POTD: Subway by Fighting Fish Studio

I saw this picture and had to share

Subway by Fighting Fish Studio

Also, if you want to have a good time, Friday is going to be totally nuts at First Friday's event. Not only will there be free drinks from Synergy Drinks, Free CDs, a great mix of music from multi-genres, but a midnight special dance routine.

RSVP to get in free til 10pm: bit.ly/rsff4

We are still looking for more folks to join the zombie dance routine.... drop me a line for information :)

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glass ceiling / glass floor

visiting the acropolis museum has great tidbits of fun.

i really liked bernard tschumi's design -- it's full of light and air and provides an intelligent background for the treasures it holds.

you can find a great description of the building here but one thing it does not mention is a wonderful glass floor that unifies the wide ramp area on the ground floor at a central atrium with the top level and the sky beyond.


like it? click it!
it really was a fun place to stop and look above, while the visitors above were taking pictures of us below -- and some were taking the opportunity to catch some exercise.



if you plan to visit the building, and you value your privacy, i have some advice: don't wear a skirt.

richard dawkins interviewed by dina volaric, ABC TV compass

RD

evolution of the moonwalk

i'm partial to michael jackson's early work -- the newer stuff didn't cut it for me. and i despised how he got lynched by mob mentality: it's a sad, sad thing.



via bOINGbOING

a place for caryatis

the acropolis museum has only five of the original caryatides. the sixth was kidnapped by lord elgin and is now residing -- where else -- the british museum.


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this display has the caryatides in their original relative positions, with a place reserved for the sixth figure's return.

her place is here. with her sisters.


--

i was especially attracted to the caryatides. being able to see these strong figures closely from all sides was an amazing experience. i think i took more photos here than anywhere else. there are many overviews of the set elsewhere and there were far too many people for me to get a general shot that i was happy with; however, i was blown away by the details and had no problem whatsoever keeping myself busy with them. their graceful pose, their gentle necks -- that nevertheless bear so much weight -- the lovely drape of their clothing and their braided hair -- all evidence of the creators' artistry and sophistication. i had a hard time breaking away.

i took so many pictures -- i hope i'm not annoying you with all of these.

the caryatides' original home was the caryatid porch of the erechthion on the acropolis, which is now supported by copies of the original figures.

overview:



the missing caryatid's position is the second from the left.

sunset at the acropolis and its museum

yesterday evening i was thrilled to visit the acropolis museum in athens.


like it? then, please give it a click.
i have very few words to describe my feelings seeing, for the first time, these superlative treasures of humanity, produced by some of its most brilliant minds, masterfully displayed in a sleek jewel-case of a building.

understanding the importance of the acropolis, and especially the parthenon, is highly fulfilling. as an introduction, if you haven't seen secrets of the parthenon, i strongly urge you to do so.

the gallery at the top level of the museum is a contemporary counterpart, of sorts, to the parthenon itself -- an airy frame for the uppermost sculptures of the temple, surrounded by the light of the attica sky. circular metal columns replace the original marble ones, the pediments are placed on either end of the rectangular plan, the metopes surround the outer perimeter above head height and the frieze is placed eye-level on the innermost wall of the structure. it's easy to understand the original position for each piece -- all one has to do is glimpse over to the original temple, in full view.

portions of the sculptures and reliefs are replicas, occupying the space of the original pieces that exist elsewhere in the world, most notably the ones purloined by lord elgin in the early 19th century, and now showcased in the british museum.

of course, it's a ridiculous state of affairs. christopher hitchens makes the case eloquently in his book, the elgin marbles: should they be returned to greece?, and most recently in his article, 'the lovely stones' in vanity fair:

'i’ve written a whole book about this controversy and won’t oppress you with all the details, but would just make this one point. if the mona lisa had been sawed in two during the napoleonic wars and the separated halves had been acquired by different museums in, say, st. petersburg and lisbon, would there not be a general wish to see what they might look like if re-united? if you think my analogy is overdrawn, consider this: the body of the goddess iris is at present in london, while her head is in athens. the front part of the torso of poseidon is in london, and the rear part is in athens. and so on. this is grotesque.'

it's always tricky to get satisfactory shots amongst the crowds... luckily my stay extended to closing time and i managed to shoot a few frames as people were leaving.

one of my favorites is this one of the acropolis, as viewed from the surrounding glass wall of the top gallery, during sunset. if you line up the window panes and the temple on the hill, you'll confirm that they are completely parallel, as both structures have the same orientation. the backs of the metopes are visible on the top of the image.

i'll be working on and uploading some of the more successful images i shot over the next few days.

First Fridays & Thriller, July 3rd @ Medusa Lounge LA

Join us next Friday, July 3rd, to celebrate the beginning of an amazing Summer of Life, Music & Dance!

We have lots of special treats & surprises in store.

It was a very sad day for many on June 25th with the passing of Michael Jackson. His music and artistry had a profound effect on my life. From his forward thinking, yet hugely pop-structured songs to avant garde futuristic military fashions to groundbreaking music videos featuring worldly influential dance routines, motion picture quality special effects and even Captain EO, he managed to influence culture on a myriad of levels.

As a young fellow, I remember watching THRILLER's debut on MTV at a friend's house party. Nearly our entire school class gathered to watch this world-wide premiere. I later would think it was cool to entertain friends, having learned the entire dance moves to his routines from the videos such as Thriller and Bad. I can still rock the moonwalk! I have to thank MJ influencing my affinity with music and entertaining in general to have become a musician and performer.

So in memory of Michael Jackson, along with the ingredients which create our monthly party so well received by you, we are featuring a midnight presentation of the famed THRILLER DANCE.

If you would like to join the special routine and have even halfway decent dancing skills, please contact me fda@newgrounds.com
Seeking videographers, photographers and zombies!

The party runs from 9-2am. The colors red, black and silver, Michael Jackson jacket or sparkly glove are strongly encouraged.

Millenium Products, is once again, providing Synergy Drinks & Kombucha Tea (FREE) for rehydration after you have been dancing madly!

Darren Revell (Big Sonic Heaven, Indie 103.1fm) and I will be spinning a variety of music to get you rocking the dancefloor fever!

From Depeche Mode to Sonic Youth, Ladytron to Duran Duran, The Stone Roses to The Prodigy, Stevie Wonder to Killing Joke, The Cult to Royksopp, Ministry to Justice, Alex Metric to IAMX, we have you covered.

FREE RevellShok July Top Picks Mix CDs will be handed out during the night!
FOOD at Medusa Lounge is fantastic too, so save room for delicacies!
FREE admission from 9-10pm with RSVP and $5 after.

Bring your cameras & comfy shoes. Be prepared to have an amazing party.

We look forward to seeing you!!!

------
--- Shok (on behalf of RevellShok)
http://myspace.com/revellshok
http://revellshok.blogspot.com
RSVP for FREE entry 9-10pm here: http://bit.ly/rsff4


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active member at gazi

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funny how i'd never been to gazi before. the neighborhood, focused on an old natural gas factory, is now home to bars, restaurants, exhibits and cultural events.



active member gave a concert there last night, and as mr.g is a long-time fan, i took advantage of the opportunity to take a few shots. it wasn't easy for me since i hate using a flash...



i stood directly in front of the stage and actually sat on it for a while, looking at the audience more than the group. anyone familiar with low bap knows that it's more about content than melody, all of it social commentary. the audience spoke/sang the lyrics in unison with the group, with great intensity and passion. i was enthralled -- and i threw another pebble of hope onto my little pile.













i've added these images on the map on the original flickr page.

secrets of the parthenon

from nova, a must-see for anyone interested in science.

EDIT: watching it now. charalambos bouras (at about 6:20) was one of my professors :-)

china in the 1920s

via danwei

rush rush

i've been wanting to try some car trails in a swervy tunnel near my home for a long time now -- last night i finally got the nerve to try it. it seemed scary at first, but really, it's not so bad -- and it does have a thin sidewalk.


like it? click it!
there isn't enough traffic going through to get enough trails during a short interval without exposing too much of the tunnel, so i used a filter to extend the exposure. that ruled out the fisheye that i used on a daytime shot, from march, which really showed off the shape of the tunnel:

click to enlarge
i've placed the first image on the map on the original flickr page.

RIP Michael Jackson

I will Moonwalk today in your memory!

Moonwalk Heartattack?

KTLA affiliate announced Michael Jackson suffered a cardiac arrest.
News to follow.

Have you heard more about this?

The Fawcett is Off

Farrah Fawcett passed away this morning. Our fave feathered Charlie's Angel was taken by her long battle with cancer.

She was 62 and companioned with her long-time mate, ex-partner, Ryan O' Neal (star of Kubrick's Barry Lyndon and father of Tatum O' Neal).
Since the late 60s, she had been in various roles from a guest appearance on S.W.A.T., I Dream Of Jeannie, to a role in the hit, The Six Million Dollar Man, where she met her once husband, Lee Majors, to her most notable work as Jill Munroe in Charlie's Angels from mid-70s to 1980. She is the first Angle to pass.

Who else can claim to have been the catalyst to one of the biggest hair trends in history? Feathered Hair was her trademark. Did you see Cannonball Run? I know I did ;) When you were a child and saw that... she was hot stuff. So was Adrienne Barbeau too though. Many of the cast members from the film have passed away, including Dom DeLuise, who died last month on the 20th of May, also from cancer.

In Farrah's later years, she was infamous for her addictions and crude behavior including petty theft and urinating on a front lawn at a house party. She was also on several television roasts and often the brunt of jokes.

She will, however be remembered by me as the 70s/ early 80s feathered hottie!
I trust that sounds fair, coming from my childhood memories.

Goodbye Farrah, you will always be a Charlie's Angel!

Read Reuters report
Watch Charlie's Angels FREE on IMDB.com
more on Feathered Hair

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calatrava pedestrian bridge

i have a hard time taking pictures of architecture in athens. there are too many things in the way -- cars, signs, ads, all in chaotic disarray. it's frustrating and just plain ugly.


like any image? then please click on it!
i found myself the pedestrian bridge by santiago calatrava at the intersection of mesogeion and katehaki and thought i'd take a few shots -- but these awful elements were annoying. in the end, i decided that i'd focus a bit on the details. maybe i'll go back and try to take something more general, but, for now, you'll have to rely on flickr and google.














a more general view from the bridge itself:


one of the things that made an impression on me is how many people who cross the bridge actually stop and look around, for quite a long time. my private feeling is that the urban chaos is exhausting and people need a place to look out into the distance and collect their thoughts, unfettered by the details of daily existence.

here's one of the people i saw relaxing, looking out to the buildings beyond:



i've added this image to the map on the original flickr page.

is there an ocean within enceladus?

from cassini:


click pic to source
'for the first time, scientists working on NASA's cassini mission have detected sodium salts in ice grains of saturn's outermost ring. detecting salty ice indicates that saturn's moon enceladus, which primarily replenishes the ring with material from discharging jets, could harbor a reservoir of liquid water -- perhaps an ocean -- beneath its surface.'

read on....

(psssst.... i have a sneaking suspicion that they're going to find life or just-about-life around saturn, and i'm betting on enceladus.)

it's time for science and reason

from the center for inquiry

christopher hitchens vs william lane craig

does god exist?
biola university, april 2009

the lone bokeh rides again

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if you open your mind too much...

... your brain will fall out



love tim minchin
via RD

carl sagan's 'baloney detection kit' with michael shermer

via RD

Ed McMahon

Ed McMahon has passed and left us.

If you are 30 and above, you most certainly recall his co-hosting of Johnny Carson's Tonight Show and the famous introduction every week night, "Heeeeere's.... Johnny!!!".

He died today, at age 86, with his family surrounding him.


Besides his multi-decade run as co-host, he also was involved with many commercials and had another famous career with Publisher's Clearing house, where he would supposedly arrived at random subscriber's door steps with a huge check... literally a physically large-sized check.


Last year he pimped himself for an advertising campaign as a rapper!

His struggle with pneumonia is no more.

See you later

Read more about Ed at Reuters



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