Protesting This Weekend 1/19/17

3/14  Pi Day, School Walkout, Stephen Hawking, and more

A lot happening today!  I just wanted to post a couple of updates and thoughts...  

Before I had breakfast this morning I heard the word that Stephen Hawking had passed away.  What an amazing human being, such an incredible loss for the world.  And what an amazing coincidence for him to die on Einstein’s birthday...

Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking Taught Us a Lot About How to Live (NYT)

Stephen Hawking Dies at 76; His Mind Roamed the Cosmos (NYT Obituary)

Stephen Hawking: Visionary physicist dies aged 76 (BBC)

This is the most dangerous time for our planet (Stephen Hawking 12/16)

Stephen Hawking Was Right To Worry About Our Impending Doom (io9)

Stephen Hawking’s most mind-blowing discovery: black holes can shrink:   Hawking radiation, explained by a physicist. (Vox)

Stephen Hawking’s 5 best and nerdiest pop culture cameos:  When Hawking wasn’t changing the world, he played himself on TV. He was hilarious. (Vox)

Pi Day

I always look forward to Pi Day...  friends usually send me Pi Day pictures and animated gifs...  I wore my new Pi shirt to PT today and I’ve finally updated my Pi Page :)  You can also check out my new Flickr post on Pi Day...

School Walkout

These two photos from the 17 photos from today's National School Walkout for gun control that should terrify the NRA are my favorite:

#NationalWalkoutDay on Twitter

Previous post on tumblr about gun violence

Visit to the MET 12/27/18

Going to the MET with a friend tomorrow, my list of things to check out...

SPECIFIC ITEMS

Bacchanal: A Faun Teased by Children by Bernini (sculpture)

Viewpoint:  “The action unfolds as you encircle the piece.”  Very cool, one of the things that I like about his sculpture of Daphne and Apollo is that as you walk around the sculpture story is brought to life, action is given form.  

I’m excited that I’m going to get a chance to see one of his works in NYC. 

Aside from Daphne and Apollo at Villa Borghese, my other favorite Bernini pieces I saw in Rome:  Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi nella Piazza Navona, St. Peter's colonade, the angels on the Ponte Sant'Angelo, Ecstasy of St Teresa in the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria

The Denial of Saint Peter by Caravaggio (painting)

I am also excited that I will be able to see one of Caravaggio’s works at the Met.  Caravaggio is best known for his technique of chiaroscuro.  I saw many of his paintings in Italy:  the works in Cappella Contarelli in the church San Luigi dei Francesi on the theme of St. Matthew, David with the Head of Goliath and Saint Jerome Writing in Villa Borghese

If there’s time, I’d like to see paintings by Velázquez, Goya (or this one) and El Greco and some works by Rodin (or the Hand of Rodin, Study for Obsession, Pygmalion and Galatea or The Hand of God)

EXHIBITS

Dutch Masterpieces

- The Disillusioned Medea - Curiosity - Young Woman with a Water Pitcher

Everything is Connected:  Art and Conspiracy

And then depending on what my guide is interested in viewing, perhaps something from one of these exhibits?

Dangerous Beauty:  Medusa in Classical Art Relative Values:  The Cost of Art in the Northern Renaissance Celebrating Tintoretto:  Portrait Paintings and Studio Drawings The Poetry of Nature:  Edo Paintings from the Fishbein-Bender Collection Children to Immortals:  Figural Representations in Chinese Art Streams and Mountains without End:  Landscape Traditions of China Epic Abstraction

Links to exhibits on the Met website with information and digital resources

David Bowie

David Bowie, An Icon Who Wrote Anthems For The Alienated 

We Didn't Just Lose a Musical Hero, We Lost a Rebel

David Bowie Dies at 69; He Transcended Music, Art and Fashion

A Life of Legend:  Rockstar and Fashion Icon David Bowie

RIP David Bowie — Here’s His Isolated Vocal Track From “Under Pressure” With Freddie Mercury 

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Helen Green:  David Bowie animated gif (above)

David Bowie In Pictures Through The Years 

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The perfect David Bowie tribute is astronaut Chris Hadfield singing “Space Oddity”

Bowie himself called Hadfield’s cover “possibly the most poignant version of the song ever created” when he shared the video on Facebook. The video features views of Earth from space and is spliced with shots of Hadfield singing and playing the guitar.

Bing Crosby & David Bowie - "The Little Drummer Boy (Peace On Earth)"

David Bowie’s last music video was most likely meant as a sort of goodbye

What did David Bowie do at your age? (type in your age and find out)

David Bowie's list of 100 favorite books reveal his true inner nerd 

Listen to David Bowie's incredible isolated vocal tracks to his iconic songs 

15 unforgettable David Bowie appearances from TV and film

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Other musicians scoffed at the web. David Bowie started his own Internet service provider.

'He was always funny': Conan remembers David Bowie with a touching tribute 

videos

A speech from Carl Sagan that will make you cry

The makers of The Sagan Series bring you The Feynman Series

Richard Feynman waxes scientific about a flower, touches your freaking soul

More People Need To Know About Carolyn Porco

Freedom Act

House Passes USA Freedom Act to Curb NSA Spying

NSA Reform Falters as House Passes Gutted USA Freedom Act

Did Judge Who Tuled NSA Phone Dragnet Illegal Call Snowden a Whistleblower?

Study:  Congress Really Doesn't Care What You Think

Why Politicians Don’t Want Us To Think, But Opinions Are OK

The FBI Used to Recommend Encryption, Now They Want to Ban It

Lessig, Teachout, Bharara

We the People, and the Republic We Must Reclaim Lawrence Lessig TED talk

The Bare Knuckle Fight Against Money in Politics  Zepher Teachout & Lawrence Lessig on Bill Moyers

Cuomo vs. Bharara: Battle of the Heavyweights

Cuomo's Office Hobbled Ethics Inquiries by Moreland Commission

RELATED:  Check out my flipboard on:  Wealth and Inequality 

I'm also a LL fan not only because of #creativecommons but

Lawrence Lessig on the Free Access Movement

"Harvard’s Lawrence Lessig is easily the most important voice in intellectual property today, whose work — including founding Creative Commons"

Newest YouTube user to fight a takedown is copyright guru Lawrence Lessig

"Lessig's lawsuit runs through the checklist of fair use, making a case for why his lecture falls under that distinction: he used a small proportion of the song, his lecture doesn't compete with the market for the song in any way, and the lecture is an entirely new creation. Phoenix wanted its song to entertain and make money; Lessig's lecture was educational, and neither he nor Creative Commons, the sponsor, made any profit."

10 Years of Creative Commons: An Interview with Co-Founder Lawrence Lessig

Also see

Prosecutor as Bully 

The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz (video, 1:44:59, CC available)

The Internet’s Own Boy review: Remembering—and honoring—Aaron Swartz

Booking Video: Aaron Swartz Jokes, Jousts With Cops After MIT Bust

Former Reddit co-owner arrested for excessive JSTOR downloads

MIT not to blame for Aaron Swartz prosecution, MIT report says

Aaron Swartz

July 4th

Since the time I was in elementary school I wanted to become a marine biologist to study and swim with sharks.  Next summer I’m planning a trip to Australia and for my 40th birthday, *this* is what I plan on doing....  Check out the video here.  #dreamvacation

Great Whites circling the “ghost cage” video.  This was pretty amazing and would totally love to do this, but with a door that stayed closed!