Athens, Greece!

A few more from the road…

DONT TREAD ON ME

“I recollected that her eye excelled in brightness, that of any other animal, and that she has no eye-lids—She may therefore be esteemed an emblem of vigilance.—She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage.—As if anxious to prevent all pretensions of quarreling with her, the weapons with which nature has furnished her, she conceals in the roof of her mouth, so that, to those who are unacquainted with her, she appears to be a most defenseless animal; and even when those weapons are shewn and extended for her defense, they appear weak and contemptible; but their wounds however small, are decisive and fatal:—Conscious of this, she never wounds till she has generously given notice, even to her enemy, and cautioned him against the danger of treading on her.—Was I wrong, Sir, in thinking this a strong picture of the temper and conduct of America?”

Franklin, Benjamin. Pennsylvania Journal. December 27, 1775.

One of the first known flags used to represent the thirteen colonies (the future United States), the Gadsden flag has enjoyed a long history of social and political significance.  Although the flag was eventually replaced by “Old Glory” – the current flag of the United States – the Gadsden flag regained popularity after the tragic events of September 11, 2001.  Today, a variation of the flag is flown on all U.S. Navy ships and this is to pay homage to its roots: the first known use of the Gadsden flag was by a group of Marines who joined forces with the U.S. Navy in order to prevent British supply ships from reaching land and resupplying British troops.  Although the times have changed and our country is much different than it was some two hundred years ago, the spirit of the Gadsden flag lives on… so DONT TREAD ON ME

Looking Into The Great Beyond

In 1995, Jeff Hester and Paul Scowen captured some amazing images of the Eagle Nebula using the Hubble Space Telescope.  Not only were the photos visually stunning (“Pillars of Creation” is one of the most recognizable and famous space-related photographs of all time) but they provided scientists and academics with a better understanding of what exactly happens inside of a nebula, specifically in regards to the creation of new stars.  In fact, the small nodes or “fingers” that can be seen on the surface of the towers are the primary areas where new celestial bodies form.  The colors in the photograph are actually gasses that have been excited by the new stars’ high intensity ultraviolet light.  In the case of the Eagle Nebula, the blue coloration is released by excited oxygen molecules and the red coloration is from glowing hydrogen gas.

Although this post is thematically different then my other posts to date, I have always enjoyed looking at photographs from the Hubble Space Telescope.  They are so ethereal and yet somehow manage to capture the serenity and silent tranquility of space.  What I find most impressive, however, is that somewhere out there, somewhere well beyond where my eyes can see, these awe inspiring celestial bodies are silently at work.  And though I have a hard time getting my head around these phenomena, there is something so captivating about looking up at the stars on a cold winter night.  Maybe it is the feeling that all of our worries and all of our problems seem so small in comparison to the great, vast emptiness of space.  Photos courtesy of NASA.  

“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

I remember watching the Berlin Wall fall with Peter Jennings and World News Tonight some twenty years ago.  I was only seven years old, but I remember feeling a sense of happiness that the people of East Berlin were coming together with those of West Berlin.  I guess it is one of the news broadcasts from my childhood that actually stuck out in my memory because it was actually positive and full of optimism.  The Iron Curtain was falling…

Some twenty years later, I visited Prague and many remnants of the Soviet era remain.  The architecture, the public transportation system, and even the occasional hammer and sickle.  In some ways, humanity has changed so much over the last twenty years: there have been impressive advancements in communication, vast amounts of knowledge and information have been shared, and borders have been blurred as the Internet has connected even the most remote corners of the world.  However, even with such technological advancements that have empowered all people and given a new found voice to all, and even though we have lived through history and have seen the suffering that can happen at the hands of men, we still live in a world of great conflict and pain.

I wonder when, if ever, mankind will possess the vision to see the errors of our ways.

Tool, an American alternative metal/progressive metal band, explores this theme in their song “Right In Two”  I have included the lyrics below the youtube video.

“Right In Two” – Tool

Angels on the sideline,
Puzzled and amused.
Why did Father give these humans free will?
Now they’re all confused.

Don’t these talking monkeys know that Eden has enough to go around?
Plenty in this holy garden, silly monkeys
Where there’s one you’re bound to divide it right in two.

Angels on the sideline,
Baffled and confused.
Father blessed them all with reason,
And this is what they choose?

Monkey killing monkey killing monkey over pieces of the ground.
Silly monkeys.
Give them thumbs, they forge a blade,
And where there’s one they’re bound to divide it right in two.

Monkey killing monkey killing monkey over pieces of the ground.
Silly monkeys.
Give them thumbs, they make a club to beat their brother down.
How they’ve survived so misguided is a mystery.
Repugnant is a creature who would squander the ability
To lift an eye to heaven, conscious of his fleeting time here.

Gotta divide it all right in two.

Fight till they die over sun, over sky,
They fight till they die over sea, over air,
They fight till they die over blood, over love,
They fight till they die over words, polarizing.

Angels on the sideline again,
Benched along with patience and reason.
Angels on the sideline again,
Wondering where this tug of war will end.

Gotta divide it all right in two.

Black Gives Way To Blue

Black Gives Way To Blue – Alice In Chains

I don’t wanna feel no more
It’s easier to keep falling
Imitations are pale
Emptiness all tomorrows
Haunted by your ghost

Lay down, black gives way to blue
Lay down, I’ll remember you

Fading out by design
Consciously avoiding changes
Curtains drawn now it’s done
Silencing all tomorrows
Forcing a goodbye

Lay down, black gives way to blue
Lay down, I’ll remember you…

Copenhagen, Denmark

Arc de Triomphe

Chateau de Versailles

Eiffel Tower