United Airlines WIFI

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The Netherlands just as it meets the North Sea

I am on a United Airlines flight and I am trying out the WiFi. I am trying it despite repeated warnings from the purser that “The flight crew is not responsible for the WiFi connection and has no way of fixing it if it doesn’t work, hopefully we will have a good connection…”

Wow – talk about ‘down-selling’ something. I was hesitant to try it after that, but gave in and once again I can write for the ‘world’ from a plane, last time was when Boeing tried to make it’s Connexions ‘take off’ some years ago – it never really did though.

Hugo Junkers in Dessau

Hugo Junkers developed the worlds first commercial metal airplane, the Junker F13 in 1919 – a total of 320 of the planes were built between 1919 and 1932. Hugo Junker also developed engines, for aircrafts but also for cars, tractors and other applications such as generators. He also developed hot water heaters and stoves for the home – it seems like his hand was in all kinds of things technical. He was a true inventor and an engineer.

Junkers F52 that was salvaged from a lake in Norway after spending 45 years at the bottom of the lake.
Junkers F52 that was salvaged from a lake in Norway after spending 45 years at the bottom of the lake.
A look inside a Junker F52 that was salvaged in 1985 after spending 45 years on the bottom of Norwegian lake.
A look inside a Junker F52 that was salvaged in 1985 after spending 45 years on the bottom of Norwegian lake.
Wing of the worlds first metal aircraft for commercial airline use a Junkers F13 from built 1919-1932
Wing of the worlds first metal aircraft for commercial airline use a Junkers F13  built 1919-1932
Junkers water heater poster
Junkers water heater poster

 

Finnish people love coffee

As evidenced by the popularity of the Nespresso tent in Helsinki one sunny May day just recently, coffee is very important to the Finnish people. Actually it is probably equally important in any country on the same latitude as Finland such as – Sweden – Norway and maybe even parts of the US – like
Alaska, although not sure the culture is there in the same way as the aforementioned countries. Starbucks changed the US coffee culture, but I’m not sure how easy it is to get a Starbucks up in Nome, once I find out I’ll be sure to let you know.

This is the structure they used to give out free samples to celebrate the two year anniversary of Nespresso in Helsinki.
This is the structure they used to give out free samples to celebrate the two year anniversary of Nespresso in Helsinki.
A look inside the 'tent'
A look inside the ‘tent’

 

Two Americans in Paris

Centre Pompidou, or 'Musée National d'Art Moderne'
Centre Pompidou, or ‘Musée National d’Art Moderne’
Architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, inaugurated on January 31 1977.
Entrance Hall at Centre Pompidou
Entrance Hall at Centre Pompidou

Two Americans are featured at the National Gallery for Modern Art at the Centre Pompidou in Paris currently, Architect Frank Gehry and artist Jeff Koons. I am not sure that there is any thought behind the timing of the two exhibitions as far as to have them run concurrently.

Frank Gehry at the Centre Pompidou in Paris
Frank Gehry at the Centre Pompidou in Paris

The Frank Gehry exhibition is filled, as you would expect, with sketches, drawings and models of different project that he has undertaken over the years. Some are single family homes and some are developments on a bigger scale.

What really seemed to capture peoples interest when I was visiting was the Jackson Pollock documentary on Gehry, Jackson Pollock often did his own videography and was talking to Frank Gehry more as a friend then an interviewer. It was very interesting and gave a great insight into how Frank Gehry and his firm evolved over the years.

I liked seeing the different models and especially the first conceptual crude drawings on notebook paper was very enlightening of the process involved from first ideas to actual models and drawings. Frank Gehry started out doing ‘regular’ buildings but I think he really wanted to be more of an artist than an architect and he was hanging out in artist circles more than architect circles – whatever that is. I like Frank Gehry’s buildings and they generally make a great impression on the neighborhoods they are in. I also appreciate the ‘regular’ architects that build the everyday homes we live in since we can’t all afford to live in Frank Gehry designed homes – and maybe that’s just lucky.

Jeff Koons at the Centre Pompidou November 26 2014 - April 27 2015
Jeff Koons at the Centre Pompidou November 26 2014 – April 27 2015

The Jeff Koons exhibition is interesting, there is quite a few pieces that clearly makes you see how much of a narcissist he really is, not that that’s uncommon or even a bad thing for an artist to be – it might even be a requisite to ‘succeed’. He is frequently put in question as an artist by the ones that has taken it upon themselves to determine who is a ‘real’ artist and who isn’t.

Dictionary.com defines ‘artist’ as (first two of seven definitions) :

noun

1. a person who produces works in any of the arts that are primarily subject to aesthetic criteria.
2.a person who practices one of the fine arts, especially a painter or sculptor.
Clearly Jeff Koons is an artist and makes art that appeals to many, and which people pay large sums of money for. I think one of the problems some people may have is his background as a Wall Street stockbroker before he became an artist. I think that like beauty, art is in the eye of the beholder – we can’t all like the same things – thank goodness for that! Many artists were put down by critics and peers at one time or another – it might even be that it just means that the art you make as an artist invokes feelings and touch people – and, see that’s just the idea with art in my book.
I recall a story about Lousiana artist George Rodrigue, who went to art school in Los Angeles in the sixties and the class all went to see an Andy Warhol exhibition which their professor the next day dismissed as “nonsense’ and stated  ‘he will never amount to anything’.
Everyone is an artist – it just needs nourishing and to be let out – bring the arts back to the US schools!
Go see the Jeff Koons exhibition if you are in Paris and be inspired and touched!

Centre Pompidou info here.