Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
A little bit of perspective, please!
Let 1 inch equal 1000 years. Some distances that result from this conversion are:
The Universe was formed 221 miles from where I stand (essentially, the driving distance between Los Altos and Truckee, California).
Two-thirds of the way from Truckee towards Los Altos, the Earth forms. (71 miles from Los Altos -- essentially, at Manteca.)
Traveling 13 miles closer to Los Altos (you're now in Tracy -- 58 miles away), life appears on Earth.
Life evolves, but it isn't until we're only about 3.5 miles from my home that the first dinosaurs appear. They stick around for about 2.5 miles, disappearing at about 1 mile from home. (The Petrified Forest in Arizona is at about the 3 mile mark.)
At about 200 feet from me, Homo Habilis (the first species in the Homo genus, and the first known use of tools) appears.
It takes awhile for Homo Sapiens (modern man) to appear -- finally arriving on the scene at about 17 feet from me. But it takes another 16 feet (that is, until they're about a foot from me) before they develop agriculture and depart from a strictly hunter-gatherer existence.
The first instances of writing (and thus the dawn of history) occur only 6 inches from me.
The pyramids in Egypt were built 4 1/2 inches from me.
Jesus at 2 inches.
Columbus discovers America -- at half-an-inch!
Declaration of Independence -- quarter-of-an-inch!
The Universe was formed 221 miles from where I stand (essentially, the driving distance between Los Altos and Truckee, California).
Two-thirds of the way from Truckee towards Los Altos, the Earth forms. (71 miles from Los Altos -- essentially, at Manteca.)
Traveling 13 miles closer to Los Altos (you're now in Tracy -- 58 miles away), life appears on Earth.
Life evolves, but it isn't until we're only about 3.5 miles from my home that the first dinosaurs appear. They stick around for about 2.5 miles, disappearing at about 1 mile from home. (The Petrified Forest in Arizona is at about the 3 mile mark.)
At about 200 feet from me, Homo Habilis (the first species in the Homo genus, and the first known use of tools) appears.
It takes awhile for Homo Sapiens (modern man) to appear -- finally arriving on the scene at about 17 feet from me. But it takes another 16 feet (that is, until they're about a foot from me) before they develop agriculture and depart from a strictly hunter-gatherer existence.
The first instances of writing (and thus the dawn of history) occur only 6 inches from me.
The pyramids in Egypt were built 4 1/2 inches from me.
Jesus at 2 inches.
Columbus discovers America -- at half-an-inch!
Declaration of Independence -- quarter-of-an-inch!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Laurie Wyman-Heron
I purchased some watercolors by Laurie Wyman-Heron from a local gallery (now defunct) just after I moved into my house in 2000. Here are a couple of them...
(Click on image to enlarge)
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Stephen Namara
I've long been an admirer of Stephen's drawings and paintings. Finally took the plunge...
Peggy Huff
Peggy Huff is another artist whose work I first saw, and admired, at my brother's place. Finally got around to purchasing one of her pieces, "Ohtani Letters." (It's much more abstract than the piece my brother has.)
(It's fairly large, too. Framed: 36" x 30")
More on Peggy here.
(It's fairly large, too. Framed: 36" x 30")
More on Peggy here.
Melissa Yarbrough
An artist whom I found via San Francisco's Open Studios, I've always enjoyed Melissa's work...
Here are a couple of smaller paintings (12" x 12")...
More on Melissa here.
Here are a couple of smaller paintings (12" x 12")...
More on Melissa here.
Ken Cmiel
I knew Ken back when we were students at Berkeley (he and I both lived in the now infamous Barrington Hall). A helluva good guy, it shocked and saddened me to learn that he passed away in 2006 at the young age of 51.
Ken was a professor of history at the University of Iowa. After we graduated from Cal, our lives went in different directions and I eventually lost contact with him -- I last saw Ken in Chicago (where he was living with Anne and attending grad school) sometime around May/June of 1979 (when a friend of mine and I crashed at their place for a couple of nights while we were driving cross-country). I always thought of visiting again, but for whatever reason, never got around to it.
Too late now. Damn!
(More on Ken here.)
Ken was a professor of history at the University of Iowa. After we graduated from Cal, our lives went in different directions and I eventually lost contact with him -- I last saw Ken in Chicago (where he was living with Anne and attending grad school) sometime around May/June of 1979 (when a friend of mine and I crashed at their place for a couple of nights while we were driving cross-country). I always thought of visiting again, but for whatever reason, never got around to it.
Too late now. Damn!
(More on Ken here.)
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