Snipe Hunting

Leaning again into the Science world. I find it hard to believe my original path was in Biology and I intended to be a High School teacher! Strange how life leads us. But I am still smart enough to understand some of those scientific conversations that speak to the opposite side of my brain and find they do appeal to my sense of curiosity.

This one from the Mother Nature Network and it features a handful of 21 animals and creatures with unfortunate names. And even moreso - unusual chracteristics. A Spiny Lumpsucker! Exactly as it sounds. How about a Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko. The same thing. Tasseled Wobbegong or an Ice Cream Cone Worm. Nature is truly a wonder to behold in all shapes and sizes. Take the time to check this list out and be amazed by a world we never even see.

21 Ridiculous Named Animals

Breaking Brain Tumors

Taking a break from all things arts and photography. I don't read up on a lot in the world of medical science, but every once in a while something holds my attention.

This one from the Business Standard in their Science feed. Cancer basically "hijacks" the good cells and then takes over as a parasite. This is especially intense in Gioblastoma cancers of the brain where they follow minute nerve fibers and blood vessels. But a new med team at Georgia Tech led by Ravi Bellamkonda is developing a synthetic microfibre that mimics these natural brain fibers and then "lures" them to a tumor-collecting gel instead of healthy cells. Here they are exposed to cyclopamine, which is toxic to the cancer cells and kills them off. Think of it as sort of a sticky mouse trap for cancer!

The thought behind this, is moving the infected areas from somewhere remote and inaccessible to a pod where it can then be removed. If this proves effective, it could basically make it a chronic condition rather than a terminal illness. Good thing to know!

Insomnia Cookies

I should have figured that this ingenious idea would have hatched from State College back in PA where no college student is ever left wanting. Those who cram get late night cravings for pizza and chicken wing delivery. But what about hot chocolate chip cookies right our of the oven!?

I had been hearing that this little gem had found its way to the shores of the East Bank in Dinkytown over the last month. And today, I finally was driving by when I stumbled onto the very TINY storefront. Imagine a bus shelter with an oven, a cash register and a neon light. Blink and it is gone. So of course I had to stop in. They looked just fine so I ordered two. I was floored when I was told it would be $6 - for TWO single cookies. I could have baked two entire batches for the same amount from grocery supplies. But thus the catch - immediacy of warm cookies in an instant.

And honestly, they were worth every pretty penny. I got two - a Smore's and a Choc Peanut Butter Cup; which both qualified as Premium Cookies and are thus priced higher. They were served amply warm in a to-go bag - and though I know they were not fresh from the oven, they were at the perfect temperature to keep them warm and soft without turning them into microwave putty. It is two hours later at work and I have only managed to get through the Smore's cookie - it being almost a meal in itself. They are the kind of cookie packed so full that they never really fully bake. A mound of chocolate, real marshmallows and chips that somehow manage to stay in circular form. It was like eating a Smore from a campfire where it oozes out all over your fingers and into the side of your mouth. I imagine the other one will be the same.

Genius concept successfully executed. Long Live Insomnia Cookies - delivered fresh each night until 3 AM!

Insomnia Cookies

Drum Corps timeline

Summer is ages away and the winter color guard season is hitting it's zenith in the coming weeks. So this post is slightly obtuse. But it was posted on the DCI.org link and aligns important historical landmarks to some of our drum corps history.

Technology data like the use of cassette recorders for judging and first colorized VHS tapes of performances. World events through the eyes of DCI. Nothing monumental, but fun facts you probably never thought to know. I actually think this would be a great subject to explore on a much larger range.

DCI News - 11 Timeline Facts

Salted Peanuts

It is with great endearment that I found the new trailer for the animated Peanuts feature coming out in 2015 today. I had heard nothing about it. Apparently there is some negative buzz about the animation not being true to the integrity of the original Charles Schulz comics. But I don't see it!

Just as Disney has remained connected to its original legacy with modern technology, I think Charlie Brown should get reimagined with 21st century visual effects. From what I can see, Snoopy has not lost any of his character and I will be one of the first in line to buy a ticket. If it can be a Broadway musical - it can be a full length feature!

First Kiss

This small video feature is actually a media art project from Tatia Pilieva. The concept was to take two complete strangers and film them having an intimate first kiss together. I have no idea what sort of disclaimer was involved; they certainly knew what was being asked of them. Everyone taking part appears to be "off the street" - but they are all rockers, models et al that have some familiarity with cameras. However there is a factor associated with such a personal act and the video footage speaks to the awkwardness. Who makes the first move and What do you say after? It is a fun watch even though the footage is being used for a clothing line at Wren Studios.

Getty Pictures

Three times makes a point. This will be my 4th and final photog post - I have been led to several articles relating to photography lately. This one combines technology with the art side of it.

Getty Images is "gifting" 35 Million images for free virtual use. To many that post regularly, you may not realize that even though we can seemingly cut and paste almost anything we see on the net, there are legal protections in place. We see screen shots, download Facebook photos from a friends profile, attach small clip art to a mail blast. I admit heartily to it as well. But just as the music industry has protections and copyrights, so does the field of photography.

Getty is a world leader in digital images and this collection will span over a hundred years. There are some qualifiers in the sense that they cannot be used for commercial or defamation purposes. And even though they will have the Getty signature at the bottom of the photo, you will still need to use their Embedded Viewer Tool. It takes a bit of extra effort to copy and embed the image, but there is a great wealth of items to choose from if you have the time.

Below is their link - so peruse at will.


Getty Royalty Free

Blast From the Past

melted mannequins from Tussaud's fire @ 1930

One more photo flash. This one a feed from Reddit with 40 provocative pics from the past. Somewhere between a Time-Life journalism and a Ripley's tabloid. Most are shocking or at least provoke a reaction. Each would be a great conversation piece around the dinner table. Not a bad idea and I might actually print them out for that very reason. Hmmmm. Flash cards.

40 Photos 

 

the original Winnie the Pooh & Christopher Robin @1927

A Picture Paints a 1000 Words

Following up to me Vivian Maier post - Anyone who knows me, realizes that photos are always touchstone for me. I try to have my camera on hand, because you never know when one of those moments might happen. A cell pic or the tablet just don't give me the quality I like. So it is worth the extra hassle to charge up the battery and have the camera bag flung over a shoulder.







Photojournalism has also been something that really grabs my attention. Both as art and document to time. I am often amazed at how one perfect image can illicit a strong reaction even when miles away. Here is a BuzzFeed link that charts 35 said moments. Those of victory and loss, human disaster and animal connections. All profound.
35 Touching Photos 

Vivian Maier - photog

 

This woman has been getting much buzz lately and has come up in separate conversations. Her work is monumental as an artist and a time capsule, yet her legacy is shrouded in mystery that will likely never be uncovered. She photographed B&W images of street life in New York & Chicago in the 1950s and 60s. Most of the pics were one-shot and she must have waited patiently for the right shot to emerge before snapping. What we know is that she was reclusive, worked as a nanny and rarely even printed most of her work.


She kept most of her personal belongings in a storage space and as her health began to decline, the rent went unpaid and the possessions were sold off. Cut to 20 years later in 2007 when art historian John Maloof bought over 10,000 negatives at an auction and began printing the photos. Since then they have been on exhibit around the world. By the time he had tried to contact her, she had died of an unusual street accident with head injuries. Her pictures are slice-of-life in the big city and bring grace to the ordinary. His research culminates in a recent in a documentary entitled Finding Vivian Maier. We are so very fortunate that the Minneapolis Photo Center has a patron who owns about 10% of her known works. They had been on exhibit this winter as her popularity has soared. So they are bringing it back as part of their permanent collection on March 14th. I know that I will not miss the 2nd chance to catch her extraordinary work.
Mpls Photo Center

Academy Award - the Single

This one surprised me - an avid Bernadette Peters fan. I thought I knew most trivia from her archives. But it was a throw back Thursday #tbt link on her Twitter feed shared this week. Apparently while she was playing the footlights at a young age in NYC, she was also jumping on the bandwagon of popular song.

In 1962 she released a single on United Artists records called "Academy Award." It sounds like Brenda Lee, Leslie Gore or a large handful of others all coming out at that same time. I assume it never really charted it as I have never heard it. But here it is in full Mono to be shared in homage to yesterday's Red Carpet.