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32_200 Pipes_6.jpg

Originally uploaded by smleon.

32_199 CapitalCrescent.jpg

Originally uploaded by smleon.

I can now report that the distance from the C&O in Georgetown to Connecticut Avenue in Chevy Chase is all up hill. And, I need to bring the point and shoot on these ventures, ’cause the camera in the cellphone is awful.

Sorry for the bad pun, but 37 Signals fans should be pleased to see that the mainstream media is beginning to recognize the popularity, if not the virtues, of simple software. They’re profiled in Time magazine this week.

32_198 SeanScully_2.jpg

Originally uploaded by smleon.

An exhibit of Sean Scully prints opened at SAAM yesterday, and Scully spoke at the museum this afternoon. He is one of my favorite painters and he is a fascinating speaker.

In describing his career he says that his art consists of using the same form over and over and over again, but allowing the meaning of that form to change over time–to live a human story. In this case the forms are horizontals and verticals. He’s deeply influenced by Van Gogh–continuous, “relentless hammering of the stroke.”

Amazing stuff–in some cases forceful and in other cases ethereal.

My favorite quote of the day:

“I’ve always been very good at pleasing myself….”  To be an artist in New York, “You have to be a combination of massive insensitivity backed up by sensitivity.”

32_197 Unstacked_3.jpg

Originally uploaded by smleon.

So, whither the public trust? Looks like the Smithsonian Images is running a little copyright scam. The SI should be on par with the Library of Congress and the National Archives with materials available for public use, but Public.Resources.Org is claiming that more than a few of their images are locked away behind ambiguous claims to copyright protection. Check out the blurb on DCist.

The copyright notice provides that images can be used for educational ventures by students and teachers, but not for profit. Additionally, the fee schedule for high resolution digital copies seems unusually high ($50 for 300 dpi on a CD, $100 via FTP, and $200 for 600 dpi via FTP) in comparison with the Library of Congress ($22 for 300 dpi on a CD).

32_196 Kamakazi_1.jpg

Originally uploaded by smleon.

32_195 Cows_2.jpg

Originally uploaded by smleon.

Again today I missed the photo of the day, which was of a landscaper spraying mulch out of a giant hose attached to a truck onto the hill in front of the Sandy Creek Parking Deck. So, I went looking for something in the same genre. How often do you see cows grooming each other in the middle of Fairfax County? My guess is that the lighter one is a yearling.

32_194 Landscape_6.jpg

Originally uploaded by smleon.

32_193 PamperedPooch_1.jpg

Originally uploaded by smleon.

Am I the only one who thinks this is odd?