LENT IN A 2 MINUTE EXPLANATION

GET BACK TO NATURE

VIMEO is a great site for films of all kinds.  I have not been "talking" much on my blog.  But I do believe that a picture, or a "video" is worth that thousand words...
ENJOY THIS ONE.
The HUDSON RIVER BIRDER
(after a snowfall in February)

Get Back to Nature from Natural Perspectives on Vimeo.

FINAL CUT PRO---TRIAL VERSION

I have a MAC now.  My main reason for getting one is to be able to "move up a step or two" in creating videos, especially about my work in Hispanic  Ministry.  I work in a ministry to Hispanic people here in Ulster County that my confrere, Fr. Tom, our Brazos Abiertos team and I have created.  The full name of our work which we do in a small building formerly used as part of Cabrini Home  in West Park , NYis called   BRAZOS ABIERTOS-FAMILIAS CAMINANDO CON CRISTO.  We have a double logo which I put here below.  The one on the left is, of course, Jesus with his arms in open welcome.  (This is how Jesus, the Church and anyone who "says" they follow Christ should be.  They should be, as is God with open arms to welcome, respect, aid, accompany others, most especially those who have NOT been respected, aided, welcomed by others.)  The other part of our logo is, of course that group of people, FAMILIES, walking with Christ..

Another thing I'd like to share with you is a video done when FINAL CUT PRO X was introduced last year.  I hope it is a joke.  Because Conan O'Brien said his video people "swore" by this new, controversial video editing program which I think is pretty neat.  They say that it is now, as they say, high end, but I will be satisfied if I can master it.  The videos that I do, for instance, with migrant peoples will not have to be like Steven Spielbert.  But I DO hope I'll be able to graduate from Pinnacle's Studio Ultimate 11 which I've used profitable for six years to FINAL CUT PRO X. So let's have a laugh...and hope the video is "pulling our leg" a bit.

"SILENT NIGHT FOR CHILDREN"

When I was a parish priest in the South Bronx (Immaculate Conception Church/School) I learned a lot about Marilyn Edelman Wright and The Childrens' Defense Fund which she began and spearheads still.  In the 7th grade I used this most wonderful Book Our Day to End Poverty in some social justice projects to end or abate world hunger and sickness...This is a video about urging our lamb duck legislators to avoid, not just the "fiscal cliff", but most especially the "hunger, sickness and poverty cliff" over which our poorest children will fall if budjet cuts adversely affect them.
 

'GRATITUDE'..short film from MOVING ART

My friend and film producer, Amanda Fugate-Moss, who recently produced a very fine film called "IMPACT' can be found both on YouTube IMPACT  and VIMEO IMPACT
...Amanda sent me this film she knew I would like very much.  It begins with..."wise words from a child".. Thanks Amanda and enjoy..
 

VIDEO ON ANDY ANDREW'S BOOK

This is a most poignant and disturbing whiteboard style video based on Andy Andrew's book, "How to Murder 11 Million People".  It makes one think.  And how important and at the same time difficult it is to think..
 

STATEN ISLAND AFTER HURRICANE "SANDY"

Eric Jankiewicz did this fine video on VIMEO on the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy on Staten Island,NY.  This Sunday..maybe!!! the New York City Marathon will have thousands of runners  begin their 27 and a half mile run precisely in Staten Island which is the beginning of the Verrazano Bridge.  I place this video here with the hope that the Marathon, if it happens, will not hurt the most urgent recovery operations on hard hit Staten Islanders.

 

Staten Island After Hurricane Sandy from Eric Jankiewicz on Vimeo.

PARA HAWKING

This is truly a most beautiful video.  This HUDSON RIVER BIRDER "attempted" paragliding about ten years ago in Nevada with a good friend.  It was near Wells NV where my good friend and Redemptorist confrere, Fr. Brian Kennedy, was working with migrant peoples and local hispanics.  Unfortunately, after not being able to coordinate our "take off" and with two or three bruises, I finally let Brian go up alone which he did quite well.  However, since it was, as are the paragliders in this video, TWO PERSON PARAGLIDERS, Brian, being so light, could not get down for about two hours and 20 miles down the ridge.  I would so, so much liked to have an experience like these two men.
 

ILLEGAL-film about DREAMER DELAYED ACTION PROJECT

"THE CALL"--NARRATION FROM JACK LONDON

This video was shot in Brittish Columbia, Washington and Oregon.  I is quite beautiful.  Is a tribute to the works of the novelist Jack London, "The Call of the Wild" being one of his famous novels.
 

The Call from Returning to Nomadism on Vimeo.

FALL MIGRATION-2011 IN CENTRAL PARK

I would like to be in Central Park these days.  The Fall, as well as Spring Migration, is so wonderful there, mainly because New York City, and Central Park in particular...are "smack in the center of the so called Atlantic Flyway".. Enjoy Jennifer Dudley's film from last Fall, hoping for my friends Deb Allen, "Birding Bob De Candido" and others this is also a great Fall Migration.
 

Central Park Fall Migration from Jennifer Dudley on Vimeo.

BEYOND EXPECTATION-film by Lindela Mjexicana

This beautiful film by Lindela Mjexicana brings to happy memory the three years when we ran a most wonderful SUMMER DAY CAMP in the South Bronx through Immaculate Conception Parish.  With the organizational skills of Mr. Oscar Cruz, the dedicated help of many local counsellors, kitchen people and Immaculate Conception School we created a wonderful two weeks for children in the South Bronx.  We used Central Park quite a lot.  But we also visited Nature sites up in the Lower Hudson Valley near Bear Mountain, Harriman State Park.  It was a great adventure for inner city children that did not have access too often to parks and the wonders of nature.  Even places like Pelham Bay, with its crabs and wetlands or the Bronx Botanical Gardens and Bronx Zoo were part of what we, like Lindela provided for her children.  Enjoy this!

 

BEYOND EXPECTATION from Butterfly Films on Vimeo.

EARTH BY MICHAEL KÖNIG FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

Earth

by Michael König Plus shot 9 months ago. These are time lapse sequences of photographs taken by the crew of expeditions 28 & 29 onboard the International Space Station from August to October, 2011, who to my knowledge shot these pictures at an altitude of around 350 km. All credit goes to them.HD, refurbished, smoothed, retimed, denoised, deflickered, cut, etc. All in all I tried to keep the looks of the material as original as possible, avoided adjusting the colors and the like, since in my opinion the original footage itself already has an almost surreal and aestethical visual nature. Music: Jan Jelinek | Do Dekor, faitiche back2001
w+p by Jan Jelinek, published by scape Publishing / Universal
janjelinek.com | faitiche.de Image Courtesy of the Image Science & Analysis Laboratory,
NASA Johnson Space Center, The Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth
eol.jsc.nasa.gov Editing: Michael König | koenigm.com
Shooting locations in order of appearance:
1. Aurora Borealis Pass over the United States at Night
2. Aurora Borealis and eastern United States at Night
3. Aurora Australis from Madagascar to southwest of Australia
4. Aurora Australis south of Australia
5. Northwest coast of United States to Central South America at Night
6. Aurora Australis from the Southern to the Northern Pacific Ocean
7. Halfway around the World
8. Night Pass over Central Africa and the Middle East
9. Evening Pass over the Sahara Desert and the Middle East
10. Pass over Canada and Central United States at Night
11. Pass over Southern California to Hudson Bay
12. Islands in the Philippine Sea at Night
13. Pass over Eastern Asia to Philippine Sea and Guam
14. Views of the Mideast at Night
15. Night Pass over Mediterranean Sea
16. Aurora Borealis and the United States at Night
17. Aurora Australis over Indian Ocean
18. Eastern Europe to Southeastern Asia at Night


Earth from Michael König on Vimeo.

LUCY LIU'S FILM...REDLIGHT

I have been quite remiss in continuing to post nature photos on this blog. When I came to Esopus in 2008 it was, and still IS the focus. But gradually I have realized that what is and WHAT ISN'T happening....not just with birds and wildlife...but in HUMAN NATURE are important themes for this blog..
SO...I invite you to see a promo for Lucy Liu's new film, REDLIGHT which shows the horror, pathos and outright shameless treatment of girls enslaved into prostitution in CAMBODIA. Please ponder it!
TOM DEELY
THE HUDSON RIVER BIRDER

REDLIGHT Trailer from jillian selsky on Vimeo.

FOR JAYNE CHRISTINE ON YOUR BIRTHDAY

I don't think that these are as cute as TRACE. But on your birthday I hope they bring "Happy Memories".
LOVE
UNCLE TOM

Koala Bears from Poh Chee Khun on Vimeo.

ONE OF MY "UNSEEN BIRDS"--COMMON YELLOWTHROAT

Common Yellowthroat from Harold Stiver on Vimeo.

MY FRIENDS THE HOUSE WRENS

I really have not been too faithful to my blog. Well, the fact is that, even though I call myself THE HUDSON RIVER BIRDER, I have really not been spending too much time birding. Oh, I HEAR plenty of birds! But to tell you the truth, even though I HEARD and IDENTIFIED them, I could not SEE them. Well, part of the lesson here was...KNOW WHERE TO LOOK. I was looking up in the Douglas Firs which abound in this Gatehouse where I now live in Esopus, NY. But the Wrens were actually entering and leaving the little Birdhouse Fr. Tom, Gene and I placed in front of our six tomatoe plants. Then, all of a sudden, THERE THEY WERE, scooting in and out of that old worn birdhouse. (The birdhouse had been built by our former secretary, Theresa.} For years it was mainly a well used home for House Sparrows when it was near the flagpole next to what used to be Mt. St. Alphonsus. Now the House Wrens angrily force out any bold House Sparrow that tries to take over (as many have tried to!!). I set up my powerful scope on the porch of my house right on 9 W here in Esopus and watch pretty much what the above Wren does with his "Daily Song". Enjoy the wrens.

LIFE OF THE FLOWERS (2:27 secs)

Continuing my work as an Embedder, I share with you all this beautiful video, THE LIFE OF THE FLOWERS.  Time Lapse photography in recent years has really become quite skilled and interesting.  One can see a place change from early morning till the dead of night as the light grows either stronger or weaker.  I think there is a "message" for us all in this.  Because when we begin each day and we think about what we want to do, what God "might be urging us to do" we might do a bit of "time lapse" look at our own lives as they went from the darker moments of confusion, discouragement, selfishness etc etc to the "brighter moments" of love, compassion, generosity, joy, Hope etc etc..  Enjoy THE LIFE OF THE FLOWERS.

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD

As I have said before, I have become, not so much a blogger as i have become an...Embedder!!  When I began this blog I wanted to present lots of "my own pictures and videos" of the flora and fauna, of the beauties of nature as well as the particular interesting history of the Esopus area of the Hudson Valley.  But my work, my talents...I have learned, do not allow me to always do this.  For this reason I have turned to places like VIMEO and, in today's case, to Richard Attenborough, to show some of the truly WONDERFUL nature videos.  In this one Mr. Attenborough recites the lines of WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD as we see some our world's truly wonderful signs ofGod's presence in our very own wonderful world.  ENJOY!!  (Many of my friends send me these videos.  In this case I thank my dear brother Daniel, for sending this to me)

CATHEDRAL OF "HOLY FAMILY" OF GAUDI IN BARCELONA