Enlighten

Catch a Falling Star

July 10, 2020 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

A meteor (from the Greek word meteōros, meaning ‘high in the air’) is the visible passing of a glowing comet, asteroid, rock or other solid object through Earth’s atmosphere. As it travels at extreme speeds across the night sky, a meteor creates a streak of light as a result of the aerodynamic heating causing it to glow. We know these streaks of light as falling stars or shooting stars, and it’s a beautiful moment to catch sight of one.

Millions of meteors occur in Earth’s atmosphere daily. When Earth passes through a stream of space debris left by a comet, a series of meteors appearing in the sky seconds or minutes apart in varying speed, frequency and brightness and all appearing to originate from the same fixed ‘radiant’ point is called a ‘meteor shower’. Named meteor showers reoccur about the same time each year.

The Geminids

The Geminids in December are usually the strongest meteor showers of the year and most reliable, with up to 100 meteors per hour radiating from a spot near the bright star Castor (the second-brightest star in the constellation of Gemini). Geminids peak shower activity happens December 13-14.

Find an area well away from city and street lights, and go prepared for cold temperatures along with a sleeping bag, blanket or lawn chair. Lie flat on your back with your feet facing south and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible. After about 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adjust, and you’ll begin to see meteors. Be patient, and enjoy the beauty of the night sky because the meteor show will continue until dawn — plenty of time to watch for the spectacular.

How & where to see the Geminids. Go to the darkest place you can find about 10:30pm local time. Give your eyes about 30 minutes to adapt to the dark (BTW – Looking at a cell phone interferes with night vision). Lie flat on your back and look straight up, taking in as much sky as possible. Get Ready Stargazers: The Geminids Are Coming! (NASA Watch The Skies blog)

The Perseids

With scores of fast, bright meteors and large explosions of light and color called ‘fire balls’, the Perseids are active each year from mid-July to August (with a strong peak August 12 or 13) and are often the most impressive meteor showers for the Northern Hemisphere.

This ‘Best of the Perseids 2019’ video is full of hand-picked clips from over 2,200 Perseids meteor recordings on 42 cameras, at 7 different locations over 5 nights.

How to best enjoy the Perseids. Find a dark place where you can lie back on a blanket, sleeping bag, cot or chaise lounge away from city lights, and look straight up at the night sky. Give your eyes at least 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness. Don’t look directly at the constellation Perseus (where Perseids radiant is located) as you will see fewer meteors from that angle. No binoculars or telescope needed. In fact, it’s better to watch meteors with the naked eye because a wider field of view lets you see more of the sky. Expect to see about one meteor per minute, visible as faint streaks of light or a bright fireball. Enjoy the experience with friends!

Confused about whether or not the Perseids can be seen from your location? Take a look at this world map provided by Marshall Space Flight Center (NASA – Watch the Skies, August 13, 2010). The Perseids is visible to everyone, except at locations within the red shaded area.

Information/References:

List of Named Meteor Showers – Wikipedia

Geminids – NASA Science: Solar System Exploration

Perseids – NASA Science: Solar System Exploration

10 Things: How to Photograph a Meteor – NASA

2019 Meteor Shower Calendar – American Meteor Society list of meteor showers around the world, including activity status, best viewing dates and moon phases that can affect visibility of showers.

Feature photo is courtesy of Austin Schmid/Unsplash CC0

STAR GAZING – Find the best dark sky locations and experience a sky teeming with glittering stars

EXPLORE The UNIVERSE – Take a cosmic journey, and discover the wonders and mysteries of life, time and space

We’d love to hear from you! If you’d like to comment on this article, join the conversation, or share your night sky viewing experiences, and you have not yet registered as an On2In2™ playmaker, please sign up via the ‘Engage page’. Don’t worry, it’s pretty quick and easy (unless you’re a robot).

Word Play

July 3, 2020 By Zola Zeester 1 Comment

Many of us have felt that urge to write ‘something’ at some point in our lives. Some follow through on the idea, while others never quite get started or start but never finish because creative writing is a challenging endeavor requiring passion and perseverance. But, now may be the perfect time to take on that challenge and begin the process of creating with words.

“Creative writing” is described as the process of creating a literary work of any type, including memoir, essay, short story, novel, poetry, and screenplay. While some aspire to write a best seller, the joy for many writers is in the writing process, its practice and development, or they have something to say and hope to have an impact on the lives of others.

The poem “Where We Dwell” was written by Arian Foster, professional athlete and poet. Video from Todd Martin

If you’re feeling it, explore and learn more from these online resources:

⇒ Modern Poetry – FREE to Download This Yale College course, taught on campus twice per week for 50 minutes, was recorded for Open Yale Courses in Spring 2007. It covers the body of modern poetry, its characteristic techniques, concerns, and major practitioners. The authors discussed range from Yeats, Eliot, and Pound, to Stevens, Moore, Bishop, and Frost with additional lectures on the poetry of WWI, and the Harlem Renaissance.

⇒ FREE online creative writing courses are offered by Open University along with articles full of helpful advice and tips

⇒ Find More FREE Creative Writing Classes – a list of online creative writing courses offered free by top universities and educational websites (provided by learningpath.org)

⇒ Everything You Need to Write and Publish Your Book Using NY Public Library E-Resources

⇒ 9 Simple Activities to Inspire Your Writing, by Emma Johnson, Writer’s Edit (online literary magazine created for writers and book lovers)

⇒ 35 Writing Courses to Take During Coronavirus – BookFox is a resource guide for aspiring writers

⇒ Wesleyan University offers via online classes that focus on elements of three creative writing genres, short story, narrative essay, and memoir. [Access to some video lectures and assignments are free so that you can evaluate a course offering prior to purchase. If the course fee is beyond your budget, financial aid may be available.]

You’ll find creative inspiration from Robert Fullerton’s story of life in the shipyards, how he learned to write, and his creative process, A Thousand Sparks

Take a look at the On2In2™ article Contemporary Poetry. You’ll find both live and recorded readings featuring unique and inspiring literary voices of today.

We’d love to hear from you! If you’d like to comment on this article, join the conversation, or share your inspiration, and you have not yet registered as an On2In2™ playmaker, please sign up via the ‘Engage page’. Don’t worry, it’s pretty quick and easy (unless you’re a robot).

Feature photo courtesy of Taner Argali/Unsplash CC0

Mysteries of a Galaxy

July 1, 2020 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

“A galaxy is composed of gas and dust and stars – billions upon billions of stars. Every star may be a sun to someone.”
— Carl Sagan

The Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy that contains our Solar System. — Milky Way, artist’s concept, NASA PD

Our Solar System is located within the “Milky Way Galaxy” about 2/3 out from the center, the name deriving from its appearance as a band of hazy light when seen from Earth. It looks as it does because the Earth view of the Milky Way is from inside the galaxy structure. The Milky Way is a ‘barred spiral’ shaped galaxy with a diameter between 100,000 to 180,000 light years, and contains an estimated 100 to 400 billion stars and 100 billion planets or more. Getting a good shot of the Milky Way is tough even with all the space telescopes floating around because of location and dust cloud coverage; therefore, the 2015 artist’s concept drawn using data sourced from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (“WISE”) was the best image available until the European Space Agency (‘ESA’) released the amazing Gaia’s Sky in Colour on April 25, 2018 showing an all-sky view of our Milky Way based on measurements, brightness and color of nearly 1.7 billion stars observed by the ESA satellite Gaia between July 2014 and May 2016. Now, we can see just how beautiful our home galaxy is!

Our first really good look at the Milky Way came from the satellite Gaia on April 25, 2018 — Gaia’s Sky in Colour, Copyright: ESA/Gaia/DPAC, 4-25-2018

Brighter regions seen on the image indicate denser concentrations of exceptionally bright stars, while the darker regions correspond to patches of sky where there are fewer bright stars. The bright horizontal structure is the Galactic plane (the flattened disc that contains the majority of the stars). In the middle of the image, the Galactic centre appears vivid and teeming with stars. In the lower right side of the image, the two bright objects are the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, two dwarf galaxies that orbit the Milky Way.

But, as incredible as it is, our Milky Way is just one of many billions.

It’s estimated there are 200 billion or more galaxies within the Universe, ranging in size from dwarf (containing a few billion stars) to giants with 100 trillion stars. In addition to stars, galaxies contain stellar remnants (endpoints of star evolution), gas, dust and dark matter, all held together by a gravitational pull while orbiting a center mass, and they are classified by their form and structure: elliptical (almost featureless, bright profile and stars orbit randomly), spiral (flat rotating disk shaped with spiral-like arms), barred spiral (a spiral galaxy with a bar-shaped formation in its center, e.g. Milky Way), and irregular (no shape, chaotic in appearance). About 25% of all galaxies are irregular, and while they may seem ordinary when compared to the other galaxies with symmetry and shape, irregulars are invaluable to the study of galaxy evolution and interaction.

The formation of a galaxy involves gravity, gases, star formation, and stellar explosions as well as a lot of time, but exactly how it happens has not yet been determined. There are different theories as to how spiral galaxies such as our Milky Way are formed that can be generally categorized into two basic types: 1) “top-down” which describes a large scale collapse of a large gas cloud during a period of 100 million years, and 2) “bottom-up” referring to small ‘clumps’ of stars (or globular clusters) merging to create a large galaxy.

ESA/Hubble & NASA image of elliptical galaxy IC 2006 — Elliptical Galaxy IC 2006, NASA/ESA Hubble, PD

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image showcases the remarkable galaxy UGC 12591. It is located just under 400million light-years away from Earth . — Spiral Galaxy UGC 12591, NASA/ESA Hubble, PD

ESA/Hubble & NASA image of Barred Spiral galaxy UGC 12158 — Barred Spiral Galaxy UGC 12158, NASA/ESA Hubble, PD

Galaxy NGC 2337 is an irregular galaxy located 25 million light-years from Earth. It was discovered in 1877 by the French astronomer, Édouard Stephan — Irregular Galaxy NGC 2337, NASA/ESA Hubble, PD

WATCH the video Galaxies Across Space and Time for a quick exploratory VR trip through the Universe to see galaxies via the Hubble Space Telescope. It’s a bit like taking a ride with Captain Kirk and a NASA tour guide on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise.

See more wonders of the Universe on “The Cosmos Channel”, a collection of On2In2™ favorite videos FREE 2 WATCH, and discover its cosmic mysteries at Explore the Universe.

Feature image is the Messier 74 galaxy (aka NGC 62) taken using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. Located about 32 million light-years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Pisces, M74 is a stunning example of a spiral galaxy with about 100 billion stars (making it slightly smaller than the Milky Way). M74 can be viewed from Earth nearly face-on, allowing observers to see its perfectly symmetrical spiral arms emanating from the central nucleus along with dotted clusters of young blue stars and glowing pink regions of ionized hydrogen. Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration, Public Domain

Image of Milky Way (2015 artist’s concept) NASA/JPL-Caltech, Public Domain

Images of galaxies in gallery are courtesy of NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, Public Domain

Information/Resources:
Galaxies, nasa.org
Wikipedia: Galaxies, Milky Way, Galaxy formation and evolution

How To Beat the Bull

June 30, 2020 By Zola Zeester 2 Comments

“No matter what your problems are —it’s just like going out and facing that bull every day: Look at what you’re up against, and figure out a way to make it work.” —Gary Leffew, Champion Bull Rider

We face many life challenges, big and small; consequently, there are many advisors, coaches, experts and various motivational guides offering advice on how to make a success of it all. You may have noticed, social media is full of it. But, really nothing beats the shared wisdom gained from personal experience, and sometimes the very best advice comes from an unexpected source, like a skateboarder, shipyard welder, yo-yoer, or rodeo cowboy. Spend less than 10 minutes with Gary Leffew and learn what it takes to be a success in bull riding and all other endeavors. (Hint: It’s a mental game.)

“The Bull Rider”, is a short film from “I Am Los Angeles”, directed by Joris Debeij, featuring Gary Leffew, PRCA World Champion Bull Rider and member of the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame.

The taming of bulls has ancient roots that have been traced to a Bronze Age civilization of the Aegean islands (2600 BC – 1100 BC), and bull riding developed from a 16th century ranch skill competition known as ‘Jaripeo’ among the haciendas of Central and Southern Mexico where a rider rode a bull to death much like is done in bull fighting. It eventually changed to the traditional charreada sporting event, ‘Jineteo de Toro’, where the rider attempts to ride the bull until it tires and stops bucking.

The Arti of Bullfighting — Νο. 24: El mismo Ceballos montado sobre otro toro quiebra rejones en la plaza de Madrid (1816), Public Domain, Francisco Goya (1746 -1828), via Wikimedia Commons

No. 24 (The Same Ceballos Mounted on Another Bull Breaks Short Spears in the Ring at Madrid) is from a series of 33 prints “La Tauromaquia” (The Bullfight) created by Francisco Goya using techniques of etching and aquatint. The scenes depicted in the series focus on the violence, rituals and styles of 19th century bullfighting. A portfolio of these works of art is currently located at the National Gallery of Art.

The Most Dangerous 8 Seconds in Sports

“Everything’s in slow motion. He’s floating in the air, and it’s just weightless.” — Cody Campbell

The modern rodeo sport of bull riding requires a rider to stay mounted on a bucking bull for a specific period of time. In the ‘American style’, both rider and bull are scored by judges, and the rider must hold onto the bull rope (fiber rope wrapped around the chest of the bull) with one hand for eight seconds and not touch the bull with the free hand. It’s been referred to as the most dangerous eight seconds in sports.

Information/Resources:
Gary Leffew’s Bull Riding School – for all ages and levels of bull riders
Professional Bull Riders, Inc. Touring Schedule
Event Schedule, Bull Riders Canada, Inc.
Professional Bull Riders – Australia Schedule
Charreada Event Schedule, Asociacion de Charros de San Antonio
“Facing the Bull: The Most Dangerous Eight Seconds in Sports”, by Zoltan Istvan, National Geographic News (February 25, 2004)
American Veterinary Medical Association News, The Bovine Athlete by R. Scott Nolan (July 18, 2012)
The Jackie Robinson of Rodeo by Christian Wallace, Texas Monthly (July 2018) – Fifty years ago, Myrtis Dightman broke the color barrier in professional rodeo and became one of the best bull riders who ever lived.

Cutting Horse Competition
Horse & rider teams compete in a rodeo sport that began in the American West
Watch LIVE & FREE, but OK if you miss the live stream broadcast because there are video recordings of the competition to watch.

You’ll find more inspiration from the stories told by this diverse group of pathfinders on the video bio- documentary channel “Life Inspired“.

“How to Beat the Bull” is an edited version of an article originally published on the “Zblog” by Zeester Media LLC.

Feature photo is courtesy of Adam Morse/Unsplash CC0

Artisan

June 2, 2020 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

Arts and Crafts: Find your passion and the joy of creating a work of art here at On2In2™ — Stan Reinshagen, inspiring artisan & hobbyist

My father was an ardent hobbyist. You might also call him a “generalist” because he didn’t focus on a specific hobby or category of interest. He was a music lover and amateur musician (trumpet), gardener (vegetables), BBQ master (with a killer secret sauce), meister mechanic, weekend golfer, and smooth social dancer (the waltz). While he didn’t have a creative arts background or formal training and never thought of himself as “talented”, a few hobby classes taken while serving in the US Air Force sparked a passion for the creative process, and he spent many happy hours in his private studio (the garage), exploring his varied interests and testing his handcrafting skills while working on a variety of arts and crafts projects.

Dad made really beautiful things in ceramic, wood, metal, and leather.
All are treasured pieces. Most importantly, he found joy in creating, and inspired our family to love ‘making things’. Let his story inspire you — Make your soul grow.

To help you get started on the search for your passion and the joy of creating a work of art, below is a list of arts and crafts hobby categories for inspiration (including a few links to topical articles) as well as Zola’s arts & craft photo gallery, and there’s a collection of video documentaries on the Art Works and Creative Perspectives channels that include insightful stories from artisans about their work, motivations, and approach to the creative process.

But, please….before buying a bunch of hobby supplies, do a little research and consider the things required for the crafting (time, money, work space, tools, supplies, basic skills and physical abilities) and what you’d like to try. Then, start small. For example, it doesn’t take much to start coloring, and many find the creative process of ‘coloring within the lines’ to be relaxing and therapeutic. Find FREE adult coloring books → HERE. Also, look for arts & crafts instructional classes offered in your community by colleges, museums, art galleries, recreation centers, and local artisans. If that doesn’t work for you, search libraries and book stores for crafting books, and do some googling. You’ll be amazed at the variety of instructional books, online courses and ‘how to’ videos available.

Arts and Crafts - Woodworking: Find your passion and the joy of creating a work of art here at On2In2™ — Standing Wine Rack, handcrafted by Stan ©2018 Zeester Media LLC

Arts and Crafts Wine Foil Collection Table Top: Find your passion and the joy of creating a work of art here at On2In2™ — Wine foil collection table top by Zola ©2018 Zeester Media LLC

Arts and Crafts Confetti Bowl: Find your passion and the joy of creating a work of art here at On2In2™ — Glittering Confetti Bowl ©2018 Zeester Media LLC

Button Collecting and Arts and Crafts: Find your passion and the joy of creating a work of art here at On2In2™ — Button Bezazz by Zola © 2018 Zeester Media LLC

Flower Design and Photography: Find your passion and the joy of creating a work of art here at On2In2™ — Flowers in the Light by Zola ©2018 Zeester Media LLC

Creative collage made with recycled plastics: Find your passion and the joy of creating a work of art here at On2In2™ — Controlled Chaos by Zola ©2018 Zeester Media LLC

Glass Blowing and Photography: Find your passion and the joy of creating a work of art here at On2In2™ — Perfect Imperfection ©2018 Zeester Media LLC

Leatherwork and Arts and Crafts: Find your passion and the joy of creating a work of art here at On2In2™ — Leatherwork by Stan ©2018 Zeester Media LLC

Digital Art with an app is fun — “My Yellow Boat” Digital Art by Zola ©2018 Zeester Media LLC

Made a pretty flower vase using rubber bands. — Rubber Band Flower Vase by Zola ©2018 Zeester Media LLC

My Dad was the inspiration for my love of arts and crafts — Ceramic Cornucopia by Stan ©2018 Zeester Media LLC

Find your fun with arts and crafts — Fish Kissing by Zola ©2018 Zeester Media

My first attempt at using coloring book app "Colorfy" — Seashells using coloring book app ‘Colorfy’

The Arts & Crafts Idea List

Candle and Soap Making

Ceramics/Pottery

Crafting

Digital Art

Glass: Cutting and Blowing

Jewelry Making

Model Building (replicas of cars, planes, ships, railroads)

Leatherworking

Paint/Watercolor/Sketch

Paper: Papermaking; Decoupage

Photography

Recycled Plastics Art

Sand Sculpting

Textile: Sew/Knit/Crochet/Embroidery/Weave

Welding and Metalworking

Wood: Woodworking; Woodcarving/Whittling; Woodburning

For more crafting inspiration, click/tap these links:
Watch: Art Works
Rubberband Art
Watch: Photography
Watch: Digital Arts

We’re the crafty social type. Please sign up via the ENGAGE page to join the conversation, share inspiration, ideas & creations, and network with On2In2™ playmakers.

Zeester Media LLC may receive a small commission for a purchase you make via the Amazon link within this page. This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.

Feature photo is courtesy of Gratisography CC0

My Tree Swing

June 2, 2020 By Zola Zeester 1 Comment

Grandfathers are for loving and fixing things.
— author unknown

The tree swing my DIY grandfather made for me became my happy place. — Swinging © Zeester Media LLC

I was only 3 years old, but I still remember the day my grandfather installed a tree swing for me on a branch of one of the big pecan trees in the front yard. And, I remember the events leading up to that day as well as the feeling of pure joy while swinging in a very special swing.

Guess I was having a little trouble adjusting to the new baby sister situation in our house because my mother had her hands full, and I was feeling somewhat ignored as do most children when first realizing they are no longer the center of their parents’ attention. The final straw for me was when I asked my mother to swing me in the baby swing she had set up in the kitchen. It looked like so much fun, and I wanted to try it out. But, my mother said “no”, I couldn’t sit in the baby’s swing because I was “too big and would break it”. Of course, she was right, but I was more than just a little upset, and wondered why this baby got all the fun and attention. Life was becoming a drag.

Then, my grandfather came to my rescue.

He appeared one day carrying a couple of tools, rope and a piece of wood, and said “come with me”. Then, I watched as he set up a simple, but amazing tree swing. A swing just for me. No babies allowed.

Over the years, that tree swing became my happy place, and a reminder of my good fortune to be so loved by an understanding, DIY grandfather who knew exactly what I needed.

Benefits of Swinging

Swinging is a lot of fun, but there are also big benefits, both physical and emotional, for children as well as adults.

Motor Skills. Swinging requires using legs, arms, and core in a way that helps a child’s development of gross motor skills (locomotion, balance and coordination) and fine motor skills (hand, arm and finger coordination; grip strength; and arms and legs circling motions).

Feels Like Flying. Finding a sense of balance and spatial orientation while the body moves about in different positions takes a bit of physical exploration, and swinging is a sensory experience like no other because flying through the air on a swing helps a child learn to respond to movement and gravity and develop balance, coordination and body awareness.

Inspires Imagination. A swing is the perfect activity for imaginative play— maybe you’re a bird, on a magic carpet, or flying high in the sky like a superhero.

Uplifts Spirits. There’s just something about the easy rhythmic movement under a tree, breathing fresh air and feeling a gentle breeze that seem to trigger feelings of pleasure, relaxation and calm, and there’s also a rush of excitement when swinging faster and higher. This magic works for people of all ages.

It’s a Good Workout. Keeping a swing in motion burns off a few calories (200/hr) and helps condition ligaments, tendons, muscles and joints. The swinger controls speed and height of swinging, so you can do as much as you like at your own pace. For more challenging adult workouts, try kneeling or standing on a swing.

Grandfathers are for loving and fixing things — Opa & Me © Zeester Media LLC

In memory of Ben F. Kneupper “Opa” (1903-94), small business owner, barber, florist, volunteer fireman, gardener, baker of pies and cookies, fixer-upper handyman, cancer survivor, devoted family man, and much loved grandfather. He inspired all who knew him with his ability to overcome adversity and find joy in the everyday. ❤️

Want to build a tree swing?

Below are links to helpful ‘how-to’ information and DIY instruction, plus shop for tree swing assembly kits.

Children’s Tree Swings – A Guide To Good Practice, written by Monkey-Do, produced by London Play (downloadable pdf) — Expert advice on the safe sitting, installation and use of children’s rope swings in trees.

How to Make a Rope Swing, WikiHow

How To Make A Tree Swing, step-by-step DIY instruction on building and installing a backyard tree swing

SHOP Check out variety of tree swing assembly kits that can make construction easier here → TREE SWING KITS and SUPPLIES *Zeester Media LLC may receive a small commission for a purchase you make via this Amazon link. This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.

A bicycle is so much more than a toy — The Power of a Bike

We’d love to hear from you! If you’d like to comment on this article or share your inspiration, and you have not yet registered as an On2In2™ playmaker, please sign up via the ‘Engage page’. Don’t worry, it’s pretty quick and easy (unless you’re a robot).

Feature photo of swing is courtesy of Pixaby, CC0

Ballet Backstage

June 2, 2020 By Zola Zeester 2 Comments

Ballet originated in 15^th century Italian Renaissance courts, later developing into a performance dance in France and Russia, and over the centuries, has become a widespread and influential art form with many evolving stylistic variations (from classic to contemporary) and teaching methods (no less than half a dozen).

A ballet dancer [danseuse (female) danseur (male)] is a dancer who practices the art of classical ballet based on traditional technique and vocabulary. Many years of extensive training (starting as early as age 2) are required before a ballet dancer has a chance to join a professional ballet company, and there is an established hierarchy ranking system within a company as well as strict gender roles. Ballet training also takes a toll on a dancer’s body, making ballet dancers prone to serious injury after years of continuous physical strain.

The strength and stamina required of ballet dancers are not always obvious to a spectator as they make the physical demands of jumps, turns and lifts on pointe appear to be effortless during a performance, and there’s seldom a mention of a dancer’s personal sacrifice and total commitment. In these short videos, ballet dancers tell their stories and provide a glimpse of the goings-on backstage and behind-the-scenes.

En pointe (‘on the tips of their toes’) is classical ballet technique performed wearing special pointe shoes that enable a dancer to support all body weight on a fully extended vertical foot. Consequently, the construction and wearing of pointe shoes involves a very complicated process unique to each ballet dancer.

The tutu is a costume dress worn in a ballet performance, made of fabrics such as tarlatan, muslin, silk, tulle, gauze and nylon. There are two basic types of modern tutus as well as several derivative styles: the Romantic tutu is soft and bell-shaped with the skirt reaching down between a dancer’s knee and ankle; the Classical tutu is short, stiff and projects horizontally from the dancer’s waist and hip.

One of the most famous of all ballet dancers is Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer (La Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans), a sculpture created in wax by Edgar Degas in 1880 of a student at the Paris Opera Ballet dance school, named Marie van Goethem. After Degas’ death in 1917, his family authorized copies of Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer and other Degas wax and mixed-media sculptures to be cast in bronze in order to preserve and sell the compositions. Louisine Havemeyer, an Impressionist collector, acquired the first bronze cast of Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer, and bequeathed it to New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1929, where it can be viewed on display. [Editors Note: The original wax sculpture (a reworked version of the original sculpture that was shown in Paris at the Sixth Impressionist Exhibition of 1881) is located at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, and other bronzes can be viewed at museums around the world — Cathy Marie Buchanan, author of the novel ‘The Painted Girls’, provides a list of locations ⇒ HERE ]

The bronze dancer’s tutu has been replaced a few times since the Met’s acquisition, and a curator recently decided it was time for another update as the skirt looked “tattered and dirty”. The task was given to Costume Institute’s conservator, Glenn Petersen, and he tells the story of the historical research, fabric, design and color selections used in creating the dancer’s new tutu in the short video ‘Met Degas Tutu’. Peterson’s goal for the new skirt was that it would be harmonious with the sculpture as well as depict a sense of movement to add to the way people view Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer, and most would have to agree that he accomplished that goal and more.

FREE To WATCH: Ballet performances from around the world

Watch: The Dance, an On2In2™ video collection of dance performances and inspirational stories

We’d love to hear from you! If you’d like to comment on this post, join the conversation, or share your inspiration, and you have not yet registered as an On2In2™ playmaker, please sign up via the ‘Engage page’. Don’t worry, it’s pretty quick and easy.

Feature photo is courtesy of Flickr user, Pilar Castro, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Art Underwater

June 2, 2020 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

“For Art may err, but Nature cannot miss.” — John Dryden, The Cock and the Fox

Underwater public arts projects created by the visionary Jason deCaires Taylor are not just unique exhibition spaces for divers and snorkelers to enjoy. They’re also examples of successful marine conservation efforts as the sculptures serve as habitats for all sorts of sea life which transform Taylor’s work into living, constantly evolving art that inspires an appreciation for the natural beauty of the mysterious world underwater. This video takes you there.

He had a very big idea — create giant cement sculptures and place them on the ocean floor in areas with barren sea beds. Then, in 2006, Jason deCaires Taylor founded and created the world’s first underwater sculpture park off the west coast of Grenada in the West Indies. It was a great success, and has been listed as one of the Top 25 Wonders of the World by National Geographic. In 2009, he co-founded an underwater sculpture museum, Museo Subacuático de Arte (MUSA), that includes a collection of over 500 of his art works in the waters of Cancun, Isla Mujeres and Punta Nizuc, Mexico. More underwater sculpture gardens followed in the Bahamas and Spain, and he’s currently working on a new project in the Maldives. In this TED Talk, Taylor shares his story and breathtakingly beautiful photography.

Jason DeCaires Taylor talk is courtesy of TED, CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International

Information/Resources:
Gallery: The sculpture garden at the bottom of the sea, by Kate Torgovnick May, Ted.com blog article (December 23, 2015)
Locations Map of the underwater sculpture exhibits around the world (Jason DeCaires Taylor Projects)

Underwater Sculpture Park – Granada, West Indies, Molinere Beauséjour Marine Protected Area

(listed as one of the Top 25 Wonders of the World by National Geographic)
Bahamas Reef Environment Education Foundation (BREEF) Sir Nicholas Nuttall Coral Reef Sculpture Garden (Included in the sculpture garden is, Ocean Atlas, a young Bahamian girl who appears to be holding up the ocean, and at 60 tons/18 ft tall, it’s the largest underwater sculpture in the world.)

Museo Subacuático de Arte (MUSA), Museum of art under the waters of Cancun, Isla Mujeres and Punta Nizuc (Viewing via glass bottom boat, scuba and snorkeling)
Museo Atlántico, Located near the south coast of Lanzarote, in the Bahía de Las Coloradas, Spain
Alluvia, Sculpture lies at bottom of the river Stour running through city of Canterbury in Kent, UK
Pemuteran Temple Garden (statues of Buddha, Ganesha, Turtles behind an ornate Balinese gateway, constructed as one of three Bali Reef Foundation/Australian Aid funded projects)

Dive In2 deep waters and explore the otherworldly beauty of ocean life Watch: Underwater Discoveries, an On2In2™ collection of short videos, Free-to-Watch, On-Demand

BIG, POWERFUL (sometimes dangerous), and a beautiful BLUE, the Ocean does more than its share to sustain life on Planet Earth. Saving Our Ocean

Feature photo is a screen shot taken from the Jason DeCaires Taylor Ted Talk video

Saving Our Ocean

May 31, 2020 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

The global Ocean covers 72% of the Earth surface, and it does more than its share to sustain life on Planet Earth. It feeds us, and is the source of the water we drink and the air we breathe. It provides precious minerals, metals and energy resources, and generates revenues and jobs in marine-related industries. Yet, we have failed miserably in protecting the Ocean from harm.

In fact, for too long, humans have exploited natural resources and misused the environment in such disdainful, foolhardy ways that as much as 40% of the world oceans have been severely affected by pollution, depleted fisheries, and loss of coastal habitats, and the escalating damage now threatens the survival of future generations. *Some sad facts:

6.5 million tons of litter enters the world’s oceans each year, and 50% is long-lasting plastic that will drift for hundreds of years before it is degraded.
80% of marine pollution comes from land-based sources.
Human health suffers from the contamination of coastal waters. [250 million/year cases of gastroenteritis and respiratory disease; 50,000-100,000/year deaths caused by eating infected shellfish]
60% of the Pacific and 35% of the Atlantic coast shorelines are eroding at a rate of one meter each year.
About 30% of the world’s reefs are seriously damaged and 60% could be lost by 2030.
75% of fisheries worldwide are fully exploited or overexploited. If habitat destruction and over fishing continue, the world’s seafood populations could collapse by 2048.
A 2019 report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns Earth’s oceans are warming and getting more acidic, and sea levels are rising at an accelerated rate

BIG, powerful (sometimes dangerous), and a beautiful BLUE, humans have a strong affinity for the Ocean. We love to play and explore at, in and near ocean waters as well as sit, walk and drive on a beach for hours. The sounds, smells and just the feel of the sea air seem to trigger a sense of peace and calm in the human brain, and there are also feelings of awe and joy in being so close to nature and wildlife. Unfortunately, the Ocean and sea life are suffering after many decades of human abuse and neglect, and there won’t be much left for future generations unless we stop the destruction and make big changes in how we live and care for this critical life force.

RIGHT NOW 💙 LET’S DO BETTER

You cannot get through a single day without having an impact in the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make. —Dame Jane Morris Goodall

♥ Each and every day, Be Mindful about energy consumption at work and at home. Teach children about the importance of energy saving alternatives, and enact eco-friendly company polices.

♥ Choose seafood that is sustainable. Express your concern should you notice a threatened species offered by a seafood supplier, on a restaurant menu, or at a grocery seafood counter.

♥ Try to reduce/eliminate plastic containers, straws and bags from your life. Reuse and Recycle when possible. Figuring out recycling rules and deciding what to do with household garbage every day can be confusing, but there are some basics that can help make it easier. ‘Plastic trash, what’s recyclable & what’s not’ Plastic Tide explains → Here However, recycling plastics doesn’t solve all the problems. Find inspiration from Art Transforming Trash and Emma Nelson’s 5 clever ideas to reduce the plastic in your life. If you live or work in an area that does not provide recycling pick-up services and/or has not yet adopted a plastic bag ban ordinance, get things going by voicing your concern and the community’s needs.

♥ Appreciate and Respect the Beach. Don’t litter. Clean up after yourself. Don’t interfere with wildlife. Don’t remove rocks or coral.

♥ Be Responsible when enjoying water sports and recreation. Brush up on ‘Ocean Etiquette’, and follow water and boating safety rules. Never throw anything into the Ocean. If you’re planning a cruise holiday, research to find the most eco-friendly options.

♥ Don’t sell or purchase products made of materials that harm marine life, such as coral, tortoiseshell, sharkskin.

♥ Be an ‘Ocean-Friendly’ pet owner. Look for sustainable seafood ingredients on pet food labels. Allow your dog only on designated dog beaches, never leave your dog unattended at the beach (keep on leash or under voice control), and if there is an accident, clean up the doggie poop. Never flush cat litter down a toilet. Avoid stocking aquariums with wild-caught saltwater fish, and never release aquarium fish into the Ocean or any other body of water.

♥ Support organizations working to protect the Ocean by giving financial support, joining campaign efforts, and/or volunteering Ocean Conservancy The World Ocean Network Green Peace The Ocean Project World Wildlife Fund O’Neill Sea Odyssey Sea Shepherd Sea Legacy

♥ Influence Change in Government. Research the ocean protection policies and voting records of public officials and platforms of political candidates before you vote, and let your representatives know you support laws that protect our oceans, beaches and sea life.

American voters: Click here to view environmental record of all members of Congress → National Environmental Scorecard Contact your state and federal representatives to let them know you support ocean conservation projects, and ask them to do the same (find your US congressional representatives → HERE

Australian voters: The Open Australia Foundation – Did I really vote for that? Discover voting records of politicians in federal parliament and official register of interests

Canadian voters: Keeping Tabs on Parliament – Find your MP, see what your representative is saying and what laws they are proposing

UK voters: They Work For You Search Parliament and Assemblies by name, party, position, and topics of debate

You’ll be surprised to see what lies
beneath the waves – Art Underwater

The “Underwater Discoveries” On2In2™ video collection
allows you to swim through the unique beauty of sea life,
without the dive gear. FREE to watch, on-demand

Notes

“Saving our Ocean” is an edited version of an article originally published on the “Zblog” by Zeester Media LLC

*Information/Statistical Sources: Ocean Conservancy, The World Ocean Network, and The United Nations (World Oceans Day)

⇒ June 8 is World Oceans Day Find an event & join the celebration of the world’s oceans→ HERE

⇒ International Coastal Cleanup Day is celebrated annually the third Saturday in September as hundreds of thousands of volunteers around the world comb lakes, rivers and beaches collecting trash. Here’s everything you need to know about volunteering to help in the cleanup → Start A Cleanup

How to turn plastic trash found on the beach
into a work of art → Art Transforming Trash

• The beautiful blue Ocean wave photo is courtesy of Emiliano Arano/Pexels CC0
• Ocean Heart photo is courtesy of Jeremy Bishop/Unsplash CC0

Monarchs on the Move

May 19, 2020 By Zola Zeester 1 Comment

A UNA MARIPOSA MONARCA (To a Monarch Butterfly)
by Homero Aridjis (translated by George McWhirter)

Tu que vas por el día
como un tigre alado
quemándote en tu vuelo
dime qué vida sobrenatural
está pintada en tus alas
para que después de esta vida
pueda verte en mi noche

You who go through the day
like a winged tiger
burning as you fly
tell me what supernatural life
is painted on your wings
so that after this life
I may see you in my night

Don’t know why exactly, but there is something special about a monarch sighting. Maybe it’s the mystery of where it’s going, where it’s been, or the mystical legend of monarchs as returning spirits of deceased loved ones. But, to watch thousands of monarchs flying en masse………..well, you just have to see it!

The Wings of Life – Monarch Butterflies is a short video from Disneynature studio that captures in spectacular time-lapse/high speed/macro cinematography many thousands of monarchs wintering in Mexico, with close-up views of these amazing butterflies in action. The video documentary was directed by award-winning nature filmmaker, Louie Schwartzberg, and narrated by Meryl Streep.

Monarch Migration
–One of the most remarkable natural phenomena on Earth–

The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is an iconic pollinator species native to the New World where it can be found from southern Canada to northern South America. Monarchs can also be found hanging out in other parts of the world: Caribbean, Hawaii, Cook Islands, the Solomons, New Caledonia, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Azores, Canary Islands, Gibraltar, the Philippines and North Africa, and they make an occasional visit to the UK as an ‘accidental migrant’ (displacement is caused by storms, high winds, swift currents). Bright orange coloring with black and white markings make monarchs easy to spot, but they are commonly misidentified as the smaller viceroy butterfly (Limenitis archippus), another North American butterfly with similar pattern and coloring.

A monarch’s life is spent on the move, and it’s complicated. Each year in late summer to early autumn, millions of monarchs migrate thousands of miles south from central and northern US states and southern Canada to Mexico, Florida and the coastal areas of southern and central California where they make a winter home in large clusters of colonies high within trees. Taking advantage of air currents and thermals and traveling only during daylight hours (roosting in clusters to stay warm at night), the trip takes about two months, covering 50-100 miles a day at a flight speed of about 5.5 mph (9 km/hr). In spring, they make the journey back north.

During the spring migration northward, the travel itinerary is quite different as monarchs mate and produce four generations along the way. The first three generations have life spans of only 2 – 6 weeks, but each continues mating and moving north. The fourth generation lives 6 – 8, sometimes 9 months, and is the generation of monarchs that will migrate south for the winter. No one really knows how these later generation monarchs navigate their way to a winter home they have never before visited. Clearly, they must rely on instincts rather than learning as the last generation with knowledge of the route is long dead. Some experts have determined that monarchs must be genetically programmed to migrate long distances and use some sort of biological sun and magnetic compasses as orienting tools.

No other butterfly is known to make an epic round-trip migration as the monarch does every year. While this makes the monarch extraordinarily unique, the long journeys also cause monarchs to be particularly vulnerable to climate conditions and human activities that disrupt and destroy their habitat. Consequently, their numbers have decreased significantly during the last 20 years (a decline of more than 80 percent over the past two decades), and there is great concern that monarch migration is at high risk of failure. Conservationists, scientists, and federal, state and local organizations in the United States, Mexico and Canada have begun efforts to stop the destruction before it’s too late, and yes— everyone can do something to help monarchs and have fun doing it!

• Create a Monarch Habitat Make a special spot for monarchs. Maybe it’s just a small pot on your front steps, patio or balcony, a backyard garden, pasture, farm or ranch land. Plant milkweed and nectar plants that are native to your area and free of pesticides, insecticides and neonicotinoids.

• Help Scientists Study Monarchs

• Get Involved as a Community Join forces with friends, neighbors and colleagues to develop ‘monarch friendly’ landscaping at schools, businesses, community parks and gardens, and urban green spaces with native plants and wildflowers for monarchs.

• Garden Organically Using organic methods in your garden will reduce your impact on monarchs, their food plants and other pollinators.

• Support Conservation Efforts

• Spread the Word about Pollinators, Conservation, and How to Help It’s easy to get started with this one — Share this article with your friends!

Monarch travel many miles in migration, and there are things each of us can do to help monarchs survive the journey — Monarch on a Thistle, Lake of the Ozarks, by Sean Stratton/Unsplash CC0

References/Information Sources [To learn more about helping monarchs, check out these selected resources]:

Monarch Butterfly Basic Facts, Defenders of Wildlife website

Monarch Migration, University of Minnesota website, Biology & Research

Migration and Overwintering, USDA Forest Service website

Monarch Butterfly Migration Interactive Map It’s fun to keep track of monarch migration. This interactive map has the best up-to-date info on Spring 2017 first sightings (January – July). Check it out, and report your sightings, too.

Monarch Migration Could Collapse as Population Remains Low, Center for Biological Diversity (March 5, 2018) More milkweed needed! The count of monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico (released 3/5/18), shows a decrease from last year’s count, and “confirms the iconic orange and black butterfly is still very much at risk”.

The Monarch Butterfly is in Trouble —You Can Help! US Fish and Wildlife Service

“Monarchs Still Need Your Help” (Open Spaces, US Fish & Wildlife blog, 2/14/2017)

How to Build a Butterfly/Pollinator Garden in 7 Steps, US Fish and Wildlife Service (May 18, 2016). Regional Milkweed Planting Guide –The Xerces Society website

Study Monarchs: Citizen Science Opportunities. How to help scientists count and track monarchs.

Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve Located within rugged forested mountains about 64 miles (100 km) northwest of Mexico City, researchers first discovered monarchs overwintering within the area in 1975. It was designated a federal reserve in 1980 by presidential decree and a World Heritage Site in 2008.

WWF Monarch Butterfly Tours – Ecotours of central Mexico provide an opportunity to observe and photograph large colonies of monarchs at their remote winter roosting sites in the highlands of central Mexico. “The Kingdom of the Monarchs” 2018 tour dates are scheduled January thru March.

Myth and Mystery in Mexico’s Monarch Kingdom, Good Nature Travel (October, 2009)

“Migration: The Biology of Life on the Move” by Hugh Dingle (Oxford University Press, 2014)

Nature is full of extraordinary sights to experience and explore, and talented photographers bring it all to life on your screen. You’ll be amazed! Watch and discover Natural Beauty via On2In2™ selected videos. Free to Watch – On Demand

Feature photo of monarch butterfly is courtesy of Pixabay/Pexels CC0

Enlighten

Catch a Falling Star

Word Play

Mysteries of a Galaxy

How To Beat the Bull

Artisan

My Tree Swing

Ballet Backstage

Art Underwater

Saving Our Ocean

RIGHT NOW 💙 LET’S DO BETTER

Monarchs on the Move

MUCH 2 SEE

THINGS 2 DO

PLACES 2 GO

PEOPLE 2 MEET

FOOD & DRINKS

JUST LAUGHS

Enlighten

RIGHT NOW 💙 LET’S DO BETTER

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MUCH 2 SEE

THINGS 2 DO

PLACES 2 GO

PEOPLE 2 MEET

FOOD & DRINKS

JUST LAUGHS