Timepiece Assembly.

Talk about talent and skill, working with such tiny gears and components. Impressive. Well worth the watch (no pun intended). FULL SCREEN MODE.

Impressive!

Deceptive Art.

What kind of Wizardry is this? Full screen mode=a must.

Chuck king's portrait. Is he in hell?

Later I found where someone put the portrait, flipped, side by side. Tell me that it doesn't look demonic.

You can't possibly miss the Baphomet imagery. It's intentional.

FOX News (Yahoo): King Charles III divides fans after monarch releases first portrait: It 'looks like he's in hell'.

"It looks like he’s burning in hell," an Instagram user wrote.

Daily Beast: 'Burning in Hell' or 'Very Fine'? King Charles' First Official Portrait Unveiled.

Burning in Hell. No doubt.

Statue of Obese ‘Woman of Color’ to Be Installed in London’s Trafalgar Square.

The National Pulse: Statue of Obese ‘Woman of Color’ to Be Installed in London’s Trafalgar Square.

A statue of an obese “metropolitan woman of color” will be installed in London’s iconic Trafalgar Square, alongside a monument to Admiral Lord Nelson, the Hero of Trafalgar, and statues of King George IV and war heroes General Sir Charles James Napier and Major-General Sir Henry Havelock.
[.]
It will feature a black female with prominent buttocks wearing platform shoes and a revealing blue dress.
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It will not be permanent, with the city authorities rotating a series of often woke installations on the fourth plinth. ‘Towards an Uncertain Future,’ a shapeless green mass by Romanian sculptor Andra Ursuța, is set to replace it in 2028.

The Objet d'art ⏫ .

Does it have the Stacey Abrams, Lizzo and Oprah Seal of Approval?

Will be replaced by "a shapeless green mass." Like...moss?

Imperial College students triggered by "phallic" sculpture.

This resembles a penis?

NY Post: Woke college students are ‘hurt’ by supposedly ‘phallic’ abstract sculpture.

Sir Anthony Gormley used steel blocks to create his piece called “Alert,” which was meant to portray a human squatting, but the students think it appears more equivalent to an “erect penis” instead.

With the art set to be installed this year in a plaza on campus, Gormley released a statement that appeared on the school’s website.

“Through the conversion of anatomy into an architectural construction I want to re-assess the relation between body and space. Balancing on the balls of the feet while squatting on its haunches and surveying the world around it, the attitude of this sculpture is alive, alert and awake,” he wrote.

The student union was less than impressed and released a statement of their own that was obtained by the Guardian. They were concerned the sculpture would ruin the school’s reputation.

Imperial College has a reputation? Does the student union think it's a "good" one?

Minneapolis residents raise concerns about Uptown Mall renovation. Oh, no! The Patchouli-Birkenstock Crowd is Triggered!

A fine example of Full Circle Liberalism, aka Socialism 360°. How I love stories like these...

FOX 9 KMSP: Minneapolis residents raise concern about Uptown Mall renovation:

Some possible changes could be coming to an age-old part of Uptown Minneapolis. Plans from the Park Board could potentially reduce the amount of parking on part of the plaza.
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For more than a century, the Uptown Mall has been a shady oasis in one of the most densely-populated neighborhoods in the city.

Some neighbors worry possible changes to the park could cause it to lose its character.

“This is like going to St. Anthony Main and ripping up all the bricks,” said Uptown resident Steven Taylor. “Uptown doesn’t want that.”

Last spring, the Park Board released a new design to update the median between Hennepin Avenue and East lake of the Isles Parkway that would include a new plaza and play area by the Walker Library, a connection to the Midtown Greenway and community and rain gardens.

Park Board officials say a Community Advisory Committee is also considering getting rid of the streets in the two blocks closest to Lake of the Isles and turning them into green space for multi-use fields and a sand volleyball court.

“It was quite shocking for the community to hear about,” said East Isles Residents Assocation Ellen Van Iwaarden. (GASP! The Progs were shocked! Triggered! They didn't see it coming. - DD)

The East Isles Residents Association says neighbors are split on the possible plans for the park.

“There are some people who are absolutely for it, who think we shouldn’t be designing our parks around cars,” Van Iwaarden said. “But there are many who live in the apartments and park there.”

Nobody wants to tarnish one of the city’s hidden gems.

“I’m not opposed to getting rid of parking for the right reasons,” Taylor said. “I don’t think volleyball courts is the right reasons [sic].”

Understand this geographic area is a textbook definition of Progressivism.

Some folks in the area worry this renovation may cause the area to lose its character. WELCOME to what you've pushed on everyone else, everywhere else.  How does it feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeel?

Renovation? Heck yes, DO IT! I have suggestions:

* Add a 24/7 bus line or light rail service.
* Add several pedestrian bridges, whether they're needed or not.
* A couple of amphitheaters. Why have only one?
* Since Minneapolis has a large homeless population, add several affordable-housing-in-a-box projects. Make them real tall and narrow buildings with the first level being zoned for commercial use. Dig deep underground parking facilities that will take years to complete. The benefits outweigh any short-term delays, don't they?
* Eliminate all vehicles and build several lanes for bicycles, skateboarding, scooters, roller-blading and unicorns.
* Design a costly, grand, obtuse, central-theme artwork. Maybe a gigantic, Plexiglas nonagon filled with liquid that glows or changes colors similar to a lava-lamp!
* Designate the renovated area a Gun Free Zone so no crime or vandalism will occur there, ever.
* Make all activities free; no-charge. Everything is Free! Always!

How is all this funded and paid for? Why ask such an unrelated and offensive question. Are you some Fascist Luddite who hates progress and development?

See, in the long run, the above will save so much money, it will pay for itself. A government or quasi-government bureaucracy that accurately predicts future tax revenue will say so, and projected revenue and savings are never wrong. Any financial burden by - say, taxpayers - will be short-lived. Besides, taxpayers have LOTS of money. Lots and Lots of it.

The benefits of renovating the Uptown Mall area? Beneficial to everyone, it will be a happy place where everyone is welcome.

Somewhere, hidden in all this renovation plan, there must be the belief that promotes this plan fights global warming global cooling climate change. How could anyone be against that?

DO IT! Make the renovation happen. Make the plan Grand and Bold! I'm all for it!

Full Circle Liberalism hits and so many NIMBYS start whining? This is the mystery of life. It's time to do your part, Uptown. Cars and parking are bad for the environment. Volleyball courts and green spaces are better for the environment!

Losing character and tarnishing gems, hidden or otherwise, is what Liberalism does best. Somehow, Liberals dislike living with it, though they expect - née demand - it from others.

We should probably doxx everyone who even slightly voices any opposition to this planned Uptown renovation.
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FOX 9 KMSP Archived

Artist Sean Connaughty blames Pepsi, Coca-Cola, McDonalds and the Mars Corporation for Lake Hiawatha litter.

Minneapolis "(F)artist" Sean Connaughty

KSTP: Minneapolis artist takes unique approach to solve pollution problem at Lake Hiawatha:

A Minneapolis man wants to send a strong message [Ohhh! Shssssh! We ALL must listen to this strongly sent message - DD.]  about the pollution problem at Lake Hiawatha, and he says multiple groups are to blame.

"I think we're all wrestling with how to address this problem," said Sean Connaughty, the primary artist for this project.

For the last 5 years, Connaughty has tried to solve the pollution problem on Lake Hiawatha.

This year, he and some volunteers removed 350 pounds of trash from the lake.

"The trash is coming from us in our community," Connaughty said.

After sorting through it, he decided to build pieces of art to show the public where the garbage is coming from. The top four companies are Pepsi, Coca-Cola, McDonalds and the Mars Corporation.

"I would love for them to step up and to contribute funding to treat the storm water for Lake Hiawatha," Connaughty said.

Above: Sean Connaughty's garbage art.

All the litter must be from Republicans, Libertarians and Conservatives.

Cortez: "I could win a Nobel Prize in Physics."

Well there Cortez, don't jump the gun saving Drafts anytime soon, or in the future, composing a "thank you-acceptance" speech.

Cortez did discover a portal to another dimension in her kitchen. Maybe I'm underestimating her? Naah.

Standing Rock, Taxpayer funded art, offensive?

KMSP FOX 9: Police depicted as Nazis, Klan and Trump groping woman.

The painting, by Anishinaabe artist Jim Denomie, depicts the 2016 protests over the Dakota Access oil pipeline in North Dakota. Protesters were concerned about the impact on the Missouri River and the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation.

Denomie’s work shows Native American protesters on one side of a fiery river holding peaceful signs. On the far bank are police with military vehicles, attack dogs and a water cannon. One of the vehicles features a swastika, while Klan members stand behind the police. Nearby, a caricature of President Donald Trump is seen groping a woman.
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State Rep. Josh Heintzeman, R-Nisswa, said the painting was “repulsive” and said the Arts Board should not fund projects like this.
[.]
Denomie said the state should continue funding art that criticizes the government because it’s part of the democratic process.

“I invent creative ways to express this information in hopes that people will stop and think about that history and those events,” he said.

 

Images via KMSP; artist Jim Denomie

Hit the link for more images and info. Note, that the amount of one grant Mr. Denomie received was the organization's maximum of $10,000. I'd like to see the invoice(s) and amounts for paint and canvas supplies.

Should "provocative art" have a purpose beyond just being provocative? I'm not sure I buy the artist's rationalizations of his "deeper meanings" behind the images. For me, I base it on "plug-in different characters" and what's the result? In other words, substitute any and all different people and groups for those that are represented in the images, and is the result the same, different or unchanged? Bill Clinton groping a woman? R. Kelly? Drug cartels and gangs depicted as a KKK-like group? Insert the Anti-Defamation League as the "crushing law enforcement" agency? The U.N.? LGBTQ? Russians? Irish? Muslims? The Rotary Club? Toastmasters?

Does art like this work towards a process of healing and improving relationships or does it further foment division and prejudices? Should the government fund "the arts"? If so, what restrictions, if any, should be placed on artistic details and expression? Would "the arts", in general, suffer greatly if limited solely to private funding and philanthropy?

Subject-matter or "rationalized subject-matter" notwithstanding, the quality of the painting(s) itself - and I'm no painter or paint artist by any means - resembles cheap, water-color figures from a C- high school student art class assignment.

Anyone?

More at KVVR.

McJesus Controversy

The Independent: "Art" of Ronald McDonald as Jesus, in Israel's Haifa Museum sparks protests.

Violent clashes between hundreds of Arab Christians and police erupted in Haifa on Friday after a protest over a piece of art showing a crucified Ronald McDonald titled “McJesus".
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It said the work was part of an exhibit on consumerism that “references mega-corporations’ cynical use of religious symbols.” 

Ma'an News: Haifa Museum displays other offensive "art".

Jesus Christ was depicted as a clown and as a Ken doll, while the Virgin Mary was depicted as a Barbie doll.

The “McJesus,” which was sculpted by Finnish artist, Janei Leinonen, and depicts a crucified Ronald McDonald, went on display in August as part of the Haifa museum’s “Sacred Goods” exhibit.

The display also featured a number of other pieces depicting Jesus Christ, including one as a Ken doll, while the Virgin Mary was depicted as a Barbie doll.

Patheous: Asked to remove the offensive art, Haifa Museum instead addresses violent reactions.

One of the protesters complained that the government was slow to react to their concerns because they were from the Christian minority.

    "If they put up [a sculpture of] Hitler with a Torah scroll they would immediately respond." Thursday, Culture Minister Miri Regev sent Haifa Museum director Nissim Tal a letter calling for the sculpture’s removal."

    "Disrespect of religious symbols sacred to many worshipers in the world as an act of artistic protest is illegitimate and cannot serve as art at a cultural institution supported by state funds."
[.]
...the Haifa Municipality put up a sign at the entrance to the exhibit explaining it contains potentially offensive content.

The museum also condemned the throwing of the molotov cocktail and said any objection to the piece must not be expressed violently.

    "A discourse about art, however complex it may be, must not spill over into violent territory and must be respected – even in charged situations."

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Solves Vexing Puzzle

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, (D - New York's newly-elected U.S House of Representatives), proudly displays her success in accomplishing a 9-piece children's puzzle.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez holds puzzle she completed.

Averaging Reading Time

Approximate reading time: 1m 15s

I've noticed sites are more and more adding a blurb including an "Average Reading Time," and I like that idea.

I'm going to be doing that from time to time, especially on the more wordy posts, which, to be honest I hate writing, let alone publishing and expecting others to read it.

What metrics am I basing the Average Reading Time I'll be using?

Well, I read the post aloud and allot 20-30 seconds to click on a link, read the headline, and return to the blog.

I understand that the order of words and their sequence can be written so as scanning across a sentence, or multiple words at one time, you'll grasp what I'm  conveying.

You could go down a Rabbit Hole following a link in a post and become lost on Albert Gore Jr.'s SuperDuper Information Highway...but I can't be held accountable for that.

So, copy (i.e. text), images and checking the links within the post will be the criteria I use. Please, by all means, take a stopwatch - there's probably one your computer or cell phone - and time yourself reading it and let me know if your ART is within the same timeframe.

Thanks.
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Typos corrected 8/12/2017