Art Np2

Historian Karen Wilson, Ph. D. is a storyteller, singer, and teacher from Harlem, New York.  And look what this awesome woman scholar is up to next!   http://newsroom.ucr.edu/2695    She has won a Fulbright fellowship to study the historical connection between  African  and African American blues music in Nigeria and Ghana.  Please read the newsrelease from the University of California, Riverside.  Thank You Miss Kriss for this good news.

I'm trying to keep my mouth shut as much as possible. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ There was once upon a time a widow who had two daughters. The older looked so much like her mother and acted so much like her that whoever looked upon the daughter saw the mother. They were both so disagreeable and so proud that they were very hard to live with. The younger was sweet and courteous. As people naturally love their own likeness, this mother spoiled her older daughter and at the same time was very mean to the younger daughter--she made her eat in the kitchen and work continually. Among other things, this poor child was forced twice a day to bring home water in a pitcher from a well about a mile and a half from where the family lived. One day, as the younger daughter was at this fountain, there came to her a poor woman, who begged of her to let her drink. "Oh! yes, with all my heart, ma'am," said kind girl; and rin

Etta Baker was a blues guitar player from North Carolina.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etta_Baker

The Devil's Dictionary is full of  irreverent, witty, and humorous definitions of words that appeared here and there in weekly newspapers from 1881 to 1906.  Eventually, after some people plagarized  them, the words were put together as  The Cynic's Word Book .  I have to say I am not a cynic, but I am silly and this is fun.  On second thought, maybe I am a bit cynical sometimes, occasionally, only when necessary.  You know how it is. AMBIDEXTROUS, adj . Able to pick with equal skill a right-hand pocket or a left. BIGOT, n . One who is obstinately and zealously attached to an opinion that you do not entertain. CUNNING, n . The faculty that distinguishes a weak animal or person from a strong one. It brings its possessor much mental satisfaction and great material adversity. An Italian proverb says: "The furrier gets the skins of more foxes than asses." DEAD, adj. Done with the work of breathing; done With all the world; the mad race run Though to the end; the golden g

By  Steph  in  Art & Design ,  Geography & Travel ,  Nature & Ecosystems Beautiful and untamed, the jungle can be an inhospitable setting for human inhabitance when dwellings are not designed in harmony with the climate and landscape. These 12 rainforest homes, resorts and communities work with their surroundings – and often very hot and humid weather – using such architectural features as slatted wooden window coverings, yet maintain a vital connection to nature with floor-to-ceiling windows and verandahs aplenty. Shell House by ARTechnic, Japan (images via:  archicentral ) Making your way through the humid forests of Karuizawa, Japan, a giant shell hovering three and a half feet above the ground is not exactly a sight you expect to see. Architects ARTechnic were inspired by an unlikely combination of natural shell shapes and the concept of humans taking over an abandoned spacecraft. The concrete materials, a mold-preventing floor-heating system and the fact that the buil

Mobile living is no longer just for  land lovers , and  floating mini-cities are no longer just a vision for the open oceans or high seas – why not blend the best aspects of portable homes, cruise ships and air trips into a single stylish and sustainable airship designed to fly, float, drift or drive anywhere the wind blows? Yes, airships are back in style – but why? Perhaps we have finally come back around to the idea that flying could once again be a sustainable way to travel as new alternative fuels and off-the-grid energy technologies begin to take over from classic CO2-producing combustible alternatives. Seymourpowell  presents an option that looks far-fetched but is remarkably plausible – at least insofar as they have done a great deal of research into potential materials, construction techniques and technologies. Moreover, there is continued material research into structural systems that have the ideal blend of flexibility and stability – perfect for the dual needs of large fly

As a former student of architecture, it is impossible not to start out with this warning: no, most small-time architects cannot, in fact, afford to buy, live and work in their very own luxury houseboat in the waters of downtown Seattle – if Tom Hanks’ role for the film Sleepless in Seattle (his home shown lower-left above) misled you, it might be worth taking a more realistic look around. That said, the real floating homes of this city constitute a unique, vast and variegated water-based subculture well worth exploring. Still, here is a remarkable range to styles, sizes, types and prices within the various houseboat communities within bodies of water around Seattle – and thousands of total floating residences that dot the water-scapes individually and in small town-like clusters. The image above is a kind of a picture-perfect extreme – a large, two-story, traditional-looking home that has elements of a southern plantation house or rural mansion. From the interior photos one would neve