Having exposed some of my softer and more sensitive side in music selections, feel it is time to really show my artistic weaknesses as well. Fairweather (http://fairweatherlewis.blogstream.com/) did so regarding Masaccio and some, well, will not embarrass some others who post about modern art by giving out names. Always enjoyed art but without really pondering on likes and dislikes. Then, several years ago, the National Gallery had a special on the Pre-Raphaelites (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Raphaelites). It was splendid, absolutely breathtaking. At one end of the room was Flaming June

The Pre-Raphealites were a group of artists, sculptors, writers in the middle 1800's who espoused 1. Expressing genuine ideas. 2. Studing Nature attentively, so as to know how to express them 3. Sympathising with what is direct and serious and heartfelt in previous art, to the exclusion of what is conventional and self-parodying and learned by rote;. 4. Producing thoroughly good pictures and statues.

Here the mermaid who resides over the john in our bathroom.

And some more from Alma-Tedema:

And a Millais:

John Dalton

Another of those thoughts that come while reading Scientific American on the throne. Why is it that sitting on the throne is so productive?

This time, it is an article on vitamin D. It turns out that D goes through a number of transformations and affects a wide variety of organs and health issues. One remarkable thing about it is how much we know about it and how it works. On cellular and molecular levels. Modern biology and chemistry is really something.

The thought, though, (two interesting words) came from how did all of this ability to know about these things get started.

One start was John Dalton (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dalton), the discoverer of the atom. Published it in “Experimental Essays” in 1802. Dalton had trouble convincing anyone of his concepts, however. Dalton's work was supported by Amadeo Avogadro (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avogadro) in an 1811 essay. The concept of atoms was not widely accepted, however, until a conference in Karsluhe, Germany, in 1860. Avogadro is also given credit for the concept of molecules. In the early 1900's there were still prominent scientists who doubted atomic theory. Wilhem Ostwald, chemistry Nobel Prize winner (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avogadro) and Max Planck, founder of the quantum theory (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Planck) among them

In 1910, a Japanese scientist, Umetaro Suzuki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umetaro_Suzuki), discovered vitamins.

Although Robert Hooke (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Hooke) first noticed cells in 1665, the concept is credited to Matthias Schleiden (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthias_Jakob_Schleiden) and Theodor Schwann (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodor_Schwann) in 1839.

And now all of this has come together, discoveries and scientists building on each other, 100 years of it.

This molecule, Vitamin D, is produced in the skin by sunlight, goes through a number of transformations, and is used to cure ricketts in the bones, tuberculosis in the lungs, cancer, immune disorders, kidney disease, numerous problems. And we know all of this! At molecular and cellular levels! Some of the studies were done in mice bred to either produce or not produce the vitamin or having genes with human components inserted.

Dalton, Avogadro, the others would marvel at what they had wrought. And it is marvelous.

A brief observation. The news is full of Pakistan and Cuba. Our Forefathers gave us something truly remarkable - a Constitution and system that provides for an orderly transfer of power. Even in civil war, assassination, war. There may be acrimony and verbal assaults but the system works beautifully. Thanks guys.

One of my favorite singers is the little tenor from Philadelphia, Mario Lanza (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Lanza) . Pavarotti he is not. He does have one of those voices that, like Pavarotti, can be easily recognized. And a boyish quality. Loved his movies. Especially the Kathryn Grayson ones.

Wikipedia says: “Lanza has been credited with inspiring the careers of successive generations of opera singers, including Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Leo Nucci and Jose Carreras, as well as those of singers with seemingly different backgrounds, and influences, his RCA Victor label-mate Elvis Presley being the most notable example. In 1994, tenor José Carreras paid tribute to Lanza in a worldwide concert tour, saying of him, "If I'm an opera singer, it's thanks to Mario Lanza."

imbd (http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0487292/bio) says: “Mario Lanza's life, sadly, has all the markings of an epic Shakespearean tragedy. The story is truly incredible: a wild, incendiary Philadelphia kid who can sing better than Caruso, sets out to become the greatest dramatic opera singer who ever lived, is detoured by Louis B. Mayer and vixen Hollywood, is remade into a fiercely handsome box office champ with 50 inch chest, his own national radio show, 1951 TIME Magazine cover idol, and king of the pop record world.”

He died tragically at the age of 38. Good family man but abused by the industry and his manager. May even have died at the hands of the Sicilian Mafia (http://www.lanzalegend.com/welcome.htm).

First of all, the conditionals. Am a Christian. Not is the sense of born again but in the sense that I grew up in a Christian home and live in a Christian society. Do not attend church. Church is a business, an organization, not a religion. Do not believe that my religion is any better or any more right than the others. Except headhunters, cannibals, zealots, or extremists.

God exists. That is not a belief or a thought. It is a fact. Like the Hawking proof. Fifteen billion years ago, stuff was created. There are two possibilities. Everything is a series of random events or there is a Creator. But when you go through the odds, they become astronomical in favor of The Creator. But then, the odds were astronomical that OJ was guilty. Let's face it folks, The Creator is a fact.

And the Bible is the word of God. As interpreted by man. My Principles of College Physics is the word of God, also. As interpreted by Shortley and Williams. There is a lot of really good stuff about our world and universe in both of them. Both are hard to understand and subject to a lot of errors. But they are the word of God. They help us comprehend a very complex world and ourselves.

Prayer works. Do not believe that if you pray for a million smackers, it will get dumped in your lap this afternoon. But if you really want it to happen, you can pull up from within yourself the ablilities that Mother Nature gave you. And you can align the forces of the universe to help things happen.

First Cause is a concept that The Creator created stuff and then went off for a cup of coffee and a nap while everything coasts. Now, we do get into beliefs. I for one, am not about to say that The Creator was so incompetent that He/She cold not get things right the first time. But I do enjoy having God-Allah-The Creator-Jehovah-Flying Spaghetti Monster-etc. sticking His/Her finger into my everyday life. And I do enjoy my conversations. And my associations with The Creator's CEO, Mother Nature.

The universe and the world would not work if things did not die. Stars and worlds die. Critters die. If they did not, we would not be here. When The Creator made stuff, that is the way it works. And life is not easy. It is the challenges and hardships that make things move along. And make life interesting. The discoveries that came from World War II are still being developed. Necessity is the mother. When the going gets tough. Good things happen to good people. Good things happen to bad people. Bad things happen to good people. Bad things happen to bad people. But we do have the strength and ability to handle it. Mother Nature may give us a lot of grief. But She also gives us all the tools we need.

Mother Nature gave us a spectacular brain. Do you want to know what blasphemy is? It is not using that brain.

And there is so much good, fun,and really neatsy-cool stuff in our world and our lives. Thank God for all of that.