Friday, December 31, 2010

Mobility

Many stores, especially larger ones, make shopping easier for customers who cannot move about easily by providing motorized carts such as seen here in a Target store.
Motorized Cart

Thursday, December 30, 2010

RnT

This New York style deli Roasters' n Toasters on US1 across from Datran center is really popular. There is always a crowd waiting outside for a table. I come here once in a while for their BIG omelettes and do not mind the waiting except when it's cold.
Wait To Get In

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Johns

This is what the "Johns" look like inside the movie theaters of Sunset Place. Quite functional but antiseptic in appearance. The water faucets work by motion sensors, which is the current trend of public place toilets.
Sunset Place

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Chez Maco's

This huge condo/office building that sits between the metro rail Dadeland station and the Best Buy/Target/Sport Authority... shopping complex continues to have new business moving in and out in this struggling economy. My last peek at it reveals the Maco's sub and salad shop. It seems that everyone is relying on the hope that Miamians eat out a lot.

Maco's

Monday, December 27, 2010

Artsy Kitchen and Bar

I was treated today to a visually striking new restaurant, Wynwood Kitchen & Bar in Miami’s emerging arts district. It only opened very recently, on Friday, November 26, 2010, for lunch and dinner. It's surrounded by original artworks by some of the greatest artists from the urban street art scene. Aptly named Wynwood Walls, the "paintings" use as canvases walls of the surrounding old buildings. The food is innovative brasserie style cuisine created by chef Marco Ferraro. Wynwood Kitchen & Bar offers an artistic dining having options ranging from small plates, sausages, skewers, omelets, salads, burgers and sandwiches plus more substantial entrees. If you want to see other murals than this one, visit Wynwood Kitchen & Bar at 2550 N.W. 2nd Avenue, Miami. Make sure you don't get lost getting here, because the neighborhood is not for the faint of hearts.
Artsy Lunch

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Frozen Fish

I made an almost fatal mistake today when I went to Miami's Sun Life stadium for the Miami Dolphins professional football game against the Detroit Lions team. Well, Fish vs Lions. You can probably easily guess which one will prevail. Sure enough, the fish got creamed and lost 34 - 27. But that was not what almost killed me. That was the freezing temperature exacerbated by the constant wind for the entire ordeal of 4 quarters, lasting a good 3 hours. The wind chill made it felt like about 32 degree Fahrenheit, which was pretty close to kill me. I should have known better and consulted the weather almanac before coming here. As way of consolation, I asked permission and was granted the privilege of documenting the brutal weather in Miami by showing these die hard fans of the fish (Dolphins.) This is a first... blankets in Miami stadium? Unheard of! You see all the empty seats? They all left to go watch the game on big screen TVs inside.
Dead Fish

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Red Cat

Look at what I saw at the gas station on Christmas day. This young looking man is getting gas and I'm not sure how he felt while feeding his gas guzzler big time. I think that this car guzzles about US $5.50 to travel about 25 miles. But who cares? His car made really nice and loud sound when he was showing off his power and swiftly raced away. Could this be his new Xmas present this morning?
Red Cat

Friday, December 24, 2010

XMas

It's not Christmas without a tree with all the customary trimmings. Here's a good looking one.
XMas

Thursday, December 23, 2010

No Samson

OK, I'm BACK! Weakened, spent, bent but not broken...

My ordeal was quite emotional and in all fairness, I will spare you of those details. I must announce that I have a new barber. I was told by someone who cares a lot about me that I can get my hair cut today at this Hair Cuttery at Dadeland station in Miami. So here is how it looked. Yep, that's me. Please excuse the shabby look because you know why... You won't believe me that this wonderfully gentle and skillful new barber of mine's name is Delilah! No wonder I felt so weak after she was done with my hair that was trimmed probably the same way Samson received his hair cut during his sleep. Yep, I'm back for real...
Alive

Sunday, December 19, 2010

A Major Event

I am still here... but must take some time off due to a major detour in life... Please be patient... I promise I'll be back.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

The Kid's Alive!

Once in a while, you've got to do what you've got to do... I was forced to take a detour through a few swamps filled with alligators... so that took my inspiration away from this blog... momentarily... I'll be back without missing a beat... because all the missing photos are somewhere in some of my computers/cameras...

Got to fix a couple of minor computer rebellions (that's nothing, just a flesh wound) ... and fight off the alligators. If you think that the guy in this photo is in trouble... Think again.

I'm feeling like Louis Armstrong these days...

Nobody knows the trouble I've seen
Nobody knows but Jesus
Nobody knows the trouble I've seen
Glory Hallelujah

Come back to see me... I'll be back! The good news is... I'm not in the slammer!

Alive

Friday, October 29, 2010

Inmates In Motion

Today, there is a large movement of Miami's inmates from the jail facility in mid town using four huge reinforced, hermetically sealed truck-buses and generating a traffic mess, blazing their horns with flashing large red and blue headlights to stay together in a tight convoy. This is the last vehicle and I wonder who are inside them.

Inmates

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Supine Painter

This old building needs a new coat of paint, everywhere inside. Now you can see that is hard work to paint the baseboards of the walls. Would you like to tackle this job for an entire large multistory building with endless hallways like this man is trying to do? Well, it's a hard job, and someone got to do it.

Supine Painter

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Vote For Me

It's open season again in the US, and Miami is seeing its share of political madness. In the US, two years after the general election of a President is the time for mid-term election of legislators and other die hard politicians such as governors, representatives/congress persons and senators. If you listen to the avalanches of political infighting, you'd conclude they are all really, really, really bad, even if only about half of what everyone says is true. But that does not matter... all the strange names that the majority of voters have never heard of come out from nowhere and all clamor for "vote for me... he/she's really, really, really bad." Here are some names for you to see... Me? I like better the poster promoting the seasonal Halloween season Oct 7 - Oct 31. I take solace in that this will mercifully end after November 02, the day of judgment.

Horrific

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

SensorMatic

In Miami, the public bathrooms are being modernized and many are equipped with touchless operation of various dispensers of water, soap and dryer or paper towels. You either position your hands or wave them to start using the devices that are operated by infrared sensors. I bet that they did not think about the people who have poor vision. If you can't see, how can you use these gadgets?

SensorMatic

Monday, October 25, 2010

FPL

In my neighborhood of South Miami, we buy electricity from Florida Power and Light company (FPL.)Every house has a meter outside and FPL's personnel come by to read the meter monthly before they can bill for their service. Recently, they have installed brand new and formidable looking meters. I often wonder if they can be trusted to read the numbers correctly. How does this work? May be I'll start a new pet project about this, just to be on the safe side.


Hi-Tech Meter

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Ghouls and Company

While pumpkins are sold outdoor, other assortments for the celebration on Halloween night of October 31st are sold inside stores. This is one of many Halloween decorations inside a local K-Mart store. I like this cute witch. If she really can fly, I would like to ask for a free ride on her broom.


Ghouls

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Pumpkin Season

In the US, Halloween comes in October and that is the time to sell and buy pumpkins. They come in all sizes, some can be huge and can weigh upwards to a few hundred pounds. Tents are erected early in October and pumpkin sales are brisk until the last days of the month. The pumpkins are hollowed and carved into Jack-O-Lanterns placed in front of houses as tradition dictates. That's one good way to use a pumpkin and I hope all the seeds do not go to waste because they are a good source for Zinc.


Pumpkins

Friday, October 22, 2010

Nurses

These are small cubicles where patients are given various treatments that are required for their well being. Nursing is a noble but very demanding profession and this kind of work usually is very stressful. The three nurses seen here in their white uniforms are busy taking care of their patients.

Nurse Station

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Non e- Cards

The custom of sending greeting cards can be traced back to the ancient Chinese, who exchanged messages of good will to celebrate the New Year, and to the early Egyptians, who conveyed their greetings on papyrus scrolls.

The first known published Christmas card appeared in London in 1843, when Sir Henry Cole hired artist John Calcott Horsley to design a holiday card that he could send to his friends and acquaintances.

In the United States, the exchange of greeting cards is one of the most widely accepted and popular customs. Cards for virtually any occasion or relationship can be found in more than 100,000 retail outlets around the country. Approximately 7 billion greeting cards are purchased annually by U.S. consumers, generating an estimated $7.5 billion in retail sales. And here they are getting ready for Halloween, a US holiday celebrated on October 31st.

Me? I make my own cards to send via email, never buy any real cards any more, and I once in a blue moon receive real cards from "internet hater" friends, or the now very popular e-cards on my lucky days.

Real Cards

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Top Secret

In the US, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted by the Congress in 1996. It was originally sponsored by past Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Sen. Nancy Kassebaum (R-Kan.) For the many of you who are not of the US, the D- and R- stand for Democratic and Republican political parties in the US. And please do not get me started on that tangent.

According to the Centers for Medicare (the elderly) and Medicaid (the destitute) Services (CMS) website, Title I of HIPAA protects health insurance coverage for workers and their families when they change or lose their jobs. Title II of HIPAA, known as the Administrative Simplification (AS) provisions, requires the establishment of national standards for electronic health care transactions and national identifiers for providers, health insurance plans, and employers. Of course, that is all great and dandy in theory, but reality is quite different...

The Administration Simplification provisions also address the security and privacy of health data. The standards are meant to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the nation's health care system by encouraging the widespread use of electronic data interchange in the U.S. health care system. Again, you never can tell which standards these are meant to be.

In any case, this is a typical, and in tune with HIPAA, nameless medical office somewhere in Miami. A well-versed person, yours truly, can tell that this electronic data system is quite old. The screen is supposed to be protected in such a manner that it can be viewed only by the user sitting in front of it. This is not the case here. But... you can't read anything from here, so we are quite safe.

HIPAA

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Datran

The Datran Center includes two large buildings in South Miami.

One Datran Center is a 260,233 sf, 21-story office tower and Two Datran Center is a 216,179 sf, 22-story office tower. These two buildings have two garages, One Datran Center has an Eight-level and Two Datran Center has a Ten-level garage both of which provide over 1,600 covered spaces for self parking.

In this view, the Datran center is on the left and the garages are accessed from this Datran Drive that leads to US-1 seen beyond the garages overhead.


Datran One and Two

Monday, October 18, 2010

Artegooblegygook

I bet most of you didn't know this:

Arteriosclerosis is a general term describing any hardening (and loss of elasticity) of medium or large arteries (from the Greek Arterio, meaning artery, and sclerosis, meaning hardening.) It should not be confused with "arteriolosclerosis" or "atherosclerosis" which is any hardening (and loss of elasticity) of small arteries and arterioles (small arteries). This is often associated with hypertension.

This gentle fellow is getting a free hypertension scanning here today. The good news is that his readings are excellent: 120/70. Excellent!

Arte What?

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Bikes and Bikes

Today, I am at this hamburger joint in Miami, Betty's Best, that is quite friendly with bikers and race car enthusiasts. Weekly, there are bike and classic car nights on Thursdays. Today is a special day when the local bikers (they come as far as Ft. Lauderdale and the Florida keys) who gather here to support a biker fellow in needs. They are all inside for lunch and I understand everyone chips in and contribute US $5 to help out. Now, this very nice gesture goes to show that underneath tough outward appearances can be found hearts of gold.

Macho Bikes

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Mark My Expression

Body Tattoos are a part of almost every culture on this planet, and have been used since the dawn of time to identify, to beautify and to scare. They cause emotions that range for hatred and disgust to envy and admiration. The word 'Tattoo' come from the Polynesian word 'tatau' which translates roughly as 'to mark something'.

In the US, tattoos are quite popular, especially in the population of sport athletes. They are also very popular with younger females. If you look at some tattoos, you can't help to wonder how they do that. Here is one example of two ways to express oneself: on a T-shirt and on one's body. The tattoo on the arm is exquisitely high resolution and the points must be quite tiny. Take a closer look and you'll see what I mean. It must have hurt a lot. These two persons are bikers like many other bikers roaming the streets of Miami, and you can see these bikers almost every day because of the nice weather we have here.

Tattoo and T-Shirt

Friday, October 15, 2010

Don't Even Think About It

This is a look inside a small part of The University of Miami (UM) Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, an academic medical center founded in 1952. Beginning March of this year, this entire medical campus is off limit to any smoking whatsoever. This is a great thing that is beginning to take hold in the US.

As of October of this year, at least 2,473 local and/or state/territory/commonwealth hospitals, healthcare systems, and clinics of the US have adopted 100% smoke-free campus grounds policies that protect all employees, visitors, and patients from secondhand smoke exposure within their campuses. Eventually, soon, all of the US' health care facilities will comply with this inexorable trend, I am sure.

Here, the smoke-free guidelines apply to everyone on the UM and Jackson Health System (JHS) medical campus – including employees, faculty, students, patients, family members, visitors, volunteers, contractors, subcontractors, vendors, etc... In other words: You do not light up here. This includes people in the UM and JHS buildings, parking lots and vehicles on the campus.

What you see in this view is the parking area reserved for valet service, which costs $8 after which you can walk to see your doctors. The building on the left houses the Department of Neurological surgery, the division of Hepatology (belonging to the Department of Medicine,) and many other departments.

Across the street is the UHealth hospital that houses more departments and more doctor offices. I told you, this is huge and no matter what your illness is, you will have the best hope for the best care there is at this place.

Smoke Free

Thursday, October 14, 2010

I See Big Branches in Your Future

I can't help but to make a prediction here... looking into my crystal balls. This is inside the new Dadeland Village and to the right is the big furniture store Rooms To Go that occupies a big chunk on the ground floor of the North Toscano condo/office building, at the corner of Kendall Drive and SW 73rd Place. I am puzzled and curious to learn about the infinite wisdom of the developer/owner of this property to have planted about 10 trees alongside this building. These look like oak trees or some large trees in that family. They are planted so close to the building that I would love to see how they fare in a couple of years from now. Already, you can tell that these trees are resenting the building and trying to lean away from its wall. I predict that they will all lean westward and it will cost some serious money to keep them trimmed where they will touch the building. Perhaps the developer has a cousin owning a tree trimming service?

Unplanned Growth

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Grill for Lunch

Flanigan's Seafood Bar & Grill has been around for over 50 years and is famous for their Baby Back Ribs, which is tooted as selling over a million pounds a year. There are 22 locations in South Florida and this one is at 12790 SW 88th St in Kendall/Pinecrest which is where I stopped by for a quick lunch today. The place is quite popular and business is brisk. No, I did not get their famous Baby Back Ribs... Now I regret that poor decision, but it's too late to have it back. What was I thinking?

Flanigan's

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Masked Men

You can't be too careful these days so it is advisable that you protect yourself when you must be at crowded places with many people who have health problems such as patient waiting rooms. This is acceptable here, but please do not try to enter a bank like this with the excuse that the bank tellers may give you germs that will make you sick.

Waiting Room

Monday, October 11, 2010

Brew Ad

This is US-1 going North close to Le Jeune. The traffic was backed up so I had a chance to get to this huge beer commercial that intrigued me for a few days. What does it say? This turns out to be quite a controversial ad by the giant beer pusher: Miller. They are beginning a new wave of commercial for their Miller Lite beer centered on “Man Up,” the newly invented "catch phrase." The controversy is that these ads imply "men" who do not drink Miller Lite beer are “lesser men!” TV ads of the same kind insinuate that such "men" have tattoos in their lower back in the way that many women find fashionable these days. Hhhmmm... talking about lower back tattoo, did you see this blog of mine?

First, I don't care at all for beer. Second, I care even less for commercials except that some of them tickle my funny bones. Finally, I absolutely cannot comprehend why people would buy what some "famous" guys/gals tell them what to buy. Only in America? May be not... there are ads everywhere around the world so they seem to work. How sad!

Beer Ad

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Halloween is Coming... Ready Or Not

Halloween is an annual holiday observed in the US on October 31, which is almost here. It has roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain and the Christian holiday All Saints' Day, but is today largely a secular celebration.

Common Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, wearing costumes and attending costume parties, carving jack-o'-lanterns, ghost tours, bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, committing pranks, telling ghost stories or other frightening tales, and watching horror films. I am afraid of horror movies and I never watch them.

Of course, all stores are Halloween decorated to sell pumpkins. In case you do not know, many buy pumpkins to make jack-o'-lanterns... a kind of cute ghostly laughing orange faces with candles flickering inside. I am afraid of them too. Just look at these balloons impersonating them... Scary stuff!

Halloween

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Can't See Them

This is late afternoon, and the Miami sun is beginning to set. The oak tree branches are very effective here as a filter to give me this shot. You may not know this, but at this time of the year, you only see Jupiter alone in the night sky. Where are all the other planets, you ask? They are all here in this shot. Well, they are, but you can't see them because of the sun blaring. But... to the left of the sun, on the apparent ecliptic, are the Moon, Mars and Venus... and just to the right of the sun , you can find Mercury and Saturn. Trust me, they are all there, clustering around the sun. At nights, you can't see them either because they have already set along with the sun.

Invisible

Friday, October 8, 2010

Mini Papaya

Some papaya trees are big and carry big fruits... but not mine. This is it! This papaya is about a bit bigger than I would say a pear. Trees do need TLC (tender loving care,) I guess, and clearly this got not much of what it needs to grow.

Mini Papaya

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Epidemic

Again, it's depressing to see this scene repeating ad nauseam in a great city like Miami. This is truly an epidemic.

Misery

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Bam

I thought some of you may want to see Miami's "Toll-by-Plate" technology at work. Here it is hovering high above highway 878. At this junction, there are only two lanes so it does not look too complicated. I can count (only after looking at the photo I took) a total of 5 transponders (to talk to the electronic sticker on your windshield) and what look like 7 cameras. I guess the theory of operation is quite simple. When the cars pass under, BAM, you are zapped and the computer debits the toll charge from your account. If that cannot be done, the cameras will spring into action. So, technically, if there is a power black out, I can go through this for free! May be not... They probably have aternative power supply! Rats!

Please do not mind the slanted photo. It's not easy to do this at 60 mph highway speed.

Zapped

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Colleges Need Fund Too

In the US, for higher learning, you have Universities and Colleges. Traditionally, colleges cost less than universities, and usually are perceived as less prestigious than universities. However, there is a current trend in the US to place more emphasis into colleges and also more funding to help them sustain growth. That is welcome news because money is scarce and universities have the lion share of funding for research. That doesn't prevent these college students to do some serious study here. This computer court yard has really good WiFi connection to the internet. I'd say it's much better than that of the University of Miami's hospital.

MDC South

Monday, October 4, 2010

Help Me Please

Miami's politicians like to believe that the unemployment rate here is about 12 - 14 per cent. I think it's higher as many without jobs simply give up and do not make it into the statistics. There are many new faces in the streets of Miami asking for help. It is a sad situation because without cash, it's impossible to survive in Miami. Some think that these people are just asking for a hand out by mere convenience. I think that they are desperate, and cannot find any employment simply because there isn't any at this time.

Help Me

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Already?

Christmas? Already? What happened to Halloween and Thanksgiving? Of course, if you do not live in the US... and many, many of you do not... and many of you may not even care about Christmas... let me explain. It is a die hard tradition in the US that you must spend the money you may not have to provide gifts for your loved ones during the end of the year's time, lest you may not be loved? That is Christmas day, on December 25th. But as soon as September ends, stores race to display their Xmas decorations and merchandises as a reminder for you to open up your wallets. Are you ready, willing and able? Know that you've got to do it, or else!


XMas Is HERE!

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Empty No More

It took a while but this used to be empty building now has a brand new tenant: BrandsMart. If you want to find all sort of small (and large) home appliances at very reasonable prices, take a look inside the stores of this chain.

New Brandsmart

Friday, October 1, 2010

Only $699

Recently, it has been difficult to find graffiti in South Miami. I am not sure why that is. Perhaps the economy has made it difficult for the graffiti-ers to come up with the cash to buy paint? For that reason, you have to look very hard to find any display of personal ranting such as a graffiti. But take a look at this bus bench. It reflects the deplorable state of economy around here... bankruptcy abounds and attorneys of all sort home in for the kill. The advertised telephone number and name have been blurred out digitally but that is not the graffiti that I was seeking. Look closely at the photo and you will see the very subtle mark of the graffiti artist.

Bankruptcy

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Pizza Gone

To appreciate the deep economic woe of a huge metropolitan city like Miami during this very tough time, you only have to visit the multitude of small strip malls where the small business dwell. At this time, you will see many small business close their doors because they go broke. Here is one on Kendall Drive.

Depression

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Depression No. 16

Out of nowhere, without warning, Tropical Depression 16 has become better organized and has intensified into Tropical Storm Nicole, with maximum winds near 40mph. At 10:45 AM today, TS Nicole was located 222 miles south of Miami, Florida. And she is already here! All day, we have been enduring this lady with non stop raining and street flooding and of course car accidents. Forecast says that Nicole will move northeast and exit away from the Florida coast early Thursday morning. That, my friends, is yet to be seen because we are soaked and who knows what tomorrow will bring.

Nicole

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Baby Back Ribs

Tony Roma's is a casual dining chain restaurant specializing in baby back ribs, which, I believe you can't find in Muslim countries. The first location was established in 1972 right here in North Miami, by its founder. Today there are roughly 260 locations in 27 countries comprising 32 territories. Tony Roma's slogan is, "Famous for Ribs," "Famoso por Costillas," or "Fameux pour côtes levés," depending on the language.

This one is on US-1 at SW 67th Avenue.

Baby Back Ribs

Monday, September 27, 2010

Spyware

Let me tell you one thing... Life is getting to be so much more exciting... and thus quite dangerous with all the new gadgets your money can buy. First of all, anywhere you go in Miami, you see what seems like everyone is playing with a small marvel that is an electronic hand held device, a cell phone. Secondly, these things ring at any moment with different "ring tones." I hate that, especially if the music taste is in the owner's mouth. Thirdly, you get to hear all about their personal life's saga etc, etc, etc...

So, you ask me, where is the danger? Well, I am holding it in my hand, my own cell phone. Pretending I am texting or getting email or surfing the internet, the people in front of me have no idea, and would be petrified if they knew I could be recording all their movements in high definition 720p digital video, or taking 5MB photos of them.

Of course, this lady is too busy texting to pay attention to her surrounding. Of course, I am a nice guy and won't do anything that is dangerous, of course, of course. Have no fear.

Spyware

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Toll-By-Plate

There is a new phonomenon in Miami... "Toll-by-plate." Many toll roads now have no more need for human beings to collect toll at special gated stations. It's all done electronically via what we call "SunPass." You buy a sticker for your car's windshield, let it automatically empty your bank account when it thinks it needs money to spend... and you are free to speed through the electronic eyes high up that watch your every move and debit your account magically. You can't pay anymore with the cash you have jingling in your pocket. If heaven forbid you don't have a sticker or your bank account is dry, you will be billed by "plate." Their cameras, in tight cooperation with the automatic money grabber that did not sense your sticker will take a snap of your license plate and send you the bill fattened with surcharges for processing. There you go... You can't win in this game of life, take it or leave it.

Toll-By-Plate

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Politically Incorrect

Driving around Miami, and you won't fail to notice that many a streets have multiple names. That really bothers me because I think no one ever pays attention to the new addition of names that perhaps only a few individuals in the world would know about. The thing is... there is a cost involved into making these special street name signs. Here is an example... This professional office is at 7311 Paul Tevis Road. Huh? Let's look it up on the ultra know it all Google map. Nope, can't find this address... Don't know where it is... But if you specify 7311 SW 62nd Avenue, Miami. Bingo, it's found in a millisecond. I wonder how much it costs to make these multiple name street signs and whether the post offices care about them.

Relativity and such things...

Friday, September 24, 2010

MC 2

During September – October of 2010, all campuses of Miami Dade College (MDC) participate in its 2010 Art Faculty Exhibition.

Art Gallery System and the Arts & Philosophy departments of Wolfson, Kendall (South,) North, InterAmerican and Homestead Campuses are hosting the opening of Manifestations on different dates during the month of September at each of the campus galleries. Manifestations includes drawings, paintings, photography and mixed-media art works. Here are two famous persons that everyone knows: Albert Einstein and Leonardo da Vinci.

Relativity and such things...

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Twin Tower

This quite old work of art is still seen in the stairwell to the library of Miami Dade College (MDC) South campus. You can tell that it was painted pre September 11, 2001 because New York at that time still had the famous twin tower that were as emblematic to the big apple as its statue of liberty in Ellis island.

Twin Tower

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Pineapple

This is the marker of the main entrance of South Miami hospital/Baptist Health on SW 62nd avenue close to US-1. Baptist Health's logo is the pineapple. Here is its history...

The pineapple became a symbol of hospitality in Europe during the Italian Renaissance period. American inn-keepers later adopted the European custom of putting pineapples on their doors, and visitors to these inns found themselves in friendly and comfortable surroundings.

When Arthur Vining Davis donated the land and funds to build Baptist Hospital, the magnate specified that a pineapple fountain greet guests at the front door. Guests would thus know that service here would be warm and friendly, such as in a good hotel. This pineapple fountain still exists today which is at the Baptist hospital on Kendall Drive.

Upon completion of their orientation program, all new Baptist Health employees receive a pineapple pin to attach to their hospital identification badge as a symbol of commitment to hospitality.

Pineapple

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Jupiter

The giant gas planet Jupiter is at its brightest tonight, and it has been in view all night for a while. It looks like a brilliant ivory star. Tonight, it is low in the east at nightfall, to the lower left of the Moon. The moon today is called "waxing gibbous," and it is about 98% full. The autumnal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere falls on September 22 or 23 each year. Therefore, the Harvest Moon will occur on September 23rd, in two days. Harvest moon is the name given to the full moon that occurs closest to the equinox in September. You need to click on the photo to see the little spec that is Jupiter. It is on the line drawn from the moon to the lower left corner of the photo. There is another spec of light to the right of Jupiter. That was a mere commercial airliner.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completed his Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551, on 10 August 1788. It was his last symphony. That work was nicknamed the Jupiter Symphony. This was indeed a symphony worthy to be named "Jupiter," by far the giant of our solar system. I may blog this great symphony one of these days on my other blog.

Jupiter

Monday, September 20, 2010

Monday Trash

In my neighborhood, trash is collected on Mondays and Thursdays. This is how it works, automatically with only one driver and a big truck. This service used to employ 2 or 3 big persons riding the truck going after the trash cans to manually empty them in the truck... but it no longer is the case.

Trash Collection