{"id":29837,"date":"2016-01-13T23:45:48","date_gmt":"2016-01-14T04:45:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nearbycafe.com\/artandphoto\/photocritic\/?p=29837"},"modified":"2016-02-20T09:42:40","modified_gmt":"2016-02-20T14:42:40","slug":"ring-in-the-new-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nearbycafe.com\/artandphoto\/photocritic\/2016\/01\/13\/ring-in-the-new-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"Ring In the New: 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A.<\/a>The Throws of Winter<\/strong><\/p>\n

From a blurb for “Dikeou Superstars: Lawrence Seward”<\/a> at zingmagazine<\/em>‘s spinoff site, the Dikeou Collection: “We are now officially in the throws of winter.” Indeed we are. Unless I keep them cupboard my earlobs could get frostbeaten. I hear on the noose that the pitch trees down souse have loft all their believes. Gives me southpaws, let me till you. Makes me yearn for the worm weather to come, watching the hurls in their simmer tresses. [Note, February 20: I give the last word to Kanye West: “[T]here is only one thrown and that\u2019s God’s.”]<\/p>\n

Speaking of which: Winter has in fact arrived here, late but full force. On Sunday, January 3, I took Billie the Bengal out to back garden for a walk with me in my hoodie, perfectly comfortable for both of us. On Monday the 4th, when I stepped out the front door to run some errands, my breath frosted, and a blast of cold air slapped my face so hard I could feel my skin contracting.<\/p>\n

They Demand Popcorn
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Praying<\/a>

Praying mantis with 3D glasses, courtesy Newcastle University<\/p><\/div>\n

We have praying mantises in our garden, so this headline definitely intrigued me: “Praying mantises watch movies while wearing tiny 3-D glasses.”<\/a> Seems mantises have stereo vision, and love to watch 1950s Hollywood flicks about alien invaders.<\/p>\n

Well, I lied about the last part. But they do have stereo vision. And they do enjoy watching stereo movies about bugs. Next stop, Google Cardboard.<\/p>\n

Another World Heard From<\/strong><\/p>\n

What do we want creatures from a distant planet, solar system, galaxy, or universe to know about us? For one answer, dating from 1977, we can turn to the “golden records” created by a committee headed by the late Carl Sagan, astronomer and science popularizer. Mounted on the outside of Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, these records contain a sampling of earthling output etched into copper LP records, including:<\/p>\n