Ah, the Tango!

Sunlit Uplands

A Certain Slant of Light

I may make these the subject for my next painting.

One Foggy Morning

Mission Dolores

The Mission Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, commonly known as Mission Dolores, and the adjoining churchyard, where Alfred Hitchcock shot some scenes for the film 'Vertigo'.

Six-word Short Story

This is said to have been written by Hemingway. Some claim it is his best short story, in six words.

"For sale: baby shoes, never worn."

More Streets of San Francisco

Downtown seen across the industrial areas south of Market.

Streets of San Francisco

A small house in Noe Valley with a long narrow driveway.

Back stairs of an apartment building in the Sunset neighborhood. Beautiful late afternoon hues.

The downtown skyline viewed over an empty lot overgrown with weeds.

A vacant parking spot. Hard to find in San Francisco.

A Matter of Inspiration

One can't tell when one will run out of original ideas. One can only hope that when that accursed day finally arrives, one may have recourse to other measures then available. It is conceivable, certainly, that by that fateful day one's computer will already have installed in it, or have access to, an idea generator that will provide original ideas at the click of a mouse or the tap of a key. One wonders whether such a thing may already exist.

In the meantime, one can continue to rely on one's faithful old dictionary or encyclopedia as sources, making word associations at random or maybe not so random.

teabag matchbook viability liability fraudulent conversion age of consent celestial spheres of influence economic downturn breakwater breakneck speed express train minutiae referential reverential providential daycare caregiver silk cravat white tie swallowtail whiteout blackout archive achievement connector surge protector Oscar Hotel Lima Peru factotum headstrong Gondwana continental drift Benguela current clone drone nomadic tribes travel document charge card charge field Occam's razor bedroom community bedroom privacy download upload forum bulletin board RSS feed instant messaging instant noodles bar sinister heraldic device lion rampant leopard passant double eagle field of gold cultural icons Byzantium Hagia Sophia Istanbul seraglio abduction Mozart Requiem charge coupled device conundrum panjandrum paranormal paradigm Mercator's projection Galileo Papacy imprimatur stamp of approval philately Johnny-come-lately (as in Hugo Chavez) et cetera.

An inspiring short film from Mexico

"The Story of a Sign"

Between Heaven and Earth

Old-time engravings have always fascinated me, and this one is magical in its medieval imagery. A traveler with a staff in his left hand has pierced the barrier at the joining of the Earth and the heavens. The flat earth is contained in a bubble or shell which also holds the stars, the moon, and the sun, all of which are seen together as connected to the terrestrial plain, with its plants and trees, mountains and rivers and cities.

The traveler's head and right hand are outside the bubble, reaching toward curved bands of celestial wonders in which clouds mingle with spheres and spoked wheels, and what looks like jagged stalagmites. Is he falling through to the heavens, and holding his hand out to prevent his complete exit from the earthly bubble, or is he striving to reach Paradise without having to undergo the pain of death?

One wonders what the artist's intentions were. But whatever the answer, this beautiful and enigmatic engraving compels our interest.

Rachmaninov's 2nd Symphony (excerpt)

Just sit back, relax, and let Rachmaninov's sumptuous melodies wash over you. Romanticism at its most gorgeous. Suitable for purposes of meditation and reflection. Even seduction.

'And this is my beloved'

The third movement of String Quartet No. 2 by Aleksandr Borodin. Romantic, huh?

Shostakovich: Waltz from Jazz Suite #2

Here's some easy listening from Shostakovich, played by the Banda Sinfónica Universitaria de La Laguna of Tenerife, Canary Islands, conducted by Felipe Neri Gil Marrero.

Nautical Words and Phrases

Here's a link to a glossary of some everyday words and expressions which have their origins in seafaring. You'll find them interesting, I'm sure, as I did.

http://www.fortogden.com/nauticalterms.html

Layers of Light

More late afternoon images.

Millbrae 5:30PM

Took a little walk along a back alley in the suburban town of Millbrae this afternoon, and got a few compositions in yellow ochre and blue.

'Signore, ascolta'

This is one of my favorite arias from Puccini's "Turandot" -- 'Signore, ascolta' sung by Barbara Frittoli.

Hygiene - Personal

There are many things around the house that we tend to take for granted. In the past I had posted a few on this blog, and here I'm adding a couple more.

One is the familiar nail clipper, which I think is one of the cleverest of tools man has ever devised. Just think about it – before these came on the scene, how did we manage to trim our nails? Scissors? Pocket knife? Neither is as efficient and effective as the nail clipper.

The other item is perhaps less familiar. It is an earwax remover. It is purpose-made, so that we no longer have to bend paper-clips or hairpins for the job. Speaking from experience, I will say that it is a pleasure to use, and easy to clean.

Both of these items were manufactured in Germany. The clipper bears the J.A.Henckels name; the earwax remover is unnamed. I got them on our first trip to Europe in the 70's, and they have stood the test of time.

"Don Juan"

Here's the first part of "Don Juan" by Richard Strauss, performed by the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra, conducted by Philippe Jordan. One of Strauss's lushly beautiful tone poems, energetically played by talented young people.