FROGS CAN FLY: 'A Piece of ART as a Living Substance'

        

“Why frogs?” / Interview

PHOTO via MiMi Moscow

“K’ung-fu-tzu” (Confucius) 2003

The jump of frog symbolizes thirst of flying.
As genetic magic dream, about that far time,
when frogs were the ANGELS.

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Project “ FROG CAN FLY ” refers to people, frogs being only actors.
DE I: Why frogs?
Mi-Mi: Because they are small and light.
Can you imagine a Scooby Doo ring for example?
Of course you can, but don’t break your finger…
If you find a real dog set in place of a stone.
But a frog is an actor of a small chamber genre.
One cannot find a better main character for this role in nature
if one wants to develop the theme “A piece of art as a living
substance”
None of the fixing locks in the project are made of rubber and
their size is between 3 and 5 centimeters in the waist.
Strict! ... As on a podium. What can one do?- c’est la vie.
It is impossible to fit into somebody else’s shoes.
DE I: What principle was used to select an actor for the role?
Mi-Mi: The only principle: talent and desire to work.
Not all the applicants passed the audition. And,…
there were so many of them.
Some could not stand the intense schedule, some failed
because of personal reasons,
Others thought it was mere “talk-show” …
But the results of selection produced real Stars.
Frogs same as people may possess Star quality and Virtuosity.
It wasn’t necessary to force them to do special or
unnatural movements.
What was most difficult... to wait for a "Revelation"
on their side and not to interfere with this process.
Everybody is gifted in many different ways, and frogs
are not an exception.
Some open slowly and thoughtfully, like Confucius,
Others inflame instantly, like Eddy Chlorophyll,
But the truth is they cool down the very next moment.
Eddy is a natural born comedian.
Eddy is the one and only frog who can so selflessly put his paws
on his tummy and smile with such charm.
Nobody taught him, he just knew how, he was capable
and used it with grace.
He did 2 full days of shooting in the project and then he left.
Afterwards he used to come quite often but ...only as a spectator.
Confucius is unequivocally a Shakespearian character.
He is superb in tragic roles. If the project could continue,
he would make a remarkable King Lear.
But, on September 21st all Moscow frogs go to sleep till spring.
There's nothing to be done about it.
DE I: We hope nobody was hurt?
Mi-Mi: On the contrary, everybody ended up happy.
Siberian Postman and Fly of Destiny now live at our place.
They stopped being interested in mosquitoes and now eat delicious
African cockroaches with tremendous appetite.
They became fat and look contented.
“Freedom and Will” issues are of no relevance at the moment.
At nights they lose themselves singing duets…
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interview / “Desillusionist” magazine / 2006
Translation by
Lyan In Su & Steven Brayshaw.

 

EGG ART : Modern Masters Make Marvelous Miniatures

 

(image credit: Lew Jensen)            Cranes" by Gary LeMaster

 

"Unicorn" by Ron Cheruka                  The Grecian Urn" by Gary LeMaster

Remember the highly praised Faberge eggs from the courts of Russian tzar?

Modern masters of eggshell filigree carving make similarly detailed works, using only the nature-given material: eggshell itself, cut in creative patterns by hand with high-speed drills.

GOP Strategy : Firmly Bury Head in Hole and Just Say No to Everything!

The word must have gone out when they lost the presidential election, that all Republicans are going to be big babies in defeat!
Just look at what their doing in Congress and the House of Representatives. Republican governors are also in lock-step with the new GOP strategy to “Just Say No” to whatever Democrats purpose.
It’s a mindless and petulant approach that doesn’t serve all Americans. But the GOP isn’t worried about all Americans. They serve a constituency that is out of touch with the majority of Americans.
They call themselves Conservatives, but they are really more like Extremists, who want things their way and that’s all there is to it. Confronted with reality, these GOP followers start throwing mud. They conjure up a crisis where there is none. They twist the words of Democrats into mangled messages to mislead the general public.
The so-called Moral Majority and Neo-Cons, have no positive direction to go because their own response to anything outside of their beliefs, is vicious attacks and lies. With one side of their mouth they say they hope the new Economic Recovery Plan will help Americans. From the other side of their mouth they are spewing dissent. They don’t want President Obama and the Democrats to succeed.
If they had any guts they should at least admit it. Partisanship has poisoned our country. GOP governors are positioning themselves as possible presidential candidates in 2012, by refusing help from the Recovery Plan. Damn the people in their state who need it. The GOP is sticking to core beliefs, which by the way have economically crippled America during the last eight years.
Look at what Bush and GOP cronies have wrought. A country in crisis.
You’d think that the Neo-Cons would wake up with reality bitch-slapping them everyday on Wall Street and Main Street USA.
Not so. The GOP’s core following is wealthy people who finance their follies because they want to continue being rich. Any concept of equality goes out the door when money is the motivator. They sit on Ivory Towers and call upon God to help them continue their dominance over the average American.
So that leaves us with a snake in our political system. It will strike out any attempt at bi-partisanship to prove how powerful it is. Tattoo’s, reading something like, “ Might makes Right and Money makes Might” are inscribed somewhere on their brains.
How can any sensible person work with someone who comes to the table with an attitude like that? Here’s what the GOP Extremists need to understand: the majority of Americans support Obama. That’s why he was elected president. Obama’s clear mandate to help the majority of Americans should count for something. In my opinion, the GOP won’t be happy until they get back in power. That however, is not going to happen for a long time, if ever again.
AS IT STANDS, we wouldn’t be struggling to survive as a country today if the Republican’s hadn’t made such a mess of things.

image via www.NewsCorpse.com

It may be Hard Times but Mardi Gras revelers are having fun

Tourism officials don't believe the economic downturn has dampened the mood at this year's Mardi Gras celebrations, and say that big crowds over the weekend and nearly full hotels bode well for the annual event.

Image via pbase.com

NORML announces introduction of landmark pot bill that will tax and regulate it like alcohol & tobacco!

HERE'S SOME EXCITING NEWS FOR MARIJUANA ADVOCATES...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 23, 2009
Contact: Dale Gieringer, Director, Cal NORML  (415) 563-5858  dale@canorml.org

San Francisco, Feb. 23 - Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-SF) announced the introduction of a landmark bill to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol and tobacco at a press conference today.

"With the state in the midst of an historic economic crisis, the move towards regulating and taxing marijuana is simply common sense," said Ammiano. "This legislation would generate much needed revenue for the state, restrict access to only those over 21, end the environmental damage to our public lands from illicit crops, and improve public safety by redirecting law enforcement efforts to more serious crimes."

The bill would save the state's taxpayers over $1 billion, according to an economic analysis by California NORML, with additional economic benefits of $12 -18 billion.  http://www.canorml.org/ background/CA_legalization2.html.

The bill would provide for licensed producers and distributors, who could sell to adults over 21.  Producers would pay an excise tax of $50 per ounce, or about $1 per joint.   Sales taxes would generate additional revenues, bringing total tax revenues to $1 billion. Additional economic benefits would be generated in the form of employment, business and payroll taxes and spin-off industries, like the wine industry, amounting to some $12 - $18 billion.

Last but not least, the bill would save the state $170 million in costs for arrest, prosecution and imprisonment of marijuana offenders.  The result would be to eliminate such prohibition-related problems as black market dealers and smugglers, grow houses, and pirate gardeners on public lands. 

The bill would not alter California's medical marijuana law, which allows patients, caregivers and collectives to grow medicine for themselves.

"California has the opportunity to be the first state in the nation to enact a smart, responsible public policy for the control and regulation of marijuana," said Ammiano.  His bill is the first of its kind since

California outlawed cannabis in 1913.  Only after being prohibited did marijuana become widely popular, eventually being enjoyed by millions of Californians.  Due to soaring enforcement costs, the legislature decriminalized possession of small quantities in the Moscone Act of 1975, saving the state's taxpayers $100 million per year.

However, production and distribution remained illegal, leading to continued prohibition-related enforcement costs.   Last year, agents eradicated a record 5 million illegal plants, up more than tenfold in five years.   Marijuana arrests jumped to 74,119 in 2007,  their highest level since the Moscone Act.  California has over 1,500 inmates in state prison for marijuana offenses, ten times as many as in 1980.   Marijuana is reported to account for 61% of the illicit  drug traffic from Mexico, where prohibition-related violence has killed over 6,800.

"Tom Ammiano deserves credit for recognizing that legal taxation and regulation is the only solution to California's marijuana problem," says Gieringer of California NORML, a sponsor of the bill. "Marijuana users would happily  pay taxes to buy it legally."

California NORML also thanks former Sen. John Vasconcellos for providing the original draft of this legislation.

Recent polls indicate that public support for legal marijuana is growing.  A new Zogby poll found 44% of American voters support taxing and regulating marijuana, with support as high as 58% in western states:

http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7806

image via Google Images

Time to get rid of the myths about why rich people deserve their money

Matt Miller, writing for The Daily Beast, thinks "The sooner we shed our illusion that people end up financially where they deserve to, the faster we’ll fix the economy."

"Yes, it should have been obvious before, but now that a seemingly endless parade of bankers have made fortunes while gutting their institutions and sinking the economy, we’re finally having our eureka moment.

Wealth in America increasingly comes not as the proverbial reward of the “free market,” but from rigged compensation systems that reward mediocrity or outright failure. This is causing a brain burp among many professionals — a group I call the Lower Upper Class – because it’s an affront to an idea they’ve cherished since they first started bringing home A’s from school and acing their SATs."

Click here to read Miller's whole column.

Slivers of splendor: semi-precious stones sliced to sell

 

Photographer Bill Atkinson reveals the wondrous textures within the semi-precious stones.

 (Check out more examples from his recent book "Within the Stone"). Mr. Atkinson was one of the original developers of the Macintosh computer, responsible for Finder, QuickDraw, and HyperCard, among others. He is now an amazing nature photographer who is also working on next-generation printing technologies.

 

Shame! Shame! Shame! Lehman Brothers CEO hiding his assets

Despite the fact that Lehman Brothers got a bailout from the taxpayers last year, CEO Richard Fuld get $22 million in "retirement" pay! Between 1993 and 2007, Fuld was paid $466 million in wages and bonuses. Now it looks like Fuld is trying to hid his assets in case someone comes after his thieving ass! He recently sold one of the five houses he and his wife jointly own, to his wife for $100 in an effort to shift and protect his assets. How low will he go?

Tom Engelhardt, writing for The Nation takes a look hard look at Fuld's history.

For the whole column click here.

image via Google Images

In Today's Times-Standard: The real war on drugs

 

A survey is only as good as the questions it asks.

The California Attorney General's office recently released a student drug usage survey which illustrates that point.

Past state and national surveys have missed the mark for measuring substance use among secondary school students, according to the 12th biennial California Student Survey (CSS).

Professor Rodney Skager, who started this statewide survey in 1985, added a couple of key questions to the latest survey - conducted in 2007 and 2008 - that make a huge difference in getting an accurate picture of what really happens with students in public secondary schools.

For today's AS IT STANDS - The Real War on Drugs: survey finds past campaigns were flawed, in it's entirety click here. 

image via Google Images

Bad Boy Burris: What is the senate going to do with him?

BY NOW WE ALL KNOW WHO ROLAND BURRIS IS. HE'S BEEN TRYING TO FILL OBAMA'S SHOES...BUT NO GO. USA TODAY HAS THIS ARTICLE ON HIS LATEST GAFFE..

"The Senate's Republican leader wants a quick recommendation from the Senate ethics committee on Illinois Democrat Roland Burris.

The committee has begun a preliminary inquiry, and Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., hopes the committee will look at the matter quickly. Whatever the recommendation, the full Senate would make a final decision."

Click here for full story. Image via Universial Press Syndicate

Back in the days when General Motors was still dreaming...

 

These concept cars showed a lot of spirit.The 1956 Buick Centurion (top) was the first car designed by Chuck Jordan, who would later become G.M.'s styling chief. The Cadillac Cyclone (bottom) was first shown in 1959.

Check out the glamorous vintage concept cars slideshow over at the New York Times online. A real visual treat for car buffs!

images via newyorktimes.com

Peter never did learn how to read...

image via photobucket.com

Authorities closing in on killer of intern Chandra Levy

ACCORDING TO THE CHICAGO-TRIBUNE FOUR HOURS AGO...

"An arrest may be near in the nearly decade-old slaying of federal intern Chandra Levy, whose disappearance in 2001 ended Gary Condit's congressional career, several television stations reported.
The California Democrat was romantically linked to Levy, but was not considered a suspect in her death or disappearance. Television stations, KFSN and KCRA in California and WRC in Washington, D.C., reported that police were seeking an arrest warrant."

Click here for entire article.

(AP Photo/Debbie Noda, Pool, File)

THE BUSH FAMILY SHAME: Geronimo's Skull stolen and taken to Yale to be used in rites for the SKULL AND BONES secret society!

DUBYA DIDN"T FALL FAR FROM THE FAMILY TREE. IT SEEMS THE BUSHES THINK THEY ARE SOMETHING SPECIAL. I HOPE THEY LOSE THIS LAWSUIT BEING FILED ON THE GREAT LEADER'S 100th BIRTHDAY...

"The descendants of Geronimo have sued Skull and Bones, a secret society at Yale University with ties to the Bush family, charging that its members robbed his grave in 1918 and have kept his skull in a glass case ever since."

Click here to read the whole story.

Getty Images

An increase in crime could be another recession result experts warn

DON'T WE HAVE ENOUGH TO WORRY ABOUT IN THIS DEPRESSION WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT MORE CRIME?

McCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS HAS THIS ARTICLE TODAY THAT SAYS,

"Experts say that the next piece of collateral damage from the recession could be a spike in crime, as rising unemployment and widespread law-enforcement budget cuts begin to take their toll."

FOR THE WHOLE STORY CLICK HERE.

image via Google Images

Vintage Toys: I remember my first Chemcraft Lab - There sure wasn't any Atomic Energy in it...if there was... a lot of homes would've been blown up!

image via darkroastedblend.com

Back in the 1920s they invented extreme badminton!

This photo was taken long before Photo Shop, so what you see is what you get.

Source: American Memory Project, Vintage Photo

Florida Courthouse is invaded by rampaging rodents!

FROM USA TODAY WE HAVE MICE INVADING A COURT HOUSE!

"There are so many mice in one Florida county courthouse that they've been seen falling from ceiling tiles.

One judge at the Palm Beach County Courthouse told The Palm Beach Post newspaper that it's an infestation. Some staffers say they check their handbags for stowaways before leaving the building each day.

Court employees and lawyers say the rodents scuttle down corridors, munch legal papers and scratch behind the walls. Last week, one mouse ran around a courtroom floor for an hour during a burglary trial."

For the rest of the story go to : http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-02-20-mice-courthouse_N.htm?csp=34

image via Google Images

Can You Say Oink Oink? Burtha and PMA Group Can...

FROM CQ POLITICS WE HAVE A STORY OF PORK SPENDING AND THE PERSON LEADING THE WAY...

More than 100 House members secured earmarks in a major spending bill for clients of a single lobbying firm — The PMA Group — known for its close ties to John P. Murtha , the congressman in charge of Pentagon appropriations.

Read the whole story yourself and see what you think.

image via Google Images

Don't Get Froggy with These Guys if you Value your Life!

The most poisonous animal is not a snake or a spider. It's a beautiful little frog!

"Most frogs produce skin toxins, but the dart poison frogs from Central and South America are the most potent of all.

The golden poison frog, called terribilis (the terrible), is so toxic that even touching it can be dangerous. A single terribilis contains enough poison to kill 20,000 mice or 10 people. It is probably the most poisonous animal on Earth." (source)

Images sources: Zoltan Takacs.

 

Phyllobates terribilis, shown below, has enough poison to kill 100 humans (source)

Their poison contains toxins that dull the nerves and produce heart and repiratory (sic.) failure. The skin of an adult P. terribilis has enough batrachotoxin to kill 20,000 mice, or 100 adult humans. Two-tenths of a microgram of batrachotoxin is lethal in the human blood stream and each adult P. terribilis contains nearly 200 micrograms.