Wednesday 26 September 2012
run-off or terrestrial sunsets
These incredible images are created by volcanic ash, vibrant and chthonic minerals that the Earth gives up on a fairly regular basis there, being scuttled away by rivers and streams.
The photographer’s eye and technical acumen, I think, are really able to capture in this series what photography was intended for and distinguished from the other visual arts by—being able to distill and communicate a sort of landslide never seen before nor will ever be seen again, like being able to capture the roiling shadows of a cloud or the play of colours in a sunset.
Be sure to check out some of the other photographs featured on these communities. These smoky, spyrograph moments are outstandingly beautiful and makes me hopeful that I might be able to also frame such compositions as they flow downstream.
catagories: ๐ฎ๐ธ, graphic design
Tuesday 25 September 2012
memory alpha or library of last resort
catagories: ๐บ๐ธ, ๐, libraries and museums, philosophy, Wikipedia
Monday 24 September 2012
wies’n or the price of eggs in china
catagories: ๐ฉ๐ช, ๐ป, ๐, Bavaria, economic policy, holidays and observances
Sunday 23 September 2012
libelle
catagories: ๐ฅธ, environment, graphic design
fungible or cap and share
It was a drastic enough move on the part of the American government to charter an airline and revitalize a military airport in order to bypass the European Union air transportation carbon emissions scheme, in effect since the first of the year. Most air-carriers grudgingly accepted the extra costs and simply passed it off to passengers, but apparently it did not behove the US legislature not to take a cheap shot against EU environmental regulators and showcase a rare moment of cooperation among a divided and paralytic Congress.
Rather than working to craft its own emissions standards (which would exempt any nationally flagged carrier from having to pay the tariff), the upper house instead risks a trade war by acquiescing to the airlines and passengers unformed rumblings and is moving to shield US companies from the tax. Flagrant disregard for the rules of others that America—or any other country—disagrees with or does not find serviceable at the moment seriously jeopardizes its relative standing and credibility. The United States has already attempted to steamroll the world’s playbook just in the past few months with its anti-piracy treaties re-programming the exchange of information over the internet, putting the onus on foreign financial institutions of reporting and taxation for citizens abroad and insistence for going along with its grander designs for its Tournament of Shadows, security-theatre, etc—not to mention the despoiled disappointment shown when the rest of the world is not in lock-step with US interests, like America withholding its UNESCO dues when the international body admitted Palestine. The world is a wonderful and frightening place, but it does not need the theatrics or tantrums of some wilful and gigantic baby wallowing through the business of others. Without recognizing the ecological merit of the EU airport scheme one bit, the champions of the Senate, merely said, without blushing at that, Europe had no right to tax American fliers in order to pay down their own debt problems. While I do not want to believe that the author of that rationale actually thought there was any veracity to that justification, trying to appease or play along with that mode of imperialism presents some unique challenges.
amber waves or marie, marie quite contrary
amber waves or field-studies
France, the bread-basket of Europe, has elected to extend a moratorium on the single genetically-modified crop, a brand of corn (maize) patented by a US firm, to make it past the European agricultural gate-keepers and into limited markets and into the food supply, pending further studies.
catagories: ๐ซ๐ท, ๐, ๐งฌ, environment, food and drink, graphic design
Saturday 22 September 2012
percentile or just like a boss
After months of discussion and debate, the German upper houses of legislature have voted in favour of levying a mandate on all executive boards for a makeup of no less than forty percent female senior leadership. During the ensuing deliberation there was surely sufficient and competent advocates for the cause, raising and razing the so-called glass-ceiling, but the real gravity of the statement seemed to unfold quite delicately, ushered in forcefully but without necessarily the force of law.
Now that it has been decided, in other words, there is more leisure and license for musing. I wonder what such a statute is really accomplishing, since Germans in general do not seem to be adverse to a matriarchy and are respectful of powerful women—whereas, elsewhere in political circles, the achievements of a woman is regarded sort of skewed, without really saying so, like Caligula appointing his horse as senator. It’s not simply tokenism and was a very radical, though overlooked, departure from laissez-faire lip-service for greater equality in the workplace, but I am not sure what to think about this proposed legislation and I think possibly contrarian arguments were muted during the process for fear that one would appear sexist. Will this new standard in Germany be universally embraced by businesses? Could this be nursing a scenario where established patriarchies are at odds with Germany’s gender-diverse corporate leadership? There is always exclusivity at the top, but I think here, it is not necessarily an old boys’ network, but maybe heiresses and heirs-apparent. Perhaps there were hopes to infuse some maternal kindness into the industrial hierarchy with this equitable composition, but it is likely that no one is really elevated, except into the cut-throat company of borderline sociopaths and dare-devils.