What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare. -- from "Leisure," by W.H. Davies

Pearls before breakfast - do we really notice beauty when we see it?

Can one of the nation's greatest musicians cut through the fog of a D.C. rush hour? In an issue of the Washington Post Magazine Gene Weingarten sets out to discover if violinist Joshua Bell -- and his Stradivarius -- could stop busy commuters in their tracks.

The poet Billy Collins once laughingly observed that all babies are born with a knowledge of poetry, because the lub-dub of the mother's heart is in iambic meter. Then, Collins said, life slowly starts to choke the poetry out of us. It may be true with music, too.

If we can't take the time out of our lives to stay a moment and listen to one of the best musicians on Earth play some of the best music ever written; if the surge of modern life so overpowers us that we are deaf and blind to something like that -- then what else are we missing?

Read the full article at the Washington Post.

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In the end, the only heritage we have is our planet - Sebastiao Salgado

In the seas off Patagonia, right whales (so called because they were 'right' for hunting) gather to breed. Acclaimed photographer Sebastião Salgado, on the latest stage of his epic Genesis project, spent weeks in their company, and saw the ocean turn into a jumping field.

Yes, we may already have destroyed 50% of the planet, but Salgado wants to show us what we have left, and what we stand to lose if we don't take care. "In the end, the only heritage we have is our planet, and I have decided to go to the most pristine places on the planet and photograph them in the most honest way I know, with my point of view, and of course it is in black and white, because it is the only thing I know how to do. I want to see if I can put a kind of virginity in these pictures, if you can say that, and to show 100% respect to nature and the animals."

The photos are just stunning.

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I photograph the things that I do not wish to paint, the things which already have an existence - Man Ray

I cannot say I agree with Man Ray. I like both photography and painting. And many of the pictures I take are taken because I'd love to be able to paint what I see.

I love the way nature creates an abstract canvas on tree barks and rocks. I would love to copy that on my canvas.

That is why I take a picture.

You can see my photography at My RedBubble portfolio.

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Life is short... running makes it seem longer / Baron Hansen

This morning I went running.

There was a continuous but very light rain, the kind of drizzle you can hardly see, only feel. It made the world look hazy and gray, but in a pretty way. I concentrated on my body and breathing and five minutes of running take me on a path in the middle of woods and fields.

The green everywhere looked fresh, bright and clean. The birds were chirping away and I am not sure whether they were complaining about the rain or just enjoying the sprinkle as much as I did. The back road was brimming with slugs deciding to cross and my trying to avoid stepping on them made my jog look more like a dance.

Running is one of the best solutions to a clear mind

Sasha Azevedo

A bit ahead, on a dead tree trunk just beside the road, I saw a buzzard scanning the horizon, probably looking for an incautious mouse. As I approached, I was sure it would fly away. It kept looking at me as if evaluating the need to flee and the risk of staying put.

Unexpectedly, it seemed as if we both landed in a time warp and I appeared to be moving in slow motion, passing the big bird in the tree. Our eyes were hooked and we looked at each other until I was passed it. It was eerie and majestic at the same time.

Those seconds made me suddenly very aware of my surroundings. I seemed to hear everything clearer, see the colors much brighther, perceive my breathing much stronger, feel my feet touching the ground. And something shifted. My running changed. I became suddenly part of the whole picture and not just someone who runs through or past it. It was one of those magic moments that happen sometimes and make us feel 'connected'.

The freedom of Cross Country is so primitive.

It's woman vs. nature

Lynn Jennings

I smiled broadly and looked back. The vulture was still sitting there, scanning the field. The moment had passed. I became a normal runner again. I tried to flick myself back into that moment, that feeling, that freedom, but couldn't shift.

Then I remembered something I had read yesterday about the Alexander Technique and Running. Run tall, the external direction is forward, the internal direction is up. And plop, my running became easier and faster, smoother. I let myself slump back into my normal running and noticed that I run with my upper body leaned slightly forward instead of up. Just changing my posture a little, shifting slightly made my running feel much easier.

I am happy for this discovery.

LINKS:

The Alexander Technique

The Alexander Technique and Running

Master the Art of Running

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Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn - Elizabeth Lawrence

It is October but it feels like spring. It's about 20 deg. C outside, the birds are singing, the bugs are buzzing, the sun pushes the morning fog away and renders everything hazy. The yellow and brown leaves tell me however that it's autumn.

As Albert Camus puts it:

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a
flower.

Autumn days...
Smell of fallen leaves, of mushrooms and moss.
Indian summer days
before the cold and the fog take over
and the winter becomes dark and wet.
Going for a walk,
stir up leaves with my feet.


Isn't nature just spectacular?
In autumn there is not enough light and water for photosynthesis. The green chlorophyll disappears and makes room for all the other colours that were hidden underneath. Whether a leaf turns red or brown depends on the type of tree. A maple will turn red because of the glucose in the leaves. An oak will turn brown because of wastes left in the leaves. Not very romantic when you analyse it but how poetic it is to the eye!

Go to Google images, type in autumn and look at the display of colours!

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Anorexia is just another word for nothing left to lose - Joy Behar

Today I saw a shocking newsflash (in French) which brings the sadness and desperation of anorexia to the frontline.
A controversial ad compaign was launched during the Milan Fashion Week. The ads are aimed at raising awareness about eating disorders and show Isabelle Caro a 27 year old woman weighing only 31 kilos.
The ads were shot for clothing breand NO.l.ita by photographer Oliviero Toscani (known for his controversial photos taken for Benetton) who wanted "to use that naked body to show everyone the reality of this illness, caused in most cases by the stereotypes imposed by the world of fashion."

I think this campaign is very brave and find it difficult to look at. The woman reminds me of pictures of starving kids in Africa. If it can raise awareness about the seriousness of this illness, fine. Will it cure it? I doubt it. I do believe though that today's fashion, media and showbusiness have all contributed to the fact that today's girls want to be skinny. Although it is true that even people who take no notice of fashion get anorexia, it is the overall image of what a woman should look like that is given to young girls that is the cause here.

What do you think? Would such a campaign be allowed in the USA?

I much prefer campaigns that are less shocking but still very much to the point such as the Dove Evolution film. I admit that this is (also) a smart and sneaky way to do marketing, but at least it's telling the truth as it is and showing us real women.

Interesting read on the subject:
The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf

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