Leaderboard
728x15

Nice Photo Effects Online photos

Some cool photo effects online images:



HO41 ...item 1.. ~ by seeker401 on May 2, 2013 ...item 2.. Sex 'superbug' feared to be 'more infectious than AIDS' -- it could become untreatable by 2015 (6 May 2013) ...
photo effects online
Image by marsmet553
This gonorrhea strain, HO41, was discovered in Japan two years ago in a 31-year-old female sex worker who had been screened in 2009. The bacteria has since been found in Hawaii, California and Norway.
.

........*****All images are copyrighted by their respective authors .........
.

.............................................................................................................................................................................................
.
.....item 1).... Sex superbug could be ‘Worse than AIDS’ ...

... seeker401.wordpress.com ... seeker401.wordpress.com/ ...

follow the money

"It has to start somewhere. It has to start sometime. What better place than here? What better time than now?"
.
......................

img code photo ... gonorrhea

seeker401.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/gonorrhea.jpg?w=245...

......................
.
www.cnbc.com/id/100685883

.

seeker401.wordpress.com/2013/05/02/sex-superbug-could-be-...

An antibiotic-resistant strain of gonorrhea—now considered a superbug—has some analysts saying that the bacteria’s effects could match those of AIDS.

“This might be a lot worse than AIDS in the short run because the bacteria is more aggressive and will affect more people quickly,” said Alan Christianson, a doctor of naturopathic medicine.

Even though nearly 30 million people have died from AIDS related causes worldwide, Christianson believes the effect of the gonorrhea bacteria is more direct.

“Getting gonorrhea from this strain might put someone into septic shock and death in a matter of days,” Christianson said. “This is very dangerous.”

“It’s an emergency situation,” said William Smith, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors. “As time moves on, it’s getting more hazardous.”

This gonorrhea strain, HO41, was discovered in Japan two years ago in a 31-year-old female sex worker who had been screened in 2009. The bacteria has since been found in Hawaii, California and Norway.

Because it resists current antibiotic treatment, the strain has been placed in the superbug category with other resistant bacteria, such as MRSA and CRE. These superbugs kill about half the people they attack, and nearly one in 20 hospital patients become infected with one, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Though no deaths from HO41 have been reported, efforts to combat it must continue, Smith said.

“We have to keep beating the drum on this,” he said. “The potential for disaster is great.”

Gonorrhea is transmitted through unprotected sexual contact. Untreated, the disease can cause a number of health complications in women, including infertility. In men, the disease can be very painful and lead to sterility. It can also trigger other life-threatening illnesses, including heart infections.

Gonorrhea can be hard to detect. It often shows no symptoms in about half of women and in about 5 percent of men. Gonorrhea infection rates were at historic lows until two years ago, according to the CDC.

“That’s what’s kind of scary about this,” Smith said. “We are at lows in terms of infections, but this strain is a very tricky bug and we don’t have anything medically to fight it right now.”

Avoiding the disease completely is the best course, experts said.

“People need to practice safe sex, like always,” Christianson said. “Anyone beginning a new relationship should get tested along with their partner. The way gonorrhea works, not everyone knows they have it. And with this new strain it’s even more important than ever to find out. “

All superbugs must be dealt with before it’s too late, he said.

“This is a disaster just waiting to happen,” Christianson said. “It’s time to do something about it before it explodes. “These superbugs, including the gonorrhea strain, are a health threat. We need to move now before it gets out of hand.”

————-

“antibiotic-resistant strain of gonorrhea—now considered a superbug”

“this strain might put someone into septic shock and death in a matter of days,”

the fuck..dead in a few days??

“the disease can cause a number of health complications in women, including infertility. In men, the disease can be very painful and lead to sterility.”

use a condom?

401

~ by seeker401 on May 2, 2013.

Posted in Japan, Norway, USA, World News
Tags: health, medicine

.
.
.
............................................................................................................................................................................................
.
.....item 2).... Sex 'superbug' feared to be 'more infectious than AIDS' discovered in Hawaii ...

... Mail Online - Daily Mail ... www.dailymail.co.uk/news ...

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 10:58 EST, 5 May 2013 | UPDATED: 03:38 EST, 6 May 2013

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2319818/Sex-superbug-fea...

Health officials are warning that two cases of a so-called 'sex superbug' have been confirmed in Hawaii.

Hawaii News Now reports that the 'sex superbug' is a resistant strain of gonorrhea.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has asked Congress for million to find a new antibiotic to treat the drug-resistant strain of the disease. The first case in the nation was identified in a young woman in Hawaii in May 2011.
.
...............................

img code photo ... 'sex superbug' have been confirmed in Hawaii

i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/05/05/article-2319818-19A279...

Health officials are warning that two cases of a so-called 'sex superbug' have been confirmed in Hawaii

Photo credit: none listed
...............................
.

The 'sex superbug' called H041 was first discovered in Japan in 2011. It spread to Hawaii, and has now surfaced in California and Norway.

Peter Whiticir with the State Department of Health says advisories have been sent to physicians and health care providers around Hawaii to be on the lookout for the resistant strain of gonorrhea.

Doctors are warning that an antibiotic-resistant strain of gonorrhoea, now considered a superbug, has the potential to be as deadly as the AIDS virus.

Gonorrhea is the second most commonly reported sexually transmitted infection in North America.

‘This might be a lot worse than AIDS in the short run because the bacteria is more aggressive and will affect more people quickly,’ Alan Christianson, a doctor of naturopathic medicine told CNBC.

Nearly 30 million people have died from AIDS related causes worldwide, but Christianson believes the effect of the gonorrhea bacteria is more direct.

More...

... BBC man called 'The Pimp' picked up girls for Stuart Hall - and filmed them having sex
... The vampire 'cure' for baldness: Scientists inject patient's own blood into head to stimulate hair growth'

‘Getting gonorrhea from this strain might put someone into septic shock and death in a matter of days,’ Christianson said. ‘This is very dangerous.’

In a briefing on Capitol Hill last week, William Smith, executive director of the National Coalition for STD Directors, urged Congress to target nearly million in immediate funding to help find an antibiotic for HO41 and to conduct an education and public awareness campaign.
.
..............................

img code photo ... The 'superbug' was first discovered in Japan

i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/05/05/article-2319818-19A279...

The 'superbug' was first discovered in Japan and some health officials have said it could rival AIDS

Carolina Biological Supply Co / Visuals Unlimited / Corbis

..............................
.

Although no deaths from HO41 have been reported as yet, experts say avoiding the disease completely is the best course of action.

‘People need to practice safe sex, like always,’ Christianson said. ‘Anyone beginning a new relationship should get tested along with their partner.

'The way gonorrhea works, not everyone knows they have it. And with this new strain it's even more important than ever to find out.’

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease that has been known since medieval times. Sometimes known as ‘the clap,’ the infection can result in painful sores and genital discharge, and is associated with ectopic pregnancies and sterility in both men and women.

Left untreated, gonorrhea can lead to a host of complications including pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and blood stream infections.

It also raises the risk for HIV because the lesions permit the AIDS-causing virus easier access to the bloodstream.

Gonorrhea is especially common among people between the ages of 15 and 24.

The disease became curable in the 1940s when penicillin and other antibiotics were introduced. Since then, the medical world has created more new drugs that killed the ever-mutating gonorrhea bacteria.
.
.............................

img code photo ... very real prospect that all types of gonorrhea will soon become untreatable

i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/05/05/article-2319818-19A279...

Health officials said there is the very real prospect that all types of gonorrhea will soon become untreatable

Masterfile / Radius Images

.............................
.

On a state-by-state basis, pockets of the U.S. are seeing giant spikes in the disease. Utah saw a 74 percent rise in gonorrhea cases in 2012, with the trend continuing into the first few months of this year.

In Minnesota, cases rose 35 percent in 2012, according to the state's department of health, and according to the latest statistics from the CDC, ‘During 2010–2011, 61% (31/51) of states, plus the District of Columbia, reported an increase in gonorrhea rates.’

Cephalosporin, the last available class of antibiotics recommended for the treatment of gonorrhea, has been failing worldwide and there is the very real prospect that all types of gonorrhea will soon become untreatable.

Professor Cathy Ison, head of the National Reference Laboratory for Gonorrhoea in the U.K. told the BBC last week: ‘There is a possibility that if we don't do something then it could become untreatable by 2015.’

.
.
.
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
.
.


Chilling Effect
photo effects online
Image by London Permaculture
London Permaculture photo used on site "The Chilling Effect" which has the aim of being "an online resource and pipeline for the latest news, research, polling and buzz about climate change for those seeking assess climate change issues from all legitimate angles."


thechillingeffect.org/2008/10/01/digging-deeper-on-gaos-c...

Cool Image Gallery images

Some cool image gallery images:


Sendero
image gallery
Image by sirwoody
Así luce la parte superior del muro de retención entre una piscina y otra.



image gallery
Image by -will wilson-
Best Large on Black

Mission District
San Francisco

Cool Change Background Image images

A few nice change background image images I found:


Garden Stairs - Background 63
change background image
Image by ~Brenda-Starr~
This image is free to use in your creative works.
Please do not redistribute or make small changes and claim it as your own.

Please provide credit via a link under your work back to this image or to my account where possible.

I would love to see how you use this image, so please leave me a link or a small copy in my comment box below.

Thank you,
Brenda.

I belong to this set ~Backgrounds~


If you are looking for more stock images or texture please check out my group pool at
"Brenda's Stock Resources".


Texture/Background 3
change background image
Image by ~Brenda-Starr~
This texture is free to use in your creative works.
Please do not redistribute or make small changes and claim it as your own.

Please provide credit via a link under your work back to this image or to my account where possible.

I would love to see the results of your work, so please leave me a link or a small copy in my comment box below.

Thank you,
Brenda.

I belong to this set. ~Texture/Backgrounds~

If you are looking for more stock images and textures, please check out my group
"Brenda's Stock Resources".


Texture/Background 4
change background image
Image by ~Brenda-Starr~
This texture is free to use in your creative works.
Please do not redistribute or make small changes and claim it as your own.

Please provide credit via a link under your work back to this image or to my account where possible.

I would love to see the results of your work, so please leave me a link or a small copy in my comment box below.

Thank you,
Brenda.

I belong to this set. ~Texture/Backgrounds~

If you are looking for more stock images and textures, please check out my group
"Brenda's Stock Resources".

View of Coney Island, 1903.

A few nice image url images I found:


View of Coney Island, 1903.
image url
Image by Brooklyn Museum
Eugene Wemlinger. View of Coney Island, 1903. Nitrate negative, 6 x 3 3/4 in. (15.2 x 9.5 cm). Prints, Drawings and Photographs. Brooklyn Museum/Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Collection, 1996.164.10-27. (1996.164.10-27_bw_SL1.jpg)

Help us geotag this photograph so we can represent Brooklyn on Historypin. If you can figure out where this image should be placed:

Use Suggestify to suggest a location for it.

[or]

Leave a comment on Flickr and link to the location on Google Maps.

[or]

Tweet @brooklynmuseum with the Flickr image URL, the location link to Google Maps and use the #mapBK hashtag.

More about #mapBK:
www.brooklynmuseum.org/mapbk





Friendly Enemies, Dog and Cat, Flatbush, ca. 1899-1909.
image url
Image by Brooklyn Museum
Daniel Berry Austin (American, born 1863, active 1899-1909). Friendly Enemies, Dog and Cat, Flatbush, ca. 1899-1909. Dry plate negative. Prints, Drawings and Photographs. Brooklyn Museum/Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Collection, 1996.164.1-1026. (1996.164.1-1026_IMLS_SL2.jpg)

Help us geotag this photograph so we can represent Brooklyn on Historypin. If you can figure out where this image should be placed:

Use Suggestify to suggest a location for it.

[or]

Leave a comment on Flickr and link to the location on Google Maps.

[or]

Tweet @brooklynmuseum with the Flickr image URL, the location link to Google Maps and use the #mapBK hashtag.

More about #mapBK:
www.brooklynmuseum.org/mapbk




Magic Kingdom 160

Some cool magic photo images:


Magic Kingdom 160
magic photo
Image by Michael Kappel

Disney's Magic Kingdom
disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/magic-kingdom/

Picture taken in Orlando Florida at the Walt Disney World Park
View the high resolution image on my photo website
Pictures.MichaelKappel.com


Magic Kingdom 186
magic photo
Image by Michael Kappel

Disney's Magic Kingdom
disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/magic-kingdom/

Picture taken in Orlando Florida at the Walt Disney World Park
View the high resolution image on my photo website
Pictures.MichaelKappel.com


Magic Kingdom 145
magic photo
Image by Michael Kappel

Disney's Magic Kingdom
disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/magic-kingdom/

Picture taken in Orlando Florida at the Walt Disney World Park
View the high resolution image on my photo website
Pictures.MichaelKappel.com

Cool Best Image images

Check out these best image images:


Image 11482.
best image
Image by Vlad & Marina Butsky
Place: USA/California/Central Coast/Los Padres National Forrest
Image 11482.

Image Field

Some cool image editor images:


Image Field
image editor
Image by WGBH.org Development Blog
Here's the image upload field for an episode. It's the same for series logo and image fields.


DSC00852-61_stitch
image editor
Image by Capt Kodak
Panorama created from 10 images...

Pompano Beach

Polaroid Collage

Some cool picture collage images:


Polaroid Collage
picture collage
Image by spartanjoe
Made with Picasa (free from Google).

Click the "ALL SIZES" button above the picture to see the larger version.


People Pictures
picture collage
Image by KateWares
The August Break, 2010 - A Summary. A collage of some of the photos that I took with www.susannahconway.com/the-august-break-2010 and which appear on my blog www.katewares.com.


365 collage
picture collage
Image by _Libby_
yes. so... i wasn't very religious in my updating of the 365. let's start afresh in october. you can see these pictures closer at le blog: looking-for-stars.blogspot.com/

this photo is being uploaded just to say...

A few nice upload photos images I found:


this photo is being uploaded just to say...
upload photos
Image by plousia
that I'm leaving tomorrow for a friend's wedding at which I'm one of the photographers...very very nervous because it's my first wedding, but at the same time kind of excited. Hope it will be fun. Hope nothing goes wrong.

I'll be gone for about a week so probably won't be on Flickr much. Happy Flickring to all my friends!

(this is one of my favourite results from a photoshoot with Vlad)


Brabus GL 63 BiTurbo
upload photos
Image by Niklas Emmerich Photography
Only upload some old photos because nothing new at the moment but next week I will be at the GenferAutosalon!

©Do not use without my permission!

Brabus, Bottrop 2012

Follow me on Instagram !

Cool Photo images

A few nice photo images I found:



MOMENTS AND SPEECHES -ROAMING DRAGON –BRINGING PAN-ASIAN FOOD TO THE STREETS – Street Food-Catering-Events – Photos by Ron Sombilon Photography-52-WEB
photo
Image by SOMBILON ART, MEDIA and PHOTOGRAPHY
Photos by www.RonSombilonGalleryPhotography.com

ABOUT ROAMING DRAGON
www.RoamingDragon.com

Roaming Dragon came to life as two lifelong friends identified a major void in Vancouver’s food scene…the absence of restaurant quality food being served via Food Trucks!

Since launching in June 2010, Roaming Dragon has earned praise for our menus, our involvement as leaders in the food truck revolution, and for elevating the food truck experience across Canada.

Roaming Dragon can be seen on the streets of Vancouver, catering the city’s most exciting events, at a Farmers Market, or participating in charity events.

We specialize in authentically unauthentic Pan-Asian deliciousness. We offer unique interpretations of dishes and flavours familiar throughout Southeast Asia.

Street Food. Catering. Events.

As crazy as it may sound, the Dragon is so much more than a truck that serves food…the Dragon has a spirit and energy of its own!

From the aesthetics of the Dragon to the delicious smells, the music to the welcoming lanterns, the amazing food to our incredible staff…the Dragon has heart and soul.

The combination of food, music, smells, and smiles from our team make the journey to the Dragon special. We’re PROUD of our team, PROUD of our food, PROUD of our suppliers, and most of all PROUD to serve our customers.

We fundamentally believe that you DESERVE the finest ingredients, prepared with care and respect, and presented in unique and delicious ways.

We’re PROUD to know where our food comes from, that it was raised ETHICALLY and NATURALLY. Our team takes PRIDE in bringing you the most INNOVATIVE Pan-Asian cuisine you’ll ever come across!


.

Cool Heart Image images

Some cool heart image images:


"Another Valentine for him - a digital heart design by mimitalks, married w/children
heart image
Image by mimitalks, married, under grace
Be my guest, for personal use only and link back here.
As God's Word and Salvation are offered freely to all, so is this.
Happy Valentine's Day early!....................Mimi
See 1st comment.

Set on Flickr of all my (for personal use only) Valentine printable designs

Nice Bing Image photos

A few nice bing image images I found:



Harmand Bing_001
bing image
Image by **** lem ****
Lemuetoh’s Weblog

le cabaret
........................................................ un endroit sublime plein de charme très cosy


Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission or that one of le cabaret's owner. © 2009 ****lem****or Bee Vollmar . All rights reserved.
Cette création est mise à disposition sous un contrat Creative Commons.
Tous droits réservés

Nice Digital Photos photos

Check out these digital photos images:


Yellow | Digital Harinezumi
digital photos
Image by en-shahdi
Superheadz / Digital Harinezumi | デジタルハリネズミ

Degi Hari


Tunnel | Digital Harinezumi
digital photos
Image by en-shahdi
Superheadz / Digital Harinezumi | デジタルハリネズミ

Degi Hari

Coot Lake Sunset Boulder County Colorado

Some cool print photo images:


Coot Lake Sunset Boulder County Colorado
print photo
Image by Striking Photography by Bo Insogna
Sept 6th, 2010 on Labor Day the fourmile canyon fire broke out up in the Rocky Mountains in Boulder Country and made for this beautiful sunset over Coot lake. Boulder County Colorado.

Buy Fine art striking nature Boulder County landscape photography prints, posters, greeting cards and stock images for licensing. www.TheLightningMan.com Questions Direct: 303-834-2524 Toll Free: 1-888-682-0122



photos printed on muslin
print photo
Image by knitsteel
I spray mounted regular muslin on to regular paper, using Elmers spray adhesive. Then I ran it through the printer. It worked! It would help if I had more ink in the printer. I wonder if ironing will heatset the ink.

Cool Upload Photo images

A few nice upload photo images I found:


Flickr Meetup at the Olympics
upload photo
Image by WinstonWong*



Flickr Meetup at the Olympics
upload photo
Image by WinstonWong*

Free The Word! Poetry and the State

A few nice free photo editor images I found:


Free The Word! Poetry and the State
free photo editor
Image by englishpen
Launch of the latest issue of Modern Poetry in Translation Magazine.

Readers Chris Beckett, Sasha Dugdale, Michael Foley, Martina Thomson and Stephen Watts with MPT's editors David and Helen Constantine.

(Photo: Sakia Schmidt / English PEN)

(2013) RECORDING EQUIPMENT

Some cool photo equipment images:


(2013) RECORDING EQUIPMENT
photo equipment
Image by andrew pilling
This photo is of my most resent recording equipment. My recording / composing equipment begins with Motu's Traveler AD/DA interface (the device right under the iMac on shelf) that connects to my iMac Quad core computer running Motu's Digital Performer DAW (digital audio workstation) software. I control the Track / Mix / Edit & Mastering functions with Frontier Design's Alpha Track DAW controller (the device right behind the keyboard) and a little help from the keyboard & mouse. I monitor the Track / Mix / Edit & Mastering with a pair of inexpensive Tascam VL-A4 self powered monitors, AKG's K-240 MKII headphones and of course; imacs built in speakers for comparison. I have two external drives, one is used as the imacs backup and the other drive is used as dedicated storage for Motu's Digital performer music song files and also a backup for my iTunes library files, so essentially I have all of my music stored in triplicate. The other equipment seen on my desk is a Boss GS10 Guitar effects system and a Roland GR-30 Guitar synth.


Day 197 - Industrial
photo equipment
Image by brianjmatis
Alright, alright, so it's another shot with a title...

"So, what is it?" you ask. It's a close up of an industrial scissor lift that my friends rented. Turns out all you need to rent one is a driver's license and 0!

Nice Christmas Photo Cards photos

A few nice christmas photo cards images I found:


Gust Holiday Card Photo Shoot
christmas photo cards
Image by LindsayT...
holidays.gust.com/

Cool Free Photo Edit images

Check out these free photo edit images:


Photoshop Express Quicktip 6 - White balance
free photo edit
Image by floyduk
Part of a set of 10 Free Photoshop Express Quicktips video tutorials from PhotoWalkthrough. This episode shows how to fix the colours in your image using the white balance tool. You can test and sign up for Photoshop Express at www.photoshop.com/express.

New tips will be released every couple of days. HD versions are available at www.vimeo.com/photoshopexpress.


Free happy smiling baby face stock photo Creative Commons
free photo edit
Image by © 2006-2013 Pink Sherbet Photography
My Getty Images stock photography portfolio

My Evolve Images stock photography portfolio


Interested in my images?
Email me!
pink@pinkpherbet.com







11 weeks old
Free for use

My photos that have a creative commons license and are free for everyone to download, edit, alter and use as long as you give me, "D Sharon Pruitt" credit as the original owner of the photo. Have fun and enjoy!

no perspective in arts... tower

Some cool photo art images:


no perspective in arts... tower
photo art
Image by Paolo Margari
arts tower, university of sheffield, england.
the charity 'marie curie cancer care' provides high quality nursing, totally free, to give terminally ill people the choice of dying at home supported by their families [http://www.mariecurie.org.uk]
Every year, students at the University, with the help and support of Pinders digital printshop in Sheffield, create a 1,000 square metre mosaic of the charity´s daffodil logo. The logo is then displayed using the windows of the University´s 255-foot high (80m), Grade II listed Arts Tower building on Western Bank.
The daffodil image, which can be seen from miles around, helps to raise awareness for the charity´s month-long appeal.

photo taken on sunday 25th march 2007. this image has been manipulated to lessen perspective.


Army Photography Contest - 2007 - FMWRC - Arts and Crafts - Capital Dome
photo art
Image by familymwr
Army Photography Contest - 2007 - FMWRC - Arts and Crafts - Capital Dome

Photo By: SMSGT Munnaf Joarder

To learn more about the annual U.S. Army Photography Competition, visit us online at www.armymwr.com

U.S. Army Arts and Crafts History

After World War I the reductions to the Army left the United States with a small force. The War Department faced monumental challenges in preparing for World War II. One of those challenges was soldier morale. Recreational activities for off duty time would be important. The arts and crafts program informally evolved to augment the needs of the War Department.
On January 9, 1941, the Secretary of War, Henry L. Stimson, appointed Frederick H. Osborn, a prominent U.S. businessman and philanthropist, Chairman of the War Department Committee on Education, Recreation and Community Service.
In 1940 and 1941, the United States involvement in World War II was more of sympathy and anticipation than of action. However, many different types of institutions were looking for ways to help the war effort. The Museum of Modern Art in New York was one of these institutions. In April, 1941, the Museum announced a poster competition, “Posters for National Defense.” The directors stated “The Museum feels that in a time of national emergency the artists of a country are as important an asset as men skilled in other fields, and that the nation’s first-rate talent should be utilized by the government for its official design work... Discussions have been held with officials of the Army and the Treasury who have expressed remarkable enthusiasm...”
In May 1941, the Museum exhibited “Britain at War”, a show selected by Sir Kenneth Clark, director of the National Gallery in London. The “Prize-Winning Defense Posters” were exhibited in July through September concurrently with “Britain at War.” The enormous overnight growth of the military force meant mobilization type construction at every camp. Construction was fast; facilities were not fancy; rather drab and depressing.
In 1941, the Fort Custer Army Illustrators, while on strenuous war games maneuvers in Tennessee, documented the exercise The Bulletin of the Museum of Modern Art, Vol. 9, No. 3 (Feb. 1942), described their work. “Results were astonishingly good; they showed serious devotion ...to the purpose of depicting the Army scene with unvarnished realism and a remarkable ability to capture this scene from the soldier’s viewpoint. Civilian amateur and professional artists had been transformed into soldier-artists. Reality and straightforward documentation had supplanted (replaced) the old romantic glorification and false dramatization of war and the slick suavity (charm) of commercial drawing.”

“In August of last year, Fort Custer Army Illustrators held an exhibition, the first of its kind in the new Army, at the Camp Service Club. Soldiers who saw the exhibition, many of whom had never been inside an art gallery, enjoyed it thoroughly. Civilian visitors, too, came and admired. The work of the group showed them a new aspect of the Army; there were many phases of Army life they had never seen or heard of before. Newspapers made much of it and, most important, the Army approved. Army officials saw that it was not only authentic material, but that here was a source of enlivenment (vitalization) to the Army and a vivid medium for conveying the Army’s purposes and processes to civilians and soldiers.”
Brigadier General Frederick H. Osborn and War Department leaders were concerned because few soldiers were using the off duty recreation areas that were available. Army commanders recognized that efficiency is directly correlated with morale, and that morale is largely determined from the manner in which an individual spends his own free time. Army morale enhancement through positive off duty recreation programs is critical in combat staging areas.
To encourage soldier use of programs, the facilities drab and uninviting environment had to be improved. A program utilizing talented artists and craftsmen to decorate day rooms, mess halls, recreation halls and other places of general assembly was established by the Facilities Section of Special Services. The purpose was to provide an environment that would reflect the military tradition, accomplishments and the high standard of army life. The fact that this work was to be done by the men themselves had the added benefit of contributing to the esprit de corps (teamwork, or group spirit) of the unit.
The plan was first tested in October of 1941, at Camp Davis, North Carolina. A studio workshop was set up and a group of soldier artists were placed on special duty to design and decorate the facilities. Additionally, evening recreation art classes were scheduled three times a week. A second test was established at Fort Belvoir, Virginia a month later. The success of these programs lead to more installations requesting the program.
After Pearl Harbor was bombed, the Museum of Modern Art appointed Mr. James Soby, to the position of Director of the Armed Service Program on January 15, 1942. The subsequent program became a combination of occupational therapy, exhibitions and morale-sustaining activities.
Through the efforts of Mr. Soby, the museum program included; a display of Fort Custer Army Illustrators work from February through April 5, 1942. The museum also included the work of soldier-photographers in this exhibit. On May 6, 1942, Mr. Soby opened an art sale of works donated by museum members. The sale was to raise funds for the Soldier Art Program of Special Services Division. The bulk of these proceeds were to be used to provide facilities and materials for soldier artists in Army camps throughout the country.
Members of the Museum had responded with paintings, sculptures, watercolors, gouaches, drawings, etchings and lithographs. Hundreds of works were received, including oils by Winslow Homer, Orozco, John Kane, Speicher, Eilshemius, de Chirico; watercolors by Burchfield and Dufy; drawings by Augustus John, Forain and Berman, and prints by Cezanne, Lautrec, Matisse and Bellows. The War Department plan using soldier-artists to decorate and improve buildings and grounds worked. Many artists who had been drafted into the Army volunteered to paint murals in waiting rooms and clubs, to decorate dayrooms, and to landscape grounds. For each artist at work there were a thousand troops who watched. These bystanders clamored to participate, and classes in drawing, painting, sculpture and photography were offered. Larger working space and more instructors were required to meet the growing demand. Civilian art instructors and local communities helped to meet this cultural need, by providing volunteer instruction and facilities.
Some proceeds from the Modern Museum of Art sale were used to print 25,000 booklets called “Interior Design and Soldier Art.” The booklet showed examples of soldier-artist murals that decorated places of general assembly. It was a guide to organizing, planning and executing the soldier-artist program. The balance of the art sale proceeds were used to purchase the initial arts and crafts furnishings for 350 Army installations in the USA.
In November, 1942, General Somervell directed that a group of artists be selected and dispatched to active theaters to paint war scenes with the stipulation that soldier artists would not paint in lieu of military duties.
Aileen Osborn Webb, sister of Brigadier General Frederick H. Osborn, launched the American Crafts Council in 1943. She was an early champion of the Army program.
While soldiers were participating in fixed facilities in the USA, many troops were being shipped overseas to Europe and the Pacific (1942-1945). They had long periods of idleness and waiting in staging areas. At that time the wounded were lying in hospitals, both on land and in ships at sea. The War Department and Red Cross responded by purchasing kits of arts and crafts tools and supplies to distribute to “these restless personnel.” A variety of small “Handicraft Kits” were distributed free of charge. Leathercraft, celluloid etching, knotting and braiding, metal tooling, drawing and clay modeling are examples of the types of kits sent.
In January, 1944, the Interior Design Soldier Artist program was more appropriately named the “Arts and Crafts Section” of Special Services. The mission was “to fulfill the natural human desire to create, provide opportunities for self-expression, serve old skills and develop new ones, and assist the entire recreation program through construction work, publicity, and decoration.”
The National Army Art Contest was planned for the late fall of 1944. In June of 1945, the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., for the first time in its history opened its facilities for the exhibition of the soldier art and photography submitted to this contest. The “Infantry Journal, Inc.” printed a small paperback booklet containing 215 photographs of pictures exhibited in the National Gallery of Art.
In August of 1944, the Museum of Modern Art, Armed Forces Program, organized an art center for veterans. Abby Rockefeller, in particular, had a strong interest in this project. Soldiers were invited to sketch, paint, or model under the guidance of skilled artists and craftsmen. Victor d’Amico, who was in charge of the Museum’s Education Department, was quoted in Russell Lynes book, Good Old Modern: An Intimate Portrait of the Museum of Modern Art. “I asked one fellow why he had taken up art and he said, Well, I just came back from destroying everything. I made up my mind that if I ever got out of the Army and out of the war I was never going to destroy another thing in my life, and I decided that art was the thing that I would do.” Another man said to d’Amico, “Art is like a good night’s sleep. You come away refreshed and at peace.”
In late October, 1944, an Arts and Crafts Branch of Special Services Division, Headquarters, European Theater of Operations was established. A versatile program of handcrafts flourished among the Army occupation troops.
The increased interest in crafts, rather than fine arts, at this time lead to a new name for the program: The “Handicrafts Branch.”
In 1945, the War Department published a new manual, “Soldier Handicrafts”, to help implement this new emphasis. The manual contained instructions for setting up crafts facilities, selecting as well as improvising tools and equipment, and basic information on a variety of arts and crafts.
As the Army moved from a combat to a peacetime role, the majority of crafts shops in the United States were equipped with woodworking power machinery for construction of furnishings and objects for personal living. Based on this new trend, in 1946 the program was again renamed, this time as “Manual Arts.”
At the same time, overseas programs were now employing local artists and craftsmen to operate the crafts facilities and instruct in a variety of arts and crafts. These highly skilled, indigenous instructors helped to stimulate the soldiers’ interest in the respective native cultures and artifacts. Thousands of troops overseas were encouraged to record their experiences on film. These photographs provided an invaluable means of communication between troops and their families back home.
When the war ended, the Navy had a firm of architects and draftsmen on contract to design ships. Since there was no longer a need for more ships, they were given a new assignment: To develop a series of instructional guides for arts and crafts. These were called “Hobby Manuals.” The Army was impressed with the quality of the Navy manuals and had them reprinted and adopted for use by Army troops. By 1948, the arts and crafts practiced throughout the Army were so varied and diverse that the program was renamed “Hobby Shops.” The first “Interservice Photography Contest” was held in 1948. Each service is eligible to send two years of their winning entries forward for the bi-annual interservice contest. In 1949, the first All Army Crafts Contest was also held. Once again, it was clear that the program title, “Hobby Shops” was misleading and overlapped into other forms of recreation.
In January, 1951, the program was designated as “The Army Crafts Program.” The program was recognized as an essential Army recreation activity along with sports, libraries, service clubs, soldier shows and soldier music. In the official statement of mission, professional leadership was emphasized to insure a balanced, progressive schedule of arts and crafts would be conducted in well-equipped, attractive facilities on all Army installations.
The program was now defined in terms of a “Basic Seven Program” which included: drawing and painting; ceramics and sculpture; metal work; leathercrafts; model building; photography and woodworking. These programs were to be conducted regularly in facilities known as the “multiple-type crafts shop.” For functional reasons, these facilities were divided into three separate technical areas for woodworking, photography and the arts and crafts.
During the Korean Conflict, the Army Crafts program utilized the personnel and shops in Japan to train soldiers to instruct crafts in Korea.
The mid-1950s saw more soldiers with cars and the need to repair their vehicles was recognized at Fort Carson, Colorado, by the craft director. Soldiers familiar with crafts shops knew that they had tools and so automotive crafts were established. By 1958, the Engineers published an Official Design Guide on Crafts Shops and Auto Crafts Shops. In 1959, the first All Army Art Contest was held. Once more, the Army Crafts Program responded to the needs of soldiers.
In the 1960’s, the war in Vietnam was a new challenge for the Army Crafts Program. The program had three levels of support; fixed facilities, mobile trailers designed as portable photo labs, and once again a “Kit Program.” The kit program originated at Headquarters, Department of Army, and it proved to be very popular with soldiers.
Tom Turner, today a well-known studio potter, was a soldier at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina in the 1960s. In the December 1990 / January 1991 “American Crafts” magazine, Turner, who had been a graduate student in art school when he was drafted, said the program was “a godsend.”
The Army Artist Program was re-initiated in cooperation with the Office of Military History to document the war in Vietnam. Soldier-artists were identified and teams were formed to draw and paint the events of this combat. Exhibitions of these soldier-artist works were produced and toured throughout the USA.
In 1970, the original name of the program, “Arts and Crafts”, was restored. In 1971, the “Arts and Crafts/Skills Development Program” was established for budget presentations and construction projects.
After the Vietnam demobilization, a new emphasis was placed on service to families and children of soldiers. To meet this new challenge in an environment of funding constraints the arts and crafts program began charging fees for classes. More part-time personnel were used to teach formal classes. Additionally, a need for more technical-vocational skills training for military personnel was met by close coordination with Army Education Programs. Army arts and crafts directors worked with soldiers during “Project Transition” to develop soldier skills for new careers in the public sector.
The main challenge in the 1980s and 90s was, and is, to become “self-sustaining.” Directors have been forced to find more ways to generate increased revenue to help defray the loss of appropriated funds and to cover the non-appropriated funds expenses of the program. Programs have added and increased emphasis on services such as, picture framing, gallery sales, engraving and trophy sales, etc... New programs such as multi-media computer graphics appeal to customers of the 1990’s.
The Gulf War presented the Army with some familiar challenges such as personnel off duty time in staging areas. Department of Army volunteer civilian recreation specialists were sent to Saudi Arabia in January, 1991, to organize recreation programs. Arts and crafts supplies were sent to the theater. An Army Humor Cartoon Contest was conducted for the soldiers in the Gulf, and arts and crafts programs were set up to meet soldier interests.
The increased operations tempo of the ‘90’s Army has once again placed emphasis on meeting the “recreation needs of deployed soldiers.” Arts and crafts activities and a variety of programs are assets commanders must have to meet the deployment challenges of these very different scenarios.
The Army arts and crafts program, no matter what it has been titled, has made some unique contributions for the military and our society in general. Army arts and crafts does not fit the narrow definition of drawing and painting or making ceramics, but the much larger sense of arts and crafts. It is painting and drawing. It also encompasses:
* all forms of design. (fabric, clothes, household appliances, dishes, vases, houses, automobiles, landscapes, computers, copy machines, desks, industrial machines, weapon systems, air crafts, roads, etc...)
* applied technology (photography, graphics, woodworking, sculpture, metal smithing, weaving and textiles, sewing, advertising, enameling, stained glass, pottery, charts, graphs, visual aides and even formats for correspondence...)
* a way of making learning fun, practical and meaningful (through the process of designing and making an object the creator must decide which materials and techniques to use, thereby engaging in creative problem solving and discovery) skills taught have military applications.
* a way to acquire quality items and save money by doing-it-yourself (making furniture, gifts, repairing things ...).
* a way to pursue college credit, through on post classes.
* a universal and non-verbal language (a picture is worth a thousand words).
* food for the human psyche, an element of morale that allows for individual expression (freedom).
* the celebration of human spirit and excellence (our highest form of public recognition is through a dedicated monument).
* physical and mental therapy (motor skill development, stress reduction, etc...).
* an activity that promotes self-reliance and self-esteem.
* the record of mankind, and in this case, of the Army.
What would the world be like today if this generally unknown program had not existed? To quantitatively state the overall impact of this program on the world is impossible. Millions of soldier citizens have been directly and indirectly exposed to arts and crafts because this program existed. One activity, photography can provide a clue to its impact. Soldiers encouraged to take pictures, beginning with WW II, have shared those images with family and friends. Classes in “How to Use a Camera” to “How to Develop Film and Print Pictures” were instrumental in soldiers seeing the results of using quality equipment. A good camera and lens could make a big difference in the quality of the print. They bought the top of the line equipment. When they were discharged from the Army or home on leave this new equipment was showed to the family and friends. Without this encouragement and exposure to photography many would not have recorded their personal experiences or known the difference quality equipment could make. Families and friends would not have had the opportunity to “see” the environment their soldier was living in without these photos. Germany, Italy, Korea, Japan, Panama, etc... were far away places that most had not visited.
As the twenty first century approaches, the predictions for an arts renaissance by Megatrends 2000 seem realistic based on the Army Arts and Crafts Program practical experience. In the April ‘95 issue of “American Demographics” magazine, an article titled “Generation X” fully supports that this is indeed the case today. Television and computers have greatly contributed to “Generation X” being more interested in the visual arts and crafts.
Connect with us:
www.Facebook.com/FamilyMWR
www.Twitter.com/FamilyMWR
www.YouTube.com/FamilyMWR


Photograph of a men's art class at the Chase School of Art
photo art
Image by Smithsonian Institution
Description: A men's art class. Instructor William Merritt Chase is pictured in the photo. Photographed by Byron, either Joseph or his son Percy Claude.
Chase, William Merritt, 1849-1916

Co-Creator: Byron, Joseph
Byron, Percy C.

Creator/Photographer: Unidentified photographer

Medium: Black and white photographic print

Dimensions: 21 cm x 26 cm

Date: 1897

Repository: Archives of American Art

Accession number: aaa_laniedwa_10600

Christmas Stock Image Photography by Jim Crotty 25

Check out these stock image images:


Christmas Stock Image Photography by Jim Crotty 25
stock image
Image by jimcrotty.com
Holiday and Christmas stock image photography by Jim Crotty including decorations, winter scenes, toys and lights



Christmas Stock Image Photography by Jim Crotty 12
stock image
Image by jimcrotty.com
Holiday and Christmas stock image photography by Jim Crotty including decorations, winter scenes, toys and lights

Nice Photo Library photos

A few nice photo library images I found:


U.S. libraries a vital gateway to internet access
photo library
Image by Gates Foundation
Rachel Schott works on a computer at the New Orleans Public Library Lakeview Branch. According to a report by the University of Washington Information School, more than one-third of all Americans age 14 or older - roughly 77 million people - used a public library computer or wireless network to access the internet in the past year. (New Orleans, LA, USA, 2009)

Join the conversation on our Community Page.


The Willis Library
photo library
Image by Afroswede
Here's the Willis Library on the University of North Texas Campus. It's where I come to work every weekday morning. Durn flagpole is messing the view up though. I normally don't see it from this angle, as I approach from the side.


Hearst Castle Library
photo library
Image by Jill Clardy
remarkably similar to my library at home..... :)

a rather dim and dark space, perfect for curling up with a book, of which there is an endless selection here...

Another Smithsonian Winner, some upcoming appearances, and a new photo of Rockefeller center

A few nice photo blog images I found:


Another Smithsonian Winner, some upcoming appearances, and a new photo of Rockefeller center
photo blog
Image by Stuck in Customs
(below content makes more sense when viewed here on the blog! -- www.stuckincustoms.com/2009/02/16/another-smithsonian-win... )

Why are my blog titles getting so long? Sorry about that... I guess with one post per day, sometimes there is a lot to squeeze in!

So, a few days ago I received a letter from the Smithsonian saying that I have another one in the running for the 6th Annual Photo Contest! Cool! Two years ago, I had 2 winners in the 4th Annual Photo Contest , and one of those ended up hanging in the Smithsonian castle in DC. I know a few of you out there got to see it on road trips - maybe we can make another pilgrimage this year!. I didn't win anything last year in the 5th annual contest... It was a bad year for me, what can I say?

The one that is in the finalist pool this year is the Times Square one that I have placed above. Just below that, I have placed a NEW photo of Rockefeller Center that I have been working on over the weekend. I hope you like it.

I will be speaking in Austin, Texas next week at the Digital Photography SIG on Thursday night, Feb 26 (next week). It's free to come - please do - I'd be happy to meet you in person! I'll be talking about photography and going through a tutorial. If you are in Central Texas, be sure to stop by -- it should be a good time!

Also, over the weekend, I was interviewed at the Pro Photography Show, which is a podcast that should be made available in the next few weeks. I will be sure to put a link to it here whenever it goes live.

Cool Earth Image images

Some cool earth image images:


Earth_Hour_3Finger_Club_6565
earth image
Image by \!/_PeacePlusOne
Candle Light Earth Hour at the 3 Finger Club LOHHAS Lifestyle Lounge

Lights were out between 8:30 and 9:30 while we told stories and discussed our Lifestyle Of Health, Happiness And Sustainability (LOHHAS) using the 3 Finger "Peace Plus One" Sustainability Salute to remind us about Peace, Harmony and Balance between Society, Environment and Economy


People were the best jugglers of "Society, Environment, Economy" balls won "EARTH HOUR 60" T-Shirts WOW \!/O\!/


Photo Courtesy of the McMaster Institute for Sustainable Development in Commerce

www.SustainabilitySymbol.com
www.PeacePlusOne.com
www.Dragonpreneur.com

all participants in the Earth Hour Discussion got a copy of "Letter to Maddie" featured below:

We Screwed Up
A Letter of Apology to My Granddaughter
By Chip Ward

[Note: I became politically active and committed on the day 20 years ago when I realized I could stand on the front porch of my house and point to three homes where children were in wheelchairs, to a home where a child had just died of leukemia, to another where a child was born missing a kidney, and yet another where a child suffered from spina bifida. All my parental alarms went off at once and I asked the obvious question: What’s going on here? Did I inadvertently move my three children into harm’s way when we settled in this high desert valley in Utah? A quest to find answers in Utah’s nuclear history and then seek solutions followed. Politics for me was never motivated by ideology. It was always about parenting.

Today my three kids are, thankfully, healthy adults. But now that grandchildren are being added to our family, my blood runs cold whenever I project out 50 years and imagine what their world will be like at middle age -- assuming they get that far and that there is still a recognizable “world” to be part of. I wrote the following letter to my granddaughter, Madeline, who is almost four years old. Although she cannot read it today, I hope she will read it in a future that proves so much better than the one that is probable, and so terribly unfair. I’m sharing this letter with other parents and grandparents in the hope that it may move them to embrace their roles as citizens and commit to the hard work of making the planet viable, the economy equitable, and our culture democratic for the many Madelines to come.]

March 20, 2012

Dear Maddie,

I address this letter to you, but please share it with Jack, Tasiah, and other grandchildren who are yet unborn. Also, with your children and theirs. My unconditional love for my children and grandchildren convinces me that, if I could live long enough to embrace my great-grandchildren, I would love them as deeply as I love you.

On behalf of my generation of grandparents to all of you, I want to apologize.

I am sorry we used up all the oil. It took a million years for those layers of carbon goo to form under the Earth’s crust and we used up most of it in a geological instant. No doubt there will be some left and perhaps you can get around the fact that what remains is already distant, dirty, and dangerous, but the low-hanging fruit will be long-gone by the time you are my age. We took it all.

There’s no excuse, really. We are gas-hogs, plain and simple. We got hooked on faster-bigger-more and charged right over the carrying capacity of the planet. Oil made it possible.

Machines are our slaves and coal, oil, and gas are their food. They helped us grow so much of our own food that we could overpopulate the Earth. We could ship stuff and travel all over the globe, and still have enough fuel left to drive home alone in trucks in time to watch Monday Night Football.

Rocket fuel, fertilizer, baby bottles, lawn chairs: we made everything and anything out of oil and could never get enough of it. We could have conserved more for you to use in your lifetime. Instead, we demonstrated the self-restraint of crack addicts. It’s been great having all that oil to play with and we built our entire world around that. Living without it will be tough. Sorry.

I hope we develop clean, renewable energy sources soon, or that you and your generation figure out how to do that quickly. In the meantime, sorry about the climate. We just didn’t realize our addiction to carbon would come with monster storms, epic droughts, Biblical floods, wildfire infernos, rising seas, migration, starvation, pestilence, civil war, failed states, police states, and resource wars.

I’m sure Henry Ford didn’t see that coming when he figured out how to mass-produce automobiles and sell them to Everyman. I know my parents didn’t see the downside of using so much gas and coal. The all-electric house and a car in the driveway was their American Dream. For my generation, owning a car became a birthright. Today, it would be hard for most of us to live without a car. I have no idea what you’ll do to get around or how you will heat your home. Oops!

We also pigged out on most of the fertile soil, the forests and their timber, and the oceans that teemed with fish before we scraped the seabed raw, dumped our poisonous wastes in the water, and turned it acid and barren. Hey, that ocean was an awesome place and it’s too bad you can’t know it like we did. There were bright coral reefs, vibrant runs of red salmon, ribbons of birds embroidering the shores, graceful shells, the solace and majesty of the wild sea…

…But then I never saw the vast herds of bison that roamed the American heartland, so I know it is hard to miss something you only saw in pictures. We took lots of photos.

We thought we were pretty smart because we walked a man on the moon. Our technology is indeed amazing. I was raised without computers, smart phones, and the World Wide Web, so I appreciate how our engineering prowess has enhanced our lives, but I also know it has a downside.

When I was a kid we worried that the Cold War would go nuclear. And it wasn’t until a river caught fire near Cleveland that we realized fouling your own nest isn’t so smart after all. Well, you know about the rest -- the coal-fired power plants, acid rain, the hole in the ozone...

www.tomdispatch.com/images/managed/fear2.gifThere were plenty of signs we took a wrong turn but we kept on going. Dumb, stubborn, blind: Who knows why we couldn’t stop? Greed maybe -- powerful corporations we couldn’t overcome. It won’t matter much to you who is to blame. You’ll be too busy coping in the diminished world we bequeath you.

One set of problems we pass on to you is not altogether our fault. It was handed down to us by our parents’ generation so hammered by cataclysmic world wars and economic hardship that they armed themselves to the teeth and saw enemies everywhere. Their paranoia was understandable, but they passed their fears on to us and we should have seen through them. I have lived through four major American wars in my 62 years, and by now defense and homeland security are powerful industries with a stranglehold on Congress and the economy. We knew that was a lousy deal, but trauma and terror darkened our imaginations and distorted our priorities. And, like you, we needed jobs.

Sorry we spent your inheritance on all that cheap bling and, especially, all those weapons of mass destruction. That was crazy and wasteful. I can’t explain it. I guess we’ve been confused for a long time now.

Oh, and sorry about the confusion. We called it advertising and it seemed like it would be easy enough to control. When I was a kid, commercials merely interrupted entertainment. Don’t know when the lines all blurred and the buy, buy, buy message became so ubiquitous and all-consuming. It just got outta hand and we couldn’t stop it, even when we realized we hated it and that it was taking us over. We turned away from one another, tuned in, and got lost.

I’m betting you can still download this note, copy it, share it, bust it up and remake it, and that you do so while plugged into some sort of electrical device you can’t live without -- so maybe you don’t think that an apology for technology is needed and, if that’s the case, an apology is especially relevant. The tools we gave you are fine, but the apps are mostly bogus. We made an industry of silly distraction. When our spirits hungered, we fed them clay that filled but did not nourish them. If you still don’t know the difference, blame us because we started it.

And sorry about the chemicals. I mean the ones you were born with in your blood and bones that stay there -- even though we don’t know what they’ll do to you). Who thought that the fire retardant that kept smokers from igniting their pillows and children’s clothes from bursting into flames would end up in umbilical cords and infants?

It just seemed like better living through chemistry at the time. Same with all the other chemicals you carry. We learned to accept cancer and I guess you will, too. I’m sure there will be better treatments for that in your lifetime than we have today. If you can afford them, that is. Turning healthcare over to predatory corporations was another bad move.

All in all, our chemical obsession was pretty reckless and we got into that same old pattern: just couldn’t give up all the neat stuff. Oh, we tried. We took the lead out of gasoline and banned DDT, but mostly we did too little, too late. I hope you’ve done better. Maybe it will help your generation to run out of oil, since so many of the toxic chemicals came from that. Anyway, we didn’t see it coming and we could have, should have. Our bad.

There are so many other things I wish I could change for you. We leave behind a noisy world. Silence is rare today, and unless some future catastrophe has left your numbers greatly diminished, your machines stilled, and your streets ghostly empty, it is likely that the last remnants of tranquility will be gone by the time you are my age.

And how about all those species, the abundant and wondrous creatures that are fading away forever as I write these words? I never saw a polar bear and I guess you can live without that, too, but when I think of the peep and chirp of frogs at night, the hum of bees busy on a flower bed, the trill of birds at dawn, and so many other splendorous pleasures that you may no longer have, I ache with regret. We should have done more to keep the planet whole and well, but we couldn’t get clear of the old ways of seeing, the ingrained habits, the way we hobble one another’s choices so that the best intentions never get realized.

Mostly I’m sorry about taking all the good water. When I was a child I could kneel down and drink from a brook or spring wherever we camped and played. We could still hike up to glaciers and ski down snow-capped mountains.

Clean, crisp, cold, fresh water is life’s most precious taste. A life-giving gift, all water is holy. I repeat: holy. We treated it, instead, as if it were merely useful. We wasted and tainted it and, again in a geological moment, sucked up aquifers that had taken 10,000 years to gather below ground. In my lifetime, glaciers are melting away, wells are running dry, dust storms are blowing, and rivers like the mighty Colorado are running dry before they reach the sea. I hate to think of what will be left for you. Sorry. So very, very sorry.

I’m sure there’s a boatload of other trouble we’re leaving you that I haven’t covered here. My purpose is not to offer a complete catalog of our follies and atrocities, but to do what we taught your parents to do when they were as little as you are today.

When you make a mistake, we told them, admit it, and then do better. If you do something wrong, own up and say you are sorry. After that, you can work on making amends.

I am trying to see a way out of the hardship and turmoil we are making for you. As I work to stop the madness, I will be mindful of how much harder your struggles will be as you deal with the challenges we leave you to face.

The best I can do to help you through the overheated future we are making is to love you now. I cannot change the past and my struggle to make a healthier future for you is uncertain, but today I can teach you, encourage you, and help you be as strong and smart and confident as you can be, so that whatever the future holds, whatever crises you face, you are as ready as possible. We will learn to laugh together, too, because love and laughter can pull you through the toughest times.

I know a better world is possible. We create that better world by reaching out to one another, listening, learning, and speaking from our hearts, face to face, neighbor to neighbor, one community after another, openly, inclusively, bravely. Democracy is not a gift to be practiced only when permitted. We empower ourselves. Our salvation is found in each other, together.

Across America this morning and all around the world, our better angels call to us, imploring us to rise up and be as resilient as our beloved, beautiful children and grandchildren, whose future we make today. We can do better. I promise.

Your grandfather,

Chip Ward


Moon Over Earth (NASA, International Space Station, 07/31/11) [Explored]
earth image
Image by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center
Editor's note: So many great images coming from the International Space Station astronauts this week! and a huge THANK YOU for helping us make it into Explore!

Photographed by an Expedition 28 crew member onboard the International Space Station, this image shows the moon at center, with the limb of Earth near the bottom transitioning into the orange-colored troposphere, the lowest and most dense portion of the Earth's atmosphere. The troposphere ends abruptly at the tropopause, which appears in the image as the sharp boundary between the orange- and blue- colored atmosphere. The silvery-blue noctilucent clouds extend far above the Earth's troposphere.

Image credit: NASA

Original image:
spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-28/html/...

More about space station research:
www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/index.html

There's a Flickr group about Space Station Research. Please feel welcome to join! www.flickr.com/groups/stationscience/

This image can also be found in our "NASA Moon Images: photoset:
www.flickr.com/photos/28634332@N05/sets/72157624910405524/


Earth Texture Pack
earth image
Image by Patrick Hoesly
This seamless texture was illustrated by Patrick Hoesly, a Kansas City based illustrator specializing in architectural illustrations and graphic design. This texture is released under the Creative Commons Attribution license. If you like this image, please mark it as a favorite and feel free to leave a comment. Thanks!

What is a Seamless Texture / Pattern?
A seamless texture is an special image, where one side of a image exactly matches the opposite side, so that the edges blend into each other when repeated. Seamless textures are used for desktop wallpaper, webpage backgrounds, video games, Photoshop fills and in 3D rendering programs.

How did you make it?
This texture was made using software specially designed to aid in seamless texture creation. Some of the programs I’ve use are Photoshop, Illustrator, Filter Forge, Genetica, Image Synth, Alien Skin, Topaz Labs, Imagelys, and a Wacom tablet.

Check out my Blog at zooboingreview.blogspot.com

Catty Shack Ranch

Some cool image shack images:


Catty Shack Ranch
image shack
Image by The Jordan Collective
NIkon D3s | Nikon AF-Nikkor 80-200mm ƒ/2.8D ED @ 200mm | 1/5000th sec | ƒ/2.8 | ISO-800

www.TheJordanCollective.com

Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheJordanCollectivePhotography
___________________________________________________________________________

© The Jordan Collective Photography, under the Creative Commons (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported) License.

You are free to share - to copy, distribute and transmit the work, under the following conditions:

Attribution — You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that we (The Jordan Collective) endorse you or your use of the work).

Noncommercial — You may not use this work for commercial purposes.

No Derivative Works — You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work.

Waiver — Any of the above conditions can be waived if you get permission from The Jordan Collective Photography. You must contact us BEFORE the image is used in any way that conflicts with the current license. We often grant waivers, but you must contact us FIRST.

Public Domain — Where the work or any of its elements is in the public domain under applicable law, that status is in no way affected by the license.

Other Rights — In no way are any of the following rights affected by the license:

•Your fair dealing or fair use rights, or other applicable copyright exceptions and limitations;
•The author's moral rights;
•Rights other persons may have either in the work itself or in how the work is used, such as publicity or privacy rights.

Notice — For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of this work. We recommend you either link back to this page, or to our website (www.TheJordanCollective.com)


Catty Shack Ranch
image shack
Image by The Jordan Collective
NIkon D3s | Nikon AF-Nikkor 80-200mm ƒ/2.8D ED @ 200mm | 1/6400th sec | ƒ/2.8 | ISO-800

www.TheJordanCollective.com

Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheJordanCollectivePhotography
___________________________________________________________________________

© The Jordan Collective Photography, under the Creative Commons (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported) License.

You are free to share - to copy, distribute and transmit the work, under the following conditions:

Attribution — You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that we (The Jordan Collective) endorse you or your use of the work).

Noncommercial — You may not use this work for commercial purposes.

No Derivative Works — You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work.

Waiver — Any of the above conditions can be waived if you get permission from The Jordan Collective Photography. You must contact us BEFORE the image is used in any way that conflicts with the current license. We often grant waivers, but you must contact us FIRST.

Public Domain — Where the work or any of its elements is in the public domain under applicable law, that status is in no way affected by the license.

Other Rights — In no way are any of the following rights affected by the license:

•Your fair dealing or fair use rights, or other applicable copyright exceptions and limitations;
•The author's moral rights;
•Rights other persons may have either in the work itself or in how the work is used, such as publicity or privacy rights.

Notice — For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of this work. We recommend you either link back to this page, or to our website (www.TheJordanCollective.com)


Catty Shack Ranch
image shack
Image by The Jordan Collective
NIkon D3s | Nikon AF-Nikkor 80-200mm ƒ/2.8D ED @ 120mm | 1/4000th sec | ƒ/2.8 | ISO-800

www.TheJordanCollective.com

Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheJordanCollectivePhotography
___________________________________________________________________________

© The Jordan Collective Photography, under the Creative Commons (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported) License.

You are free to share - to copy, distribute and transmit the work, under the following conditions:

Attribution — You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that we (The Jordan Collective) endorse you or your use of the work).

Noncommercial — You may not use this work for commercial purposes.

No Derivative Works — You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work.

Waiver — Any of the above conditions can be waived if you get permission from The Jordan Collective Photography. You must contact us BEFORE the image is used in any way that conflicts with the current license. We often grant waivers, but you must contact us FIRST.

Public Domain — Where the work or any of its elements is in the public domain under applicable law, that status is in no way affected by the license.

Other Rights — In no way are any of the following rights affected by the license:

•Your fair dealing or fair use rights, or other applicable copyright exceptions and limitations;
•The author's moral rights;
•Rights other persons may have either in the work itself or in how the work is used, such as publicity or privacy rights.

Notice — For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of this work. We recommend you either link back to this page, or to our website (www.TheJordanCollective.com)

Leaderboard