In an effort to show that US President Obama is not an enemy of all gun owners, the White House released a picture of the president using a shotgun at Camp David. (Sources who were present at the time the picture was taken reported it was a five minute affair, and the president appeared visibly uncomfortable during the photo-op). The picture came with a stern warning not to photoshop or alter it. Of course, it did not take long …
One of my heroes, Ernest Hemingway playing in the snow. On the reverse of this print, Papa wrote: “This is to re-assure you if you hear reports of another of your authors dying of drink.” Signed, “Ernest Hemingway, Feb 1927.
Photo Credit: Ernest Hemingway Photograph Collection, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston. Click to enlarge.
In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook school massacre, reports are coming in from several cities in which US Marine Corps reservists, retirees and active duty personnel are standing uniformed guard in front of elementary schools.
They are unarmed volunteers and strive to greet and reassure the kids coming to school each day. Some have said they will keep this up for weeks or as long as needed. I don’t know where this got started, but it seems to be a spreading.
This too, is America.
Sorry, I have no photographer credit for the image.
Since observing an almost invisible owl flying in complete silence during a starlit winter night, I have been fascinated with how nature’s stealth birds fly. How aerodynamic are they? See for yourself:
See this documentary on the big screen! Visually stunning, impressive and eye-opening!
Official web site and showtimes: http://www.chasingice.com
Another clip:
One of my heroes: Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager (USAF, ret.). 89 years old this year. Still ready to fly.
Click to enlarge.
We cannot take pictures of our galaxy, so this image is a model. It is based primarily on results from the Galactic Legacy Infrared Mid-Plane Survey Extraordinaire (GLIMPSE) and the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer Galactic Plane Survey (MIPSGAL). Both are key projects for the infrared Spitzer Space Telescope. This particular image was released on June 3, 2008 at the 212th meeting of the American Astronomical Society.
I hope your head is spinning. (It should be).
America’s entire East Coast is under assault from “Frankenstorm” Sandy tonight.
All of New York is shut down, partially flooded, and half the city has lost power. Nine state governors have declared emergencies and millions of residents are without electricity and under evacuation orders.
In the middle of all this, a sleeper story of human resilience and determination has taken the social media by storm.
Since midnight of July 2, 1937, the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery has been guarded around the clock, without any interruptions. In 1948, guard duty was assigned to the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as “The Old Guard“. Since then, they have been true to their credo to “never falter”. Never have the remains of the soldiers buried at the tomb been left alone.
On their Twitter feed and Facebook page, the Old Guard has made it clear that come Sandy, they have no intention of abandoning their post. Their Facebook statement from Monday reads:
“The Sentinels at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier maintain their vigil even as Hurricane Sandy bears down on the Eastern Seaboard. The Old Guard has guarded the tomb every minute of every day since April 6, 1948. Today will be no exception.”
The message widely resonated in a nation full of doubt, uncertainty and crisis. And now, as the outpouring of encouraging social media postings indicates, the Old Guard clearly have a cross section of America high-fiving and rooting for them.
Here is a photo taken during a storm last month. (I could not determine who the photographer was. Internet users have mistakenly connected the picture with Sandy).
Inspiring indeed!
The Old Guard on Twitter
The Old Guard on Facebook
This film was studio background footage shot to be seen from the rear window of a stationary mock up car supposedly driving with actors in the front seat. The film records the road scenes on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills from Canon Drive past Robertson Boulevard.The last part of the film records the street scenes on the south side of Wilshire Boulevard, following the same route as previous. (Via BevHillsHistlSociety).
While hiking in the woods yesterday, I spontaneously decided to build an improvised pinhole camera to see the solar eclipse. Materials used: a roll of toilet paper, some aluminum foil I found in a trash can, a notepad from my backpack, and of course, my trusted Swiss army knife. Here is the resulting contraption and the image it produced:
If this does not impress you, here is a more professional image taken by the European Proba-2 microsatellite. (Hey, it cost a bit more). Credit: ESA/Pierre Carril.
