Tuesday, December 31, 2013

New Year's Greetings - Moon Rise and Sunset

Time to say goodbye to 2013 and hello to 2014.

I wish everyone a most happy, peaceful, prosperous and fulfilling new year, with these pictures of beautiful natural elements and phenomena:

DSCN0127 _ Sunset, December 2013

DSCN0128 _ Sunset, December 2013

DSCN0129 _ Sunset, December 2013

DSCN0132 _ Moon Rise, December 2013

DSCN0134 _ Moon Rise, December 2013

DSCN0146 _ Moon Rise, December 2013

DSCN0149 _ Moon Rise, December 2013

DSCN0147 _ Moon Rise, December 2013 DSCN0150 _ Moon Rise, December 2013 DSCN0151 _ Moon Rise, December 2013

DSCN0162 _ Sunset, December 2013

DSCN0167 _ Sunset, December 2013

DSCN0163 _ Sunset, December 2013

DSCN0165 _ Sunset, December 2013

DSCN0166 _ Sunset, December 2013 DSCN0169 _ Sunset, December 2013

DSCN0168 _ Sunset, December 2013


Related posts on Art · 文化 · Kunst
- California Memorial Stadium of UC Berkeley
- Foggy and Sunny Day in Berkeley
- One Fine Day in Berkeley
- Spring Festival (Lunar New Year) Time in Berkeley
- New East Span of San Francisco Bay Bridge
- Natural Beauty in Berkeley

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Censored Building Image

I have had some modesty successes with Zazzle.com, an online commercial site, allowing designers utilizing their own images, or images with creative licenses from others, to create commercial merchandizes, such as post cards, iPhone cases, napkins, pillows, t-shirts, etc.

My Zazzle Store:

make custom gifts at Zazzle

Most of the images I used were my own art creations, such as paintings, and drawings, and sometimes, photographs I took, either while traveling or during daily routines.

I thought that I owned copyrights to those photos I took, till one day, I received an email from Zazzle's representative, informing me that:
We would love to offer every design that our users submit, however we must abide by all applicable laws and standards as well as our own content guidelines and copyright policies.

Unfortunately, it appears that your product, “Sunset in San Francisco,” does not meet Zazzle’s Acceptable Content Guidelines. Specifically, your product infringes upon the intellectual property rights of Transamerica Corporation, owners of the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco.

We have been contacted by legal representatives from the Transamerica Corporation, and at their request, have removed the product from the Zazzle Marketplace.

We are sorry for any disappointment, but hope you will understand our position in this regard. For future reference, please review Zazzle’s Acceptable Content Guidelines at: http://zazzle.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/143

I did a little research and realized that it was the picture below Transamerica Corporation deemed infringed their property rights, when I used this image to create a greeting card.  By the way, can you see the Transamerica Pyramid?



It turned out that such charge of property rights infringements have been slapped by Transamerica Corporation many times, as evident in this short citation:
Editing Out the Transamerica Pyramid

Jon Carroll had a great column last week about how copyright concerns caused the producers of “Bewitched” to edit the Transamerica Pyramid, which is a copyrighted image, out of the movie. Carroll also references the fine work of Patricia Aufderheide and Peter Jaszi on the tribulations of documentary film makers. For what it’s worth, a search on Google images for “Transamerica Pyramid” yields 1270 images.
Below is the video, Stories Untold, a short film by Brigid Maher, cited by Patricia Aufderheid and Peter Jaszi mentioned above, dealing with "Fair Use & Documentary | Stories Untold - Creative Costs of Clearance Culture":



Such aggressive assertion of their property rights is quite over the top, don't you think? and is quite detrimental to the creative community, and the community at large.  Yet, they have the dubious right, then they must be right?  Right?


Related posts on Art · 文化 · Kunst
- 2014 Calendars (Free) or Available on Zazzle
- Zazzle Bags Arrived
- Beautiful Necklace and Keychain from Zazzle
- California Memorial Stadium of UC Berkeley
- Foggy and Sunny Day in Berkeley
- One Fine Day in Berkeley
- Spring Festival (Lunar New Year) Time in Berkeley
- New East Span of San Francisco Bay Bridge
- Natural Beauty in Berkeley

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Partial Messiah and 12 Celli Concert in Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley


DSCN6874 _ Ornate Organ, Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley
Ornate Organ, Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley

I often attended Noon Concert Series at Hertz Hall, University of California, Berkeley, and near the end of the semester, in December, I was able to attend two outstanding concerts - Messiah (Händel), Part I out of III plus the Chorus: Hallelujah, and a concert by the group of 12 cellists from the UC Berkeley Symphony, named 12 Celli.

That concert was my first attendance of a live performance of Messiah (HWV 56), one of the most frequently performed choral works in Western music, by the great German born composer Georg Friedrich Händel.  The University chorus and chamber chorus and the UC Symphony Orchestra, performed wonderfully and at the eve of Christmas, it is fitting for me to post some images taken from before the performance and during the curtain calls at that concert:

DSCN7524 _ Messiah, Part 1, Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley, 4 December 2013

DSCN7525 _ Messiah, Part 1, Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley, 4 December 2013

DSCN7526 _ Messiah, Part 1, Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley, 4 December 2013

DSCN7528 _ Messiah, Part 1, Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley, 4 December 2013

DSCN7529 _ Messiah, Part 1, Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley, 4 December 2013

DSCN7538 _ Messiah, Part 1, Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley, 4 December 2013

DSCN7535 _ Messiah, Part 1, Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley, 4 December 2013

DSCN7532 _ Messiah, Part 1, Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley, 4 December 2013

DSCN7533 _ Messiah, Part 1, Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley, 4 December 2013

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The 12 Celli concert featured twelve young cellists playing three modern pieces and one piece dated 1920.  The 1920 piece, for 12 cellist, had the most conventional cello sound but to me least interesting; while the three pieces composed from 2010 through 2012 for performers ranging from six to eight, created sound sphere beyond the familiar mellow and comforting timbre of cello and wonderfully diverse, defying my preconception of what the sounds a dozen of same instruments could make.

The performance was very captivating and I appreciated what the sounds cello or celli could produce much more. Below are some snap shots of those young musicians at their curtain calls:

DSCN0099 _ 12 Celli Concert, Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley, 11 December 2013

DSCN0096 _ 12 Celli Concert, Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley, 11 December 2013

DSCN0094 _ 12 Celli Concert, Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley, 11 December 2013




Related posts on Art · 文化 · Kunst
- California Memorial Stadium of UC Berkeley
- Foggy and Sunny Day in Berkeley
- One Fine Day in Berkeley
- Spring Festival (Lunar New Year) Time in Berkeley
- New East Span of San Francisco Bay Bridge
- Natural Beauty in Berkeley

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Supermarkets in Shenyang, China

When I visited my parents in Shenyang, this past September, the residents were gearing up for the Mid-Autumn Festival, when the consummation of rounded moon cakes and crabs was part of the tradition.  It was a great fun to visit supermarkets during my visit:

DSCN0410 _ Supermarket, Shenyang, China

DSCN9688 _ Supermarket, Shenyang, China

Once inside the stores, customers were greeted with endless arrays of moon cakes in various price ranges:

DSCN9667 _ Cakes for Mid-Autumn Festival Moon, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

There were crabs both in gift boxes and live ones in big barrels:

DSCN9670 _ Crabs in Gift Boxes, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

DSCN9886 _ Crab Barrels, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

DSCN9887 _ Crab Barrel,Supermarket, Shenyang, China

The fish counter offered many varieties of fish, either live in the tanks or frozen in neat formations, though the varieties still couldn't compare to those seen in the great fish market in Venice:

DSCN9680 _ Fish Counter, Supermarket, Shenyang, China DSCN9675 _ Fish Counter, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

DSCN9677 _ Fish Counter, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

DSCN9606 _ Fish Counter, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

The meat counter was mightily impressive:

DSCN9668 _ Meat Counter, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

If one wanted to have read-to-eat meat products, the delicatessen counter offered huge selections:

DSCN9601 _ Meat Deli, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

DSCN6316 _ Deli, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

In these packages, one could find chicken-feet, strange food some Chinese seemed quite fond of:

DSCN0411 _ Packaged Chicken Feet, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

Personally, I would rather buy some tofu product below, though I had no idea if they were made from genetically modified soybeans or not:

DSCN9621 _ Chinese Deli Counter, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

I loved to look at those fancy looking traditional Chinese twists, but they were too rich to for my California-conditioned diet.  Nearby, I saw some lovely Russian style bread and something flat bread and pizzas:

DSCN9619 _ Fried Twists, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

DSCN0412 _ Bread Counter, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

DSCN6317 _ Flat Breads and Pizzas, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

There were many pickles as well, such as different kinds of garlic on display below.  You can compare them to the lovely looking raw garlic offered in the vegetable section:

DSCN0414 _ Pickles, Supermarket, Shenyang, China DSCN9602 _ Garlic, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

The vegetables there were fresh but nothing too exceptional so I choose not to include many pictures other than these of mushrooms, fresh or dry, and some delicate ginseng:

DSCN9613 _ Mushrooms, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

DSCN0428 _ Dried Fungus, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

DSCN9612 _ Ginseng, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

The fruit stands were much more interesting, with many lovely fruits familiar or strange, particularly those from tropical countries, such as Thailand:

DSCN9883 _ Tropical Fruits from Thailand, Supermarket, Shenyang, China DSCN9614 _ Lotuses, Supermarket, Shenyang, China DSCN9603 _ Tropical Fruits, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

DSCN9617 _ Dragon Fruits, Supermarket, Shenyang, China
Dragon Fruits

DSCN9609 _ Dragon Fruits, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

The dry goods section was just as colorful and those in bulk containers were particularly lovely to behold:

DSCN9683 _ Dry Goods, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

DSCN0429 _ Colorful Dry Goods, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

DSCN0427 _ Colorful Dry Goods, Supermarket, Shenyang, China DSCN0419 _ Colorful Dry Goods, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

DSCN0423 _ Colorful Dry Goods, Supermarket, Shenyang, China DSCN0424 _ Colorful Dry Goods, Supermarket, Shenyang, China DSCN0420 _ Colorful Dry Goods, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

DSCN0422 _ Colorful Dry Goods, Supermarket, Shenyang, China DSCN0418 _ Colorful Dry Goods, Supermarket, Shenyang, China DSCN0425 _ Colorful Dry Goods, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

DSCN0421 _ Colorful Dry Goods, Supermarket, Shenyang, China DSCN0430 _ Colorful Dry Goods, Supermarket, Shenyang, China DSCN0426 _ Colorful Dry Goods, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

DSCN9623 _ Dry Goods, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

There were some specialty food counters such as the Japanese one, which offered some exotic fares, including the extravagantly expensive Kobe Beef:

DSCN9620 _ Japanese Food Counter, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

DSCN9608 _ Kobe Feef, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

In those supermarkets, one could find many kinds of candies and snacks:

DSCN9615 _ Candies, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

DSCN9616 _ Candies, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

DSCN6314 _ Snacks, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

For drinks, these soft drinks, hard liquors, and coffee stood out:

DSCN9618 _ Soft Drinks, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

DSCN9686 _ Hard Liquor, Supermarket, Shenyang, China
Hard Liquor Shelf

DSCN9625 _ Coffee Rack, Supermarket, Shenyang, China
Coffee Beans

Naturally, when one visited a supermarket in China, one would see something unusual, such as the canned Wheat Gluten imported from Taiwan:

DSCN6313 _ Wheat Gluten from Taiwan, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

I also saw a boy took a piss in public, though not on the floor - her mother did catch it with a plastic bag:

DSCN9673 _ Boy peed into a bag in the aisle, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

The advertisement on the shopping cart below advised customers: "What to do, if pregnant accidentally?"

DSCN9684 _ Advertisement on the Cart - "What to do, if pregnant accidentally?" - Supermarket, Shenyang, China

The Supermarkets in Shenyang were often housed in huge shopping malls, equipped with restaurants or fast food joints, including this KFC offering "15 Yuan (about 2.47 US Dollars) Luxuriant Lunch":

DSCN9882 _ "15 Yuan (about 2.47 US Dollars) Luxuriant Lunch" at KFC, Supermarket, Shenyang, China

Below is the picture of a typical shopping mall in Shenyang.  There was a lackluster sale of Nike products in the central courtyard:

DSCN9627 _ Nike Sale in a Shopping Mall, Shenyang, China

Outside the shopping centers, usually there were several bus lines to carry people to and fro:

DSCN0409 _ Supermarket, Shenyang, China


Related posts on Art · 文化 · Kunst:
- Red Reeds (Suaeda) Beach in Panjin, China
- Tram and Subway in Shenyang, China
- Industrial Museum of China in Manchurian Shenyang
- Ziyan Lavender Manor Garden, Shenyang China
- Kitchen, Restaurant and Food Court in Shenyang, China
- Fruit Shop and Market in Shenyang, China
- Stores and Markets in Shenyang, China
- New Subway System in Shenyang, China
- Hospitals in Shenyang, China
- Shenyang, China ... continued

Label: Shenyang, Shenyang Trip 2013