Piece Of Art

Politically-related suicides-by-fires are increasing. In the wake of media attention to immolations in China and USA, there's breaking news of fires by a Tibetan monk in Asia, and a man in London's "protest" square. A man apparently set himself on fire outside Britain's Parliament on Friday, February 27, 2009, and he was taken to a hospital with superficial burns, authorities told the UK media. Police said the man was on fire "for a short time" in Parliament Square in the heart of London. Without saying specifically that the man attempted self-immolation, police said they did not believe anyone else was involved. A police spokesman said the man's burns were superficial and "certainly not critical." He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with force policy. There was no immediate word on who the man was or why he would set himself on fire. But it follows two attempts at self-immolation by men who have been reported to be ethnic Tamils bas...

University of Washington, USA: 2008 Now Tibet, again. Three men set themselves on fire at a busy road crossing in Wangfujing, which is close to the famous Tienanmen Square in the heart of Beijing, on Wednesday afternoon (February 25, 2009), according to Asian media reports . The Beijing administration has indicated that they were trying to voice some grievance while making the attempt at self-immolation. But it did not disclose any details. The Beijing government did not disclose the identify of the persons, who ignited themselves inside a car around 3pm. But it said that they came from outside the city in a car bearing a non-Beijing license plate. Xinhua said there were one woman and two men in the car at the time of the incident. The fire assumed significance because it occurred on the Tibetan New Year Day. Now word comes of a Chicago area man who has died in a self-immolation. A 58-year-old Wal-Mart employee who said he "couldn't take it anymore" lit himself on fire ou...

I'll be on television in London soon, on The Paul O'Grady Show on Monday, March 2, 2009. The program is on Olga TV, and will be broadcast live from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM, local time. While the show is well-known in the UK, it is virtually unknown in North America. I'll be their invited guest, and the topics will be cryptozoology, the Dover Demon, Nessie, and such. I might even talk about the Hobbs name game . I may be on for only five minutes. Who knows? While in London, staying near the London Eye, visible in the distance above, near one of Cleopatra's Needle's guardian sphinxes, I'll take a look at Masonic Egyptian history, through their obelisk dimly lit. Mohammed Ali awarded an obelisk to England in 1819 but it laid prostrate in Alexandria, where it had fallen centuries before. It was not until 1875 that an eminent Mason, General Sir James Alexander, resolved to ship 'Cleopatra's Needle' to London. This now occured, but only because another Mas...

Yes Man is out on DVD on April 7, 2009. Is the movie full of hidden messages? The Hanging Man? Bigfoot Lodge? The Hand Signal? The Red Bull and other scarlet jokes? The All-Seeing Eyes? The Twin Towers? The Hanging Chickens? The Zoey? The director Peyton Reed?

Doesn't it seem appropriate, for most of the day on the Drudge Report, that an image of a man with a death skull on his sweatshirt is what the world sees as it anticipates the Academy Awards? Whereas The Dark Knight was easily 2008's most successful and popular film, you will only see Heath Ledger surviving the late year surge of reflective critical praise for Slumdog Millionaire , in the wake of the Mumbai attacks. As the happy beat of Bollywood is celebrated during the Oscars, few in the television audience will ponder how blindness is delivered to one child in the movie or suicide is depicted there either. The man holding the card of a decapitated head wins. Ledger will be given the "Best Supporting Actor" award. Movies mask or mirror the madness of the realities of the world. And we live in a time in which the news swirling around us is full of death, needless to say. Have you noticed the script unfolding for future films? On February 10, 2009, a 5-year-old bo...

Stephen King has to deal with some scary things. Having a person media-stalk you and claim you killed John Lennon may be one of the more bizarre on-going events of his life. Adam Gorightly's Untamed Dimensions today points to a new incident involving Steve Lightfoot, the man who goes around stating that "the guy who shot Lennon was actually Stephen King and not Mark David Chapman." My sympathies to fellow Mainer Stephen King who must put up with such insanity in these crazy times. Some excitement [occurred] at the Sarasota City Commission meeting Tuesday [February 17, 2009], when a California man spoke out about who he thinks really killed John Lennon. During public comment, a man with signs who identified himself as Steve Lightfoot, took a seat in front of commissioners saying he wanted to expose the truth. He then went on to allege that part-time Casey Key resident and author Stephen King was the person that killed John Lennon. "I'm from California. I'm ...

I understand President Obama is going to Denver today to worship the Sun God Ra, to sign the stimulus package. Chris Knowles, at the Secret Sun, points out that it is "a very strange venue to do so." Hey, no conspiracy here, supposedly. The White House announced that the President is there because of the alternative green energy collector on the roof of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. The DMNS has a roof-mounted solar photovoltaic system, consisting of 465 solar panels split between roofs on the southeast and southwest wings of the Museum. That's the reason, overtly. But maybe there's a covert reason? While there, perhaps President Obama will address the need to fund conservation efforts on behalf of Sasquatch due to the declining pika populations? Let us not forget that the museum Zoology Department's Aaron Spriggs gave a full-scale cryptozoology presentation, entitled “ Birders, Bigfoot and Bond, James Bond ,” on April 1st, 2008 at the DMNS. C...

President's Day seems to be a good moment to talk about presidential dogs this year, as the topic is of some importance to the media mindset of late. President Obama's interest in obtaining a new White House dog for his children has created a widespread positive copycat effect, a meme of interest. Did you know Lafayette would turn up in this history too? The first dogs were a direct result of gifts from the individual who seems to be there in much of the "name game" found in lexilinking mentioned as recently as yesterday here, the Marquis de Lafayette. The Revolutionary War was fought from 1775 to 1783, and George Washington served as the first President of the United States of America, from 1789 to 1797. Washington got a shipment of foxhounds from England in 1770 and then in 1785, Washington received from Lafayette a shipment of French foxhounds. Washington had an intense interest in breeding a fierce breed of American dog, and thus, Marquis de Lafayette, Washingt...

The world commemorates this Saturday, February 14, 2009, as Saint Valentine’s Day. This date is celebrated worldwide to mark the deeds of bishop Valentine in Terni City in Italy during the second half of the third century, who officiated the marriage of young couples in secret to help them avoid joining the Roman legions. When the Roman Emperor Claudius II, known as Claudius Gothicus, was made aware of these hidden marriage celebrations, he commanded the decapitation of Bishop Valentine, allegedly, on 14 February 270 BC. Specifically, helping Christians at the time was considered a crime. Nevertheless, when first imprisoned, Claudius took a liking to his prisoner -- until Valentinus tried to convert the Emperor -- whereupon the priest was condemned to death. Valentinus was beaten with clubs and stoned; when that did not kill him, he was beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate. In 498 BC, Pope Gelasius canonized him due to his dedication to the faith and love. Many of the current legends...

Artist Lin Fengmian Oil Painting Appreciation --- Drama Character Painting Style: Person Oil Painting Art Theme: Drama Character Artist: Lin Fengmian Media: Oil on Linen Size: / * About Artist LinFengmian: Lin Fengmian (1900-1991), famous Chinese modern artist and art educator. Formerly known as Lin Fengmin, was born in Mei County, Guangdong Province, who became enjoyed with painting in his childhood. Had been to France for a work-study program in 19-year-old, and took a further education of Western painting in the Beattie School of Fine Arts, and later transferred to the National Higher School of Fine Arts in Paris to take up a advanced studies. After returnning homeland in 1925 he took up the post as the Chancellor and Peking Professor of the Yuanpei College of Arts in 1927. Invited by Cai Yuanpei Mr. Lin went to Hangzhou city and creat the National Art Academy(Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts later) in 1927 and acted as the president. After the liberation Mr Lin was acted as the offi...

At least five in two weeks. Media guidelines thrown in the trash. News broadcasts ditched to give more wall-to-wall coverage. Yes, I'm talking about copycat car chases. "At least five police pursuits of a fleeing suspect have taken place in the Los Angeles area over the past two weeks - and stations are once again finding the allure of speeding cars and flashing lights irresistible," notes Variety in their February 10th issue. Los Angeles, California has more than its fair share of car chases, which many stations have been attempting to show less of during 2008. But then few of the chases involve a Bentley, and more are being covered since the start of 2009, again. For three hours on Monday night, February 9th, the driver of the $100,000-plus Bentley with Illinois plates kept some viewers TiVo working overtime as the chase made its way through the valley. The Los Angeles Times reports, "Police suspected the man was armed and had been 'very, very careful' n...

Landscape Oil Painting from Chinese Contemporary Artist Pan Xiaodong --- North Painting Style: Landscape Art Theme: North Artist: Pan Xiaodong Media: Fabric Size: 61*41cm * About Artist Pan Xiaodong: Birth: January 1955 Comes from: Shaanxi Province. Educational Backgroud: - Graduated from Original Fine Arts Department of Shaanxi Province Art Academy (Oil Painting Department of Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts) in 1979; - Postgraduated from the Oil Painting Department of Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts with a master's degree. - Took a part in the study in the "oil painting workshops of Melnicov " in 1991. Career: Acted as a Fine Arts Teacher in Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts from his under-graduated year and so far. Honors: - Professor of Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts; - Head and graduate instructors of the oil painting department of Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts; - Member of the Chinese Artists Association; - Director of the Institute of Chinese Oil Painting; - Direct...

Animal Oil Painting from Chinese Contemporary Artist Du Hao Painting Style: Animal Art Theme: Tiger on Patrol Artist: Du Hao Media: Unknown Size: 145cm*97cm Year of Creation: 2000 Painting type: For sale Price: Negotiable Contact: cnduhao@yahoo.com.cn * About Artist Du Hao: Du Hao comes from Jinzhou City, Liaoning province, graduated from the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts in 1984. Now acted as National secondary artist, vice chairman of Jinzhou City Artists Association, full-time painter in Beijing Chinese Painting Research Association . Director of "Manchurian Tiger Oil Painting Art Studio," who has engaged in the creative research of Northeast Tiger Oil Painting for nearly two decades, has attained high-level attainments on tiger painting, and known as "The first tiger in Chinse oil painting" . Du Hao's works featured with unique ingenuities, sophisticated conceptions, skilled techniqued , the image he decribed out is so lively and vivid and could produce stron...

The burning shell of an unfinished, 44-story luxury hotel lit the night sky over downtown Beijing on Monday after being showered with sparks from fireworks set off during China's biggest holiday. The hotel and the television tower were designed by Netherlands architects Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren for the firm OMA. Both were nearing the end of construction. The north wing building of the new CCTV tower appeared to be on fire, in downtown Beijing, China, Monday, February 9, 2009. Police have conducted traffic control around the scene ( YouTube ). The Wicker Man Burns," I noted recently here. Now there are fires in Australia and this big one in China. Please note the locations in the news associated with these fires and from the Ring of Fire: Mt. Redoubt is set to erupt in Alaska, Mt. Disappointment is the focus of the fires in Australia, Mt. Asama and Mount Sakurajima in Japan (erupted on Feb. 2nd), Karymsky Volcano on the Russian peninsula of Kamchatka (also erupted on ...

Chinese Contemporary Oil Painting from Artist Mao Daizong Art Theme: Cold Fall in Nimeng Artist: Mao Daizong Media: Fabric, Wooden Frame Size: 80x100cm Year of Creation: 1993 Painting type: For sale Price: Negotiable Contact: 86-13176657777 Others: This painting had been reported specially on famous magazine Art Sky in China, and the highest price of the artist Mao Daizong is ￥290,640,000/s.inch * About the Artist: Name: Mao Daizong Birth: 1955 Career: Member of Chinese Artists Association; director of Shandong Artist Association; dean, professor and tutor of postgraduate candidates of Shandong Art Institute in College of Fine Arts... * The above Chinese Contemporary Oil Painting originated from China Contemporay Artist Mao Daizong and it is now for sale online and available from ChinaOilPainting.com , if you interested with Chinese original oil painting art and inclined to own this Artist Oil Painting , you may contact the special oil painting gallery freely. ** Original addres...