7.31.18 … and to all a good night …

Driving Mama Lindsay …

Today was a little different. We headed out to Westview Cemetery via I 85, the Connector and I 20. Once in Westview, we drove straight to Daddy’s grave. Although I did not ask her, I wonder if it bothers her to know that this will be her last resting place. For those of you who knew my dad, do you get the epitaph? I remember that the lady who took the order did not get it.

After Westview, we headed downtown and took a spin around the Georgia State Capitol. I enjoyed all the statues including the newest of MLKjr. My great grandfather, grandfather and brother have all served in the Georgia Legislature.

After the capitol, we headed north on Peachtree St. I pointed out Edward’s current office building Suntrust Plaza, and I noted the modern lions on the Marquis Building. I’ve never seen a modern take on classic lions.

And then we drove north. I focused my commentary on the churches along our route, first Central Presbyterian near the Capitol, then First Methodist (Ann DeRosa, were you married here?), St. Luke’s Episcopal Church (so may friends were married here), North Avenue Presbyterian Church (my family’s church and where I was married), First Presbyterian Church (where I attended preschool and where I remember going to Christmas Eve services in high school and College) and the small public library nearby, Peachtree Christian Church (beautiful Tiffany windows), and the Temple. We also talked about the Fox Theater and the Woodruff Arts Center.

Then a drive through Brookwood Hills and of course a viewing of 139 Brighton.

Next we went to Arby’s and “enjoyed” their roast beef sandwiches and a coke float.

And finally, back to Lenbrook.

7.31.18

2.10.15 … waves iii …

“Solvitur Ambulando” – It is solved by walking, 2015 Labyrinth Walks, Davidson College Labyrinth and Peace Garden/Hobart Park, kith/kin:

Nothing could be finer than to meet your college roommate at Davidson for breakfast, a labyrinth walk and campus visit.

Enough said …

2.10.15

3.24.14 … Boo, Haman … Oh, and in case you missed it, ALL OF AMERICA IS ELIMINATED … First naked yoga … Now naked pilgrims …

Beth Hillel Congregation Bnai Emunah, Purim Carnival 2014, Wilmette Life: When I lived in Wilmette, a Jewish high school student came and taught Sunday School to elementary age students at our Presbyterian church. He taught on Purim.  It was a very fun day in Sunday School.

Explaining the costumes, games and obstacle courses of Purim Carnival 2014, Rabbi Michael Cohen described the celebration as “the Jewish version of Mardi Gras.”

…

“We’ve got all these kids dressing up, enjoying themselves, having a good time, it’s a wonderful thing,” said Cohen. “It fills up my heart with joy.”

Purim’s festive tone celebrates the events chronicled in the “Megillat Esther.”

Congregants typically read from the Biblical “Scroll of Esther,” which tells of a villain named Haman who tried to convince the king to kill the Jewish people. Fortunately, a noblewoman named Esther spoke up to save the day.

via Beth Hillel Congregation Bnai Emunah Purim Carnival 2014 | Wilmette Life.

Purim, The week’s best photojournalism – The Week:

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men wearing costumes celebrate the holiday of Purim in Jerusalem’s Mea Shearim neighborhood. (REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
via The week’s best photojournalism – The Week.

 

Modern Art Desserts UK-based, Gustav Klimt: Fun food!

After I wrote about Modern Art Desserts, UK-based Hungarian reader Gabriella Szucs sent me this photo of a brilliant Klimt cake she baked for a cupcake competition in Northampton.

More edible homages to modern art here.

via Explore – After I wrote about Modern Art Desserts, UK-based….

101 Things I Will Teach My Daughters, Thought Catalog:  Loved this!

28. Classy is a relative term.

29. Drink whiskey if you like whiskey.

30. Drink wine if you like wine.

31. Like what you like.

via 101 Things I Will Teach My Daughters | Thought Catalog.

Gus Mayopoulos, Charlotte native, Harvard’s student council: Charlotte Latin graduate Gus Mayopoulos got elected president of the undergraduate council, sort of like the student council, at Harvard … and it all started out as a joke.

And while that may not sound all that funny – Mayopoulos, 21, the son of Amy Lefkof and Fannie Mae president Tim Mayopoulos, is the kind of well-educated young person who could be expected to hit a high bar for achievement. Still, how it happened is, actually, pretty funny.

First, it wasn’t supposed to happen at all. Mayopoulos ran as vice president on a two-man ticket with his roommate, Sam Clark. Their platform was a joke: A promise to get two-ply toilet paper in the dorms and more tomato basil ravioli soup in the campus dining halls.

“We were irreverent and we were making it distinctly not serious,” admits Mayopoulos, a junior who was home in Charlotte last week on spring break.

Goofing on serious things, he says, is Harvard tradition. After all, the Cambridge, Mass., school is the home of the Harvard Lampoon, and Hasty Pudding Theatricals. Mayopoulos writes for the campus publication Satire V (it spells “veritas” backward) and performs with a comedy troupe, On Thin Ice.

Clark and Mayopoulos, however, ran a well-organized joke campaign, even joining in a public debate.

Then the funny thing started to happen: Their campaign attracted support. It began to look like they might, improbably, win. So they talked it over and decided that if elected, they wouldn’t serve.

“ ‘We started it as a joke and we should end it as a joke,’ ” Mayopoulos says they agreed.

So what happened? They got elected. Clark stepped down. And Gus … well, Gus didn’t.

via Charlotte’s Gus Mayopoulos leads Harvard’s student council | CharlotteObserver.com.

Wall Poems, public art, Charlotte NC:  I noticed this “wall poem” today for the first time.   One thing I love about Charlotte is its public art.  This poem  by A.R. Ammons on the Dandelion Deli is the first of a series and was installed in 2013.  There are now two.  I wonder what poem will pop up next?

 

The first wall poem, completed April 2013

via The Wall Poems of Charlotte – Home.

…

“The necessity for poetry is one of the most fundamental traits of the human race.”

– Amy Lowell

…

The Wall Poems of Charlotte are murals that bring poetry to the people, all of whom deserve access to it and to whom it belongs.

The project celebrates NC’s literary heritage: All poems are by North Carolina writers. And it heralds the creative career programs at Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC), whose Advertising + Graphic Design students design the murals.

Over time, the wall poems will make up a walking tour based on the Leiden Walls in Holland, where 101 poems large and small grace city buildings for residents and tourists to discover and enjoy.

via About – The Wall Poems of Charlotte.

G7/G8, Putin, Ukraine/Crimea invasion:

The leaders are trying to isolate Russia politically and economically, but the suspension also aimed to bruise Putin’s ago. He cares about Russia’s prestige and standing on the world stage, administration officials said, so his exclusion from the group should sting.

via G-7 countries to skip Russian summit – Carrie Budoff Brown – POLITICO.com.

 Goethe, Psychology of Color and Emotion, Brain Pickings:

One of Goethe’s most radical points was a refutation of Newton’s ideas about the color spectrum, suggesting instead that darkness is an active ingredient rather than the mere passive absence of light.

…light and darkness, brightness and obscurity, or if a more general expression is preferred, light and its absence, are necessary to the production of colour… Colour itself is a degree of darkness.

But perhaps his most fascinating theories explore the psychological impact of different colors on mood and emotion — ideas derived by the poet’s intuition, which are part entertaining accounts bordering on superstition, part

prescient insights corroborated by hard science some two centuries later, and part purely

via Goethe on the Psychology of Color and Emotion | Brain Pickings.

recipes, artichokes: 11 Recipes for Artichokes, Both Fresh and Jarred

Naked Tourists,  Machu Picchu, News from the Field | OutsideOnline.com: First naked yoga … Now naked pilgrims!

Peruvian officials are cracking down on naked tourism at Machu Picchu after three separate incidents this month. Four Americans were detained for stripping down and taking photos on March 14, and similar incidents occurred with both Canadian and Australian tourists earlier this month.
“There are places in the world that people can get naked, but not all places are for getting undressed,” Alfredo Atayupanqui, the director of archaeological resources for Peru’s Ministry of Culture, told CNN.
An Israeli man has taken naked tourism to new heights by creating a website called My Naked Trip, in which he shares his naked photos from around the world, including his visit to Machu Picchu.
In Peru, officials are not amused by the rise of nudity at the country’s premiere travel destination. Regulations are expected to tighten, according to the Peruvian Times.
via Naked Tourists Hit Machu Picchu | News from the Field | OutsideOnline.com.

2014 NCAA Basketball Tournament, Billion Buffett Perfect NCAA Bracket, March Madness: Did anyone think that no entry would survive the first (actually) second) round?

UPDATE: Memphis won. ALL OF AMERICA IS ELIMINATED.
via Billion Buffett Perfect NCAA Bracket: These 6 Entries Left | SportsGrid.

MLB Memes:

March 21
How we ALL feel about our brackets right about now
from @rileybreck — with Terry Williams.

Girl Scout Cookies, Thin Mints, first world problems: It makes my life all the more difficult that thin mints freeze perfectly and taste even better frozen. So just when you least need them, they are there waiting in the perfect state. #firstworldproblems

easter eggs, easter tree, The week’s best photojournalism, The Week:

German pensioner Volker Kraft adds Easter eggs to his apple tree in the eastern German town of Saalfeld. Each year since 1965, Volker and his wife Christa have spent up to two weeks decorating the tree with their collection of 10,000 hand-painted eggs. (REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch)
via The week’s best photojournalism – The Week.

Lance Dodes,  ‘The Sober Truth’, NPR:

Since its founding in the 1930s, Alcoholics Anonymous has become part of the fabric of American society. AA and the many 12-step groups it inspired have become the country’s go-to solution for addiction in all of its forms. These recovery programs are mandated by drug courts, prescribed by doctors and widely praised by reformed addicts.

Dr. Lance Dodes sees a big problem with that. The psychiatrist has spent more than 20 years studying and treating addiction. His latest book on the subject is The Sober Truth: Debunking The Bad Science Behind 12-Step Programs And The Rehab Industry.

Dodes tells NPR’s Arun Rath that 12-step recovery simply doesn’t work, despite anecdotes about success.

“We hear from the people who do well; we don’t hear from the people who don’t do well,” he says.

via Author Interview: Lance Dodes, Author Of ‘The Sober Truth’ : NPR.

Fred Rogers, quotes, March 20: The Neighborhood is such a great place. And the sweater, just love the sweater.

 

“Love isn’t a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like struggle. To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.” – Fred Rogers, born on this day in 1928.

Donna Leon, mystery series, Venice: I  just got a recommendation for this author from one of my mom’s friends at Lenbrook. Her mysteries are set in Venice. Any one read her books? The official site for author Donna Leon.

11.10.13 … ‏Godspeed, ‏@AstroKarenN! …

‏@AstroKarenN, ISS:   Ever since my classmate was on the ISS, I have loved following the ISS astronauts.  Godspeed, ‏@AstroKarenN!

Karen L. Nyberg

‏@AstroKarenN

Going home! pic.twitter.com/jEuhO1F1EA

via Twitter / AstroKarenN: Going home! http://t.co/jEuhO1F1EA.

Cats in the Cradle-ing, Modern Family:  Just thought this an interesting pop culture reference.

Back on the course, it’s down to the final hole, and Mitchell needs to sink a putt to win the match. Phil likes what Jay has done for him, given that his own father was often too supportive. (PHIL: He even set up my tumbling equipment and wanted to be the loudest voice in the crowd. “Hey everybody! Check out my son’s equipment!”) Jay wishes Mitchell good luck and says he’s proud of him no matter what, but Pepper puts a stop to that. Jay’s Cats in the Cradle-ing him, trying to get Mitch to lose his angry edge. Pepper did the same thing to his Navy SEAL son but not to worry, Mitchell drops that putt in the bottom of the cup. Jay congratulates him and Mitchell believes him when Jay says that he wasn’t Cats in the Cradle-ing him. Jay hates the song, natch, but Phil’s never even heard it so Pepper plays it for them, and the waterworks start. Mitch admits he ought to have golfed with Jay sooner, and Jay admits that he never made the time, and Phil’s so upset about not going to Luke’s play, he skips golfing with his client and runs to the school.

via A Slight at the Opera – Modern Family Wiki.

The 23 Best Nelson Mandela Quotes | Deseret News.

breast cancer awareness month, October 2013: In years past I have enjoyed the competition of individuals,  communities and businesses to raise awareness for breast cancer research.  For some reason, this year was not as interesting … but I got a good chuckle out of this one.

In honor of breast cancer awareness month…mammo grahams.

international geocaching day: A while back it was international geocaching day …

Happy day to my geocaching friends, Mark and J.t.!http://www.dates.abouttravelingtheworld.com/special-holidays/international-geocaching-day/

For adventure-seekers out there, this is for you: International Geocaching Day. Geocaching Day is  a designated day for hunting treasures placed in a cache using Global Positioning System or GPS.

via INTERNATIONAL GEOCACHING DAY 2013 | UNIQUE HOLIDAY.

tv binging, House of Cards: I’ve surrendered … Episode one of the House of Cards ..

yarn bombing, public art: I have seen pics of a few of these … They just make laugh …

Granny Friendly Graffiti? Yarn Bombing takes over. by David Smith

Granny Friendly Graffiti? Yarn Bombing takes over. | Art News and Events | Rise Art.

Coming soon to a city near you? Yarn Bombing has seen a steady rise in popularity and has been referred to by knitters and police as the polite graffiti. Knitters take their colourful craft out onto the street and cover iconic and ordinary urban objects with multicoloured fuzz.  The trend, known by some as guerrilla knitting aims to brighten up and subvert the everyday in urban environments. Here\’s a few of our favourites:

via Granny Friendly Graffiti? Yarn Bombing takes over. | Art News and Events | Rise Art.

The nonprofit\’s display is the latest iteration of the craft trend that\’s been coloring city streets for about a decade; Yarn bombing, the act of crocheting and knitting unexpected pieces for public display. Leanne Prain, author of Yarn Bombing who may have coined the term, says \”bombing\” is a word often used in street art to describe \”something explosive you do really fast,\” like \”spraypaint subway cars\” and now, cover public property in knitting. Hurry and take an iPhone picture, because the pops of woven color go up quickly and have limited life-spans.

via Yarn bombs color streets, strengthen communities.

Cowbell, Burgers That Rock , Charlotte Magazine, Charlotte NC: John ate here recently … mammoth burgers.

From the group behind Mortimer’s and Leroy Fox, Cowbell has an energetic vibe, and it’s riddled with pop-culture references. Portraits of rock icons including Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, all by local artists, decorate the walls, along with a rotating collection of vinyl, neon lights, song lyrics, and two flat-screen TVs that play an ever-changing selection of music videos. But the dining area doesn’t feel cheesy or theatrical—instead, it’s swanky and sleek, with dark leather seating and reclaimed wood tables. A large wraparound bar with a striking double herringbone pattern offers additional seating at the back of the restaurant, but the best seat in the house is the large booth right in front, nicknamed the “mob booth,” offering great views of the dining room and the street.

via Cowbell: Burgers That Rock – Charlotte Magazine – June 2013 – Charlotte, NC.

Obamacare, tweet:  Telling …

Nick Confessore (@nickconfessore)

10/22/13, 5:15 PM Only fair that Obamacare enrollees have to deal with the same bureaucratic red tape + incompetence as everyone else with private insurance.

baby naming:

Baby naming generally follows a consistent cycle: A name springs up in some region of the U.S.—”Ashley” in the South, “Emily” in the Northeast—sweeps over the country, and falls out of favor nearly as quickly. The big exception to these baby booms and busts is “Jennifer”, which absolutely dominates America for a decade-and-a-half. If youre named Jennifer and you were born between 1970 and 1984, dont worry! Im sure you have a totally cool, unique middle name.

via A Wondrous GIF Shows the Most Popular Baby Names for Girls Since 1960 – Rebecca J. Rosen – The Atlantic.

 

really dumb: David Hall and Glenn Taylor, the two men responsible for toppling a rock formation in Goblin Valley, have been removed from their position as Boy Scout leaders on the Utah National Parks Council. The Council called the actions “reprehensible” and said they violated the Scouting principle of leave no trace.

Do you think they deserved to lose their positions or have things gone too far in response to the toppling incident?

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/57025473-78/hall-taylor-gailey-leaders.html.csp

Jane Austen, quotes:

Jane Austen ‏@DailyJaneAusten 3m

“It is not every man’s fate to marry the woman who loves him best.” ― Jane Austen, Emma

Expand

via Twitter.

gardening, Mulch Madness / Pike Nurseries, diy:

March is a great time to freshen your mulch.

Adding a layer of fresh mulch makes your beds look neat and tidy.

What is mulch? Mulch is a layer of material added to the top of the soil surface in garden beds which is most often pine straw, hardwood mulch, pine bark mulch and cedar, but sometimes stone, pebbles or marble chips are also used.

There are many benefits that mulch provides your garden beds. It is essential to your garden in cooler months because it prevents cold damage by keeping the ground warmer. Year round mulch helps to hold moisture in the ground around your plants and slows down the evaporation rate. Mulch also helps to keep weeds under control.

As mulch breaks down it also add rich organic matter to your garden. Refresh your mulch a couple of times a year. Always keep a layer that is about 1.5 to 2 inches deep.

via Mulch Madness / Pike Nurseries.

worth thinking about, Wes Barry, F3: Fitness Fellowship Faith:

As I ran along the river, I passed numerous people and greeted them.  But on the way back I went by a young woman near tears sitting on a bench obviously in the sifter.  I felt this nudging to stop and ask her if she was okay, but sprinted on.  Then it struck me, the back of my shirt had Fitness, Fellowship and FAITH written on it, as I just turned my back on her in order to keep my min/mile split at a decent pace.

via Gearing Up | F3 – Fitness, Fellowship, Faith.

FoodNetwork, splurge:

Splurge this morning! Fill a halved croissant with chocolate chips and sliced strawberries. Grill in a panini press. #FNMag

via (7) Twitter.

10.2.13 … a trifling place … I beg to differ …

Charlotte, public art, George Washington, ” a trifling place” :  A trifling place … I beg to differ …

President George Washington called Charlotte, a “trifling place” during his visit to the city in 1791. But it’s certainly changed since then.

WFAE’s Tasnim Shamma explores the ins-and-outs of Charlotte in this podcast

via A Trifling Place | WFAE.

Four statues at each corner of the intersection further distinguish the square. These statues are the subject of this edition of A Trifling Place.

So there’s a lot of history at this particular intersection and a lot to celebrate. Including what I’ve heard referred to as the Communist-looking statues on the square. You can’t miss them. They’re 24-feet tall bronze sculptures on the four corners of Trade and Tryon Street in uptown Charlotte. They each weigh about 5,000 pounds.

I need a history lesson. So I recruited Nicole Bartlett, program director of public art at the Arts & Science Council. She was my teacher for the day.

“The Sculptures on the Square,”  as they’re known, were made by Raymond Kaskey and represent Commerce, Industry, Transportation and the Future. The sculptures were dedicated in 1995 and were a gift from The Queen’s Table, a local philanthropic group. They fund some of the big public art projects in Charlotte.

via A Trifling Place, Episode 8: The Story Behind Those Big Statues On Independence Square | WFAE.

The ordinance, adopted 10 years ago, established a consistent funding source for public art in Charlotte-Mecklenburg by appropriating 1 percent of eligible capital improvement project funds for public art. The ordinance ensures that artworks enhance our public spaces and become an integral part of urban and economic development efforts.

One of the first projects that came as a result of the ordinance is the public artwork found at Time Warner Cable Arena (formerly Charlotte Bobcats Arena), which opened in 2005 in uptown Charlotte.

“Once Charlotte and Mecklenburg County’s ordinances were adopted… funds were set aside for public art at the city’s proposed uptown arena,” Greer recalled. “Many months of behind- the -scenes planning with municipal staff and architects transpired before artists could be invited to apply. Volunteer selection committees reviewed the work of hundreds of artists and interviewed dozens.”

via A look into the arena of public art | A Vibrant Cultural Life.

…

In late 2002, Mecklenburg County adopted The Public Art Ordinance, which was soon after adopted by the city of Charlotte. This ordinance appropriates one percent of eligible capital improvement funds for public art. In the decade since then, 67 public art pieces have been completed or are in progress. There will be a celebration of 10 years of public art later this month in Charlotte, and before that, we’ll talk about what constitutes public art, what the benefits of it are, and the role public art plays in Charlotte moving forward, when Charlotte Talks.

via Public Art In The Queen City | WFAE.

9.26.13 … GREAT DAY TO BE A CLASS OF ’82 WILDCAT… @AstroMarshburn comes home …

Davidson College Class of ’82, Tom Marshburn, NASA, ISS, @AstroMarshburn, public art, Jaume Plensa!:  It was a GREAT DAY TO BE A CLASS OF ’82 WILDCAT … Thanks, Tom (and Ann & Grace).  We walked the campus. Love the new sculpture (which looks a bit like Tom in his spacesuit loaded into the Soyuz rocket!)*

**

Then we gathered for a reception and dinner at Carol Quillen, President of the College.

We then ambled down to Duke Performance Hall   where Tom spoke for about an hour.  Tom was great.

John and I with Davidson’s own Big Bang Theory cast! — with Tom  Marshburn and others.

And here’s a summary of his talk …

The fact that people a hundred years ago could figure out the laws of physics, how things move, without seeing it, is really amazing,” Marshburn said.

Marshburn described an experiment one of his fellow astronauts conducted during his spare time, in which granules of salt loose in an air-filled plastic bag began to clump together, something that could never be seen on Earth. This discovery was important to the way physicists theorize the formation of the universe.

“We understood how basketball-sized objects could come together to form planets, but we didn’t understand how particles could come together to form basketball-sized objects,” Marshburn explained.

Other experiments conducted on the space station have important real-world application here on Earth. One such experiment looked at capillary action, the process by which water flows through narrow spaces without the assistance of outside forces. What astronauts on the ISS learned about capillary action is currently being used to develop a handheld device that could conduct simple blood tests that currently require an entire medical laboratory.

“The reason why fluid engineers and physicists were doing the experiment was because it would be nice to have fuel tanks in space that don’t need pumps,” Marshburn said. “It turned out there were engineers on the ground that figured out that fluids in space act like very tiny amounts of fluid, microliters of fluid, [act] on the ground … That’s one of my favorite [experiments] because the medical application is so clear. A spaceflight need translated into a solution for NASA, but also for a medical purpose on Earth.”

While he’s unsure if his future holds a second sojourn aboard the ISS, Marshburn said that the most beautiful thing he saw in space was looking at the Earth and knowing it was his home.

“Looking at the planet Earth, the thing that jumps out at everyone first is the Bahamas, the emerald greens and blues. But over time as I looked at the Earth, I began to fall in love with the Earth again. And you learn to recognize places … and after that, my favorite place to look at was my home.”

via Back at home, Marshburn recounts the ‘magic of space’ | DavidsonNews.net.

*(updated 9.26.13 @ 10;00PM) John Syme writes the best Davidson College stories and now I’m thinking that sculpture at the beginning really does look like Tom 🙂 …

At the end of his presentation, when Marshburn’s PowerPoint relinquished the screen to his computer’s desktop, the juxtaposition of astronaut and regular guy came into focus: next to desktop folders marked “Cosmonauts” and “Award Debriefs” were others marked “Invest and Retire” and that old, familiar standby, “Files I Never Use.”

And in the “Launch Pad Tunes” folder? U2’s “It’s a Beautiful Day,” Joe Satriani’s “Summer Song” and Muse, maybe a little “Uprising”?….

…

He also regaled us with the story of the “party of the century,” held in the JJ House that year, a costume party with the theme of dressing up as your repressed desire. Already as a 20-year-old, though, he knew his own desire to be an astronaut, and showed up wrapped in tin foil and sporting a borrowed motorcycle helmet….

via Daybook Davidson.

**(updated 9.27.13 @ 9:00AM) One friend spotted the picture of the sculpture and recognized it as a Jaume Plensa.  It is indeed a Jaume Plensa!

9.25.13 … the Fallen …

Arromanches beach, Normandy, Peace Day, public art, the Fallen: Last Saturday was Peace Day (International Day of Peace (United Nations) 2013). I was overwhelmed by “the Fallen,” a very temporary public art installation.

A pair of British artists have created this stunning installation of 9,000 silhouettes on a D-Day Landings beach to mark international Peace Day.

The project, named, ‘The Fallen’ is a tribute to the civilians, German forces and Allies who lost their lives during the Operation Neptune landing on June 6, 1944.

The design was the brainchild of Jamie Wardley, 33, and Andy Moss, 50.

Together with a team of volunteers the pair travelled to Arromanches beach, Normandy, to create the silhouettes, which were individually drawn into the sand.

via Peace Day: Reminder of millions of lives lost in war as artists stencil 9,000 bodies onto Normandy beach | Mail Online.

8.20.13 … I know a few risk takers … Physicist Erwin Schrödinger’s Google Doodle, … LumoBack … Challenging 2013-14 Men’s Basketball Schedule … Lincoln Logs … Braves’ Stadium Waffle House … vanity plate game … Grilled Pineapple Berry Basil Galette … meditation … Mowbyrinth … Ridiculously Interacting with Statues …

troubled teens,  successful entrepreneurs, Real Time Economics – WSJ:  Loved this … I know a few risk takers. 🙂

The economists find that self-employed workers with incorporated businesses were almost three times more likely to engage in illicit and risky activities as youth than were salaried workers. These behaviors include but aren’t limited to shoplifting, marijuana use, playing hooky at school, drug dealing and assault. In addition, the self-employed with incorporated businesses were more educated, more likely to come from high-earning, two-parent families, were more apt to score higher on learning aptitude tests and exhibit greater self-esteem than other employment types. “Of course, you have to be smart,” says Mr. Levine. “But it’s a unique combination of breaking rules and being smart that helps you become an entrepreneur.”

These qualities also have a downside. Risk-taking tendencies in combination with high self-esteem make successful entrepreneurs prone to dangerous lapses in judgement, the Wall Street Journal reported in June, finding that many financial advisers have to keep their entrepreneur clients in check.

But on the whole, entrepreneurship does pay off. The economists find that individuals who left their salaried jobs to start incorporated businesses work more hours but also earn more per hour than other employment types, and those who start successful incorporated enterprises enjoy substantially larger boosts in earnings relative to their own wages as salaried workers. The results show “that entrepreneurship, at the median, pays — and it offers the possibility of comparably enormous returns,” the researchers write.

via Troubled Teens Make More Successful Entrepreneurs – Real Time Economics – WSJ.

Physicist Erwin Schrödinger, Google Doodle, quantum mechanics work, technology, theguardian.com: Loved this doodle … learned something too.

In subsequent years, he repeatedly criticised conventional interpretations of quantum mechanics by using the paradox of what would become known as Schrödinger’s cat. This thought experiment was designed to illustrate what he saw as the problems surrounding application of the conventional, so-called “Copenhagen interpretation” of quantum mechanics to everyday objects.

Other work focused on different fields of physics, including statistical mechanics, thermodynamics and colour theory. In a celebrated 1944 book, What Is Life?, he turned to the problems of genetics, taking a close look at the phenomenon of life from the point of view of physics.

via Physicist Erwin Schrödinger’s Google doodle marks quantum mechanics work | Technology | theguardian.com.

gadgets, LumoBack:  I love gadgets …

The Wall Street Journal

The LumoBack is a $150 sensor that straps around your lower waist to track your posture, vibrating whenever you start slouching. Our review: http://on.wsj.com/1d6LFZ6

Would you get this app? What apps do you use to help track your health?

via Facebook.

Davidson College, Davidson Basketball, 2013-14 Men’s Basketball Schedule:   Challenging!  We’ll get a chance to prove ourselves …

In addition to non-conference games with Duke, Virginia, North Carolina and 2013 Final Four participant Wichita State, Davidson’s 2013-14 men’s basketball schedule will include an appearance in the Charleston Classic, as announced by head coach Bob McKillop Tuesday.

via Davidson College Athletics – Davidson Unveils Challenging 2013-14 Men’s Basketball Schedule.

Lincoln Logs,  Mental Floss (@mental_floss):   In the back of my mind I knew this …

Mental Floss (@mental_floss)

8/13/13, 10:02 AM

Lincoln Logs were invented by Frank Lloyd Wright’s son.

Braves’ Stadium, Waffle House:  I love Waffle House!

Last month, the Atlanta Braves became the first major league team with a Waffle House concession stand at their stadium. A lot has happened since that Waffle House opened.

posted on August 6, 2013 at 4:42pm EDT

Dan Oshinsky

BuzzFeed Staff

Share3KTweet484EmailPin itReact

On July 26, the Atlanta Braves opened a Waffle House at Turner Field, their home stadium. So what’s happened since?

via 14 Things That Have Happened Since A Waffle House Opened In The Braves’ Stadium.

vanity plate game: From George Takei’s photo …

August 15

Let’s play the vanity plate game. This clever one you should get in 5 seconds. No liking otherwise…and no giving it away.

Grilled Pineapple Berry Basil Galette, recipe, Pillsbury.com: yum …

Blogger Lana Stuart of Never Enough Thyme celebrates the start of grilling season with this easy-to-make freeform galette using Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crust.SavePrintEmailReviewAddToGroceryList+

via Grilled Pineapple Berry Basil Galette recipe from Pillsbury.com.

mindfulness meditation:

Mindfulness meditation is essentially cognitive fitness with a humanist face.

Great read on how meditation works. Pair with a lesson in mindfulness from Sherlock Holmes.

via Explore – Mindfulness meditation is essentially cognitive….

How Meditation Works, Liz Kulze – The Atlantic:

 And yet, people are doing it. Millions of them, whether as part of a medical treatment, in group classes, or alone in the privacy of their homes. But like with regular juicing or weekly acupuncture appointments, the question isn’t whether beneficial physiological change is possible, but rather, how far can such change go to help us?

It goes without saying that some time to ourselves, quietly sitting and slowly breathing, will prove to calm us down after a stressful day, but when it comes to life’s most mentally taxing episodes — death, disaster, disease — how much good can mindfulness meditation really do?

via How Meditation Works – Liz Kulze – The Atlantic.

labyrinth,  back yard, Mowbyrinth:  Shared by a friend on FB. 🙂

Michelle Hiskey

Follow · 15 hours ago via iOS

And what to my wondering eyes should appear but a labyrinth in our back yard. Mowbyrinth by Ben Smith!

People Ridiculously Interacting with Statues [19 Pictures], public art, interaction:  My kids hate it when I pose or even worse make them pose with statues. Some of these are really fun. 🙂

People Ridiculously Interacting with Statues [19 Pictures]

via People Ridiculously Interacting with Statues [19 Pictures] – 9 Laughs.

8.4.13 … ‘Spirit Waves Fountain’ …

Davidson College Campus, public art, ‘Spirit Waves Fountain’, DavidsonNews.net:  I love all the new art!

Workers at Davidson College this week are assembling the latest addition to the campus’s outdoor sculpture collection, a work called “Spirit Waves Fountain” by Texas artist Jesús Moroles. The piece, carved from Texas pink granite, is being installed in the courtyard behind the Sloan Music Center, and it’s the college’s first to include a water feature.

The central component of Spirit Waves Fountain is a wavy, 10-foot granite pillar weighing more than a ton. The pillar sits in the middle of a circle of grooved flat stones, with a raised bench around the perimeter. Viewers may sit on the bench and watch water slowly trickle down the pillar from a basin at its top.

The sculpture is a gift from Dr. Hugh “Chip” McAllister, a 1961 Davidson graduate who knows the artist and previously housed the work on his property in Houston. McAllister is also a generous supporter of the Davidson Research Initiative and other college enterprises.

Lia Newman, director of the William H. Van Every/Edward M. Smith Galleries, orchestrated the installation of “Spirit Waves Fountain,” and said it represents a first in the Campus Sculpture Program.

“This piece is more abstract than many other sculptures on campus, which are figurative, or evocative of the human body,” she explained. “This is a sculpture everyone can enjoy. It becomes part of the landscape and encourages interaction in a different way than other works on campus.”

via Campus gains a sculpture: ‘Spirit Waves Fountain’ | DavidsonNews.net.

3.3.13 – 3.8.13 … Big Dog Count … people watching … public art … and did I mention the food, foodie heaven!

My week in CO was highlighted by big dogs everywhere … What a treat!

March 3

Denver to Boulder

First (and only in CO), Molly and I noticed a limo with ski bins on the roof and then immediately after we saw this truck/camper with solar panels.

Vail CO

2 Bernese Mountain dogs 🙂 and lots of public art. 🙂 🙂 (And my kids hate it when I make them pose with the art!)

 

 

    

March 4

Boulder CO

White large curly dog … possibly a tan  Portuguese water dog or a yellow labradoodle

Dinner at Brasserie Ten Ten … the MOELLE OSSEUSE (roasted bone marrow, fleur de sel, poached port shallot relish & ten ten mustard) was divine, as was ET’s uneaten sautéed spaghetti squash and spinach

March 5

Boulder CO

Large white dog like Karen Harris’  dog … a Great Pyrenees

Lunch again at Brassserie Ten Ten.  Molly had tomato bisque,  and I had a salad with fresh Trout.

   

And then there was the BIG boxer in the ladies dress shop.

  

At Bayleaf I discovered that my favorite chocolate bar, Chocolove, is local to Boulder,  and Bayleaf has its own featured bar, dark chocolate, almonds, toffee and sea salt. Since my favorite is dark chocolate, almonds and sea salt … the addition of toffee was phenomenal.

And then it began to snow …

For dinner we ate  at The Med where we had one of everything off the Happy Hour menu. 🙂  After dinner, we headed to Denver for the musical “Catch Me if You Can.”

March 6

Denver CO

I dragged Molls a good 30 minutes out of our way to get doughnuts at one of “America’s Best.”  Although good, Walton Donuts was  no where near as good as Voodoo donuts in Portland. For me it was “Not Worth the Drive.” 😦

Here, the Tigertail is where it’s at.

via America’s Best Donuts- Page 22 – Articles | Travel + Leisure.

Vail CO

Only big dog was a huge basset sculpture in a Vail art gallery 🙂

We ate lunch at a small sandwich shop in Vail Village and the had a most excellent dinner thanks to Jack’s housemate Adam’s family.

March 7

Really big collie

People on packed am bus …

• Older woman
• Neon 3-some
• Bright yellow thin woman with long pony tail and 2-year-old girl in black pants and red jacket  with cupie doll hair and white sun glasses.
• Another older woman all in black.

Breakfast at Starbucks … Talk about inflated prices 🙂

Lunch … a sandwich.

And finally Mols and I skied.  We had a great instructor, Jonathan our guide who very quickly got us to the top!

Interesting note … since there are no labyrinths in Vail, I have had to put aside my  2013 Lenten labyrinth walks for 2 days … I then realized that Jonathan, to improve my very rusty skiing,  was telling me to relax by using my  breathing as my guide … same thing that you do when you are meditating or practicing  centered prayer … everything is coming full circle.

   

On Thursday night we had inner at Atwater with the Boston Mancation crowd. I had excellent trout!  And then the Grown Boys had chocolate milk and cookies for dessert.

Atwater on Gore Creek, Vail Cascade’s signature creekside restaurant, is an authentic Colorado grill offering a journey through the world of creative cuisine, handcrafted brews, customized beer flights and artisan food pairings.via Vail Dining & Restaurants | Vail Cascade – Atwater on Gore Creek | Vail Colorado Restaurants.

And today’s big dogs … besides the really big collie …

• Brown lab pink collar
• Brown lab orange collar
• Black lab blue collar
• Black lab red collar

March 8

• Really big collie, again
• Yellow lab @dazbog.  Dazbog is known for its beignets which were good, but Jackie the lab stole the show.

• Brown lab/orange collar
• Black lab/blue collar

OK, this is definitely strange public art.  It’s a Lego Volvo SUV.

Doggies in the window …

Skiing was slightly more arduous today … but still fun.  Then lunch at Westside which has phenomenal benes and bloodies  with a draft side car … enough said!

The World’s Best Bloody Mary!

Garlic & Pepper Infused Vodka with our home made bloody mix, and a draft side car

Served in an oversized, 18oz Goblet Glass!

via Best Breakfast In Vail: Dine In or Take Out: Call 970-476-7890.

Another Bernese in the car on the way out of the Westside Cafe!

And finally a very large white dog walking near Jack’s apartment.

 

 🙂