On September 13, 2023 the world lost a well known and well loved artist from Columbia named Fernando Botero.
Fernando Botero in Tuscany Photo Credit Gabriel Bouys AFP
Botero depicted politicians, animals, saints, and scenes from his childhood in an inflated and colorful way that was instantly recognizable. His paintings were exhibited in leading museums, while his bronze sculptures can be found in European and Latin American capitals.
With a pinch of irony and ingenuity, in each of his paintings, Botero explodes shapes, thighs, arms, and cheeks.
Characters swell, dresses swell, instruments lose their sense of proportion. Botero seduces with the shimmering colors and the playful, oversized shapes of his works. He insisted that he never painted fat people, saying he wished simply to glorify the sensuality of life.
The Street by Fernando Botero
Fernando Botero “La Ballerina” (Dancers at the Bar 2001)
Picnic, 2001 by Fernando Bolero
His painting “The Musicians” (1979) was sold for a record USD $2.03 million at an auction in New York in 2006, confirming him as Latin Americas most sought after artist.
Botero’s sculpture of a cat shown in BarcelonaReclining Woman in Cartagena by Fernando Botero
There are two variations of harlequin shrimp. Hymenocera picta, which is naturally found in the Pacific ocean, has a white body with purplish spots (shown above). And its cousin Hymenocera elegans from the Indian ocean features more reddish body spots. Both harlequin shrimp varieties feature an unusual body shape that’s almost reminiscent of a praying mantis. Scientists once thought they were two independent species, but now know they are the same with the only their color differing.
Hawaiian harlequin shrimp
Harlequin shrimp can be identified by some distinctive features. Their claws are large and flat, different from all other types of shrimp. Their tails are trapezoidal and they use two fancy flat antennae on their heads with sophisticated scent receptors tuned to detect prey. Harlequin shrimp grow to a maximum size of around 2”. As tropical reef dwellers, they prefer to live in waters ranging from 71 to 77 F.
Like many shrimp, their eyes are fixed on stalks. They use two enormous, flat claws a bit like scissors while hunting for and harvesting their prey. The most notable feature of harlequin shrimp, though, is obviously their magnificent coloring. They range from white to light pink with touches of red, orange, blue, or purple.
The body pattern does more for the shrimp than simple vanity, however — it’s an evolutionary adaptation that helps protect them from predators. Traditionally in the world of marine creatures, a bright color means ‘danger,’ and the harlequin shrimp is no exception. Their vibrant patches help warn predators to stay away and the shrimp can also camouflage very quickly to appear as corals or sea plants.
Harlequin shrimp are notoriously picky eaters as they prefer starfish alone.
Harlequin shrimp in Indonesia feeding on starfish. Credit: diveivanov/Adobe Stock
Pair of harlequin shrimp feeding on a starfish. Photo by Franck Fogarolo
They pick up the scent of a starfish using their antennae. Once it has detected a delicious morsel, a mated pair proceeds to catch up with their prey. Using their pincers, one shrimp will snip off the soft, tube-like foot attachment of the starfish, and the other will pull the starfish until it’s turned on its back. Fortunately the starfish has the ability to grow new arms.
If a pair of harlequin shrimp mates find a comfortable place to live, they will stay for months or even their entire lives. As mentioned, a mating pair will stay together for life and share tasks equally to fiercely protect their family. The female is the larger of the two.
Pair of harlequin shrimp Photo by Jenna Szerlag
Mating occurs after the female molts. In one breeding season, a female can produce between 100 to 5,000 eggs. And although this number seems high, harlequin shrimp are still endangered as their tiny babies are very vulnerable and human interference further aggravates their reproductive success.
Adwa, the very first decisive victory of a black African power, is an important event in the shared memory of the entire African population. It demonstrated the spirit of unity, love and friendship among Ethiopians; but foremost, it showed the genuine role of women.
Women marched alongside men to the battle at Adwa 127 years ago not as “comfort women”, but to fight against the Italian army. Just like their men-folk, Ethiopian women were ready to sacrifice themselves to prevent colonialists from sneaking into their country, thus forcing their children to live in servitude.
Women were preparing food and water, providing medical care for the wounded and they were following the solders with a slogan of ‘ freedom or death’.
Detail of the Battle of Adwa
Empress Taytu Bitul was clearly symbolic of the best patriotic qualities of women. Taytu was not only a diplomat and stateswoman with resolve, but also an ingenious commandant versed in the art of war, a tactician par excellence.
Taytu was a strong-willed woman who forged a powerful alliance with her husband, promoting his career and then replacing him when he was incapacitated. Taytu was a remarkable power in her own right: she had a private army and large land holding, she also held a dominant position in determining Ethiopian Orthodox Church policy.
She opposed Menelik’s conciliatory attitude toward the Italians who had imperial designs on Ethiopia. She scored a significant victory at an Italian-built fort in Mekelle, where she defeated the Italians by cutting off their water supply. She then took part in their decisive defeat at Adwa in 1895.
Emperor and Empress of Ethiopia shown during the Battle of Atwa
Portrait of Empress Taytu Bitul
Awa Victory Day is a national holiday in Ethiopia, which is observed on March 2nd every year. This day celebrates Ethiopia’s victory over Italy in the year 1896. People pay tribute to their ancestors who helped present-day Ethiopians secure their independence from European rule. This day is an important milestone as it stands for the celebration of Ethiopian sovereignty. People dwa Victory Day is a national holiday in Ethiopia, which is observed on March 2 every year. This day celebrates Ethiopia’s victory over Italy in the year 1896. People pay tribute to their ancestors who helped present-day Ethiopians secure their independence from European rule. This day is an important milestone as it stands for the celebration of Ethiopian sovereignty. People come out into the streets, hold parades, and retell old tales.
A tiny male Japanese puffer fish creates a grand sand sculpture on the featureless seabeds to attract the attention of passing females. The nest size measures about seven feet in diameter and may take about seven to nine days to construct.
Puffer fish couple courtship
The nest is created for courtship and rearing young. Attracted by the grooves and ridges, a female puffer fish would find their way along the dark seabed to the male puffer fish where they would mate and lay eggs in the center of the circle. In fact, the scientists observed that the more ridges the circle contained, the more likely it was that the female would mate with the male.
Once the female splits, though, it’s the male who does the parental chores: He fertilizes the eggs and remains in the nest until the eggs hatch six days later. It turns out the tiny seashells he has added to the nest help nourish the next generation.
Strangely enough, the males never reuse the nest, always constructing a new circular structure at the huge cost of construction. This is because the valleys may not contain sufficient fine sand particles for multiple reproductive cycles.
Here’s a link to a BBC video showing the tiny male puffer fish in action:
Blown Glass by Lino Tagliapietra Courtesy of Heller Gallery
Mandara, 2005 by Lino Tagliapietra
Born in 1934 on the island of Murano, neighboring Venice in the Venetian Lagoon, Lino Tagliapietra started working as an apprentice at the island’s glass furnaces and factories at age 11.
He was soon regarded as a Maestro – master glass blower in his early twenties. During the 1960’s Lino started expressing his own forms of creativity through the design and execution of models with high technical and aesthetic quality, which earned him commercial success.
Angel Tear, Blown Glass by Lino Tagliapietra, 2011
Since 1990 Lino has become a free practicing artist of glass without any contractual binds or obligations, and he is now fully dedicated to creating his unique pieces that are present in some of the most prestigious museums throughout the world, including the De Young Museum of San Franscisco, the Victoria and Albert Museum of London, the Metropolitan Museum of New York, as well as numerous galleries and private collections.
In 1979, Lino visited Seattle for the first time and introduced students at the Pilchuck School to the traditions of Venetian glassblowing. This cross-cultural collaboration helped shape the identity of American glassblowing and offered Lino an opportunity to expand his horizons internationally.
Described as having impeccable craftsmanship, a strong work ethic, and a talent for ingenuity, Tagliapietra’s pieces are beautiful, very creative and very inventive.
Now in his 80s, with over 70 years of experience, the Maestro splits his time between Murano and Seattle. He continues to exercise his prodigious technical skill and creative experimentation, producing works that both inspire and amaze.
Borboleta, 2011 by Lino Tagiapietra Photo by Francesco Allegretto
A new exhibit at The Morgan Library & Museum highlights the women of Mesopotamia and their roles in religion as goddesses, priestesses, and worshippers as well as in social, economic and political spheres as mothers, workers, and rulers.
One remarkable woman of the period was the priestess and poet Enheduanna (ca. 2300 B.C.)
Disc of Enheduanna White calcite Calcite disk, Ur, circa 2300 BCE, found in a 1927 archaeological excavation that uncovered a temple complex dedicated to the moon god, Nanna. The inscription on the back of the disk identifies the central figure as Enheduanna, daughter of King Sargon.
Not much is known about the early life of Enheduanna. As the daughter of Sargon the Great she was given the best education available. She could read and write in both Sumerian and Akkadian. She was also trained to do mathematical calculations.
Enheduanna’s father, perhaps because of her brilliant and creative genius, appointed her the high priestess at the temple of the moon god, Inanna, in the city of Ur.
Cylinder seal (modern impression) with goddesses Ninishkun and Ishtar, Mesopotamia, Akkadian period (ca. 2334–2154 BC) Limestone. The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, acquired 1947; A27903. This ancient Akkadian cylinder seal shows goddess Inanna crushing a lion.
As the high priestess in the city of Ur, Enheduanna not only presided over religious festivals and interpreted sacred dreams, but she also supervised construction projects. In this position, she would also have traveled to other cities in the empire.
Enheduanna was also charged with the task of reconciling the gods of the Akkadians with the gods of the Sumerians so that the important city of Ur would acquiesce to Sargon’s rule. Not only did she succeed in that difficult task, but she also established standards of poetry and prayer that would profoundly influence the Hebrew Bible.
In her writing Enheduanna identifies herself and speaks in the first person. She produced a number of timeless epic poems and three famous religious hymns which translate as The Great-Hearted Mistress, The Exaltation of Inanna, and Goddess of the Fearsome Powers, all three powerful hymns to the Mesopotamian goddess Inanna.
While there were previous instances of poems and stories written down, Enheduanna was the first to sign a name to her work. She certainly deserves the honor as the world’s first known poet and first known author.
Figs are one of the most prominent fruits in the Bible, popping up repeatedly and inviting us to consider what they represent.
Farming figs requires care, patience and maintenance, fertilizing and pruning. The shoots that pop up like periscopes must be trimmed, and many varieties won’t bear fruit until the fourth year. New shoots can be propagated to grow a new fig tree.
New fig tree growing from a shoot
Fig trees can live for centuries and grow to enormous heights.
Cathedral Pine in Danbulla National Park Credit: Mike Prociv @ Queensland Government
With a crown as big as 2 Olympic swimming pools towering nearly 50m over you, this mighty 500-year-old fig tree will take your breath away.
As you stroll along the boardwalk, gaze into the roots and canopy of this rainforest giant. See if you can spot some of the plentiful wildlife.
Fig trees are often regarded as keystone resources in tropical landscapes. For they bear fruit year-round and are one of the few reliable sources available for resident as well as migrant birds and other animals.
Ripe figs smell lovely and attract a host of animals to feed on them.
The common fig contains only female flowers and propagates without pollination, but within the family, there are hundreds of varieties. The fruit may be oval or pear-shaped and may be white, green, red or purplish-black.
Parrots eating figs in a fig treeSquirrel eating figs Credit: Dreamtime
Fig trees may be even more essential in urban landscapes with rapidly diminishing green cover and related reduction of fruiting trees.
Fig tree in Nairobi Credit: Thomas Mukoya/Reuters
Four stores-high fig tree centuries old was saved by environmental activists after being threatened by Kenya’s roads agency to make way for an expressway. The environmentalists explained that this tree was a beacon of Kenya’s cultural and ecological heritage.
Scientists at Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science have developed the smallest human made flying structure. It’s about the size of a grain of sand.
Microflier next to a lady bug Credit: Northwestern Universiy
The microflier consists of two components. At the center is a miniaturized electronic system with a coil antenna and UV sensors. The exterior wings mimic seeds from nature so they fly and rotate in the wind.
Simulated 3D model of microflier Credit: Northwestern University
The research team at Northwestern University envisions dropped these microfliers by plane or drone by the tens of thousands. The hope is that they will be used to monitor air pollution or airborne diseases. Dropping them in water, for example, could test for heavy metal contamination.
Group of microfliers on a maple tree seed Credit: Northwestern University
The best part is the microfliers are bioresorbable – they dissolve in water and are expected to cost about a penny a piece.
I just finished reading The Personnel Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. This book is about the little known personal librarian for J.P. Morgan. In the early 1900’s Belle worked in JP Morgan’s library acquiring rare books and manuscripts that were priceless works of art. A job almost completely unheard of in a time when women didn’t even have the right to vote! She was also a “colored ” woman masquerading as white. She kept her African-American heritage secret to protect her family from racial persecution.
1921 article in the Omaha Bee newspaper about Belle da Costa Greet Credit: Library of CongressPortrait of Bella da Costa Greene by Paul Helleu
The story includes details about Bella’s rise through New York’s high society including her affair with Bernard Berenson, a married man. If you enjoy historical fiction I recommend this book.
Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt Credit: US Navy Photo200120-N-HD110-0245
SAN DIEGO (Jan. 20, 2020) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) transits San Diego Bay. Lincoln arrives at Naval Air Station North Island after a 10-month deployment in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 6th, 5th, and 7th Fleet areas of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Danielle A. Baker/Released)
Bauernschmidt is a Milwaukee native. She graduated from the United States Naval Academy in May 1994, which was the first graduating class in which women were allowed to serve aboard combatant ships and aircraft. “That law absolutely changed my life,” Bauernschmidt told CBS News. “We were the first class that graduated knowing and feeling honored with the privilege to be able to go serve along the rest of our comrades in combat.”
Officials say Bauernschmidt was designated as a Naval Aviator in 1996 and served with several helicopter squadrons. The Navy says she also previously commanded the “Spartans” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 70 as well as amphibious transport dock USS San Diego (LPD-22).
Bauernschmidt has accumulated more than 3,000 flight hours in naval helicopters aboard various aircraft carriers throughout her career. Her missions have taken her from Alaska for Exercise Northern Edge to Southwest Asia for Operation Enduring Freedom.
PhotoEditor61 