World's Longest Bridge Fountain

  Moonlight Rainbow Fountain in Seoul, South Korea

The Banpo Bridge and the Moonlight Rainbow Fountain, is recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s longest bridge fountain. Source of image:  Robert Koehler in Flickr.

The Moonlight Rainbow Fountain is the world’s longest bridge fountain with nearly 10,000 LED nozzles that run along both sides that is 1,140m long, shooting out 190 tons of water per minute. Installed in September 2009 on the Banpo Bridge, it showcases Seoul’s eco-friendliness, as the water is pumped directly from the river itself and continuously recycled. The bridge has 38 water pumps and 380 nozzles on either side, which draw 190 tons of water per minute from the river 20 meters below the deck, and shoot as far as 43 meters horizontally. Source: Facebook

Cute Kittens

Have a good weekend to all!

Vips' vs Mcdonald's Hamburger

 

We have two different burgers as shown above. The  one on the left  is from Vip's and it has pickles, fresh tomato slice, a big piece of burger with onion  fry and fried egg on a toasted soft bun.  The one on the right  is from McDonald's. It has cheese, burger, fresh tomato slice, red onion The marketing manager from McDonald's, Hope Bagozzi has informed consumer through a video as to why the ad in their menu does not seem the same as what is purchased. And the reason that was given is that the burger as it goes for its photo shoot, undergoes a change through photoshop and with the ingredients placed in such a way that all the ingredients are shown to make the burger look more appetizing (cheese unmelted). They also add tomato sauce by using a disposable needle.  Likewise, she added that when the hamburger is purchased, it is still warm and as the container's cover is closed, steam  causes the hamburger to contract thus appearing  smaller.  Bagozzi, however pointed out that for  the burgers in the advertisment, they use the same ingredients as those found in the store.

On the other hand, the burger from Vip's is not only provided with more ingredients, but also comes with a special sauce and a better quality meat.  Of course, it is about three times as much costly.  But the way it looks in their picture is almost the same as what  is served. And if you are lucky, you can get a free Vip's burger in one of their invitations to attract client's loyalty as I did today.  It was really delicious and as huge as it looks.

"Reclining Woman in White Chemise"

Source of Image:  Artblart Ernst Ludwig Kirchner German 1880–1938

‘Reclining woman in a white chemise’

1909

oil on canvas

95.0 x 121.0 cm

Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main

Acquired in 1950

“The Reclining Woman in a White Chemise” is a voluptuous picture redolent with sensuality, the well- proportioned lady showing off her ample curves; the huge flowers contrast brilliantly with the furniture, and the echoing curves of the sofa and wall behind give off an air of luxuriance that suggest that the subject was intimately known and loved by the artist. 

The German artist, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was considered one of the most important figures of European art in the XXth century,  a founding member of a group called “Die Brucke (The Bridge) which aimed to draw a link between the art of the past and that of the brutal new era that was dawning. Born in Dresden in 1880, he too volunteered for military service during World War I in 1914 but suffered a nervous breakdown in 1915 and was discharged, recovering for the next two years in sanatoriums in Switzerland.

 In 1918, he settled in Davos, living in a farm house in the Alps; from this time onwards his main subject matter was mountain scenes. In 1933, Kirchner was labelled a "degenerate artist” by the Nazis and asked for his resignation from the Berlin Academy of Arts. In 1937, over 600 of his works were confiscated from public museums in Germany and were sold or destroyed. In 1938, the psychological trauma of these events, along with the Nazi occupation of Austria, close to his home, led to his suicide.   Bettinka - arts theatre commentary Daily Nation Nairobi Star, Guardian Weekly stories reviews opinion.

I have  seen some of  Kirchner's original paintings in Fundación Mafre today, and I loved the exquisite display of bright colors and yet with the sense of serenity in many of his paintings, among which is the "Reclining Woman in a White Chemise".

The Sweetest Love Letter Ever

I think this is such a beautiful way of expressing one's feelings and all in one tiny book. This is so cute and full of creative art!

Rare Bird, Hoatzin

The Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin), also known as the Hoactzin, Stinkbird, or Canje Pheasant, is a species of tropical bird found in swamps, riverine forest and mangrove of the Amazon and the Orinoco delta in South America. It is notable for having chicks that possess claws on two of their wing digits. Source of photos and text:  Wikipedia

The Hoatzin is strictly vegetarian, eating the leaves, flowers and fruits of more than 50 species of marshland plants. Hoatzins are very strange among birds, though, because they ferment this vegetable matter in their foregut like cows, sheep, deer and kangaroos, and thus have a specialized digestive system. Nestlings are fed this regurgitated matter. Hoatzins forage in the early morning and early evening, and spend much of the time roosting quietly and digesting their meal.

Hoatzins are poor fliers, and they put a lot of noisy effort into using their broad rusty wings to cross channels or move away from perceived danger. Source: Web Page by Don Roberson

Five Year Old Aelita Earning Thousands

World's Youngest Artist Earning Thousands
09 May 2012

Aelita Andre is said to be the 'world's youngest artist' SKY NEWS
A five-year-old Australian girl who has already earned well over £100,000 from her paintings has been described as the "world's youngest professional artist".

Aelita Andre has been painting since she was just two and her work has been exhibited in Australia and America, reports Sky News.
Her cheapest paintings are now selling for more than £3,000 each, the money from which is being put in a trust fund.
Her mother, Russian-born Nikka Kalashnikova, says she quickly realised her daughter's technique set her apart from other playschool painters.

"Her composition, her use of colour, her concentration span," she told Sky News.
"Sometimes even as a little kid she was painting for about one hour, one-and-a-half hours, she would walk off, then come back again, it is just her concentration.
"Usually kids paint for two or three minutes and they have had enough, they run off, but not Aelita."

Walking into Aelita's home the chaos and colour of her work hits you straight away.
Almost the whole of the downstairs of the suburban Melbourne house is taken up with the little girl's studio. Paint pots, brushes, spray cans, glitter and craft materials are everywhere.

Aelita's huge canvases are covered in bright swirls and splashes of paint and often have items stuck on them - twigs, children's toys and feathers.
What little space is left is taken up with completed works, stacked along the walls by her parents, ready to be shipped to New York for her next major exhibition in June.

The website of the gallery in New York states: "These paintings are both contemplative and powerful, providing a window into the emancipated creative subconscious mind of a child."

Critics say her parents must be influencing her art but Nikka Kalashnikova strongly denies that.

"She is her own person, and if she's was not enjoying it... have a look how much she produces. She absolutely loves it. Talk to any parents - if you are able to push your child into doing anything, well good luck."

Aelita's father recently filmed his daughter painting a canvas from beginning to end in a bid to prove she is not influenced by any adult.

Melbourne art critic Robert Nelson says the paintings have some merit and the people buying them could be collectors speculating on her future potential.

Source: This Day Live.

Don't you wish, you had a child like Aelita? I guess some professional artists could be lamenting and asking how come a child like Aelita can be earning what they could not even think of earning in a lifetime! Well, that is just the way things are. Some people are just gifted from childhood with talents that can earn money. But life goes on...

A Different Way of Protesting

This is how some people in Seville showed their protest against Bankia, our major group of banks in Spain. They showed discontent due to people losing their jobs and their homes not being able to pay their mortgages because of the economic crisis. They blamed the poor management of the previous president of Bankia, and are convinced that it is not the banks that need assistance but the people themselves to meet with their financial obligations.