Bytes

Thursday, June 10, 2021

Monday, June 7, 2021

POETRY SPOT: THE MASTERPIECE

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Just as we in Oz have our bush ballads, so the Americans have a branch of poetry known as Cowboy Poetry, a form that grew from a tradition of cowboys telling stories.

Contrary to common belief, cowboy poetry does not actually have to be written by cowboys, though some claim that authors should have some connection to the cowboy life.

As with the Australian bush poetry, cowboy poetry can be contemporary. Although many poets tend to focus on the historic cowboy lifestyle, historical events and the humorous aspects of the cowboy life style, the work that cowboys do continues. The cowboy lifestyle is a living tradition that exists in western North America and other areas, thus, contemporary cowboy poetry is still being created, still being recited, and still entertaining many at cowboy poetry gatherings, around campfires and cowboy poetry competitions.

Much of what is known as "old time" country music originates from the rhyming couplet style often seen in cowboy poetry along with guitar music.

Typical themes of cowboy poetry include:

Ranch work and those who perform it

Western lifestyle

Landscape of the American and Canadian West

Cowboy values and practices

Humorous anecdotes

Memories of times and people long gone

Robert W Service is sometimes classed as a cowboy poet.

Cowboy Poetry week is celebrated each April in the United States and Canada.

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The poem below is an example of cowboy poetry. It falters in the scanning here and there but it is fun nonetheless. It may have been preferable as 4 line stanzas eg

A talented artist came into town

Offering portraits for a reasonable fee.

All the people lined up and he did really well

For his work promised immortality.

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The Masterpiece

- Susan O'Connell.

A talented artist came into town offering portraits for a reasonable fee

All the people lined up and he did really well for his work promised immortality

Now the girls at the brothel wanted one too so the artist agreed they could pose

But his easel collapsed and he spilled all his paint when they proceeded to take off their clothes

For the sight of so much lovely feminine flesh let him ruffled, perturbed and upset

This was a painting he might never complete since his palms were beginning to sweat

But the girls knew the trick that would settle his nerves and by the time they were finally through

He painted with a passion of one truly inspired and kept yelling "MICHAELANGELO WHO???"

The girls patiently posed as he worked through the night, never once did his flawless strokes cease

Till the first rays of dawn lit his canvas with light revealing a true masterpiece

The girls were in awe as they gazed at his work, their praise made his confidence grow

He somehow had managed to capture their souls and their faces shown with a radiant glow

People came from all over to admire this prize even though the models were ladies of sin

The girls didn't mind the intrusion at all since it brought dozens of customers in

The painting changed hands many times through the years till no one remembered its true claim to fame

Its origin and models could never be traced since the artist neglected to paint in his name

It was purchased years later by a very rich man who unveiled it at a fancy soiree

He announced to his guests he was ninety percent sure it was a Rubens or maybe Manet

You see nudity was acceptable to the cultured and rich, that's what set this fine gentleman apart

He considered himself a connoisseur and believed that anything this lewd, must be a great work of art

The fanfare of trumpets and the rolling of drums produced a fitting unveiling effect

But the stunned silence that followed the last clarion note wasn't the reaction he thought he would get

No one said a word as they gathered their coats and quietly hurried outside

He wasn't sure he heard right but his wife seemed to sob something about social suicide

He wondered why his guests had walked out as they gazed at these beautiful nudes

To him they were an artistic depiction of nymphs and his friends were nothing but prudes

But as he stared at the painting the light finally dawned and he realized his huge oversight

For on closer inspection it was perfectly clear, that the Mayor's wife was the third from the right

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Sunday, June 6, 2021

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

BIGPICTURE AWARD PICS, PART 1

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The winners of the 2021 BigPicture Natural World Photography contest have been announced. Held annually by the California Academy of Sciences and now in its eighth year, the winning photographs are fascinating, thought provoking, beautiful and disturbing.

The competition is centred largely around conservation and humans’ impact on the environment. The 2021 contest entries show the profound changes to the planet in recent months alone by documenting the desolate landscape following Australian bushfires and a disposable face mask floating off the coast of California.

Following are the winning shots and the finalists, together with text and photographer bios, from the competition’s site at:

https://www.bigpicturecompetition.org/2021-winners

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GRAND PRIZE:

Hope in a Burned Plantation

Mallacoota, Australia

Iconic Australia is captured in this particular moment as a resilient kangaroo pauses in a burned eucalyptus plantation. Nearly three billion animals perished or were displaced in the cataclysmic Australian bushfires of 2019 and 2020. This eastern grey kangaroo and her joey represent the lucky survivors, escaping from an area that had been transformed by humans for farming and then devastated by fire.

Jo-Anne McArthur

Toronto, Canada

Jo-Anne McArthur is an award-winning photojournalist and the founder of We Animals Media. For almost two decades, she has traveled during a large part of each year to document the plight of animals on all seven continents and share their stories worldwide. She has authored three books and was the subject of a documentary, The Ghosts in Our Machine.

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AQUATIC LIFE WINNER:

Barracuda

Koror, Palau

The photographer swam with this battery of barracuda in the Blue Corner for four days, looking for the perfect angle. At the end of a 50-minute dive on his fifth day, the fish allowed him to swim among them as part of the school and he captured this fisheye view. On the sixth day, he joined the fish without his camera.

Yung-Sen Wu

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Yung-Sen Wu is a self-taught photographer originally from Keelung City, Taiwan. Although he specializes in macro underwater photography, his curiosity about underwater techniques motivated him to achieve this unique perspective.

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Other finalists in this category:

‍Joseph Platko | Marina, United States

Jelly Smack

Monterey, United States

This smack of jellyfish was one of the largest and densest the photographer had ever encountered. To get this photo without disturbing them, the photographer freedove and took advantage of unusually clear waters devoid of summer algal blooms—which typically coincide with the invasion of Monterey Bay by Pacific sea nettles.

Amos Nachoum | Pacific Grove, United States

Facing Reality

Pleneau Island, Antarctic Peninsula

The young gentoo penguin jumped into the lagoon to play during low tide, and was ambushed by the leopard seal, which had been lying in wait.

‍Marek Jackowski | Poznań, Poland

Treasure on Ice

Svalbard, Norway

‍As the disappearance of sea ice due to climate change becomes more evident, polar bears are rapidly losing their habitat. At dusk, this lucky male settled down on a small iceberg—a refuge for the night.

‍Andy Schmid | Kleindöttingen, Switzerland

Orcas Under the Arctic Sun

Skjervøy, Norway

‍Drawn to the fjord in search of herring that shelter from the open ocean each winter, this curious but protective orca mother allowed the photographer to swim nearby during the single hour that the sun shines through the fjord and into the water in mid-November.

‍Mike Korostelev | Moscow, Russia

Private Moment of Milk Feeding

Indian Ocean

‍A pod of sperm whales tolerated the photographer’s proximity long enough for him to catch one of the mothers nursing her baby, almost at the water’s surface. Not so easy to hold your breath and drink at the same time—for the baby whale, that is.

‍Cristina Mittermeier | Nanoose Bay, Canada

Crabeater Ice Palace

Antarctic Peninsula

‍Crabeater seals lounged on an Antarctic iceberg as the photographer passed by on an inflatable boat. This expedition photograph was created as an argument for the protection of the Antarctic Peninsula—where billions of tons of sea ice have been lost—as the largest sanctuary on Earth.

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TERRESTIAL WILDLIFE WINNER:

Boss

Great Bear Rainforest, Canada

This spirit bear, one of only a few hundred white bears in this subspecies of black bears in the coastal rainforests of British Columbia, is known by the name “Boss.” After lowering his head into the river in search of salmon roe, he pulled his head up and shook, droplets spiralling around his head, looked at the photographer for a split second, and then plunged back into the water for his meal.

Michelle Valberg

Gloucester, Canada

Michelle Valberg has travelled to every continent in search of adventure and photographic opportunities for more than 30 years, and is especially passionate about Canada and the Arctic. She is a Nikon Ambassador, philanthropist, and community leader, has published four books, and is the first Canadian Geographic Photographer-in-Residence

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Other finalists in this category:

Come High Water

Audubon's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, United States

"Come hell or high water" is a common southeastern saying that implies perseverance in the face of difficulties. This mother raccoon appears to be rescuing her baby from a flooded nest after a heavy rain in late October, in one of the handful of remaining old growth swamps in the southeastern United States.

‍Petr Bambousek | Pribram, Czech Republic

Running Atta

Boca Tapada, Costa Rica

Leafcutter ants (genus Atta) carry leaves and other plant parts to nourish the fungus gardens in their underground nests—which they harvest to feed themselves and their young. The dance-like movement is highlighted by skilful exposure techniques on the ant delivering its unusually colored leaf.

‍Ayala Fishaimer | Gane Tal, Israel

Tough Negotiation

Judean Foothills, Israel

An Arabian red fox cub emerging from its den sniffed a shrew out of the sand and began playing with it. For a brief moment, the hapless shrew appeared to be asking the fox to spare its life.

Jagdeep Rajput | Delhi, India

Jumbo Roadblock

Corbett National Park, India

This herd of Asian elephants had just arrived from an adjoining national park. Demonstrating both their right of way and their social behavior, the elephants marched slowly in formation, creating a protective front row that kept the young ones safe in the middle.

‍Lung-Tsai Wang | Taichung City, Taiwan

Microspur1

Unspecified mountains, Taiwan

The birth of dozens of lynx spiders is followed by two days of cannibalism until only one spider remains. This mesmerizing spectacle of the ultimate sibling rivalry can be observed annually in the mountains of Taiwan.

‍Vladimir Cech Jr. | Horšovský Týn, Czech Republic

Felis Silvestris

Doupov Mountains, Czech Republic

The European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) is rare, elusive, and difficult to photograph. After studying the area for several months, the photographer caught this image with a homemade DSLR camera trap, built in his photo studio in the forest.

To be continued

Saturday, June 5, 2021

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."

- John F. Kennedy

WE DIDN'T START THE FIRE: 1956, KRUSCHEV

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Continuing a look at the events and people in Billy Joel’s We Didn’t Start the Fire.

Each two lines represent a year.

Joseph Stalin, Malenkov, Nasser and Prokofiev

Rockefeller, Campanella, Communist Bloc

Roy Cohn, Juan Peron, Toscanini, dacron

Dien Bien Phu falls, "Rock Around the Clock"

Einstein, James Dean, Brooklyn's got a winning team

Davy Crockett, Peter Pan, Elvis Presley, Disneyland

Bardot, Budapest, Alabama, Krushchev

Princess Grace, "Peyton Place", trouble in the Suez

1956

Bardot, Budapest, Alabama, Krushchev

Princess Grace, "Peyton Place", trouble in the Suez

KRUSCHEV:

Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (1894 – 1971) was the leader of the Soviet Union as First Secretary of the Communist Party from 1953 to 1964 and as chairman of the country's Council of Ministers from 1958 to 1964.

Relevance to 1956:

In 1956 Nikita Kruschev (1894-1971) made his famous Secret Speech, in which he criticised the repressive actions of Stalin and the cult of personality. The speech was part of the “Kruschev Thaw”. Repression and censorship in the Soviet Union were relaxed, and millions of political prisoners were released from Gulag labour camps due to Khrushchev's policies of de-Stalinization and peaceful coexistence with other nations. The term was coined after Ilya Ehrenburg's 1954 novel The Thaw, sensational for its time.

The Thaw initiated irreversible transformation of the entire Soviet society by opening up for some economic reforms and international trade, educational and cultural contacts, festivals, books by foreign authors, foreign movies, art shows, popular music, dances and new fashions, and massive involvement in international sport competitions. As the power struggle between pro-Khrushchevists and pro-Stalinists never stopped, it eventually weakened the Soviet Communist Party.

The Thaw allowed some freedom of information in the media, arts, and culture; international festivals; foreign films; uncensored books; and new forms of entertainment on the emerging national TV, ranging from massive parades and celebrations to popular music and variety shows, satire and comedies, and all-star shows. Such political and cultural updates altogether had a significant influence on the public consciousness of several generations of people in the Soviet Union.

Leonid Brezhnev, who succeeded Khrushchev, put an end to the Thaw.

Some Kruschev comments:

On a visit to the US in 1959, Kruschev met Shirley Maclaine on set whilst she was filming Can Can and was hosted lunch by Frank Sinatra. However, his mood changed when he was barred from visiting Disneyland, ostensibly for security reasons.

“And I say, ‘I would very much like to go and see Disneyland.’ But then, we cannot guarantee your security, they say. Then what must I do? Commit suicide? …

“We have come to this town where lives the cream of American art. And just imagine, I a premier, a Soviet representative, when I came here to this city, I was given a plan — a program of what I was to be shown and whom I was to meet here. But just now I was told that I could not go to Disneyland. I asked: ‘Why not?’ What is it, do you have rocket-launching pads there?’ I do not know.

“And just listen — just listen to what I was told — to what reason I was told. We, which means the American authorities, cannot guarantee your security if you go there. What is it? Is there an epidemic of cholera there or something? Or have gangsters taken over the place that can destroy me? Then what must I do? Commit suicide? This is the situation I am in — your guest. For me the situation is inconceivable. I cannot find words to explain this to my people.”

Sinatra, who was seated next to Mrs. Khrushchev, leaned over to actor David Niven and said, “Tell the old broad you and I will take ’em down there this afternoon.” (A State Department official said later that Mrs. Khrushchev and her daughters were welcome to tour Disneyland, but that she decided to remain with her husband.)

Speaking of Mrs Kruschev, Nikita Kruschev was once asked what it would have meant if he had been shot instead of President Kennedy. He replied "The main difference for the history of the world if I had been shot rather than Kennedy is that Onassis probably wouldn't have married Mrs Krushchev."

The news of Kennedy’s assassination sent shockwaves across the entire world, including the Soviet Union. General Secretary Nikita Khrushchev was awakened by an aide with the words: “Kennedy’s been killed!” According to some accounts, the first thing he asked was: “Did we have anything to do with it?”

In the book Nikita Khrushchev: Reformer, the memoirs of the Soviet leader’s son, Sergey Khrushchev states that his father fell to his knees and sobbed over the killing.

During his rule, Khrushchev stunned the communist world with his denunciation of Stalin's crimes and his de-Stalinization. He sponsored the early Soviet space program, and enactment of relatively liberal reforms in domestic policy. After some false starts, and a narrowly avoided nuclear war over Cuba, he conducted successful negotiations with the United States to reduce Cold War tensions. His tendency toward recklessness led the Kremlin leadership to strip him from power, replacing him with Leonid Brezhnev as First Secretary and Alexei Kosygin as Premier.

Gallery:

Khrushchev and his first wife Euphrasinia (Yefrosinia) in 1916

Khrushchev's second wife (though they were never officially married) was Ukrainian-born Nina Petrovna Kukharchuk, whom he met in 1922. (photo taken in 1924)