Glad tidings for Christmas and a happy New Year!

George Wesley Bellows (1882-1925)

Love of Winter
1914
Oil on canvas

In January 1914, George Bellows wrote to a friend: "There has been none of my favorite snow. I must always paint the snow at least once a year." Soon after, on February 13, a major blizzard hit New York City, inspiring the artist to paint Love of Winter. In the work, he used bright reds, yellows, and greens to intensify the winter scene and broad, slashing brushstrokes to convey movement, wind, and speed. The energetic group of skates and onlookers, composed of people of a range of ages and social classes, reflects the diversity of public parks and leisure activities in early-20th-century New York City.

Painting photographed and text copied at The Art Institute of Chicago.
Click for larger vesrion

Flying

A couple of pics captured earlier this week. Sunrise at the airport at Syracuse, NY,
and evening over Chicago, IL.

(click the pics for a larger version).

Rarely have both the left, the right, and the libertarian leaning part of popular opinion agreed on something as much as they did in disliking the "bailout" for the banking industry. The left, because the plan directs money to a part of the financial system always regarded as rich and well compensated. The right, and certainly the libertarian, because they believe that it runs counter to the principles of free economy: if you did not do well, you should fail. (Whether the bailout was necessary or not is another matter).
This editorial cartoon by Tom Toles captures the popular feeling pretty well!

ΜΠ = B

Some of the greek and greek-cypriot newspapers' front pages the day after the US election. Even if one hasn't learned the greek alphabet in a physics or math class, the new president's name should be pretty easy to spot!
(click the pic for a larger version)

formerly known as the "ninth planet"

Softening the blow of IAU's 2006 decision to strip Pluto of its planet status, an IAU committee, "has suggested that small, nearly spherical objects orbiting beyond Neptune should carry the "plutoid" tag", reported the BBC recently. Pluto is now a "dwarf planet", along with other solar system bodies like Ceres (who got promoted from asteroid), and recently discovered Eris, Haumea, and Makemake.
Many people are still fuming at IAU for Pluto's demotion and were not satisfied with the "plutoid" consolation. Among them is Alan Stern, the principal investigator of New Horizons, the NASA mission to Pluto, launched in 2006, and scheduled to arrive in 2015. Said, Alan Stern: "It's just some people in a smoke-filled room who dreamed it up," he told the Associated Press. "Plutoids or haemorrhoids, whatever they call it. This is irrelevant."

Seeing red...

My red-claw shrimp (Macrobrachium sp.) died yesterday, one and a half year after I got it. It was one of the liveliest inhabitants of my aquarium, always interesting to observe, especially when feeding - it had a huge appetite - or when it was chasing the fish away. I have to get a new one as soon as possible! This photo was taken last fall.

The end of summer...

A couple of pics from last month.
Sunset over Paros, as seen from Naxos.
And orange spoon-sweet, at a kafe in Syros.

Provincetown 2008

Morning, afternoon, evening, night...

Click pic for larger version

A domestic partnership that discriminates? No, thanks!

Created by a friend in Greece, and posted in dozens of greek blogs today:

In Greece gays, lesbians and transexuals know about discrimination. They face it daily from their families, in their social lives and in the professional field.

But sometimes, all it takes is a single straw to break the camel’s back.

According to press reports, the greek government is preparing to introduce a domestic partnership ‘contract’ EXCLUSIVELY for unmarried heterosexual couples. We do not believe that a mere ‘contract’ can resolve the issues same-sex couples face or ensure their fair treatment under the law. However this discriminatory proposal is a direct contravention of the greek Constitution, as well as european human rights treaties. Especially since same-sex couples already enjoy legal rights in 18 european nations.

The aim of this intervention is to make sure that european institutions, human rights organisations, websites and weblogs from around the world learn about these proposals. What we ask for is equal rights for all. Nothing more and nothing less. This time around we will not sit idly by. This time around we will not keep silent.

GREEK BLOGGERS AGAINST DISCRIMINATION

Steet signs of Madrid