By simply opening our eyes
We see the world, our world
In a grand spectrum;
From the ordinary
To the truly extraordinary

~jw stoller

 

 

 

Penn Station
McKim, Mead & White
New York City
1910–1963

In New York City, there has been shock about the planned demolition of the American Folk Art Museum by MoMa. The building designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects is a gem. Petitions were passed around the architect and design communities to demand that MoMa cease any such plans.

Architizer.com has list eleven buildings that should have never been torn down in the name of progress. Here are six of them.

Larkin Administration Building
Frank Lloyd Wright
Buffalo, New York
1904-1950

Cyclorama
Richard Neutra
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
1962-2013

 

Phillis Wheatley Eleme­­­ntary School
Charles Colbert

New Orleans

1954-2011

 

 

Prentice Women’s Hospital
Bertrand Goldberg & Associates
Chicago
1975-2013

 

 

Singer Building
Ernest Flagg
New York City
1908-1968

 

 

 

 

 

On July 9, one of the greatest jazz kings of all time - Louis 'Satchmo' Armstrong was buried in New York City. The famous jazz trumpeter and singer was one of the greats. 'Satchmo' was one of the first African-Americans to cross over into the white charts. Even today his gravelly voice and trumpet playing is immediately recognized by jazz fans.

Armstrong grandparents were slaves and he was born into a very poor family in New Orleans. His first gigs outside the jut joints of New Orleans was playing on the riverboats on the Mississippi. He joined Joe 'King' Oliver's Creole Jazz Band.

Over time he became a favorite of Bing Crosby who seriously aided his career. Johnny Carson was also a huge fan of his playing. He version of Hello Dolly was one of his biggest hits. But he is also known for such hits as It's A Wonderful World, When The Saints Go Marching In, Dream A Little Dream of Me, Mack the Knife and Rambling Rose.

'Satchmo' was the first jazz musician to appear on the cover of TIME Magazine. He won a Grammy Award for his Hello Dolly and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Armstrong died of a heart attack on July 6, 1971. Peggy Lee sang The Lords Prayer at his funeral. Al Hibbler sang Nobody Knows The Troubles I Have Seen.

The honorary pallbearers were Governor Rockefeller, Mayor Lindsay, Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Guy Lombardo, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Pearl Bailey, Count Basie, Harry James, Frank Sinatra, Ed Sullivan, Earl Wilson, Alan King, Johnny Carson, David Frost, Merv Griffin, Dick Cavett and Bobby Hackett.

 

 

Stockholm

The collapse of the bridge in Washington just illustrates how broken America's infrastructure has become over the last several decades. In one area, our nation has fallen so far behind other nations. All over the world they are building innovative high speed trains, light rail systems and new subways.

In addition, many of these new urban systems have created stations that simply can be described as works of art. Here are a few of them.

Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Saint Petersburg

Barcelona 

Munich

Moscow

Stockholm

Chicago

Munich

YOU CAN SEE MORE HERE>>>>>

 

 

 

Trip Advisor has released it annual list of the most desirable travel destinations in the world and in the United States. Based on activity on their site they have selected this year's winners and picked the top twenty-five places in each category.

In the world, it is interesting that both Cape Town and Prague has moved further up on the list from last year by jumping seven places. While Marrakesh has dropped thirteen places.

In the United States, Boston has jumped eight places on the list and Charleston has jumped nine places to number fifteen. The big loser in the United States was Houston which fell seven places.

Here are the top ten for the world

1. Paris, France

2. New York City, New York

3. London, England

4. Rome, Italy

5. Barcelona, Spain

6. Venice, Italy

7. San Francisco, California

8. Florence, Italy

9. Prague, Czech Republic

10. Sydney, Australia

Here are the top ten for the United States:

1. New York City, New York

2. San Francisco, California

3. Chicago, Illinois

4. Las Vegas, Nevada

5. Orlando, Florida

6. Washington, D.C.

7. Boston, Massachusetts

8. Los Angeles, California

9. Honolulu, Hawaii

10. New Orleans, Louisiana

SEE ALL TWENTY-FIVE IN EACH LIST BY CLICKING HERE>>>>>

 

 

The statistics keep rolling in with the Moore, Oklahoma tornado. The F-5 storm is one of the strongest to have hit the nation. Dr. Jeff Master's says that the nation has had nine tornados that have caused a billion dollars in damage. Ironically, two of them were in Moore.

1) Joplin, Missouri, May 22, 2011, $2.9 billion

2) Tuscaloosa, Alabama, April 27, 2011, $2.3 billion (not in SPC's list)

3) Moore, Oklahoma, May 20, 2013, $2 billion

4) Topeka, Kansas, June 8, 1966, $1.8 billion

5) Lubbock, Texas, May 11, 1970, $1.5 billion

6) Bridge Creek-Moore, Oklahoma, May 3, 1999, $1.4 billion

7) Hackleburg, Alabama, April 27, 2011, $1.3 billion (not in SPC's list)

8) Xenia, Ohio, April 3, 1974, $1.1 billion

9) Omaha, Nebraska, May 6, 1975, $1 billion

 

 

LGBT Kenyan citizens gathered in Nairobi today to protest conditions in the nation for the their community. Courageously gathering despite a ban by the government, they were immediately limited by the police to the staging area in Freedom Corner of Uhuru Park. 'Out in Kenya" leader Julie Jules said, "Basically the police stopped the procession because we would be seen to be 'promoting homosexuality' ".