German Battleships and New England Rail Trails: The Corners Edition (Forty-Nine and Fifty)

I know, I know, I have been M.I.A. more often than not, yet I have mostly finished up my website, Parsons' Pulpit. Go and check it out!

So, back to Wikipedia's featured articles for last couple days:

On Feb. 18th,

SMS Bayern was the lead ship of the Bayern class of battleships in the German Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy). The vessel was launched in February 1915 and entered service in July 1916, too late to take part in the Battle of Jutland. Her main armament consisted of eight 38 cm (15 in) guns in four turrets, which was a significant improvement over the preceding König '​s ten 30.5 cm (12 inch) guns. The ship was to have formed the nucleus for a fourth battle squadron in the High Seas Fleet, along with three of her sister ships. Of the other ships only one—Baden—was completed; the other two were canceled later in the war when production requirements shifted to U-boat construction.

Bayern was commissioned midway through the war, and had a limited service career. The first operation in which the ship took part was an abortive fleet advance into the North Sea on 18–19 August 1916, a month after she had been commissioned. The ship also participated in Operation Albion in the Gulf of Riga, but shortly after the German attack began on 12 October 1917, Bayern was mined and had to be withdrawn for repairs. She was interned with the majority of the High Seas Fleet in Scapa Flow in November 1918 following the end of World War I. On 21 June 1919, Admiral Ludwig von Reuter ordered the fleet to be scuttled; Bayern sank at 14:30. In September 1934, the ship was raised, towed to Rosyth, and scrapped.

 On Feb. 19th,

The Walden–Wallkill Rail Trail, also known as the Jesse McHugh Rail Trail, is a 3.22-mile (5.18 km) rail trail between the village of Walden, New York, and the neighboring hamlet of Wallkill. The two communities are located in Orange and Ulster counties, respectively, in upstate New York. 

The trail, like the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail to the north, is part of the former Wallkill Valley Railroad's rail corridor. The land was purchased by the towns of Montgomery and Shawangunk in 1985 and converted to a public trail. The portion of the trail in Shawangunk was formally opened in 1993 and named after former town supervisor Jesse McHugh. Plans to pave the trail between Walden and Wallkill were discussed since 2001, and the route was finally paved between 2008 and 2009. The trail includes an unofficial, unimproved section to the north of Wallkill, and is bounded by NY 52 and NY 208.

Racist Comics and Exotic Shrubs: The Corners Edition (Forty-Seven and -Eight)

Wikipedia's featured articles for last couple days take us from a classic, yet racist, comic series to an exotic shrub.

On Feb. 16th,

Tintin in the Congo... is the second volume of The Adventures of Tintin, the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. Commissioned by the conservative Belgian newspaper Le Vingtième Siècle [The Twentieth Century] for its children's supplement Le Petit Vingtième, it was serialised weekly from May 1930 to June 1931. The story tells of young Belgian reporter Tintin and his dog Snowy, who are sent to the Belgian Congo to report on events in the country. Amidst various encounters with the native Congolese people and wild animals, Tintin unearths a criminal diamond smuggling operation run by the American gangster Al Capone.

Following on from Tintin in the Land of the Soviets and bolstered by publicity stunts, Tintin in the Congo was a commercial success, appearing in book form shortly after the serial's conclusion.... In the late 20th century, Tintin in the Congo came under criticism for its perceived racist colonial attitude to the Congolese and glorification of big-game hunting, and attempts were made in Belgium, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and the United States to restrict its availability to children.

On Feb. 17th,

Banksia paludosa, commonly known as the marsh or swamp banksia, is a species of shrub in the plant genus Banksia. It is native to New South Wales, Australia, where it is found between Sydney and Batemans Bay, with an isolated population further south around Eden. There are two recognised subspecies, the nominate of which is a spreading shrub to 1.5 m (5 ft) in height, and subsp. astrolux is a taller shrub to 5 m (16 ft) high found only in Nattai National Park. 

Native mammals, such as the brown antechinus and sugar glider, are important pollinators of B. paludosa. Several species of honeyeaters visit the flower spikes, as do ants and the European honey bee. The response to bushfire depends on the subspecies; subspecies paludosa regenerates from underground lignotubers, while plants of subspecies astrolux are killed by fire and regenerate from large stores of seed which have been held in cones in the plant canopy. B. paludosa is sometimes seen in cultivation, with dwarf forms being registered and sold.

Bases Loaded Cubed: The Things I Have Missed for the Last Three Days (Day Forty-Four, -Five, and -Six)

According to the featured articles on Wikipedia for the last three days, I have missed out on more than blog posts. (My absences have been due to spending my free time constructing a personal/professional website.)

On Feb. 13th,

The Bull Run River is a 21.9-mile (35.2 km) tributary of the Sandy River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Beginning at the lower end of Bull Run Lake in the Cascade Range, it flows generally west through the Bull Run Watershed Management Unit (BRWMU), a restricted area meant to protect the river and its tributaries from contamination. The river, impounded by two artificial storage reservoirs as well as the lake, is the primary source of drinking water for the city of Portland, Oregon.

It is likely that Native Americans living along the Columbia River as early as 10,000 years ago visited the Bull Run watershed in search of food. Within the past few thousand years they created trails over the Cascade Range and around Mount Hood, near the upper part of the Bull Run watershed. By the mid-19th century, pioneers used these trails to cross the mountains from east to west to reach the fertile Willamette Valley. In the 1890s, the City of Portland, searching for sources of clean drinking water, chose the Bull Run River. Dam-building, road construction, and legal action to protect the watershed began shortly thereafter, and Bull Run water began to flow through a large pipe to the city in 1895.

On Feb. 14th,

Romances is the twelfth studio album by Mexican singer Luis Miguel, released on August 12, 1997, by Warner Music Latina. It is the third album of the Romance series, in which Miguel covers Latin songs from 1940 to 1978.... Romances consists of twelve cover versions and two new compositions....

Romances has sold over 4.5 million copies and received platinum certifications in several Latin American countries, the United States and Spain. Miguel promoted the album by touring the United States, Latin America and Spain. The album was generally well received by critics....

On Feb. 15th,

John Barrymore (born John Sidney Blyth; February 14 or 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an American actor on stage, screen and radio.... He began his career in 1903 and first gained attention as a stage actor in light comedy, then high drama, culminating in productions of Justice (1916), Richard III (1920) and Hamlet (1922); his portrayal of Hamlet led to him being called the "greatest living American tragedian".

After a success as Hamlet in London in 1925, Barrymore left the stage for 14 years and instead focused entirely on films. In the silent film era, he was well received in such pictures as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920), Sherlock Holmes (1922) and The Sea Beast (1926). During this period, he gained his nickname, the Great Profile. His stage-trained voice proved an asset when sound films were introduced, and three of his works, Grand Hotel (1932), Twentieth Century (1934) and Midnight (1939) have been inducted into the National Film Registry.

Barrymore's personal life has been the subject of much attention before and since his death. He struggled with alcohol abuse from the age of 14, was married and divorced four times, and declared bankruptcy later in life....

Every Professional Is A Creative Type: A Review of 'Creative Confidence'

The Kelley brothers inspired and convinced me of our universal creativity. There aren't "creative" types and everybody else. Creativity requires two things: an ability to solve a problem in a new or unconventional way, and an ability to empathize. This is Design Thinking. All problem solving should be human-centered and driven by empathy for the end user, whatever the product or service may be. Regardless of our educational background, professional choices, or college major, we should and can develop Creative Confidence. The Kelleys highlight stories from IDEO and the D.School--both are founded by them--demonstrating the eclectic teams they draft to tackle any variety of problems. In one example they enlisted a team to redesign a shopping car---using Design Thinking. This team included an anthropologist, an engineer, a computer scientist, and a graphic designer. Each person brings a special, but creative skill-set to a problem. When they adopt Design Thinking, magic happens: human creativity is unleashed and human lives are improved.

Creative Confidence crystallized my professional direction--before it I was mired in uncertainty about whether I had what it takes to assume more creative roles professionally. I have carried it around for the past few weeks, a new manifesto or professional bible. I also came away with dozens of action items. I have already put several in place. I recommend this book to anybody, in any firm, doing anything that touches the human world--it is especially relevant for people in the "start-up" landscape.

This book is filled with engaging success stories across all industries with people using Design Thinking. At times the book felt like a promotional for IDEO and the D.School--which it is--or a series of "shout-outs" to the Kelley brothers' friends and successful entrepreneurs--and their books. 

Each of us has creativity within: "creativity comes into play wherever you have the opportunity to generate new ideas, solutions, or approaches. And we believe everyone should have access to that resource." 

On Design Thinking they say "being human-centered is at the core of our innovation process. Deep empathy for people makes our observations powerful sources of inspiration. We aim to understand why people do what they currently do, with the goal of understanding what they might do in the future...An empathetic approach fuels our process by ensuring we never forget we're designing for real people...Design thinking relies on the natural--and coachable--human ability to be intuitive, to recognize patterns, and to construct ideas that are emotionally meaningful as well as functional. We'ere not suggesting that anyone base a career or run an organization solely on feeling, intuition, and inspiration. But an over-reliance on the rational and the analytical can be just as risky."

Creative confidence becomes a way of life "by adopting the eyes of a traveler and a beginner's mindset, you will notice a lot of details that you normally might have overlooked. You put aside assumptions and are fully immersed in the world around you."

By the time you finish this book, you will want to have your entire house and office space covered in white boards, and a notebook in every pocket. Creative Confidence means being prepared to capture all the amazing ideas that pass through your limitless mind. Once you start doing this, be prepared to swim in a pool of creative flourishing.

Lord, into thy Hands I Commend my Spirit!: The Art of being a Protestant Martyr (Forty-Three)

Today's featured article on Wikipedia paints over the religious divide present in 16th Century England.

The "Streatham" portrait is an oil painting on panel from the 1590s believed to be a later copy of a portrait of the English noblewoman Lady Jane Grey dating to her lifetime (1536/1537–54). It shows a three-quarter-length depiction of a young woman in Tudor-period dress holding a prayer book, with the faded inscription "Lady Jayne" or "Lady Iayne" in the upper-left corner. It is in poor condition and damaged, as if it has been attacked. Although of historical interest, it is generally considered to be of poor artistic quality. As of January 2015 the portrait is in Room 3 of the National Portrait Gallery in London.

So, where is the religious divide, I mentioned?

Lady Jane Grey was the great-granddaughter of Henry VII through his youngest daughter Mary Tudor, and first cousin once removed to his grandson, King Edward VI. After Edward's death, a Protestant faction proclaimed her queen over Henry VIII's daughters, hoping to prevent the Catholic Mary Tudor (elder daughter of Henry VIII) from taking the throne. Two weeks after the death of her brother, Mary, with the support of the English people, claimed the throne, which Jane relinquished only nine days after being installed. She and her husband, Lord Guildford Dudley, were imprisoned in the Tower of London on charges of high treason. Jane's trial was conducted in November, but her sentence of death was suspended. In February 1554, Jane's father Henry, who had been pardoned, participated in Wyatt's rebellion. On 12 February, Mary had Jane, then aged 16, and her husband beheaded; Jane's father suffered the same fate two days later.

Jane was a devout Protestant during the English Reformation, when the Church of England violently rejected the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church. Known for her piety and education, she corresponded with Protestant leaders in Continental Europe, such as Heinrich Bullinger. A modest person who dressed plainly, her last words before her execution are reported as "Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit!"

As well,

Jane's execution by a Catholic queen made her into what the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography terms a "Protestant martyr"

In short, art, regardless of the quality, is often two things: 1.) Birthed out of family drama, and 2.) Governed by the day's politics.

The Never-Ending Final Fantasy, Part VIII (Day Forty-Two)

As an avid non-gamer and anti-escapist, today's featured article on Wikipedia left me jonesin' for something more like reality.

Final Fantasy VIII (ファイナルファンタジーVIII Fainaru Fantajī Eito?) is a 1999 role-playing video game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix). It is the eighth major installment in the Final Fantasy series. The game was the series' second 3D installment and the first to consistently use realistically proportioned characters, and introduced a new magic system to the Final Fantasy franchise which removed magic point-based spell-casting. Set on an unnamed fantasy world with science fiction elements, the game follows the story of a group of young mercenaries, led by Squall Leonhart, who are part of an organization named SeeD. Initially traveling to different countries to stop the sorceress Edea, their goal changes to stop a sorceress from the future named Ultimecia from compressing time. 

The development of Final Fantasy VIII began in 1997, during the English localization process of Final Fantasy VII..... The game was positively received by critics, who praised the originality and scope of the game. It was voted the 22nd-best game of all time in 2006 by readers of the Japanese magazine Famitsu. The game was a commercial success; thirteen weeks after its release, Final Fantasy VIII had earned more than US$50 million in sales, making it the fastest-selling Final Fantasy title of all time until Final Fantasy XIII, a multi-platform release. The game shipped 8.15 million copies worldwide by March 31, 2003. Originally for the PlayStation, it was later ported to Windows-based personal computers and became available on PlayStation Network as a PSone Classics title in 2009.

The Politics behind the Wordless Novel (Day Forty-One)

Given today's featured article on Wikipedia, we should reevaluate the narrowness of how we define the "novel".

For example, the wordless novel is "a narrative genre that uses sequences of captionless pictures to tell a story. As artists have often made such books using woodcut and other relief printing techniques, the terms woodcut novel or novel in woodcuts are also used. The genre flourished primarily in the 1920s and 1930s and was most popular in Germany."

The wordless novel has its origin in the German Expressionist movement of the early 20th century. The typically socialist work drew inspiration from medieval woodcuts and used the awkward look of that medium to express angst and frustration at social injustice.... Following an early-1930s peak in production and popularity, the genre waned in the face of competition from sound films and anti-socialist censorship in Nazi Germany and the US.

Two aspects of this art form I want to address:

First, the "socialist themes of struggle against capitalism are common; scholar Perry Willett calls these themes 'a unifying element of the genre's aesthetic.'" As well, "[t]he storytelling tends to be melodramatic, and the stories tend to focus on struggles against social oppression in which characters are silenced by economic, political, and other social forces. The characters are clearly delineated as good or evil—the good drawn sympathetically and the evil with the contempt of the artist's moral indignation."

Second, "wordless novels used relief printing techniques such as woodcuts, wood engraving, metalcuts, or linocuts. One of the oldest printing techniques, relief printing has its origins in 8th-century China and was introduced to Europe in the 15th century.... Relief printing is an inexpensive but labour-intensive printing technique; it was accessible to socially conscious artists who wanted to tell wordless stories of the working classes."

Of the first, I ponder, why should an artistic medium be shackled to the dominate political ideology of its origins? Following the case made by French critical theorist Roland Barthes, art basically belongs the era of the reader, not so much that of the writer.

Of the second, the irony in that the socialists choose a "labour-intensive" technique, instead of a more efficient capital one.