like it? click it!
the OTE building as reflected on the aspis building across kifissias avenue in athens.
i've added this to the flickr page map.
Monday, November 30, 2009
sip
like it? click it!
the OTE building as reflected on the aspis building across kifissias avenue in athens.
i've added this to the flickr page map.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
existing in a narrow depth of field
like it? really??! click it, then...
i don't know the future and have forgotten most of my past. all i have is now.
why do people laugh at creationists - installment 31
...featuring the current star of ignorant creationism, ray comfort!
i added this to the perpetually enriched playlist of thunderf00t's videos.
i added this to the perpetually enriched playlist of thunderf00t's videos.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
pink cyclamen
like it? click it!
a gift from mr.G. i thought i should shoot it before my lack of green thumb proves dire.
shot against my favorite black background in the late afternoon sun.
at home in the cosmos with annie druyan: a trailer
more information at podjockey!
video description:
'this amazing set of original podcasts features ann druyan's intimate accounts of her life with carl sagan, including their colorful histories growing up in brooklyn and queens. she takes you on a tour of their amazing home in ithaca, and shares some of her most treasured memories and possessions. she talks about their collaborative projects including the interstellar voyager message, motion picture contact, groundbreaking documentary COSMOS, and best selling books - as well as their family life and the story book love affair that they shared. she takes you on a tour of the never before seen sagan archives and sits at his graveside while talking about her own philosophy of life and death.'
thanks to the sagan appreciation society for the information!
martian meteorite surrenders new secrets of possible life
on spaceflight now:
click pic to source
'compelling new data that chemical and fossil evidence of ancient microbial life on mars was carried to earth in a martian meteorite is being elevated to a higher plane by the same NASA team which made the initial discovery 13 years ago.
sources tell spaceflight now that the new data are providing a powerful new case for the allen hills meteorite to have carried strong evidence of martian life to earth -- evidence that is increasingly standing up to scrutiny as new analytical tools are used to examine the specimen.'
continue reading...
click pic to source
'compelling new data that chemical and fossil evidence of ancient microbial life on mars was carried to earth in a martian meteorite is being elevated to a higher plane by the same NASA team which made the initial discovery 13 years ago.
sources tell spaceflight now that the new data are providing a powerful new case for the allen hills meteorite to have carried strong evidence of martian life to earth -- evidence that is increasingly standing up to scrutiny as new analytical tools are used to examine the specimen.'
continue reading...
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
the heart -- and hypocrisy -- of the abortion matter
from msnbc:
'in a breathtakingly tight argument, chris matthews corners rhode island bishop thomas tobin, who has banned rep. patrick kennedy, d-r.i., from receiving holy communion due to his views on abortion.
because here's the moral hypocrisy at the heart of the church's abortion position: if it's really and truly murder, you're talking about prosecuting mothers, sisters, lovers and friends for having them. tweety is quite aggressive with the bishop, demanding to know exactly what legal penalties he thinks should be legislated.'
more...
via RD
this provoked an instant flashback to this video from 2007, where anti-abortion demonstrators were asked what the punishment should be for women who got abortions if abortion became illegal:
click pic to youtube video
'in a breathtakingly tight argument, chris matthews corners rhode island bishop thomas tobin, who has banned rep. patrick kennedy, d-r.i., from receiving holy communion due to his views on abortion.
because here's the moral hypocrisy at the heart of the church's abortion position: if it's really and truly murder, you're talking about prosecuting mothers, sisters, lovers and friends for having them. tweety is quite aggressive with the bishop, demanding to know exactly what legal penalties he thinks should be legislated.'
visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
more...
via RD
this provoked an instant flashback to this video from 2007, where anti-abortion demonstrators were asked what the punishment should be for women who got abortions if abortion became illegal:
click pic to youtube video
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
saturnian northern lights
northern aurora in motion:
click to source at ciclops!
'an aurora, shining high above the northern part of saturn, moves from the night side to the day side of the planet in this movie recorded by cassini.
these observations, taken over four days, represent the first visible-light video of saturn's auroras. they show tall auroral curtains, rapidly changing over time when viewed at the limb, or edge, of the planet's northern hemisphere. the sequence of images also reveals that saturn's auroral curtains, the sheet-like formations of light-emitting atmospheric molecules, stretch up along saturn's magnetic field and reach heights of more than 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) above the planet's limb. these are the tallest known "northern lights" in the solar system.'
read on....
press release here.
click to source at ciclops!
'an aurora, shining high above the northern part of saturn, moves from the night side to the day side of the planet in this movie recorded by cassini.
these observations, taken over four days, represent the first visible-light video of saturn's auroras. they show tall auroral curtains, rapidly changing over time when viewed at the limb, or edge, of the planet's northern hemisphere. the sequence of images also reveals that saturn's auroral curtains, the sheet-like formations of light-emitting atmospheric molecules, stretch up along saturn's magnetic field and reach heights of more than 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) above the planet's limb. these are the tallest known "northern lights" in the solar system.'
read on....
press release here.
symphony of science: our place in the cosmos
featuring carl sagan, richard dawkins, michio kaku and robert jastrow.
lyrics:
[narrator]
with every century
our eyes on the universe have been opened anew
we are witness
to the very brink of time and space
[robert jastrow]
we must ask ourselves
we who are so proud of our accomplishments
what is our place in the cosmic perspective of life?
[carl sagan]
the exploration of the cosmos
is a voyage of self discovery
as long as there have been humans
we have searched for our place in the cosmos
[richard dawkins]
are there things about the universe
that will be forever beyond our grasp?
are there things about the universe that are
ungraspable?
[sagan]
one of the great revelations of space exploration
is the image of the earth, finite and lonely
bearing the entire human species
through the oceans of space and time
[dawkins]
matter flows from place to place
and momentarily comes together to be you
some people find that thought disturbing
i find the reality thrilling
[sagan]
as the ancient mythmakers knew
we're children equally of the earth and the sky
in our tenure on this planet, we've accumulated
dangerous evolutionary baggage
we've also acquired compassion for others,
love for our children,
and a great soaring passionate intelligence
the clear tools for our continued survival
[michio kaku]
we could be in the middle
of an inter-galactic conversation
and we wouldn't even know
[sagan]
we've begun at last
to wonder about our origins
star stuff contemplating the stars
tracing that long path
our obligation to survive and flourish
is owed not just to ourselves
but also to that cosmos
ancient and vast, from which we spring
the first two installments are here and here.
i'm adding them to a playlist, to which i'll add any new installments.
please check out the symphony of science!
lyrics:
[narrator]
with every century
our eyes on the universe have been opened anew
we are witness
to the very brink of time and space
[robert jastrow]
we must ask ourselves
we who are so proud of our accomplishments
what is our place in the cosmic perspective of life?
[carl sagan]
the exploration of the cosmos
is a voyage of self discovery
as long as there have been humans
we have searched for our place in the cosmos
[richard dawkins]
are there things about the universe
that will be forever beyond our grasp?
are there things about the universe that are
ungraspable?
[sagan]
one of the great revelations of space exploration
is the image of the earth, finite and lonely
bearing the entire human species
through the oceans of space and time
[dawkins]
matter flows from place to place
and momentarily comes together to be you
some people find that thought disturbing
i find the reality thrilling
[sagan]
as the ancient mythmakers knew
we're children equally of the earth and the sky
in our tenure on this planet, we've accumulated
dangerous evolutionary baggage
we've also acquired compassion for others,
love for our children,
and a great soaring passionate intelligence
the clear tools for our continued survival
[michio kaku]
we could be in the middle
of an inter-galactic conversation
and we wouldn't even know
[sagan]
we've begun at last
to wonder about our origins
star stuff contemplating the stars
tracing that long path
our obligation to survive and flourish
is owed not just to ourselves
but also to that cosmos
ancient and vast, from which we spring
the first two installments are here and here.
i'm adding them to a playlist, to which i'll add any new installments.
please check out the symphony of science!
Monday, November 23, 2009
a sprinkling of leaves
like it? really?!? then click it!
at alsos syngrou. i've places this on the map at the original flickr page.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
raw enceladus
images are rolling in from cassini's flyby at enceladus on november 20th, revealing even more breathtaking detail of its jets, fractures and terrain. the first RAW images have been posted at ciclops!
click on any image to source
click on any image to source
Friday, November 20, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
can fish live on europa?
'below its icy crust jupiter's moon europa is believed to host a global ocean up to a hundred miles (160 kilometers) deep, with no land to speak of at the surface.
and the extraterrestrial ocean is currently being fed more than a hundred times more oxygen than previous models had suggested, according to provocative new research.
that amount of oxygen would be enough to support more than just microscopic life-forms: at least three million tons of fishlike creatures could theoretically live and breathe on europa, said study author richard greenberg of the university of arizona in tucson.'
more information on national geographic news
and the extraterrestrial ocean is currently being fed more than a hundred times more oxygen than previous models had suggested, according to provocative new research.
that amount of oxygen would be enough to support more than just microscopic life-forms: at least three million tons of fishlike creatures could theoretically live and breathe on europa, said study author richard greenberg of the university of arizona in tucson.'
more information on national geographic news
footbridge at neratziotissa station over attiki road
like it? click it!
the sun had just set and the sky was a glorious pink. the lights on the footbridge had just turned on.
i lay on the floor and a lady asked me if i needed help (yet again). admittedly, others gave me weird side glances -- a middle-aged lady struggling on the floor with a camera is not a normal thing to see.
i've placed this image on the map on the original flickr page.
pattie maes and pranav mistry demo SixthSense
i was very excited to see this video:
many, many thanks to commenter george for pointing me to it!
btw, in the video she mentions jeff han's multitouch screen, which i have repeatedly mentioned on this blog, back in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
this is even closer to the technology envisioned (probably not for the first time) in the 1997 science fiction series earth: final conflict conceived by gene roddenberry, albeit much richer in context. i've been unsuccessfully searching for an image of lili marquette's interface with her shuttle... i'll edit this post if i find one.
i don't know if people are blown away with these developments. i've got two coexisting attitudes: of course, enthusiasm -- but also, impatience. having a long-time interest in science fiction, i keep wondering what's taking them so long....
a few years ago, someone said to me something that is very wise: that technology may help our species progress towards a more spiritual existence. he was correct... it is -- not in a religious sense -- but based on the wonder of reality.
many, many thanks to commenter george for pointing me to it!
btw, in the video she mentions jeff han's multitouch screen, which i have repeatedly mentioned on this blog, back in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
this is even closer to the technology envisioned (probably not for the first time) in the 1997 science fiction series earth: final conflict conceived by gene roddenberry, albeit much richer in context. i've been unsuccessfully searching for an image of lili marquette's interface with her shuttle... i'll edit this post if i find one.
i don't know if people are blown away with these developments. i've got two coexisting attitudes: of course, enthusiasm -- but also, impatience. having a long-time interest in science fiction, i keep wondering what's taking them so long....
a few years ago, someone said to me something that is very wise: that technology may help our species progress towards a more spiritual existence. he was correct... it is -- not in a religious sense -- but based on the wonder of reality.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
LOLharvest
like it? click it!
you didn't think i was just going to leave them there, did you?
i got her to pose for me after school yesterday. we caught the final rays of the sun before it hid behind a block of apartments.
Monday, November 16, 2009
never-aired alternate star trek pilot
with kirk declaring... 'but now a new task. a probe out into where no man has gone before.'
CBS will release this version on december 15th.
'this version of "where no man has gone before" was completed in 1965 and features archived footage that was not included in the pilot episode ultimately broadcasted. never-before-aired, this newly recovered version is believed to be what was originally screened for NBC, and the basis for their decision to broadcast STAR TREK®. ... "when we first discovered the original film print existed, we jumped at the chance to give STAR TREK fans the opportunity to add this never aired pilot to their collections," said ken ross, executive vice president and general manager of CBS home entertainment. "it will be a real treat for fans to see and hear how it all could have begun.'
more information at the live feed. via boingboing
CBS will release this version on december 15th.
'this version of "where no man has gone before" was completed in 1965 and features archived footage that was not included in the pilot episode ultimately broadcasted. never-before-aired, this newly recovered version is believed to be what was originally screened for NBC, and the basis for their decision to broadcast STAR TREK®. ... "when we first discovered the original film print existed, we jumped at the chance to give STAR TREK fans the opportunity to add this never aired pilot to their collections," said ken ross, executive vice president and general manager of CBS home entertainment. "it will be a real treat for fans to see and hear how it all could have begun.'
more information at the live feed. via boingboing
balloons at kefalari
like it? really?! cool. then click it!
this is a spot in kefalari, kifisia, a bit of northern athens (on the flickr page map). it has a little roundabout where the cobblestone curves upwards towards the central green. it's quite pretty, with cafes, restaurants and a park, and people gathered to enjoy a particularly mild sunday afternoon.
i'd wanted to take a picture here for a few days now, but, now that i look at it again, i can't say i'm very happy with it... especially that awful blown out sky.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
not 317/365
like it? click it!
i was feeling a bit under the weather yesterday and i didn't get a shot. instead, here's another i liked from friday night -- the entrance to a shop in kifissia. i'll use it to mark the spot i missed.
it's on the map on the flickr page.
'a glorious dawn' in vinyl
john boswell's wonderful autotuned a glorious dawn featuring carl sagan and stephen hawking is being released in a limited edition 7" vinyl record by third man records.
'third man records, in conjunction with united record pressing, fabricated a special “cosmos colored vinyl” of which 150 copies will be available…50 randomly inserted into mail orders for “a glorious dawn” and the remainder to be made available at the third man records nashville store front at noon on november 9th.
the one-sided single features a very special etching on the flipside. reproduced from the original artwork, the etching copies the etching included with the voyager golden record, set off into space in 1977 as the most elaborate message-in-a-bottle idea ever imagined. with its inclusion of blind willie johnson’s “dark was the night” it goes without saying that the voyager golden record is one of third man’s favorite releases of all-time.'
more details here!
of course i ordered!
thousands of thanks to the friendly atheist!
'third man records, in conjunction with united record pressing, fabricated a special “cosmos colored vinyl” of which 150 copies will be available…50 randomly inserted into mail orders for “a glorious dawn” and the remainder to be made available at the third man records nashville store front at noon on november 9th.
the one-sided single features a very special etching on the flipside. reproduced from the original artwork, the etching copies the etching included with the voyager golden record, set off into space in 1977 as the most elaborate message-in-a-bottle idea ever imagined. with its inclusion of blind willie johnson’s “dark was the night” it goes without saying that the voyager golden record is one of third man’s favorite releases of all-time.'
more details here!
of course i ordered!
thousands of thanks to the friendly atheist!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
dinner at eight
like it? click it!
the standard weekly friday night dinner date happens about once a month.
not-so-famous-quotes xii
'it's a very very sad commentary on the values in our culture when shooting a ball into a basket is more laudable, more praiseworthy, more admirable and more rewarded than teasing out some fundamental truth about the natural world or finding a cure for AIDS or cancer.'
- one of a long series of poignant observations by carolyn porco
(video embedded here)
- one of a long series of poignant observations by carolyn porco
(video embedded here)
Friday, November 13, 2009
a vision softly creeping
like it? click it!
lately, i'm always kneeling or lying down somewhere and people keep asking if i'm ok. i guess that's a good thing.
the crescent earth
click pic to source
'this image is a combination of three photos (using an orange, green and blue filter) taken by the OSIRIS camera onboard ESA's rosetta spacecraft. it is part of a sequence of images taken every hour through one full rotation (24 hours). the illuminated sliver is centered around the south pole, with south at the bottom of the image. credit: ESA ©2009 MPS for OSIRIS team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/RSSD/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA.'
Thursday, November 12, 2009
in search of trees
i felt overwhelmed yesterday, as you can see from my post. so much so, that i panicked while at work and suddenly felt i had to leave. i headed towards home, but didn't want to lock myself up indoors so, a little before arriving, i started driving around.
kifissia is one of the prettiest parts of northern athens. southern athens has the sea... northern athens has trees. lots of them. in the autumn, i'm drawn to this place, so this is where i ended up.
athens is plagued by parked cars everywhere, but kassaveti street (on flickr's map) has posts built on either sidewalk, so there are fewer than normal. this is still an urban setting, but still... i'd taken an HDR of it in the winter and remember thinking i should come back in the fall.
so here are a few shots from yesterday:
like any of these? click'em then!
the combination of trees and photography is therapeutic.
kifissia is one of the prettiest parts of northern athens. southern athens has the sea... northern athens has trees. lots of them. in the autumn, i'm drawn to this place, so this is where i ended up.
athens is plagued by parked cars everywhere, but kassaveti street (on flickr's map) has posts built on either sidewalk, so there are fewer than normal. this is still an urban setting, but still... i'd taken an HDR of it in the winter and remember thinking i should come back in the fall.
so here are a few shots from yesterday:
like any of these? click'em then!
the combination of trees and photography is therapeutic.
carolyn porco at AAI 2009
when i saw in saturn's shadow - the pale blue dot at about 39:00 again, and listened to carolyn describe its meaning, i cried. i have this picture in my living room, personally signed by carolyn porco, one of a series of 5 in existence. i'm so thankful to have it.
via RD.
want to learn more about carolyn porco? hit her label on my blog.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
dreams for rent
i was born in athens but lived elsewhere. i had visited as a child, but my first glimpse of this city as an adult from the airplane window in 1980 was a shocking experience: a cement jungle with scant green. as we flew lower, the buildings got uglier and i felt more deflated.
almost 30 years later, this city has not won my heart. the few historic bits are lovely, of course, but that's this place's legacy from another age. it's fine for the tourist or the short-term visitor, but modern athens, most of its neighborhoods, and the city center is a chaotic, people-unfriendly place -- a jumble of elements thrown together with little (or no) planning or thought and even less funding.
here's a gallery that's honest and true. it's not mine, but i suggest you feast your eyes.
you like this? really??! well, then click it!
this is a scene in front of my office. the yellow, licence-plate sized advertisement for an apartment for rent is a familiar sight in greece, normally plastered on any old place, as are other advertisements for anything imaginable. the owner of this particular flat made sure to tape it onto a tree, so full of tape that it's almost waterproof, topped with almost unintelligible handwriting.
i have a difficult time in this city. i do tend to notice details, and, if i started shooting and presenting them somewhere, i'd have a pretty ugly gallery. if you're wondering why i shoot so many macros since i returned from china a little over a year ago, this is it.
i'm sorry -- i can't romanticize this chaos, nor find beauty in this indifference.
i've added this image to the flickr page map.
almost 30 years later, this city has not won my heart. the few historic bits are lovely, of course, but that's this place's legacy from another age. it's fine for the tourist or the short-term visitor, but modern athens, most of its neighborhoods, and the city center is a chaotic, people-unfriendly place -- a jumble of elements thrown together with little (or no) planning or thought and even less funding.
here's a gallery that's honest and true. it's not mine, but i suggest you feast your eyes.
you like this? really??! well, then click it!
this is a scene in front of my office. the yellow, licence-plate sized advertisement for an apartment for rent is a familiar sight in greece, normally plastered on any old place, as are other advertisements for anything imaginable. the owner of this particular flat made sure to tape it onto a tree, so full of tape that it's almost waterproof, topped with almost unintelligible handwriting.
i have a difficult time in this city. i do tend to notice details, and, if i started shooting and presenting them somewhere, i'd have a pretty ugly gallery. if you're wondering why i shoot so many macros since i returned from china a little over a year ago, this is it.
i'm sorry -- i can't romanticize this chaos, nor find beauty in this indifference.
i've added this image to the flickr page map.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
we are here: a pale blue dot
i don't remember if i've posted this before. i probably have. but if you haven't seen it, you must:
can you tell me how to get...
this is one of the google logos this week for sesame street's 40th birthday:
my mother, a greek speaker, learned english from sesame street in the 1970s.
and you thought it was for children.
my mother, a greek speaker, learned english from sesame street in the 1970s.
and you thought it was for children.
Monday, November 09, 2009
remember carl.
he would have been 75 years old.
a couple of days ago, james randi spoke about how, after we'd lost carl sagan, he'd pick up the phone to call him. and then realize he couldn't.
i'm feeling that now, as i lost my mother three weeks ago. i want to pick up the phone too.
i often reflect about how lucky we are to be alive and how wondrous our cosmos is. but lately i haven't been feeling it.
then i found this podcast... an interview with ann druyan and nick sagan via nick's blog.
and it hit me more intensely than usual.
'it is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.'
the interview starts at around 00:22.
a couple of days ago, james randi spoke about how, after we'd lost carl sagan, he'd pick up the phone to call him. and then realize he couldn't.
i'm feeling that now, as i lost my mother three weeks ago. i want to pick up the phone too.
i often reflect about how lucky we are to be alive and how wondrous our cosmos is. but lately i haven't been feeling it.
then i found this podcast... an interview with ann druyan and nick sagan via nick's blog.
and it hit me more intensely than usual.
'it is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.'
the interview starts at around 00:22.
pictures in athens and beijing
mapflickr lets you create embeddable maps from your geotagged images in flickr. here's a couple of mine from beijing and athens:
LOLblooms
like it? click it!
bloomin' lollies
i shot this with the canon ef 100mm f/2.8 macro usm at 2.8 but also below with my canon ef 50mm f/1.4 usm at 1.4. i like both, so here you are.
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