Gallery: Chris McGowan Photography

Photography is a means of not only capturing a particular scene; it is also a way of seeing the world through another's eyes.

Often, we go through life caught in our routine and miss seeing the remarkable in even the seemingly ordinary. 

Photography refreshes our soul and liberates us from being hostage to the rat race.  It keeps us forever young.

Below are photos shot by Chris McGowan, a young photographer who dedicatedly pursues his passion to capture the beauty around him.

Sunrise over the plains

 

Smokey Mountain Overlooking Wild Goose Island, Glacier Park, Montana

Railroad Tracks

Elk Creek, Augusta, Montana

Ariel's Note: G+Chris McGowan is an aspiring outdoor photographer who lives  in Helena, Montana.  With his love for the outdoors and adventure he uses his passion for photography to help others see Montana through his eyes.  His favorite images to capture are landscapes, wildlife, and historic architecture.

To view more of his work visit www.chrismcgowanphotography.com.

- Ariel Murphy  

Talking to Siri

Siri, my iphone's phone's concierge, can reportedly follow commands. Here are what I'd like her to do:

 

1.  Mow my yard.

2.  Wipe my kitchen counter every 5 minutes.

3.  Fish for Ahi.

4.  Take me to the turtles of  Punalu'u.

5.  Dance with me on the sugar fine white beaches of Boracay.

6.  Send me a bundle of sweet-smelling sage tied in a deep   red bow.

7.  Blindfold and take me on a Trust Walk.

8.  Reach for my hand and hold it tightly.

9. Tell me you love me.

10. Repeat the the last everyday. 

 

Boracay beach, Philippines

Turtles on  Punaluu Black Sand Beach, Big Island, Hawaii

- Ariel Murphy 

 

Photo Gallery - Red Flowers

Everyone likes flowers. We gift and greet each other with flowers. When we find it hard to say what are in our hearts, we use flowers to speak for us.

We like flowers so much we attempt to immortalize their beauty through drawings, paintings and photographs. Below are some of my favorite photos of red flowers. I hope that the close-up shots inspire us to look closer at the beauty around us so that we see not  just shapes and forms but also their very essence.

May the flowers' vibrant red hues brighten our day and  bring passion into everything we do.




Photo by Ren Tyhychi



Claret cup cactus by Raoul Touzon

 

Hibiscus petals by Amy White

 

Dahlia by Jagadeesh

Red Pansy by dieffi

- Ariel Murphy

 

Breast Size and Sexism: Titillating News

Yesterday, I stumbled upon an interesting article in the Huffington Post.  The article was entitled "Sexist Men Like Big Boobs?"  and talked about a study made by the University of Westminster published in February in the Archives of Sexual Behavior.

According to the study, men who prefer big breasts tend to be sexist  more than  those who prefer small ones. The "big breast men" associate  big boobs with "traditional" femininity and perceive women to be meek and weak. These are the type of men inclined to treat women as mere objects of convenience.

Reading the article made me think of another study I read  many years back that correlates men's intelligence with their breast-size preference.  The study said that men who prefer women who are not as well endowed as others tend to be more intelligent than their counterparts who prefer large mammary glands.

I thought about those two studies and wondered if men's preference for more "spirited" women has anything to do at all with their intelligence and sexism.

Would you say that the higher a man's IQ the less likely he is intimidated by women who are not afraid to give an opinion or dare ask questions?  Do more intelligent men  tend to appreciate women who are "non-conforming"?

This blog may not directly help save the world but I do have an altruistic reason for posting it.

The less sexist men are the  happier and more self-actualized women  will be.

Fulfilled and happy women make for a better world.

Actress Selma Hayek. Source: pininterest.com

 Link to breast size story: 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/01/sexist-men-big-boobs-breast-size-study_n_2792287.html?ir=Women
 

- Ariel Murphy 

 

Mayon Volcano - Perfectly Formed

Mayon Volcano is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.  It is located in the province of Albay, Philippines.

According to Philippine folkore, Mayon arose from the gravesite of two ill-fated lovers who were killed by a spurned rival. Legend has it that the lovers sing to each other whenever the volcano erupts.

Mayon has erupted about 40 times within the last 400 years. Its most recent eruption was in 2009.

Famous for its symmetrical cone, Mayon is considered as the world's most perfectly formed volcano.  The photos below show Mayon's majesty.
 

Photo by Ian Varona

The structure on the right is the belfry tower of Cagsawa Church which was buried by an eruption of Mayon Volcano

Photo by Tryfon Topalidis

 

 

Source: Flickr

 

Photo by Dacel Andes

Link to  a short video  (amateur) showing Mayon Volcano:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoMEqf79sEQ

  

- Ariel Murphy

Invasive Ants

The  lines have been drawn in North Carolina between Argentine ants and Asian needle ants in a battle over territory and food.  Both the Argentines and  the Asians are invaders and, like other ants, go crazy over sugar.

 

According to Scientific American, the Argentines have conquered native ants everywhere, except for those, if ever, in Antarctica. Now, the Argentines stand to lose their turf to the Asians.

 

The invading ants are only a few of the more than 12,040 species of ants in the world. Some of the ants are eco-friendly gardeners that till the soil and plant seeds.  Invaders, on the other hand, are outright destroyers. Their sting can be lethal to humans.

 

The ants are so pervasive, they've gone into my mind. There are days when negative ants overwhelm the friendly ants of my thoughts, making me  hyperventilate in allergic reaction.

 

Those are the days when I need candy the most.

 

 

Photo by Maya Garrett

 

Here 's the link to an article about invasive ants:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=invasive-ant-wars

 

- Ariel Murphy

 

Something Wonderful

Scott Miller and I were lovers for four years. Since we separated, we've been very good friends and consider each other the only sibling we have in Hawaii.

Scott is a stickler for integrity. He is honest and trust-worthy.  Once I gave him a check, which he refused to take. He told me that the money did not belong to him but to my late husband -- someting I couldn't have known. A lesser man would have simply pocketed the check.

Scott is well known  for his expertise and generosity.  He was the first acupuncturist to set up shop in Hilo and was judged as the best acupuncturist  in town by a local publication.  Knowing Scott's abilities fully well, the only acupuncture school on the Big Island routinely sends Scott applicants for evaluation and training and recently finally persuaded him to start teaching in the school.

The "gentle giant" is what people call Scott because his height (6'4) and weight (never mind) correspond to his big heart and the extent of his kindness. He does not hesitate to give acupuncture treatments or medicine for free, or at a substantially discounted rate, to those he knows desperately needs healing but cannot afford the fees.

Blessed with a sunny disposition, Scott always has a ready joke to tell. He inserts his acupuncture needles on his patients as he makes them smile at his jokes, which he would first practice on me.  Sometimes he forgets that he has already told me the joke at least five times before. I tell him that he must be related to Pia, one of "The Three Sisters," who likes to repeat the same stories she had already many times told me previously.

Today, I'm bringing Scott to the hospital. He needs a procedure done on an eye, which has been bothering him for some time now.

Though afflicted with an eye problem, Scott staunchly refuses to be in the dark.  He would greet most mornings enthusiastically  announcing: "something wonderful is going to happen to me today."

Thank you Scott for your friendship, caring and  your joy, optimism, selflessness,  and  enthusiasm for living.

Happy birthday!  Know that I love you and  hope that something wonderful happens to you today!

 

Scott Miller and his "daughters"

- Ariel Murphy

 

Together in Their Yesterdays

 

There they were. Two lonely people. They kissed. They touched. They plastered their wounds with how much they can share of themselves with one another.

 

But when they finally went into each other, they  each had another person on their minds -- their indelible past creeping into their present like rain seeping through parched earth.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53x_ePVEAgY

 

 

- Ariel Murphy

Internet Friendship

 

I met somebody last night.  Well, I have actually met him but had never seen him until last night. We're Facebook friends and he comments on my blogs.

 

It was nice, to say the least, finally meeting him face to face.  He introduced me to his partner, who couldn't dance. So he and I danced instead.

 

I wish I could personally meet all those I only see on my computer screen. But most of them live an airplane ride or oceans away in France, Switzerland, India, Korea, Germany,  Canada, Bangladesh, etc.

 

Most of the time, the only thing they do is G+ my blog, which tells me that they like it enough to give me points. Occasionally, if and when I'm lucky, I get a comment or two.

 

I am grateful for how the internet makes the sharing of thoughts possible and bring people together, no matter where they are.

 

This shows me that people want to reach out and be understood and appreciated for what they share -- be they photographs they've taken, jokes they've heard, or thoughts in their minds.

 

The more we connect with each other, the lesser the separation, which is the breeding ground for misunderstandings and consequently, conflict.

 

In a way we can say that through cyberspace, you and I have an amazing long distance relationship affirming that all of us have the same concerns, joys and heartaches as our planet ship sails through the waters of life.

 

And maybe, just maybe, someday  somewhere we'll hopefully see each other, just as an internet friend and I did last night.

 

There's always something to look forward to.

 

 

 - Ariel Murphy

 

Of Beasts and Men

Authorities in Bucharest, Romania swooped in on  a house owned by a criminal freed after only  a year in prison for  violence and human trafficking, including pimping.  

 

The man was said to be the  head of a large criminal ring in Bucharest   that  lured and forced impoverished pubescent girls into prostitution. 

 

Romanian police allegedly found a torture chamber in the house not to mention  four lions, two bears and other less-fearsome animals. 

 

The animals were taken to a zoo. The other beast is expected to be back behind bars.

 

No need for pimps there.



Source: africasti.com



 - Ariel Murphy