View allAll Photos Tagged Absorption
District 789, Beijing
July 2012
China
Urban life
Canon 550D
Please do not reproduce or use this picture without my explicit permission.
If you ask nicely I will probably say yes, just ask me first!
If you happen to be in one of my frames and have any objections to this.
Please contact me!
Please no glossy awards, scripted comments and big thumbnails back to your own work.
I will remove them..
Blue ice is created in the human eye because absorption of light at the red end of the spectrum is six times greater than at the blue end. The deeper light energy travels, the more photons from the red end of the spectrum it loses along the way. Two meters into the ice, most of the reds are dead. The lack of reflected red wavelengths causes us to see blue.
Amsterdam
June 2012
THe Netherlands
Urban life in the Netherlands
Ricoh GRD IV
Please do not reproduce or use this picture without my explicit permission.
If you ask nicely I will probably say yes, just ask me first!
If you happen to be in one of my frames and have any objections to this.
Please contact me!
Please no glossy awards, scripted comments and big thumbnails back to your own work.
I will remove them...
The Scutum Starcloud in the Milky Way, with the bright star cluster Messier 11 embedded within it. M11 is known as the Wild Duck Cluster. Below and to the right of M11 is another Messier cluster, the smaller M26. Directly below M11 is the star cluster NGC 6712, paired with the small green planetary nebula IC 1295, which barely shows up on this scale. At lower right is the small star cluster NGC 6649. Surrounding the bright starclouds are dark dust clouds are varying densities. Some are almost starless. Most of these dark regions carry "B" designations from E.E. Barnard's catalogue of dark nebulas. For example, the large dark region above M11 is mostly B111.
The bright starclouds in this area of the Milky Way are tinted yellow by absorption of short wavelengths by the intervening dust between us and the inner spiral arm that contains the stars of Scutum, the Shield.
This is a stack of 12 x 2-minute exposures, with the Canon RF135mm lens at f/2.5, on the Canon Ra at ISO 800. Taken as part of testing the MSM (MoveShootMove) Nomad tracker, so these are all tracked but unguided images. In a set of 60 test shots, about 1/3rd were untrailed, and of those I used the 12 taken in the middle of the short June night when the sky was darkest. North is to the upper left in this framing.
*** For best viewing experience, please click anywhere inside the image to view on black ***
At the West end of Lake Ontario lies Burlington Bay. Now dominated by the City of Hamilton, Ontario along the South shore of the bay, in the early 1800s a canal was built (1827-1837) to serve the somewhat further inland town of Dundas, which, at that time, was competing with Hamilton for economic dominance of this area. The canal was to provide Dundas with easy access to Burlington Bay and, thereby, Lake Ontario, for ship transport. The eventual construction of a railway in conjunction with the growth of Hamilton as a commercial and industrial centre, reduced the role of the canal and relegated Dundas to the role of a pleasant small town, and at the end of the twentieth century to the absorption of Dundas into the regional City of Hamilton. This view taken during Blue Hour at dawn, looks roughly due East from the entrance to the canal from Burlington Bay. The lights along the shore are, from left to right, the Burlington Skyway, the steel making complexes of Arcelormittal (formerly Dofasco) a,d US Steel (formerly Stelco), and further to the right, the City of Hamilton.
Tech Details
The image was taken using a tripod-mounted Nikon D7100 fitted with a Nikkor 18-105mm VR lense set to 18mm, ISO400, Aperture priority mode, f/6.3, 8 seconds. PP in GIMP: level horizon, sharpen, add fine black and white frame, ad bar and text on left, scale to 1800 wide for posting.
==========================
D7A_0458_desjardincnlviewhamiltonnightshrpbarsigx1800
Scheveningen/The Hague
June 2012
The Netherlands
Beachlife in the Netherlands
Ricoh GRD IV
Please do not reproduce or use this picture without my explicit permission.
If you ask nicely I will probably say yes, just ask me first!
If you happen to be in one of my frames and have any objections to this.
Please contact me!
Please no glossy awards, scripted comments and big thumbnails back to your own work.
I will remove them...
April 2012
The Netherlands
Amsterdam
April 2012
The Netherlands
Urban life in the Netherlands
Ricoh GRD IV
Please do not reproduce or use this picture without my explicit permission.
If you ask nicely i will probably say yes, just ask me first!
If you happen to be in one of my frames and have any objections to this.
Please contact me!
All rights reserve
Mors was a French pioneer car manufacturer from 1895 until its absorption by Citroën in 1925.
Cars 'n' Coffee Oldtimers Zuid-Kennemerland
Kopje van Bloemendaal, 3 augustus 2022.
The view form the Hotel Suvastu.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swat_District
Swat (pronounced [ˈsʋaːt̪], Pashto: سوات) is a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, located close to the Afghan-Pakistan border. It is the upper valley of the Swat River, which rises in the Hindu Kush range. The capital of Swat is Saidu Sharif, but the main town in the Swat valley is Mingora.[1] It was a princely state (see Swat (princely state)) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa until it was dissolved in 1969. The valley is almost entirely populated by ethnic Gujjar and Pashtuns (Afghans). The language spoken in the valley is Pashto/Pakhto and Gojri. With high mountains, green meadows, and clear lakes, it is a place of great natural beauty and is popular with tourists as "the Switzerland of the region".
History
Swat has been inhabited for over two thousand years. The first inhabitants were settled in well-planned towns. In 327 BC, Alexander the Great fought his way to odegram and Barikot and stormed their battlements. In Greek accounts these towns have been identified as Ora and Bazira. Around the 2nd century BC, the area was occupied by Buddhists, who were attracted by the peace and serenity of the land. There are many remains that testify to their skills as sculptors and architects. In the beginning of the 8th century AD, Gabari Royal Tajik tribe advanced through Laghman, ningarhar, Dir and invaded Swat, defeating the Buddhists and the Hindus. This war was headed by Sultan Pakhal Gabari and later on by Sultan Behram Gabari Rulers of Kuner Pich and cousin of Rulers of Balkh and Kashmir. Later some Dilazak encrouched tha area and settled among Gabaris, who in turn were ousted by the Yusufzais which was backed by Mughal Badshah Zahiruddin Muhammad Baber, considered the super power in 1519 and 1520. The historical paradox was that the Yusufzais were ousted from Kabul by Mirza Ullegh beg, the uncle of Baber, and killed 600 malak of Yusufzai; the Gabaris helped Yousofzais refugees with a warm welcome and settled them in Bajour Dir and Swat regions. The Yousofzais forgot the generosity of Gabaris and encrouched upon the Gabari state with the plotted help of Zahiruddin Muhammad babar. They Demolished the Gabar-Kot (fortress) in bajour in 1519 and further advanced to the swat and compelled the last Gabari King Sultan Awais Gabari to flee to Upper Dir where he established his rule in,Chitral wakhan,Badakhshan and other upper Oxus. The originator of the present family of Swat was the Muslim saint Abdul Ghafoor, the Akhund of Swat, a Safi Momand of Hazara district, from where he went to Buner territory. He was a pious man and the people respected him so greatly that they called him Akhund Sahib.[2]
During the mid-19th century, Muslim tribes were fighting against each other for the possession of Swat Valley. On the intervention of the honourable Akhund Sahib, the killing was stopped, and such was his influence that the chiefs of all tribes unanimously made him the ruler of the valley. Akhund Sahib administrated the valley according to Muslim laws. Peace and tranquility prevailed, and agriculture and trade flourished in the territory. Akhund Sahib had two sons by his wife, who belonged to Nikpi Khel(نیک پی خیل).
After the death of Akhund Sahib, the tribal chiefs again started fighting and killing, which continued for years. Eventually the tribal chiefs agreed to give the control of the valley into the hands of the honourable Gul Shahzada Abdul Wadood, the son of Mian Gul Abdul Khaliq, son of Akhund Sahib. The wife of Mian Abdul Wadood was the daughter of Honorable Mirza Afzal-ul-Mulk, the ruler of Chitral. The British by trick put Chitral under the suzerainty of Kashmir. The Chitral ruler gave two horses every year to the Rajia of Kashmir, and the Raja provided Chitral with grain and sugar, etc. Swat thus went under protection of the British.
During the rule of Mian Gul Muhammad, Abdul Haq Jehanzeb, the son of Mian Abdul Wadood Khatana, the state acceded to Pakistan in 1947. The present prince, Muhammad Aurzngzeb Khan, son of Jahanzeb, married the daughter of Field Marshal Mohammad Ayub Khan in 1955. Thus by intermarriages with the other castes, the family became a branch of the imperial Gujjars i.e., the Royal family of Swat valley which belongs to the Gujjar family which laid down the foundation of Swat kingdom. Jahanzeb started a Degree College at Saidu Sahrif, the capital of the State, and four High Schools at Mingora, Chakesar, Matta and Dagar. Fourteen middle schools, twenty-eight lower middle schools, and fifty-six primary schools were established. A girls high school and high class religious schools were established at Saidu Sharif. At all the schools, the poor students were granted scholarships. The state was an exemplary state during British rule. They also have a firm stand in politics of Pakistan. The current Prince Aurangzeb Khan was also Governor of Baluchistan.
Buddhist heritage of Swat
Although it is generally accepted that Tantric Buddhism first developed in Swat under King Indrabhuti, there is an old and well-known scholarly dispute as to whether Uddiyana was in the Swat valley, Orissa or some other place. Padmasambhava (flourished eighth century AD), also called Guru Rimpoche, Tibetan Slob-dpon (teacher), or Padma ‘byung-gnas (lotus born) legendary Indian Buddhist mystic who introduced Tantric Buddhism to Tibet and is credited with establishing the first buddhist monastery there.According to tradition, Padmasambhava was native to Udyana (now Swat in Pakistan).[3] Padmasambhava was the son of Indrabhuti, king of Swat in the early eighth century AD. One of the original Siddhas, Indrabhuti flourished in the early eighth century AD and was the king of Uddiyana in the Kabul valley. His son Padmasambhava is revered as the second Buddha in Tibet. Indrabhuti's sister, Lakshminkaradevi, was also an accomplished siddha of the 9th century AD.[4] Ancient Gandhara, the valley of Pekhawar, with the adjacent hilly regions of Swat and Buner, Dir and Bajaur was one of the earliest centers of Buddhist religion and culture following the reign of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, in the third century BC. The name Gandhara first occurs in the Rigveda which is usually identified with the region[5]
Buddha heritage in the Swat Valley
The Swat museum has acquired footprints of the Buddha, which were originally placed for devotion in the sacred Swat valley. When the Buddha ascended, relics (personal items, body parts, ashes etc.) were distributed to seven kings, who built stupas over them for veneration.
The Harmarajika stupa (Taxila) and Butkarha (Swat) stupa at Jamal Garha were among the earliest Gandhara stupas. These were erected on the orders of King Ashoka and contained the genuine relics of the historic Buddha.[citation needed]
The Gandhara school is credited with the first representations of the Buddha in human form, rather symbolically as the wheel of the law, the tree, etc.[citation needed]
As Buddhist art developed and spread outside Gandhara, Gandharan styles were imitated. In China the Gandhara style was imitated in bronze images, with gradual changes in the features of these images over the passage of time. Swat, the land of romance and beauty, is celebrated throughout the Buddhist world as the holy land of Buddhist learning and piety. Swat was a popular destination for Buddhist pilgrims. Buddhist tradition holds that Buddha himself came to Swat during his incarnation as Gautama Buddha and preached to the people here.
It is said[by whom?] that the Swat valley was filled with fourteen hundred imposing and beautiful stupas and monasteries, which housed as many as 6,000 gold images of the Buddhist pantheon for worship and education. Archaeologists now know of more than 400 Buddhist sites covering an area of 160 km2 in Swat valley alone. Among the important excavations of Buddhist sites in Swat an important one is Butkarha-I, containing original relics of the Buddha. A stone statue of Buddha, is still there in the village Ghalegay.[citation needed] There is also a big stupa in Mohallah Singardar Ghalegay
Hindu Shahi Rulers and Sanskrit
Swat was ruled by the Hindu Shahi dynasty who have built an extensive array of temples and other architectural buildings now in ruins. Sanskrit may have been the lingua franca of the Swatis.[
Hindu Shahi rulers built fortresses to guard and tax the commerce through this area. Their ruins can be seen in the hills of Swat: at Malakand pass at Swat’s southern entrance
Advent of Islam by Mahmud of Ghazni
At the end of the Mauryan period (324-185 BC) Buddhism spread in the whole Swat valley, which became a very famous center of Buddhist religion.[8]
After a Buddhist phase the Hindu religion reasserted itself, so that at the time of the Muslim conquest (1000 AD) the population was solidly Hindu.[8]
In 1023 Mahmood of Ghazni attacked Swat and crushed the last Buddhist King, Raja Gira in battle. The invasion of Mahmood of Ghazni is of special importance because of the introduction of Islam as well as changing the Chronology.
Arrival Of Yousafzais
The first Muslim arrivals in Swat were Pakhtun Dilazak tribes from south-east Afghanistan. These were later ousted by Swati Pakhtuns, who were succeeded in the sixteenth century by Yusufzai Pakhtuns. Both groups of Pakhtuns came from the Kandahar and Kabul valley
Geography
The valley of Swat is situated in the north of N.W.F.P, 35° North Latitude and 72° and 30° East Longitude, and is enclosed by the sky-high mountains.
Chitral and Gilgit are situated in the north, Dir in the west, and Mardan in the south, while Indus separates it from Hazara in the east. Physical Features: Swat can be divided into two physical regions:
Mountainous Ranges.
Plains.
Mountainous Ranges
As mentioned above, Swat is lying in the lap of Mountainous Ranges, which are the offshoots of Hindukush, so the larger part of Swat is covered with high mountains and hills, the crests of which is hidden by everlasting snow. Though these gigantic Ranges run irregularly: some to the west while the others to the east, but the general direction is North-South. These ranges enclose small but very enchanting valleys.
Eastern Ranges: In Kohistan-e-Swat the chief knot of eastern ranges is Mankial. Its northern branches separate Kohistan-e-Swat from Abasin Kohistan. These ranges form a barrier between Gilgit and Swat, and between Chitral and Swat. The southern extension of Mankial ranges reaches proper Swat. There they join Shangla ranges. Shangla ranges separate proper Swat from Shangla Par area (Shangla Par district). In Shangla district, there are Karora Ranges, which separate Puran from Kanra and Ghurband. The continuation of Shangla ranges joins Dwasaray. On the one hand Dwasaray separates lower Swat from Puran, on the other, it set aside the Buner from Puran. Now the general Direction of the ranges turns westward. Here it is called Elum. Elum Ranges is a big wall between the proper Swat and Buner. The Elum ranges at last join mountains of Malakand.
The Western Ranges: Western ranges start from the mountain and hills of Gabral, Kohistan-e-Swat. It joins the hills of Kundal (Utror). There these ranges meet Daral Ranges. These ranges form a border with Dir district. They run west ward and are named according to the locality. For example Lalko ranges Manrai and Chaprai etc. at last they join the hills of Adenzee and Shamozee. Manrai ranges send off some off shoots southward. They the hills separate Arnoyay valley from the widest valley of Nekpikheil valley.
Plains
Actually the valley of Swat starts from the foothill of Malakand but we are concerned with portion from Landakay to Gabral (Gulabad), the area within the administrative boundaries of Swat. The length of the valley from Landakay to Gabral is 91 miles. Two narrow strips of plains run along the banks of Swat River from Landakay to Madyan. Beyond Madyan in Kohistan-e-Swat, the plan is too little to be mentioned. So for as the width concerns, it is not similar, it varies from place to place. We can say that the average width is 5 miles. The widest portion of the valley is between Barikot and khwaza khela. The widest view point and the charming sight where a major portion of the valley is seen is at Gulibagh on main road, which leads to Madyan. There are some subsidiary valleys, which help to increase the width of the main valley. These subsidiary valleys are called "Daras". A Dara a narrow passage between mountains, and sometimes, the upper course of a river is also called Dara. If we imagine the main valley as a stem of a tree the subsidiary valleys form its branches. Swat River and its tributaries drain Swat. There fore, the whole valley is the outcome of running water. This flowing water cuts the upper courses deeply, and flows the load of washed away materials. As the gradient is greater in the upper course so the erosion is on large scale, particularly in the summer rains, when all the rivers are in flood. The big boulders and stones are rolled, which causes more destruction in the upper courses. When the loaded water reaches to the areas of low gradient, the heavier materials are deposited. The deposition takes place according to the slope, generally, we observe, that the upper course is made up of big boulders, the middle course is of relatively small stones, pebbles, and debris, while the lower course is made of fine clay. Anyhow, the whole plain of Swat valley is strewn by the running water, and is made up of fine alluvial soil.
Demographics
The population at the 1981 Census was 715,938, which had risen to 1,257,602 at the next Census in 1998. The main language of the area is Pakhto. The people of Swat are mainly Pakhtuns,(Afghans) Yusufzais, Akhund Khel Miangan (Syed), Chitralis, Kohistan is, Gurjar (Gujar or Gurjar is the major tribe of the district; its people are divided in different clans like Khatana, Bajarh, Chichi, Ahir, Chuhan, Pamra, Gangal etc. are the main subtribe of the Gurjar family of Swat), Akhund khel Yousafzai, Nooristani, and Awans. Most probably they are originated from the same tribe that roamed around the great trans-Himalayan mountain ranges thousands of years before, and now remained in some isolated pockets of the Himalayan mountain ranges.[citation needed]
The Dardic people of the Kalam region in northern Swat are known as Kohistan is and speak the Torwali and Kalami languages. There are also some Khowar speakers in the Kalam region. This is because before Kalam came under the rule of Swat, it was a regional tributary to Chitral. The Kalamis paid a tribute of mountain ponies to the Mehtar of Chitral every year.
Tourist attractions
Marghazar
Marghazar 16 km away from Saidu Sharif is famous for its “Sufed Mahal” the white marble palace of the former Wali (Ruler) of Swat.
Malam Jabba
Malam Jabba (also Maalam Jabba, Urdu: مالم جبہ) is a Hill Station in the Karakoram mountain range nearly 40 km from Saidu Sharif in Swat Valley, Peshawar, Pakistan. It is 314 km from Islamabad and 51 km from Saidu Sharif Airport.Malam Jabba is home to the largest ski resort in Pakistan. The Malam Jabba Ski Resort, owned by the Pakistani Tourism Development Corporation, had a ski slope of about 800m with the highest point of the slope 2804 m (9200 ft) above sea level. Malam Jabba Ski Resort was the joint effort of the Pakistan government with its Austrian counterpart. The resort was equipped with modern facilities including roller/ice-skating rinks, chair lifts, skiing platforms, telephones and snow clearing equipment.
Swat Museum
Swat Museum is on the east side of the street, halfway between Mingora and Saidu. Japanese aid has given a facelift to its seven galleries which now contain an excellent collection of Gandhara sculptures taken from some of the Buddhist sites in Swat, rearranged and labelled to illustrate the Buddha's life story. Terracotta figurines and utensils, beads, precious stones, coins, weapons and various metal objects illustrate daily life in Gandhara. The ethnographic section displays the finest examples of local embroidery, carved wood and tribal jewellery. For the last three years the museum is occupied by Pakistan army and it is not known when they would be leaving it.
Miandam
Miandam is a small summer resort ten kilometres (six miles) up a steep side valley and 56 kilometers (35 mi) from Saidu Sharif, making it an hour's drive. The metaled road passes small villages stacked up the hillside, the roofs of one row of houses forming the street for the row of houses above. Tiny terraced fields march up the hillside right to the top. Miandam is a good place for walkers. Paths follow the stream, past houses with behives set into the walls and good-luck charms whitewashed around the doors. In the graveyards are carved wooden grave posts with floral designs, like those used by Buddhists 1,000 years ago.
Madyan
By the time you reach this small town at 1320 m and about 60 km from Mingora, the mountains have closed in and the valley is almost snug. Here one senses why Swat is so popular among the tourists. There are a lot of embroidered shawls in the Bazars of Madyan.At 1,321 metres (4,335 feet) above sea level,but it is a larger town and has many hotels in all price ranges and some good tourist shopping. Antique and modern shawls, traditional embroidery, tribal jewellery, carved wood and antique or reproduced coins are sold along the main street. This is the last Swati village, offering interesting two-and three-day walks up to the mountain villages... ask in the bazaar in Muambar Khan's shop for a guide. North of Madyan is Swat Kohistan where walking is not recommended without an armed guard. The central mosque at Madyan has carved wooden pillars with elegant scroll capitals, and its mud-plastered west wall is covered with relief designs in floral motifs. Both bespeak the Swati's love of decoration.[10]
Behrain
A quarter of an hour past Madyan, the road squeezes through Behrain. Tourists stop to shop or have a look around for beautiful carved wood chairs and tables and other handicrafts. Behrainis are a mix of Pashtuns and Kohistanis. Behrain is ten kilometres north of Madyan and only slightly higher, at about 1,400 metres (4,500 feet). It is another popular riverside tourist resort, with bazaars worth exploring for their handicrafts. Some of the houses have carved wooden doors, pillars and balconies. These show a remarkable variety of decorative motifs, including floral scrolls and bands of ornamental diaper patterns almost identical to those seen on Buddhist shrines and quite different from the usual Muslim designs.
Kalam
2070 m high and 100 km from Mingora, it was the centre of an independent state in the 19th century. It was later taken by Chitral then given to Swat after partition.Kalam, 29 kilometres (18 mi) from Bahrain and about 2,000 metres (6,800 feet) above sea level, the valley opens out, providing rooms for a small but fertile plateau above the river. In Kalam the Ushu and Utrot rivers join to form the Swat river. Here, the metalled road ends and shingle road leads to the Ushu and Utrot valleys. From Matiltan one gets a breath-taking view of the snow-capped Mount Falaksir 5918 metres (19,415 ft.), and another unnamed peak 6096 metres (20,000 ft.) high.
Usho
Usho 3 km from Kalam Valley and 117 km from Saidu Sharif
Utror
Utror 16 km from Kalam Valley and 120 km from Saidu Sharif. Utror valley is situated between 35° 20′ to 35° 48′ N latitudes and 72° 12′ and 72° 32′ E longitudes. The population of Utror is 6888 and the area of the valley is about 47400 hectares. Utror valley is surrounded by Gabral and Bhan valleys on the east, upper Dir district on the west, Kalam valley on the south and Gabral valley on the north. It is 15 km from Kalam, the centre of Swat Kohistan. The altitude of the valley at Utror proper is 2300 meters and reaches to 2900 meters at Kandol Lake.
Ghabral
Gabral valley lies between 35° 20′ to 35° 48′ N latitudes and 72° 12′ and 72° 32′ E longitudes over an area of about 38733 hectares. The population of Gabral is 3238. The valley is surrounded by Chitral District in the north, Utror valley in the south and south west, upper Dir district in the west and Bhan and Mahodand valleys in the east. It is 5 km distant from Utror proper and 20 km from Kalam. The altitude of the valley ranges from 2580 metres at Baila to 5160 metres at Karkaray Lake top.In Utror and Gabral, 44 medicinal plants are collected during the months of May, June, July and August. Only 14 of them are traded to National and International markets while the rest are used locally. A survey by Pakistan Forest Institute concludes that 75 crude herbal drugs are extensively exported and more than 200 are locally traded in Pakistan. Indigenous people, who have no training in sustainable harvesting, post-harvesting care and storing of medicinal plants, collect 85 percent of these crude herbs from the wild.
Kundol Lake, Swat valley
Mahudan
Mahodand valley, which lies in the North of Kalam, is famous not only among nature lovers, and escapists but also the exotic trout fish hunters. The valley can be accessed through an un-metalled road from Kalam in a four by four (4x4) vehicle. The road is bumpy and tricky but the surrounding landscapes engrosses you so severely that you wish for more and expect to discover new panoramas. The small hamlets that are scattered in the mountains and the bellowing smoke that spirals into the sky from the houses are some, which lives in the memory forever. Swat River, which is born here, is shackled by the tall mountains, which has turned its water into a roaring monster trying to release itself from its fetters, but there are some places where the river is calm and silent without showing any sign of rebellion.
Pari (Khapiro) lake
Pari Lake is one of the lakes in Swat region which is located at a very high altitude in the foot of the tallest peak in the range with a considerable depth. The name Pari or Khapiro is given to the lake due to the widespread belief that the lake is the abode of fairies where they live and bathe in the cool, pure and clear water of the lake. It is located to North-east of Utror valley and can be accessed only by trekking. Trekking to the lake needs endurance and love for nature as the trail is exasperating as well as dangerous therefore, utmost care should be taken while trekking on the narrow bends and turns leading to the lake. The lake is accessible from both Izmis and Kundal lakes. Two ascending tracks lead to this lake from Kundal and Izmis lakes taking almost five hours to reach this roof top of Swat. The trail is very steep from both sides but the surrounding beauty and eye-cooling green pastures and exotic flowers not only boost the trekker’s stamina but compel him to explore further.
Kundol Lake
The pastoral valley of Swat has abundance of precious resorts of nature where one can find solace and respite from the never-ending struggle of life. Kundal or Kandolo Lake is one such place here upon which the Maestro of nature has spent extra time and effort to paint. Kundal Lake is situated in the north of Utror valley. One can easily access it from Kalam via Utror from where a link road ends in a green valley called Ladu in the foothills of the lake. You can either hike to Ladu from Utror or take a four-wheeler to ease and minimize your journey. It consumes almost two hours to reach the beautiful valley of Ladu. For the adventurous kind, a walk in the romantic valley will unravel several new mysteries. The people who take temporary residency over here during summer plow the open land and harvest potatoes and turnips, which are famous all over the country for its exotic taste. There is also a small hut in Ladu where you can take tea and get something for eating. From Ladu it takes almost four hours to reach the lake. Some locals can guide you and even take your luggage if properly paid. The mountains around this small valley are covered with tall cedar and pine trees and meandered by different streams and torrents. The people are friendly and provide you guidance if required.
Bashigram Lake
Bashigram Lake is situated to the east of Bashigram valley near Madyan. The road to this valley is partly metaled and can be plied by a four by four or any ordinary vehicle. It takes almost forty to fifty minutes to reach this picturesque valley inhibited by simple and hospitable folk. From here, trekking of four to five hours, depending on professionalism and enthusiasm of the trekkers lands you in the realm of a serene and enchanting lake of Bashigram.
Spin Khwar (White Stream) Lake
Spin Khwar is a beautiful lake hidden in the lap of mountains towards the north of Kundal Lake and east of Utror valley. The name Spin Khwar has a clear significance as a small white stream in the east flows down to the lake from the surrounding mountains and is a major source of water for the lake. The lake is accessible through two tracks, one from Kundal and the other from Ladu valley. The track from Ladu is comparatively easy to walk and less tiring while the track from Kundal is not only difficult but alarmingly dangerous although it is short and links Kundal and Spin Khwar. Its steepness and dangerous bends needs an experienced trekker and unending physical strength. The grazers in the area have built small huts and a mosque where one can stay but a personal tent is more recommendable as these huts are in a poor condition due to lack of maintenance.
Daral Lake
Daral lake is situated to the northeast of Sidgai Lake and can be accessed through Saidgai after two three hours rigorous trekking. The trail to Daral is full of fun and amusement because it runs over sky touching heights of the mountains provides spectacular sights and panoramas for the beauty hungry eyes of nature lovers. A close look towards the south will reveal the long and winding sellouts of river Swat in the horizon.After walking and trekking for about two and a half hours on bare and naked mountains, the trail start descending towards the East where Daral Lake is located.
Administration
The region has gone through considerable changes over the last few years since the dissolution of the princely state in 1969. Members of the former Royal family have since on occasion been elected to represent the area in the Provincial Assembly and National Assembly.
Provincial & national politics
The region elects two male members of the National Assembly of Pakistan (MNAs), one female MNA, seven male members of the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (MPAs)[11] and two female MPAs. In the 2002 National and Provincial elections, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, an alliance of religious political parties, won all the seats amidst a wave of anti-Americanism that spread after the United States' invasion of Afghanistan.
Wild Life: In early days when the shrubs and bushes covered slopes and foothill areas,hares, porcupine, fox, jackal, wolf, pigs, and hyenas were in large number. Now the need for fuels decreased the scrubs and trees, so these animals have decreased considerably. In the forests,monkeys are often found. Among the birds: hawks, eagles, falcons are found in the high mountains, while pheasants, partridges, hoopoes, larks, sparrows, quails, doves, swallows, starlings, nightingales, crows, kites, vultures, owls, bates are the common birds.
Bees: The bees were kept in Swat commonly, and the pure honey of was famous all over the country. But now the moveable beehives have affected the Swat locally reared bees greatly. Now, the local good honey is found in remote areas only, while the honey of moveable hives is available everywhere in low prices.
Fisheries: There is a large fishery in Madyan. In this fishery the trout fish are being reared. In Kohistan-e-Swat there are some private fisheries too. In Buner the fish were being reared in Barandu, Dagar. Moreover the Swat River serves as a permanent fishery throughout the year while the tributaries of it are used for fishing only in spring season.
Mineral Resources: Mines' production plays an important role in the economy of a country, particularly in the regions where they exist, because, the local people get the opportunities to labor in, and earn their livelihood. But the Swati mines have no importance for the local people in this respect. It is necessary, however, to mention what they are, and where do they exist. Swat is rich in mineral wealth, but the discovered commodities are a few. Among them, the china clay stands first; others are marble stone, and emerald.
China Clay: The china clay exists at “Kathyar” in Nekpikheil (on the road that leads to Shahderai at a distance of 15 miles from Mingora). This is the largest mine, having the finest quality, of China clay in Pakistan. The clay is mined here, and is transported to Shaidu in Nawshehra (which is at a distance of around 100 miles from Swat). It is not so advantageous for the local people, because they have no opportunity to work in the complex.
Soap Clay: The mine of soap clay has been discovered recently between Alpurai and Kanra on the side of Gilgit Road (Shahrah-e-Resham). It is spread in a vast area.
Marbles: The marbles are dug near Charbagh, Murghuzar, and Barikot in the proper valley of Swat, and in Buner, it is mined in Thor Warsak, Bampokha, and Sawawai. Moreover, there is a great expectation of iron ores, which will be discovered in near future.
Emerald: The finest quality of emerald is produced in Swat. Its Color and transparency is unique. It is the best in world. It is exported to the international markets: There is an export potential of 500 million dollars in this sector, provided it is excavated and cut as per international standards. Before the absorption of Swat in Pakistan, the emeralds of Swat were better in quality, and greater in quantity. But since then it is said that the quantity of production is little, and the quality devalued.
Industries:
Handicrafts: The handicrafts of Swat are very famous. When a tourist visits Swat, he accumulates bundles of these articles as gifts for his friends. All of the crafts prepared here are interesting, especially, the following are very charming.
Woolen Blankets: These blankets are known as "Sharai". They are prepared of wool obtained from the local sheep. The weight of a medium size blanket is four kilos. This is the best source of defense from the severity of winter. It is woven in Dewlai, Kala Kalay, Salampur, Puran, and Ghurband. These villages prepare the items on commercial scale.
Shawl: Shawl is a younger brother of Sharai, as it is also a woolen sheet, but light in weight. Sometimes, cotton is also mixed in its texture. It is beautifully fringed, and is commonly used by ladies. The tourists like it too much. Shawls are prepared in Salampur and Dewlai "Jolabad" on commercial bases.
Rugs: The next important thing, made of local fleece with laborious work, is rug. This is prepared in the villages by pressing wool with the help of water spray. After preparation, it is beautified with the usage of various colors. Rugs are the traditional carpets of shepherds, but now are used everywhere.
Embroidery: The embroidery of Swat is very famous, and is liked everywhere in Pakistan, as well as by the out-comers. This art is an indoor hobby of the ladies in Swat. Particularly in Nekpikheil, this is so common that very younger girls might also be seen having needlework in their hands. There are three types of embroidery:
Panrae or Panhey: Panrey or Panrhey is the old fashion of shoes, still used by the old persons in Swat. They are made in Swat with the simply tanned leather. The cobblers have great skill in the formation of ladies shoes with golden lace work. Similarly, the sandals with golden lace work are also made. The cobblers of Shahderai had great skill in this field. It is now archaic.
Shkor: A Shkor is a pot in which chapatis (plate bread used in India and Pakistan) are kept. The ordinary Shkors are prepared everywhere in Swat, but a special design is made in Puran and Chagharzee (These Shkors are high-based pots made of wheat stalks with laborious art, not easily available in bazaar).
Furniture: Furniture of various styles is made in the district. The cots, tables, chairs, dressing tables, cradles of more advanced types, etc. are furnished in Mingora, and in nearly all large villages.
Summerpalace, Beijing Juli 2012
China
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Palace
Canon 550D
Please do not reproduce or use this picture without my explicit permission.
If you ask nicely I will probably say yes, just ask me first!
If you happen to be in one of my frames and have any objections to this.
Please contact me!
Please no glossy awards, scripted comments and big thumbnails back to your own work.
I will remove them..
The companion shot to the previous "King of the Jungle...Floor." This Eastern American Toad (Anaxyrus a. americanus) is just starting out a life that could last between 30 and 40 years! Also, contrary to popular belief, one does not get warts from touching a toad. In fact, your touch is more hazardous to the toad--because toads absorb water through their lower abdomens, it is important that they stay clean. When touched by people, the salts and oils from our skin can impede the water absorption!
Photo taken in Francis Marion National Forest in South Carolina.
The Hague
May 2012
The Netherlands
I solemny pledge this is the last time i shoot one of these, somehow i keep going back for more..
The extreme contrast and light here are just so fantastic. Plus, escalators are gods gift to photographers, it prevents people from freezing the moment by suddenly stopping in their stride or walking around or away.
Urban life in the Netherlands
Ricoh GRD IV
Please do not reproduce or use this picture without my explicit permission.
If you ask nicely I will probably say yes, just ask me first!
If you happen to be in one of my frames and have any objections to this.
Please contact me!
Please no glossy awards, scripted comments and big thumbnails back to your own work.
I will remove them...
Eight hours intergration. Ha.
A full narrowband colour version to follow in three days time :)
This large nebular complex is famous partly because it resembles Earth's continent of North America. It was discovered in the early 1890s by Max Wolf. To the right of the North America Nebula, cataloged as NGC 7000, is a less luminous Pelican Nebula, designated IC 5067-70.
The two emission nebula measure about 50 light-years across, are located about 1500 light-years away, and are separated by a dark absorption cloud designated LDN 935 which is also part of the whole nebula complex.
The nebulae can be seen with binoculars from a dark location. Look for a large nebular patch about 5 degrees north-east of bright star Deneb, in the constellation of Cygnus.
It is still unknown which star or stars ionize the red-glowing hydrogen gas.
Imaging telescopes or lenses: Vixen VSD100 f/3.8 Astrograph
Imaging cameras: Starlight Express SXVR-H18
Guiding telescopes or lenses: Vixen VSD
Guiding cameras: sx loadstar
Software: Sequence Generator Pro, PixInsight 1.8, Main Sequence Software, Photoshop CS5
Filters: Baader Ha 8.5nm
Accessories: Starlight Xpress USB filter wheel, Starlight Xpress Lodestar Guider, Baader Planetarium 36mm narrowband filters
Resolution: 3328x2504
A plant absorbs nutrition when pixies induce a type of magnetic, yet organic, solenoid into the roots’ water. This absorption occurs much like iron filings near a loadstone.
District 789, Beijing
July 2012
China
Urban life
Canon 550D
Please do not reproduce or use this picture without my explicit permission.
If you ask nicely I will probably say yes, just ask me first!
Indi-Arms
Grendel Rifle, Series 01
The GR-01 is chambered in .50 Grendel as its name suggests. The rail system adds a side charging handle. The original charging handle is replaced with a cover. The stock has a recoil absorption system that acts in conjunction with the weighty rail system to dampen the heavy recoil of the Grendel round. An upside down, Osprey type integral suppressor is included.
Credit:
~SHC for the color idea
Full Description: Absorption of solar energy heats up our planet's surface and atmosphere making life for us possible. But the energy carnot stay bound up in the Earth's environment forever. If it did, the Earth would be as hot as the sun. Instead, as the surface and atmosphere warm, they emit thermal long wave radiation, some of which escapes into space and allows the Earth to cool. This false color image of the Earth was produced by the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) instrument flying aboard NASA's Terra spacecraft. The image shows where more or less heat, in the form of long-wave radiation, is emanating from the top of the Earth's atmosphere. As one can see in the image, the thermal radiation leaving the oceans is fairly uniform. The blue swaths represent thick clouds, the tops of which are so high they are among the coldest places on Earth. In the American Southwest, which can be seen in the upper right hand corner of the globe, there is often little cloud cover to block outgoing radiation and relatively little water to absorb solar energy making the amount of outgoing radiation in this area exceeding that of the oceans. Recently, NASA researchers discovered that incoming solar radiation and outgoing thermal radiation increased in the tropics from the 1980s to the 1990s. They believe the unexpected change has to do with apparent change in circulation patterns around the globe, which effectively reduce the amount of water vapor and cloud cover in the upper reaches of the atmosphere. Without the clouds, more sunlight was allowed to enter the tropical zones and more thermal energy was allowed to leave. The findings may have big implications for climate change and future global warming. (Image courtesy NASA Goddard)
Credit: NASA
Image Number: 0300805
Date: September 30, 2001
just watching, and waiting,
outside my sequestered door. As the oldest in the house... for whom the bell tolls... I prefer the plaintive coos of the nesting owls in the neighboring tree.
Once I accepted the inevitability of exposure, I focused on resistance: boosting my immune system and antivirals. I’ll share what I take daily, and if anyone is aware of any reason to *not* take these in the context of coronavirus, please let me know and I’ll update. I have not had a sick day for decades, and perhaps this helped, but remember that my personal journey is not prescriptive and that none of these have been properly studied to reach any conclusions on efficacy, yet:
1) Vitamin D (+ K2 for better absorption): “Studies have indicated that there is a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency worldwide. Vitamin D deficiency may affect the immune system as vitamin D plays an immunomodulation role, enhancing innate immunity by up-regulating the expression and secretion of antimicrobial peptides, which boosts mucosal defenses. Furthermore, recent meta-analyses have reported a protective effect of vitamin D supplementation on respiratory tract infections” — WHO and an apparently biased site, but some links: Vitamin D Wiki
2) Magical mushroom powder of Shitake + Maitake: “We found significant stimulation of defense reaction. In all cases, the most active was the Maitake-Shiitake combination” — NIH
3) Coconut oil: “Several in vitro, animal, and human studies support the potential of coconut oil, lauric acid and its derivatives as effective and safe agents against a virus like nCoV-2019. Mechanistic studies on other viruses show that at least three mechanisms may be operating. Given the safety and broad availability of virgin coconut oil (VCO), we recommend that VCO be considered as a general prophylactic against viral and microbial infection.” — Ateneo University
4) Zinc, short term use: “In this study we demonstrate that the combination of Zn(2+) and PT at low concentrations (2 µM Zn(2+) and 2 µM PT) inhibits the replication of SARS-coronavirus (SARS-CoV)” — Researchgate And some warnings about prolonged use: Oregon State
5) Oregano oil capsules: “Mexican oregano oil and its main component, carvacrol, are able to inhibit different human and animal viruses in vitro.” — NIH
And then found to be helpful with other viruses, like norovirus and herpes: “This study provides novel findings on the antiviral properties of oregano oil” — sfamjournals
6) Vitamin C: “2019-nCoV infected pneumonia, namely severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) has caused global concern and emergency. We hypothesize that Vitamin C infusion can help improve the prognosis of patients with SARI. Therefore, it is necessary to study the clinical efficacy” — Clinicaltrials
These are all inexpensive on Amazon, but if you want an even stronger placebo effect, find the most expensive version, as that is proven to work better :) ScienceDaily
7) Update: I have added Quercetin. Its impact on Covid-19 has not yet been properly researched, but the basic mechanism could be similar to Chloroquine, and is an over-the-counter supplement even if you don’t have symptoms. Best with Zinc. From molecular simulation studies: "Liu et al. (2020) successfully crystallised the COVID-19 main protease (Mpro), which is a potential drug target. Quercetin... and curcumin [among others] appeared to have the best potential to act as COVID-19 Mpro inhibitors."
8) I also take NMN + TMG and have been discussing possible downstream NAD+ / sirtuin effects on COVID-19 with David Sinclair of Harvard Medical School. As with all of these, nothing is proven; it's just a fascinating hypothesis. The observed age effect on mortality is stark — the younger a person is, across the spectrum, the lower the death rate and hospitalization rate. Looking to NAD+ depletion as we age, and exacerbated by inflammation, perhaps it's ultimately an energy crisis and a loss of NAD + ATP that does us in.
Snips from his recent book Lifespan:
“NAD boosts the activity of all seven sirtuins. And because NAD is used by over 500 different enzymes, without any NAD, we’d be dead in 30 seconds. NAD acts as a fuel for sirtuins. NAD levels decrease with age throughout the body. Human studies with NAD boosters (NMN and NR) are ongoing. So far, there has been no toxicity, not even a hint of it.” (p.134)
Also: "Most antiviral drugs target specific viral proteins. Consequently, they often work for only one virus, and their efficacy can be compromised by the rapid evolution of resistant variants. There is a need for the identification of host proteins with broad-spectrum antiviral functions, which provide effective targets for therapeutic treatments that limit the evolution of viral resistance. Here, we report that sirtuins present such an opportunity for the development of broad-spectrum antiviral treatments, since our findings highlight these enzymes as ancient defense factors that protect against a variety of viral pathogens." — Researchgate
Sinclair added trimethylglycine (TMG) in a recent podcast. He also mentions not to take NMN or NR at night as they interfere with sleep.
H/T Nova Spivack for the corona-relevant links. He is maintaining a more complete list here.
“Ah, distinctly I remember
it was in the bleak December
And each separate dying ember
wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl
to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning—
little relevancy bore
For we cannot help agreeing
that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing
bird above his chamber door
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt,
and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking ‘Nevermore.’”
— Edgar Allan Poe
150 megapixel panorama made using a Nikon 105mm macro lens and a Really Right Stuff pano head, showing the amazing details of the magnificent bamboo trees that line the dense, dark path through the Pipiwai Trail off the Road to Hana on the island of Maui.
I just had to do the shadow self-portrait here. It was so bright that the shadow lines were extremely crisp, even with refraction and absorption under 2 feet of water. Taken in the Mediterranean at Sardinia.
May 2012
The Netherlands
Candid shots in and around the Public Transport in The Netherlands
Ricoh GRD IV
Please do not reproduce or use this picture without my explicit permission.
If you ask nicely I will probably say yes, just ask me first!
If you happen to be in one of my frames and have any objections to this.
Please contact me!
Please no glossy awards, scripted comments and big thumbnails back to your own work.
I will remove them...
NGC 2626 is a reflection/emission/absorption nebula, in the constellation Vela. It is mostly illuminated by some nearby stars CD-40 4432 and HD 73882
Imaged at my remote Hakos-Namibia observatory with SW Esprit 120ED , ZWO ASI2600MC camera, 200 x 180sec on 10 Micron 2000HPS mount
he light here was incredible this time when I went which made me compose differently to what I had imagined...also a vertical shot
Saturn's A and F rings appear bizarrely warped where they intersect the planet's limb, whose atmosphere acts here like a very big lens.
In its upper regions, Saturn’s atmosphere absorbs some of the light reflected by the rings as it passes through. But absorption is not the only thing that happens to that light. As it passes from space to the atmosphere and back out into space towards Cassini’s cameras, its path is refracted, or bent. The result is that the ring's image appears warped.
This view looks toward the sunlit side of the rings from about 18 degrees above the ring plane. The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on June 9, 2016.
The view was acquired at a distance of approximately 1.1 million miles (1.8 million kilometers) from the rings and at a Sun-rings-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 112 degrees. Image scale is 7 miles (11 kilometers) per pixel.
The Cassini mission is a cooperative project of NASA, ESA (the European Space Agency) and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging operations center is based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado.
To read more about the Cassini-Huygens mission, click here.
_____________________________________________
These official NASA photographs are being made available for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photographs. The photographs may not be used in materials, advertisements, products, or promotions that in any way suggest approval or endorsement by NASA. All Images used must be credited. For information on usage rights, click here.
The Hague
April 2012
The Netherlands
Urban life in the Netherlands
Ricoh GRD IV
Please do not reproduce or use this picture without my explicit permission.
If you ask nicely i will probably say yes, just ask me first!
If you happen to be in one of my frames and have any objections to this.
Please contact me!
All rights reserved
Leiden CS
February 2013
Candid shots in and around Public Transport
Ricoh GR Digital IV
Check out my blog: www.thecovertphotographer.wordpress.com/
Da Dong Roast Duck Restaurant, Beijing
July 2012
China
Arguably the best roast duck in town, certainly not the cheapest either!
Urban life
Ricoh GR Digital IV
Please do not reproduce or use this picture without my explicit permission.
If you ask nicely I will probably say yes, just ask me first!
If you happen to be in one of my frames and have any objections to this.
Please contact me!
Please no glossy awards, scripted comments and big thumbnails back to your own work.
I will remove them..
Processed using calibrated near-infrared methane-absorption band filtered (CB3) images of Titan taken by Cassini on May 7 2017.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI/CICLOPS/Kevin M. Gill
A part of the orbital module for the European Space Agency’s reuseable spacecraft Space Rider in the LEAF facility at the Agency’s technical heart in The Netherlands, 25 March 2025.
Space Rider is a versatile reuseable spacecraft about the size of two minivans that allows for all kind of missions, from pharmaceutical research to visiting orbital platforms and more. After missions that can last up to three months, Space Rider returns to Earth, and precision-lands on skids after a paraglider descent.
While in orbit Space Rider relies on a Vega-C rocket fourth stage called AVUM+ (Attitude Vernier Upper Module) with a new element built by Beyond Gravity for Avio, called ALEK (AVUM Life Extension Kit). The rocket fourth stage provides propulsion to move and orient the spacecraft and the ALEK provides electricity and other services needed for the orbital life of the vehicle with two solar panel wings. Together these elements make up the expendable orbital module that separates from the Space Rider reentry module before its return to Earth.
ALEK’s structure spent two months at ESA’s testing facility being put through the full range of mechanical tests and stresses it will experience when launched on a Vega-C rocket.
ALEK visited the largest acoustic chamber in Europe, capable of reproducing the deafening roar of a rocket launch. Here the loudspeakers were turned up to the max and the structure held its own while being bombarded with loud rumbles and noise.
The largest European facility of its kind, ESA's Large European Acoustic Facility (LEAF) is a test chamber measuring 11 m wide by 9 m deep and 16.4 m high. Its walls are made of steel-reinforced concrete 0.5 m thick to contain the sound and are coated with a thick coating of epoxy resin to reduce noise absorption and increase internal reverberation.
One wall is fitted with noise horns of the same basic design as those seen in stereo speakers which can produce noise equivalent to multiple jet aircraft lifting off simultaneously from 30 metres away.
Credits: ESA–S. Muirhead
Margerie Glacier is a 21 mi (34 km) long tidewater glacier in Glacier Bay, Alaska. Margerie Glacier has a total height of 350 feet (110 m) of which 250 feet (76 m) rises above the water level and 100 feet (30 m) is beneath the water surface.[2] Like many glaciers it contains moraines which appear as dark areas composed of dirt, stones and larger rocks mixed in with the ice and transported downstream to eventually be ejected from the glacier's terminus. The glacial ice appears blue as a result of the absorption of red, orange, yellow and green wavelengths of light and, consequently, pools of meltwater on top of the glacier will appear bright blue. (Wikipedia)
The Hague
The Netherlands
2012
Candid shots in and around the Public Transport in The Netherlands
Ricoh GR Digital IV
Prior to its absorption into General Motors, Cadillac was one of the country's largest auto manufacturing firms. This is their main factory, located in Detroit on Amsterdam Avenue.
This view is looking south across Cass Avenue at the rear of the factory. The photo was taken between 1906 and 1910 by Detroit Publishing Co. and is in the collection of the Library of Congress.
The only building remaining from this complex is the three-story reinforced concrete addition completed in 1905, visible here on the far right side with a brown brick façade. Cass Avenue at this location now passes beneath the railroad tracks.
There are no automobiles visible in this image, but ironically, there is a horse-drawn carriage parked next to the factory.
The original black and white photograph was colorized in Photoshop.
A cute little girl in soft pink dress eats a chocolate-dipped ice-cream on a sunny day of summer. She is deeply focused on the sweetness of the dainty and seems to be far out of this world. She absorbs the ice-cream and is absorbed by the process. Candid street photo. Eat hearty!
National Museum, Beijing
July 2012
China
Urban life
Ricoh GR Digital IV
Please do not reproduce or use this picture without my explicit permission.
If you ask nicely I will probably say yes, just ask me first!
If you happen to be in one of my frames and have any objections to this.
Please contact me!
Please no glossy awards, scripted comments and big thumbnails back to your own work.
I will remove them..
Amsterdam
June 2012
The Netherlands
Urban life in the Netherlands
Ricoh GRD IV
Please do not reproduce or use this picture without my explicit permission.
If you ask nicely I will probably say yes, just ask me first!
If you happen to be in one of my frames and have any objections to this.
Please contact me!
Please no glossy awards, scripted comments and big thumbnails back to your own work.
I will remove them..
WET DREAM, Oil painting by Jaisini
Wet Dream, an oil painting by Jaisini, in terms of exploration of own sexuality, dreams, or nightmares, belongs to a human traditional need for personal revelations. The imagery of the work is of a usually Jaisinesque theme that is not to be a statement or an illusion, but which summons the emotions.
In Wet Dream, the feelings of morning euphoria and desire create a new formula of early life’s passion. Jaisini delivers a high sensory level through the graduate, almost hypnotic step by step desire awakening.
The work precedes the Reincarnation series. As in all of his paintings, Jaisini pursues a metamorphosis of the physical and mental states. In his works, the concept and the material are enclosed and inserted within each other. The essential visual vehicle is in a line, that emphatically has a life of its own and could be perceived as an automatic release. The enclosure of the line is not only graphical, but also symbolic of the connection between the picture’s elements which await their disclosure.
In the years of cubism, Andre Masson created his series of erotic drawings. In his works, Masson portrayed pure erotica with total absorption in the act, orgiastic, uncomplicated, and a little banal. The lack of diversity in such a subject matter as eroticism resulted in the Masson’s scenes of pairs, trios, or even dozens of naked women interacting in a sexual way with one another. Masson filled these scenes with a Rubensian appreciation of the flesh and its pleasures, the very quality which impoverishes the otherwise fruitful area of human psyche.
Jaisini, on the contrary, uses the sensual overtones to enrich and explore the mysterious realm of mind potential. So, instead of creating automatically, similarly, and limited, Jaisini employs his mind to complicate and develop the subject of desire.
In Masson’s erotic series, the only sentiment is the libidinous desire. Jaisini reflects a different time and epoch that is not satisfied with the simple approach. Jaisini combines together the physical with psychological, which becomes nearly a game.
The expressionistic line swirls flow in the open canvas ground and embrace the canvas in expansive loops. The work is airy.
The artist’s thought transfers line into an image of a contraposto torso with a liplike part on the neck cut. Another female images express their physical and emotional concerns. The bottom lean figure indicates the young age of this female. In turn, that may explain the desperate pose for the erotic fulfillment. The third blond woman at the upper right corner appears to be more sexually mature. She holds a big breast that belongs to another female with a face that has only big red lips and flowing down hair lines. Here, we find a profile of a man who seems to sniff the aroma of the female bodies not without pleasure. In the center, there is another gasping profile. The curvilinear forms enhance the overall impression of a fluid movement, which so well corresponds to the erotic sensation. A phallic finger touches a soft pillow and charges erotic energy in all other phallic configurations in Wet Dream.
All images link in their conscious-unconscious, figurative-abstract condition.
The cycle of desire goes on endlessly and is at the core of human existence. In Wet Dream, Jaisini liberates the desire from the self. In this well born work of art the desire is taken for a model. The work demonstrates what we know of creation to be a combination of already existing things into newer forms. That being so, the desire of man must have been in an endless existence and will continue to dwell in bodies and in works of art to which Wet Dream is an example.
Yustas Kotz-Gottlieb
Review of “Wet Dream” by Paul Jaisini
The Teesside Railless Traction Board (TRTB) served a predominately industrial area to the east of Middlesbrough but did not enter the town centre. By the time of its absorption into Teesside Municipal Transport (TMT) in 1968, it operated a mixed fleet of trolleybuses, motor buses and ancillary vehicles in a dark green livery. This fictional towing vehicle is based on a locally-preserved AEC Matador vehicle that carries Salford City Transport fleetnames (11-Feb-23).
All rights reserved. Not to be posted on Facebook or anywhere else without my prior written permission. Please follow the link below for additional information about my Flickr images:
part of liverpools revamped waterfront location looking windswept and interesting against the passing clouds, i dont normally enjoy light absorption by the clouds but i think it works well here.
HORACIO PATRONE: NIKON D 500 LENS NIKOR AF-S 300/4 D IF ED + NIKON TC 1.4- RESERVA PARQUE SARMIENTO,BUENOS AIRES - ARGENTINA-INFO: from the friend Ramon Roman Montero ... although the Ceibo is an emblematic species in Argentina (national flower) and that is cultivated as an ornament for parks and public walks, the majority of the population does not know the main biological function of this species, which is to help balance coastal environments.
The roots of this species are pivoting, with knots produced by nitrifying bacteria that live in symbiosis, facilitating the absorption of the nitrogen they fix, while taking the organic substances that it elaborates. Its roots are very strong -the main ones stand out- and are affirmed to the ground, counteracting the erosion caused by the waters. Ceibo seeds are transported by water, germinating in places such as sandbars, where they help stabilize the land to form new islands.
We can conclude then that this species is essential for coastal environments - besides that not any tree can be present in them. The negligence in these cases, is the one that causes negative consequences, such as floods and disappearance of species, among other types of imbalances.
The Art of Being
The fern in the rain breathes the silver message.
Stay, lie low. Play your dark reeds
and relearn the beauty of absorption.
There is nothing beyond the rotten log
covered with leaves and needles.
Forget the light emerging with its golden wick.
Raise your face to the water-laden frond.
A thousand blossoms will fall into your arms.
By Anne Coray
My Daily Baby Spinach Salad. I have switched from Iceberg lettuce to Spinach because Spinach is a Super food loaded with Vitamins and Minerals you just dont find in any other food.
Health Benefits of Spinach
Like other dark greens, spinach is an excellent source of beta-carotene, a powerful disease-fighting antioxidant that's been shown, among other things, to reduce the risk of developing cataracts. It fights heart disease and cancer as well.
As a dark, leafy green, spinach possesses several important phytochemicals, including lutein, which helps prevent age-related macular degeneration. Spinach also contains lipoic acid, which helps antioxidant vitamins C and E regenerate. Because of its role in energy production, lipoic acid is being investigated for regulating blood sugar levels.
Served raw, spinach is a good source of vitamin C, another powerful antioxidant. Overcook it, however, and you lose most of this important vitamin. Though spinach is rich in calcium, most of it is unavailable, because oxalic acid in spinach binds with calcium, preventing its absorption. The abundant potassium in spinach is available, and it will promote heart health. When you cook spinach, it cooks down tremendously. Because cooking concentrates nutrients and fiber, a serving of cooked spinach gives you even more bang for your buck than a serving of raw.
A 10-ounce bag of raw spinach, which contains approximately 284 grams of spinach, provides 1,585 milligrams of potassium.
Potassium functions as an electrolyte, which means that it helps balance the amount of fluid in your body and transmits electrical impulses produced by nerves, making it vital to muscle function. Potassium works closely with other electrolytes including sodium and calcium and staying healthy requires a balance between these minerals. In fact, the American Heart Association stresses the importance of potassium because it lessens the effects of sodium and helps control blood pressure.
A short series of 6 photographs taken at the Centre Pompidou.
Une petite série de 6 photos prises au Centre Pompidou.
Artist : Simon Hantaï
If you recognise yourself in these photos and prefer they are not here, just let me know (or if you would like a copy of the photo).
Si vous vous reconnaissez dans cette photo et préfériez que la photo ne soit pas publiée, dites le moi (ou bien si vous aimeriez en avoir une copie).