Haiti has been called "The Republic of NGO's" (due to an endless number of Non-Governmental Organizations). In addition there are Minustah and other UN organisations (UNDP, Unicef, UN Women)....

With all these helpers there you could also say "Land of 1000s of Projects). On the northern side of the city near Route Nationale #3 there is a lonely suburb that looks like nothing you've ever seen in this country.

It was built when I was here in 2012, but still in 2015 it seems like the most desolate place. I don't really know anything about this project, but the lack of people makes me wonder what is (or isn't) going on. It certainly isn't Haitians who came up with the idea.

UPDATE: Well.... to my surprise later I found out that the project is one created by the latest government (2011-2015).... Still looks like a ghost town to me (and I still find it photographically interesting).

uclbp.gouv.ht/pages/41-village-lumane-casimir.php

The proposed development and construction of 3,000 social housing units in Morne Cabris is part of the Martelly-Lamothe government interventions to provide an answer to the thorny social housing deficit problem faced by the layers vulnerable Haitian population.

But it is worse than that, read this critical article: www.haitiobserver.com/blog/morne-a-cabri-haiti.html

• december 2012: one of the six selected shadow one minutes for stadsschouwburg utrecht video wall, will be screened for one month, in the evening from 18:00 till 01.00.

• part of the festival caleidoscoop

kunstcafé

snellingerdijk 4a, oosterwolde

may 26th - june 3rd 2012

• selected for the june 2011 'shadow' one minutes series

Shadows. ‘Your shadow at morning striding behind you, or your shadow at evening rising to meet you.'

Magic-show shadows.

Shadows with lengthening arms reaching out, pulling you into a world of danger and melancholy, loneliness and alienation.

Shadows. They’re what you see. They’re not what you think.

The one minutes series, a monthly selection of 60-second video art, is the new main activity of the oneminutes organization. It started in March 2011 with the theme ‘performance one minutes’.

24 selected one minutes can be seen only in unexpected places inside cultural institutions in the world.

List of institutions:

Academisch Medisch Centrum, Amsterdam - www.amc.nl/kunst

Amsterdam Museum, Amsterdam - www.amsterdammuseum.nl

deBuren, Brussel - www.deburen.eu

Centraal Museum, Utrecht - www.centraalmuseum.nl

Cultuurwerf/Buro Beeldende Kunst, Vlissingen - www.burobk.nl

Graphic Design Museum, Breda - www.graphicdesignmuseum.com

het Haarlem College - www.haarlemcollege.nl

Kunsthal KAdE, Amersfoort - www.kunsthalkade.nl

Marres - centre for contemporary culture, Maastricht - www.marres.org

NIMk, Amsterdam - www.nimk.nl

Schunck*, Heerlen - www.schunck.nl

TwentseWelle, Enschede - www.twentsewelle.nl

East China Normal University, Shanghai

Chinese European Art Centre, Xiamen

Townhouse gallery, Cairo

oneminute video, palmentuin, paramaribo

Being blessed to live on the water, away from city lights, the wide expanse of the Great South Bay beyond my home beach is always a source of visual treats.

From dark moonless nights with flying white foam covering roaring waves, to moonlit nights on a silky smooth mass. From No Visible Horizon nights when earth, wind, sky and water merge into one, to the most spectacular displays of lightning, seeming to set alight the aptly named Watch Hill on the also aptly named Fire Island... places I love being by boat, in all kinds of weather, in all seasons, in all stages of life and in all types of light.

But, as I clicked way on my Nikon D300 on this magnficent fireworks filled sky, with the smell of burning Ozone in the air, and the atmosphere rich in sensual moisture and dripping in an almost sexually charged energy. The mood, the scene, were, to say the least, Electric.

As massive thunderbolts and lightning struck across from my home, as I captured this photo, I was reminded of the risks....

Three (Lightning) Strikes And You're Out(side)!? :-)

© 2010-2011 IMRAN

DSC_6728

Camera Nikon D300, Exposure 30, Aperture f/18.0, Focal Length 48 mm

Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Blue Angels airshow Copyright 2011

Photographed from Galle Face Hotel, Colombo.

The Galle Face Hotel, founded in Colombo, Sri Lanka in 1864, is the oldest hotel east of Suez. It is located at 2, Galle Road, Colombo 03. The Ceylon Hotels Corporation is now part of the Galle Face Hotel Group. The hotel is a member of Select Hotels and Resorts International. The current chairman of the hotel is Sanjeev Gardiner, since the demise of his father Cyril Gardiner in 1997. It is listed as one of the "1000 Places to See Before You Die" in the book of the same name. It received the "Best Heritage Hotel" title three years running at the Presidential Awards for Travel and Tourism (of Sri Lanka), held in June 2010 June 2011 and September 2012.[8] In addition it won the first-ever PATA award for Best International Heritage Hotel, in 2012 In September 2012, it became the first hotel in Sri Lanka to be featured on a postage stamp, along with three other iconic buildings in Colombo.

Macy's Herald Square, originally known as the R. H. Macy and Company Store, is the flagship of Macy's department stores, located on Herald Square in Manhattan, New York City. The building's 2.2 million square feet (almost 205,000 square meters)[3] made it the world's largest department store from 1924 until 2009, when the South Korean chain Shinsegae opened a store of nearly 3.16 million square feet (293,905 square meters) in Busan. As of 2011, the store has stood at the site for 110 years.

Wheel of Excellence, Brighton UK

www.flickr.com/photos/rpadmanabhan/7839154284/sizes/l/in/...

The Brighton Wheel, also known during its planning and construction phase as the Brighton O and the Wheel of Excellence, is a transportable Ferris wheel installation erected in October 2011 on the seafront in Brighton, part of the English city of Brighton and Hove. It has planning permission to remain in place until 2016. Situated below the East Cliff near Brighton Pier and built with private funding, its promoters anticipate that several hundred thousand visitors per year will experience the 12-minute ride.

Courtesy Wiki

Esta es la sobrecubierta de "El dibujosaurio", un libro de tapa dura y 408 páginas a color que se pondrá a la venta la última semana de este mes de noviembre editado por Diábolo.

Esto es lo que dice una de sus solapas:

EL DIBUJOSAURIO (1981-2011)

Esta autobiografía gráfica reúne por primera vez la inmensa mayoría de los trabajos de ilustración realizados a lo largo de treinta años por Mauro Entrialgo, ordenados cronológicamente y contextualizados por él mismo con datos, comentarios y anécdotas.

Contiene dibujos para revistas y libros, portadas de discos, murales, logotipos, carteles, ex libris, invitaciones de festejos, storyboards, calendarios, historietas publicitarias, tarjetas de visita, camisetas, postales, bolsas de comercios, anuncios de prensa, plantillas callejeras, flyers, alfombrillas de ratón, diseños de frascos de colonia, chapas, pegatinas y muchas más cosas.

Over the next few days you're going to be seeing more shots of 'Your Rainbow panorama' by the Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson. I'm a big fan of his work but this rooftop installation at the AROS Museum in Aarhus was one of my favourite yet. These colours are pretty much 'straight out of the camera' with just a bit of Levels tweaking.

I'm not sure if AROS Museum architects, Schmidt Hammer Lassen, were involved in the design of the circular glass ring but the architecture itself was so minimal it detracted almost negligibly from the experience of the intense colours.

Click here for more shots of Olafur Eliasson's work : www.flickr.com/photos/darrellg/sets/72157652107096126

From Wikipedia : 'Olafur's artwork Your rainbow panorama consists of a circular, 150 metres (490 ft) long and 3 metres (9.8 ft) wide corridor made of glass in every color of the spectrum. It has a diameter of 52 metres (171 ft) and is mounted on 3.5 metres (11 ft) high columns on top of the roof of the ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum in Aarhus. It opened in May 2011. Visitors can walk through the corridor and have a panoramic view of the city. Construction cost 60 million Danish kroner and was funded by the Realdania foundation.

Olafur's idea was chosen in 2007 among five other proposals in a bidding process by a panel of judges. At night the artwork is lit from the inside by spotlights in the floor.'

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© D.Godliman

My imagination running wild...OH JOY!

More experiments with lights and shapes.

Zantedeschia, usually erroneously called Calla or Arum lilies (only when big and white), they are not a true lily.

It is named after Italian botanist Francesco Zantedeschi.

All parts of the plant are toxic!

Why not take a few minutes, click on the links, sit back and relax, enjoy the beauty, you'll feel replenished!

Giving my flowers SOUL? My Soul Flowers on youtube and Studio Flowers 2011

Thanx for your time and comments, greatly appreciated, M, (*_*)

For more of my other work or if you want to PURCHASE (ONLY PLACE TO BUY!), VIEW THE NEW PORTFOLIOS AND LATEST NEWS : www.indigo2photography.co.uk

IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (BY LAW!!!) TO USE ANY OF MY image or TEXT on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved

Quick photo shoot before the rain, for 52 weeks for Dogs group. My Jake, 2 yr. old standard poodle, always ready to play and smile. It was thundering and about to pour and thought maybe we should go home.

All critiques very welcome. I'm not thin-skinned.

I am looking for a camera with a bigger sensor- maybe a real DSLR. I'm looking at the Nikon D5100 (because it has a swivel screen) and the Sony Nex 5 (because it's so lightweight-- this may clench the deal for me) and has a CMOS sensor, and a movable screen. I welcome all camera advice also. Heavy just won't work for me, as I like to hike and walk my dogs and take my camera with me. But I want the best sensor I can get, and a camera that does better in low light and in-doors and takes clearer photos.

Taken 6/26/11, Uploaded 6/26/11, 2011 06 26_zR72 CropFlipLayersScreen64TD5EnhanceTA Tweak Jake BW_1252

If you wish, view "my own favorites" of my photostream

Or view all of my Photostream, sorted by Interestingness: fiveprime.org/flickr_hvmnd.cgi?search_domain=User&tex...

© all rights reserved

Please take your time... to View it large on black

For those who wants to visit Amsterdam, 30th of April is the best time of year to visit. Queen's Day (Dutch: Koninginnedag) on April 30 is a national holiday in the Netherlands, It started as a celebration of the Dutch monarchy. It is mainly known for the 'vrijmarkt' (literally 'freemarket'), the one day in the year that anyone is allowed to sell anything in the streets. The night before is celebrated as 'Koninginnenacht' (queen's night). Music and dancing on the street or sometimes on the boat. Oranjegekte (orange folly) is a phenomenon in the Netherlands that occurs during queen’s day, international football championships and sometimes at other sporting events. The most important characteristic is the colour orange that dominates the street sight with flags and banners, clothing and even ordinary consumer goods.

Such a great Q-day party on the streets and on the canals of Amsterdam. So many boats that you can not even see the canal. The music on the boats were outloud and all people dancing. Photo taken in Amsterdam at Prinsengracht in the Jordaan.

Nederland kleurt weer oranje. Elke stad of dorp organiseert speciale activiteiten voor jong en oud. Overal kan men terecht voor muziek, dans, markten en lekker eten en drinken. Amsterdam heeft nog altijd een grote aantrekkingskracht op Koninginnedag. Er is van alles te doen op het gebied van muziek en vrijmarkten. De Amsterdamse grachten kleuren weer oranje kleuren met boten in alle soorten en maten. Dat wordt een grote oranje file op het water.Koninginnedag in Amsterdam is net zoals altijd een geslaagd feest. Met bijna een miljoen bezoekers was het gezellig en druk in Amsterdam. 30 April 2011: Koninginnedag! Erg jammer dat de Koninklijke familie dit jaar naar Limburg gaat en dus het feest in Amsterdam (alweer) moeten missen. Toch jammer, want eerlijk is eerlijk, nergens zo'n groot feest tijdens Koninginnedag als in Amsterdam ;-) Op 30 April kleurt Amsterdam oranje door de mensen die daar Koninginnedag willen vieren. De Prinsengracht raakt overvol met boten. De dansmuziek weergalmt van de boten af. Er wordt op elke boot lekker gedanst en sommige gaan helemaal los. Wat een feest toch, één groot gekkenhuis!!

The recently completed Heron Tower in the City of London.

As part of my wifes Christmas present I bought her a champagne afternoon tea at the top of Tower 42 in the heart of the City of London. I don't think she was too surprised when I took my camera with me. Timed to coincide with sunset, as you'll see from the photos the weather was less than ideal but it did make for some dramatic shots.

More of my favourite London shots : www.flickr.com/photos/darrellg/sets/72157622246523079

From Wikipedia : "The Heron Tower (officially 110 Bishopsgate) is a commercial skyscraper in London. It stands 230 metres (755 ft) tall including its 28 metre (92 ft) mast (202 metres (663 ft) excluding the mast) making it the tallest building in the City of London financial district and the third tallest in Greater London, after the Shard in Southwark and One Canada Square at Canary Wharf. The Heron Tower is located on Bishopsgate and is bordered by Camomile Street, Outwich Street and Houndsditch.

Construction of the building started in 2007 and was completed in 2011. It is owned by Heron International and in May 2014 a 15-year naming deal renamed the building as the Salesforce Tower, after the tenant Salesforce.com, which occupies six floors and 18% of the building's total office space. The tower initially struggled to attract tenants in the depths of the Great Recession, but is now 90% leased or under offer.

Designed by architects Kohn Pedersen Fox, the height of the Heron Tower was planned to be only 183m, identical to that of Tower 42, the City of London's then tallest building since 1980.

It attracted some controversy when first announced due to its proximity to St Paul's Cathedral when viewed from Waterloo Bridge. English Heritage was notably vocal in expressing concerns. A public inquiry was subsequently held, the outcome of which was decided by deputy prime minister John Prescott, who ruled in the developers' favour. The tower was given final approval for construction in July 2002."

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IFU Arena, Uppsala, Sweden, 29th of December, 2025

Event page: www.storvretacupen.se

Photos free for use as long a photographer is credited!

Photos by Adam Troy

Insta cred @adammtroy

adam@storvretaibk.se

Grand Teton National Park -- I've noticed a billboard around town featuring an image similar to this one from a family vacation taken in 2011 - so I thought I'd post my version.

California Palace of the Legion of Honor - a fine art museum in San Francisco, California.

Located in Lincoln Park, in the neighborhood of Richmond District.

The Legion of Honor displays a collection spanning more than 6,000 years of ancient and European art and houses the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts in a neoclassical building overlooking Lincoln Park and the Golden Gate Bridge. ^ Ref. from Wikipedia.

In my collection California, USA under Northern California set.

IMG_5622

© 2011 All rights reserved by desertcrops

Veronica longifolia , Long-leaved Speedwell

Please view large for all the lovely detail!

This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds

Slender, upright spires of white, pink and blue tubular flowers appear in summer above cream-edged, mid-green leaves. This elegant speedwell shows a good resistance to mildew and will add vertical interest throughout a sunny border on well-drained soil. If cut back after the flowers have faded, it may produce a second flush in late summer or early autumn.

Giving my flowers SOUL? My Soul Flowers on youtube and Studio Flowers 2011

THIS IS THE LATEST!!! NEW:

Soul Flowers 2012

Why not take a few minutes, click on the links, sit back and relax, enjoy the beauty, you'll feel replenished?

Have a lovely day and as always, THANX, M, (*_*)

For more of my other work or if you want to PURCHASE (ONLY PLACE TO BUY OUR IMAGES!), VIEW THE NEW PORTFOLIOS AND LATEST NEWS HERE on our website: www.indigo2photography.co.uk

IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (BY LAW!!!) TO USE ANY OF MY image or TEXT on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved

Reid was born in Portland, Jamaica. After serving ten years as a Jamaican Police officer, Reid left the force to help his wife Lucille run the family business, The Treasure Isle Grocery and Liquor Store.

He made his way into the music industry first as a sound system (outdoor mobile discothèque) owner, promoter and disc jockey. He quickly overtook Tom the Great Sebastian and his sound system as the most popular sound system in Jamaica. Soon he was also sponsor and presenter of a radio show, Treasure Isle Time. A jazz and blues man at heart, Reid chose "My Mother's Eyes" by Tab Smith as his theme tune. Other favourites of his included Fats Domino, a noticeable influence on the early Reid sound.

Early Reid productions were recorded in studios owned by others, but when the family business moved from Pink Lane, Kingston to Bond Street, Reid set up his own studio above the store. He became proprietor of a number of labels, chiefly Treasure Isle and Dutchess (his spelling). Much of his income derived from licensing agreements with companies in the UK, some of which set up specialist Duke Reid labels.

He dominated the Jamaican music scene of the 1960s, specialising in ska and rock-steady, though his love of American jazz, blues and soul was always in evidence. Reid had several things going for him that helped him to rise to prominence. He made a concerted effort to be in the studio as much as possible, something his counterparts did not do. He was known as a perfectionist and had a knack for adding symphonic sounds to his recordings and producing dense arrangements. Furthermore, his records were considerably longer than those being produced by his rivals. His tunes often broke the four-minute barrier, while most ska songs were barely longer than two minutes. The material that Treasure Island issued exemplified the cool and elegant feel of the rocksteady era.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Reid

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVoDSITawtw

Duke Reid Group - Sweet Lorna

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCFQS0NpLzk&feature=related

© Copyright 2011 Michael Thompson.

Follow @reggaehallofame

Visit my site: jenny-rainbow.pixels.com/

As old year is going to be over very soon, I revise all my thoughts and wishes and I think Im not alone in such a process before entering to new year. Great Year, significant 2012. And I understand very clearly that as for me left just only one religion and its LOVE.

Here I would like to share with you this information by some quotes from the article of Lauren Gorgo "All Aboard? Last call to LOVE!"

“The earth that you once knew is no longer…there is a new vibrational pattern that has permeated the blueprint of the planet and you now exist as members of the galactic community, cousins to the enlightened citizens of your galaxy.” - Pleiadian High Council

….we are fully anchored in Christed-consciousness for the global restructuring that will take place this coming year as a result of our arriving here. And it promises to be another big year in the sense that the physical restructuring and transformations of 2012 are inevitable, and will serve their purpose to effectively shift the human collective to the HEART of all matters and open all pathways to LOVE.

Each of us holds a piece to this universal puzzle, and so each of us has a major role to play in raising our own vibration, increasing our LOVE quotient, so that collectively we can increase the vibration of the planet and participate in the wonders of the new world.

(NOTE: There are a lot of fear-based-energies circling the planet with regard to this coming year and all the prophecies, predictions, & intentional programming designed to thwart our inevitable arrival into 5D, so it is important to stay connected to LOVE thru the holiday season and just allow those energies to be if you feel them. If your sensitive, you may be feeling a sense of impending doom, or just an unidentifiable anxiety looming over you. This will pass shortly, but even quicker if we remain detached and merely observe the collective energies in motion.)

In 2012 we will be learning that LOVE is all we need… but not in a lyrical way, in a very vibrational way. When we make this profound shift, LOVE literally becomes the animating force of life…the fuel for our creations, our biology, our relationships. When LOVE is fully woven into the tapestry of our lives, miracles become the very fabric of our existence.

Those souls who are ushering in the new world are beginning to sing to a different tune. Literally. The new (angelic) human is attuned to the 528 Hz resonance of the sacred (high) heart which resonates in harmony with the crystalline (christ) grid.

The 528 Hz vibration of LOVE is the Source Code of creation…THE universal key required to unlock our co-creative potential, to free ourselves from bondage and enter the playground of new earth. This code acts as a vibrational buffer to ensure that the sacred powers of the universe are only bestowed upon those of pure heart.

So what’s most pressing in this moment, before we step into completely uncharted territory, is the observation/release of anything remaining in our mental, emotional or physical selves that is based in fear and therefore holding us back from the embodiment of LOVE. Whatever wounds you are revisiting right now, its important (but not easy) to view as objectively as possible and with the (light) understanding that we don’t have to drag this baggage around any longer…that a clean slate is not only a possibility now, but a requirement.

“The new blueprint of earth requires LOVE now more than ever, and for those who hear the call, the impacts will be greatly lessened. For those who refuse the call, the impacts will be greater. We say this not to elicit fear, but to remind each of you that true healing is possible now but requires the firm commitment to release all that is not LOVE. For those who have been dedicated to the work of releasing these patterns of fear, unprecedented openings are before you. “ -PHC

“The incoming wave of LOVE is pervasive and unstoppable. It is lifting you to heights unknown. We will say this…you are not only going to be delighted at what you have created for yourselves, in that the universe multiplies & returns your LOVE-based efforts 10 fold…but you will be in awe of your own personal dedication to this journey. You will be swept up in the throes of self-love like never before, for you will realize, maybe even for the first time, how much LOVE was really required on your part to arrive here.

We understand your contempt, but can’t emphasize this enough. Considering the circumstances, the fact that each of you will feel the absolute warmth and glow of creator’s LOVE touch your hearts and lives is nothing short of miraculous, and this holiday season we wish for you to bask in the knowing that it is you who brought forth these energies…and, collectively, it is you who delivered the world from evil…and it is you who responded to creators call to come forth and in some cases, to incarnate in human flesh for the first time, just to see your missions through. These grand missions of LOVE are not by accident or default, but by the compassionate grace of GOD that lives within each and every one of you and desires for nothing but the purity of LOVE for all.

….No doubt, we are all being revisiting by our ghosts of (Christmas) past, and in some cases…depending on the density still remaining in our lives…this has been a time of some really impacting, life-changing revelations. These things that are rushing to the surface for our attention can seem daunting/terrifying at first glance, but this urgency/intensity is just the answer to a universal clarion call to whole-heart-edly illuminate every corner of our lives and bodies so that by the time the solstice rolls around we can lock into position for 2012, and begin again….in an entirely new cycle, with a new life and in brand new world of our making.

This is not to say that what comes up at this time will simply vanish, just that we are being gifted with the awareness of where LOVE is still needed in order to fully shift into our 12th dimensional blueprint bodies. If these finalizing energies dropped a bomb on your life, realize that an explosion can serve two divine purposes…1) it will unmistakably, and without fail, bring our focus and attention to EXACTLY where its needed so that we can heal/release/restore whatever is calling us… and 2) it can serve to shift us, rather quickly, into the mental & emotional framework required to align with LOVE during this pivotal time. If you’ve experienced a jolt, realize that a jolt was needed, but that once you are aware of why, 75% of the work is already done. The other 25% is in LOVing yourself back together.

“We would add that the 12:12 presented many of you with options to choose a new pathway, these options were presented as either revelations, or a call to action. How you respond to these situations is what matters now, not in the resolving of them.” –PHC

“We would say that these energies are coming to uplift humanity in certain sectors, and to equally dismantle corruption in others. The way for each of you lies in the choices presented to you now…how you choose will determine the path of your soul in the coming year. Choosing LOVE over fear is the only path to redemption.” -PHC

This is the time/year/world/era we have been waiting/working so diligently for and the unseens share that all the many potentials that are arising revolve around LOVE as the driving force of creation in our new lives. The new earth is here and LOVE is the only way to enter….LOVE is the key code that grants each of us access to the co-creational forces of the universe, that which can only be accessed from the sacred space within our hearts.

In 2012, LOVE will finally become the predominant force on the planet and anything, anyone in opposition to LOVE will fall away. No one, no thing is exempt.

“We have so much to share with regard to this upcoming year, but we will sum it up by saying that those who are aligned with LOVE will rise to meet LOVE in unprecedented ways. In fact, the word LOVE itself will shift to something greater, for LOVE as you knew it will not compare to the LOVE that will to pump thru the heart of earth and humanity. The lifeblood of Source will flood thru your rivers and veins and will permeate every living thing with the radiance of divine LOVE, the sustenance for life on the new earth.” -PHC

www.thinkwithyourheart.net/2011/12/20/all-aboard-last-cal...

Thank you for the beautiful idea, Dave! www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc8ZbVcdHpg

To purchase this greeting card, you are welcome to FAA page: fineartamerica.com/featured/happy-new-year-2012-jenny-rai...

My Website - Aaron Yeoman Photography

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Palau Güell, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

There was lots of looking up during my time in Barcelona, Gaudi and other architects really knew how to make some stunning ceilings and it would be rude not to take some images of them wouldn't it? ;-)

This image is of the main hall/room in Palau Güell, this is one of Gaudi's less known masterpieces in my opinion. Again not sure what to expect when I arrived and upon entering I was completely blown away by the level of detail and character this place has, I found myself practically attached to my camera for the whole duration of the visit. Built by Gaudi for industrialist Eusebi Güell and his family. Everything in here is very grand detailed as you would expect. As previously mentioned this is the main hall where often functions would be carried out as well as church service as there is an organ here in this room which you can just see on the top right hand side. The roof here is domed with holes in it, this is meant to mimic the night sky and its stars and the way the light shine through those holes is very effective.

Palau Güell was only recently reopened to the public back in 2011 after undergoing massive refurbishment and repair work and I must say they have done a wonderful job, even putting some original features back in using photos from the time it was built, certainly worth a visit if you go to Barcelona.

This was a very difficult image to process due to the extremes in the dynamic scale but I have got it to a point where I really like it. The couple of bits I don't like are the two bright spots on the left and one near one of the windows. I tried getting rid of them as best I can but I found myself loosing too much of the image so left them in there so hopefully they won't be too much of a distraction to you all.

Photo Details

Sony Alpha SLT-A77

Sigma 10-20mm 1:4-5.6 EX DC HSM

RAW

f/8.0

12mm

ISO400

1/6s exposure

Software Used

Lightroom 4.4

Information

The Palau Güell (Catalan pronunciation: [pəˈɫaw ˈɣweʎ], English: Güell Palace) is a mansion in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí for the Catalan industrial tycoon Eusebi Güell.

It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Works of Antoni Gaudí".

The home is centered on a main room for entertaining high society guests. Guests entered the home in horse drawn carriages through the front iron gates, which featured a parabolic arch and intricate patterns of forged iron-work resembling seaweed and in some parts a horsewhip. Animals could be taken down a ramp and kept in the livery stable in the basement where the servants resided, while the guests went up the stairs to the receiving room. The ornate walls and ceilings of the receiving room disguised small viewing windows high on the walls where the owners of the home could view their guests from the upper floor and get a 'sneak peek' before greeting them, in case they needed to adjust their attire accordingly.

The main party room has a high ceiling with small holes near the top where lanterns were hung at night from the outside to give the appearance of a starlit sky.

In 2004, visits by the public were completely suspended due to renovations; some of the stone used in the original construction was weak and has cracked over the years causing structural problems within the building. As of 1 February 2008, Palau Güell was partially reopened to the public, with access to limited parts of the building only. It is currently completely open with all restoration work completed in April 2011.

It was used in Antonioni's film The Passenger as a backdrop for the first meeting between Jack Nicholson and Maria Schneider.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palau_Güell

Please View Large On Black

*

© All rights are reserved, please do not use my photos without my permission. Thanks !

Type: Container Ship

Flag: Republic of Singapore

Port of Registry: Singapore

Owner: Neptune Orient Lines, Singapore

Completion year: 2011/12

Built by Hyundai Heavy Industries, Ltd.. Co., South Korea

Length: 349.27m

Beam: 45.60m

Draft: 14.50m max.

Gross tonnage: 113 735 tons

Deadweight: 120 000 tons

Container Capacity: 10 070 TEU max.

Reefer points: 700

Engine type: MAN B & W two-stroke 14K98ME-C7

Engine power: 84 280 kW / 115 000 BHP

Speed​​: 25.8 knots max.

Call Sign: 9V9373

MMSI: 566318000

IMO: 9461867

Emergence biofeedback art installation

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Repararam na frase feia, mega destacada em vermelho, que “estraga” a foto? De agora em diante vai ser assim... Infelizmente não se pode confiar no caráter das pessoas e eu estou cansada de gente que usa as minhas fotos para vender esmaltes.

===

E aí pessoal, faz tempo que não apareço por aqui, não é mesmo?

Depois do acidente com as minhas unhas eu fiquei um tempo sem postar fotos, mas agora estou de volta! Poxa, já fazia quase um mês, estava com saudades daqui e de tirar fotos dos esmaltes que uso =]

Nada melhor do que voltar “chegando” né? Hahahaha

O esmalte da volta é nada mais nada menos que o queridinho que eu fiquei esperando chegar por umas 2 ou 3 semanas, o Exquis da Dior *_*

Foi lançado agorinha, faz parte da coleção de natal da Dior – Les Rouges Or – junto com outros 3: Or Divin, Apparat e Merveille.

E pensar que antes eu não era chegada nesses tons de esmalte, mas olha, me apaixonei assim que vi a primeira foto no Fashion Polish. Depois a Rosana ainda ficou me tentando, aquela sem vergonha ¬¬

Sobre o esmalte: é um Dior, não preciso falar mais nada kkkkkk. O pincel mais perfeito que já vi / usei, durabilidade impecável (fica tranquilamente mais de uma semana sem lascar), cores únicas, pigmentação de fazer inveja em muito esmalte por aí... Enfim, aprende com a Dior, dona Chanel :P

O Exquis possui um parente muito próximo, o Ingrid da China Glaze! Não são idênticos, pois o Dior tem bem mais dourado, mas são bem parecidos (considerando apenas a cor, claro...). Não vou dizer “quem tem um não precisa do outro” porque eu realmente precisava do Dior kkkkkk, mas que o ChG quebra um galhão, ahhh quebra =]

Bom, é isso, estou de volta \o/

The brilliant blue waters of a waterfall on Jeju Island, South Korea

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The Praying Monk" is a rock formation on the side of the famous Camelback mountain that sits in between Phoenix and Scottsdale Arizona. From the first time I saw this I was always fascinated with it and thought It would make a great spiritual shot with lightning striking. This is a shot that I worked on for three years to get. This is the real deal. I can not tell you how many times I went to my spot on the top side of this mountain and got nothing. This night was one of my most scariest nights chasing lightning. This was the first shot that got a little blown out it was an extreme bolt of energy. Nothing like being on the top of a huge rock with a metal tripod trying to get a shot for three years. This storm circled the mountains and swung around the back side and came back around to me. This was a very exciting night of chasing lightning. After this, I took off and did the chase to north Scottsdale. This is the first one of the five images in this series. www.jamesinsogna.com/Weather/Lightning-Thunderstorm-Weath...

© 2011 James Insogna 1-888-682-0122

Have a great Holiday Everyone. I'll See you When I see you! :-)

I primi probabili riferimenti alle macchie solari sono quelli degli astronomi cinesi del primo millennio d.C., che probabilmente potevano vedere i gruppi di macchie più grandi quando lo splendore del sole era diminuito dalla polvere sollevata dai vari deserti dell'Asia centrale.

Furono osservate telescopicamente per la prima volta nel 1610 dagli astronomi frisoni Johannes e David Fabricius, che pubblicarono una loro descrizione nel giugno del 1611. In questa data Galileo stava già mostrando le macchie solari agli astronomi a Roma e Christoph Scheiner aveva probabilmente osservato le macchie per due o tre mesi. La polemica tra Galileo e Scheiner per la prima osservazione, quando nessuno dei due sapeva del lavoro dei Fabricius, fu quindi tanto acida quanto inutile.

Le macchie solari ebbero una qualche importanza nel dibattito sulla natura del sistema solare. Mostravano che il Sole ruotava su se stesso, e il fatto che apparivano e scomparivano dimostrava che il Sole subiva dei cambiamenti, in contraddizione con gli insegnamenti di Aristotele.

Le ricerche sulle macchie solari segnarono il passo per la maggior parte del XVII e l'inizio del XVIII secolo, perché a causa del Minimo di Maunder quasi nessuna macchia solare fu visibile per molti anni. Ma dopo la ripresa dell'attività solare, Heinrich Schwabe poté riportare nel 1843 un cambiamento periodico nel numero delle macchie solari, che sarebbe poi stato chiamato il ciclo undecennale dell'attività solare.

Un flare estremamente potente fu emesso verso la Terra il 1º settembre 1859. Interruppe i servizi telegrafici e causò aurore boreali visibili molto a sud, fino alle Hawaii e a Roma, e in modo simile nell'emisfero sud. Il flare più luminoso osservato dai satelliti è avvenuto il 4 novembre 2003 alle 19:29 UTC, ed ha saturato gli strumenti per 11 minuti. La regione 486, responsabile del flare, ha prodotto un flusso di raggi X stimato a X28. Le osservazioni hanno mostrato che l'attività è continuata sulla faccia lontana del Sole, quando la sua rotazione ha nascosto la regione attiva alla nostra vista.

È stata registrata l'assenza di macchie solari per 266 giorni su 366 nel 2008, e per 78 giorni nei primi 90 del 2009.

Fisica [modifica]

Primo piano di una macchia solare all'ultravioletto. Immagine del satellite TRACE.

Anche se i dettagli della formazione delle macchie solari sono ancora oggetto di ricerca, è abbastanza chiaro che esse sono la controparte visibile di tubi di flusso magnetico nella zona convettiva del Sole che vengono "arrotolati" dalla rotazione differenziale della stella. Se lo stress su questi tubi supera un certo limite, rimbalzano come elastici e "forano" la superficie solare. Nei punti in cui essi attraversano la superficie la convezione non può operare, il flusso di energia che arriva dall'interno del Sole si riduce, e la temperatura di conseguenza scende. L'effetto Wilson suggerisce che le macchie solari siano anche delle depressioni rispetto al resto della superficie.

Questo modello è supportato da osservazioni che usano l'effetto Zeeman, che mostra come le macchie solari appena nate spuntino a coppie, di opposta polarità magnetica. Da ciclo a ciclo, la polarità delle macchie anteriori e posteriori (rispetto alla rotazione del Sole) cambia da nord/sud a sud/nord e viceversa. In genere le macchie solari appaiono a gruppi più o meno grandi.

Una macchia solare può essere divisa in due parti:

ombra, più scura e fredda

penombra, intermedia tra l'ombra e la superficie solare

La velocità delle onde sonore nei pressi di una macchia solare.

Le linee di campo magnetico dovrebbero respingersi l'un l'altra, facendo quindi disperdere rapidamente le macchie solari, ma la vita di una macchia è in media di appena due settimane, un periodo troppo breve. Osservazioni recenti condotte dalla sonda SOHO, utilizzando le onde sonore che viaggiano nella fotosfera solare per formare un'immagine dell'interno del Sole, hanno mostrato che sotto ogni macchia solare vi sono potenti correnti di materiale dirette verso l'interno del Sole, che formano dei vortici che concentrano le linee di campo magnetico. Di conseguenza le macchie sono delle tempeste auto-sostenentesi, simili in alcuni aspetti agli uragani terrestri.

L'attività delle macchie segue un ciclo di circa 11 anni (il ciclo undecennale dell'attività solare). Ogni ciclo di undici anni comprende un massimo ed un minimo, che sono identificati contando il numero di macchie solari che appaiono in quell'anno. All'inizio del ciclo, le macchie tendono ad apparire a latitudini elevate, per poi muoversi verso l'equatore quando il ciclo si avvicina al massimo (questo comportamento è chiamato legge di Spörer).

Oggi si conoscono molti periodi diversi nella variazione del numero di macchie, di cui quello di 11 anni è semplicemente il più evidente. Lo stesso periodo è osservato nella maggior parte delle altre espressioni di attività solare, ed è profondamente legato alle variazioni del campo magnetico solare. Non si sa se esistano periodi molto lunghi (di secoli o più), perché l'intervallo registrato dagli astronomi è troppo corto, ma se ne sospetta fortemente l'esistenza.

Conseguenze sull'ambiente [modifica]

Alcuni ritengono che le macchie solari siano la causa alla base del riscaldamento globale e l'uomo e i suoi consumi abbiano contribuito in minor parte al fenomeno rispetto ad esse.[1]. O, meglio, le macchie solari sono indice dell'attività solare, che determina la radiazione solare trasmessa al nostro pianeta. Piccole variazioni di questa radiazione, secondo gli ultimi studi, avrebbero una visibile influenza sul clima terrestre.[2] Le macchie solari, sappiamo oggi, sono intensi campi magnetici che appaiono durante periodi d’elevata attività solare, ma per secoli e da molto prima che se ne conoscesse la natura gli astronomi ne hanno registrato il numero, e dai dati raccolti si può notare tra il 1645 e il 1715 una drastica riduzione nel numero delle macchie solari (minimo di Maunder, dal nome dell’astronomo inglese che osservò la circostanza).

Quanto il numero di macchie solari sia un attendibile indicatore del clima lo scoprirono il ricercatore danese Friis-Christensen e i suoi collaboratori, che nel 1991 dimostrarono la stretta correlazione tra attività solare e temperatura globale in tutto il periodo compreso fra il 1860 e il 1990. Per escludere che quella correlazione fosse una semplice coincidenza, andarono indietro nel tempo per altri 400 anni e, di nuovo, accertarono la stretta correlazione tra attività solare e temperatura globale.

Il sole influenza il clima non solo, direttamente, col suo calore ma anche, indirettamente, attraverso la formazione delle nuvole, che hanno un potente effetto raffreddante.

La potenza di questo effetto è diventata chiara solo recentemente, dopo che si sono confrontate, nel corso degli anni, le temperature globali con il flusso di raggi cosmici, scoprendo, ancora una volta, una stretta correlazione tra temperatura globale e flusso cosmico, con la prima che aumenta ogni volta che il secondo diminuisce, e viceversa: il clima è controllato anche dalle nuvole, queste sono controllate dal flusso di raggi cosmici a sua volta controllato dall’intensità del campo magnetico dal sole, cioè dalla attività della nostra stella.

Va detto però che tali teorie sono ancora al vaglio della Comunità Scientifica, e al momento sono oggetto di dibattito e contestazione accademica.

Osservazione [modifica]

Le macchie solari si possono osservare piuttosto facilmente, basta un piccolo telescopio usato col metodo della proiezione dall'oculare. In alcune circostanze, specialmente all'alba e al tramonto, le macchie solari possono essere viste anche ad occhio nudo. Tuttavia, è bene non guardare mai il Sole senza l'ausilio di un filtro in quanto può causare danni permanenti alla retina.

Sunspots are temporary phenomena on the photosphere of the Sun that appear visibly as dark spots compared to surrounding regions. They are caused by intense magnetic activity, which inhibits convection by an effect comparable to the eddy current brake, forming areas of reduced surface temperature. They usually appear as pairs, with each sunspot having the opposite magnetic pole than the other.[1]

Although they are at temperatures of roughly 3000–4500 K (2727–4227 °C), the contrast with the surrounding material at about 5,780 K (5,510 °C) leaves them clearly visible as dark spots, as the luminous intensity of a heated black body (closely approximated by the photosphere) is a function of temperature to the fourth power. If the sunspot were isolated from the surrounding photosphere it would be brighter than the Moon.[2] Sunspots expand and contract as they move across the surface of the Sun and can be as small as 16 kilometers (9.9 mi)[3] and as large as 160,000 kilometers (99,000 mi)[4] in diameter, making the larger ones visible from Earth without the aid of a telescope.[5] They may also travel at relative speeds ("proper motions") of a few hundred meters per second when they first emerge onto the solar photosphere.

Manifesting intense magnetic activity, sunspots host secondary phenomena such as coronal loops (prominences) and reconnection events. Most solar flares and coronal mass ejections originate in magnetically active regions around visible sunspot groupings. Similar phenomena indirectly observed on stars are commonly called starspots and both light and dark spots have been measured.[6]

]Prehistoric evidence

Studies of stratigraphic data have suggested that the solar cycles have been active for hundreds of millions of years, if not longer; measuring varves in precambrian sedimentary rock has revealed repeating peaks in layer thickness, with a pattern repeating approximately every eleven years. It is possible that the early atmosphere on Earth was more sensitive to changes in solar radiation than today, so that greater glacial melting (and thicker sediment deposits) could have occurred during years with greater sunspot activity.[7][8] This would presume annual layering; however, alternate explanations (diurnal) have also been proposed.[9]

Analysis of tree rings has revealed a detailed picture of past solar cycles: Dendrochronologically dated radiocarbon concentrations have allowed for a reconstruction of sunspot activity dating back 11,400 years, far beyond the four centuries of available, reliable records from direct solar observation.[10]

[edit]Early observations

A drawing of a sunspot in the Chronicles of John of Worcester

The earliest surviving record of sunspot observation dates from 364 BC, based on comments by Chinese astronomer Gan De in a star catalogue.[11] By 28 BC, Chinese astronomers were regularly recording sunspot observations in official imperial records.[12]

The first clear mention of a sunspot in Western literature, around 300 BC, was by the ancient Greek scholar Theophrastus, student of Plato and Aristotle and successor to the latter.[13] A more recent sunspot observation was made on 17 March 807 AD by the Benedictine monk Adelmus, who observed a large sunspot that was visible for eight days; however, Adelmus incorrectly concluded he was observing a transit of Mercury.[14] A large sunspot was also seen at the time of Charlemagne's death in 813 AD.[15] Sunspot activity in 1129 was described by John of Worcester, and Averroes provided a description of sunspots later in the 12th century;[16] however, these observations were also misinterpreted as planetary transits, until Galileo gave the correct explanation in 1612.[17]

[edit]17th and 18th centuries

Sunspots in 1794 Samuel Dunn Map

Sunspots were first observed telescopically in late 1610 by the English astronomer Thomas Harriot and Frisian astronomers Johannes and David Fabricius, who published a description in June 1611. At the latter time, Galileo had been showing sunspots to astronomers in Rome, and Christoph Scheiner had probably been observing the spots for two or three months using an improved helioscope of his own design. The ensuing priority dispute between Galileo and Scheiner, neither of whom knew of the Fabricius' work, was thus as pointless as it was bitter.

Sunspots had some importance in the debate over the nature of the Solar System. They showed that the Sun rotated, and their comings and goings showed that the Sun changed, contrary to Aristotle (who taught that all celestial bodies were perfect, unchanging spheres).

Rudolf Wolf studied the historical record in an attempt to establish a database on past cyclic variations. His database extended only to 1700, although the technology and techniques for careful solar observations were first available in 1610. Gustav Spörer later suggested a 70-year period before 1716 in which sunspots were rarely observed as the reason for Wolf's inability to extend the cycles into the 17th century.

Sunspots were rarely recorded during the second part of 17th century. Later analysis revealed the problem not to be a lack of observational data but included references to negative observations. Building upon Spörer's earlier work, Edward Maunder suggested that the Sun had changed from a period in which sunspots all but disappeared from the solar surface to a renewal of sunspot cycles starting in about 1700. Adding to this understanding of the absence of solar cycles were observations of aurorae, which were absent at the same time. Even the lack of a solar corona during solar eclipses was noted prior to 1715. The period of low sunspot activity from 1645 to 1717 is known as the "Maunder Minimum".

[edit]19th century

The cyclic variation of the number of sunspots was first observed by Heinrich Schwabe between 1826 and 1843 and led Wolf to make systematic observations starting in 1848. The Wolf number is a measure of individual spots and spot groupings, which correlates to a number of solar observables. Also in 1848, Joseph Henry projected an image of the Sun onto a screen and determined that sunspots were cooler than the surrounding surface.[18]

After the resumption of sunspot activity, Heinrich Schwabe in 1844 in Astronomische Nachrichten (Astronomical News) reported a periodic change in the number of sunspots.

The Sun emitted an extremely powerful flare on its visible hemisphere on 1 September 1859, leading to what is known as the Carrington Event. It interrupted electrical telegraph service and caused visible aurorae as far south as Havana, Hawaii, and Rome with similar activity in the southern hemisphere.

[edit]20th century

The American solar astronomer George Ellery Hale, as an undergraduate at MIT, invented the spectroheliograph, with which he made the discovery of solar vortices. In 1908, Hale used a modified spectroheliograph to show that the spectra of hydrogen exhibited the Zeeman effect whenever the area of view passed over a sunspot on the solar disc. This was the first indication that sunspots were basically magnetic phenomena, which appeared in pairs that corresponded with two magnetic poles of opposite polarity.[19] Subsequent work by Hale demonstrated a strong tendency for east-west alignment of magnetic polarities in sunspots, with mirror symmetry across the solar equator; and that the magnetic polarity for sunspots in each hemisphere switched orientation, from one sunspot cycle to the next.[20] This systematic property of sunspot magnetic fields is now commonly referred to as the "Hale-Nicholson law",[21] or in many cases simply "Hale's law".

[edit]21st century

The most powerful flare observed by satellite instrumentation began on 4 November 2003 at 19:29 UTC, and saturated instruments for 11 minutes. Region 486 has been estimated to have produced an X-ray flux of X28. Holographic and visual observations indicate significant activity continued on the far side of the Sun.

Measurements made in the latter part of the 2000s (decade) and based also on observation of infrared spectral lines, have suggested that sunspot activity may again be disappearing, possibly leading to a new minimum.[22] From 2007-2009, sunspot levels were far below average. In 2008, the Sun was spot-free 73 percent of the time, extreme even for a solar minimum. Only 1913 was more pronounced, with 85 percent of that year clear. The Sun continued to languish through mid-December 2009, when the largest group of sunspots to emerge for several years appeared. Even then, sunspot levels remained well below normal.[23]

Nasa's 2006 prediction. At 2010/2011, the sunspot count was expected to be at its maximum, but in reality in 2010 it was still at its minimum.

In 2006, NASA made a prediction for the next sunspot maximum, being between 150 and 200 around the year 2011 (30-50% stronger than cycle 23), followed by a weak maximum at around 2022.[24][25] The prediction did not come true. Instead, the sunspot cycle in 2010 was still at its minimum, where it should have been near its maximum, which shows the Sun's current unusual low activity.[26]

Due to a missing jet stream, fading spots, and slower activity near the poles, independent scientists of the National Solar Observatory (NSO) and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) now (2011) predict that the next 11-year solar sunspot cycle, Cycle 25, will be greatly reduced or may not happen at all.[27]

Cycle 24 is now well underway (as of March 2012); measurements indicate that the minimum occurred around December 2008 and that the next maximum will reach a sunspot number of 90 around May 2013.[28] Nothing has yet been stated for cycle 25.

[edit]Physics

Main article: Solar cycle

A sunspot viewed close-up in ultraviolet light, taken by the TRACE spacecraft

Although the details of sunspot generation are still a matter of research, it appears that sunspots are the visible counterparts of magnetic flux tubes in the Sun's convective zone that get "wound up" by differential rotation. If the stress on the tubes reaches a certain limit, they curl up like a rubber band and puncture the Sun's surface. Convection is inhibited at the puncture points; the energy flux from the Sun's interior decreases; and with it surface temperature.

The Wilson effect tells us that sunspots are actually depressions on the Sun's surface. Observations using the Zeeman effect show that prototypical sunspots come in pairs with opposite magnetic polarity. From cycle to cycle, the polarities of leading and trailing (with respect to the solar rotation) sunspots change from north/south to south/north and back. Sunspots usually appear in groups.

The sunspot itself can be divided into two parts:

The central umbra, which is the darkest part, where the magnetic field is approximately vertical (normal to the Sun's surface).

The surrounding penumbra, which is lighter, where the magnetic field is more inclined.

Magnetic pressure should tend to remove field concentrations, causing the sunspots to disperse, but sunspot lifetimes are measured in days or even weeks. In 2001, observations from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) using sound waves traveling below the Sun's photosphere (local helioseismology) were used to develop a three-dimensional image of the internal structure below sunspots; these observations show that there is a powerful downdraft underneath each sunspot, forming a rotating vortex that concentrates the magnetic field.[29] Sunspots can thus be thought of as self-perpetuating storms, analogous in some ways to terrestrial hurricanes.

Butterfly diagram showing paired Spörer's law behavior

Sunspot activity cycles about every eleven years. The point of highest sunspot activity during this cycle is known as Solar Maximum, and the point of lowest activity is Solar Minimum. Early in the cycle, sunspots appear in the higher latitudes and then move towards the equator as the cycle approaches maximum: this is called Spörer's law.

Wolf number sunspot index displays various periods, the most prominent of which is at about 11 years in the mean. This period is also observed in most other expressions of solar activity and is deeply linked to a variation in the solar magnetic field that changes polarity with this period, too.

The modern understanding of sunspots starts with George Ellery Hale, who first linked magnetic fields and sunspots in 1908.[19] Hale suggested that the sunspot cycle period is 22 years, covering two polar reversals of the solar magnetic dipole field. Horace W. Babcock later proposed a qualitative model for the dynamics of the solar outer layers. The Babcock Model explains that magnetic fields cause the behavior described by Spörer's law, as well as other effects, which are twisted by the Sun's rotation.

[edit]Variation

Main article: Solar variation

400 year sunspot history

11,000 year sunspot reconstruction

Sunspot populations quickly rise and more slowly fall on an irregular cycle of 11 years, although significant variations in the number of sunspots attending the 11-year period are known over longer spans of time. For example, from 1900 to the 1960s, the solar maxima trend of sunspot count has been upward; from the 1960s to the present, it has diminished somewhat.[30] Over the last decades the Sun has had a markedly high average level of sunspot activity; it was last similarly active over 8,000 years ago.[10]

The number of sunspots correlates with the intensity of solar radiation over the period since 1979, when satellite measurements of absolute radiative flux became available. Since sunspots are darker than the surrounding photosphere it might be expected that more sunspots would lead to less solar radiation and a decreased solar constant. However, the surrounding margins of sunspots are brighter than the average, and so are hotter; overall, more sunspots increase the Sun's solar constant or brightness. The variation caused by the sunspot cycle to solar output is relatively small, on the order of 0.1% of the solar constant (a peak-to-trough range of 1.3 W·m−2 compared to 1366 W·m−2 for the average solar constant).[31][32] Sunspots were rarely observed during the Maunder Minimum in the second part of the 17th century (approximately from 1645 to 1715).

[edit]Observation

The Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope at Roque de los Muchachos Observatory

Sunspots are observed with land-based and Earth-orbiting solar telescopes. These telescopes use filtration and projection techniques for direct observation, in addition to various types of filtered cameras. Specialized tools such as spectroscopes and spectrohelioscopes are used to examine sunspots and sunspot areas. Artificial eclipses allow viewing of the circumference of the Sun as sunspots rotate through the horizon.

Since looking directly at the Sun with the naked eye permanently damages vision, amateur observation of sunspots is generally conducted indirectly using projected images, or directly through protective filters. Small sections of very dark filter glass, such as a #14 welder's glass are effective. A telescope eyepiece can project the image, without filtration, onto a white screen where it can be viewed indirectly, and even traced, to follow sunspot evolution. Special purpose hydrogen-alpha narrow bandpass filters as well as aluminum coated glass attenuation filters (which have the appearance of mirrors due to their extremely high optical density) on the front of a telescope provide safe observation through the eyepiece.

[edit]Application

Detail of a sunspot in 2005. The granulation of the Sun's surface can be seen clearly

Due to its link to other kinds of solar activity, sunspot occurrence can be used to help predict space weather, the state of the ionosphere, and hence the conditions of short-wave radio propagation or satellite communications. Solar activity (and the sunspot cycle) are frequently discussed in the context of global warming; Jack Eddy noted the apparent correlation between the Maunder Minimum of sunspot occurrence and the Little Ice Age in European climate.[citation needed] Sunspots themselves, in terms of the magnitude of their radiant-energy deficit, have only a weak effect on the terrestrial climate[33] in a direct sense. On longer time scales, such as the solar cycle, other magnetic phenomena (faculae and the chromospheric network) do correlate with sunspot occurrence. It is these other features that make the solar constant increase slightly at sunspot maxima, when naively one might expect that sunspots would make it decrease.[34]

British economist William Stanley Jevons suggested in the 1870s that there is a relationship between sunspots and business cycle crises. Jevons reasoned that sunspots affect Earth's weather, which, in turn, influences crops and, therefore, the economy.[35]

[edit]Spots on other stars

In 1947, G. E. Kron proposed that starspots were the reason for periodic changes in brightness on red dwarfs.[6] Since the mid-1990s, starspot observations have been made using increasingly powerful techniques yielding more and more detail: photometry showed starspot growth and decay and showed cyclic behavior similar to the Sun's; spectroscopy examined the structure of starspot regions by analyzing variations in spectral line splitting due to the Zeeman Effect; Doppler imaging showed differential rotation of spots for several stars and distributions different from the Sun's; spectral line analysis measured the temperature range of spots and the stellar surfaces. For example, in 1999, Strassmeier reported the largest cool starspot ever seen rotating the giant K0 star XX Triangulum (HD 12545) with a temperature of 3,500 K (3,230 °C), together with a warm spot of 4,800 K (4,530 °C).[6][36]

[edit]

flickriver.com/photos/javier1949/popular-interesting/

“Hortus Conclusus” Oficinas para el Consejo Consultivo de Castilla y León, C. Obispo Manso, 1 c/v Rúa de los Notarios y C. de las Infantas, Zamora

Arquitecto: Alberto Campo Baeza

Arquitectos colaboradores: Ignacio Aguirre López y Miguel Ciria Hernández con Pablo Fernández Lorenzo, Pablo Redondo Díez, Alfonso González Gaisán y Francisco Blanco Velasco Proyecto 2007 Construcción 2012. Promotor Consejería de Hacienda de la Junta de Castilla y León.

Se eligió una parcela situada frente a la catedral de Zamora para construir la sede del Consejo Consultivo de la Comunidad de Castilla y León. Del concurso convocado surgió como ganadora una propuesta que nace de la reflexión sobre cómo debe construirse hoy en un centro histórico. La decisión tomada es radical en su planteamiento: un muro horadado por escasos huecos rodea un jardín en el que se levanta una leve caja de vidrio.

Los autores nos conducen por el proyecto: Levantamos unos altos muros de piedra, de la misma piedra que la catedral de Zamora, siguiendo las trazas de las tapias del huerto del antiguo convento, y allí trabajamos como en una caja abierta al cielo con los muros y el suelo en piedra. Conseguimos así un jardín secreto en el que conservamos y plantamos árboles frondosos y plantas aromáticas, un verdadero Hortus Conclusus. En la esquina que mira a la Catedral, una piedra de 250 x 150 x 50, una verdadera Piedra Angular. El muro que rodea enteramente la parcela es tan alto como el edificio y se ha construido con una piedra que comparte sus despieces, su grosor y tonalidad con la catedral y el casco histórico. Los escasos huecos que lo atraviesan se han distribuido de manera estratégica para favorecer ciertas vistas desde el jardín.

Y en este verde jardín construimos una caja de cristal transparente que lo hace parecer como si uno está trabajando en el jardín. Dentro de la caja de piedra, una caja de vidrio, toda en vidrio, como si fuera un transparente. Con una fachada doble tipo Muro Trombe, la piel exterior se hace con vidrios extra-claros de una sola pieza de 600 x 300, unidos con silicona estructural, y puestas en vertical, de forma que ocupen toda la altura del edificio, como si estuviera todo hecho de aire. En los ángulos superiores de esta caja, aparecen los triedros completos de vidrio que hacen más visible si cabe la buscada transparencia, lo que Mies buscaba en su torre de la Friedrichstrasse. El triedro construido con aire, un verdadero Vidrio Angular. El vidrio es sencillo, sin cámara de aire, pues ésta se crea construyendo dos hojas separadas entre sí la distancia suficiente para permitir a una persona moverse por su interior. Esta cámara ancha funciona como un elemento climático activo que ofrece la posibilidad de manipular la temperatura, la humedad y la circulación del aire interior. Es capaz de guardar el calor en invierno haciendo uso del efecto invernadero y a la vez de expulsar el calor y proteger el edificio en verano gracias a la cámara ventilada. De esta forma la fachada es activa en términos climáticos y es a su vez totalmente transparente, para tratar de eliminar cualquier barrera entre interior y exterior.

El programa del edificio se adapta bien a esta organización, pues los consejeros del gobierno autonómico gozan de un espacio en calma para realizar sus labores y de la seguridad necesaria, que proporciona un estricto control de vistas y accesos. Los muros de piedra proporcionan esta seguridad y permiten plantear un edificio con la máxima transparencia en sus fachadas, de forma que los espacios interiores se abran al máximo a la caja-jardín. El muro perimetral transforma la parcela en una gran caja de paredes de piedra, cerrada a las vistas pero abierta al cielo, dentro de la cual la colocación de árboles crea un jardín introvertido dominado por un edificio de factura moderna.

www.campobaeza.com/

www.campobaeza.com/offices-for-the-junta-de-castilla-y-le...

www.campobaeza.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Zamora_PDF-...

diariodesign.com/2012/10/oficinas-para-el-consejo-consult...

www.plataformaarquitectura.cl/cl/02-214780/oficinas-zamor...

www.arquitecturaviva.com/es/Info/News/Details/4720

The Hindu festival of Holi, also called the Festival of Colors, is celebrated with much enthusiasm in the month of Phalgun, which usually corresponds to the month of March. It marks the arrival of spring and the bright colors represent energy, life, and joy.

This exuberant festival is associated with the immortal love of Lord Krishna and Radha, and hence, Holi is spread over 16 days in Nandgaon-Barsana-Goverdhan-Vrindavan as well as Mathura - the cities with which Lord Krishna shared a deep affiliation. Apart from the usual fun with coloured powder and water, Holi is marked by vibrant processions which are accompanied by folk songs, dances and a general sense of abandoned vitality.

November 13, 2014 Christchurch New Zealand.

The Isaac Theatre Royal with all the workmen busy to get all the work finished for the reopening on the 17th of November, that is Monday. Not much time left now, I would say they will be working all weekend to make sure it is ready for the opening night.

After nearly 4 years of closure, during which a $40 million rebuild and restoration has been undertaken following the 2011 earthquakes, the central city’s most famous heritage theatre will once again stage the type of large scale theatrical productions she has been famous for since first opening in 1908. The ‘ITR’ is the preferred venue for major local and touring productions in the city hosting musicals, ballet, plays, opera, film, concerts, comedy, recitals, community events, children's theatre and even ice shows. The theatre has staged the best in the world and the best of our own world-class talent during its illustrious 106-year history.

The Isaac Theatre Royal is being restored once again to her superb original Edwardian-style, and will be celebrated once again as the South Island’s premier venue for the performing arts. The Grade-A heritage listed Theatre Royal was the only surviving Edwardian style theatre in the country. The building was saved from demolition in the early 1980’s, refurbished and upgraded to World Class theatrical production standards in 2004 and renamed “ISAAC THEATRE ROYAL” after re-opening mid 2005.

For More Info:http://www.evanz.co.nz/venues/isaac-theatre-royal

A quick LR4 edit of a photo from 2011

Had to shoot at 3200 iso so a little bit of noise. its the first time I'd been to this event even though I've lived just 6 miles away for the last 16 years!

Character designs for Lil' Chucky Charley & His Country Bug Friends, coming soon from Paintbox Labs/Surron Music & Publishing Company.

www.surron.com

© 2011 Mike Litwin

flickriver.com/photos/javier1949/popular-interesting/

EDIFICIO FÓRUM Museu Blau Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales de Cataluña

Plaza de Leonardo da Vinci 4-5 y Plaza del Levante, Parc del Forum. Barcelona

Arquitectos: Herzog & de Meuron (Jacques Herzog y Pierre de Meuron) concurso de proyectos 2001. Finalización obras 2004

El Fórum Universal de las Culturas, celebra su primera edición en 2004 en Barcelona por lo que es también conocido como Fórum de Barcelona. La idea de organizar este evento surge a propuesta de la Ciudad de Barcelona en 1996, y en 1997 la Conferencia General de la UNESCO aprueba el proyecto sobre tres ejes temáticos, el desarrollo sostenible, las condiciones para la paz y la diversidad cultural. El recinto del Fórum se ubicó en un espacio de 30 Has., en el inicio de la avenida Diagonal, cercano a la desembocadura del río Besós, en terrenos ganados al mar frente al litoral del Barrio del Besós y del Maresme en Barcelona y en San Adrián de Besós, una parcela al norte de la ciudad de Barcelona formada por unos terrenos olvidados y marginales frente al Mediterráneo. La intervención ordena los nuevos espacios públicos, realiza los edificios destinados a la celebración del evento y sirve de base y foco al futuro desarrollo urbanístico de toda la zona.

Consta inicialmente de dos grandes edificaciones, el Edificio Fórum de los arquitectos suizos Jacques Herzog y Pierre de Meuron, y el Centro de Convenciones Internacional de Barcelona. En estos espacios se celebraron congresos y diversas exposiciones de gran formato. Entre los edificios se extiende una inmensa plaza de 16 hectáreas, donde se desarrollaron las principales actividades del acontecimiento, situada sobre una gran estación depuradora. Tras la celebración del evento se edificó una estructura con paneles de captación solar, que se suman a la gran placa solar fotovoltaica situada en uno de los extremos de la explanada, junto al mar. Esta plaza fue galardonada con el premio al mejor Hiper-Proyecto en la Bienal de arquitectura de Venecia. El recinto del Fórum incluye un gran puerto deportivo. También incluye dos parques y una zona de baños, formada por diversas piscinas de agua del mar. Uno de los parques, diseñado por el prestigioso arquitecto español Alejandro Zaera Polo, aprovecha el desnivel que hay entre la plaza y el mar para generar un sistema de dunas artificiales donde se integran dos auditorios al aire libre.

El Edificio Fórum, conocido ahora como Museu Blau, un prisma con base en un triángulo equilátero de 180 metros de lado y 25 de altura, es obra de los arquitectos suizos Jacques Herzog y Pierre de Meuron. El edificio construido en dos capas, destina la superior a los espacios de exposición y queda sustentada en 17 puntos de apoyo para crear un espacio público cubierto a nivel de calle. La planta superior se encuentra perforada por múltiples claraboyas o patios que atraviesan el edificio para iluminar el espacio inferior, creando diferentes ángulos de visión y cambiantes juegos de luz. Además dispone de un auditorio subterráneo de 3.200 plazas y de una sala de exposiciones de 5.000 m2. El subterráneo conecta con el Centro Internacional de Convenciones. La cubierta está formada por una lámina de agua de escasa profundidad que se utiliza de aislante térmico. Su fachada está terminada en un enfoscado rugoso de color azul añil con diversas franjas de vidrio que recuerdan el agua derramándose desde la lámina superior. La planta baja, a la Plaza, se panela mediante placas de acero refinado pulido que irradia en color plata; el auditorio subterráneo luce en azul mediante acero refinado en ese color, y la capilla brilla en un dorado realizado en acero inoxidable metalizado con nitrito de titanio. Un desafío especial consistió en dar forma a los 28.000 elementos triangulares del techo: el patrón estampado pasa de un triángulo a otro, desplegándose en más de 14.000 m² en una renovación constante ya que cada triángulo es único, empleándose acero inoxidable de alta calidad.

Desde el 2005 acoge un museo sobre el futuro de la ciudad de Barcelona y el desarrollo sostenible, y desde 2011 el Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales de Cataluña. Herzog & de Meuron también fueron responsables de la adaptación y de su diseño museográfico.

The last day of 2010. There are a few things I'd like to say!

Rachael Hyde and Kelly Webster finished their 365's today and I couldn't be more proud and inspired. Whether you've been with them through their journey or not, I suggest you check out their photos. Their dedication is so encouraging. Since I found their streams I'd check their photos every single day. I think that's why I love Flickr so much - everyone is so supportive and we build off each other.

So many things happened in 2010 that I want to cry and laugh about. This year has been good to me and I hope that 2011 is even better for everyone else. I've probably said this on here before, but I love odd numbers. The new year is a lot more comforting now that it's odd. :) Initially I wanted to take a self portrait for the last day of the year and then take another one for the first day of the new year, but I was experimenting with my mom's macro lens and I love this photo. I think it looks like a mixture between someone smiling, crying, grimacing, flinching, laughing, and screaming. I don't think it could be more symbolic for this year. Happy New Year's Eve everyone and I'll talk to you next year! :D

It was a beautifully crisp and brilliant morning on this first day of November. Here we were in Orlando, Florida after having spent the day before (Halloween) at EPCOT enjoying ourselves at the International Wine & Food Festival. We decided to stop by Downtown Disney for lunch on our way out of town and back to our home in South Florida. Seeing this beautiful balloon reminded me that no matter where you are...you can fly! Enjoy your Autumn days and have a wonderful Winter! ~ Downtown Disney ~ Orlando, Florida

[Characters in Flight opened in Spring 2009 and features a giant tethered balloon that soars 400 feet, providing 360-degree views of the Walt Disney World Resort. It is operated by Aerophile and is

very similar to PanoraMagique located at Disney Village at Disneyland Paris.]

Take this balloon ride ~ www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiBJ54AEuQk

[Pleasure Island was primarily a nighttime entertainment complex with two comedy clubs and four dance clubs. These clubs closed permanently on September 27, 2008. New shops and restaurants were planned to open to replace the closed clubs, but the economic recession of 2009 delayed plans. Only one new restaurant has opened to date.

While the Village/Marketplace and West Side have always been free to enter, Pleasure Island required the purchase of admission and was closed during the day. Beginning in summer 2004, Pleasure Island became free to enter, and only those guests entering the nightclubs were charged admission.

On November 18, 2010, Walt Disney World Resort announced a project named Hyperion Wharf, which was planned to replace the Pleasure Island complex. Pleasure Island would have undergone extensive renovations and re-theming to transform into the early twentieth century wharf-themed entertainment area. New shopping and dining locations would have also been added. In July 2011, it was announced that these plans have been delayed. These plans were later cancelled in favor of Disney Springs. Construction began in April 2013 on Disney Springs, a complete remake of the section, which will be completed by 2016.]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_Disney_%28Florida%29

Red Rubber Ball ~ www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbDKN0dk54M

www.markcarmodyphotography.com

Grytviken is closely associated with the Anglo-Irish explorer Ernest Shackleton. Shackleton's most famous expedition set out from London on 1 August 1914, to reach the Weddell Sea on 10 January 1915, where the pack ice closed in on their ship, the Endurance. The ship was broken by the ice on 27 October 1915. The 28 crew members managed to flee to Elephant Island, off Antarctica, bringing three small boats with them. All of them survived after Shackleton and five other men managed to reach the southern coast of South Georgia in the James Caird. They arrived at Cave Cove, and camped at Peggotty Bluff, from where they trekked to Stromness on the northeast coast. From Grytviken, Shackleton organised a rescue operation to bring home the remaining men.

He again returned to Grytviken, but posthumously, in 1922. He had died unexpectedly from a heart attack at sea at the beginning of another Antarctic expedition, and his widow chose South Georgia as his final resting place. His grave is located south of Grytviken, alongside those of the whalers who died on the island.

On 27 November 2011, the ashes of Frank Wild, Shackleton's 'right-hand man', were interred on the right-hand side of Shackleton's grave-site (but on Shackleton's left-hand side!). The inscription on the rough-hewn granite block set to mark the spot reads "Frank Wild 1873-1939, Shackleton's right-hand man." Wild's relatives and Shackleton's only granddaughter, the Hon Alexandra Shackleton, attended a service conducted by the Rev Dr Richard Hines, rector of the Falkland Islands. (wikipedia)

All the pax from the Sea Spirit raised a glass of Jameson whiskey in honour of The Boss. It was quite surreal standing there. The other whalers buried in the graveyard, mostly of Nordic origin, had small birds depicted and perched on the corner of their headstones.

Thaís e seu Chá de Bebê

My apartment: looking from front door toward living room & bedroom.

[harbin, feb 2011]

Check out these photos of business cards we recently printed for Photographer Inku Yo.

Stock: Crane's Lettra, GF Smith Colorplan

Ink: Gray, Blue, Blind

Finishing: Duplexed, Die Cut

For more photos or info on Inku's cards check out our blog: Inku Yo Business Cards

Images from exibition of Gaetano Grillo in Molfetta italy

www.gaetanogrillo.it

**This image are copyrighted and not to be used without the written permission of the photographer.**

For prints or use info please feel free to contact me via flickr mail. Thanks for looking.

All Right Reserved Copyright © 2011 Federico Concas