Industry, As Far as the Eye Can See

Edward Burtynsky, Manufacturing #18 (Cankun Factory, Zhangzhou, Fujian Province, 2005)

Canadian art photographer Edward Burtynsky is my greatest influence in terms of landscape photography. I love the balanced framing of intense industrialization, and how he is able to present the brutal destruction of the natural world in a way that is aesthetically appealing, and even beautiful.

My collection of Canadian landscape photography attempts to immitate his work, on a more humble and local scale. You can view the collection by clicking here.

Me Thinks The Lady Doth Protest Too Much

A scold’s bridle, sometimes called a brank’s bridle or simply branks, was an instrument of punishment used primarily on women, as a form of torture and public humiliation. First introduced by the Church of Scotland in 1567, the device saw use across Europe and the New World until the mid 18th century.  

The device was an iron muzzle in an iron framework that enclosed the head. A bridle-bit, about 2 inches long and 1 inch broad, projected into the mouth and pressed down on top of the tongue. The curb-plate was frequently studded with spikes, so that if the offender moved her tongue, it inflicted pain and made speaking impossible. Woman who were seen as witches, shrews and scolds, were forced to wear the branks, locked onto their head.

What's the Deal with Spanish Fly?

The Spanish fly is actually an emerald-green beetle, Lytta vesicatoria, belonging to the blister beetle family. (Meloidae). The insect's juice, terpenoid cantharidin, is a toxic blistering agent with poisonous properties comparable in degree to that of the most violent poisons.

However, despite the inherent danger, it has a legendary reputation as an aphrodisiac. As it passes through the body, cantharidin irritates the genitals resulting in increased blood flow that can mimic the engorgement that occurs with sexual excitement.

 For this reason, various preparations of desiccated Spanish flies have been used as some of the world’s oldest love potions, with a reputation dating back to the early western Mediterranean classical civilizations.

The ease of toxic overdose makes this highly dangerous, so the sale of real Spanish Fly has been made illegal in most countries. 

The Rarest Job in the World

Blimp pilots are an uncommon breed.  There are less than 30 operational blimps worldwide, and in the United States, only 24 people who are officially licensed to fly them.

Note: The image above depicts German Zeppelin LZ 129 Hindenburg on arrival at Lakehurst, New Jersey, after its inaugural flight from Friedrichshafen, Germany, on the early morning of 9 May 1936.

Cutting A Fat Person in Half

This MRI scan shows the difference between a healthy (120 pound) and obese (250 pound) woman.  You can see where the strain is put on an obese body. Excess fat not only encases the woman’s waistline but also wraps around her heart, liver, lungs and tissues.