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Monday, September 30, 2013
The Sphinx and Pyramids in flux
Jack Brummet, Travel Ed.
The Sphinx in 1890, and recently, from the nearby Pizza Hut. You can no longer actually climb or even touch touch The Sphinx, but you can climb around some of the pyramids. Most photos show these monuments in a vast desert, but they are actually on the outskirts of Cairo and Giza, in easy walking distance.
The Sphinx in 1890, and recently, from the nearby Pizza Hut. You can no longer actually climb or even touch touch The Sphinx, but you can climb around some of the pyramids. Most photos show these monuments in a vast desert, but they are actually on the outskirts of Cairo and Giza, in easy walking distance.
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Sunday, September 29, 2013
Lavay Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers
Crazy in Love with Patsy Cline
Lavay Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers
Sponsored by the Pete and Pat Curran Family
Friday, October 4
7:30 p.m.
Kent-Meridian Performing Arts Center
Tickets: $20 general, $18 senior, $15 youth
Lavay Smith and her all-star 7-piece jazz band deliver a loving and creative tribute to country darling Patsy Cline. Jazz and country music have been “kissing cousins” since each art form took shape in the early 20th century. Lavay Smith knows this history well and brings a bluesy jolt of energy to the jazz/country crossroads, delivering jazz and blues-steeped arrangements of Cline’s songs.The show features Lavay’s scorching Red Hot Skillet Lickers. With her big, luscious voice and sassy stage presence, Lavay infuses sultry swing into Cline’s tales of woe.
Click here for tickets
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Eleanor Roosevelt and her gun
By Mona Goldwater, Women in politics ed.
Eleanor Roosevelt wanted to drive her own car and wanted a pistol for protection. She refused to travel with Secret Service agents, police escorts, or a chauffeur.
Eleanor Roosevelt wanted to drive her own car and wanted a pistol for protection. She refused to travel with Secret Service agents, police escorts, or a chauffeur.
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Saturday, September 28, 2013
The U.S.S. Franklin training ship (which looks like a two story apartment building)
By Jack Brummet, History Ed.
From 1916, a photograph of the U.S.S. Franklin, used as a training ship. From a 5'x7" glass negative held by the Library of Congress.
This image comes from the Harris & Ewing Collection of photographic negatives of people, events, and architecture, during the period 1905-1945. Harris & Ewing, Inc., gave its collection of negatives to the Library in 1955.
From 1916, a photograph of the U.S.S. Franklin, used as a training ship. From a 5'x7" glass negative held by the Library of Congress.
This image comes from the Harris & Ewing Collection of photographic negatives of people, events, and architecture, during the period 1905-1945. Harris & Ewing, Inc., gave its collection of negatives to the Library in 1955.
click to enlarge
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RomCom aversion aside, you should go see James Gandolfini and Julia Louise-Dreyfuss's "Enough Said"
By Mona Goldwater, Film Ed.
I am not a fan of the Rom Com, but "Enough Said" is an exception. So sweet to see James Gandolfini on the big screen one last time. The script was great, the story bittersweet, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Catherine Keener, and Gandolfini all delivered amazing performances.
I am not a fan of the Rom Com, but "Enough Said" is an exception. So sweet to see James Gandolfini on the big screen one last time. The script was great, the story bittersweet, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Catherine Keener, and Gandolfini all delivered amazing performances.
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Friday, September 27, 2013
Pre-radar technology for detecting bombers
By Jack Brummet, History Ed.
These two devices—before radar—were used in England for detecting approaching German bombers. The second photos shows a portable version.
These two devices—before radar—were used in England for detecting approaching German bombers. The second photos shows a portable version.
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Poem: Hold together
By Jack Brummet
1
We could hold together,
Like the water
Covers this sweet green sphere,
And eventually become
A beige world of one purpose
On the road of love,
With no jihads or wars,
Klans or factions,
Bombs or bullets,
Corporations or landlords,
Parties or armies,
Walls or fences.
2
There is one ocean
With seven names
And into this ocean,
Sooner or later, flows
Every river, creek, and teardrop,
Every lake, bay, and lagoon.
Every spring and aquifer,
Every pond and swamp,
Every snowflake and mudpuddle.
But to coalesce people
You need a nucleus,
A leader
With greatness of spirit, love,
Consistency, and strength.
Let he or she who wishes to gather others
Under their wing ask themselves
If they are equal to the undertaking
When no natural laws create the union.
3
The door is locked.
You jiggle the knob.
The door eases open.
4
Water fills
The lacunae of the earth
And clings fast
In a way we can never
Cling to each other.
Water flows to join water
Because the laws of nature
Will not be broken.
Selah.
---o0o---
We could hold together,
Like the water
Covers this sweet green sphere,
And eventually become
A beige world of one purpose
On the road of love,
With no jihads or wars,
Klans or factions,
Bombs or bullets,
Corporations or landlords,
Parties or armies,
Walls or fences.
2
There is one ocean
With seven names
And into this ocean,
Sooner or later, flows
Every river, creek, and teardrop,
Every lake, bay, and lagoon.
Every spring and aquifer,
Every pond and swamp,
Every snowflake and mudpuddle.
But to coalesce people
You need a nucleus,
A leader
With greatness of spirit, love,
Consistency, and strength.
Let he or she who wishes to gather others
Under their wing ask themselves
If they are equal to the undertaking
When no natural laws create the union.
3
The door is locked.
You jiggle the knob.
The door eases open.
4
Water fills
The lacunae of the earth
And clings fast
In a way we can never
Cling to each other.
Water flows to join water
Because the laws of nature
Will not be broken.
Selah.
---o0o---
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Poem: Prayer In Istanbul
By Jack Brummet
1.
On a dusty cobblestone street
I hear three muezzins
In three directions
Call people to prayer
At three mosques,
With a slight delay
Between the calls.
Three chanters in three different rooms
Sing the same song
In phase-shifted rounds
Through nine silver speakers
Mounted on three
Ivory-white minarets
Capped in gleaming cerulean blue.
2.
At the washing stations,
Water splashes from brass spigots
Into pale grey limestone basins.
The faithful wash,
Bag their sandals,
And for the fourth time since dawn,
Walk onto the lush carpet
Of the cool quiet mosque
Tiled in words and symbols.
3.
They kneel, face the wall
And pray one more time.
I don’t know what they pray for,
But when I see their faces
And watch their devotions,
I know it’s something good.
4.
It’s so still and calm
In the mosque,
You could hear a fly expire.
---o0o---
The Blue Mosque (© 2010 by Jack Brummet)
1.
On a dusty cobblestone street
I hear three muezzins
In three directions
Call people to prayer
At three mosques,
With a slight delay
Between the calls.
Three chanters in three different rooms
Sing the same song
In phase-shifted rounds
Through nine silver speakers
Mounted on three
Ivory-white minarets
Capped in gleaming cerulean blue.
2.
At the washing stations,
Water splashes from brass spigots
Into pale grey limestone basins.
The faithful wash,
Bag their sandals,
And for the fourth time since dawn,
Walk onto the lush carpet
Of the cool quiet mosque
Tiled in words and symbols.
3.
They kneel, face the wall
And pray one more time.
I don’t know what they pray for,
But when I see their faces
And watch their devotions,
I know it’s something good.
4.
It’s so still and calm
In the mosque,
You could hear a fly expire.
---o0o---
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Mockups of how Adolph Hitler might have gone undercover to evade the Allies
By Jack Brummet
In the mid-1940's, the U.S. Government created these mockups to show what Hitler might look like in disguise had he decided to try and elude the Allies.
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Poem: "I contain multitudes"
By Jack Brummet
We
all have a platoon
Of partly-contained
Of partly-contained
Ready to burst
From the confines
Of our clown car.
---o0o---
Monday, September 23, 2013
The Tumbling Walls Of Jericho
By Jack Brummet
Jericho was locked down
tighter than a submarine.
It made Helms Deep and
Fort Knox look porous.
Joshua studied the walls,
scooping a way inside,
When a man with whirling
gaslight eyes appeared.
"Hey Spook! Are you
for us, or against us?"
The spook whirled around,
rattled his sword,
And grew ten feet tall and
five feet wide.
"I am the General of
all Generals."
It was The Lamplighter
himself. "Take the shoes
From your feet on my holy
ground,
And follow the ark, with
seven priests with seven trumpets.”
Joshua told the peasants, "All
right, beat feet!”
Seven priests tooting
seven horns led the parade
Around and around and
around Jericho
Like Sambo marched the
tigers around the tree,
Or the way the earth spins
in the dark around the sun.
They marched in silence
six long days.
On the seventh day they
lit out at dawn
Behind the seven priests and seven trumpets
And marched around the
city seven times.
After the seventh orbit,
the priests blew a cadenza.
Joshua said "Shout”
And the roared swelled
with each passing minute
Until the walls came
tumbling down.
Every man, woman, animal
and bug,
Young, old, red, yellow,
black and white,
Fell on the sword.
Joshua was the Lord’s boy
now
And put the hairy eyeball
on any plan
To resurrect Jericho.
----o0o----
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Saturday, September 21, 2013
An Ivory Soap Orgy - an advertisement from about 1919
By Pablo Fanque, National Affairs Ed.
In this advertisement, from about 1919, did Madison Avenue try to exploit the homoerotic content of their image and message, or were they really completely unaware?
In this advertisement, from about 1919, did Madison Avenue try to exploit the homoerotic content of their image and message, or were they really completely unaware?
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Friday, September 20, 2013
Painting: Five women
By Jack Brummet
This is an analog-digital hybrid. I drew all the figures by hand, and then colored them in Photoshop. . .
Details:
This is an analog-digital hybrid. I drew all the figures by hand, and then colored them in Photoshop. . .
Details:
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Thursday, September 19, 2013
Middle finger of the year (and the usual monthly roundup)
By Mona Goldwater, Gestures and Signs Ed.
Here is our usual roundup of reader-submitted middle fingers, both celebrities and just regular folk like us. This first one, however, has to be our finger of the year (I can't remember if it was sent in by reader Jeff C or Dean E).
Here is our usual roundup of reader-submitted middle fingers, both celebrities and just regular folk like us. This first one, however, has to be our finger of the year (I can't remember if it was sent in by reader Jeff C or Dean E).
But, then, a close runner-up has to be the middle finger given by former representative Anthony Weiner following his concession speech in the NYC Mayoral election primary. His parting shot to the press was to flip them off as he was driven away into much-deserved obscurity.
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