Kai Prescher collection (USA)  LINK

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CONGRATS TO  SNOWDEN!

Whistle-blower Edward Snowden seems to have landed in Putin’s Russia at just the right time!  Both Russia and the US have recently come to realize that it  is a whole lot  easier to be enemies than friends, vis a vis Syria, Iran, broad human-rights issues, missile-defence programs in Europe, gay-rights , vodka and a slew of other stuff. 

Pictures of Obama alongside Putin in high-profile meetings seem more like  funeral gatherings than anything else.

Who died?

So it is only natural that Snowden’s arrival in Moscow has given Putin ammunition to build up popularity at home while snubbing his nose in Obama’s face.  The month long stay in a Moscow Airport had given both the Kremlin and the White House ample time to come to a mutually satisfactory agreement (about Snowden’s fate), but the obvious polarity of both leaders only made things worse: the White House tried to bully the former KGB officer.  Threats of boycotting Sochi-2014, a September get-together and other sensitive programs is NOT the way to do diplomacy today.  No wonder Putin gave the green light for Snowden to stay in Russia.

Meanwhile, more polls held in America show increasing support–if not outright approval– for the former NSA contractor’s actions, and just last week the House of Representatives defeated by the slimmest of margins a call to reduce the NSA’s funding for some of its more controversial programs.  Then let us not forget about Germany pulling away from future cooperation regarding intelligence sharing.

No doubt Snowden will continue to be a thorn in Obama’s side for the near future, but the most ugly part of the story is that the entire Snowden affair is clearly bringing to the fore major contradictions between what the US is saying and what the US is actually doing.  Even its allies are beginning to notice and are becoming worried!

‘The Portuguese-French painter and graphic designer Maria Elena Vieira da Silva  was born in Lisbon on 13th June 1908, to a Portuguese diplomat’s family. She began drawing and painting at the age of eleven, and a short while later, began sculpting. From the beginning, the family supported her artistic leanings. Maria Eléna Vieira first attended the “Academia de Belas-Artes” in Lisbon. In 1928, she went to Paris with her mother and studied painting under Antoine Bourdelle (1861 – 1929) and Charles Despiau (1874 – 1946).’  READ MORE HERE.

Xeque-mate 1949

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MORE CHESS AND NUDITY

Mirror mate by Andrew Lucas 2011

LINK

Richard Meier and Alena D, though not necessarily in that order

‘Architecture pioneer Richard Meier & Partners is also known for its design projects, such as this minimalistic chess set which has designed for wallpaper magazine. You may find many various projects in Wallpaper Handmade Issue. I think you should take a look at it.’  LINK

Playing Chess With Tracey”,  2012

Cute, but not nearly as stimulating as my favourite below:

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The 2-Queens!  Not only is the board set up properly, but the scarf makes a nice impression!  Who is winning?  He is, no doubt about it!

THINK BEAUTIFUL!