunyan's chair.

World's Largest hand carved Tiger Muskie working ice fishing decoy by JAG

From Flickr:

 

This monster of a muskie fishing decoy measures over 7 feet long and is entirely hand carved from a cedar beam from an old fireplace mantle. While it would have been a great deal easier to use power tools, my doggedness determination wanted to see if I could do it my hand.

I started working on it late Saturday afternoon and finished today on Wednesday, 52 plus hours total labor. I had some slip-ups and blunders but in the end, I'm quite satisfied with the end results.

I diligently searched the internet for hand carved tiger muskie fishing decoys and could not find one larger than this, so I'll lay claim to it. 

 

See the photo stream and comments here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/folkartdecoys/2905676314/in/photostream/

From the Email Inbox - New World's Largest Cupcake

Record holder: Duff Goldman

Location: Mall of America, Minneapolis

March 30, 2008

The Food Network's Duff Goldman lives up to his Ace of Cakes title by baking the largest cupcake in history — now entered in the Guinness Book of World Records. The 61.4-pound creation is more than a foot tall and entirely edible. Reportedly 150 times the size of a regular cupcake, this record-breaker called for 16 pounds of butter, 10 pounds of sugar, and three ounces of food coloring. The mammoth confection supported the Great American Bake Sale, which raised $10,000 and awareness for Share Our Strength, a charity working to fight hunger across America.

Google Image: World's Largest Stove, Detroit Michigan

at the Fairgrounds, N42.44055 W83.11896

1964 World's Fair

At nine a.m. on April 22, the gates of the Fair were thrown open. In the subsequent ugly rush for enlightenment, few visitors spared a thought for the months and months of unremitting toil that had made the whole thing possible. Indeed, some people (below) were unabashedly out for all they could get.

Drawing by Robert Serle Source: HOLIDAY MAGAZINE, Vol. 36 No. 1, June 1964

World's Largest Prime to Date - over a million numbers long!

Editor's note: This story was originally posted on Science News online as a Math Trek column September 20.

Here's a number to savor: 2^43,112,609-1.

Its size is mind-boggling. With nearly 13 million digits, it makes the number of atoms in the known universe seem negligible, a mere 80 digits.

And its form is tidy and lovely: 2ⁿ-1.

But its true beauty is far grander: It is a prime number. Indeed, it is the largest prime number ever found.

The Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search, or GIMPS, a computing project that uses volunteers' computers to hunt for primes, found the prime and just confirmed the discovery. It can now claim a $100,000 prize from the Electronic Frontier Foundation for being the first to find a prime number that has more than 10 million digits.

Prime numbers make up the "periodic table" of numbers, the building blocks that combine to form all numbers. A prime number is a whole number divisible only by 1 and itself. Euclid in 300 B.C. proved that there are infinitely many of them (click for his beautifully simple proof). Still, that doesn't make them easy to find. At the beginning of the number line, the primes seem to be everywhere — 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13… — but in the number line's more distant reaches, prime numbers become elusive.

Because 2^43,112,609-1 has the form 2ⁿ-1, it's called a "Mersenne prime," after a French monk born in the 16^th century who made an (incorrect) conjecture about them. Mersenne primes are of particular interest partly because they can be expressed in such a compact form. (It sure is easier to write 2^43,112,609-1 than to type out all 13 million digits!) More significantly, though, some clever methods have been developed to identify them.

The most obvious way to go about identifying any prime number is to try factoring it. First, try dividing by 3, then 5, then 7, etc., and if none of them work, you've got a prime. But the last time a new prime was identified this way was in 1588, because as the numbers get bigger, the division takes longer and longer. So mathematicians have developed clever tests for primeness that are simpler to compute. The best one of all, called the Lucas-Lehmer test, only works for Mersenne primes. Remarkably, the method requires no division at all, making it extremely quick.

Only 46 Mersenne primes have ever been found, and GIMPS has found 12 of them. The project recruits volunteers to donate their computers' CPU cycles when they would otherwise be idle. Each computer works on a single number, first trying to find small factors. If that fails, it applies the Lucas-Lehmer test. A computer working full-time can test a single 10-million-digit number in eight days.

The processing power of all the individual computers linked together is equivalent to one of the most powerful supercomputers in the world. No supercomputer, though, would devote all its processing time to computing prime numbers.

The finding is unlikely to have significance for number theory, although number theory's great unanswered question, perhaps, is to find how the prime numbers are distributed. Still, "you never know where discoveries may lead you," says George Woltman, founder of GIMPS. "But really, it's like climbing Mt. Everest. You do it because it's there. It's a lot safer, though. You can do it from the air-conditioned comfort of your home."

Or, if you prefer, the air-conditioned comfort of your office. The computer that found the prime was administered by Edson Smith at the University of California, Los Angeles mathematics department. Smith downloaded the GIMPS software, and when the computers in the math department weren't busy with other work, they searched for primes and communicated their results back to GIMPS.

This prime is the eighth found at UCLA, although the first with GIMPS. Half the prize money will go to the UCLA math department, a quarter will go to charity (probably a math department with an open faculty position for number theory, Woltman says) and most of the remainder will go to those who found previous Mersenne primes using GIMPS.

Remarkably, GIMPS found another Mersenne prime two weeks after this one – after a two-year dry spell with no new primes. This prime had fewer digits, just 11 million.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation became interested in prime hunting because it makes an excellent challenge problem for cooperative, distributed computing. "The award is an incentive to stretch the computational ability of the Internet," says Landon Noll of Cisco Systems Inc., one of the judges for the Electronic Frontier Foundation prize and a discoverer of a former biggest known prime. More prizes remain to be claimed: a $150,000 award for a prime with 100 million digits, and a $250,000 award for one with a billion digits.

GIMPS has used well-established methods, while continuing to refine its implementations for greatest efficiency. Finding the numbers for the larger awards, though, will require major innovations, Noll says: "People are going to have to go back to the drawing board." He points out that testing a single 100-million–digit number for primeness would take a single desktop computer more than four years, and testing a billion-digit number would take it more than 500 years. So at a minimum, he says, algorithms will have to be developed that allow multiple computers to test a single prime.

Current cryptographic systems rely on the challenge of factoring large primes. This task is distinct from verifying primeness, but the root difficulty is the same: limited computing power. Through this prize, "we maintain a pulse on what people might be able to do in breaking cryptosystems," Noll says.