Birthday of Edward Hopper: The iconic American painter would 131 today (photos)

In honor of the birthday of Edward Hopper, a post originally published the year we are reviewing past honor the life and work of the artist.

Today is the birthday of the painter and engraver Edward Hopper. The artist who created the "Nighthawks", one of the best-known American paintings, would make the 131 if he were miraculously alive today.

"Nighthawks", 1932

Hopper was born in Nyack, New York to a strict Baptist family. It is said that they have developed a talent for drawing at the age of five years, as well as a love of French and Russian culture. Encouraged by his parents, the young artist explored the media pen, charcoal, watercolour and oil, that they represent scenes of nature, as well as create their own humor political cartoons. Around the age of 18 years, he moved his conservative home on the Hudson River to study at the Institute of New York's Art Design, where he began to work with models live and paint in the style of Edouard Manet and Edgar Degas.

In 1905, Hopper began working for an advertising agency to earn money, covers magazines of design despite his dislike for the illustrations. It was during this time that he was able to travel to Europe to study artists like Rembrandt and Impressionists. Briefly inspired by the soft blades of the French painters, hopper finally settled in the scheme of dark color that would be known, painting urban scenes of street crowds and cafes through the dark lens of signature. After returning from abroad, hopper reluctantly continued to work on the illustrations, and it was not until 1913 that was able to sell his first picture, "Sailing", at the Armory Show in New York.

Hopper turned to engraving urban scenes of Paris and New York while living in Greenwich Village. In 1923, met his future wife Josephine Nivison, the woman who would serve as his manager, primary model and companion of a lifetime. From there, he began his career at foot, showing the newly created oil paintings and engravings throughout New York.

"Night train", 1918

After a brief period of inactivity during the late 1940s, hopper continued to create works throughout the next two decades, focusing on American issues par excellence such as railways, gas stations, motels and restaurants. Hopper lived through a series of artistic movements in the United States, but his style remained constant, incorporating saturated colors and higher contrast to create dark, cinematic moods of film noir. It should not be a surprise, then, Alfred Hitchcock and Sam Mendes cited frequently as an influence.

On May 15, 1967, Hopper died in his Studio near Washington Square in New York, followed soon by his devoted wife ten months later. His body of work was donated in the Whitney Museum of American Art, with some famous parts find permanent homes at the Museum of modern art in New York, The Des Moines Art Center and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Don't forget to raise your glass to today the birthday of Edward Hopper.

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AL Fan Vote: Which American League Relief Pitcher Should Be Voted Into 2013 All-Star Game?

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The MLB All-Star Game rosters aren't completely set yet. The last spot on each team has yet to be determined and fans have until 4 p.m. ET on Thursday to cast their votes.

For the American League, it's all about relievers. The five "Final Vote" nominees for the AL are all relief pitchers, with New York's David Robertson, Boston's Koji Uehara, Detroit's Joaquin Benoit, Toronto's Steve Delabar, and Texas' Tanner Scheppers are all hoping for a trip to Citi Field.

tcid=ASG13_FV_970x66" target=_hplink>Click HERE to make your pick.

After the majority of the players were revealed over the weekend, Yankees manager Joe Girardi started campaigning for his reliever.

"I'm really hoping that David Robertson gets a chance," said Girardi. "He's been so good for us and I think he deserves a chance to go."

Which AL reliever do you think should go to the All-Star Game?

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As of Tuesday, July 9th Record: 5-1 ERA: 1.58 WHIP: 1.25 SO/BB: 2.59 IP: 40.0

As of Tuesday, July 9th Record: 4-1 ERA: 2.23 WHIP: 0.96 SO/BB: 3.83 IP: 36.1

As of Tuesday, July 9th Record: 2-0 ERA: 1.93 WHIP: 0.83 SO/BB: 6.63 IP: 37.1

As of Tuesday, July 9th Record: 2-0 ERA: 1.73 WHIP: 1.046 SO/BB: 4.60 IP: 36.1

As of Tuesday, July 9th Record: 5-1 ERA: 1.88 WHIP: 1.12 SO/BB: 1.71 IP: 43.0

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Lincoln Mitchell: Edward Snowden and the Story of American Weakness

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The NSA surveillance story is evolving from one of outrage-by many Americans upon learning that their government has, to cut to the chase, been spying on them, and by many in the political establishment because a mid-level contractor has told this to the world, to one of bad comedy. The story is now one of the U.S. trying to figure out where Snowden is, what flights he did or did not board and what countries are going to sympathize with the U.S. and turn Snowden over to the American authorities. It feels like a global game of where's Edward with the U.S. cast as the incompetent detective.

This entire episode has been bad for the U.S. for several reasons, but one that has been largely overlooked it the extent to which it makes the U.S. look weak. Spying on citizens, tracking their phone calls and other communications is what one expects from vulnerable authoritarian regimes, not from governments claiming to be the leaders of the free world. Strong countries have a functioning modern state that can assure secrecy and do not seek to cut fiscal corners by contracting out key functions to private companies who often enjoy useful ties to current and former government officials. Again, this kind of incompetence and weak state is not what the most powerful country in the world should be projecting.

If a similar thing had occurred in another country, particularly one that was not on good terms with the U.S., the news about surveillance would be described by the U.S. government and most of the American media as prima facie evidence of a non-democratic regime in that country. The role played by private contractors would be presented as evidence of a weak state, low accountability and a degree of cronyism or corruption. It is not surprising that the U.S. media has not focused on these issues with regards to Snowden, but these points are not lost on the rest of the world.

The U.S. is further projecting weakness by seeking to portray itself as a victim. Much of the world, including many in the U.S., look at these revelations and become very concerned about a superpower which apparently has been gathering information and tracking the behavior of millions of people both inside and outside its borders. For these people, the U.S. needs to be held accountable for its activities, or at least recognize what they have been doing. The U.S., however, and rather appallingly, appears to see itself as a country that has been betrayed by a rogue contractor perhaps in cahoots with Russia, China or somebody else.

More strikingly, the U.S. has proved unable to convince any of these countries to support its position and help bring Snowden back to the U.S. The U.S. looks weak when one rather obscure contractor can pose what the government presents as a serious security breach, and looks even weaker when it cannot even find that contractor or have him returned to the U.S. The efforts to apprehend Snowden, replete with unsuccessful efforts to determine in what country he is hiding or what flight he is boarding are beginning to make the NSA look like the Keystone Kops.

The U.S. is the most powerful country in the world and frequently presents itself as the arbiter, in one form or another, of what is just, legal and democratic, not just within our borders but globally. Portraying Snowden as a national security threat, traitor or criminal, and the U.S. as Snowden's victim, undermines U.S. credibility in these matters. Anybody who has listened to U.S. rhetoric on democracy and freedom can more or less plainly see that even, and perhaps particularly, by American standards, Snowden should not be considered a criminal. By insisting, with little success, that the rest of the world see him this way, the U.S. government isolates itself and stakes out a position defined by hypocrisy and an inability to admit its own wrongdoing.

The series of decisions that got the U.S. to this point is also troubling because it reflects poor judgment as well as a myopia and lack of perspective at almost every step along the way. Did the people who made the decisions to authorize the NSA surveillance program really think that such widespread surveillance was necessary, helpful or consistent with the values of a free society? Did the decision makers think this would remain secret, particularly when poorly vetted contractors were given access to important information? Did they think the rest of the world would hurry to cooperate with efforts to apprehend Snowden rather than be outraged about the surveillance itself? These poor decisions have damaged the U.S. image and credibility abroad more than Snowden could have.

Follow Lincoln Mitchell on Twitter: www.twitter.com/LincolnMitchell

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Steve Mariotti: John Boyd, An American Genius: What Everyone Should Know About the OODA Loop

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One of the greatest military minds of all time, John Boyd was a pilot in the Air Force from 1951-1975. He was puzzled by the fact that, in Korea, American fighter pilots were able to win nine of ten dogfights against Soviet convoys -- despite the fact that the Soviets had a superior plane (the MiGs), and had more training time.

It was this puzzle on which Boyd built his entire career. The answer he found was that, in an effort to save money in their production, American manufacturers made planes without the metal canopies that protected the pilots. Hence the American pilot could see. The MiG, on the other hand, had a metal protector that prevented the pilot from seeing his target.

Out of that insight came one of the most important military breakthroughs of all time: observe, orient, decide, act (OODA). It is still the military policy of the U.S. Marine Corps. Essentially it argues that who ever can perform the quickest OODA Loop can win the conflict.

Boyd developed his theory over 30 years and laid it out it in a lengthy presentation, which he sent around to different military executives. It was never accepted in the Air Force but to this day it is idolized within the Marines.

The best book written on it is called John Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War by Robert Coram.

Right now I am hoping that every young person will learn about the OODA Loop. I find it extremely helpful and relevant in my own work.

OBSERVE: You are aware of what is around you.

ORIENT: You take the time to think.

DECIDE: You make a decision based on the best information available to you.

ACT: And, finally, you take steps on this information.

You do the loop over and over again, continually adjusting and responding. You look and think before you make a decision. You act. You do it all over again. It is one of the most important lessons for a young person to learn.

I try to bring the OODA Loop to everything I do, particularly to NFTE in order to teach low-income youth how to start their own businesses: you have to be constantly aware and adjusting to feedback around you. This insight is so important to entrepreneurs as they develop startups that have to respond to an ever-changing market.

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India rape arrests: Police detain 3 suspects in violation of American woman (VIDEO)

In this photo taken on 07 may 2013 a India rape victim is reflected in a mirror in her house on the outskirts of Lucknow. (Sanjay Kanojia/AFP/Getty Images)

NEW DELHI--India police arrested three men Thursday on suspicion of violating a gang of an American woman in the northern resort of Manali City earlier this week, the latest sexual assault of high-profile in the country.

Vinod Dhawan police said that the men are accused of offer to the 30-year-old woman a lift in his truck while she was hitchhiking to his pension on Monday night. The woman said the men and then led to a secluded place and raped her.

Dhawan said three men, 22 and 24, 540 kilometers (335 miles) were arrested Thursday near Manali, North of New Delhi.

Police were interrogating the suspects. Other details were not immediately available.

Preoccupation with sexual assault in the India has increased since the gross violation of a woman in New Delhi in December sparked protests demanding better protection for women.

On Wednesday, police arrested a man accused of raping an Irish woman who volunteered in charity for children in the eastern city of Calcutta India.

The suspect, a local businessman, had attended a part of organized women to celebrate his 21st birthday, police said.

The woman told police that later went to the House of the man, where he drank a cup of tea, fainted and was then raped.

In March, six men were arrested in the rape of a Swiss cyclist.

Since the December attack, the Government passed a law increasing prison sentences for rape and doing voyeurism, I stalking, attacks the acid and trafficking punishable in criminal law.

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