Saturday, December 30, 2006

Phoenix


Life deals us difficult hands from time to time, some of which burn us very deeply. Although we cannot change that which affects us, we possess the power to decide how and to what extent we allow it affect us. Let us all look to this magical bird; for we all, at some point in time, must become the Phoenix, lifting ourselves from the pyre of ashes that surround us in order to see the world anew.

Historical and iconographical information about the "Phoenix":
http://www.pantheon.org/articles/p/phoenix.html

Monday, December 25, 2006

Peace


Like all things in life -- too much of one thing never ceases to dull the senses.

One must occasionally lick the bitter to taste the sweet, struggle through pain to experience the gain, walk through the valleys in order to stand on the top, wrestle through hate in order to love. So it is true that in order to gain full appreciation and actualization of this thing called peace, one must experience the horrors of war.

Monday, December 18, 2006

Help



Believe, when you are most unhappy, that there is something for you to do in the world. So long as you can sweeten another's pain, life is not in vain. -HK

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Mask


The function of a mask is to conceal. Some of us use them as a smile to belie our bitter feelings towards our peers, others use masks as a wall of safety -- acting heroically despite feelings of diminuation and insignificance. Despite the specific functions of each mask, we all wear them...some of them are just more obvious than others.

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Might


The inevitable presence of the oncoming enemy is growing with every step of his galant trod. As the shaft of a brand new arrow snaps successfully within the cradle of the awaiting crossbow, our warrior just might live to see another day on the battlefield.

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Invention



Poor Toulouse tried to find love in all the wrong places. When he realized that it could not be bought, he made every attempt to invent a companion that not only supported his art, but gave him space amidst his neurotic yet brilliant episodes of creativity.

Monday, November 20, 2006

Thanksgiving


Time to relax, reflect, and fellowship with family and friends, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Like the bubbles in sparkling wine, each day of our lives is filled with color, flavor and blessing.

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Clear


Clearing away acres of unadulterated natural habitat in our futile attempts of creating our own little "piece of heaven" to live upon, do you think any of us stop to question just how heavenly the end result will be?

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Smoke: Part II


Chapter 9

Sick and tired of smoke being blown up their mortar crack time and time again, the rats decided that it was finally the time to administer a little justice of their own. "Isn't this fuse any longer?" Fasch asked, as his partner slowly eased the shaft into position.

"Okay...light her up" whispered Quincy. It would now be a matter of seconds until the queen would taste in a very large scale that which she had be dishing out in small quantities all these years.

Friday, November 03, 2006

Smoke



In any given evening in these hills, the intoxicating scent of smoke from a wood fire can be enjoyed by anyone travelling through.

Monday, October 30, 2006

Wind


No group more than the Native American Indians understood the importance of “wind”, in relation to their daily lives. It propelled their canoes, carried scent of their animals in the midst of a hunt, notified tribe-members of an emeny’s presence. It brought forth clouds that provided rain, sent smoke signals to neighboring tribes, and provided force through wind instruments, thus resulting in beautiful melody.

Monday, October 23, 2006

Ghost


I watched with glee while your kings and queens, fought for ten decades for the gods they made. I shouted out "Who killed the Kennedys?", when after all it was you and me. So let me please introduce myself, I am a man of wealth and taste. And I lay traps for troubadours, who get killed before they reach Bombay. Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name, but what's puzzling you, is the nature of my game.
-Rolling Stones

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Smitten


Love at first blight...although imperfect by themselves, they were so smitten with each other that their union was nearly flawless.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Trouble


As iron is eaten by rust, so are the envious consumed by envy.
-Antisthenes

So consumed by their bitter feelings towards the hares' incessant winning of the annual marathon, the turtles decided it was time to even the playing field. Envious justice, this day, was administered in the form carrots injected with C2 plastic explosives. Needless to say, this was to cause a great deal of trouble for the winners' post-game garden party later that day.

Monday, October 02, 2006

Quiet


There is nothing more magical than spending nightly hours in the thick of a pine forest. The quiet atmosphere is something to be experienced -- a passage of time too often neglected by us all in this most busy, broken and chaotic world.

Monday, September 25, 2006

Phobia


The titan, confident, skilled, and armed for any physical, earthly battle, was ill-equipped when it came to the arena of love. He suffered from a rare form of Malaxophobia, which prevented him from ever getting close to anyone for an extended amount of time. This "fear of love" hid an even deeper fear that someone just might actually gain an understanding of him -- something that he was simply not willing to offer.

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Change




















Come gather 'round people Wherever you roam,
And admit that the waters Around you have grown,
And accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone,
For the times they are a-changin'.
-Bob Dylan

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Farm


"All animals are created equal, but some are more equal than others."
-George Orwell (Animal Farm, 1945)

Friday, September 01, 2006

Safe

During the months of July and August, the loud, orchestral-like acoustics made the annual cicadas has a magical power, forcing me to vividly recall those hot summer nights as a child growing up in Pennsylvania -- laying in my safe bedroom and being sent off to sleep by the echoing melodies of this most interesting creature.

Although many are frightened of the cicada's rather imposing appearance, they should feel safe knowing that it poses no harm to humans. The loud buzzing sound is made only by the male, and is produced by vibrating internal structures within its drum-like abdomen. This insect lives safe under the ground, until it emerges to lay eggs on the ends of tree branches. Its main goal is to reproduce so that the life cycle continues.

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Run

In her attempt to run from her pursuer, Daphne turns back, horror-stricken as she feels the hand of Apollo. She is unaware of the simultaneous transformation. Apollo, however, notices with amazement the transformation at the very moment when he seemed to be sure of his victim; but his body has not had the time to react and he is still chasing what he suddenly sees to be unatainable.

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Match


Courtship among dragonflies can be a tumultuous, fiery process. Competition among males is extremely high and no-one more than the females bear the brunt of this heat. Swirling to and fro, submerging into the water, zig-zagging among the reeds, a female will make this "chase" a true challenge for her male counterpart. Here, the male clasps onto the female, keeping close guard of from fellow competitors during the process of egg-laying.

It is not uncommon for females to drown as a result of this conflagrate courtship.

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Play


Those unwilling to risk moving from their safe little worlds run a great chance of failing.

The pleasure of risk is in the control needed to ride it with assurance so that what appears dangerous to the outsider is, to the participant, simply a matter of intelligence, skill, intuition, coordination - in a word, experience. Climbing, in particular, is a paradoxically intellectual pastime, but with this difference: you have to think with your body. Every move has to be worked out in terms of effort, balance and consequences. It is like playing chess with your body. If I make a mistake, the consequences are immediate, obvious, embarrassing and possibly painful. For a brief period, I am directly responsible for my actions. In that beautiful, silent world of the mountains, it seems to me worth a little risk.

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Capture

As is usually the case in nature, the American White Pelican's beauty of form stems from roots of plain function. The pouched beak is designed exquisitely to capture: a 3-gallon pouch can easily hold a large fish, which will be amazingly guzzled whole.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Clean


Make one wrong move, he may scar your face. If you do not respect him, he will rip your arm clean-off!

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Opposites

Fire and Ice

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To know that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

-Robert Frost

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Sacrifice


This man sacrificed his life, unconditionally, for a large number of people who mocked, hated and doubted him -- so that "they" would experience a life of freedom and joy.

Today, we may sacrifice our morning tee time to partake in a neighborly deed. Not only do we view such an inconvenience as sacrificial, but we attach strings to it and strike another notch in our cross. After all, isn't life all about "us"? What's in it for us?

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Skyline


The center star of Orion's belt suddenly took a heavenly descent. Streaking through the sky towards them, the townspeople knew that something very wicked was heading their way. What form this bearer of ill-tiding assumed, they knew not. However, the modest, intellectual leaders of this town knew that by ignoring its presence, the threat of danger would surely pass over their heads. Unfortunately for them, they were gravely mistaken.

Monday, July 03, 2006

Sticky


Desperately kicking and screaming, the Jolly Rancher avoided a sticky situation; managing to cut one of the ropes that tightly bound him to the burning stick frame. Although he was unaware that it is sacrilige for a cowboy to make fire in an Indian burial ground, the Suni tribe made sure that he wasn't about to forget it anytime soon.

Monday, June 26, 2006

Rain

Try though they may to shelter you, know that the best things come from taking risks and moving out from under the canopy of people's hopes and expectations.

"Why won't you run
in the rain and play
Let the tears splash all over you."
-Dave Matthews Band

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Dance


Salmone's rhythmic movements were so captivating, mezmerizing and enchanting -- an act of passion that caused the great King to act irrationally. And let us not forget that the abandonment of reason sometimes costs dearly...this time it was someone's head.

Monday, June 12, 2006

Jungle


Big, tough, stacked and strapped -- if it the dense jungle you wish to enter, you must first outwit this beast of the vast plains.

Monday, June 05, 2006

Portrait (Port-Rat)


Exactly what was it that made this Port-Rat so popular? Was it her ledgendary status as an admiral amidst the torpid seas, her relentless refusal to divulge country secrets under torturous human subjugation, or her famous saying, "How dark D-Kon of man"? Whatever the reason, she attracted more spectators than any other -- all of which were determined to solve the enigmatic mystery that surrounded her ledgendary, iconic status.

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Cake


Some thought it was "cake", but the sojourn through the black forest was so much more. These woods held more peril and potential for harm than anyone could possibly fathom. Caution all ye whose judgment is based on the superficial appearance of things, for there just may be more to things than meets the eye.

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Sorry


It was nine o'clock when the fleet of fearless birds took flight among the foothills of Florence. The apology, signed by the Florentine arms dealer, Fiorentine Forrenzio, had all intentions of reaching its intended recipient -- the Duke of Milan. However, an unsuspecting faction of war-crazed barbarians intercepted this night journey, managing to rid the flock of the lone bird who carried the pithy paper -- the document which would have prevented the Thousand Year's War.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Angels and Devils


Amidst the dichotomy of good and evil in our known universe, let us not forget the only being who was both angel & demon. It was Lucifer, whose pride and jealousy earned him a "hot spot". Although he now delights in the art of seduction and tantalization, HE - more than anyone else - knows that his own fate is nothing more than eternal damnation in a hell that is hotter and more painful than any mortal could ever possibly imagine.

Monday, May 08, 2006

Fat


It was the ninth hour of the fifth day in the Battle of Swiss Isle. Jacques, although tattered from the fight, mustered enough strength to stake claim to the city's capital. Always driven by a seemingly endless spark of determination, he gathered the fat from his defeated enemies. Wine and cheese, what better way to celebrate a glorious victory.

Monday, May 01, 2006

Under the Sea


A parallel universe exists between that which lies above and beneath the great Sea. Although mankind has studied the immense diversity of life and design interred ‘neath the water, we have merely scratched the shallow surface with the blades of our superficial reason.

Monday, April 24, 2006

Robot


Leonardo in the 21st Century: Although many feel robots are a phenomenon wrought of our modern age, we need remind ourselves that it was the master (500 years ago) who forfeited his Florentine nationality in order to design lethal robots...machines that fascinated, astounded, and dumfounded strong armies...machines in the service of men through the art of WAR!

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Spotted


You should have known better than to engage in a chess duel with Dr. Van Duggle. Although you think you know how to micro-manage pawns in a black-and-white world, it was only a matter of time until he spotted your weakness and capitalized on his opportunity to "check" your King.

Monday, April 10, 2006

Speed


The tortoise, although fully aware that his strength lies in his defense from the wild beasts that ravaged the land, wished that he too could make swift of himself like the others. Although we each possess distinct gifts and abilities, some of us will do anything in our attempts to "measure up".

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Spring


Laying limply in a hot spring in the south hills of Tuscany, the Barbarian general had no clue that cupid - always waiting in the wings for a little mischief - was capitalizing on a golden opportunity. Little did Cupid know that it was HE who was playing the fool, as Pandorus sprung on this chance to steal a stiff arrow from the vulnerable quiver and shot it through the belt of Orion. The coarsing of this arrow created a cataclysmic cosmic event which many now call the vernal equinox -- the "coming of the Spring season". It was at this time that Cupid knew that his holiday was truly over, at least for another 10 months.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Monster


Has the Industrial Revolution and its consequences been a disaster for the human race or has its influence been a necessity for a better quality of life? No matter which side you may agree with, one thing is for sure -- its existence has led to the creation of a large number of monsters...monsters that society has yet to not only fathom, but contain.

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Feet:Part II


Okay...here's a quick little skeletal study of...you guessed it..."feet". Couldn't resist throwing this classroom demo in...hot off the press.

Feet


The greatest hero of the Trojan War, responsible for conquering mighty Troy, had but one weakness. Unfortunately for Achilles, he was dipped into the liquid of immortality, held by his ankles -- the only part of his body susceptible to the woes of the earth. No other being knew better where this weakness lied than that of Paris, who offered the tattered warrior a private pedicure after Greece's most famous battle.

Saturday, March 11, 2006

Tattoo


Patiently waiting for his captor to return, Cupid not only eluded his shackles, but fashioned a bow and one arrow out of the rotting tree stump from which he was bound. Knowing he had but only one opportunity to secure a successful escape, he fired a well placed shaft into the back of the heartless soldier. Into the empty sky flew Cupid, leaving nothing to the his captor but bewilderment and a well-crafted tattoo, carved into the lowly dying tree, that today, so ironically saved his life.

Monday, March 06, 2006

Insect: Part 2


After a long day at work, Sebastian entered the famous "Walnut Room" lounge, kicked back and lit up six of his finest cigars. Was his death the result of FEAR of the the fact that a termite inhabited a well-wooden room or JEALOUSY from the fact that someone could enjoy six specimens simultaneously? Whatever the reason, the bouncers were certain that he be removed from the high-browed lounge and tossed to the lowly cobblestone streets that so wickedly awaited his poor exoskeleton.