Visual Insights: 04/01/2009

29 April 2009

Art: Edward Hopper, First Row Orchestra, 1951

Edward Hopper, First Row Orchestra, 1951, originally uploaded by *clairity*.

Check out this photo of a painting. What appears common place - a scene of people waiting for the show to begin at a theatre - is actually a study of the observers and how they relate to their environment, seemingly unaware of how much they are a part of "the show." notice the curving lines of the stage accented by the curving lines of the woman's body. Notice the aloofness of the cold unyielding stage and the same demeanor of the wealthy woman's attitude. Life! Interesting art of what appears on the surface to be so simple actually has a few story lines going on under the surface.

Art: Marsden Hartley, Christ Held by Half-Naked Men, 1940-41

Marsden Hartley, Christ Held by Half-Naked Men, 1940-41, originally uploaded by *clairity*.

Serious spiritual statement by this artist, really packs a hard punch.

creative commons with attribution for this photographer

Art: Oscar Bluemner, Morning Light (Dover Hills, October) 1912-16

Oscar Bluemner, Morning Light (Dover Hills, October) 1912-16, originally uploaded by *clairity*.

Interesting version of an art photo of artist's painting!

creative commons with attribution for this photographer

28 April 2009

People: Obama Inaugural Address Word Cloud

Obama Inaugural Address Word Cloud, originally uploaded by Changa_Lion.

Notice he doesn't use the word "I" much.

All Rights Reserved for this photographer

People: Obama victory speech 2008, word cloud, wordcloud barack obama

Obama victory speech 2008, word cloud, wordcloud barack obama, originally uploaded by davidwatts1978.

27 April 2009

Funny Sign

Funny Sign, originally uploaded by Classic Pep.

Hmmm... truth in advertising I see.

Signs: Funny

Funny, originally uploaded by ayckbourn.

From the photographer:

This is an old saying but still funny.

Uploaded by ayckbourn on 16 Jun 07, 8.37PM CDT.

26 April 2009

People: Obama Family

Obama Family, originally uploaded by Aamir Hafeez Zaidi.

From the photographer:

"Obama's family from Africa moving to Whitehouse !!

Uploaded by Aamir Hafeez Zaidi on 23 Jan 2009, 6.03AM CDT."

All Rights Reserved from this photographer.

Let's see, you have a choice of living in Africa where there has been a drought for years, food is scarce, people are starving to death literally before your eyes and there is civil war.

Or you can go to America where the grocery shelves over-flowing with too much food, no civil war, jobs don't pay well but there are jobs... not the toughest choice. I'd be packing my bags and driving out on the nearest moving truck too!

24 April 2009

Animals: Pink towel hood

Pink towel hood, originally uploaded by pepleo.

This cat looks a lot like the neighborhood bully cat - who is 3 times the size of this cat. Boy! Would I like to put a pair of pink bunny ears on him and see him live it down "in the 'hood!" :)

Our bully kitty is called King Kong by his owners who are too afraid to even cut his claws. They look like daggers. We all call him Kong for short and my husband enjoys throwing glasses of water at him every time he comes around to start a rumble with our cats: his son and grandson. Kong has sired just about every cat in the suburbs! :)

4 Health Articles You Might Enjoy

From Denny: I'm always finding the most interesting articles about the latest health study. Too bad there wasn't more research devoted to orphan diseases, ones that afflict a small percentage of the population. Read that as the drug companies believe they can't make big money by searching for cures for these diseases - so they do nothing. Maybe it's the role of international governments to get into the act to help the suffering sectors of humanity? What do you think?

Health is a large area to cover so if you have some suggestions of anything I might be overlooking and you want to throw out at me, please do! You can also email me: warriorspearl@gmail.com too if you like. Yes, I actually answer my own email and am not too full of myself - well, not yet, anyway...! :) (There goes that cheeky side escaping again...)

Here are a few articles you might find an interesting read:

Drink Coffee: Lower Risk of Uterine Cancer

Broccoli Sprouts May Be Germ Fighters

The Pill and Gaining Muscle

Popping a Zit Can Kill You?

Photo by left-hand @ flickr

23 April 2009

4 Science Articles You Might Enjoy

From Denny: Since I have too many interests I've parked them on other blogs in addition to this one. Apparently, most people start a blog, lose interest, abandon the first one to start another blog. Not me. I just keep expanding to ADD more blogs! (totally crazy, I suppose - but hey! I'm happy...)

Anyway, articles about how the brain works, astronomy, psychology, some math and physics on basic levels is what I park over at the blog The Soul Calendar. It keeps climbing in the traffic rankings quite nicely and I happily write about whatever catches my interest for the week! Life is good!

I'm still poking around the web for children's resources for parents and science projects readers might find interesting. If you know of any sites or projects, speak up and shoot me an email at warriorspearl@gmail.com, much appreciated!

Here are a few posts you might find an interesting read:

Is My Brain Making Me Buy Things I Don't Need?

Double Amputees Shed Light on Brain's Flexibility

Robolegs Help People Walk

Hurricane-Killing, Space-Based Power Plants

NASA Photo by Image Editor @ flickr

22 April 2009

Passed 100th post milestone!

From Denny: Well, I hear we blogger types are supposed to jump up and brag about reaching the 100th post milestone. ;) You can tell I'm really "great" about some anniversaries as I've already passed that milestone with now 351 posts. Nothing like missing the 100th, 200th and now the 300th milestones... Oh, well, so much for showing off! ;)

20 April 2009

Animal humor: electric cat

electric cat, originally uploaded by BillAnd.

Hmmmm.... bzzzzzt!

19 April 2009

People: The Mysterious Case of Pepe, the Pepper.

The Mysterious Case of Pepe, the Pepper., originally uploaded by RєRє.

People who love to play with their food taken to new heights! :)

All Rights Reserved for this photographer.

"The Mysterious Case of Pepe, the Pepper.
Pepe was a member of a small Green Pepper community in the countryside of Mexico… however… Pepe was different…he never felt he fitted the mildly manners of his fellow green peppers. Pepe was a temperamental and hot-headed pepper who really wanted to spice up his life! He had dreams and hopes that no one in his community understood.

But he didn’t mind. Simply because he always believed he could.

One day after a discussion with a friend, Pepe went to bed. When he woke up he was like this… half midly green, half hot red.

Dr. Scoville, the community doctor, couldn’t find a reasonable explanation. Ana Heim, the community leader insisted it was just a fever.

But Pepe knew better. He knew it was the dawn of his destiny. And so, against all advices, he left. He went to pursue his dreams… and maybe, just maybe… to finally find himself…

Pepe now lives in Avery Island, Louisiana. Works for Mc Ilhenny’s Co. Tabasco. And has recently married a beautiful and hot Jalapeña pepper. And even though they do have a few heated arguments, they are, indeed, very happy!

Uploaded by RєRє on 8 Apr 09, 11.02AM CDT."

18 April 2009

Animals: Leopard - Panthera pardus

Leopard - Panthera pardus, originally uploaded by tropicaLiving.

"Fast Fact.
Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore
Protection status: Endangered

Leopards are graceful and powerful big cats closely related to lions, tigers, and jaguars. They live in sub-Saharan Africa, northeast Africa, Central Asia, India, and China. However, many of their populations are endangered, especially outside of Africa.

The leopard is so strong and comfortable in trees that it often hauls its kills into the branches. By dragging the bodies of large animals aloft it hopes to keep them safe from scavengers such as hyenas. Leopards can also hunt from trees, where their spotted coats allow them to blend with the leaves until they spring with a deadly pounce. These nocturnal predators also stalk antelope, deer, and pigs by stealthy movements in the tall grass. When human settlements are present, leopards often attack dogs and, occasionally, people.

Location: Bali Safary Park
See also this shot at National Geographic Magazine."

All Rights Reserved for this photographer.

Animals: Icelandic horses in North Holland

Icelandic horses in North Holland, originally uploaded by Bеn.

"The Icelandic horse is a breed of horse that has lived in Iceland since the mid-800s AD, having been brought to the island by Viking settlers. The Icelandic Horse originated from pony breeds taken from Scandinavian and European countries to Iceland during the original and subsequent settlements but has now been bred for centuries without the addition of outside bloodstock. Because they are often pony-sized, they are referred to as "Icelandic ponies" in some countries. However, in other places, the breed is considered a "horse" and to call it a "pony" may offend many breeders. Regardless of size or horse/pony designation, Icelandic horses can easily carry the weight of a grown adult. There are roughly 75,000 Icelandic horses in Iceland, and up until recently relatively few abroad."

Nature: Green wave

Green wave, originally uploaded by Katarina 2353.

Spring time in Serbia.

All Rights Reserved for this photographer.

Math photo: Great ditrigonal icosidodecahedron

Great ditrigonal icosidodecahedron, originally uploaded by fdecomite.

Math can be beautiful!

17 April 2009

Animals: What are you looking at?

What are you looking at?, originally uploaded by jsgphoto.

The Mexican standoff... horse style... in Italy, funny!

Animals: extra flotation devices

extra flotation devices, originally uploaded by Angie Torres.

Funny looking fish but hey! it's effective!

Animals: 25 cats in closeup

25 cats in closeup, originally uploaded by rsgranne.

Hey! You're holding out on us, give us the food, lady!

Animals: Brave

Brave, originally uploaded by Mark Lewis.

O... K... you wake the sleeping bear...

Animals: Funny Giraffe imitator

Giraffe imitator, originally uploaded by Walraven.

Creative Commons with attribution.

Animals: They're So Vain

They're So Vain, originally uploaded by Back in the Pack.

This is too funny!

All Rights Reserved for this photographer.

"They're So Vain
I'm going to admit that it's rather difficult to get 6 labs to sit for a photo (we couldn't wrangle the 7th and the 8th showed up just as we were finishing) during regular daycare hours. Even with the other dogs in the front room to limit the distractions it was an effort.

Maybe with a few more treats, a little more time, better lighting, wardrobe and make-up I think we could have come up with something stronger. But what the heck, this is in the middle of a dog daycare on Lab Friday. What are you going to do?

BTW, it was Ben, Olive & Rio's birthday this week (they're in there, honest). Happy birthday guys!"

16 April 2009

Math as beauty!

, originally uploaded by fdecomite.

Posting Problems

From Denny: Sunday, Monday and Tuesday have been difficult times to try and post anything. Not sure why. Could be global internet traffic is highest on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (Monday and Tuesday in American time zone). Could be the computer worm going around driving servers insane courtesy of hacker jerks that are probably mostly comprised of intelligence community guys from countries all over the world.

What I have managed to post has gotten scrambled from time to time. Sorry for the inconvenience. I always go back to proof read and catch the errors, usually within minutes of posting. Lightning storms in my area haven't helped that process and have been delayed. If you see something I didn't catch within a day or two, please feel free to let me know as it would be much appreciated!

Fun photo by gidibao @ flickr

15 April 2009

Architecture: Church of St. George in Serbia

Church of St George, originally uploaded by Katarina 2353.

Architecture: St. Sava dome

St Sava dome 2, originally uploaded by Katarina 2353.

All Rights Reserved.

"The Temple of Saint Sava (Serbian: Храм светог Саве / Hram svetog Save) is the largest Orthodox church in the world. The church is dedicated to Saint Sava, founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church and an important figure in medieval Serbia. It is built on the Vračar plateau, on the location where his remains are thought to have been burned in 1595 by the Ottoman Empire's Sinan Pasha.
From its location, it dominates Belgrade's cityscape, and is perhaps the most monumental building in the city.
The dome is 70m high, while the main gold plated cross is another 12 m high, which gives a total of 82 m to the height Cathedral of Saint Sava. Church holds a dominant position in Belgrade's cityscape and is visible from all approaches to the city."

People: Sacrifice offered to Gods

Sacrifice offered to Gods, originally uploaded by Katarina 2353.

Architecture: I had to do it, too...:)

I had to do it, too...:), originally uploaded by Katarina 2353.

I'm in the mood for city shots today - this is quite lovely!

All Rights Reserved.

"My London set
www.flickr.com/photos/jup3nep/sets/72157607342117095/

London is the largest urban area and the capital of England and the United Kingdom. An important settlement for two millennia, London's history goes back to its founding by the Romans. Since its settlement, London has been part of many important movements and phenomena throughout history, such as the English Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, and the Gothic Revival. The city's core, the ancient City of London, still retains its limited medieval boundaries; but since at least the 19th century the name "London" has also referred to the whole metropolis which has developed around it. Today the bulk of this conurbation forms the London region of England and the Greater London administrative area, with its own elected mayor and assembly.

London is one of the world's leading business, financial, and cultural centres, and its influence in politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion and the arts all contribute to its status as a major global city. London boasts four World Heritage Sites: The Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret's Church; the Tower of London; the historic settlement of Greenwich; and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The city is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, and its popularity has increased over the years due to economic growth.

London's diverse population draws from a wide range of peoples, cultures, and religions, and over 300 languages are spoken within the city. As of 2006, it has an official population of 7,512,400 within the boundaries of Greater London and is the most populous municipality in the European Union. As of 2001, the Greater London Urban Area has a population of 8,278,251 and the metropolitan area is estimated to have a total population of between 12 and 14 million.
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games will be held in London from 27 July to 12 August 2012, followed by the 2012 Paralympic Games from 29 August to 9 September. I hope this aerial photos of London will help you during your stay in this beautiful metropolis!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London

Uploaded by Katarina 2353 on 2 Dec 08, 8.00AM CDT."

Architecture: Frosty Amsterdam

Frosty Amsterdam, originally uploaded by Bеn.

Whoa! major case of chilly this past December in the Netherlands - but oh, so beautiful too!

All Rights Reserved.

"Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands. The name is a derivative from Amstel dam pointing to the city's origin: a dam in the river Amstel. The city is known for its historic port, the Rijksmuseum, the red-light district (de Wallen), the liberal coffeeshops, and the canals which have led to Amsterdam being termed the "Venice of the North". The Westerkerk ("western church") is a Protestant church in Amsterdam, built in 1620-1631 after a design by Hendrick de Keyser. The church is right next to Amsterdam's Jordaan district, at the bank of the Prinsengracht canal."