Ethereal Macro Photos of Snowflakes in the Moments Before They Disappear.. Macro fotografii diafane ale fulgilor de zapada realizate exact in momentul dinainte ca acestia sa se topeasca

EN: Ethereal Macro Photos of Snowflakes in the Moments Before They Disappear

Russian photographer Andrew Osokin is a master of winter macro photography. His photo collection is chock full of gorgeous super-close-up photographs of insects, flowers, snow, and frost. 

Among his most impressive shots are photographs of individual snowflakes that have fallen upon the ground and are in the process of melting away. The shots are so detailed and so perfectly framed that you might suspect them of being computer-generated fabrications.

They’re not though. The images were all captured using a Nikon D80 or Nikon D90 DSLR and a 60mm or 90mm macro lens.

You can enjoy many more of Osokin’s impressive photographs (16 pages worth, at the moment) over on his LensArt.ru website.

RO: Macro fotografii diafane ale fulgilor de zapada realizate exact in momentul dinainte ca acestia sa se topeasca

Fotograful rus Andrew Osokin este maestru in macro fotografia invernala. Colectia sa fotografica este plina ochi cu fotografii superbe, realizate in detaliu, care infatiseaza insecte, flori, zapada si gheata. 

Printre acestea, unele din cele mai impresionante sunt fotografiile realizate fulgilor de nea individuali care deja au cazut pe pamant si sunt in proces de topire. Imaginile sunt atat de detaliate si de perfecte incadrate incat le-ai putea suspecta ca sunt creatii generate pe calculator.

Insa nu sunt falsuri. Toate fotografiile au fost capturate cu un aparat Nikon D80 sau Nikon D90 DSLR si cu macro lentile de 60mm sau 90mm.

Puteti sa va bucurati de mai multe imagini impresionante capturate de Osokin pe cele 16 pagini cu fotografii (pana in prezent) de pe profilul sau de pe site-ul LensArt.ru.

Thriving since 1960, my garden in a bottle: Seedling sealed in its own ecosystem and watered just once in 53 years.. Infloritoare din 1960, gradina mea intr-o damigeana: Rasadul sigilat si udat doar o singura data in 53 de ani, si-a creat propriul sau ecosistem

EN: Thriving since 1960, my garden in a bottle: Seedling sealed in its own ecosystem and watered just once in 53 years

For the last 40 years it has been completely sealed from the outside world. But the indoor variety of spiderworts (or Tradescantia, to give the plant species its scientific Latin name) within has thrived, filling its globular bottle home with healthy foliage.

Yesterday Mr Latimer, 80, said: ‘It’s 6ft from a window so gets a bit of sunlight. It grows towards the light so it gets turned round every so often so it grows evenly.

‘Otherwise, it’s the definition of low-maintenance. I’ve never pruned it, it just seems to have grown to the limits of the bottle.’ 

The bottle garden has created its own miniature ecosystem. Despite being cut off from the outside world, because it is still absorbing light it can photosynthesise, the process by which plants convert sunlight into the energy they need to grow.

Photosynthesis creates oxygen and also puts more moisture in the air. The moisture builds up inside the bottle and ‘rains’ back down on the plant. 

The leaves it drops rot at the bottom of the bottle, creating the carbon dioxide also needed for photosynthesis and nutrients which it absorbs through its roots.

It was Easter Sunday 1960 when Mr Latimer thought it would be fun to start a bottle garden ‘out of idle curiosity’.

Into a cleaned out ten gallon carboy, or globular bottle, which once contained sulphuric acid, he poured some compost then carefully lowered in a seedling using a piece of wire.

He put in about a quarter of a pint of water. It was not until 1972 that he gave it another ‘drink’.

After that, he greased the bung so it wedged in tightly... and has not watered it since.

The bottle stands on display under the stairs in the hallway of his home in Cranleigh, Surrey, the same spot it has occupied for 27 years after he and his wife Gretchen moved from Lancashire when he retired as an electrical engineer.

RO: Infloritoare din 1960, gradina mea intr-o damigeana: Rasadul sigilat si udat doar o singura data in 53 de ani, si-a creat propriul sau ecosistem 

Rasadul a fost complet inchis fata de lumea exterioara in ultimii 40 de ani. Insa planta telegraf din interior (in latina Tradescantia, asa cum este cunoscuta dupa numele stiintific) a continua sa prospere, umpland casa ei din damigeana rotunda cu frunze sanatoase.

Domnul Latimer de 80 de ani, spunea: "Sunt 6 picioare(aproximativ 1.83 metri) de la fereastra prin care planta poate sa isi procure putin soare. Creste inspre lumina asa ca este intoarsa din cand in cand astfel incat sa creasca in mod egal.

In afara de asta, este definitia efortului minim cu intretinerea. N-am mai tuns planta, se pare ca a crescut doar in limitele sticlei."

40 Tips for a happy healthy Life stile.. 40 de sfaturi pentru un stil de viata sanatos

EN: 40 Tips for a happy healthy Life stile

Health:

1. Drink plenty of water.

2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.

3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants, and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

4. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.

5. Make time for prayer and reflection

6. Play more games.

7. Read more books than you did in 2012.

8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.

9. Sleep for 7 hours.

Personality:

10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day —- and while you walk, smile.

11. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

12. Don’t have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

13. Don’t over do; keep your limits.

14. Don’t take yourself so seriously; no one else does.

15. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip.

16. Dream more while you are awake.

17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

18. Forget issues of the past. Don’t remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don’t hate others.

20. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.

21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

23. Smile and laugh more.

24. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

The 5,000 ducks quack march.. Marsul mac-mac a celor 5.000 de rate

EN: The 5,000 ducks quack march

By the left, quack march! Farmer stops traffic taking his 5,000 ducks for a walk to the local pond

  

A Chinese farmer caused chaos on the roads when he ducked out to feed his flock of 5,000. Hong brought streets in the eastern city of Taizhou to a standstill when, accompanied by a colleague, he took his animals to a pond. 

Armed with nothing but a cane, he guided his feathered friends three quarters of a mile (aprox 1.21 km) as part of an annual tradition in Zhejiang province. And he claims that not one of the ducks was lost in transition during the tricky duck migration manoeuvre.

But motorists didn't seem too bothered by the disruption, and stopped to stare at the incredible sight. 

Taizhou lies 190 miles (aprox 305.78 km) south of Shanghai and has a population of almost 6 million people.

RO: Marsul mac-mac a celor 5.000 de rate

Iata marsul mac-mac! Un fermier opreste traficul deoarece a scos la plimbare 5.000 de rate

Un fermier chinez a cauzat haos pe strazi cand a hotarat sa duca cele 5.000 de rate, pentru a se hrani, la iazul local. Domnul Hong a facut sa incremeneasca traficul pe strazile estice ale orasului Taizhou cand, insotit de un coleg, a scos animalele la plimbare.

Inarmat doar cu un baston, a ghidat prietenii sai inaripati, trei sferturi de mila (aproximativ 1.21 km). Aceasta face parte dintr-o traditie anuala a provinciei Zhejiang. Eroul nostru afirma ca nici macar una din rate nu a fost pierduta in timpul manevrei complicata a migratiei.

Participantii la trafic nu au parut deranjati de intreruperea traficului ci s-au oprit sa se uite la patania nemaivazuta.

Taizhou se afla la 190 de mile (aproximativ 305.78 km) sud de Shanghai si are o populatie de aproape 6 milioane de oameni.

Spray Art of David Walker.. Arta cu spray a lui David Walker

EN: Spray Art of David Walker

Spray painting has become lately one of the well known form of art all around the world. David Walker is an artist involved in spray art and has exhibited his creations ever since 2004. Until the present time he participated in over 60 exhibitions, mostly in UK but not only.

Without aid of stencils or brushes London-based artist David Walker creates elaborately explosive portraits using directly applied spray paint. Even as the colors drip and mix on large outdoor walls it’s hard to imagine the level of control and detail the artist must possess to create the shadows, lines, and textures that create each piece. The top and bottom pieces in this post are recent works seen in London and Paris, and you can see much more on his Facebook page and in his shop where he has nearly a dozen portraits available as high quality prints.

RO: Arta cu spray a lui David Walker

Picturile realizate cu spray-ul a devenit una din formele de arta bine cunoscute in jurul lumii. David Walker este un artist implicat in aceasta arta si a expus creatiile inca din 2004. Pana in prezent a participat la peste 60 de expozitii, in mare parte in Marea Britanie dar nu numai.

Fara ajutorul creioanelor sau pensulelor, artistul londonez David Walker creaza portrete bine elaborate folosind doar vopsea aplicata din spray-uri. Chiar daca culorile se scurg si se amesteca pe peretii de exterior, este greu de imaginat nivelul controlului si detaliile la care atistul trebuie sa lucreze pentru a realiza umbrele, liniile si textura astfel incat sa creeze fiecare piesa. Piesele sunt unele din lucrarile recente expuse la Londra si Paris. Puteti vedea mai multe lucrari pe Facebook sau pe pagina sa de internet.    

Dear Ego.. Draga Ego

EN: Ego Gets The Boot: Letter Found On Kitchen Table

Dear Ego,

I’m breaking up with you. No more circular discussions, no more eleventh hour recriminations. We’re through.

This is not an emotional decision. Actually, it doesn’t feel like a decision at all. We’ve been drifting apart for some time now, and more than anything I’m just acknowledging the distance between us. Whatever kept us together just isn’t there anymore.

It won’t do you any good to turn on the charm. Don’t bother trying to fill my head with thoughts about how great we are together or how lost I’ll be without you. You no longer have that kind of power over me. I see right through you now. I look, and there’s nothing there.

It took me a long time to figure you out. Like so many unhappy couples I know, we drifted into our own little world and for the longest time I mistook it for reality. If you asked me to pinpoint the day this shift occurred, I couldn’t, because it happened so long ago. But I vaguely remember what life was like before I met you. Actually, it’s more a feeling than a memory, a feeling of freedom. Not an “I-have-a-whole-weekend-in-front-of-me-with-no-plans” kind of freedom, but something different altogether. It’s more a sense of spaciousness, the kind children must feel before their heads become filled with worldly nonsense, before their sense of wonder contracts, before they begin to imitate the behavior of the troubled souls around them.

Earthquake art.. Arta cutremurului

EN: Earthquake art

When a magnitude 6.8 earthquake shook Olympia, Wash., in 2001, shop owner Jason Ward discovered that a sand-tracing pendulum had recorded the vibrations in the image above.

Seismologists say that the “flower” at the center reflects the higher-frequency waves that arrived first; the outer, larger-amplitude oscillations record the lower-frequency waves that arrived later.

“You never think about an earthquake as being artistic — it’s violent and destructive,” Norman MacLeod, president of Gaelic Wolf Consulting in Port Townsend, told ABC News. “But in the middle of all that chaos, this fine, delicate artwork was created.”

RO: Arta cutremurului

Dupa ce orasul Olympia, Washington, a fost zguduit de un cutremur de magnitudinea de 6.8 grade, Jason Ward proprietarul unui magazin a descoperit ca un pendul cu nisip a prins vibratiile din imaginea de mai jos. Seismologii spun ca "floarea" din centru reflecta undele cu frecventa mai mare care au sosit primele; cele in exterior sunt oscilatii cu amplitudinea mai mare care au inregistrat undele cu frecventa mai mica ce au ajuns mai tarziu.

"Nu te gandesti niciodata ca un cutremur poate fi artistic - acesta este violent si destructiv" le spunea Norman MacLeod, presedintele Gaelic Wolf Consulting in Port Townsend, celor de la ABC News. "Insa in mijlocul haosului a fost creata aceasta opera de arta delicata si deosebita."