Browse this neat poster set created by Flickr user pope saint victor tied to the 40 Days of Water effort from Blood:Water Mission. This initiative is encouraging groups and individuals to drink water as their only beverage for the 40 Days between February 17th and April 3rd. Water for thirst and food for thought, too!
40 days of water facts. fact #20., originally uploaded by pope saint victor.
It’s a good thing I read Aquafornia or I might never have known about the odd, rare and spectacular illusion known as the Yosemite “Fire Fall”… which actually involves no fire whatsoever.
Left, Horsetail Falls-Yosemite, by dlr9000 on Flickr
In Yosemite there is an almost non-existent waterfall called “Horsetail Falls.” During the last two weeks in February if conditions are perfect, photographers and spectators can witness what appears to be molten lava spilling over the Falls, but what is, in fact, an illusion caused by the angle of the sun.
“Perfect conditions” means first, sunlight in a clear, perfect sky (despite the clouds and storms that are common in Winter.) Second, there’s just a two-week window; the setting sun is positioned correctly ONLY during the last two weeks of February. Last, there must be water trickling over the falls.
Those with luck and patience will be rewarded with spectacular photos such as these. Hot to try? Learn a few of the basics here.
If Mike Brady had designed water towers or water tanks, I imagine they’d have looked like this!
These are pages from a 1965 promotional book from the Committee of Steel Plate Producers, American Iron and Steel Institute, obviously to introduce industrial designers and engineers to the coolness and versatility of steel plate for water storage products. (This copy was missing the middle-section pages.)
We love the 60s-era illustrations depicting that happy time when balloon-festooned children always strolled hand-in-hand with their parents. Below is a small sampling; the entire booklet can be seen on my Flickr site by clicking any of the pictures below.
Many thanks to Angela Blann for saving this book from the trash bin!
You might wear your heart on your sleeve, but I’m going to wear my water drop on my neck! Check out this unique charm, given to me by my daughter.
It is a blue chalcedony, a mineral sometimes associated with the water element. To those who believe in the mysterious power of crystals, this one is power-packed with some good vibes including (according to dkwcrystals.talktalk.net:
A Creative Stone. Thought to alleviate hostilities, irritability and melancholy. Helping to create and enhance generosity, responsiveness and receptivity. Also said to help open the mind to assimilate new ideas and acceptance of new situations.
So if you see me wearing this, take advantage of the fact that I’ll likely be in a great mood and primed for donations or investments, no matter how hare-brained the the idea or cause might be! (Hmmm, maybe the daughter has some hidden agenda here!)
They always get me down! OK, not ALWAYS, but here’s a tool you’ll like if ambient nature sounds and “white noise” helps you focus and relax. The one-trick-pony website RainyMood.com does nothing but play a quality sound loop of a gentle rain, with the occasional thunder roll and bird chirps in the background. I’m feeling better already!
While you’re contemplating your virtual downpour, you might also load up this beautiful rain-themed desktop wallpaper complete with February calendar. This will help you focus on the coming weekend!
(Click the image for a 1680×1050 wallpaper, or go here and scroll down for other sizes.)
Art you can use…if you dare! The most interesting thing about this 2005 installation is that it was a fully functional facility, “open to both sexes.” Thanks to Brian Banks for alerting us to American Standard by Vancouver, Canada artist Reece Terris. (Matchmaking opportunity! Reece, there may be a perfect-fit project waiting for you in Toronto!)
From the artist’s website www.reeceterris.com,
American Standard is an installation that featured fifteen functional urinals arranged in a pyramid formation on the wall of the men’s washroom in the Alexander Centre studio at Simon Fraser University. Transforming the facility into a public indoor fountain, water overflowed from the uppermost urinal and splashed its way down through the formation creating a deluge of water flooding the sunken floor. Visitors enter the space via tiled stepping stones, providing access directly to the sink and preexisting toilet, leaving the facility fully functional and open to both sexes.
At the same page, don’t miss the embedded video which includes the installation in action; this does the work far better justice than these still photos.)
(Note: that’s not a typo!) A tweet this week from World Toilet Day (@worldtoiletday) sought some group-think ideas on toilet reuse. Not toilet-to-tap recycled water, but actual toilets!
And yes, I did have a suggestion: head-snapping, thought-provoking public artwork similar to this too-odd-to-describe installation in China! So, get ready, Toronto, and visionary Canadian artists, please step forward!
Photos are via www.halohalo.ph, self-described as “The Funniest Filipino Blog.” They live up to their description with this hysterical commentary on the sculpture:
Thousand of toilet sculpture in China. I’m not surprise when i saw this sculpture because everybody knows that Chinese people are goon on this.
I spotted this terrific water fountain in downtown Boulder, Colorado on Pearl Street. It was donated by the Communication Arts department of University of Colorado. While it offers some great food for thought, I’ve delved deeper into the hydration of frogs. According to wiki.answers.com,
A characteristic of all amphibians is permeable skin. They do have the ability to absorb water through their skin. It is called cutaneous absorption. It is very uncommon to observe frogs drinking water orally. Their primary means of hydrating is by absorbing water, rather than drinking it.
In the unlikey event that local citizens forget, a public sculpture was erected in Taebaek, Kangwon-Do, South Korea, as a reminder of the hardship and pain of drought and water shortages and the continuing need to conserve. From BaboMike on Flickr is this photo of the Taebaek Water Monument, which was
“…erected earlier this year as a reminder of last winters drought. We were on strict water rationing for a few months, allowed only 1 or 2 hours of water per day. The monument is created out of old plastic water bottles.”
Water Monument, Taebaek, Kangwon-Do, South Korea
Detail: Water Monument, Taebaek, Kangwon-Do, South Korea
From the stimulus program 75 years past…this WPA Poster (Water Supply #4) was created for the Federal Art Project series on the history of civic services in New York City…in 1936, when “an average of 930,000,000 gallons is consumed daily.” By the artist Vera Bock (see other works by this artist here.)
Via American Memory, http://memory.loc.gov and stored at the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C