Category: beauty
Photograph of Diane Arbus by Allan Arbus
(a film test), c. 1949
Diane Arbus (March 14, 1923 â July 26, 1971) was an American photographer and writer noted for black-and-white square photographs of “deviant and marginal people (dwarfs, giants, transvestites, nudists, circus performers) or else of people whose normality seems ugly or surreal.” A friend said that Arbus said that she was “afraid… that she would be known simply as the photographer of freaks”; however, that term has been used repeatedly to describe her.
In 1972, a year after she committed suicide, Arbus became the first American photographer to have photographs displayed at the Venice Biennale. Millions of people viewed traveling exhibitions of her work in 1972-1979. In 2003-2006, Arbus and her work were the subjects of a another major traveling exhibition, Diane Arbus Revelations. In 2006, the motion picture Fur, starring Nicole Kidman as Arbus, presented a fictional version of her life story.
Although some of Arbus’s photographs have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction, Arbus’s work has provoked controversy; for example, Norman Mailer was quoted in 1971 as saying “Giving a camera to Diane Arbus is like putting a live grenade in the hands of a child.”
Arbus experienced “depressive episodes” during her life similar to those experienced by her mother, and the episodes may have been worsened by symptoms of hepatitis. Arbus wrote in 1968 “I go up and down a lot,” and her ex-husband noted that she had “violent changes of mood.” On July 26, 1971, while living at Westbeth Artists Community in New York City, Arbus took her own life by ingesting barbiturates and slashing her wrists with a razor. Marvin Israel found her body in the bathtub two days later; she was 48 years old.
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In mathematics, the Fibonacci numbers are the numbers in the following integer sequence:
0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144…
By definition, the first two Fibonacci numbers are 0 and 1, and each subsequent number is the sum of the previous two.
In mathematical terms, the sequence Fn of Fibonacci numbers is defined by the recurrence relation with seed values.
The Fibonacci sequence is named after Leonardo of Pisa, who was known as Fibonacci. Fibonacci’s 1202 book Liber Abaci introduced the sequence to Western European mathematics, although the sequence had been described earlier in Indian mathematics. (By modern convention, the sequence begins with F0 = 0. The Liber Abaci began the sequence with F1 = 1, omitting the initial 0, and the sequence is still written this way by some.)
Fibonacci numbers are closely related to Lucas numbers in that they are a complementary pair of Lucas sequences. They are intimately connected with the golden ratio, for example the closest rational approximations to the ratio are 2/1, 3/2, 5/3, 8/5, … . Applications include computer algorithms such as the Fibonacci search technique and the Fibonacci heap data structure, and graphs called Fibonacci cubes used for interconnecting parallel and distributed systems. They also appear in biological settings, such as branching in trees, arrangement of leaves on a stem, the fruit spouts of a pineapple, the flowering of artichoke, an uncurling fern and the arrangement of a pine cone. (read more)
Put together dem bones,
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones.
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones.
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones.
Now hear the word of the Lord.
Let’s connect dem bones, dem dry bones.
Let’s connect dem bones, dem dry bones.
Let’s connect dem bones, dem dry bones.
Now hear the word of the Lord.
Toe bone connected to your foot bone. Foot bone connected to your ankle bone. Ankle connected to your leg bone. Leg bone connected to your knee bone. Knee bone connected to your thigh bone. Thigh bone connected to your hip bone. Hip bone connected to your Back bone. Back bone connected to you shoulder bone. Shoulder bone connected to your Neck bone. Neck bone connected to your Head bone. Now hear the word of the Lord.
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones.
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones.
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones.
Now hear the word of the Lord.
Disconnect dem bones dem dry bones.
Disconnect dem bones dem dry bones.
Disconnect dem bones dem dry bones.
Now hear the word of the Lord.
Head bone connected from your neck bone. Neck bone connected from your shoulder bone. Shoulder bone connected from your back bone. Back bone connected from your hip bone. Hip bone connected from your thigh bone Thigh bone connected from your knee bone. Knee bone connected from your leg bone. Leg bone connected form your angcle bone. Ankle bone connected from your foot bone. Foot bone connected from your toe bone. Now hear the word of the Lord.
Dem bones, dem bone, dem begin to walk. Dem bones, dem bone, dem begin to talk. Dem bones, dem bone, dem begin to walk. Now hear the word of the Lord. And then the foot bone begins to walk. Jaw, jaw bone begins to talk. Bones get together in God’s command. Walking and talking like a natural man. Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry, dry, dry bones.
- Labels: art, beauty, imagination, music
Frida Kahlo de Rivera (July 6, 1907 â July 13, 1954; born Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderón) was a Mexican painter, born in Coyoacán, and perhaps best known for her self-portraits.
Kahlo’s life began and ended in Mexico City, in her home known as the Blue House. She gave her birth date as July 7, 1910, but her birth certificate shows July 6, 1907. Kahlo had allegedly wanted the year of her birth to coincide with the year of the beginning of the Mexican revolution so that her life would begin with the birth of modern Mexico. At age 6 years, Frida developed polio, which caused her right leg to appear much thinner than the other. It was to remain that way permanently. Her work has been celebrated in Mexico as emblematic of national and indigenous tradition, and by feminists for its uncompromising depiction of the female experience and form.
Mexican culture and Amerindian cultural tradition are important in her work, which has been sometimes characterized as Naïve art or folk art. Her work has also been described as “surrealist”, and during 1938 one surrealist described Kahlo as a “ribbon around a bomb”.
Kahlo had a marriage with the famous Mexican artist Diego Rivera. She suffered lifelong health problems, many of which derived from a traffic accident during her teenage years. These issues are perhaps represented by her works, many of which are self-portraits of one sort or another. Kahlo suggested, “I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best.” She also stated, “I was born a bitch. I was born a painter.” (read more)
THAT (REAL) OLD TIME RELIGION
Chorus:
Give me that Old Time Religion,
Give me that Old Time Religion,
Give me that Old Time Religion …
It’s good enough for me!
We will worship Aphrodite,
‘Though she’s kind of wild and flighty –
We will see her in her ‘nighty
And that’s good enough for me!
We’ll sing praises to Apollo;
Where the Sun God leads we’ll follow
(‘Though his head’s a little hollow) –
He’s good enough for me!
With the aid of my athame
I can throw a “double-whammy”
(And can slice and dice salami!)
So it’s good enough for me.
It was good enough for Buddha,
As a god he kinda cute-a,
And he comes in brass or pewta’
So he’s good enough for me!
We all worshipped Dionysus
‘Till we ran into a crisis –
The bar had raised its prices;
That’s not good enough for me.
We will worship like the Druids
And drink strange, fermented fluids
And run naked through the woods
‘Cause that’s good enough for me!
We will go and sing “Hosanna”
To our good ol’ pal, Gotamma.
He will never flim or flam ya’,
And that’s good enough for me!
We will finally pray to Jesus
From our sins we hope he frees us
Eternal life he guarantees us
And that’s good enough for me!
It was good enough for Isis,
‘Cause she comes through in a crisis
And she’s never raised her prices
So she’s good enough for me.
There are some that call it folly
When we worship Mother Kali.
She may not be very jolly
But she’s good enough for me.
Shall we sing in praise of Loki,
Though he left poor Midgard smokey?
Oh, his sense of humor’s hokey,
But he’s good enough for me.
It was good enough for Loki,
The old Norse god of chaos,
Which is why this verse doesn’t rhyme,
But it’s good enough for me!
Montezuma liked to start out
Rites by carrying a part out
That would really tear your heart out,
But it’s good enough for me!
It was good enough for Odin
Though the tremblin’ got forbodin’
Then the giants finally strode in,
But it’s good enough for me.
There’s that lusty old Priapus –
He’s just itching to unwrap us.
(He’d do more to us than tap us
And that’s good enough for me!)
Shall we sing a verse for Thor,
Though he leaves the maidens sore?
They always come back for more,
So he’s good enough for me!
It was good enough for Venus,
Of the Gods she is the meanest
And she bit me on my … elbow
But she’s good enough for me!
There are those who practice Voodoo,
There are those who practice Voodoo,
I know I do, I hope you do –
It’s good enough for me.
We will go to worship Zeus
Though his morals are quite loose
He gave Leda quite a goose
And he’s good enough for me!
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS (born Leslie Townes Hope; May 29, 1903 â July 27, 2003) was an British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel. Throughout his career, he was honored for his humanitarian work. In 1996, the U.S. Congress honored Bob Hope by declaring him the “first and only honorary veteran of the U.S. armed forces.” Bob Hope appeared in or hosted 199 known USO shows.
Hope became one of Paramount’s biggest stars, and would remain with the studio through the 1950s. Hope’s regular appearances in Hollywood films and radio made him one of the best known entertainers in North America, and at the height of his career he was also making a large income from live concert performances.
As a movie star, he was best known for My Favorite Brunette and the highly successful “Road” movies in which he starred with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour. Hope had seen Lamour as a nightclub singer in New York, and invited her to work on his USO tours. Lamour is said to have arrived for filming prepared with her lines, only to be baffled by completely re-written scripts from Hope’s writers without studio permission. Hope and Lamour were lifelong friends, and she is the actress most associated with his film career. Other female co-stars included Paulette Goddard, Lucille Ball, Jane Russell, and Hedy Lamarr.
Hope was host of the Academy Awards ceremony 18 times between 1939 and 1977. His feigned lust for an Academy Award became part of his act. In one scene from Road to Morocco he erupted in a frenzy, shouting about his imminent death from exposure. Bing Crosby reminds him that rescue is just minutes away, and a disappointed Hope complains that Crosby has spoiled his best scene, and thus his chance for an Academy Award. Also, in The Road to Bali, when Crosby finds Humphrey Bogart’s Oscar for The African Queen, Hope grabs it, saying “Give me that. You’ve got one.” Although Hope was never nominated for an Oscar for his performances (Bing Crosby won the Best Actor for Going My Way in 1944), the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored him with four honorary awards, and in 1960, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. While introducing the 1968 telecast, he quipped, “Welcome to the Academy Awards, or, as it’s known at my house, Passover.” (read more)
My perfect Pico de gallo recipe
10-12 tomatoes or two big cans petite diced
2 good sized white onions
fresh cilantro
8-16 serrano peppers
4-8 cloves garlic
two large limes
olive oil
black pepper
sea salt
I like canned tomatoes because they’re already chopped, skinned and de-seeded but you can’t beat fresh grown tomatoes. Drain the diced tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Add the chopped onions, and finely chopped peppers, garlic and a handful of finely chopped cilantro. Drizzle liberally with olive oil and add the juice of two large limes. Mix ingredients and refridgerate for one hour. Enjoy with corn chips, tacos, burritos and guacamole dips.
A BoseâEinstein condensate (BEC) is a state of matter of a dilute gas of weakly interacting bosons confined in an external potential and cooled to temperatures very near absolute zero (0 K or â273.16 °C). Under such conditions, a large fraction of the bosons occupy the lowest quantum state of the external potential, at which point quantum effects become apparent on a macroscopic scale.
This state of matter was first predicted by Satyendra Nath Bose and Albert Einstein in 1924â25. Bose first sent a paper to Einstein on the quantum statistics of light quanta (now called photons). Einstein was impressed, translated the paper himself from English to German and submitted it for Bose to the Zeitschrift für Physik which published it. Einstein then extended Bose’s ideas to material particles (or matter) in two other papers.
Seventy years later, the first gaseous condensate was produced by Eric Cornell and Carl Wieman in 1995 at the University of Colorado at Boulder NIST-JILA lab, using a gas of rubidium atoms cooled to 170 nanokelvin (nK) (1.7Ã10â7 K). For their achievements Cornell, Wieman, and Wolfgang Ketterle at MIT received the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physics. In November 2010 the first photon BEC was observed. (read more) (see more)
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You think that light is fast? Well, think again. Sometimes it is slower than a crawl. All schoolchildren know that light is the fastest thing there is. It zips along through empty space at 297,000 km per second (186,000 miles a second).
But now a Danish physicist and her team of collaborators have found a way to slow light down to less than 1.6 km per hour (one mile an hour) – slower than a slow walk.
The way Dr Hau and her team have slowed down light by a factor of 600 million or so is to use a group of atoms called a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). These atoms are cooled to a temperature of only a few billionths of a degree above absolute zero, the coldest possible temperature, at which all motion stops.
In a Bose-Einstein condensate, atoms are hardly moving at all. This means that according to the uncertainty principle that rules atoms, they are spread out and overlap. This results in a group identity for the collection of supercold atoms. And when light passes through such an environment, it will slow down.
By firing co-ordinated beams of laser light through the BEC, Hau and colleagues have slowed light down to a crawl. Inside the BEC, the so-called refractive index (which measures the slowing of light) becomes enormous: as high as 100 trillion times greater than that of glass. (news.bbc.co.uk)
Benoît B. Mandelbrot (20 November 1924 â 14 October 2010) was a Franco-American mathematician. Born in Poland, he moved to France with his family when he was a child. Mandelbrot spent much of his life living and working in the United States, acquiring dual French and American citizenship.
Mandelbrot worked on a wide range of mathematical problems, including mathematical physics and quantitative finance, but is best known as the father of fractal geometry. He coined the term fractal and described the Mandelbrot set. Mandelbrot extensively popularized his work, writing books and giving lectures aimed at the general public.
Mandelbrot spent most of his career at IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center, and was appointed as an IBM Fellow. He later became Sterling Professor of Mathematical Sciences at Yale University. Mandelbrot also held positions at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Université Lille Nord de France, Institute for Advanced Study and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.
Among the works created by Leonardo da Vinci in the 1500s is the small portrait known as the Mona Lisa or “la Gioconda”, the laughing one. In the present era it is arguably the most famous painting in the world. Its fame rests, in particular, on the elusive smile on the woman’s face, its mysterious quality brought about perhaps by the fact that the artist has subtly shadowed the corners of the mouth and eyes so that the exact nature of the smile cannot be determined. The shadowy quality for which the work is renowned came to be called “sfumato” or Leonardo’s smoke. Vasari, who is generally thought to have known the painting only by repute, said that “the smile was so pleasing that it seemed divine rather than human; and those who saw it were amazed to find that it was as alive as the original”.
Other characteristics found in this work are the unadorned dress, in which the eyes and hands have no competition from other details, the dramatic landscape background in which the world seems to be in a state of flux, the subdued colouring and the extremely smooth nature of the painterly technique, employing oils, but laid on much like tempera and blended on the surface so that the brushstrokes are indistinguishable. Vasari expressed the opinion that the manner of painting would make even “the most confident master … despair and lose heart.” The perfect state of preservation and the fact that there is no sign of repair or overpainting is extremely rare in a panel painting of this date. (read more)
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci
(April 15, 1452 â May 2, 1519)
