American satire organization "The Onion" is so funny because it is mostly true.

American satire organization "The Onion" is so funny because it is mostly true. Here is a recap on how the truth is stranger than satire. (Be sure to watch the videos.)

#theonion #truthstrangerthanfiction #fakenews
http://fusion.net/story/247634/the-onion-2015-literally-unbelievable/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialshare&utm_content=desktop+top

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

I enjoyed the New Year bell-ringing ceremony at the Asian Art Museum. The antique bell is both art and a real temple bell, and it is lovely to have a ceremony like this open to the public.

The incense smells good. 😊

#happynewyear #happinessforalllivingbeings
#ring
#asianartmuseum

I've finally looked at the scans of my Lomochrome Purple film test, which I exposed in a Lomography Bel Air camera.

I've finally looked at the scans of my Lomochrome Purple film test, which I exposed in a Lomography Bel Air camera.  

The near-infrared (Kodak Aerochrome-like) film is great, but the zone-focusing Bel Air plastic camera (which is a replacement for a previously returned camera that could only produce soft-focus images) is unreliable: only six of twenty-four images came out in focus.  Infrared light wavelengths are a bit different than visible light wavelengths for focusing purposes, so the choice of this film wasn't ideal for a camera test... but my Bel Air images focused to infinity are fuzzy, which is unexpected.

The film is quite nice, and I plan to use more of it (in a reliable, antique camera of mine).

#lomochromepurple   #lomographyfilm   #film   #filmphotography   #infrared  

Those of you who know me well know I'm fond of cephalopods.

Those of you who know me well know I'm fond of cephalopods.  So, sharing this is inevitable.  Look at the gorgeous coloring!

Appropriately enough, this comes to us via Laughing Squid.

#squid   #giantsquid  

Originally shared by Laughing Squid

Incredibly Rare Underwater Footage of a Stray Giant Squid Swimming Around Toyama Bay in Japan
http://laughingsquid.com/incredibly-rare-underwater-footage-of-a-stray-giant-squid-swimming-around-toyama-bay-in-japan/

The sun came out this afternoon, and so I had a little walk...

The sun came out this afternoon, and so I had a little walk...

#succulent

This is a pleasant interview with bell hooks, who is teaching at a tuition-free Appalachian college and spreading...

This is a pleasant interview with bell hooks, who is teaching at a tuition-free Appalachian college and spreading her sweetly radical calls for love in the midst of our pathology-ridden culture.
#bellhooks
http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/opinionator/2015/12/10/bell-hooks-buddhism-the-beats-and-loving-blackness/?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20151211&referer=https://t.co/FExlmylGWW

If you are a nearly daily user, and often find yourself Wikipedia-wandering (as I do), now is a good time of year to...

If you are a nearly daily user, and often find yourself Wikipedia-wandering (as I do), now is a good time of year to tell the organization how much you love them - with cash.

#donate   #wikipedia  
https://donate.wikimedia.org/?utm_medium=SocialMedia&utm_campaign=ThankYouPage&utm_source=GooglePlus

It's another day with strong light, and so I gave up on my chores anddecided to both test a gift camera (a Polaroid...

It's another day with strong light, and so I gave up on my chores and decided to both test a gift camera (a Polaroid Sun 660) and burn through the old 2013 Impossible film in my fridge, after realizing that the old film packs I didn't refrigerate don't work at all. (The chemistry dried up.)

Thanks to good storage, I got lucky, and each package worked.

I just had to get used to the Sun 660's always-flashes warm up time, which is longer than expected. The shutter won't fire until the flash is charged, so you don't waste film... but I didn't believe the camera was working at all! The secret is to hold the shutter button down "halfway" until a red light in the viewfinder goes out. This requires patience!

My smartphone improves the contrast of the prints, but still gives a good general idea of what the Impossible Project's 2013 color 600 films were like.

It was good to get away from my chores for a few hours!

#theimpossibleproject #sanfranciscowinter #polaroid

I grew up here, but sometimes space aliens drop new buildings in orrepaint a sign that had forgotten what paint is,...

I grew up here, but sometimes space aliens drop new buildings in or repaint a sign that had forgotten what paint is, which is disorienting.
#themission #sanfrancisco

Good advice. Not like you need it!

Good advice. Not like you need it!
#beniceontheonternet #dontfeedthetrolls

Originally shared by CollegeHumor

Just don't be an asshole, okay?
http://www.collegehumor.com/post/7034804/7-things-to-keep-in-mind-whenever-a-terrible-thing-happens

I'm lucky enough to work frequently in Switzerland, where glaciers are disappearing at an alarming rate.

I'm lucky enough to work frequently in Switzerland, where glaciers are disappearing at an alarming rate. Here the BBC and a Swiss scientist show the changes to just one.

(Yes, previously frozen valleys turned soggy are not especially stable, if you were wondering.)

#glaciers #climatechange #switzerland
http://www.bbc.com/news/video_and_audio/headlines/34908482

Tomine's collection of short stories displays his mastery of expertly expressing moments of insecurity, uncertainty,...

Tomine's collection of short stories displays his mastery of expertly expressing moments of insecurity, uncertainty, and alienation.

#adriantomine #bookreview
http://teahousehome.com/yes/yes035.html

This article covers many news topics, but I especially like this quote about what being "developed" as a country in...

This article covers many news topics, but I especially like this quote about what being "developed" as a country in an advanced (integrated and democratic) form means:

~[Malcolm] Turnbull quoted the mayor of Bogota: “A developed coun­try is not a place where the poor have cars. It’s where the rich use pub­lic trans­port.”~

#development #society

Another great quote comes in opposition to IS' efforts to alienate Muslim refugees from Europe:

~“Those who organised, who perpetrated, the attacks are the very same people who the refugees are fleeing, and not the opposite,” Juncker said in a press conference. “And so there is no need for an overall review of the European policy on refugees.”~

#refugees




http://gu.com/p/4e8c8?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Kate Beaton's new comic collection is fun! But you knew it would be.

Kate Beaton's new comic collection is fun!  But you knew it would be.
#katebeaton   #comics   #bookreview  
http://teahousehome.com/yes/yes034.html

I recommend the attractive sketchbook-centric zine, "Sketch School," by Carol Sogard and her students at the...

I recommend the attractive sketchbook-centric zine, "Sketch School," by Carol Sogard and her students at the University of Utah.
#sketchbook   #drawing   #zine  
http://teahousehome.com/yes/yes033.html

Dave Eggers' novel about a technological company's aspirations to share information provides a timely warning about...

Dave Eggers' novel about a technological company's aspirations to share information provides a timely warning about trading privacy for convenience.   #daveeggers   #bookreview  
http://teahousehome.com/yes/yes032.html

I enjoyed Amy Poehler's Book, "Yes, Please!" and think you will, too!

I enjoyed Amy Poehler's Book, "Yes, Please!" and think you will, too!
#amypoehler   #bookreview  
http://teahousehome.com/yes/yes031.html

Geometry really DOES make me happy! It's fun to explore geometric ideas as applied to fine art and design projects.

Geometry really DOES make me happy!  It's fun to explore geometric ideas as applied to fine art and design projects. 
#bookreview   #geometry  
http://teahousehome.com/yes/yes030.html

This is the best article I have read on creativity in a long time!

This is the best article I have read on creativity in a long time!

What I like best is the experiment story: students were split into groups graded on either aesthetic perfection or quantity (weight). The quantity group produced the most beautiful work (!), because they had practiced far more (and more freely) than the perfection group had.

This article is revealing educational and perseverance secrets that our culture obscures with myths about geniuses who never fail and whose every idea is pure gold.

#creativity #practicemakesperfect #design #process #howtolearn #persevere
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34775411

Art in the City.

Art in the City.
#mural #sanfrancisco

Lighting really can 'glam up' a simple building. #lighting

Lighting really can 'glam up' a simple building. #lighting

"As a result of Madrid’s early engagement with the smart cities concept, there is in Spain – almost uniquely in the...

"As a result of Madrid’s early engagement with the smart cities concept, there is in Spain – almost uniquely in the developed world – a real debate about what we want technology to do for cities, and who should control the technology."

#democracy #publicdataispublic
http://gu.com/p/4dt5j/sgp

David Byrne cited this post, "My Song Got Played On Pandora 1 Million Times and All I Got Was $16.

David Byrne cited this post, "My Song Got Played On Pandora 1 Million Times and All I Got Was $16.89, Less Than What I Make From a Single T-Shirt Sale!" as an example of why music streaming is a losing proposition for artists.

It is a good example of business models failing to justify their existence to content creators. #StopArtistExploitation
#businessmodelfailure #paycreators
http://thetrichordist.com/2013/06/24/my-song-got-played-on-pandora-1-million-times-and-all-i-got-was-16-89-less-than-what-i-make-from-a-single-t-shirt-sale/

Evening at Balboa Park. #evening #sanfrancisco

Evening at Balboa Park. #evening #sanfrancisco

Looking toward the Excelsior District while crossing Highway 280, withDaly City in the hills off to the right.

Looking toward the Excelsior District while crossing Highway 280, with Daly City in the hills off to the right... #excelsior #sanfrancisco

My phone is always filled with pictures of skies...

My phone is always filled with pictures of skies...
#clouds #sky

It was lovely yesterday evening here in San Francisco.

It was lovely yesterday evening here in San Francisco. I took one of those long walks that made me feel as if I was visiting a new place...
#sanfrancisco #dusk

I've taken many long walks recently...

I've taken many long walks recently...
#oceanbeach #sanfrancisco #dusk

This week in birds... above my train station. #pigeons

This week in birds... above my train station. #pigeons

These colors! #colors #jellyfish #montereybayaquarium

These colors! #colors #jellyfish #montereybayaquarium

City life: a five-story mural as seen from Polk Street near CivicCenter.

City life: a five-story mural as seen from Polk Street near Civic Center.
#mural #sanfrancisco

There is something charming about the spokes person holding up a bumper sticker that says, 'my other vehicle...

There is something charming about the spokes person holding up a bumper sticker that says, 'my other vehicle explored Pluto.'

"Pluto's flowing ice and mysterious red haze highlight 'a scientific wonderland'"

#pluto #space #science
http://gu.com/p/4bxe5

After a long and very intense activity at work, I feel like I am behindin all aspects of my personal life!

After a long and very intense activity at work, I feel like I am behind in all aspects of my personal life! Sorting out my (often abstract) thoughts helps 'ground' me, and I am drawing today for the first time in ages. Hooray for drawing! Hooray for acrylic ink!
#drawing #abstract

After many years of quiet contemplation, it blooms dramatically!

After many years of quiet contemplation, it blooms dramatically! (I may be projecting my own life approach into this interpretation :).)
#orchid #flowers

"Disappearing Lake Powell underlines drought crisis facing Colorado river"

"Disappearing Lake Powell underlines drought crisis facing Colorado river"

15 years of drought (and/or 15 years of realizing that you shouldn't allocate water rights based on a supply from a pleasantly wet time period) are finally inspiring some questions about developing the deserts. #drought #colorado #water
http://gu.com/p/49xgt

Murals can make the coldest spaces feel human. I like this video about a humanizing mural project in L.A.

Murals can make the coldest spaces feel human. I like this video about a humanizing mural project in L.A.
#mural #&pens
http://andpens.com/pens-mural-project-bloc/

I'm more of a +1-er than a reposter, but this is just GORGEOUS.

I'm more of a +1-er than a reposter, but this is just GORGEOUS. And I can't resist cacti.   #timelapse   #succulents   #cactus  

Originally shared by Laughing Squid

Beautiful Time-Lapse Video of Dozens of Brightly Colored Cactus Flowers Blooming and Wilting
http://laughingsquid.com/beautiful-time-lapse-video-of-dozens-of-brightly-colored-cactus-flowers-blooming-and-wilting/

March weather in SF. #sunshine #sanfrancisco

March weather in SF. #sunshine #sanfrancisco

Costa Rica must be the greenest country in the world right now, running fossil-fuel free so far this year.

Costa Rica must be the greenest country in the world right now, running fossil-fuel free so far this year. Go, Costa Rica!
#green #costarica
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/03/21/3636823/costa-rica-renewables/

Super-positive messages of thanks from women to other women who have made a difference in their lives.

Super-positive messages of thanks from women to other women who have made a difference in their lives.

Happy International Women's Day!

#internationalwomensday #thanks

"Thank you women: 'You looked at me and realised what I needed'"
http://gu.com/p/46da8

This is close. Also, we like it this way.

This is close. Also, we like it this way.
#coffee #sanfrancisco
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfuX1rypN4Y&sns=gp

I enjoyed these observations from a local who grew up in the Western Addition, and who remembers that her...

I enjoyed these observations from a local who grew up in the Western Addition, and who remembers that her neighborhood had plenty of culture prior to gentrification.

I have had awkward conversations with well-off transplants to the City, who seem blind to the fact that really interesting cities, the kind of cities you leave your home and family to live in, are generally not exclusive enclaves of wealthy people. There are plenty of wealthy towns and gated communities which have nothing of any cultural interest going for them. They do not produce "culture," though they might fund other people to create some.

The interesting places, the port cities especially, tend to be extraordinarily diverse in income, industry, ethnicity, and activity, a diversification wealthy enclaves lack. Gentrification has its posh charms and some pleasant benefits, but, when taken too far, represents a loss of the very things that make a place interesting.
#gentrification #sanfrancisco
http://gu.com/p/45zxh/sgp

I found one of my ancient sketchbooks (though not the one I was lookingfor), and was amused to find contour...

I found one of my ancient sketchbooks (though not the one I was looking for), and was amused to find contour sketches of figures from catalogs from '92. The idea was to sketch without picking the pencil up from the surface of the page, which means you plan the drawing differently...

Most of them aren't very good, but I like these. I drafted too much back then, so it felt good to draw something loosely. I never really needed to draw fabric, so that was also novel.
#drawing

I'm out of white ink ([whining about it being locally out of stockomitted]), but the silver Montana markers are...

I'm out of white ink ([whining about it being locally out of stock omitted]), but the silver Montana markers are also quite wonderful atop acrylic paint. This angle shows off the shine.
#shiny #drawing #silver #abstract

Here are more tourist snaps from my weekend breaks before/afterEuropean business trips: this time, from Belgium.

Here are more tourist snaps from my weekend breaks before/after European business trips: this time, from Belgium.  I spent a rainy weekend in Brussels in July, which was absolutely delightful, even if the photos remind me that everything was gray and damp. :)

#brussels   #belgium