Black Spangle Saxon

After enjoying Portraits of Egypt's Fancy Pigeons by Photojournalist David Degner, I spent most of the afternoon reading about fancy pigeons. They are all descendents of the common Rock Dove or Rock Pigeon that we see in abundance around the city. According to Wikipedia, they're generally monogamous and have two "squeakers" (babies) per brood. That distinctive little blob of white on the top of their beaks is called an operculum and it helps keep water and dust out of their little nostrils. Here are some champions:

Champion Black Plainheaded Old German Moorhead

Blue Crested Saxon Spot

Champion Black White Barred Silesian Swallow (Plainheaded Saxon Wing Pigeon)

Champion Black Crested Saxon Spot

Champion Black White Barred Double Crested Saxon Shield

All the above photos are by Reiner Fuchs, see the rest of the series from Zwönitz 2011 and more at unitedswallowclub.com.

Sweet Potato, Crystal Quartz

Joe and I were both home for Thanksgiving weekend. We spent most of the non-family-designated time in his old room at his dad's, him VNCing into his computer at the lab and me re-watching episodes of House of Cards on my phone. While looking through his bookshelf I noticed his old Zelda ocarina that he'd ordered through the back of a Nintendo magazine when he was 8 or 9. I retained zero skills from the recorder days of grade school and still it sounded beautiful. Now I really really want one. I've narrowed it down to these three from Songbird Ocarinas:

"Sweet Potato Soprano G White Crackle", $55.

"The Muse" (from a sculpture by artist Jonathen Bickart). Ten holes, porcelain with an ivory satin glaze, $129.

 

 

"Crystal Quartz On Stoneware". Four hole, Stoneware with Quartz crystal from Arkansas, $111. (This is actually a one-of-a-kind piece that has already been sold but I hope they eventually make more similar to this one, fingers crossed.)

Check out Songbird's website to see more. 

STL Ocarina also has some really great ones, including this Rupee Tenor in the shape of a gem:

New Legend Of Zelda, Rupee Tenor, on sale for $22.

Men In Wigs Who Ate Mutton For Lunch

I was loitering on the internet the other day and came across the website for a L.A.-based production company called Arts & Sciences. I think I was googling "arts and sciences" to see if anyone had named a boutique that because I was thinking that it'd be a nice name for a boutique. One with lots of plants and neat, old things for sale. Their work is really really good and I'm jealous of their humour and talent and double jealous that they registered the url before I could. Check out their website, especially their "About Us" statement. It's pretty great.

One of the commercials they made for Google:

Visit Arts & Sciences' website to see more of their work.