AND it's a crow again. A random shot of a flying crow, but it looks for all the world like its wing is penetrating the cloud behind it. A possible "glitch in the matrix"? Maybe the matrix engineers should re-calibrate that cloud for proper density.
Probably just about everyone who surfs the web has noticed how online advertisements are tailor-made to suit their personal tastes. Watch certain types of videos or search for information on a particular matter, and moments later ads appear that address those very subjects. Well, here's something that's oddly reminiscent of that algorithmic programming, but with a twist. Minutes ago I was reading At the Edge of Uncertainty by English science writer Michael Brooks. On page 217 the name Christopher Langton is mentioned. He is an American computer scientist who coined the term "artificial life". Then I put down the book and started watching a YouTube video that had to do with glass beads found in the royal tombs of the ancient Korean kingdom of Silla. They are clearly of foreign manufacture, and an English archaeologist was introduced who was trying to track down their origin. His name was James Langton.
I had never heard this uncommon name before today, and within minutes of my first becoming aware of it, it was repeated in a different medium.
Angels (or maybe devils) are watching, algorithms in hand.
a shot taken down the street (and slightly color-enhanced) -- it's just that I just love this image.
There, that's three "justs" in one sentence.
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Two errant disposable plastic gloves found on one afternoon's walk.
This one
and this one
After finding the second one I wondered for an instant if they were a matched pair, even though the discoveries were separated by more than half an hour's walk, but of course that's not possible -- disposable plastic gloves are chirality-neutral.
The first time, exactly a year and one week ago, was a small example of spontaneous order in nature. This time, it's looking more like a case of a time loop, but in mirror image.
I just happened to look in as I was walking past this building, and this sight gave me a start. It looked like a floating ghost...
I'll say it again, some clouds are living things. There are countless creatures filling the earth and the seas that mimic other organisms for protection; why should the air above us be bereft?
I was strolling through the neighborhood park yesterday when I became aware of that sign beyond the trail. The large 'P' stood out amongst the surrounding trees, and for whatever reason, it reminded me of an incident from back when I was a graduate student at UCLA. I was working part-time at the art library (the art department had its own slide library for the use of art history professors). It may have been just my imagination due to the fact that I was the lone painter surrounded by art historians every day, but during my stint there I always felt a subtle competitive attitude existed between the fine arts majors and art history majors -- that the art history majors were smug about the academic nature of their field and dismissive about the studio majors as unintellectual daubers and cobblers, and the studio majors considered themselves the creators of things of honesty and lasting value, without which the whole subject of art history would not exist.
Anyhow, one day something happened that was fairly trivial in itself, but it served to cement my belief in the mutual friction. I don't remember the exact context, but one of the regular patrons, a graduate student, was having a discussion with another member of the staff, and happened to mention that in modern Italian the letter 'J' is not used. So I chimed in to correct her, pointing out that the Neapolitan dialect does use the letter. And... she turned to me with a Look of Pure Hatred and said Yes, but it's not pronounced like the English 'J', to which I almost responded Yes, I know that, but we were talking about the letter itself, not its pronunciation, that she had suddenly changed the 'universe of discourse' -- almost, but I held myself in check. Because... well, she was obviously not used to being contradicted and I didn't want to inflame her further, and besides, what would it have accomplished for me to press the point? It would only have made me look petty.
This one never got to experience flight. Its life ended even as it was struggling to shed its old skin.
A favorite old image, taken on a visit to Daegu, the city my father originally hailed from, many years ago.
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I found this cicada and thought it was a rare albino.
But a few days later I came across this
While out for a walk I discovered this spider seemingly suspended in the air. One of the prettiest spiders I've ever come across.
What a difference the background makes!
