pay attention
question everything
start now
“simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
- leonardo da vinci
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
intentions for the new year
slow down
pay attention
question everything
start now
“simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
- leonardo da vinci
pay attention
question everything
start now
“simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
- leonardo da vinci
oh night... diiviiiiine!
just in case anyone thinks i was exaggerating about my annual family christmas extravaganza... here are a few nice photos that my cousin, jeff, took of this year's event!
grandma with the "christmas carol lyrics"
hahahaha! love it. thats my dad, two uncles and an aunt standing up - all siblings, of course :)
miss you all - glad to see your enthusiastic faces (and energetic entertaining, diane!!)!
grandma with the "christmas carol lyrics"
hahahaha! love it. thats my dad, two uncles and an aunt standing up - all siblings, of course :)
miss you all - glad to see your enthusiastic faces (and energetic entertaining, diane!!)!
Monday, January 5, 2009
ganymede plays peek-a-boo with jupiter
this image of jupiter and its largest moon, ganymede, was taken by the wide field planetary camera 2 (WFPC2 = "wif-pic-two") on the hubble space telescope. three images, taken april 9, 2007 in red (673 nm), green (502 nm), and blue (410 nm) filters, were combined to produce this sharp color capture!
hubble took a series of 540 pictures over a two hour period as ganymede appeared to approach the giant gas planet and disappear behind it! you can watch these images together as a great video at the hubble site.
here's an interesting image showing the scale and orientation of the observation. the white line at the bottom represents 25,000 miles (40,000 km)! consider that earth's diameter at the equator is only about 8,000 miles (12,800 km)!
hubble took a series of 540 pictures over a two hour period as ganymede appeared to approach the giant gas planet and disappear behind it! you can watch these images together as a great video at the hubble site.
here's an interesting image showing the scale and orientation of the observation. the white line at the bottom represents 25,000 miles (40,000 km)! consider that earth's diameter at the equator is only about 8,000 miles (12,800 km)!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Friday, January 2, 2009
my man, paul simon.
paul simon has been a favorite song writer of mine for a long long time. i used to sing a lot of simon & garfunkel songs with my pops, so the beautifully flowing melodies coupled with the simple harmonies reach right to my depths.
its hard to limit my choices of favorite songs, but i found a few good live recordings on the internets.
homeward bound - 1967
around 1970, paul simon and art garfunkel broke off their duet and paul went thru a series of musical experiements. early on, he stuck to his brilliant song-writing roots. (the stache in this recording is great!)
american tune - 1975
slip slidin' away
in the 1980's, my man paul went to africa to work on the "we are the world" project. while there, he worked with the powerful vocal group, ladysmith black mambazo, among others, to produce his most well-known solo album - graceland. not only was this album great to listen to, but it introduced much of the western world to "world music," and also resulted in one of the best music videos ever produced (in my opinion).
i know what i know:
and finally, feelin' groovy! ok, so the song is properly titled the 59th street bridge song (feelin' groovy), but i dont think anyone actually uses the whole title of the song, nor should they!
its hard to limit my choices of favorite songs, but i found a few good live recordings on the internets.
homeward bound - 1967
around 1970, paul simon and art garfunkel broke off their duet and paul went thru a series of musical experiements. early on, he stuck to his brilliant song-writing roots. (the stache in this recording is great!)
american tune - 1975
slip slidin' away
in the 1980's, my man paul went to africa to work on the "we are the world" project. while there, he worked with the powerful vocal group, ladysmith black mambazo, among others, to produce his most well-known solo album - graceland. not only was this album great to listen to, but it introduced much of the western world to "world music," and also resulted in one of the best music videos ever produced (in my opinion).
i know what i know:
and finally, feelin' groovy! ok, so the song is properly titled the 59th street bridge song (feelin' groovy), but i dont think anyone actually uses the whole title of the song, nor should they!
idyllic italy - the amalfi coast
i took these images in several cities along the amalfi coast of italy. the landscape is absolutely breathtaking, while the atmosphere reveals a tourist-dependence in the region - even during the off-season when i visited in november.
clear water.
the town of amalfi.
the duomo (cathedral) of amalfi.
altrani.
scratch that - i want to change my house number!
absolutely no bugling!
along the walk from altrani to ravello, a town whose name is derived from its onetime "rebellious" attitude!
scenes from ravello.
the world is full of ex-doorways.
cool lights in salerno
mmm.... pizza.
i stayed at hostels while traveling, but there are wide variety of amalfi hotels to choose from.
other posts and pictures in the italy series:
rainbows over pompeii,
ercolano,
all high-res photos so far sorted and online!
clear water.
the town of amalfi.
the duomo (cathedral) of amalfi.
altrani.
scratch that - i want to change my house number!
absolutely no bugling!
along the walk from altrani to ravello, a town whose name is derived from its onetime "rebellious" attitude!
scenes from ravello.
the world is full of ex-doorways.
cool lights in salerno
mmm.... pizza.
i stayed at hostels while traveling, but there are wide variety of amalfi hotels to choose from.
other posts and pictures in the italy series:
rainbows over pompeii,
ercolano,
all high-res photos so far sorted and online!
the sky in motion
a meditative start to the new year...
túrána hott kurdÃs by hasta la otra méxico! from Till Credner on Vimeo.
túrána hott kurdÃs by hasta la otra méxico! from Till Credner on Vimeo.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
new years night
the planets are putting on a show for our benefit this last night of 2008! for a few hours after sunset, look for the bright planet venus right next to the crescent moon.
ready for the new year!
1907 was the first time they celebrated the new year in new york with the drop of a large illuminated sphere made of iron and wood. the ball was adorned with one hundred 25-watt light bulbs, was 5 feet wide and weighed 700 pounds!
times square, 1942 (link)
hope everyone is ready to welcome in a new year! be safe and happy!
times square, 1942 (link)
hope everyone is ready to welcome in a new year! be safe and happy!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
the woods in a year
here's a nicely executed 40-second video by Eirik Solheim, showing the same scenic woods over an entire year.
One year in 40 seconds from Eirik Solheim on Vimeo.
mmmmm.... seasons!
One year in 40 seconds from Eirik Solheim on Vimeo.
mmmmm.... seasons!
Monday, December 29, 2008
two thousand nine
the year 2009 begins in a few short days! two thousand nine is the international year of astronomy as initiated by the international astronomical union and UNESCO "to help the citizens of the world rediscover their place in the Universe through the day- and night-time sky, and thereby engage a personal sense of wonder and discovery."
i'm excited about the 365 days of astronomy project, where different people from anywhere in the world talk about their interest in, fascination of, or knowledge about a particular aspect of the universe! there will be a unique podcast available for everyone to listen to every day next year! and there are still many days available throughout the year for anyone to create podcasts, so i encourage anyone and everyone to participate!
i've agreed to create a couple podcasts throughout the year, but i wanted to ask you all a favor... i'm looking for inspiration for more topics to talk about and so i'd like to get your suggestions. what questions do you have about the universe? what would you like to hear someone talk about for 5-10 minutes? my research focuses on galaxy formation and evolution, but i would be willing and interested to talk about anything if an interesting question sparks an idea. the challenge for me, i think, is that i'm so used to using visual aids in the classroom or on this blog, that it will be exciting to create the proper effect via auditory senses only.
thanks for your help!
i'm excited about the 365 days of astronomy project, where different people from anywhere in the world talk about their interest in, fascination of, or knowledge about a particular aspect of the universe! there will be a unique podcast available for everyone to listen to every day next year! and there are still many days available throughout the year for anyone to create podcasts, so i encourage anyone and everyone to participate!
i've agreed to create a couple podcasts throughout the year, but i wanted to ask you all a favor... i'm looking for inspiration for more topics to talk about and so i'd like to get your suggestions. what questions do you have about the universe? what would you like to hear someone talk about for 5-10 minutes? my research focuses on galaxy formation and evolution, but i would be willing and interested to talk about anything if an interesting question sparks an idea. the challenge for me, i think, is that i'm so used to using visual aids in the classroom or on this blog, that it will be exciting to create the proper effect via auditory senses only.
thanks for your help!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
family christmas carols
what i miss most while traveling is my family. this holiday season, i won't be home for christmas. while i'm enjoying the discovery of many british christmas staples (i cant believe i'd never heard of christmas crackers!), i'm feeling a bit homesick for all my family traditions.
every year, my dad's side of my family gathers together on christmas day. i have about 35 cousins on that side, so you can imagine the epic size of the event! for as long as i can remember, we have sung christmas carols together at the gigantic gathering on christmas day. in preparation for the singing, an excited energy floats around the room while people refill their bourbon slushies and find their place around the room. one uncle always leads the songs, sometimes unintentionally beginning songs on notes that make certain later notes quite unattainable to average voices! many harmonies are attempted and some are proudly achieved - although some years are definitely better than others!
the infamous song that makes everyone perk up, prepare their ears, and roll their eyes is oh holy night! the several-part harmonies reveal themselves as the family's volume increases excitedly. the voices intensify toward the climax of the song, when my aunts and uncles stand up, comedically reach out their arms, and wail "oh niiiiight diviiii-iiiine!!!!!!" inevitably, there is always an encore of the last verse of this christmas song, because the final crescendo is just so satisfyingly hilarious! at the end of this battered carol, we all smile and clap, and laugh at ourselves once again.
after going thru 20 or 30 carols, the last song we sing is always jingle bells.... dashing through the snow, in a one horse open sleigh.... as soon as this song begins, *santa* appears at the top of the stairs!! while we finish the song, he patiently makes his way to the christmas tree, through the rushing crowd of adoring children and jovial adults. at the end of the song we all cheer for santa and he tells us about his year. he usually adds a bad joke about the reds or the bengals or some other local college sports team. he distributes all the presents, one by one, with the aid of a few lucky little helpers. then we cheer him off again as he returns up the stairs to his sleigh.
when i was young and there were fewer family members, i grew to recognize santa as my uncle, mitch. now, it has become a little game to try to recognize who santa is among all of my too-grown-up boy cousins!
here's one of my favorite old pictures of the events - me, my cabbage patch doll and my mom singing with my cousin, her cabbage patch, and her mom... and the rest of the family!!!
the caroling spectacle was fun as a young child, horribly embarrassing as a teenager, and delightfully wholesome as an adult, because it's so much an endearing part of my family's culture. i will immensely miss the family gathering this year, so maybe i'll sing some carols by myself! happy holidays!
every year, my dad's side of my family gathers together on christmas day. i have about 35 cousins on that side, so you can imagine the epic size of the event! for as long as i can remember, we have sung christmas carols together at the gigantic gathering on christmas day. in preparation for the singing, an excited energy floats around the room while people refill their bourbon slushies and find their place around the room. one uncle always leads the songs, sometimes unintentionally beginning songs on notes that make certain later notes quite unattainable to average voices! many harmonies are attempted and some are proudly achieved - although some years are definitely better than others!
the infamous song that makes everyone perk up, prepare their ears, and roll their eyes is oh holy night! the several-part harmonies reveal themselves as the family's volume increases excitedly. the voices intensify toward the climax of the song, when my aunts and uncles stand up, comedically reach out their arms, and wail "oh niiiiight diviiii-iiiine!!!!!!" inevitably, there is always an encore of the last verse of this christmas song, because the final crescendo is just so satisfyingly hilarious! at the end of this battered carol, we all smile and clap, and laugh at ourselves once again.
after going thru 20 or 30 carols, the last song we sing is always jingle bells.... dashing through the snow, in a one horse open sleigh.... as soon as this song begins, *santa* appears at the top of the stairs!! while we finish the song, he patiently makes his way to the christmas tree, through the rushing crowd of adoring children and jovial adults. at the end of the song we all cheer for santa and he tells us about his year. he usually adds a bad joke about the reds or the bengals or some other local college sports team. he distributes all the presents, one by one, with the aid of a few lucky little helpers. then we cheer him off again as he returns up the stairs to his sleigh.
when i was young and there were fewer family members, i grew to recognize santa as my uncle, mitch. now, it has become a little game to try to recognize who santa is among all of my too-grown-up boy cousins!
here's one of my favorite old pictures of the events - me, my cabbage patch doll and my mom singing with my cousin, her cabbage patch, and her mom... and the rest of the family!!!
the caroling spectacle was fun as a young child, horribly embarrassing as a teenager, and delightfully wholesome as an adult, because it's so much an endearing part of my family's culture. i will immensely miss the family gathering this year, so maybe i'll sing some carols by myself! happy holidays!
winter holidays in london
i spent several days of this holiday season in london, england. thanks to those friendly folks who put me up and/or shared a meal! enjoy the photos!
scenes from hyde park...
soho surprises line carnby street...
little christmas markets are hidden in many nooks of the city. this one sits outside the natural history museum.
british museum.
alex.
a black cab and clouds.
bling in the trees.
harrods - a beacon of light.
three icons
ms. claus....
...among her people ;)
the eye's optical illusions.
ein gluhwein, bitte!
the norwegian "thank you" tree in trafalgar square.
trafalgar sounds like a town in middle earth, doesn't it?!
too posh for exercise or dog-walking?
no problom.
purely british dining for lunch, er, i mean dinner, ugh... at midday!!
fish and chips, mushy peas and a pint!
scenes from hyde park...
soho surprises line carnby street...
little christmas markets are hidden in many nooks of the city. this one sits outside the natural history museum.
british museum.
alex.
a black cab and clouds.
bling in the trees.
harrods - a beacon of light.
three icons
ms. claus....
...among her people ;)
the eye's optical illusions.
ein gluhwein, bitte!
the norwegian "thank you" tree in trafalgar square.
trafalgar sounds like a town in middle earth, doesn't it?!
too posh for exercise or dog-walking?
no problom.
purely british dining for lunch, er, i mean dinner, ugh... at midday!!
fish and chips, mushy peas and a pint!
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