Will St. Petersburg Lose It's Soul ??

Gazprom City is coming to St. Petersburg. But what will it look like? Six internationally known architects have submitted their designs. But locals are worried the city will lose its soul.

Ruffling feathers has become something of a specialty for the Russian gas giant Gazprom. As the state-controlled company -- owner of 16 percent of the world's gas reserves -- expands into Europe, accusations have mounted that it uses gas prices as a political lever. Its recent decision to more than double the price paid by Georgia for gas, and its plan to quadruple prices for Belarus -- both price hikes seen as a punishment for those countries' efforts to seek more freedom from Moscow -- have only cemented those concerns.

Now, though, the energy leviathan has raised hackles closer to home. Gazprom this week released architectural designs it is considering for its new headquarters. The new building is to rise at least 300 meters (985 feet) into the sky and symbolize the growing power of the firm. It is also to be situated just opposite the famed 18th century Smolny Cathedral on the Neva River in historic St. Petersburg.

The criticism is not directed at the designs themselves. Gazprom solicited plans from some of the world's leading architects, including Jean Nouvel, Herzog & de Meuron, RMJM, Rem Koolhaas, Daniel Libeskind and Massimiliano Fuksas. They range from a corkscrew tower rising up from the bank of the river to Libeskind's airy, almost floating N-shaped vision.

"It will be a super project. It will be a masterpiece," says St. Petersburg Governor Walentina Matwijenko. The shift of Gazprom's headquarters to St. Petersburg from Moscow would mean additional tax revenues for the northern city of some €5.85 billion annually.

Critics, though, are worried about what a 300-meter tall tower will do to the city itself. The Russian Union of Architects boycotted the tender in protest. And Mikhail Piotrovski, director of the world-famous Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, has urged that the project be blocked.

"Some of the designs show genius," he said. "But putting it opposite Smolny would deform the historic skyline of the city and look like a challenge.... It was mere accident that we inherited this fantastic city. We must not damage it."

"Demon Duck of Doom" and "Devil Wallabies"

August 23, 2006: Ancient Whale Rexes, Demon Ducks, and a Dead Mystery Critter in Maine. The fossil is the latest in a list of ancient creatures including sabre-toothed kangaroos, horned "devil wallabies" and the unlikely-sounding "demon duck of doom" that are reshaping views of Australia's prehistoric past. The 25-million-year-old whale fossil has forced scientists to rethink the evolution of baleen whales, the placid giants which feed by using fine hair-like fibres in their mouths to filter plankton from the sea.

"The fossil proves the baleen whale, including toothless filter-feeders like the blue whale, often thought of as gentle giants of the sea, were not always so giant or gentle," Monash University graduate researcher Erich Fitzgerald told AFP. While baleens are large -- with the blue whale reaching up to 30 metres (98 foot) -- the prehistoric predator was a swift hunter-killer only 3.5 metres (11.5 foot) long that fed on fish and small sharks, Fitzgerald said.

Scientists in Australia have discovered a fossilised ancient relative of the blue whale, seen here, with a fearsome razor-toothed appearance that has seen it
dubbed 'the T-rex of the oceans.' He said it also had large eyes, like a modern great white, to compensate for its lack of sonar.

Maxakalisaurus Topai was BIG !!

Scientists on Monday unveiled a replica of a skeleton scientists said was from the largest dinosaur species yet discovered in Brazil — a mid-sized herbivore that roamed central Brazil some 80 million years ago during the late Cretaceous period. A scientific description of the dinosaur, which represents a previously unknown species and measured some 13 yards from head to tail, was published on Aug. 11 in Brazilian National Museum's bulletin.

Scientists named the dinosaur species Maxakalisaurus topai in homage to the Maxakali Indian tribe, which inhabits the region of Minas Gerais state where the bones were found. The dinosaur, which weighed an estimated nine tons, belongs to the Titanosaur group, which means Titanic lizard. Kellner said four species in that group have been discovered so far in Brazil.

Finding the Way: The Climbers' Conquest

In 2004 Slovene mountaineers Tomaz Humar and Ales Kozelj conquered the south face of Aconcagua along a new route in the last days of December. They named the route Mobitel's Swallow - Johan's route. The highest peak of the Andes, the South-American mountain range, is situated along the border between Argentine and Chile and was first conquered by the French in 1954. Slovene mountaineers first stood on its summit in 1982. The new route is dedicated to Humar's co-climber Janez Jeglic, who suffered a fatal accident during their Nuptse expedition in 1997. This was the first time Humar climbed roped up since the fatal ascent with Jeglic.
Tomaz Humar

Moscow's Metro Art

Moscow is famous for the art and design of its metro stations. Visiting a banya really does involve being beaten with a birch twig and leaping into an ice-cold pool. Moscow, the capital of the Federation of Russia, is over eight hundred and fifty years old. The Moscow Metro in Moscow, Russia is the world's most heavily used metro system, it is well-known for the ornate design of many of the stations, containing stunningly beautiful examples of socialist realist art. Moscow is the site of the famous (Citadel of a Russian town) Kremlin, which serves as the centre of the national government. Moscow is the heart of the Russian ballet and the performing arts - ticket prices used to be as low as $1 in the Soviet era, unfortunately prices have been seriously adjusted.

Longevity of the People of Vilcabama Has Long Fascinated the Experts

Scientists, journalists and health enthusiasts have been coming to Vilcabamba, Ecuador for half a century in search of clues to what makes this out-of-the-way town so conducive to long life.

A scientific study decades ago found that nearly 15% of the residents lived past 60, compared with 4.5% in the rest of the country. Clean air, a mild climate, mineral-rich water, low-calorie diets and active work and sex lives are the factors most often cited.

But are fewer Vilcabambans reaching the magic 100 number these days?

That's the fear in this town of 4,500 that has built a reputation and a thriving health-based tourist trade on its residents' longevity. The number of people 100 or older has dropped to five from 10 to 12 in 2000, town official Victor Carpio said. The town has lost four centenarians this year.

Mountains of Vilcabamba

I Don't Mean to Complain, Richard, But I Thought You Might Like to See How It's Being Done in Other Parts of the World

As if there could be any doubt . . .

TEE TIME

. . . and now they want to kill us

"Human beings are all members of one body.
They are created from the same essence.
When one member is in pain,
The others cannot rest.
If you do not care about the pain of others,
You do not deserve to be called a human being."

A Quote from:
Mosleh al-Din Saadi Shirazi
( 13th century Persian poet, from Shiraz )

(Painting by Katy Kianush)

"Autumn Forest Hack"

Watercolur by Anthony J. Avery -- Click the Link for more of his work.

Desiderata

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.


Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.


Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.


Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.


You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.


Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.


With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.


Max Ehrmann, 1952

Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier from Ricksecker Point
Photo by Carrick on Flickr

"The Grand Canyon as the sun sets on a very cloudy day."

Notice the way a few rays of sunlight have popped through the clouds and illuminated some strips of the canyon.

Looks better in a bigger size. CLick the image.

Photo by Green Tentacle on Flickr

Grand Canyon National Park

Photo by misspigeon on Flickr

Aurora Borealis

"There are strange things done in the midnight sun
By the men who moil for gold;
The Arctic trails have their secret tales
That would make your blood run cold;
The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,
But the queerest they ever did see
Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge
I cremated Sam McGee."

(The first 8 lines of Robert Service's wonderful poem: The Cremation of Sam McGee)

Photo by Loria on Flickr

"Elegance in Flight" by Art LaMay

"My heart knows what the wild goose knows,
I must go where the wild goose goes.
Wild goose, brother goose, which is best?
A wanderin' fool or a heart at rest?"

(a few lines from the Cry of the Wild Goose by Terry Gilkyson)

The Sea Takes Back Her Own . . .

While taking my daily walk down on and around the Manhattan Beach Pier I noticed a big change in the geography. Where there had been a gentle slope to the beach there now appeared a sheer cliff.

When I inquired at the Roundhouse Aquarium on the end of the pier, Eric (above) explained to me what had happened. It seems that in the winter the waves are much stronger as they come crashing in. They pound the sand and the ocean develops a very strong undercurrent taking a great deal of sand with it as it reclaims some of the sand that it had washed up on the shore during the summer months.
During the year, many schoolchildren visit the Roundhouse Aquarium to view the many specimens that are on display in the many tanks, and Eric is there to share his vast knowledge of sealife with the wide-eyed youngsters. Thanks, Eric.

World's Tallest Building: Who Holds The Title?

The Petronas-Sears Controversy

Officially, the World's Tallest Buildings are the Petronas Towers in
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1483 feet / 452m) -- but put Petronas side by side with the former title holder, Sears Tower, and look again. The casual observer would say Sears Tower is tops, and by quite a wide margin!

The highest occupiable floor of Sears is more then 200 feet higher than the top floor in Petronas and its antennas go even higher. So why are the Petronas Towers considered the World's Tallest Buildings?

Because, in the tradition and lore of tall building, spires count, antennas don't.

Spires are architectural features and they have been traditionally counted in a building's height, a precedent that dates to the Chrysler Building. Antennas are not normally considered architectural features.

So...based on the long and storied tradition of tall buildings, the winner by decision is the Petronas Towers.

The World's Tallest Person in History

Robert Wadlow was a pituitary giant, someone who grows enormously due to an overactive pituitary gland. He was born in Alton, Illinois on February 22, 1918, a completely normal baby, 8 ½ pounds. However, by the time he was a year old he weighed twice normal, 44 pounds. By nine years he'd reached 6', 2", by sixteen he hit 7', 10", and weighed nearly 400 pounds. At the time of his death in 1940 he was 8', 11.1" tall and weighed 439 pounds making him the world’s tallest person in history, according to the Guinness Book of Records, surpassing the record previously held by an 8', 4" inch Irishman who died in 1877.

The White Tiger: Rare and Disappearing

The white tiger (also known as the Bengal tiger) is about 3 meters long, and weighs approximately 180-285 kg (400-569 LB). It’s coat lies flatter than that of the Siberian tiger, the tawny color is richer and the stripes are darker. White tigers are white colored bengals, they are not albinos and they are not a seperate subspecies of tigers. They have blue eyes, a pink nose, and creamy white furr covered with chocolate colored stripes. White tigers are born to tigers that carry the unusual gene needed for white coloring. Wild white tigers are very rare.

They are usually located on the Mainland of Southeastern Asia and in central and southern India. The white Bengal tiger lives in grassy or swampy areas and forests, where they can be well camouflaged. Those living on islands have almost disappeared; most now live in zoo’s or special wildlife parks. Even though it is illegal, white tigers are hunted by poachers in many Asian countries. Tiger’s body parts are sought for use in traditional Chinese medicine and exotic recipes. As well as their body parts, their coats can be sold for a small fortune, so to many people this is the ideal animal to hunt if they want some fast money.

WHITE TIGER FACTS

White tigers are born to Bengal tigers that carry an unusual gene needed for white coloring. The White Tiger is a good swimmer, but a very poor climber. They may be slow runners, but they are stealthy enough to catch any prey in their sights. Because they are solitary animals, they mostly hunt at night. The other four sub-species of tiger are Siberian, South China, Indochinese, and Sumataran. There are only approximately 5,000 to 7,400 tigers left in the wild. It is belief that if you are born in the Chinese year of the tiger you are unusually lucky. Let’s hope that some of this luck rubs off on the white tiger before it’s too late.

What to do for a good photo . . .

Sadly . . . So True

"Coney Island: The People's Playground" by Michael Immerso

This history of Coney Island traces its evolution and cultural impact as an amusement centre from its earliest development as a seaside resort to the present day Mermaid Parade. It is presented in a photo-documentary format.

The Mystery of the Winchester House

In 1884, a wealthy widow named Sarah L. Winchester began a construction project of such magnitude that it was to occupy the lives of carpenters and craftsmen until her death thirty-eight years later. The Victorian mansion, designed and built by the Winchester Rifle heiress, is filled with so many unexplained oddities, that it has come to be known as the Winchester Mystery House.

Sarah Winchester built a home that is an architectural marvel. Unlike most homes of its era, this 160-room Victorian mansion had modern heating and sewer systems, gas lights that operated by pressing a button, three working elevators, and 47 fireplaces. From rambling roofs and exquisite hand inlaid parquet floors to the gold and silver chandeliers and Tiffany art glass windows, you will be impressed by the staggering amount of creativity, energy, and expense poured into each and every detail. One of the many bizarre features that Mrs. Winchester designed and had built is the "stairway to nowhere" -- it simply leads up to the ceiling and ends there.

Unusual Hotel

The Sofitel Tokyo is an 83-room boutique hotel conveniently situated adjacent to Ueno Park with its ponds, museums & shrines. The SkyLiner express train to Narita airport starts at Ueno Station, only 3 minutes by taxi away. Tokyo's financial centre is 6 minutes by subway. The Sofitel Tokyo is surrounded by historical sites, shops & restaurants.

"Dancing House"

Here's a building that should really get your attention when walking pass it. The Dancing House is considered as one of the more real controversial buildings in Prague. The DH was actually designed by a great architect from California, which only proves that he had done some type of hallucinogen while designing it.

"Archie"

"Archie" by David Bennett (Sculpture: Bronze and blown glass)
Click Link for more information

"Textured Sand"

Photo by Molly E Rose on Flickr

Calvin and the Snowmen

The Seagulls were flying high today, or should I say soaring ??

At the beach, the wind was so strong today the seagulls hung in the air as if they were suspended and there were hundreds of them floating like feathered kites. They seemed to be enjoying the high winds so much as they dipped and swooped all so effortlessly while hardly moving a wing. And they seemed to want to stay up there forever. I sat fascinated by the window of El Torito watching the show that went on and on while enjoying a cold glass of Chardonnay along with my Warm Fajita Salad.

"Late Skyburst"

Photo by Northstar 37

So Real It's Scary

"Mouth Wide Opened" by James Pan

The Art of Riding the Waves

"Shaun Tomson"
acrylic on canvas
36" x 48"
$7,500

A San Diego Legend

THE US GRANT HOTEL, which opened in 1910 and was built by Ulysses S. Grant Jr. to honor his Civil War hero father, closed in January 2005 to begin renovations. The new 272-room hotel made its debut in November 1, 2006 after a $52 million face-lift, as a member of Starwood's prestigious Luxury Collection, comprised of over 75 one-of-a-kind properties across the globe.

Caravaggio's Narcissus

In Greek mythology, Narcissus or Narkissos (Greek Νάρκισσος), was a hero of the territory of Thespiae in Boeotia who was renowned for his beauty. Several versions of his myth have survived: Ovid's, from his Metamorphoses; Pausanias', from his Guide to Greece; and one found among the Oxyrhynchus papyri. Image above by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1573-1610)

Archimedean Spiral

Inversion of Parallel Lines

I'd explain this if I understood it, but it is beautifully done.

Gateway to the West

The Gateway Arch, a landmark in St. Louis, Missouri by Eero Saarinen, completed in 1966. This arc is based on an inverted catenary. it is 192 meters high, and 192 meters wide at the base. Touring trains go through the inside taking sightseers to the top. The Gateway Arch has historical significance both in achitecture and the American society. (Photo by Charlie Brown 2002)

"Twilight in the Wilderness" by Frederic Edwin Church

"Some paintings seem to bear their nationality on their faces. Church's Twilight in the Wilderness could only, I feel, be American. Church specialized in works inspired by the sheer vastness of the American continent. He went to South America, and painted the Andes; he traveled north, and gloried in the Niagara Falls; and he moved on to the huge silences of the icebergs. He held one-painting shows of these immense canvases, which people flocked to see, encountering these marvels of nature for the first time. Here, he painted the east coast: his own Maine."

"Twilight in the Wilderness"
1860
Oil on canvas
40 x 64 in. (101.6 x 162.6 cm)
The Cleveland Museum of Art

The End of an Era

December 8, 1991 - The USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) ceased to exist, as the leaders of Russia, Byelorussia and the Ukraine signed an agreement creating the Commonwealth of Independent States. The remaining republics, with the exception of Georgia, joined the new Commonwealth.

Tolstoy and Gorky (historical postcard)