Buddhas of Bamyan

So, the Taliban, you've heard of them right?  They don't like the USA and all that stuff alright, but what a crap thing to do to blow up these statues.... stoopid.

And then there is this band, unrelated, except in my mind now, as I listen to them...

check them out here.

Blaise Pascal

Blaise Pascal was born in Clermont-Ferrand. Clermont-Ferrand is in the Auvergne region of France. It's looks close enough to being smack bang in the middle of France.

Pascal has stuck in my head for years. I have this vision of making a short film in France that would feature Blaise Pascal transporting a barometer over the brow of a rural hill. A few tufts of grass and a worn track of dried light brown mud and two men carrying a glass tube on either side with a third and fourth on hand to help. Pascal carried out an experiment with quicksilver in glass tubes to test his theories on vacuums and air pressure.

It's a nice portrait.  I think he looks like a kindly, happy man, wide open friendly eyes and the hint of smile at the edge of his lips.  I don't know who painted the portrait.

Anish Kapoor

'The Bean'

Until recently, I had never heard of Anish Kapoor until a friend who visited an exhibition of his at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao mentioned him to me.  When I googled him I was really taken by 'Cloud Gate' in Chicago. What a beautiful piece of public sculpture, in a city with some great architecture.  The sculpture, nicknamed 'the bean' by locals, has a 3.6 metre hollow underneath that visitors can walk under.  It is made up of many stainless steel plates that were welded together and then the welds were smoothed and polished down.  Amazing, and beautiful, inspired by the look of mercury.  I'm sure the citizens and visitors to Chicago get a great kick out of it.  And if all that is not enough to make you 'wow' nearby you also have the Jay Pritzker Pavilion.

Cloud Gate, Millenium Park, Chicago

Cloud Gate with the Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Cloud Gate, Millenium Park, Chicago

Laptops, digital media gadgets, Adbusters

The Congo River, Democratic Republic of Congo

Apparently the metal tantalum makes great capacitors for compact hi-tech items like mobile phones and laptop computers. I think its also known as tin-ore, cassiterite or coltan. There was a tantalum rush in Africa in the early part of this century. The price of tantalum was very high. One kilogram cost over a hundred dollars. You could sell a handful for around twenty dollars.

This is a link to an article by Greg Queyranne, a Canadian researcher focusing on conflicts in Central Africa. Thanks to Adbusters.

If you want to know more, you can watch this video.

Van Morrison & Bob Dylan - Crazy Love

I remember watching this on television many moons ago. To see two great songwriters together singing in front of the Parthenon. It's more of a Van Morrison vehicle than a Bob Dylan one. And they are singing a Van tune. Bob is just a songsmith enjoying the craft of another. I think it sounds great.

more about "Van Morrison & Bob Dylan - Crazy Love", posted with vodpod

'Dragonfly' by Marlonski QUBIQ Edit

Check out more Marlonski here. What do you make of this video and song? Good, bad? definitely not your type of music, or exactly your type of music? As for QUBIQ. I presume he mixed Marlonski's tune? I think he may be from Phoenix, Arizona. And from the video I guess Marlonski hangs out in Berlin. This whole connection came from the nice people over at CryAndBeFree. As for who the guy is in the video... is it Marlonski, or is it Qubiq? Well, the video is set in Berlin so you would be right to guess it is indeed Marlonski. You can see a photo of him here, with the famous film actress Tilda Swinton... I'm impressed!

La Femme à l'ombrelle

Aristide Maillol, I'd never heard of him until I went to the Musee D'Orsay. What do you think of this painting he made? The colours don't come through on the internet at all. Standing in front of it, the colours shine so bright. Maillol made sculpture and paintings.

Somalia, Pirates, Tanks, Ukranians and Kenyans

Here's a video courtesy of Rocketboom which shows the end of a hostage situation in Somalian waters. Sounds like the commentary might be Dutch, but it is has subtitles. I don't quite understand the part about the Kenyans owning the tanks and the relevance of their relationship with Southern Sudan.

From Crackle: Somali Pirates Release Ukrainian Hostages

EU Audiovisual Library

is offered free of charge for EU-related information and education purpose

EUTV ebs+

MSF in DRC

Le Palais des Papes

A good friend recently returned from a trip to Marseilles, France's second city with a population of some 1.65 million. If you travel around 85km north west of Marseilles you will find Avignon where from 1309 to 1377 the pope ruled in what has been called the Avignon papacy or "Babylonian Captivity". And where did the pope live when he was not living in Rome? Why he lived at Le Palais des Papes . The picture is of some unfinished bridge, the Pont de something. Marseilles, Marseilles, the south of France. J'espere que tout les temps Marseilles est. Franglish.

Chapel in Sedona

Back in the go-go 1990s I was fortunate enough to visit Sedona, Arizona. I went to the Chapel of the Holy Cross that was designed by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, a woman by the name of Marguerite Brunswig Staude. My memory of it is fond. It has a simple but striking design. The American Institute of Architects gave the Chapel its Award of Honor in 1957. In the sculptor's words, “Though Catholic in faith, as a work of art the Chapel has a universal appeal. Its doors will ever be open to one and all, regardless of creed, that God may come to life in the souls of all men and be a living reality.”

On another architectural point, some guy has built a Frank Lloyd Wright designed house in Greystones, Ireland.

Bumper harvest....

Bumper grain crop this year but not the biggest....

Bumper harvest on RTE...

31 May 2008 on the way to the Phoenix Park

Brasil - Rio de Janeiro

If I remember correctly Rio de Janeiro is named the river of January because some european guy came across this place on the first day of january the year of our lord something something something... anywho.... see for yourself...

Pink Man

Well.... just see for yourself.....

Mouse on mars in vietnam

Some images from a brief sojourn in Nha Trang a coastal resort town in south Vietnam.... music by Mouse on Mars... Saturday Night World Cup Fieber... enjoy!

welcome to holbrook fields.....

Here we are in Holbrook Fields and all is well. Thanks for dropping by, I hope you enjoy your stay. Holbrook.