"Look at that, you son of a bitch."

This Is Not A Painting

Some more amazing photos here.

A Picture Worth A Thousand Words

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, along with with members of the national security team, receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House, May 1, 2011. Please note: a classified document seen in this photograph has been obscured. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.

"The sky is very dark; the Earth is bluish. Everything is seen very clearly"

Explanation: On April 12th, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Alexseyevich Gagarin became the first human in space. His remotely controlled Vostok 1 spacecraft lofted him to an altitude of 200 miles and carried him once around planet Earth. Commenting on the first view from space he reported, "The sky is very dark; the Earth is bluish. Everything is seen very clearly".

Click on photo for linkage.

Amazing Picture From Japan

Click to get larger image

via NP

Song Of The Day: Sugar Magnolia

That's my little sugar magnolia tree in my little backyard as it blooms (note the dates--5 days).

Sugar Magnolia, Grateful Dead, Dick's Picks, Vol. 14

Holiday Preview Appliance Post

I have mentioned appliances in the past. They like to break. There is a story behind this recent breakage, as you may have guessed from the looks of the dishwasher (which is in perfect working order!)

I'll deal with the explanation later.

The View From His Window

I was working with a student today at his house. He is starting a new school soon, but due to family travels has missed some critical instruction in English conventions and mechanics. He also learned Spanish as a little dude, and now his 4th grade phonemic awareness is a little Latin. He is a bright kid, and he'll get it all figured out in no time.

He is easily distracted, partly because we work in his house, which is very nice and full of light and windows. Today, as we were working on common ways to spell the sound of various long vowels, he stopped. He looked out the window and mentioned that the tree across the street has many different color leaves. All on the same tree! He was mildly amused--as if this sort of thing is what nerf-wielding 4th graders comment on normally. I have a new phone with a camera and let him take the picture you see up there. He was right! Cool picture!

This post has nothing to do with Andrew Sullivan.

Pictures Of The Sun

Do You Know This Kid XXII? Updated

This kid was born in 1946. He is, and apparently was, a sports nut. Some think he is a genius, others think he is a moron. He is famous to some, infamous to others. He is related to famous and powerful people.

He is a douchebag.

Update: Dave Mandell got it, and got it fast.  This is George W. Bush.  He ruined America.

Do You Know This Kid XX? Updated Again

This adorable feller was born in 1972, when I was 9. His kid went to the same preschool as my kid! He is a musician. He is in a band. He rocks.

Update:  Well, it looks as if folks have given up on this one.  Althea emailed me an answer, and as usual, she is correct.  I will post the correct answer later today, unless someone else chimes in...

And the answer is, Billy Joe Armstrong of Greenday.

Do You Know This Kid XVI? (No Cheating!!) Updated Again

Antonio Banderas

Let's try this again.  If you use TinEye or look at the file name, you are a cheater.

This kid was born in 1960.  He is an actor, director, producer, and singer.  He is not American, but he is famous here.  Hollywood famous.

Update: It's not Hugh Grant or Kenneth Branagh.  Maybe you need some more hints?  Or maybe you just don't care?

He is married to another Hollywood star.  She used to be married to a different Hollywood/tv star.  Look at those sultry eyes...

Update II:  Yes, Althea.  Here we have Antonio Banderas.

Do You Know This Kid XV? Updated

John Travolta

He was born in 1954 and was a tv star, then a movie star.  He certainly has stars in his eyes!  Who is he?

Update:  To all you cheaters out there: Cheaters never prosper!!

Althea, who likes to cheat, looked at the file name and deduced that it is indeed, John Travolta.  He is a Scientologist (Scientology twitter fun here).

Rare Photo Of Slave Children

From Salon:

A haunting 150-year-old photo found in a North Carolina attic shows a young black child named John, barefoot and wearing ragged clothes, perched on a barrel next to another unidentified young boy.

Art historians believe it’s an extremely rare Civil War-era photograph of children who were either slaves at the time or recently emancipated.

h/t Alternet

Real Men Read

Bruce Lee

Face Of The Day

A U.N. police officer unties the hands of a boy who took part in looting in downtown Port-au-Prince January 29, 2010. (REUTERS/St Felix Evens) #

Do You Know This Kid II? Updated And Answered

Since the last ones were easy, here is a really easy one.

Do you know this kid?

Tiny Tim

He is dead. He was famous. He was deeper than he let on or most knew.

Update: I guess this one is harder than I thought. He was born in 1932 and died in 1996. He used an alias. He appeared on television frequently. You know who it is!

Update II: Finally we get the correct answer. Tiny Tim!

Do You Know This Kid IV? Updated

Jimmy Page

Do you know this kid? He is famous. To some, infamous. He is alive. He was born in 1944.  Good luck.

Update: A reader emailed me with the correct response.  Jimmy Page!

Do You Know This Kid III? Updated And Answered

This one might be harder.

Mel Torme

He's dead. He was famous. He was multi-talented.

Update:  This is not Bing Crosby, Dean Martin or George Gershwin.

Update II: Sweet_Jane got it: Mel Torme

Do You Know This Kid? Updated Again And Again, Finally, Really, I Swear

Since I got such a huge response from my last Do You Know? post I thought I would give you another.

So, do you know this kid? She was born in 1925.

Margaret Thatcher

Update:  It is not Angela Landsbury or Sandra Day O'Connor.  An email response already got it right, but I'll wait a bit more for some others to chime in.  And don't forget the other Do You Know with Yoko Ono (anonymous friend got her) and a yet to be identified dead guy.

Update II:  She is not my mother (mom is 8 years her junior), nor is she Flannery O'Connor.  And she's still alive and kicking.  And she is famous or infamous, depending on your view of, um, things.

Update III:  We have a winner winners!  Minnesotastan of TYWKIWDBI and another anonymous friend who likes to comment using Grateful Dead Song girl names pegged this young lady as the former Prime Minister of Great Britain, Margaret Thatcher.  Good job.