Magdalene Program and Thistle Farms - Recovery and Living for prostitutes

The Magdalene Program in Nashville Tennessee provides healing and recovery for women who are reaching out to leave the life of prostitution behind them. Violence and drugs being a prevalent aspect to life in prostitution, the program provides housing, therapy, and work for the women.

The community of Magdalene runs Thistle Farms, a self-sustaining business, that allows a place of healing and work for Magdalene graduates. The women not only create the natural bath and body products themselves, but learn skills essential jobs skill in manufacturing, packaging, marketing and sales and administration.

Like the women and their namesake depicts, a thistle is a stubborn weed that manages to grow in desolation. Though at first only sharp and prickly on the outside the weed eventually blooms beautifully.

www.thistlefarms.org

Story and audio via NPR.com

25th Anniversary of Chernobyl Disaster

Sergei Supinsky/AFP/Getty Images

April 26, 1986. Chernobyl nuclear facility explosion maked the largest civil nuclear disaster.

THe following link shows archivial photos as well as photographers Diana Markosian and Michael Forster Rothbart documentation of the sites and lives of pensioners that still live in the radioactive affected areas.

25th anniversary Chernobyl Disaster picture gallery - via boston.com

Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu, April 15, 1924 – April 24, 2011

Madame Nhu passed away Sun, April 24, 2011. Nhu lived close to Vietnam's political arena, which ultimately played a part to her exile to Rome. Her glamorous allure and outspoken nature garnered herself a infamous reputation amongst the world's eye over her at times controversial actions on women's rights, politics, and religion.

Madame Nhu via The New York Times

Uplifting Japan advertisement - Kyushu

Japan Rail's advertisement introducing the connection of the shinkanzen, japanese bullet train system, to the southern most island of Japan, Kyushu.

Artist Blu's "Rennes" print by Studiocrombie

A print derived from Italian street artist Blu is now available from Studiocrombe.org

Titled "Rennes", the original was painted in Rennes, France and measured roughly 27" x 35". Prints are in an edition of 150, costing 400€ each.

original mural

via theworldsbestever.com

מופיע מדהים של איזון וכוח - Appears Incredible Power Balance

As of now, I can't seem to find too much about what this clip is from. But google translate loosely translates the hebrew text as: Appears incredible power balance.

Some of the comments of the forum feed on the video elude to a French talent show called "Le Plus Grand Cabaret du Monde". Without saying its a great feat of balance with a wonderful sense of drama added to it.

Bill Waterson - art for parkinson's, after 16 years

Bill Waterson, of Calvin and Hobbes fame, painted a 6x8 oil-on-board of Richard Thompson's character Petey Otterloop from the comic strip Cul de Sac. The piece is Waterson's contribution to Team Fox's fundraising project for parkinson's disease.

“I didn’t get my hopes up that [Watterson] would contribute,” says Caty Neis, a book editor at Andrews McMeel Universal — the parent company of Watterson’s syndicate — who has been spearheading the Team Cul de Sac effort. “Just the fact that this is first art that we have seen from him in 16 years is just so exciting, and what a great cause.”